Credit where credit is due...

On Wednesday my sweet husband took me to the VA in Baltimore for my pre-op tests, I needed a physical exam, chest X-Ray, EKG and blood work. Just so you know, I’ve heard things about the Baltimore VA, like the staff is rude. There, I said it. So I was a little apprehensive about the appointment.

#1. I was in pain.

#2. It was long drive.

#3. I didn’t know where exactly in the hospital I was going.

#4. I had been told “things”.

Much to my surprise when we got there the man in the parking garage was incredibly friendly in helping me find a spot close to the elevator. Thank you mister, you made an excellent first impression and it makes my heart glad knowing you are the one there to greet our veterans!

We got in and the lady at the front desk got us a wheelchair and gave us directions to occupational health. Nice lady who was very helpful!

The doctor saw us the minute we got there even though we were 25 minutes early! Way to go!

Blood work was performed with no wait and no pain…gotta love that!

Chest Xray, well there was a funny story there but my momma has forbidden me from sharing it. LOL They did a great job though!

EKG was done in no time at all too and we were on our way out.

And just take a guess at how long it took…four appointments and we were in and out in an HOUR!!!

So I have to say, Department of Veterans Affairs, Great Job! Every single person we encountered was not just nice; they were genuinely caring and kind. Our veterans deserve the very best and you provided just that! You make me proud to say I work at the Department of Veterans Affairs and I love our veterans!

Vows...

When I twisted my knee last month it never occurred to me that this would be an opportunity for my marriage to grow. Yet here I am getting ready to go for knee surgery at the end of the month and today I have to go to Baltimore to get my pre-op check up. It’s a long drive but that doesn’t bother me, I am used to the drive. I drove to and from Baltimore almost daily when Monkey was sick.  It’s what happens once I get there that concerned me. The walking from the parking garage to the clinic area, then to get an EKG, Chest X-Ray, and finally lab work seemed like a long painful hobble.

This morning my sweet husband woke me up and asked what time we needed to leave because he was thinking it would be good to take off half a day and help me. Surely they have wheelchairs, yes? So not only do I have company on the ride, I have a “ride” when I get there. Truly, this is “in sickness” that we spoke of when we took our vows. Thankfully this will be a short term “in sickness” and soon we’ll return to “in health”. Another season. Another reason to give thanks.

Ready For A New Season

To Every Thing There is a Season
Ecclesiastes 3

To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Sometimes the hardest thing is determining what season we’re in. A time to heal, a time to break down, a time to weep and mourn, a time to lose, I’m pretty sure these are the times I’m in presently but since they are appointed to occur I’m thankful for them. Looking forward to a time to build up, dance and laugh. But the season of joy means nothing without the season of pain.

The season of pain is where we grow. Growing hurts, growing stretches who we are to make room for what is to come. That is encouragement to me, it reminds me there is something yet to come.

Grace...

We have all sinned…every one of us. Not one of us is righteous. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

The sin in my past is so atrocious that I can’t bear to even speak it, the things I did, how I profaned God’s Holy name. I pursued my life of sin with passion; I made it my goal to discover all this world had to offer. But I was miserable, the more I sought to fill that void the worse it became. My sins were not just in my heart and mind, my sin was so public that everyone knew. Everyone. I made no effort to conceal them.

Others have sin that they feel is concealed. No one knows they beat their wives, maybe not with fists, perhaps it’s only with words. That’s not as bad as so and so…No one sees the secret sinful longing of their heart; No one knows about their sin because you can’t see them festering on the inside, they appear holy on the outside, many times even the one doing the sinning can’t see them. Secret sins. Things we do that don’t seem like sin to us but the Word says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” In Proverbs 14:12. We have all been influenced by a society that makes the perverse acceptable and calls the righteous truths of God a lie and bigotry. God forbid we are narrow minded.

So who’s sin is greater? What are the consequences of that sin?

I was told that the consequences of my sin will be worse because my sin was public, that God will never be able to use me as He would have if not for my sin. I bought that lie; hook, line and sinker until the truth of the Word began to show me that the God I serve is bigger than their God; because my God, the God of the Bible, the Creator of the universe, and the Savior of the world is bigger than my sin. His blood is able to cover my sin.

The Bible says “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 Thank you Jesus!

When I give thanks to His Name for what He has done for me it is a sacrifice of praise…“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name.” Heb 13:15

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” I Pet 2:5

God’s grace abounds in my life enabling me to walk the narrow road with Jesus. The Holy Spirit keeps me from many snares and stumbles. I’ve been forgiven much and I love Jesus all the more because of it.

Has this touched a nerve with you? Do you feel like you are unable to be forgiven because what you’ve done is so bad? Do you live like you have no sin but the Holy Spirit is pointing some out to you now? There is a remedy. Give your life to Jesus, surrender to Him and let Him wash you clean. If you have already been saved but have sin in your life you can’t overcome this is the remedy. Confess. Repent.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

Change...

What to do when there is nothing to do? I was told this morning that I will be on sedentary duties until November 1, and that is TWO WEEKS AWAY! But here is the real kicker…there isn’t enough administrative duties to justify me staying in my department so they are looking for a place to put me.

I have no idea what the next two weeks of my life will be like. This is a strange thing, not knowing. Generally speaking I get up, drop off the monkey, come to work, do my job, pick up the monkey, and go home. This has been working very well for quite a while now and even though it’s only a two week period of not knowing, I am not extremely comfortable with it.

Change…Webster’s defines change as to make or become different. Change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another.

I have always thought that I was pretty good with change, because change can be a very good thing, it can also be scary.  The Bible is full of change. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” I Corinthians 5:17.  With this I reassure myself that change is good…

So now I come to this new time in my life where my work will be changed from what I’m used to doing to something that is unknown. Even as I write this the powers that be are trying to decide what to do with this newly incapacitated person who must be accommodated. What can I do that is sedentary? Who knows…not me, that’s for sure! But thankfully I will be able to go back to doing my old thing in two weeks.

Dress Up!

This week has been a difficult one for me; I’ve been crazy busy at work, home hasn’t been much different. So I’ve turned my attention to something that will cheer me up…a costume for my monkey to wear in her school parade!

I was brainstorming with my most faithful costume idea sidekick…Mom! On my way to practice for a song to sing on Sunday I called her and asked what would be a doable costume that would be as good as last year. Monkey was a Doctor last year! I know, simple, but I was pressed for time (as always)…

How about a beekeeper? Sweet! Literally and figuratively considering that my husband has hives and I’m getting one in the spring, this is something that ties into our family very well.  Her honey bucket can be used to collect her goodies, she can wear my veil with a white shirt and voila! A costume!

I’ve been busy as a bee, hehehe, coming up with ideas to go with it and I’ve decided this weekend will be a trip to the craft store to buy pom pom’s to make our little honey bees. This is going to be so much fun! I’m excited to have a project to do with Monkey and I thought of it early enough that we can actually do it, not just say well there’s always next year! But even better than that, we can make it together…priceless.

Enjoy your weekend!

Pretend

How do you respond to those who are different than you? Let’s play a game…it’s called pretend, Monkey and I do it all the time, it’s easy.

Pretend…a twenty-something woman in a pair of tight Daisy Duke shorts and a skimpy halter top walked into your church, pranced all the way to the third row from the front and shimmied in past 4 or 5 men, plops down in the middle of the pew and proceeds to kick back and apparently take a nap. What do you do with that? Or worse, she stands and dances when the congregation sings? Oh my!

Pretend…a teenager with pink hair, nose piercings, and heavy eyeliner walks into your Sunday school room and starts asking some hard questions, like, if God is real then why did my uncle have sex with me when I was 11?

Pretend…a young man dressed in black with tattoos and long stringy hair comes in and sits on the back row, arms crossed, and sullen look on face…pretend. Can you see these people?

You see where I’m going with this. We often only see the outside and if it doesn’t match what we believe “Christians” should look like then we dismiss them or try and change the external so they will fit into our mold. Or worse, we ask them to leave...

If Church isn’t a social club, but a place to equip the saints for ministry, why do we turn away these individuals who are there by no accident? Why aren’t we going out to places where the “outcasts” are and bring them the hope of the Savior? Or are we too comfortable in our pews?

I for one am very thankful for a loving group of Christians who didn’t try and change the first subject of my game, the Daisy Duke woman…

Here is the response she received…after the service a lovely older man named Duke met her, looked straight in her eyes and never let them wander below her nose, shook her hand and said he was happy she was there. Was there anything that they could do for her? Please come back, she was welcomed there. That began a time of melting, love melted through a wall of ice that surrounded a cold, dead heart. Jesus breathed life into that heart and now it beats for Him. The Christians never said one word about her attire, never criticized her questions, never looked down on her, and as a result she felt the love that only Jesus can give. Love to the unlovely, unconditional and pure.

I am the Daisy Duke woman…

We all have pasts…

We all have sinned…

Thank you Jesus for the blood that washes me clean.

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior all you have to do is repent from your sins, believe in Him and accept the gift of salvation. Wearing nice clothes won’t save you, neither will driving a nice car or living in the better section of town, going to church won’t save you either, only accepting Jesus Christ can save us. Surrender to Him today.

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

Lab…

I don’t know a single person who enjoys being sick that said I’m no exception and I had a really yucky weekend.  But I’m thankful to be back to work today and that Monkey has a loving person who helps with her while I was down for the count.

While I was flat on my back for more than 3 days, I’ll spare you the gory details, I remembered something that God had laid on my heart last week the morning of the dreaded yuck…when you are feeling down the best thing to do is pray for others. I actually posted something about it on my FB status asking for people to give me prayer requests. God knew that stomach bug was about to hit and I would REALLY need to pray for others!

I didn’t make the correlation at first, as I lay in bed thinking perhaps I would die, (I always think I’m gonna die when my head hurts that bad, I can envision the stroke about to happen) but as I prayed for Him to spare me; people’s faces came to mind.

First was the young lady who I have been praying for to give her life to Jesus, she is a sweet young lady and I have a love for her that goes beyond anything I’ve felt for a total stranger, much less a total stranger with a language barrier... She does my nails and when I see her I feel the love of Jesus inside me so strongly it makes me weep at times. Jesus died for her and He loves her…so do I.

Then I began to recall the others who had replied to my status and inboxed me. As I began to lift them up I realized, my pain wasn’t as bad, I was still unable to stand without falling over but it was bearable. I still couldn’t think of food without being ill but it was manageable.

There was also a song in my head playing on a loop. “There’s a fourth man standing there in the fire, there’s a fourth man standing there in the fire, you’re not alone, you’re not alone…” Indeed, I was not alone. Jesus was with me all the time and so was my loving husband who held my head and told me I wasn’t going to die. He even went out and got me soup, medicine and bread for toast…That’s Love!

I just love it when God shows us something in His Word and then He gives us the opportunity to walk it out personally to see how faithful He is. I have a dear friend who said one day, like when a professor teaches a class and then we have lab. It’s like lab. We learn the material and then we have lab. “Lab” ~ the opportunities to live out what He taught us and grow closer to Jesus in the meantime.

Monkey says, "Look Baby! It’s more rain…"

Yes, it’s been a long time coming; we were beginning to think that perhaps our yard would dry up and blow away! But thankfully now it is raining and we are all happy about it, especially Monkey!

When I picked her up at daycare yesterday she held her baby doll, Baby, (imaginative name, I know) up to the windshield and said, “Look Baby, its more rain!” More rain being the expression she uses for any rain or water drops on the inside of her water bottle. Basically any type of moisture that arrives in drops can be classified by Monkey as “more rain”. She was holding Baby up and showing her out each window. She’s a good “mommy”.

I love the way that she is beginning to really have active imaginary play. And it is very imaginative…

She plays with Baby and feeds her play dough, this is messy but Baby needs to “eat all” according to Monkey. Could be worse, she could be feeding her ice cream! Or the chunks of chocolate chips she spits out of her chocolate chip ice cream. She won’t touch vanilla and doesn’t listen when I tell her that chocolate chip ice cream is still just vanilla if you don’t eat the chips! Apparently chocolate chip ice cream has a better vanilla base?

If Baby misbehaves like not eating her dinner she’ll have to ride in the trunk. I have NEVER put Monkey in the trunk nor have I ever even mentioned that I felt it was an appropriate place for her to ride when she’s screaming like a banshee! Not sure where that one came from…

Baby goes “horsey ride” with Monkey, she’ll hold baby to her chest facing out and then tell me “tie on?” while handing me a sheet; I assume she saw this at church? Not many baby carrying people at school or on the ride to and fro; especially tied on them with a sheet. It really tickled me that she felt so strongly about Baby’s safety, at least while on the horse. When she tires of Baby she will grab her by the head or neck and lay her down, not so gently…"Baby sit nice..."

She also has the idea that people who talk to me on the phone in the car can somehow magically see things she holds in front of the radio. She leans over to speak into the gear shifter which she told me is the “talker”. The radio is the “shower.” Not shower as in getting clean but show-er as in showing. I’ve looked in my car manual and not found a talker or show-er, they must be there though, Monkey says so. Maybe one day I’ll ask the Toyota people…

This morning she wanted to bring the flashlight with us so I let her, can’t hurt…right? Baby got a very comprehensive check-up on the way to daycare, and then Monkey got one, finally it was my turn “Say AHHHHHH” not good when you’re driving, but still funny! That Monkey cracks me up!

I would love to be able to see the world through Monkey’s eyes for a bit, know what she thinks about different things, like putting wads of paper down the “all gone”. The all gone is any type of place you can put things and they are “all gone”. Typically A/C vents, storm drains, holes she kicked in the dry wall…you know, All Gones…And so at night I hear Monkey upstairs talking to Baby, “Look Baby, it’s all gone, don’t you dare, home depot, bubble baby doctor!” Makes me smile, hope it makes you smile too!

A trip down memory lane...

I’m having a bit of flashback; not in a bad way but looking back over the way that God has provided for me and my family over the years. He’s been so good and real to us. Here is an example of one time when God provided for us in a very tangible way. It not only provided for us financially and medically, but it provided for us spiritually.

It was 2006, Christmas time. Monkey was not well. The seizures had gotten so bad that I didn’t know how we would get through; we’re talking about using rescue meds almost every day and just waiting for the day when they wouldn’t work. That day came the day after Christmas when she began seizing and wouldn’t stop. The doctors told me that there was only so much her little body could handle. If they didn’t get the seizures to quiet soon, she might not make it.

When we finally took her home from that stay, I was unable to return to work due to her medical condition. It was then that God began to really make Himself known. Monkey’s medication co-pay was over 900.00 a month. With me not working things were more than tight, they were impossible financially. Fortunately, God specializes in the impossible! My husband, who wasn’t saved at the time, got to see firsthand how The Living God can provide!

It was January, the day prior to needing refills on the medicine and I didn’t have the money to pay for the meds. I knew we would be unable to buy them. How would we provide her lifesaving medication?

Here is how God took an impossible situation and turned it around to not only providing for us financially but to glorify Himself and bring a man who thought he could do it all to the knowledge that he couldn’t do it all, there was a point where he would have to say to Jesus, I need you.

My husband came into the bedroom and found me praying and asking God to give us the exact amount of money for Monkeys medicine. I’ll never forget how he asked if I really thought that a check was just going to “show up”. He was a bit sarcastic but the next day a check arrived in the mail. He brought the envelope in and when I opened it we just were so thankful! It was for the exact amount of her medicine for the whole month! There was a family from my church who sent it; they said that they felt led by God to send it. It was the exact amount down to the penny! My husband was very quiet afterward; I know now that God was working within him, breaking down the walls that kept him from believing. I am so thankful for the faithful family who sent that check…I pray for them often that God pours out the Heavens upon them here on earth!

Acts 14:27 tells us that we should rehearse among ourselves all that God has done…this is what He did, I know He is able to keep us no matter what the situation. Do you ever look back on what God has done for you? Not only does it inspire us to give thanks, it builds our faith in Him and He is deserving of that! Remember often and be sure to tell people about what God has done for you. It might just be the thing that He uses to break down their walls…

Trusting, No Matter What…

I have a story to tell. It is a true story. It happened to my family and changed us forever. Here is a small part of that story…

On March 11th 2006, I put my Monkey upstairs for a nap. She had slept for about an hour when my sweet husband said I should go check on her. It wasn’t unusual for her to nap for 1 ½ to 2 hours but he said he had a bad feeling so I went up. I’ll never forget opening her door and seeing her lying with her feet tangled in the blanket on the bed, head on the floor in a pool of blood, she was gray. Who knows how long it had been going on, she was having a seizure. I called out for Tommy to dial 911; it took 45 minutes for them to get to our home. She was in what is called status epilepticus for 10 hours. She bit the tip of her tongue off and the sides were badly chewed. (To this day Monkey has what she calls a BobBob tongue ‘cause the tip is square.) When she finally woke up the following day she didn’t know who I was. She was unable to move her right arm or leg. She couldn’t speak. After the doctors had gotten her out of status during her weeklong stay in the hospital one of the MRI’s showed a mass in the left side of her brain. We received the worst news any parent could ever hear, cancer, inoperable and terminal. This didn’t sound right to me, didn’t sit well in my spirit. I couldn’t believe it; they had to be wrong…

During this time I begged the Lord to spare Monkey’s life. My husband was not a Christian so I felt very alone in my pleas to the Lord. He would sit with me as I prayed but would not join me. I felt led by the Lord to take her from that hospital, a world renowned children’s hospital, so we made an appointment with a neurologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute for a second opinion.

I took Monkey to our pastor and the elders and requested prayer. They anointed her with oil and prayed over her with the entire congregation. During the prayer I heard God speak into my spirit “I will heal her and I will be glorified.” I knew that God would heal my daughter, although at the time I had no idea the path we would walk or the way He would chose to heal her. He is sovereign! He is always good, even when we hurt and the path is filled with tears, Jesus is with us always…

The neurologist at Kennedy Krieger told me that the “cancer” the first hospital diagnosed was not cancer. It was a mass, which either caused the seizure or was the result of it. This was music to my ears! NOT CANCER! An answer I had asked for so we began trying to control the seizures with medication. She failed every drug they gave her. She would respond during a brief “honeymoon” period but it never lasted long. By August 2006 our neurologist referred us to Johns Hopkins Pediatric Epilepsy Center because she failed to respond to medication and the seizures increased in frequency and intensity. She was hospitalized in the PICU 4 times during this time when her rescue meds didn’t work either. I found myself turning to the God and His Word more than ever.

Now I remind you here…God TOLD me He would heal her! He spoke it and I’m as sure of that as I am that I live on planet earth. But sometimes our answers don’t come instantly. I believe we live in a “microwave society” where everything we want is expected when we want it…or else! When the answer doesn’t come quickly and the situation is dire what do you do? Have trust and faith. Lean on Jesus and the people He sends into your life to help you through. He sent us people during that time. People, who prayed for us, came to the hospital, drove us to appointments, fixed us meals, took care of our other children, helped us with medication and hospital bills, nurses who showed us extraordinary kindness, doctors who treated more than the condition…they treated the whole child, friends who sat in our living room and watched me fall to pieces because I felt utterly shattered by this monster of epilepsy that ravaged my Monkey. Weeping and experiencing pain over a situation doesn’t mean you don’t trust, it just means you’re human. I thank God everyday for His mercies which are new each morning, I thank Him for giving me that Word of assurance that He would heal her to hold on to, it was an anchor and without it I believe I might have drowned in my sorrow. He knew exactly what we needed to get through the situation but more than that He knew we needed the situation to grow my faith, to bring us to repentance, my husband to salvation and Monkey to wholeness.

This story is not an uncommon one. According to the Epilepsy Foundation 200,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed each year.  This is a testimony. Not my testimony, not Monkey’s either; it is a testimony of the healing power and love of a Savior.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, below is a prayer you can pray to receive Him as your Lord. If you pray this prayer please let me know, confess Jesus with your mouth and tell others what He did for you!

“Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

Milestones…

I am the mommy of a wonderful 10yo special needs girl who I lovingly refer to as Monkey and although she is 10 developmentally they tell me she is around the age of 2-3. She is finally getting out of diapers! I am as happy about that as you can imagine. Ten years of diapers was not fun, inexpensive or enjoyable. But alas! There is coming a day when big girl panties will be all she wears! We aren’t there YET but at least now we don’t have major meltdowns over sitting on the potty…

Since Monkey got sick in 2006 she has been early to bed, usually by 7pm. She needs her rest or she tends to get sick easier. This year we have moved bedtime to 7:30 unless she asks earlier. And this brings us to last night…

“Okay, Monkey, time for bed.” And immediately she runs to grab her favorite blanket and baby doll. This is the normal routine when suddenly she stops on the way to the stairs and say, “I go poop?” Sure thing! So we head to the bathroom. Now you need to understand she has just started asking to go within the past week so it’s a BIG DEAL!

She sits there and plays with her etch a sketch, sings, tries to tickle me and after about 5 minutes I said, “I think maybe you might not have to go, let’s go upstairs.” And she says, “My teeth brush?” Okay, brushing twice in one night can’t hurt…then, “And floss?” Okay…”I take shower?”

Hold on! This child HATES the shower! Since her brain surgeries she despises having her hair washed or brushed! What is going on? I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth though! I turn on the water and she WILLINGLY gets in! I shampoo her hair and wash her off, rinse and say, “Hop out.” And then she gives the clincher! While pointing to her hair she says, “And repeat?”

Our new milestone! Stalling bedtime! She conned me for over 30 minutes! Priceless! My forever baby is growing up! Perhaps she won’t be my forever baby; perhaps she will grow into a young woman. Last night, as frustrating as it was, filled me hope!

Perhaps it’s time to raise the bedtime again?

A Divine Appointment...

Have you ever had a divine appointment? I’ve been noticing them a lot more lately, perhaps because I’ve been asking for my spiritual eyes to be opened to allow me to view how God is moving in my life. I’m so glad I did! Amazing how differently I can see things now. Let me share with you a couple of the things He has done in the past 24hours.

Last evening my husband, daughter and I piled into the car and plugged an address into the GPS, I like to check out places before the day I have to actually be there since I’m directionally challenged. We will be attending a conference and I had no clue where this church was so off we go. It was a beautiful drive through the country where the roads have no shoulder and the trees meet above the road. It reminded me of the area where I grew up down South, sweet memories flooded back and I drove slowly, enjoying the scenery and winding roads. We arrived at the place which was set so far back in the woods you couldn’t see the building from the road, just a sign and a long lane. I drove past before I even realized it. My husband suggested turning around and going down the drive to make sure it was indeed where we needed to be. One U turn later I was sitting there waiting for another car to turn down that lane, hmmm? I wasn’t expecting anyone to be there. I put down the window and asked for a little information about the congregation and was invited into the building for some brochures to take home. Perhaps 5 minutes into our conversation this woman said something that echoed what God had spoken to me last weekend! Coincidence? I don’t think so…I didn’t say anything about it and we finished our conversation and I turned to leave when she said it again but this time she also said, “I believe this was a God incident. We are so pleased you stopped by today. God will lead you to exactly what you are looking for.” And indeed I believe He will!

On to my second divine appointment. This morning at work I was asking God to send me someone to talk to about Him, someone who needed a word of encouragement. Just use me, use me up. I seriously mean that. So I wasn’t surprised when I went upstairs I had to wait to use the ladies room. The woman who came out seemed distraught. I asked if she was okay and she told me, boy did she tell me. I got the whole enchilada! She told me about how she’d been assaulted and her children called 911 only to have a rookie officer accuse her of assault and slammed her into the parking lot face first. She showed me pictures of her in the hospital with busted lips and gums, bruised and battered, looking so distraught. She asked, “What do I do? I make too much for a public defender but not enough to hire a lawyer.” What a dilemma! What a story to pour out to a woman you don’t even know. Seriously, she didn’t even know my name, nor I hers. So I said this…Romans 8:28…”And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” So the question is, are you called according to His purpose? Have you had a time where you cried out to Jesus Christ that you are a sinner and can’t save yourself, that you need Him to save you and asked Jesus into your heart?” With this she began to cry. She had done exactly that after being discharged from the hospital! A woman who is currently assisting her with transportation had spoken to her about this and helped her to ask Jesus to save her! I asked her if I could pray for her and we did. She asked for God to help her forgive the man who had abused her in front of her children and not only that, but to bless him and help him to be a blessing to others!

I surely needed to hear this encouragement!  I love to see how God moves and works within the lives of all man. I needed to see how He’s working and answering not only my prayers but others as well! Perhaps she’ll join our little lunchtime prayer group…I hope so.

My question to you is simple. Have you had a divine appointment? Have you met Jesus Christ? If not, here is a prayer you can pray to ask Jesus into your heart. If you pray this prayer please let me know, confess Jesus with your mouth and tell others what He did for you!

“Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

A Divine Perspective...

Divine Perspective…
If you have lived on this earth for more than a bit then you know the feeling that comes when you are faced with a dilemma that has no way out. No matter how you look at it you can’t see your way past the difficulty and before you know it things seem hopeless. Its times like this we need divine perspective.
This divine perspective can come from the most unlikely source. A friend, a news article, or perhaps even Christ Himself whispers words of encouragement to you through His Holy Spirit.
This morning I had the distinct honor to be someone’s divine perspective. She was all alone, miserable and heartbroken over the circumstances that had occurred in her life over the weekend. Long story short…she now feels homeless. She was staying with a family member who for unknown reasons kicked her out and now she is moving home…moving back into the home she grew up in when she was a child.
I knew the story. I’ve lived the story…so from my vantage point, this was actually a very good thing that had happened to her. But good things can sometimes be agonizing things all at the same time. This was an answer to many prayers for this young lady who we all worried was headed on a path to destruction.
Her parents have welcomed her home like the sweet little prodigal daughter she is and she is overwhelmed by the whole situation. Her parents are not acting like they did when she left…they don’t seem the same. Could it be that God used these circumstances to grow them both spiritually and they aren’t the same?
When I told her that this was actually an answer to many prayers she seemed a bit put off that I’d prayed in such a way but I didn’t ask for this, I asked for God to work all things out for her good. This is a promise that we can all claim, if we belong to Him and are called according to His purpose.
I recall the way God spoke His divine perspective to me one night in a hospital room, not long after the doctors came in and told me that if the next procedure didn’t work we might need to look into making arrangements for my sweet daughter. Romans 8:28 took on a new meaning to me right before her brain surgery.
“And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
I’d read it many times but that one night it brought me to my knees on a cold, hard floor beside a bed in the PICU at John’s Hopkins. It became a part of who I am, God illuminated those words to me in such a clear and meaningful way I had no choice but surrender everything to Him, the only One who was strong enough to handle the situation. Jesus flooded me with peace…
Between my daughters’s brain surgery 2 and 3 my husband received salvation and is now a new creature in Christ. Jesus really did work ALL things to the good.
In this world there are unfair and mean things that happen; the death of a loved one, losing your home or job, illness of a child, a molester who abuses you or children, war and hunger, the list goes on. There are bad things out there, but in the light of Romans 8:28 I can see an eternal perspective on most all the things that have happened in my life and the lives of others…
If you can’t see how God is working all things to the your good, if you have never cried out to Jesus to save you then it’s time to fully surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Let this difficult time be used for your good…if you have never done so this is a prayer that you can pray to ask Jesus into your heart.
“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

The Kindness of a Savior...

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness." Proverbs 31:26

This past Saturday I was blessed to attend a simulcast of Beth Moore at a church in a neighboring county. I didn’t plan on going, knew no one else who would be there, I was given a ticket from a friend who prays with me at lunch. She had to work and couldn’t make it but said she believed God wanted me to be there. She extended kindness to me.

It was funny, the night before the conference I was so excited I could barely contain it! I felt like certainly God was going to do something wonderful, this would be an experience I would never forget. Mind you, I had no idea who Beth Moore was, never been to this church and knew no one who would be there. Not exactly the kind of thing I usually do.

Saturday morning came and I got up early, got ready and left the house 2 hours before the conference so I would have plenty of time, I call that getting lost time.  I arrived in just over 75 minutes. Not bad!  At this point the excitement had turned to, “I don’t know anyone!” But of course I did, Jesus was with me and He was going to give me a word!

Immediately when I got into the door there stood a woman I’d not seen in probably 5 years…WOW! I love her! She had asked me to sing at her niece’s wedding when most people had completely turned their backs on me. Then I saw another and another! I was in the midst of about 400 women and all of them were my sisters, regardless of whether I’d met them! I went to the café and had a cup of coffee, alone, but not for long. Soon spotted as being alone I became the target of such unusual kindness I was overwhelmed!

I went to the lobby to shop and behind me was one of my favorite women in the world! There with her daughter and granddaughter, they asked me to sit with them, and I would have if I could have found them but that was no problem, I sat with a group of women who worshipped with abandon, the reason we were there…a meeting with the King!

Jesus did have a word for me Saturday. Kindness…"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness." Proverbs 31:26

There were 8 tastes of kindness for our tongues but God spoke a particular kindness to me and I’ll never forget it nor will I take it lightly. I will find a place where I have accountability, no matter where that takes me. I will not allow the enemy to wear me down. I will be built up by encouraging others and accountability.

When I open my mouth I want it to be in wisdom, like my Savior, Jesus, and have kindness on my tongue, like my Savior, Jesus, and have kindness be my disposition because I am a daughter who is like my Father. I’m praying for a kindness and love that can love the most unlovable, to be able to look pain in the face, as Jesus did with us when we were so broken by my daughters illness and pain we could not stop weeping. That is kindness. Jesus is kindness.  Now let’s go be like Jesus, let’s look for an outlet for the kindness and love of Jesus Christ and show it to the whole wide world!

Being Ready...

”Being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:” I Peter 3:15

Yesterday morning while preparing for our day at Hopkins I thought I was completely ready for anything I would encounter. Hungry? I have oatmeal to go. Thirsty? I have bottled water. Bored? I have a bag of goodies to occupy a little one for hours. Oops, I should have said potty sooner? I have pull-ups, wipes AND Ziploc baggies to dispose of them without making a big stink! So you can see where I thought I was completely prepared…

The drive was pretty good, a couple of moments when my little monkey got frustrated but she did well all in all. Traffic was heavy, I was running late. I hate running late! Got into the city, police went flying past me on East Madison but I thought nothing of it. We were almost there, I was focused!

Apparently we were among the last of the people allowed in before they barricaded the doors, the lobby was like a ghost town and we didn’t have to wait for an elevator. I should have known something was up…

We were registering out front and there were very few people there. A woman came up to assist us with registration at the kiosk, and another woman walked past and whispered to her, “They said get everyone to the back now, the shooter is still at large.” Immediately I was filled with a peace and these words, “No weapon formed against you will prosper, I AM with you.” We were quickly ushered down a hall into an interior room. There were whispers of snipers and gunmen but I had peace from God. (No one really knew what was happening and you know how that is…)

The back waiting room was jam packed with people who were anxious and distressed. One woman was particularly upset and I assured her that Nelson building was very far from us and that we would be fine. She wanted to know how I could be so calm and that was when I realized, this wasn’t something I had prepared for this morning, but something we should all be in a state of preparation for. I told her about the peace that comes through knowing Christ and having a personal relationship with Him. We were there for a while and then called back to the procedure room and it wasn’t until then that I realized why we were there, to bring peace into a traumatic situation, to tell the reason for my hope and peace and how to know the only One who can offer hope and a future, Jesus Christ.

My little monkey’s appointment went well, much better than I anticipated. She allowed our sweet little doctor to perform the procedure with very little resistance. We were allowed to leave after the procedure and I promised a toy for good behavior so Toys R Us was our next stop. All in all, it was a day of worship, prayer and comfort.

I am ready to comfort others because I’ve been comforted. “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” II Corinthians 1:4 NLT

Worship...What does it mean to you?

Worship...
What does it mean to you? Singing a slow Christian song? That's what I used to think. Fast songs are praise and slow songs are worship! But then God changed the way I worship. He gave me a gift of seeing worship in a whole new light.
A dear friend of mine identified me as a "worshipper" when I told her I was on the worship team. I had thought of myself back then as a singer who used her gifts to sing for God. But as I got to know this woman she began to stretch my ideas on worship and I now see myself as a worhipper who happens to sing.
What does the Bible say about worship? The word of first mention is Genesis 22:5 and if you've read it you'll know it has NOTHING to do with singing! It has EVERYTHING to do with obedience.
So now when I think of worship I think of what God has called me to do, love my neighbor, go the extra mile, love the Lord with all my heart soul and mind, and for today to write this, because this morning after a very unrestful night I awoke with this in my heart.
Reacting in love when my cuddle monkey turns into a lioness and bites me because that's what Jesus would do...Worship.
Praying for the girl who speaks badly about me and turned her back on me...Worship.
Blessing the man who cut me off in traffic and the gave me a lovely sign I'm pretty sure doesn't mean "I love Jesus"...Worship
Any time we do something to show God He means so much to us that we'll keep His commands, not out of obligation, not out of fear, but out of reverence and love for the One who gave His all...Worship!
Live a life of sustained worship, it makes the religious people nervous!!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

You have not because you ask not…

In Luke 11:9 Jesus says ask and it will be given, seek and we’ll find and knock and the door will be opened up to us…So what are we asking for?

Yesterday morning before I even rose from the bed I asked God for a person to tell about Him. Just please send someone to me to share about Jesus and allow me to see it as the opportunity it is. And then of course came the usual morning routine complete with where are my shoes, did I charge my iPod last night, rise and shine sleepy heads! I forgot I’d even asked for that cause truly I was still half asleep, just drifting…

The knock on the office door came around 10am, I didn’t hear it but was getting ready to leave for a bit so I opened the door and standing outside was a man I recognized but didn’t know. He was looking for a piece of equipment so in he came looked and didn’t find what he was looking for so I was quick to usher him to the door. Casually, and to honest I didn’t really care what the answer was, I asked how he was doing. His answer took me by surprise. “I suppose you heard I was robbed and stabbed last month, almost bled out but I’m okay now.” Not the answer I was expecting but it got my attention. He told me of the incident and how it happened in broad daylight in a heavily populated area but no one saw a thing. He issued the warning to be aware of my surroundings and to always be on guard. There were a few things that came to mind but the overwhelming still small voice said, “Here is your someone, now what will you do?”

“If the knife had been a 1/8” over and severed your artery do you know where you would have gone if you died?”

“You mean my body?”

"No, your soul."                                                                                                                                                                                

“I’d like to think I’d go to Heaven…I hope I would anyways.”

“Why do you think you would go to Heaven? Why would they let you in?”

“Well, when I was a little boy I asked Jesus to save me, I’ve not lived right and I haven’t been the man I should be. Do you think I’d go to Heaven?”

“I know it’s possible to be sure.”

“I can’t believe you asked me about this, you are the only person who has ever asked me this.”

“I prayed this morning for someone to share about Jesus with today and here you are.”

“Can I come in and talk for a few minutes?’

And so began the conversation that led to him into my office, straight to the foot of the cross and then walking out my office door with a new countenance and a bit of a spring in his step…yes, a slight limp still but he said he felt the weight of the world lifted off him. He met Jesus and my prayer was answered.

I’m so thankful I took the time to ask the question that I didn’t care to know the answer for at the time because I was “busy”. Makes me wonder how many times my prayers have almost been answered but I was so caught up with my own selfishness I missed it…

What have you prayed for today? How was it answered? Share the love…