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

Everlasting Arms...

We watched a video at church the other day about how big our universe is. We learned about how far away, and how big some of the stars are....numbers I cannot begin wrap my mind around. The biggest one is quadrillions of light years away....I didn't even know that number existed. But to think that the God that made a universe so unfathomably large, loves ME....I don't even know what to do with that. The God that breathed out the stars knows ME, and wants ME, and loves ME....how can I ever think He cannot handle my little problems? It puts everything in a completely different perspective doesn't it? What are you griping about? What are you worrying about? What are you sad about? Give it all to the one who created the ENTIRE universe....and let Him hold YOU in His everlasting arms. Trust Him....He can handle it!

"The Eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deut. 33:27

Holy Ground

Have you ever noticed at most churches, there is a room that seperates the outside from the sanctuary. Some folks call it a vestibule, or an atrium, or a lobby. Whatever you call it, its the room you enter before you enter the sanctuary. Have you ever wondered what that room was for? I had not thought much about it until I started thinking about a song I am going to sing soon. The song is Holy Ground, and the words start out....as I walked thru the door I sensed His presence....and it made me stop and think once again about just what a Sanctuary really is. It is defined as a sacred or holy place, the holy of holies, a place of refuge for the weary. Makes ya think...do I treat the sancuary as such? Or do I treat it as just another room in just another building? If it is the holy of holies....should we bring in our sin with us...riding proudly on our backs, as we walk thru those doors? Or do we continue to act the same way we did in the parking lot? Don't get me wrong, God doesn't care about how you look.  He's not worried about what you're wearing.  God is looking at the condition of your soul.  He wants to know, are you there to worship, or there to make a list of your complaints? Are you there to praise God, or are you there to be entertained, to gossip, to stir up mischief or just to be seen? What are you thinking about during the music or the sermon. Are you thinking...this song it too long and I'm tired of standing, or I don't even like this song, or he just pronounced that word wrong, or how long is he going to preach, etc. Are you paying attention...or texting your best friend, passing notes, making other people laugh, and goofing off? When you walk into that little room before the Sanctuary I want you to think about it very hard before you walk through those doors. Take off all the sinful nature, put away from you the wordly things, the things that would distract you from what God is going to say to you. Stop worrying that you have to stand up too long, you don't like all the songs, or the message goes a little over. WHY ARE YOU THERE?? You are stepping into the Holy of Holies because Jesus made it possible for YOU to approach the throne of God! You are entering God's house, and even though you cannot actually, physically see Him...He is there. Now...how are you going to act? What are you going to do? What are you going to be thinking about in the presence of God? "As I walked through the door, I sensed His presence, and I knew this was a place where love abounds. For this is the Temple, Jehova God abides here, and we are standing in HIS presence on Holy Ground!"

What's down in the well...comes UP in the bucket!

I feel a blog entry coming on….it’s weird how it happens. One minute I am clueless, staring at a blank page wondering if there is anything intelligent I can write, and the next minute something happens that sets it all in motion. Sometimes it’s a good "happening"…sometimes it’s not. I’ll first say the “happening” that just happened was not a pleasant one, although not unexpected. Here’s the dilemma, trying to be kind, understanding, and good at what I do, I often ask if there is anything I CAN do, or anything I may have overlooked. I mean, with three schools to take care of, often I do forget something. Who wouldn’t? I certainly don’t claim to be perfect, but I do strive with all that I am to be consistent, understanding, patient and kind. These traits after all, do make things move along a lot smoother when dealing with people. That is why I simply cannot understand the meanness in some people…the downright ugly, rudeness that some people seem to be born to spread. It especially upsets me when I know I have done everything I can to be kind and patient with that person. I have heard that it takes seven compliments to make up for one negative comment. Sometimes, I think it might take twenty. At any rate, getting down to the main thing I am trying to say…what kind of person are you? Are you the kind of person that can be nice to mean people? There are not a lot of those kinds of people out there ya know? I try really hard to be that kind of person, but I admit there are times that I am simply not capable. My humanness creeps out all over the place and I just want to clobber them! I am having a moment like that right now. I am thanking God that they are in another school building, and I will not have to run into them in the hallway today. Because, I am certain if I did run into them it would not be a pleasant scene for either of us! Aren’t you glad that God loves us, even when we are angry? He loves us even when WE are the mean ones. He loves us NO MATTER WHAT!! And as I type that I realize that, even though I am fairly certain from my dealings with this person they are not a Christian, God loves her too!! So I am going to stomp my feet a few times to make ME feel a little better (wish I had a punching bag!), and then I am going to sincerely pray for her and also pray that I can show her what a real Christian is…and that I can love her with Christ’s love, even if I don’t “like” her very much!!
“What’s down in the well….comes UP in the bucket!!”

God, there's rocks in my stream!

In Elkmont Campground, in the Great Smoky Mountains is the Little Pigeon River. It's simply beautiful and one of my most favorite places on earth. It's full of boulders and rocks, and my mom and I love to go rock hunting down by its edge, hunting for that perfect smooth rock to paint something on. My boys used to love to search for little, flat, round rocks that look like coins. They called it "river money" and we always came home with ziplock bags full of it. Because of all those rocks, the sound of the river fills up the campground with its song...there are no words to describe how it calms your soul. My whole family goes back there every summer for a week. I wish I was there right now. I'll admit it, something has perturbed me. It's dumb really, and I know better than to let it bug me considering the source. Sometimes I wonder, why does God allow those things to get in our way? But then I realize...if life was always smooth sailing we'd be really bored and never learn anything at all. I've had some giant sized boulders fall in front of me before and I've overcome them by depending on God and believing His promises....this is more like a pebble in my shoe really. So I'm just gonna pray for that pitiful little pebble and shake it out of my shoe and move on! The brooke would lose its song if God removed the rocks!

It Blows Me Away...

Maybe I'm just getting older, having a "hormonal moment" a little more often, I don't know...but driving in to work this morning I saw the most beautiful sight. It was like an award- winning National Geographic photo...but it was real, and it made me cry. God just blows me away and at the most unexpected times. I cross the Brunswick and Cape Fear Rivers every morning on the way to work, usually just as the sun is coming up over the horizon. It is always beautiful, but this morning was simply glorious! There's no other word for it! Just as I rounded the corner to cross the Brunswick River, the sun peeped over the horizon, sitting there on the river which was as smooth as glass. The reflection of the sun on the river was just like a mirror. Beautiful pink and amber clouds surrounded it as a flock of birds flew across it's face. At that very moment I was singing along with the radio, just as I looked up and saw this awesome sight..."How Great Is Our God!" The timing could not have been more perfect. I felt in my soul God saying "Good Morning! I love you THIS much!" It was awesome!! As I crossed the bridge into town and rounded the corner, I was met with stopped traffic and a train. GREAT! I thought, now I'm gonna be late. I was starting to feel a bit agitated, and then I looked out the window. I was sitting right next to Greenfield Lake and just ask I looked up a beautiful crane flew gently across the lake and the spanish moss in the trees swayed gently in the breeze as the sun peeped through the branches. Wow...twice in one morning! It was gorgeous! I was delayed by the train at least 5 minutes and I just sat and stared at the lake, watching the mist rise into the sun. You know that saying, "Stop and smell the roses"? Make a point today to stop and see God's creation around you....watch & listen to that "still, small voice"...it's all around you!!

What if they've never been told?

Raising kids is tough. One of the toughest jobs you'll ever do. And sometimes, even though you think you've done everything right they still grow up and run away from all they've been taught. In a way, we all do it at some point in our lives. Some just run a little farther than others. But one of the most important things you can ever teach your children is about God's immeasurable love for them. They need to be taught that only God can fill up that emptiness in their soul, not money, not boyfriends or girlfriends, not work, not friends, not alcohol, not drugs. Teach them who to turn to in trouble.
Teach them who to praise in good times. Teach them about His unconditional love, about His forgiveness and mercy, His longing to have a relationship with them and to bless them, so that when they reach the end of who they are, when they fall on their faces and realize they are standing in a pigpen eating slop like the prodigal son, they will know WHO to run back to and they will know God is there watching for them, waiting to run to them and take them in His arms! To whom or to what will they run if they've never been told? Even when it seems hopeless, keep leading by example, keep praying, keep showing them the way home. What is impossible for God? Nothing!!

Just Trust...

I was watching Dr. Joyce Meyer on TV the other day and she was talking about trusting God. Now I know I'm supposed to trust Him with everything, but just like most people, there are just some things that I think well, it would be nice...but that's impossible. I doubt. I don't really believe He can do the impossible sometimes. There are many examples in the bible of how God DID do the impossible, but the one that has always stood out the most to me is the story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. At 100 years old Abraham fathered a son...and even more amazing, at 91 Sarah gave birth to a son! 91!!! That's insane! Can you even imagine? No wonder they both laughed when they heard the news! Who wouldn't? And yet, they trusted God was going to do what He said. In Genesis 18:14 it says "Is anything to hard for God?" No...nothing...there is nothing too hard for God to do. There is nobody too far gone for God to reach...no child, no husband, no wife, no friend. He can heal any sickness, rescue anyone from an addiction, NO ONE and NO THING Is hopeless in His eyes. I never want to forget that, no matter how hopeless a situation may seem.

What My Words Cannot Say

Has your heart ever been troubled for a friend and when you tried to talk to God about it the words just wouldn't come to you? Have you ever tried with all your might to find the perfect words to describe what you're feeling, and they just wouldn't come? Ever tried to find the correct way to write down what you are trying to say so as not to offend anyone, all the while making your point very clear? I'm having one of those days. The fact is, God knows our hearts. He knows our feelings. He knows our thoughts, good and bad. But most importantly, He is in control of the situations we face each day. So maybe all we need to do is go to Him and say, "Lord...I don't know WHAT to say...but You can hear the groaning of my spirit and You understand the feelings I cannot describe." So that is my prayer this day..."Lord, I lift my friends up to you. I ask You to protect them. I ask You to bless them abundantly. I ask You to guard their hearts, minds and spirits from satan's arrows. Hear what my spirit whispers and my words cannot say. Amen!"

HIS way....not your way

His way....not your way.

What do you do when things don't go your way?  How do you deal with it when something that has always been a certain way changes?  Do you threaten to take your ball and go home if you don't get your way?  Do you bully people into doing things your way?  Is it your way or the highway??  Or do you welcome the opportunity God has placed before you to learn something new, to do something you'd have never thought of doing, to follow in God's footsteps and see just where He is leading you.  Some people carry around a man-made bible in their heads.  It's full of rules and regulations made up by man.  It dictates how they are suposed to act, dress, behave, sit, stand, sleep, walk, eat, even worship.  The Pharisees had rules like that too, but it seems to me that Jesus was pretty clear that their "rules" were not what was important.  Their laws were not His laws.  Following their laws would not get you to heaven, would not earn you a bigger mansion or more reward in heaven.  Jesus explained over and over it's not about following man-made rules, it's not about keeping us comfortable....it's about reaching the lost!  When His children start seeing that, and start doing that, inevitably satan starts stirring the pot to try and get it stopped.  So, don't get discouraged.  There is nothing that you need to do to defend yourself. Keep your eyes on God and keep your Heart focused on what He is leading you to do.  Even if bullies stir up strife against you, you don’t need to worry because the Lord will cause you always to triumph.  All you need to do is to be yielded to the Lord, believe His Word, and trust completely in Him. Be a DOER of the word. ACT on God’s Word. Walk in the LOVE of God and He will take care of the rest.

Isaiah 54:13-17

What are you here for?

You do know you aren't an accident right?  You aren't here by some random chance.  You are here, now, at this particular point in time, because that is how God planned it.  But have you ever thought about WHY?  Why are YOU here?  Are you here for what you can get out of this life...or for what you can give??  Hmm.  Powerful thought.  Are you here to lift up others, or lift yourself up?  Ouch.  Are you here to gripe, complain, and make certain that everyone knows "That is NOT how we have always done things."!  Are you here to make lots of money and friends, and buy the best of everything, or can you be happy with what you've got...or can you be happy with just a dollar in your pocket?  I met a man today named Gene and I know without a doubt why God put him here.  It was extremely obvious.  I had seen him before.  He walked by my car one day as I sat at a red light with my boys.  I saw him coming in the rear view mirror and immediately noticed by the way he walked that he was not your typical pedestrian.  He walked like a child, swinging his arms happily, nearly skipping, and smiling for no apparent reason as he did so, however, he appeared to be around 50 years old.  My first thought was, "wow...what have we here?".  When he got even with the passenger side window, he stopped, leaned down and waved wildly, as a little kid would do, with the biggest smile I have ever seen.  My eldest son said, "Mom, someone has lost him!  I wonder where he belongs?  Someone should call the cops and tell them he has gotten lost!"  I admit...I had never had anyone do this to me before and I was just as shocked my son was.  He proceeded to the curb, where he waved at the lady in front of me, and then to every car that passed by.  It wasn't a wave or a smile you could ever ignore, and as I sat there and watched I realized that every person that drove by ended up smiling, perhaps laughing a little and some even waved back.  When the light changed and I drove by, he waved at me again, as if he was seeing a long lost friend after a long absence...and I smiled again.  After that encounter I had pretty much forgotten about him.  Today, as I was checking out at one of my favorite retailers, I heard the doors open and a gleeful voice proclaim, "Hi!!  Gene's here!!  I turned around to see who had come in, and as I turned I caught his eyes as he smiled the biggest smile I have ever seen and said, "Gene's here ladies!!" and he waved wildly at the cashiers and then walked right up to me as I stood there with my mouth open.  He patted me on the back, smiled that huge smile, and said, "How are you today?  Are you doing good? "  I stammered a bit, then said, "Hello Gene.  I am doing great, how are you?"  He patted me on the back again and said, "Gene is fine!  Gene is fine!"  and then, spying a bright orange golf bag full of gleeming new golf clubs behind me said, " Oh WOW!  Look at those golf clubs!  I can't buy those.  I don't have enough money.  I only have a dollar in my pocket and that's not enough!  Then he spun around, waved and shouted,  Goodbye ladies!!" and out the door he went, practically skipping with glee.  Now, most of us would say, "that old man is just crazy!  He has no purpose, he's not all there!"  But, when he left the store, every single person up front...the cashiers, and every customer was smiling.  You see, Gene's purpose in life is to spead his JOY!  I don't know what makes Gene so happy, I didn't think to ask, but when he left every person at the front of that store was smiling....He KNOWS what his purpose is and he does it to the very best of his ability!  We all have a purpose.  Are you fullfilling God's purpose for your life?  If you are, it should leave people with a smile, with more joy than what they started out with... or are you carrying out your own man-made purpose?  Are you so busy trying to live out the purpose you have created that you forget how to be joyful, or even how to smile?  I  know somebody who can help you put a smile back on your face! ;0D It's something to think about...

Worship....According to my dog

As I came through the doorway the other day with my hands full of groceries and a million other things on my mind, my dog Roxie started barking and jumping around at my feet. She was so happy to see me, as always, doing everything she could to get my attention, barking & jumping and wagging her tail in excitement. But I was busy....I had more groceries to carry in, clothes to put in the wash, floors to sweep, dinner to make....I didn't even acknowledge she was there. Realizing that I was not going to play with her right then, she simply plopped down on her bed and waited for me. Later, when I finally had a minute to sit down, she immediately ran over and jumped up in my lap, wiggling with happiness and giving kisses. She loves me no matter what. I could walk in the door, yell at her to go away and ignore her existence and yet this doesn't discourage her at all. She simply waits for me to calm down and then she runs to me to let me know she loves me, unconditionally. She worships the ground I walk on! This got me to thinking about worship. How do you define worship? Is it just a word to describe the morning service at church? Is it just the act of standing, singing, bowing the head and sitting when told? I mean after all, you are in "Worship Service" and if you do what everyone else does you are "worshiping" right? I have heard comments in the past like, "We had to stand up and sing too long this morning." or "I just can't worship if the choir isn't wearing their robes, it distracts me." or "That sermon was too long. We shouldn't have to sit there so long." or "Did you see what so and so was wearing this morning?!" I admit, I have had some truly silly thoughts sometimes during worship service too. I am just as guilty as the next person. Sometimes I don't like the songs, or my back starts to ache from sitting too long, or my stomach starts to growl with hunger, or I start thinking about all the stuff I need to get done when I get home, and I get distracted. But why are we in that sanctuary to begin with? Why are we attending the "Worship Service"? Are we there to critique the choir's wardrobe or the songs we sing? Are we there to be entertained? Are we there to make sure all the other members, and all the staff, are following all the rules and doing what they, in my opinion, are supposed to be doing? Are we there to time the music, the sermon, the sitting, the standing.... or are we there to Worship God? There are a million things that we can be distracted with during the worship service.... but only ONE thing we have to be focused on....worshiping God. As we enter the sanctuary this coming Sunday, stop at the doorway, take off that big, heavy, overcoat of distractions and leave it there....outside the sanctuary. Why would you bring it in with you? I mean, it is called a "sanctuary".....a place of peace, a place of refuge from the storm! Then once you have entered the sanctuary, focus your mind on one thing...."Worship". If we all truly did this, if we all truly laid down our distractions at the door and entered the sanctuary to do nothing but worship...just imagine...just imagine the worship service we would have!!! And to think, it took a dog to make me think about worship like this! But you know what? My dog is also a perfect picture of how God loves us! She adores me, no matter what I do, no matter how much I ignore her, she just sits there waiting on me to calm down and turn to her, and when I do she RUNS to me. My Savior loves me, no matter what. I've been purchased by His blood. I am His and He is mine, and even if I ignore Him sometimes, He will still be there waiting on me to calm down and turn to Him, and He will accept me and RUN to me with open arms. Oh to be like my puppy dog, able to worship without distraction, and able to love without condition.
Blessings, Amy :)


* A wonderful article on worship:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2007/001/2.27.html

An Introduction...

I was born in Chattanooga, TN in 1967. When I was born I had 8 great grandparents, and 4 grandparents! Was I blessed or what?!! We have always been a very close family and I love that. I grew up in a musical family. My Grandfather and his brothers were "The Hartman Bros. Band" and sang Country/Western Music. Family reunions on Signal Mountain, surrounded by their music, listening to the banjo, guitar and fiddle and my Grandad and Uncles singing cowboy songs and old hymns was a highlight of my summer. My father also sang frequently in church. I grew up going to church at White Oak United Methodist Church, where I was saved at age 13 during a revival. In my teenage years we joined Mountain Creek Baptist Church. It was there that I started singing in the choir at the age of 15. At the same time I was also singing at school in choir with a director we called "Mama Branch". She was awesome. She taught us black gospel music by rote. If you don't know what that means, she taught us to sing by singing it to us first, line by line, part by part, until we got it. Then we did it over and over until we had it memorized. We never had sheet music. It was awesome! One day in choir Ms. Branch was looking for someone to sing a solo part and she pointed at me and asked me to come down and sing. I was terrified!! I was extremely shy, and though I loved to sing, and wished I could sing, I didn't think I could. She stood me by her at the piano and started to play the solo part and I was so scared nothing would come out but a squeak! She turned around and looked at me and said, now I know you can do better than that...take a deep breath and let me here you SING! So, I mustered all the bravery I had and I SANG. When I stopped she spun around on her piano bench, looked at me and said, "Child, you can SING! Why are you so afraid? God gave you a gift, and you gotta USE it!" She told me I would be singing the solo on that song and I said, "oh no I can't do that!" and she said, "You will....or you will get an F!" and she winked at me. I have never been so sick to my stomach as I was the first time I sang that song. But it lit a fire inside of me...and it is something you simply cannot control! I have heard preachers say before that when God gives them something to preach it is like there is a fire inside of them that cannot wait to get out! It is the same way with singing praises to God. It just HAS to come out! It was at Mountain Creek Baptist Church where I met my future husband. He was the choir director! Trust me, everything happens for a reason people. I may not be the very best singer you ever heard. I may sing some wrong notes, and certainly the wrong words sometimes, but to God it is perfect. When that music of praise rises up to Him, there is nothing sweeter, and the result is my heart being filled to overflowing with His love. The bible says, "Sing to the Lord a new song!"...not "Sing to the Lord a "perfect" song". Whether you can carry a tune in a bucket or not...Sing to the Lord!... and He will fill you up to overflowing with His love! :)