Handwriting on the Wall...

  Several years ago I was involved in a Beth Moore Study about Daniel. Of course the study talked about Daniel's faith and trust in God, and that even when he was in the Lion's Den, he still believed that God would keep him safe.  At this time in my life I was in a Lion's Den.  It was an intensely difficult time in my life and I really, to this day, don't think I have ever experienced such spiritual warfare, or such turmoil and angst.  I don't feel the need to go into detail about it, other than to say that I had been horribly betrayed and mistreated by someone who had claimed to be my closest friend.  During this time, I was given a verse by a friend, who was in the bible study with me, but didn't know what I was going through.  She just came up to me one Sunday and said, "God laid it on my heart to give you this passage.  I don't know why, and it kind of worried me.  I hope you're ok."  I assured her I was doing ok, and took the passage from her.  I didn't read it until I got home.  The passage was Psalm 55.  I won't write it all here, you can go look it up, but it was exactly what I was dealing with and I was floored.  I shouldn't have been, because God has promised to never leave me.  Then, later in the week, when I was at my Beth Moore bible study we read some verses in Daniel 5 which talks about a hand suddenly appearing and actually writing a message from God for the King on the plaster walls.   I commented to the lady sitting next to me that I so wished sometimes, especially at that moment in my life, that God's hand would appear and write on the walls to tell me everything was going to be alright.  Our class then went to the sanctuary to watch the video that always comes with a Beth Moore study.  As the video began, she looked right into the camera and said (and I'm paraphrasing), "Listen beloved sisters, I have a message for you from the most high God.  You may be in the Lion's Den but God is not going to leave your side"....and up there...ON THE WALL of that sanctuary....was Psalm 55!!  My mouth fell open, I came out of my seat and onto my knees, and the tears started streaming down my face.  It was a moment I will NEVER forget, and one I have shared with very few people, mostly because it was so very emotional then, and even now I get teary thinking about it.  Due to circumstances beyond my control that was the last night I was able to attend that particular bible study, but I had heard what God needed me to hear loud and clear.  And you know what?  He did get me through it, and although it was one of the hardest things I've ever dealt with, it made me a much stronger person.  It also solidified my trust in God's provision.  So let me just tell you, like my sister in Christ, Beth Moore, told me that day.....Listen to me beloved brothers and sisters, I have a message for you from the Most High God!  He loves you unconditionally, and He will not forsake you.  He will place your sins as far as the East is from the West and remember them no more.  He will write your name in the Lamb's Book of Life...forever sealed as a child of God.  The life we have on this earth is but a vapor, and then we will enter into eternity.  If you don't know that you know that you know where you will be spending that eternity...don't wait another minute.  If I'm wrong...I've got nothing to lose.  If you're wrong...you've got everything to lose.

By: Amy York

Psalm 55

Who am I?

I was just thinking today about my next birthday, coming up on September 3rd.  I will be turning 45!  I remember thinking (when I was 20 something) how old that sounded, and that it would be forever before I got there, and yet...there it is.  The funny thing is, it doesn't bother me at all!  I have arrived at a point in life where, I am truly happy.  Trying to find the words to explain it, I am at a loss.  I'm confident in who I am, and although I could stand to lose several pounds, I think I look pretty good for my age.  I am truly, extremely blessed with a husband whom I love with all my heart, and with whom I will celebrate 25 years of marriage to this January.  I'm blessed with three of the most amazing, talented sons a mom could ever ask for.  I have an amazing family, wonderful friends, and a job that I love (most of the time, haha!).  It's not been the easiest of roads to get to who I am today.  There have been things along the way that brought me to my knees, to the very depths of the valley.  But God has been with me through it all.  I know there will be even more good times, and bad times, in the next 45 years, but I also know that God will never leave my side.  How anyone could get through life without Him, I cannot fathom.  So as I celebrate being "middle-aged", I want to thank each of you that have had a part in my life, because it is you who have helped make me who I am today.

Who am I?


I've often asked myself
who are you really now?
Can you describe in words
the who, what, when and how?

Of how you came to be
the one you are today.
This person I call ME,
Can I find the words to say?

Well I will certainly try
and start with just a few
words that tell you why
and perhaps give you a clue.

I'm happy, sparkly, sunshine.
I'm pink, and black and white.
I'm peanut butter cracker time.
I'm music, bright and light.

I'm tom boy, and I'm girly.
I'm barefoot all summer long.
I'm quiet, peaceful, joyful, curly.
I'm a quiet thoughtful song.

I'm laughing deep and hearty.
I'm camping, painting, fun.
I'm not the life of the party.
I'm the shy and quiet one.

I'm decent, patient, caring,
I'm polite, and calm and kind.
I'm strong and sometimes daring.
I'm a Christian, by Him designed.

I do not drink, or smoke or...well,
I do my very best
to be a good example
whenever I'm put to the test.

So that is about the gist of it
I've done the best I can do
I hope that explains me a bit
and makes you smile some too!  :)

By:  Amy York


Ephesians 5:1-2
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

Just Keep Smiling

Just Keep Smiling

When I was in Jr. High School, I was skinny, had crooked teeth, and very frizzy, curly hair.  I was teased a lot.  Whenever someone would tease me, I would just smile because I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they’d hurt me.  Because I was teased a lot...I smiled a LOT!  Thus I was given the nick-name “Smiley” by a girl who eventually became my friend.  Because of my experience, I have always done my best to be kind and decent to everyone whenever possible and “Just Keep Smiling”.  Those words have become my motto, and gotten me through some difficult times.  So, keep on smiling, even when you’re feeling blue, cause somewhere someone’s tired of trying, and your smile could help them through.  ;)  

People ask me why I smile a lot
Well it’s not that hard to explain.
I simply ask them well, why not?
Why frown, or sulk & complain?
I’ve always tried to be someone
Who brightened another’s day.
And when it’s all been said and done.
I hope I’m remembered that way.
So I’m gonna keep on smiling,
Even if I’m feeling blue.
Cause somewhere, someone’s tired of trying
And my smile could help them through.




By: Amy Hartman York


Proverbs 15:13
"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit."

My Mountains...

My family has always loved being out in nature.  
When I was little my playground was the forest.
I grew up camping with my entire family; 

grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles 

in the Great Smoky Mountains, in Elkmont Campground.
It’s a heavenly place and one of the few places on earth where I
am truly at peace.  It is inside of me, a part of my soul.  

They are, and forever will be....My Mountains.

My Mountains

Come with me to my mountains so lofty and high.
Listen to the trees and the winds as they sigh.
Feel the damp earth beneath your own two feet.
Never was there a more glorious retreat.
The creek how it laughs as it leaps over stones.
How I love to walk down to the water alone.
The sunlight it splashes into brilliant pools of light.
There simply is not a more beautiful site.
I’ve grown up here in these mountains you see.
My soul is a part of every stone, every tree.
Come with me to my mountains so green, so deep.
Listen to the mountain as it lulls you to sleep.
The sun as it rises through the trees evergreen
A more glorious sight has never been seen.
Come with me to my mountains and see,
What God has created for you, and for me.

By: Amy Hartman York

Psalm 95:1‑7

   Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.

How many times I’ve thought, if I just had this or I just owned that, if I just had lots of money I’d be so much happier. If I was just as beautiful as her, or had his talents, my life would be so much better. But then I take a look around me, at my wonderful husband and my incredible children, and the loving, Christian family I was raised in, and I can see clearly how very blessed I am, and I wouldn’t change any of it for all the money, possessions or talents in the world! Sonnet 29 says it perfectly. It has always been one of my favorites by Shakespeare.  ~  Amy




SONNET 29

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

~ Shakespeare

I Wore My Body Out Too Soon

I wore my body out too soon,
My knees they moan and creak.
My ankles swell, my elbows ache,
My hips and legs are weak.

I guess I should have been more girly,
And had more cups of tea.
But what kind of fun would that have been?
That certainly isn’t me!

I do enjoy a cup of tea,
Though coffee I prefer.
But sitting pretty all in pink,
No that, I must defer.

I used my body up to soon
And now I’m middle-aged.
But oh what fun I’ve had you see
And my advice is sage.

Have fun, romp, jump and tumble,
Slide and run and play!
For one day you’ll be middle-aged,
And have to sit all day!

By: Amy York
© 2012 York, Inc.

As I have loved you, love one another...

If I disagree with you it doesn't mean I hate you. If I don't approve of your behavior, your choices or your particular lifestyle, it doesn't mean I'm prejudiced. It means I have an opinion. We all have our vices, our private and public sins. We all fall short of what our creator wants for us. God gives us guidelines on how to live in a way that is best for our own good, and in multitudes of ways we each choose to go against His wishes. I'm not condoning sin, so please don't think that's my message here. Just because we all sin doesn't make it ok. But we are also called to love sinners, which in all cases is everyone of us, and despise the sin. So, no matter what the sin is, the one who sins, again all of us, is to be loved with a Christ-like love.  Nowhere does God say that cruelty, meanness, or disrespect is ok. Nowhere does God say its ok to bully, tease or hate someone who is different than you are. We are simply to love them as Christ loves us. So no matter how you feel about a particular sin, remember that God loves us sinners unconditionally. It is possible to disagree with a lifestyle choice yet still treat the person with decency, love and understanding. The bible is very clear, purposefully, about the definition of marriage, and it is also clear about loving your neighbor as yourself. When deciding what's right or wrong, the bible is the final authority in my life, period. But also understand this, we are all created by God, loved by God, and each human being deserves to be treated with basic, human decency. Whether you are a drunkard, a liar, a thief, whether you curse every other word, cheat on your taxes, gossip about your neighbor, ignore the presence of your creator, or you're a drug addict. Whether your mean, nasty, rude or crude, sexually immoral or kill, God still loves you and expects us to love each other. So, I say all that to say this, I believe in marriage as defined by the bible, and if you don't, we'll that's between you and God. But this I promise, I may disagree with your choices but I will still treat you with human kindness, decency and love. Because God loves me, even with all my faults and sins,  I will show you love.  What kind of hypocritical biggot would I be if I judged myself better than, or more deserving of that, than you?     John 13:34 A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 

Burnt Taco Lessons

So, the other day I nearly set my house on fire while trying to warm up some Taco shells.  Seriously.  It all seems so funny now, but in the “heat” of the moment it was terrifying.  I had just finished preparing the taco meat, got the shells arranged on the cookie sheet, turned on the stove (which I admit I rarely use) and set it to broil.  I’ve never used the broil setting on this oven before, but I figured it would warm them up a little quicker.  I shoved the cookie sheet in the oven and shut the door.  My husband was sitting at his computer on the other side of the kitchen, so I turned to say something to him.  After about 60 seconds of talking, I smelled something.  I turned around and saw smoke billowing out of the oven and thought, “Oh great, I burned them!”  Boy was I right!  I opened the oven door and flames leapt out at me!  “It’s one fire!”, I yelled and Scott jumped up from his seat.  I quickly tried to think of a way to get the fire to go out....”grab the box of salt!” I yelled.  Scott reached into the pantry and pulled out a salt shaker.  “No!  Not that!”, I yelled and reached past him to grab the Morton’s Salt container.  I “feverishly” tried to pour the salt out onto the flames and smother them....but the stream of salt was nothing compared to the flames that roared in my oven.  My youngest son Jarod ran in and yelled, “Oh my gosh, what’s going on?!”  “The fire extinguisher!”, I thought, and jerked open the cabinet doors under the kitchen sink.  I pointed it at the fire and pressed the lever for all I was worth....nothing.  “Read the directions!”, Jarod yelled.  It was at this moment that I thought to myself, “Why on earth have I not read the directions on this thing BEFORE?!  I have no idea how to operate it!”  I was beginning to panic as the flames leapt higher and higher out of the oven.  I tried to read the directions, but in the panicked state I was in, I could read NOTHING!  Jarod grabbed a large pot from under the counter and ran to the sink to fill it with water.  “NO!  I yelled, that will make it worse!!”  Abandoning the pot, he yelled, “What do we do??!!”  Out of the corner of my eye I spied a beach towel that one of my boys had brought in and thrown in the floor and for once I was so very glad that they are slobs!  I grabbed it and handed it to my husband and said, “Here, beat it with this!”  So, Scott commenced to slapping at the fire over and over, and in between calling out, “Call 911!! Call 911!!”  I had no intentions of calling 911 unless the fire successfully escaped the oven.  I’d never live it down!  I could see it in the headlines, “Woman burns house down with Taco shells!”  Finally, after great effort with the beach towel, the fire died down, the taco shells reduced to ashes and a few tiny flames I put out with the spatula.  Coughing, exhausted and completely rattled to the core, the three of us slumped against the kitchen counter.  “WOW!”, I said.  That was exciting!  Having calmed down a bit, I looked at the fire extinguisher again, and it said “empty” on the gauge!  We’d never used it before, but it was old and evidently all the pressure had leaked out over the years.  Thankfully, the oven still works, nothing was damaged, no one was burned and the only casualty was my trusty old cookie sheet.  

Believe it or not, all that chaos took only maybe 5 minutes to play out.  Seemed like hours while we were in the midst of it.  I tell you all this because it made me think.  How many times have we neglected to read God’s word, to prepare ourselves, our hearts, for when difficulties come, so that we know how to handle them, know where to turn and what to do?  If we’re prepared for troubles, when they come knocking we have the perfect tool to “extinguish” them.  If we’re not, and we try to find a way to do it on our own, in a state of panic, we’re just gonna run in circles and our troubles are gonna get the best of us.  God left us perfect directions.  He’s given us all the tools we need.  But if we never pick up His word and read what He has to say, and we just flounder around trying to do it our way, we’re gonna get burned.  




"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." ~ Joshua 1:8

Local Teen's Senior Project to Benefit Stop-Human Trafficking Organization

Posting for my son, Taylor...

Taylor York, a senior at J.T. Hoggard High School, is doing his senior project on Human Trafficking. After attending The Passion Conference 2012 (a Christian-based conference attended by approx. 45,000 college aged young adults) in Atlanta, GA, this past January, Taylor was inspired to do his senior project on this over-looked issue. North Carolina ranks #10 in the nation for Human Trafficking! As part of his project, Taylor, along with his family & friends, will be using their musical talents (Taylor's dad in the Minister of Music at Pine Valley Baptist Church) to raise money to donate to a NC Stop Human Trafficking Charity. "We're hoping for a big turnout", Taylor says, "the more money we raise, the more we can give to help free those trapped in the modern-day slave trade." The concert will feature several local talents, including Kathy Snow (Williston Vocal Music Director), Kim Furtado (teacher at Myrtle Grove Christian), James & Donna Strickland (Pine Valley's Youth pastor & wife), the PVBC Youth Praise Band, College Praise Band, Derwin Hinson Ministries and last but not least Yorktown, which features Taylor's older brother Alex on lead guitar, younger brother Jarod on drums, Taylor on vocals & fiddle, his Mom, Amy, on vocals & his Dad, Scott, on auxiliary percussion. There will be music for every taste, from Gospel to Rock, so come on out, support a worthy cause, and enjoy a great night of music at Pine Valley Baptist Church, Easter Sunday night at 6:30pm. Donations taken at the door. Come early to get a good seat!!

JUST DO IT!

What has God entrusted you with and what are you doing with it? It's terrible to see someone who has a gift, just sit on it and never use it. To me, not using the gifts God has given you, is like shoving that gift back in His face and saying, "No Thanks"! Think about it. What are you good at? Do you think that's an accident? Do you think you found those things your good at by accident? It wasn't by chance you were born in this generation. It wasn't by chance that you excelled at what you do best. Your life is not "chance", your life is on "purpose"! If you can sing well, you were given that gift to USE it. If you can play an instrument well, you were given that gift to USE it. If you can teach well, you were given that gift to USE it. Don't sit on it and never use it! It is a GIFT from God Himself! Don't make excuses why you can't, or why you WON'T use it. Spring is coming....a new season is being born! What a perfect time to start a new adventure, let go of all your lame excuses, and actually USE those gifts God has given to you! Just imagine what our church could accomplish if everyone was using the gifts God has given them! Our choir would be busting at the seams, our sanctuary would be so full of people that are so busy encouraging, teaching, giving, witnessing and serving that we'd have to build new buildings to hold them all! GET UP and START USING those precious gifts!! God's not interested in your excuses.


Romans 12:6-8


6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Praying without Ceasing

In 1 Thessalonians 5: 17 is says to “Pray without ceasing”. I remember the first time I heard a pastor preach on that verse. I thought, “How is that even possible? I have to sleep some time!” That was before I had children! They say “with age comes wisdom”, and although I can think of a few exceptions to that rule, I’d say that’s true for most of us. I think the first time I really began to realize that it was possible to “pray without ceasing” was when I had a child. It all started the day I knew I was expecting. That day I set in motion something in my soul that hasn’t stopped since, a sort of unconscious, constant prayer. I imagine it as a button that I finally pushed, and the gears starting spinning, and this amazing prayer machine groaned to life. It was constantly working, even when I slept. I even sometimes dreamed my prayers. I no longer felt like I had to find a quiet spot & assume a position of prayer in order for God to hear me. I came to realize that He is always with me, always listening, always there no matter where I am or what I’m doing. I talk to Him all day long, about everything. I think a lot of people avoid praying because they feel like they have to be alone, in a quiet place, with time to spare. That’s not true at all. There is no rule that says you must pray in a specific place and in a specific posture.  In the Bible people prayed on their knees, while bowing, on their faces before God, while sitting down and standing.  They prayed while crying, while rejoicing, while scared, even when they were sleepy.  You may pray with your eyes opened or closed, quietly or out loud, at any time and at any place.  You can talk to God every minute of every day. Once I realized that, my prayer life was never the same. He’s only a whisper, a thought away, any time, any place. That my friends, is how you “pray without ceasing”.

Matthew 26:41

"Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!"

Excuses, excuses...

Excuses. We all make them. Some of them are legitimate, some convenient, and some just plain silly. What have you been making excuses for this past year? I’ve made excuses for being late (more times than I can count), written many excuses for my boys when they were home sick, and a million other things I’m certain. I have to admit, I have said to my children before, “Don’t try and make an excuse for dumbness.” When they’ve tried to give me one for why they didn’t turn in an assignment. Probably not the “Mother of the Year” response, but still, it’s true! Getting a bad grade because you didn’t turn something in, is well…dumb! How many times have you made an excuse to God for your own “dumbness”?

 

“God, I’m sorry I didn’t pray today but I just didn’t know what to say.”

Romans 8:26 – “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
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“God, I’m sorry I stopped going to church, but you see, I just like to sleep in, and besides sometimes, they sing songs I don’t like.”

Proverbs 20:13 – “Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.”

Psalm 96:1 – ”Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

__________________________________________________________________________

“God, I know You said to be careful about who I hang out with, but You don’t understand, we have so much fun and besides, we’re not hurting anybody, and I really don’t care what other people think.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 – “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Proverbs 13:20 – ” Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

________________________________________________________________________________
Make it your New Year’s Resolution to stop making excuses for “dumbness”. It covers a multitude of things you’d normally make a resolution to do, like stop smoking, eat less, exercise more, stop drinking, go to church, etc. Let’s face it, we ALL have a lot of “dumbness” going on!  :)

Ephesians 5:15-17- “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

CHANGE

When something we’ve been used to changes, we often get upset. We say things like, “Well, we’ve never done it THAT way before” or “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”. Why do you suppose it is that we are so against things changing? Is it fear of the unknown? Is it that we’ve gotten comfortable the way things are? Is it that we are afraid something important to us will be forgotten? Is it that we are just plain ol’ stubborn? Change can be good, but it can also be bad. (Avoiding all political associations) We have all seen changes that didn’t work out quite like we thought they might. Sometimes they work out even better, sometimes they are worse, and a lot of times it all hinges on if we were actually seeking God’s will in that change to begin with. Sometimes the changes we face are downright painfull, like getting used to living without a loved one, or recovering from a terrible illness or learning to live with a disability. But we cannot let past failures predict or determine our future successes. So, what does the Bible say about change? There are some things the Bible says will NEVER change. God will never change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His love for you will never, ever change. Once you belong to Him, that will never, ever change. Then there are things that the Bible says should change. How many times does the Bible say for you to TURN from your wicked ways and become NEW? I’ve not counted, but I know it’s a lot! We are to become new creations in Him, turning from what we once did, what we were once comfortable with, and walk in a new direction, in His will. My favorite verse about change is also about music; “Sing to the Lord a NEW song!” It makes me think, “Well, I guess even God gets bored with the same old stuff.” Even God likes a new song every now and then!! That makes me smile!!  The truth of the matter is, no matter how hard we try to stop things from changing….they STILL change. Our children grow up, our loved ones die, we get older, we move, we get new jobs, we have grandchildren, we make new friends, good friends move away, we buy new cars, seasons change…do I need to go on? Our ENTIRE life is about changing. YOU get to decide if you are going to change for the better, or for the worse. YOU get to decide if you are going to accept changes gracefully, KNOWING that what Joshua 1:9 says is true “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” God has told us, over and over, to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS and to HAVE NO FEAR…and yet sometimes we still dig our heels in like a stubborn donkey and refuse to move forward because we are either too weak to stand up for what we believe in, don’t have enough guts to learn something new, and are too afraid of what “might” happen, so we sit in our comfortable complacency and do nothing. We can very easily avoid taking any risks and just maintain, but life was never about just maintaining, we were made for an abundant life! In the Parable of the Ten Talents, Jesus tells us not to hold back what he has given us. We are to use what He has given us to the fullest, not store it all away out of fear. He WANTS us to CHANGE! To be better, more faithful, more willing to serve, more willing to share, more willing to do whatever it takes to reach the lost! Jesus was NEVER in the business of maintaining the status quo. If He was, He would have stopped with the Disciples. He would have just maintained His relationship with them, never seeking out anyone else to teach, never healing, and certainly never dying on the cross for US! Change. How does that word make you feel? Apprehensive? Angry? Excited? Jesus was EXCITED! David was so excited he DANCED before the Lord! The wisemen were excited! The angels were excited! Change was coming….BIG change. When you look at things changing in your church, before you judge, before you get angry, before you get scared, measure it under God’s microscope. Are we trying something new to reach more lost people for Christ? Are we trying to improve something to make it even more effective for reaching others for Jesus Christ? Am I just acting this way because of MY feelings, MY comfort, MY fear, MY stubbornness? If you answer yes to any of those things, then you need to re-evaluate the situation. God doesn’t want us to tuck ourselves down in the ground and hide away in our comfort while the world dies and goes to Hell. That was not what he commanded us to do. “Go ye therefore, and teach ALL nations, GO.” You cannot GO anywhere, without changing were you ARE.  I hope you read this and it CHANGES your perspective on change.

I Will Never Forget...

I was standing in the kitchen of my house in Tampa, Florida the morning of September 11th with my mom.  Mom and Dad had been visiting for the week.  Scott had been called to a church in Tennessee and Mom and I were packing my crystal.  We were all smiles, excited that we would be moving closer to home.  Alex & Taylor had just left for school and Jarod, still a baby, was playing on the livingroom floor near his Papaw who was watching the morning news. They had been talking about George and Laura Bush being in Florida that morning reading to school children at a local school.  Mom and I weren't paying attention to the TV though, we were busy chatting about the flight we would be making in a couple days up to TN to finalize our housing and such when my Dad interrupted us.  We walked into the living room and I didn't understand what I was seeing.  He said, it's the World Trade Center.  I said, what happened?  Did something blow up?  He said, a plane has flown into it!  I was still confused.  I was still thinking it must have been a small plane, but how could they not see the Tower?  Then I heard them say, it was a 767, a large passenger plane, with at least 92 people on board.  I said, "how could this happen?" and my Dad just said, "Terrorists".  As we sat there staring in disbelief at the smoke and flames, suddenly another plane appeared and smashed into the other tower.  My knees buckled, and I sank into my chair, thinking to myself, "oh my God, what just happened....what just happened??  How many people where on that plane?  What is happening?!"  The news came shortly after that, that there were more planes that had been hijacked and they didn't know where they were going.  The only thing I could think of at that point was, I want my boys.  I want them here with me now!  I don't remember now if I went to get them or if I told Scott to go get them.  I was in such shock.  We weren't far from an airbase and the jets had been scrambled.  We would hear them overhead.  Then news came of the Pentagon being hit, and another plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania.  My world changed that day.  It went from one of feeling safe, to feeling terrified, unsure of the future, extreme sorrow for the ones that lost their lives, and extreme anger at the ones that caused it.  Watching those towers burn, seeing people jumping or falling from windows, and then seeing them come crashing down on live TV is something I can never erase from my memory.  Trying to comprehend the evil behind the attacks was more than I could ever wrap my mind around.  So many people gone in an instant.   But I will also never forget the next morning.  It was a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky, nor a plane.  Quiet.  Pictures from New York showing black smoke still pouring from the holes where the towers had been, ash covered rescue workers trying desperately to find survivors, and seeing that picture of the Fire Fighters at ground zero, raising that flag.  After that, there were flags everywhere, every house, every store, every car.  And I will never forget President Bush asking for us to pray for the families and quoting the Psalms.  He reminded us that our God is stronger than any terrorist attack, stronger than anything we might ever face.  It was so very comforting to know that our country was being led by a man of God.  Americans came together like never before after 9/11.  Yes, we had been shaken, but we would not be defeated.  That day changed us all in many ways.  But I don't think it did what the terrorists had hoped.  It brought us closer together, brought us to our knees in prayer, brought more of us to Christ.  I will never forget that day.  What about you?

"If you've knelt beside the rubble of an aching, broken heart,
When the things you gave your life to fell apart;
You're not the first to be acquainted with sorrow, grief or pain,
But the Master promised sunshine after the rain.

Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,
Weeping only lasts for the night;
Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,
The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.

To invest your seed of trust in God in mountains you can't move,
You have risked your life on things you cannot prove;
But to give the things you cannot keep for what you cannot lose,
Is the way to find the joy God has for you.

Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,
Weeping only lasts for the night;
Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,
The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.

The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.
Just in sight!"

Smoky Mountain Memories

We just returned from a fabulous vacation in the mountains.  It wasn’t to some fancy resort, or 5 star hotel though….it was a camping trip!  Yes, we slept in a tent.  We do every year!  I have been going to this same campground nearly every summer my entire life.  I learned how to ride my bike in that campground after my Dad and Granddaddy tricked me and raised my training wheels off the ground when I wasn’t looking.  Boy was I mad, LOL!  I’ve skinned my knees, climbed trees, tubed down the Little Pigeon River, seen bears, snakes, coyotes, skunks, deer and bugs of every shape and sort.  I’ve probably camped in nearly every campsite in the place in my life time.  I’ve fished, hiked trails, walked through the Ghost Town, and walked down the camp road in pitch black to see the most amazing light show of synchronous fireflies on the planet!  I’ve huddled under tarps while it thundered so loud and rained so hard that it felt like we were actually IN the midst of the storm clouds.  I know the smell of that place by heart.  It’s indescribably fantastic.  Pine needles, camp fires, the smell of rain in the air, sunshine on fallen leaves, green moss, black dirt, pure, cold water,  mountain laurel blooming and marshmallows.  It’s hard to say what is my favorite time of day there.  The mornings are so crisp, even in the summer and full of the smell of eggs and bacon and coffee.  The birds sing the sun up every morning with every ounce of strength they have.  It’s like they believe it won’t rise without them singing it up.  I think it’s how they worship and thank God for the new day, and they do it will all their hearts!  The afternoons are lazy, and warm, and filled with happy laughter and children squealing as they tube down the creek.  The evenings are filled with wonderful campfire smells and delicious food cooking.  The sound of Hoot Owls, bull frogs, crickets, the rushing water of the creek, and mountain music loft through the air.  There are no phones.  There’s no cell tower close enough to get a signal.  No TV.  No Internet.  No electricity.  Just people, the ones we love the most, to spend time with, play with, talk with, or just sit and listen to the sounds of the forest with.  When I’m there in that campground I remember my Granddaddy’s hugs, my Grandmother’s laughter, and the Hartman Brother’s cowboy songs.  This is as close to heaven as I can imagine.  We get so busy in our modern world.  So caught up in our man-made mess, that we forget the wonderful things God put on this planet for us!  Why did God give birds a song to sing?  Why did he paint beautiful, iridescent wings on butterflies?  Why did he make pine trees smell so good?  Why did he give us cool, refreshing water to drink and to play in?  Why did he make fireflies glow in the dark?  He could have made this world dull, and gray, and boring….but instead He was thinking of us.  He thought, “how much my children will love the colors in this rainbow and just wait til they see the sunset I’ve painted tonight!  I think they will love the smell of pine trees, and these flowers…..they won’t be able to resist the lovely smell!”  I feel closer to God in those mountains than anywhere on earth because all I have to do is look around to see what He has created for me….just to make me smile. 

The Waiter Theory

     I read an article about "The Waiter Theory" that some CEOs use to evaluate potential employees. They take them out to eat at a fancy restaurant and then watch how they treat the waiter. If they're rude, condescending and impatient with the wait staff, then they usually don't get hired. Sometimes they will also ask their receptionist or secretary how the potential employee treated them. It makes you think doesn't it? How do YOU treat the waiter?

     The world likes to make us think that we are "better" than other people; that if we are highly educated, skilled, talented or well-off that makes us better than those who are not. The world tells us we have "earned the right" because of the degrees hanging on our walls, the way we look or dress, the neighborhood we live in, the cars we drive or the friends we have, to treat those we feel are "beneath us" like they are less important.  I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes from, Horton Hears a Who; "A person's a person, no matter how small."
     God made ALL of us, not a select few. He loves ALL of us the same, not a select few. We are ALL God's favorite, not a select few. I am just as much a child of the King, as the homeless man who has Jesus in his heart but no food in his stomach. I am just as much a child of the King, as the Dr. with multiple degrees hanging on his wall wondering why all that education didn't make him happy, desperately needing someone to tell Him about Jesus. I am just as much a child of the King, as the prodigal, who has left his family for drugs & alcohol and is still searching for something or someone to fill the emptiness.
     Whether we are Christains, or not, we are ALL His children and He loves us ALL beyond measure....the only difference is some of us have come home to our Father, and some of us have not. For the ones who are still wandering around looking for home....how will they find it if we treat them like dirt? The Father doesn't want ANY of His Children to perish, but without Him...they surely will. We are His hands, His feet, His voice, His patience, His compassion, His love to this world. How will they find Him if we are a terrible example of God's love? How will they see Jesus...if they don't see Him in you and me??

1 Corinthians 13:2:

"If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them."

Who Are You Trying to Impress??

     I ask that of myself a lot.  Am I trying to blend in and be like everyone else?  Am I trying to change who God made me to be so that I will be accepted?  I mean, I do try to look decent when I leave the house. I do my very best to be nice to everyone I meet…even when they don’t return the favor. I try to be sure my clothes won’t embarrass my children and I’m wearing makeup so no one will think I am my children’s Grandma. But, in all sincerity, these things are done to impress someone else. I’m not saying my outwardly appearance is not important. Heaven forbid I decide it’s not and stop wearing makeup or fixing my hair!! That’s not gonna happen. And, I do admit I honestly enjoy getting my nails done and wearing a new outfit that is (hopefully) “cool”. I like it when someone says I look nice. Who doesn’t? But what about the spiritual side of me? Do I “put on makeup” to disguise the blemishes, the sin, the doubt? Do I “talk the talk” but not really “walk the walk”? Do I point out what’s wrong with everyone else and not see that blatant sin I’m flaunting for all to see? As Paul said in Ephesians, “Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”. Am I just putting on the pretty parts of God’s armor and leaving the heavier stuff hanging in the closet?

     You can’t expect to be a witness to the world if you say one thing and then do another. You can’t say you’re a Christian and you love God with all your heart, and then turn around and curse like a sailor, behave crudely, or treat other people badly. What does that say about your relationship with God? Any beauty or wealth you attain in this life will not last. Beauty fades, gets wrinkly and saggy and old. Wealth cannot buy you happiness or peace or love. The ONLY thing in this life that will last is your relationship with God and the legacy you leave behind with those who know you.

     What will they say about you when you are gone? Will they say, “She was so pretty” or “She sure could party!”? Will they be glad you’re gone because of the way you treated them? Will they remember you and say, “What a sad, lonely person he was. All that money, but no happiness.” Or will they remember you as a woman/man of God… Someone that truly listened when they needed to talk, gave a good example of a Godly life,spoke kindly to everyone and treated everyone with love? I don’t want to leave behind a reputation of being a party-going, hell-raising, drinking, smoking , cussing, Good-time girl. I don’t want people to say they respect me because of all the people I trampled on to get where I was. I don’t want people to say they want to be like me because I was beautiful and said all the things they wanted to hear. I want them to look back at my life and say, “She loved God. She cared. She prayed. She listened. She was kind. She was a true Christian example.”

     If you say you’re a true Christian, BE one…ALL the time. Not just on Sunday, not just when you see someone from church. Be a true Christian with your friends, when it’s not popular, when it hurts, when you feel insecure, when no one else IS. Don’t close God off and say, “Ok God, you can be a part of every part of my life….but this part over here…well you know I like to party and, well you know I can’t help it if I curse cause everyone else does, and wow, God whatever you do don’t go looking at my profile pictures on Facebook! That is definitely off limits….but I will let you in the rest of my life God, oh well, except you know that boy I’m seeing…well yeh, don’t go there either God ok?”

     Who are you trying to impress….really? You’re friends? You’re enemies? The world? The only opinion you need to worry about is God’s. He loves you….even more than your own Mother (and that’s A LOT!). He cares about everything that happens to you. And those areas you’ve asked Him to turn His back to…well He knows about all those too. Yep, He’s seen every picture you posted on Facebook. He’s heard every curse word you ever muttered. He’s seen every sin you ever committed….and He loves you ANYWAY!

     Everyone messes up. Everyone makes mistakes. Sin is Sin to God. There’s not one worse than another. It’s all the same to Him. And, if you’ve asked Him into your life and to forgive you of your sins then He does! But that doesn’t mean we now have a free ticket to sin all we want because we are forgiven anyway! We are supposed to be leading the lost to Him, and we cannot do that if we are living just like we never got saved…. “and (as Edith Ann would put it) that’s the truth!”

“Don't cause others to stumble, whether they are Jewish, Greek, or members of God's church.”

1 Corinthians 10:32

Tar Buckets

My Great Grandmother, Lona Mae Harper, had a lot of funny sayings. She had a great sense of humor and would always whip one of those wonderful, southern expressions out at just the right time. The one I remember her saying the most was her response whenever she was asked how she was doing. She’d always smile and say, “Well I’m busier than a bee in a tar bucket!” And, she usually was! What are you busy doing? Sometimes we get so busy we forget why we’re even doing it, or for that matter why we even started doing it in the first place! There are days when I am just so busy, running all over town, picking up or dropping off kids, buying groceries, running to this rehearsal or that meeting, and I get completely overwhelmed with it all. By the time I get to the overwhelmed stage I am usually angry and ready to collapse in a heap of self-pity and tears. I think that’s God’s way of making me stop for a minute and take a look at what I’m doing and why, and most often the moment I call out to Him for help. My youngest son, Jarod, has always had quite a temper, but it’s nothing now compared to what it was when he was a toddler! He was easily perturbed and overwhelmed, and when that happened he’d immediately start crying for me in the midst of his tantrum. I was always the only one who could get him to calm down, and the only way to do it was to speak calmly, tell him to take some deep breaths, and just hold him tightly while he cried it out. Once the storm of emotion had passed and he had control of himself again, I would whisper in his ear how much I loved him and he was ready to reason with me over what had upset him so much. Don’t you know God does the same thing for us!? He’s a whisper away…..God I am so stressed. God I am so angry. God I am so depressed. God I just don’t know what to do…..call out to God and He will comfort you through whatever it is you’re going through. Truth is, He might not take that stress away. You might just have to keep on walking through it. But you will not be doing it alone. He will be right there in that storm (or tar bucket) with you, holding you tight and whispering in your ear how very much He loves you.

Be still and know that He is God….and there is nothing He cannot do!


Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

It Makes Sense to God

This is likely to be a bit verbose, and a little bit of a rabbit chase, but it’s a point that has been running around in my mind for several weeks. I believe it’s something God wanted me to write, and I’ve waited and prayed and listened to that still, small voice as the thoughts came together in my mind.

It Makes Sense to God

God has a history of asking us to do things, that to us, just don’t make sense. Think about it for a minute. He asked Noah to build an ark because a flood was coming, and it had never even rained. He took Moses, a man who couldn’t even speak well, and made him a leader. Spoke to him from a burning bush, led him to walk through the middle of a sea on dry ground and gave him the 10 commandments! He told Joshua and his Israelite army to march around Jericho 7 times and then shout the walls down. He chose a virgin, Mary, to give birth to His only son.  He asked his disciples to feed 5000 people with just a few fish and loaves of bread.  He died for US! He ROSE from the dead! If I took the time to list all the things God did that didn’t make sense at the time, it would fill up several books! You see for us….if we don’t understand what the purpose for something is, or what the outcome will be, then we think it is just not logical and it doesn’t make good sense. To give you a personal example; when Scott and I answered the call to Pine Valley Baptist in Wilmington, NC, it didn’t make sense for us to leave Crossville, TN. We lived near our family. We left a 10 year ministry, a well established music program, a community in which we were both well-known and respected, not to mention many dear friends. We put our home on the market in the worst possible time in history. We pulled our kids out of schools they had attended almost their entire life, away from friends they had known since early childhood, and I left a job that I truly loved. It didn’t even make sense to us at the time, much less anyone else! But in God’s world, it made perfect sense. He knew what He was doing. He knew that even though we would face many challenges, like foreclosure and bankruptcy, it was through these experiences that we would grow stronger. He has a plan He is carrying out, for our own good, and however long our ministry at Pine Valley lasts, we are here for a reason. The many blessings He has already given us here are proof of that. I’m not telling you this to brag, and say, “look what we did, aren’t we saintly”, but simply to make a point. God knows our past and sees our future. He’s the guy with the map…the one that MADE the map…and if we belong to Him, He is never going to leave our side. That doesn’t mean we won’t have problems, what it DOES mean is that He will be there to bring us through those problems. I’ve been in church my entire life. I’ve been a minister’s wife for 23 years, and because of that I know a few things about the happenings in churches. One of the worst things that can happen to a church, in my opinion and from my experience, is for members take their eyes off of Jesus and start focusing on their circumstances. Remember when Peter stepped out onto the water? As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus he walked right on top of that water. But as soon as Peter started looking around at his circumstances, he realized what he was doing didn’t make sense, and he started to sink. When churches start worrying and bickering about things, concentrating on things that are trivial, they take their eyes off of Jesus, and through lack of faith, they start to sink. I’ve seen it happen more than once. The sad thing is, a lot of times, they don’t even realize they are sinking until it’s too late. Creating a church budget is an act of faith. You don’t have a predetermined amount of money that you absolutely know is going to be coming in each month. That is why, as far as church budgets go, you have to start at the other end. You have to start with what GOD wants to do, PLAN for what GOD wants to do, and then…. step out of that boat and walk on that water. If your hearts are focused on doing God’s will, doing WHATEVER it takes to reach the lost, GOD WILL PROVIDE!! It’s not how many people you have that are giving. It’s not having lots of rich members. It’s having members that are completely surrendered to God, completely dedicated to serving God, completely dependent on God to provide. Once that happens, there is nothing that can hold that church back! Support your church staff, be willing to step out on a limb with them and do something different, be willing to do WHATEVER it takes to reach the lost, instead of fussing that you’ve never done it that way before. Get out of that comfort zone that is lulling you to sleep! The church staff members have dedicated their education, their lives, their families, and their futures to serving God. God has called them to your church for a reason…HIS reason. There’s no big “secret” to evangelizing the lost and growing a strong church….it is so simple. Keep your focus on GOD’S will, dedicate yourself to serving Him, and HE will take care of the rest….even when it doesn’t make sense.

* If you read this I challenge you to go forward this Sunday and dedicate yourself to keeping your eyes on God instead of the circumstances around you, to seeking God’s will in all that you do, and to doing whatever it takes to reach the lost.

What A Mess!

What A Mess!

In my neighborhood there’s this house with a yard that is truly impossible to describe. They have used busted up concrete and rubble to line their driveway and make borders for flower beds. On one side of the yard, they’ve planted an old, broken, plastic rocking horse as some sort of yard art, and on the other side is a large dead bush….I know it is dead because in the middle of summer it still has no leaves. On this dead bush they have placed giant red Christmas bows, and in the center of the bush….a stuffed santa toy that is now droopy and soggy from the rain. There are random piles of rubble all over the yard, a forest of dead plants sitting in planters and a Christmas teddy bear strapped to the top of the mailbox…also soggy wet. To top it all off, the centerpiece of the yard is a large pile of concrete rubble with a big, white, plastic planter sitting on top. Inside the planter they have placed every kind of ugly plastic, red and green flower bouquet imaginable, interspersed with garland. It looks like the Grinch threw up everything he stole from the Whos. I’m not kidding….I couldn’t make this up if I tried! You should see it at Valentine’s Day and Easter!!

Today as I drove past that horrible mess it made me think. No matter how hard you try to dress it up, no matter how many brightly colored flowers, ornaments or sparkly things, no matter how “cuddly” we try to make it look….you can’t cover up sin. It is ugly, plain and simple. No matter what you try, you can’t make it look better and you can’t hide it from God. It is what it is, plain and simple. The good news is, we don’t have to leave it that way. No matter how big or ugly our sin is, Jesus can wipe it all away. All we have to do is accept His love, His sacrifice and His forgiveness. Once we do that, we are beautiful in God’s eyes and all the ugliness is gone forever! If you haven’t accepted God’s free gift of salvation, what better time than Christmas to do so! All you have to do it ask. It really is that simple.

(Wish it was that simple for that yard!)



John 3:16 – “For God loved us so much, that He gave up His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but will have everlasting life.”

What Are You Known For?

Reading the opening statement of my son’s paper he wrote about himself in English class, made my jaw drop a little, and a tear come to my eye. “I want to be known as a devout Christian”, he wrote. He went on to mention several other qualities he wanted to be known for…being honest, kind and helpful, someone who’s willing to share, a good sense of humor, and good musicianship. He really blew me away. It was all the things I have taught my boys rolled up into one awesome paper. And he didn’t write those things because I told him to…he wrote them because that is what was in his heart, that is what he truly wants to be known for. It’s moments like these that you realize you actually did something right. He’s an awesome kid, and has never given me trouble, but with boys you just never really know what they are thinking. They don’t just spontaneously share their thoughts and feelings with you! So I knew I had tried to teach them good things, but not if it had all really sunk in yet. I cannot say enough about how important it is for parents to be involved together in a church. And, not just be involved, but have a real relationship with Jesus Christ. You want the best for your children. You want to keep them safe from every harm. If you’ve got a heart full of Jesus, there’s not room for the bad stuff. I am so thankful that I was raised in a Christian family. Recently, at my Grandmother’s funeral, as the family gathered to go out to the Chapel, the Funeral Director gathered us together. He is an old family friend and knows us very well. He said he’d like to pray for us because he knew we were a Christian family and that we had something many other’s don’t….we have hope and the knowledge that one day we will see her again in heaven. Not everyone has that assurance. That thought overwhelmed me standing there with all my family. I am so blessed to have been born into a family like that. Not everyone has that kind of family. Even in my family it had to start somewhere. What if my Grandparents hadn’t been faithful Christians? There’s a very good chance then that my parent’s would not have been Christians, and an even greater change that I would not be now. Where would that leave my boys? LOST. What I do today, what I teach my kids now, will carry on into the future to my grandchildren, my great grandchildren, and on and on. I want to be known as someone who is kind, generous, merciful, fun-loving, and perhaps slightly mischievous (in a good way), but most of all a devout Christian with a real, life-long relationship with my Savior…so that when my Grandchildren look back and remember me, and look around at their family, they will also be overwhelmed at how blessed they were to be born into this family. What about you….what do YOU want to be known for??


Thank you Lord Jesus for my children and for their real, honest love for You. Thank you for giving me the privilege of being their mom. Shower Your blessings on them, help them to grow into mighty men of God, and let them live long, honorable lives that bring many people to You. Amen.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

“Love GOD, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got! Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates. “

I hate storms!

All this hurricane talk made me start thinking about the storms that come our way. Have you ever been through a bad storm? I don’t like them. I’ve been through some very scary ones. I think the thing that scares me the most is the lack of control you have over a storm. There’s nothing you can do but ride it out, and pray. The storms of life are like that too. There’s nothing you can do to keep them from coming, and nothing you can do to stop them. You just have to ride it out….and pray. One of the worst life storms I’ve ever been through was when I was 37 years old. I was the happy, healthy mom of three energetic boys when I had two mini-strokes, or TIAs, which then caused me to have seizures for about 7 months. It was a very scary, trying, and exhausting time in my life. I had gone from being a very strong, independent person, to being very sick and having to depend on everyone else. I was weak, frail, scared, depressed and exhausted. I went from taking zero medications to having a new one every week trying to control seizures and deal with depression. The side effects were often unbearable. After many months of tests, Drs., medications, hospitalizations, and different diagnoses I felt like God was leading me to a more natural approach. Never underestimate the power of prayer, or the power of God’s creation. With much prayer and research and mega doses of antioxidants & nutrients, I started feeling better, and within a few months I was seizure free and feeling better than I had in a very long time. Today I am happy to report I have been seizure free since then. I have to be very careful to get the proper nutrition my body needs, but I am healed! Through God’s grace, His constant love, and His marvelous creation, I am once again strong and healthy. I often look back at that time and think about what God taught me through it. I learned that I cannot do it all on my own, I have to depend on Him. I cannot control the storms that come my way, and one day I may have to go through a storm like this again, but this one thing I know; God will always be there with me. He will never leave me, no matter how strong the storm. I am His FOREVER, no matter what the storms may hold!  :)

From miracles to murmurs

I recently read an article about murmuring and it inspired a blog entry. Having been in the ministry with my husband for over 20 years, I’ve certainly dealt with it before. To Murmur….the definition of this strange word is to grumble or complain. It can happen anywhere. It often happens at work, frequently in churches, sometimes it even happens in our homes. The Israelites fell prey to it. They had just witnessed weeks – perhaps even months – of incredible miracles. They had seen the River Nile turned to blood. They had witnessed miraculous plagues of frogs, gnats, flies, the death of Egyptian cattle, plagues of boils, hail and fire, locusts and impenetrable darkness. They had witnessed the killing of the Egyptian firstborn and the protection of those who’s door frames were sealed with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. They had seen God going before them in an immense pillar of cloud and fire. They had seen the mighty Red Sea opened before them, allowing them to cross it on dry ground, then close behind them, drowning the pursuing Egyptian army.


And what was the first thing the Israelites did after all this? Two of them – Moses and his sister Miriam – did the right thing. They sang songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

But many of their countrymen began to murmur! They complained about not having enough water to drink, about being hungry, about being tired of eating manna, you name it, they complained about it. Talk about amnesia! They had already forgotten all that God had done for them and all that He had promised them as well.

A study of the subject of murmuring in the Bible shows that the first result of murmuring is a diminishing of the truth. Murmuring turns into rumors which are then presented as truth which causes even more murmuring. Perhaps if we spent more time praying for God’s will, and less time fussing about our wants, we’d have less time to complain about things that, in the eternal view of things, don’t really amount to anything anyway.

Philippians 2:14-17 (New International Version)

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…”

The Encouragement Gift

There can never be enough said about the gift of encouragement. Even if you aren’t born with it, you can learn to use it! “A gentle answer turns away wrath”…even children understand that concept. I can’t tell you how many times, when my boys were little, they would suddenly tell me they loved me…just as I was discovering the mischief they had been into. Think about it …has there been a time when someone said something nice to you that just really made you feel good, something that was completely unexpected and it made you smile when you hadn’t felt like it before? Have you ever had a nice thought about someone and then actually told them so? I don’t think those moments are accidents. I believe God is whispering in our ear. I believe those little encouragements are straight from God’s heart to ours. Of course sometimes it’s so hard to hear God whispering when we are so busy listening to the world tell us we should just look out for number one, and reach for all the glory ourselves. The secret to our own success, to our own happiness, is not grabbing all we can for ourselves…it’s in giving it away to others, for it’s in those moments when we are most like our loving Savior. You never know the impact your encouraging words can have on someone’s life. Encourage someone today… “Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.” - Mother Theresa


”Pretend you’re a star and poke a hole in someone’s darkness!”

Tightrope Over A Pigsty

"After the first blush of sin comes its indifference."
~ Henry David Thoreau

I am the proud mom to three wonderful boys. They can be a handful at times, and they don’t always make the best decisions, but I love them just the same. You see I know deep down in their hearts that they know and understand what is right. I know because we have taught them. Not just with words, but also by example, and with higher standards than perhaps some others hold. I know because it is a priority in our home to go to church. Because my boys have been in church consistently their whole lives they have been taught by some of the most dedicated, loving Christians I have ever known. They have each given their hearts to the Lord and each have a passion for serving Him. I’m not super mom. I goof up and make mistakes just like anyone else. But I do not compromise when it comes to teaching my children what is acceptable before God, and what is not. Some people will look at my boys and think that perhaps I don’t let them have enough fun, that I worry too much or that I don’t give them enough freedom, because I don’t allow them to participate in things that I consider “risky” behaviors. You can’t “play” with sin. If you walk on the edge of sin long enough, eventually you are gonna fall right into the middle of it. It’s like walking a tightrope over a pigsty. Eventually you are gonna slip up and fall right into the middle of all that nastiness, and once you do, it gets all over you! Ya know, people who work on pig farms say that eventually you get so used to the smell that you don’t even notice it anymore. It’s hard to believe when you smell it for the first time that you could ever get used to that smell! Sin is the same way. Eventually that first blush of sin fades and then you become indifferent to it. You don’t think it’s so bad after all, and before you know it you are so used to the sin that it seems normal. What I’m trying to say is this….don’t play around with sin and don’t let your kids either. Kids, don’t think you can hang out with people who drink & smoke pot and not eventually get dragged into it yourself. Don’t think you can be around people who are disrespectful, lie, steal, or curse without eventually becoming so used to it that you do it too. The true measure of a person is the company they keep. The friends that are closest to you are the ones that determine how you behave. Surround yourself with Godly friends. I’m not saying you can’t be friends with someone who has made bad decisions…but if you do then YOU have to be the stronger influence, the better example, and be anchored in your beliefs, because if you aren’t, they will eventually pull you in the wrong direction. The most important point I’m trying to make is this....you can’t play around with sin. The smallest thing, leads to something a little bigger, and little bigger until it is something huge. Like easing yourself into a hot tub of water….eventually you get used to it, and it feels good.
"Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something."
~ Henry David Thoreau