Last December Kurt and I were in Amarillo Christmas shopping with out the kids. Some time after 10pm we were leaving Wal-Mart and a lady stopped Kurt and asked if we could give her a ride across town. It was really cold out and while we didn’t know her we felt we should help her out. Once in the car she started telling us more about herself. She said she was an evacuee from Hurricane Rita and told us of the hard time her and her family was having. Kurt offered to take her back to Wal-Mart and get her a few things. She was very appreciative of the few essentials we purchased such as diapers and milk. After we finished in the store we loaded up in Kurt’s car and drove her to her apartment. As we drove we talked and I felt led to ask her if I could pray for her. With each traffic light we kept getting closer to her home and I just couldn’t seem to be bold enough to do what I should do. We talked about her children and about the job she was applying for and then our meeting was over. She got out and it was over, I hadn’t prayed. Man! I felt like a loser. At least I had gotten her name, right? Wait, I hadn’t. For some reason I just couldn’t remember her name. As we drove home Kurt and I discussed the whole episode. We wondered why she had chosen him to ask for a ride. We wondered if the story was a scam or if she was genuine. We decided it didn’t matter. After all we did what we felt we should and that’s all that mattered. Right? No, I didn’t do what I thought I should. I didn’t pray for her like I so strongly felt the Holy Spirit leading me to. I didn’t tell her of God’s love. Grrrr! I was so disappointed in myself.

The next morning I wrote in my journal a prayer for her. I didn’t know her name so I wrote “The Wal-Mart lady”. I thought of her daily and I prayed God would give me another chance to minister to this lady.

Two or three months later Kurt and Joshua and I walked out the doors of the same Wal-Mart and I about ran smack into the back of a woman. As I stopped to apologize I realized it was the same lady I’d been praying for. I was a bit shocked and I gave her an overly friendly hello. She blankly looked at me for a moment and I thought to myself how she probably didn’t remember me when all of a sudden she smiled really big and said hello back and asked how I was doing and how my husband and babies were. I assured her we were all well and asked her how she was doing. She asked if we could help her out again like we did last time. We said yes and I again started thinking that perhaps her story was a scam, after all what was she doing hanging outside of Wal-Mart all the time? It didn’t matter. We knew what we needed to do. Kurt headed for the diapers and I took her over to the groceries. We bought her only a few things and she insisted that it not be too much. As we rushed through the store we talked fast about Christmas and kids, we talked about her family and mine. We talked about her new job and how she liked living in Amarillo. I wrote down her name on the back of the receipt and stuck it in my pocket. When it was all done she once again asked for a ride home. We talked all the way and no, I never did ask her if I could pray for her. I did overtly share about my faith through out our time together but once again I let her get out of our car with out doing what I knew I should do.

Grrrrr. I had a second chance and I blew it. Then next morning I wrote her name in my journal. I wouldn’t forget it this time. I prayed for her daily and I often entertained the thought of sending a letter to the apartment building we had dropped her off at. I wasn’t sure of the address but I knew if I wanted to I could figure it out. I never did though. But I did pray. I prayed for her children’s safety and for her salvation. For some reason God had strongly laid this lady on my heart.

A few weeks ago at church I watched from afar as a young lady gave her heart to Christ. For some reason I was sitting farther back than usual and I watched as a lady went forward unexpectedly. There had been no invitation we were simply preparing to share communion and she got up, quickly made her way to the front and stood there. As I watched I reached out my heart and hand to her and prayed. If I had been sitting in my usual seat I’d had been able to see her instead I could only see her back.

This Sunday I sat up front like usual, Pastor Jory walked across to the other side of the room and prepared to baptize the young lady. I hadn’t seen or met her yet but I had repeatedly heard the story of how she had gotten saved a few weeks before. I strained to see her but once again she had her back to me. Finally when I caught a glimpse of her face she seemed amazingly familiar. I searched my mind trying to remember who she was. Then Jory said her name. He said her full name. When he said ________ ________ I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. . . . my heat leapt as I realized who she was, I started bawling when I heard the name that had been in my prayers for nearly a year. As soon as the baptism was over she headed out the door to get changed into some dry clothes. I gathered my stuff and made a bee line to find her. I made my way towards the bathroom and found Carol waiting outside for her. I asked her how she knew her and she told me about meeting her the few weeks before. What is she doing here? Doesn’t she live in Amarillo? Carol quickly told me as we waited how the young lady had relocated and was starting her life over. I was a bit nervous as I waited. After all she probably wouldn’t even recognize me. It had been a long time since I’d seen her and she’d most likely met many people at Wal-Mart. As she opened the door, Carol told her she had someone who wanted to talk to her. I went up and controlled my urge to hug her as I started talking. “You probably don’t remember me. . .” I said. “Yes, I do. You’re from Wal-Mart” she replied. I then went on to tell her of how I’ve been praying for her for over the past year and how even though I don’t know her I how much I love her. We hugged, she cried. She told me she was living alone now, and gave a 30 second update on her life. She turned to go back in to the service and I turned towards the restroom. We hugged and promised to talk later. After church I couldn’t find her. But I know I’ll be seeing her soon. I’ve got a name and an address and she now attends my church.

How amazing is that!

(I’ve left her name and some parts of the story out for privacy reasons)

Hot pink satin adorned with multi-colored plastic rhinestones, Charleigh’s diary rests safely under her pillow. She pulls it out each night and fills the pages with pictures. Knowing that diaries are supposed to be private she set strict rules that only Mommy, Daddy, Kaleb, Joshua and anyone else she knows can read it.

Recently Charleigh ran into my room clutching her diary to her heart. Gushing drama in a way that only little girls can she announced that she had just realized that NOW she could actually write in her diary instead of merely drawing pictures. (She’s been able to write for some time now but she hadn’t put the two together yet.) She danced back to bed singing a song about her precious diary. She’s such a girly girl.

Last night she sat in bed with a different book, a bright yellow prayer journal which I gave her last year. She had never shown much interest in the journal, I had assumed it was because she already had her precious diva diary. As she sat there she explained she had been saving her journal till she could “really” write. Now she was ready.

Charleigh spent twenty minutes intently writing. She told me she was writing about what was in her heart; she said she was writing about her God and her family. This morning when I woke her up I found the yellow journal laying beside her with the pencil tucked inside marking the page which she had been writing on. Anxious to see what she had written and having been given previous permission I picked it up for a quick read. What had my little girl written, what was “in her heart” about God, family and friends?

All she wrote was love.

Love, love, love, love, love, the page was filled with the word.
I asked her to tell me about it and she said; “Love is all that matters. Its why were here, why God made us and why Jesus came. It’s why we’re family and why we’re friends.”

Love
What a sweet little girl.

Carnival of Family Life

Living in such a dry climate I have a terrible time with dry skin.

Do any of you have this problem? My feet are the worse; it doesn’t help when I walk around bare foot all the time. I also love to wear sandals. I love to sneak over to Mom’s house and borrow her newest pair.

Until all of a sudden it happens: cracked and calloused my feet cry out to me for help. Not attractive at all I hide them in embarrassment. They look awful and to top off the unlovely appearance they hurt! When did this happen? How did I not notice till now? I go out and purchase the most nourishing lotion I can find then I tenderly nurse them back to health by applying the salve morning, noon and night. I also make myself wear shoes or at least socks through out the day, to protect my feet from the harmful environment. The pain I experience with each step reminds me of how important it is to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I follow this regiment faithfully until I get my feet presentable again, until they are “sandal worthy”. It generally takes a week till I can bare my toes with pride. Awh, it feels so good when I get them back nice and smooth.

But then I forget. Somewhere in there I forget. I start by reducing the lotion applications. “I’m running late, skipping this once won’t hurt.” Right? Then I bare my feet, kicking off my shoes each time I step in the door. Who needs shoes anyway? No big deal.

Then with out any notice at all (or so I think) I look down one morning and realize I’m back where I started with rough, dry feet, cracked and not at all up to being displayed in a strappy sandal. Why do I do this? Why do I ignore the signs, surely my skin doesn’t dry up instantly. Why don’t I just take the time to nourish my skin like I know I should? If I only would spend a bit of time a day it wouldn’t be such a big deal. A quick application of lotion after I got out of the shower and maybe one before bed would suffice. But no, I ignore, I put off, I make excuses.

I do this with other things as well; with prayer and Bible study. If I consistently do these each day my heart stays soft and supple; I’m growing, learning, actually being nice to people. Then I skip a morning because I wake up late. After you skip the first time it’s easier to skip the second and then the third. Till all of a sudden I look down and realize my heart is dry, cracked and calloused. I look awful! Grouchy, grumpy, snappy, snotty and to top off the unlovely outward appearance, it hurts! When did this happen? How did I not notice till now? Surely there were signs, why do I ignore them?

And so I go into moisturize mode. I go back to spending time with the Father, sitting at his feet each day; reading my Bible, listening to his word. I also go back to protecting my heart, covering my life with prayer and keeping it safe from the harmful environment. In no time I’m getting things back together. I’m actually easier to live with and I’m able to fulfill my purpose.

How easy it is to forget to nourish our hearts, to spend time with the living word, with the living God. Why do we do this? Why wait till it hurts, till we’re ugly and hard? I don’t know. But I do know that when we find ourselves in this predicament we can fix it. Hopefully we’ll learn a lesson, we’ll stop making excuses stop forgetting to take care of things and if we do forget again, maybe we’ll see the signs sooner and turn back before it hurts.

Maybe we can help each other. If you see me getting dry and cracked, please remind me to moisturize.

A child stands alone in a crowd of busy Holiday shoppers. Lost. She searches frantically as the towering waves of legs and shopping bags almost knock her over. Her heart beats faster as she rushes from one isle to the next. “What do I do? Where do I go?” A speeding shopping cart nearly plows her over, the driver never even looking her way. Worn out and frightened she cowers under a rack of Christmas sweaters. Shaken she sits, too drained to search anymore, “Help me!” she cries out, “I am lost”. Just then a hand reaches down and grasps her own. She looks up and sees the eyes of her Daddy. Safety. She is not alone, she has been found by her father. He was looking for her the whole time, seeking her out, to hold her and save her. “Don’t be afraid, Daddy is here, I’m going to take care of you. ” His strong, warm words put her at ease as they walk off hand in hand.

For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13

I occasionally ask my 7 year old son to help me do the dishes. Standing on the stool, sleeves rolled up he tries his very best to scrub each plate. Water splashes on his clothes and down to the floor. When we are finally done he’s practically had a bath himself. After sending him off to bed I mop the suds up off the floor and spot check the plates for missed spaghetti sauce. Could I do the dishes better on my own? Would it take less time? Be less mess? Yes, in fact it would be a lot easier if I did it on my own. That’s not the point. You see I don’t need a 7 year old boy to do my dishes. I can do them fine by myself. Much better that he can even begin to. There are three reasons I have this little guy doing such a big job. By him helping with the dishes he learns obedience to his mother, we have a time of fellowship in which we get to talk and share with each other, and he is learning skills for the future.

These are same reasons God asks us to work for him. Not because he needs help but because he is a God of relationship, he has created us for fellowship with him. We grow closer to Him through obedience. Read the rest of this entry »

Rescued by Christ at a young age I’m ashamed to admit I may have taken my salvation for granted. I cannot remember not knowing God’s love or Christ sacrifice. Having walked in grace for so long I was not aware nor did I truly grasp how very protected I had been. I was your everyday typical “comfortable” Christian. I knew God, I knew he loved me, and I knew he would love me no matter what. But it wasn’t till in this last year I really began to Grasp who my God is. After all these years of thinking I “knew Him” I realized I really only “knew of Him”. I did not have the intimate relationship with God that He so longs to have with His children. Read the rest of this entry »

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21;

To know the Love of God is to be filled with the fullness of Him. Can you imagine? To be filled with ALL the fullness of God? That is my desire! Not just more of Him but all of Him!

If we really comprehended the Love we would never doubt the Lover. To know the love of God! When we know that love, actually grasp that love, then we will know Him. I want to know Him!

When asking fellow believers about their personal Bible study practices I’ve heard a variety of guilty admissions that while they know they should they rarely do spend time in the Word. The most common explanations are these:
“I don’t have time”.
“I don’t understand it.”
“It’s boring.”
I’ve come to realize that the core to this problem is that people have not been taught “how” to read their Bibles. I believe that if you know how and practice doing so, reading your Bible will become not a chore but a joy.
A year ago at a Ladies Retreat Linda Hunter explained “How” to study the word. Since then I have implemented those lessons as well as personalized some techniques myself, now God has given me a burning desire to read his Word. This is the most exciting book imaginable. I want you to experience this same passion for the Word.

So here we go, I’m going to give you the beginners Who, What, When, Where, Why and How to reading your Bible. Mind you this is not the only way to get something out of God’s Word but its what works for me.
________________________________________________________
WHY: To Know God
Without a “why” it doesn’t matter “how”.

The Bible shows us our salvation,it teaches us who God is, and who we need to be. We read the bible to know God. Do you know Him? Or do you just know about Him? Read this God breathed scripture and you will know Him. Though you may begin studying because you “should”. After a period of time your why will change. I nolonger read the Bible because I “should” but because I desire, I long to know more of my God. This book is not obligatory “home work” it is an amazing privilege, a gift, a love note from my Father.

WHEN: Your “First” and “Best” Time
Set a time and stick with it, The King of the Universe has an appointment with you, are you going to miss it? Make a commitment to not miss a single day. It comes down to priority. What matters to you? Yes I know, job, kids, spouse, cooking, cleaning, mowing, school, volunteering,yada yada; these are all extremely important. But are they more important? More important than the one who created you, who loves youlike no other can fathom loving you? Give God a sacrifice of your time and He will return that time to you. Give God your first time and your best time. Don’t hand him a doggie bag of leftovers at the end of the day. My God is worth more than that! I think of it as “Coffee with Jesus”. I love getting up in the morning and cuddling up in my big green comfy chair with a caramel latte, my journal and my Bible. Starting the day in the arms of my Lord, I can face anything. I’d rather arm myself in the morning than pick up the pieces at night.

WHERE: A solitary place.
Find yourself a spot, where it is quiet, turn off the phone, get rid of any distractions. This will be your daily meeting place with the Father. It is best to use the same location each day, this gets you in the right frame of mind to start your study.

At this time I will address those of you with young children, you may be asking, how can I possibly get some quiet, alone time without them asking for something. I used to get up before my kids for this reason until I realized, they need to see me making God a priority in my life. If I spend my time with the Lord when they are sleeping they will not ever see that example. Being a stay@home mommy I have the luxury of adjusting my schedule. I now have my time after I have fixed their breakfast. They know that this is “Mommy’s time with God” and that they should play quietly until I am done. It takes a little training but after a week of patiently reminding them not to interrupt this special time they now are veryrespectful of it. If you let your little children know that God is a priority in your life then He will be in theirs also.

WHO: You and the Holy Spirit

John 14:26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

This is where we address the understanding issue. You cannot understand the Bible on your own! In order to see what God has for you, you need to ask him to show you what he wants you to see. Ask him to speak to you personally through his word.

Mathew 7:7″Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

WHAT: Bible, Journal, Pen
Bible
Find a version you are comfortable with, I like the NIV, my husband uses the NLT. Often I will search various translations to get a better understanding of what God is saying to me. Bible Gateway is a great resource of with many translations.

Journal
The reason for your Journal is to record what God shows you in your study. This Journal is also good for recording prayers, not only a grocery list of needs but also love notes to your Father. Use something with a sturdy cover and pages, you will want to keep this journal long after you have filled it up. It is exciting to look back on old journals and be reminded of truths given you by the Lord.
Pen
What ever works for you, there are various methods of using different colors of highlighters, I don’t know any of these, I prefer the underline method: If it sounds good underline it. You do know that it is OK to write in
your Bible right?

HOW:
1. Be Still
Bring your mind, will and emotions into submission. Take authority over your body, you are not as tired as you think. Focus on who God is and what he has to tell you today.

2. Pray
Ask God to give you wisdom, and to speak to
you. Invite the Holy Spirit to help you understand what God has for youtoday. Sometimes it helps to write this prayer out in your journal. It helps you focus on why you are there. Example:

Father, open my eyes. Open my heart to your word today. Holy Spirit give me wisdom and understanding help me to see what the Lord wants me to see. Lord let me know you more today, show me who you are and who you want me to be.

3. Start an entry in your Journal, with a date and the reference to the Scripture you are
beginning to read. By opening it up at the start you are showing expectation that God does have something to say to you today.

4. Read
If you have not read much of the Bible I recommend you start with the Gospel of John followed by Acts or Romans then maybe Psalms. After this you can figure out a reading plan that works for you.

This is not a speed-reading contest! You are not
required to finish any allotted amount of chapters in a day. The purpose is to get to know God. Set an amount of time that you will spend in the word, at least 15 min, with an hour being preferable. Focus, meditate and study the passages you are reading, some days you may read 2-3 chapters or more. While other days God may have one verse that is meant to speak to you. Do not set in stone which area of the Bible you will be reading. Go into your study with an open heart, the Spirit may lead you to another area of study. Be sensitive to the Spirit and listen for guidance. As God shows you new verses and or old ones in new ways remember to journal them.

5. Follow-Up
It is good to follow up on your study by going over your notes. Look over what God has shown you today. I like to look over my journal in the evenings and write any other things the Lord has spoken to me throughout the day.

I hope that this will help someone begin a daily meeting time with his or her Father. I know it is fairly random and pieced together. What works for me may not work for you, but please start somewhere. Don’t ignore your appointment with God.

My value is not defined by your view of me. It is not even determined by my own self-image. Nor do my triumphs or failures affect the appraisal of my worth.

In an auction the highest bidder determines an item’s price. What someone is willing to pay defines the worth. Look what Christ has paid for me, I am Highly Worthy!

You may say to yourself, “I don’t deserve God’s love”, and you are right. Thank God that our salvation is not based on what we “deserve” but what we are “worth” to him. It is by His grace that we are rescued; by his love that we are made worthy. Who are you to decide your own value? God is your creator; He formed you in your mother’s womb. He has already decided what you are worth and his Son has already paid the price. You are highly worthy!

Looking into the eyes of my newborn baby, my heart leaped with joy. So precious. So small.

You know; when they are so cute you just want to cover them with a thousand kisses. Ooooh they are so cute! You can’t help but squeeze them and shower them with love.

You here a faint cry from the other room, you rush in and pick up your prize, your joy. As you pull the child close to your heart, the crying stops. Only you can calm this child so quickly so completely. In the embrace of your love there is safety and comfort.

As you cherish each smile, each blink, the love overflows you are enraptured and you begin to sing a sweet love song to your child. Though you’d never sing in front of anyone before you find yourself doing so now. How precious this child is to you, how very very precious.

This is how the Father delights in his children:

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephania 3:17