The Invasion of the Unwanted

"A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. (John 10:10 HCSB)"

When I first met Charles, one of his greatest concerns was if I would be willing to have his staff around all the time. I didn't really know the answer to that in the beginning. However, once I met them all and they were all really nice it seemed like it would be a pretty easy transition to get used to. (Especially since they do the dishes and help rescue me from what could be many cooking catastrophes! Lol)

That is, until this past week when his mother's wedding bands went missing. I hate when evil creeps into your most sacred of places. It’s that horrible feeling of the unwanted invading your life without permission and taking something from you that you can never get back. And your house is just one of those sacred places that you need to feel safe and secure, not only physically but also emotionally. Though it was not my house, I still felt that my feeling of security had been taken away, and once that is taken away it is so hard to get back. In that moment, instead of trust, we then began to question everyone and did not believe that we could trust anyone.

The good news is that the police got the rings back and they found out who did it. But that still left me unsure of the future that I faced with a full staff around my house all the time for the rest of my life! And then I believe that God reminded me about my aunt and uncle who were missionaries in Guatemala when I was growing up. While in Guatemala they had this super sweet housekeeper who ended up stealing from them. It reminded me that no matter what, even if you are in the center of God's will, in America or overseas sometimes the evil does creep in. And though I am a firm believer that you should live your life wisely, you also just have to trust God, that He will protect you. I also have to trust Charles that he will do what needs to be done to also keep us safe as best we can. Satan will do everything he can do to keep us from having joy and being productive for Christ. It is easy to get distracted by the evil that sometimes invades our most sacred of places whether it is our home, our marriage, or a close friendship. Evil is there but if we keep our eyes focused on Christ we will instead have an abundant life full of joy just as He promised.

Living by faith is more than just trusting the Lord at the beginning of the journey.....

Philippians 4:6-7 “Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving; let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“Realizing that living by faith is more than just answering the call and starting the journey …. It’s trusting God each and every step of the day, everyday.” This is what came to mind as I was heading up to my apartment tonight.

You see….it seemed to be a huge enough leap of faith to jump on this most wonderful journey that I am on – a huge enough leap that would last awhile and not require any more for the time being until I could get better adjusted maybe. First of all, before I met Charles, I really did not know if there were any guys out there that were really perfect for me. So to accept that God actually had one – and I had met him – it was a big deal for me to accept that. And – though I grew up in a wonderful home, with parents who are amazing and have been married for 35 years now, I have heard and seen so many other horror stories of men that seemed to good to be true – and yes, they really were, leaving their Godly wives in a heap of ashes behind them. And so for me, saying “yes” not to the dress, but to the man, was a huge leap of faith for me in and of itself. Then, it seemed to be a huge leap of faith in the journey of loving someone who has been defeating the odds against him nearly all of his life. Though, it completely humbles me that I even have the privilege to know him, and even more so, marry him, it was my faith in God, and not the circumstance that ultimately led me to know that this is what God has led me to do and what I believe He has prepared me for. So it was faith in the Lord that has led me here, to this moment, and on this amazing, and incredible journey.

But, I am realizing, that it is so much more than just trusting God to start the journey. I have to have faith and trust God throughout the ENTIRE journey. I have to trust Him with every decision that is made, every sniffle that Charles gets, every flat tire that he has, every move that I make, I have to trust. I have to live by faith in the One who knows what He is doing, knows what is best and holds the world in His hands. I have to trust in Him. I have to get on my knees before the Lord, and not be anxious – but in everything through prayer and petition commit my request to God, and He will give me the peace that passes all understanding as I travel through this thing called life. I love the Lord. I am so grateful to Him for bringing me the most amazing gift into my life that I am so undeserving of, my Charles. I can not wait to get married and to live life together. It is one of the greatest privileges I have ever had. He truly is such an inspiration, my best friend, and my love.

Lord I pray that I will have the faith each and every day to trust You. I pray that I will commit my requests to You and that you will give me the peace that passes all understanding. I pray that I will seek You each and every day for every step of the way.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The ending is always victorious though the storm may be difficult to see through

Esther seemed like an unlikely candidate to save the world as an orphan and a Jew. However unlikely though, she was instead made a queen and a woman that was taken out of everything comfortable to her, to accomplish a mighty purpose.

To say that Esther was experiencing a storm in her life - may be the understatement of the year. After being an orphan, pulled away from everything she knew, being made queen and then being faced with the impending annihilation of her own people - that's pretty intense. But even though there seemed to be no hope - God was still in control.

I cannot imagine the faith and courage she had to have to move forward in obedience. She knew that the consequence of not finding favor with the King when approaching him could lead to her own death.

I cannot imagine the faith that Mordecai had to have. He first responded with bitterness and mourning but through it all was able to devise a plan for redemption, even though it seemed unlikely and not conventional.

And Haman – his personality is so typical of the world that we live in today. They laugh and mock and plot against us – and right when they think they have won – it is God who is the victor.

God is always the victor. He is the First and the Last. There is no one mightier than He.

We can easily get discouraged when it seems like the enemy has won just as the Jews responded to the decree that declared their undeserving fate. It seemed that all hope was lost.

But the God of then, is the same today. He is always the same, never changing, and always faithful.

What He says He will do – He will do.

He will take care of His people. Sometimes it’s not always on this side of heaven, sometimes it’s not in our timing, sometimes it’s not in the way we think it should happen – but God knows best. He knows what He’s doing, and He knows the bigger plan.

We must trust in God. We must believe that His promises are true. We must have the faith and the courage to do what He has promised us He will do. And we must know that He will always be faithful.

a faith that lead to bold action

This morning I was able to get myself moving and out the door much sooner than the past several days. I knew that I was in desperate need of not only quality time with the Lord, but also quantity. However, being surrounded by corn fields, the massive amounts of horseflies and my extreme fear of them made sitting outside (my normal favorite spot here in beautiful Tennessee) not an option. So I headed out to a local coffee shop, which has quickly won me over as one of my favorite places to be. I settled down to read the Word, and just be with the Lord, and was quickly engaged into one of the most intriguing stories about an amazing couple who made some very bold actions based off of faith in the Lord that lead to many years of peace for many.

The story of this dynamic duo, Jehosheba, and her husband Jehoiada is found in 2 Chronicles 22-24. After the king had been killed, his mother went about attempting to kill all of the sons of the king that were left to establish herself to be able to reign. But Jehosheba, took the youngest son (who was apparently just a baby) and his nurse and hid him for six years. After seven years, her husband, Johoiada, a priest, gathered hundreds of men to take siege on the kingdom and restore it and the people to the Lord. He then continued to work alongside King Joash in restoring the kingdom to the Lord. And then 2 Chronicles 24:14 states, "As long as Johoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord. Now Jehoiada was old and full of years and he died at the age of one hundred and thirty. He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done for Israel for God and his temple."

What incredibles lives. What incredible testimonies of faithfulness to the Lord. As 2 Chronicles 23:3 states, they believed in the promise that God had given, concerning the descendents of David. Their faith led both of them to bold action: stowing a baby away when the others were being murdered, gathering troops to overtake the thrown, restoring the temple that had once been trashed and used for the gods of Baal. Wow. They not only had faith that led to action, but they also were influencers that led others to obedience as well. Though Joash would later turn his heart away from the Lord after Jehoiada died, the entire nation of Judah was restored back to the Lord for years to come. They overcame all of the obstacles to move forward as the Lord led them to do.

Lord I pray that I will take this dynamic duos example and have a faith that leads to bold action. Action to do what You are leading me to do, no matter the circumstance, the consequence or the obstacles. Action that influences others to find peace and rest in You.

A Life Lived that Leads to Perseverance

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

The author of Hebrews briefly narrates the stories of those that have gone before us and their life of faith in Hebrews 11. And then he states in the beginning of chapter 12, Therefore – since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (those that lived a life of faith as just mentioned) – let us push forward in this race of life and run with perseverance. Perseverance is what we need to keep us going when things get tough, life gets hard and we want to give up.

One of life’s greatest blessings has always been for me to have conversations with those that are older and wiser, those that have gone before me. I have so many fond memories as a child when we would take our annual trip with the senior adults to Galveston each year and spend time with so many amazing women. I just loved listening to their stories. There is so much wisdom to be had from those that have already been in your shoes whether they are five years or eighty years older. There is so much faith to hear about through all that God has brought them through.

I was able to have such a conversation a few weeks ago. Our church organist, Floranell, had been sick and been out for several weeks. She was sitting up on the stage waiting for the service to start so I went to inquire of how she was doing. That question led to a wonderful conversation about life, family, children and her husband. One of the things I walked away from that day was when she was telling me about all these particular things that she did for her husband every day just because he liked them done that way. She said that her children often asked her why she had done it that way all these years, and she said, because that is the way he likes it. As a wife she loved him, and therefore wanted to do what pleased him. What an incredible testimony of what being a faithful wife really means over so many years of marriage as she had shared with her husband.

Shortly after that conversation, she continued to worsen and today I found out that she may be very close to exchanging her earthly residence to a heavenly one. I am grieved and upset but know there is great joy because of what awaits her. She has lived such an incredibly faithful life. She has been faithful to her husband. She has been faithful to her children. She has taught many children how to play the piano so that they are now able to serve the Lord in that way. And she has faithfully served her church as the church organist. What an incredible legacy she has lived. I am so thankful for her sweet testimony that she provided to me that day. She may never know the impact that she had on me that day, but I know that it will forever impact my life. I am so thankful for women who live such an example of biblical womanhood and service to their husbands for others to see. I am thankful for those who live a life of faith that gives me the perseverance to keep on. Floranell – thank you for your life – and thank you for your faithfulness to the Lord.

Lord I pray that I will also live a life that is faithful to you; that will lead others to you by example; that will give others perseverance. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Unconventionality and a Confession

Genesis 24:57-58
"Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.” So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,” she said."

The following is a blog that I wrote within just a few weeks of meeting Charles back in January. Many have asked the typical question about how we met - so here's the story ;)

During Southeast Texas’ latest Non-Winter Storm event I found myself curled up on the couch watching the classic Sleepless in Seattle which is of course inspired by the ultimate classic An Affair to Remember, the ultimate girl fairy tale movies full of love, and romance. In the movie Sleepless in Seattle, a young widower, Sam Baldwin, ends up telling his story of losing his wife on a talk radio show that his son had called in to. Instantly thousands of women across the United States begin sending him letters of desire to be with him. Sam, who does not want to read the letters, tells his son, “This is not how it’s done, I’d much rather just see someone I like, get a feeling about them ask them if they want to have a drink...if you like them, you can always ask them to dinner, and if don't, you can just say, well, that was that and go home.” This statement struck a chord with the thoughts that I have struggled with this past week. See, I have a confession to make. I have been on eHarmony. Yes, it is out. It’s embarrassing to me, but true. I guess I am just bored, and just in case, somehow there is a right guy on there for me, I don’t want to miss it. But when it came down to it – and I actually meet someone that I might really like, I want to jump ship because it’s not how I want it to be. Yes, I realize in this day and age many people meet on the Internet, but I don’t want that to be me. I just want to be living my life, and somehow I cross paths with "Mr. Perfect", he notices me, thinks I’m the bomb, asks me out and it’s happy ever after. However, I thought, who cares, it’s a movie right?

Dating and the Internet is of course not in the bible, however, I was quickly reminded of how many love stories woven throughout scripture happened in many unconventional ways, maybe to women who had the same dreams of marrying Mr. Perfect the right way. For example, let’s examine the story of Rebekah. Her story, found in Genesis 24, by no means had any trace of conventional tradition. Abraham, Isaac’s father had sent his servant to his former country to find a wife for his son Isaac. With specific instructions, the servant headed out in obedience to do what had been asked. Once he got there, a beautiful young woman came to fill her jar with water. Just as she had done I’m sure many times before, but little did she know that this time would change the course of her life forever. Because as she did, Abraham’s servant asked for a drink and she not only offered him a drink but water for his camels as well. This was the sign that Abraham’s servant had prayed that God would give him to know that she was the right one. Before she knew it, she was on her way, by her own will, to head to an unknown land to meet her new husband and cousin, Isaac. Talk about unconventional.

There are many more stories of romance and marriage through the unconventional such as Ruth and Boaz, Hosea and Gomer and the list goes on. Sam Baldwin, did end up finding his happy ever after through a woman who had heard him on the radio. And maybe just maybe God's happy ever after for me and and life for you are also not through conventional means. We just need to be open to anything God has for us, knowing that His ways are always best. I’m so thankful that God is patient, and loves us and gives us His best if we submit ourselves to Him despite ourselves. Yes, despite our sinful, horrible, foolish selves that so often gets in the way.

And I am thankful that God was patient. I am thankful that I was willing to listen to the Lord despite what I thought I wanted and despite how I wanted it to happen! Because God's way is way beyond what I could have imagined. God is such a good God!

Transitions

"I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8

The other night I sat across from my fiance, having a nice quiet dinner together before I headed back to Texas. But instead of enjoying myself, I was crying. Yes, nearly doing the ugly cry right there in the middle of the restaurant. And to make matters even worse, the waitress walked up and said, "Are you crying? Well I sure hope those are happy tears." But as my fiance sat helpless and unsure of what to do for me to ease my "pain", I was enjoying a pity party for myself as I was reflecting upon all of the changes that will be occurring over the next several months. Transition is always hard for me. It's that time of in between and it is so difficult. I find myself here however, quite often. It's hard because the Lord has always been faithful to bring into my life such incredible opportunities to be a part of and people to know and love that impact my life in such a way that it is difficult to leave behind. (I can tell that I am really making a good case for myself as to why a pity part was really necessary ;). But, I have been so blessed by this life that the Lord has given me. He has given me an amazing family, friends, coworkers, ministry opportunities and the list goes on.

This transition seems so much more difficult though. It is a much more permanent transition in a way moving from singleness to marriage and Texas to Tennessee etc. But, there are two things that I know. I know that I love the Lord, and He has always been faithful to carry me through anything that He leads me to. And I know that I love Charles. I can not explain that love and I honestly am not even sure if I even know really where it came from or when it came but I do know that I love him. But even though there are two things that I do know, there are many things I do not know. And I can choose to be fearful of the uncertain future and all that I do not know or I can just choose to trust. Trust, such a simple word for something that is not always easy to do. But I can trust in the One who has led me here. I can trust in the One who has led me for the past 20 years. I can trust in the One who loves me and wants what is best for me. I can trust in the One who not only knows my future but also the future of the entire universe. And I am so thankful that I am not cruising through life on my own. I am so thankful that I have the Lord to trust in. Though I do not fully see His plan, I do know I trust Him even when the journey is uncertain and the future unclear. I trust Him. I am sure there will be more tears and more ugly cries to come. . . but I do know where to turn.

Lord, my prayer is that I truly will place my trust in You; for everything and for every decision and every move that I make. Please continue to guide and direct me in the way that You would have me to go. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.