All to You...

Caleb with Lincoln Brewster

Tonight our county fair was blessed with an amazing concert by Lincoln Brewster. It was the first time our fair has had a Christian artist perform in the grand stands. Many people have been praying for years for this to happen and it was such a blessing. Thank you Franklin County Fair Board!!

Tonight Lincoln sang a song called All to You, it is a powerful song.

You called me Lord
You know my name
I'm standing out
I'm not ashamed
No, no

I've searched and came up empty
This world has nothing for me
You are my one and only

I'm living my life for You
And I'm giving everything to You
Not holding back, from every part
I'm giving it all to You

You are the Lord of all I am
And, I'll never be the same again
I've searched and came up empty
This world has nothing for me
You are my one and only

I'm living my life for You
And I'm giving everything to You
Not holding back, from every part
I'm giving it all to You

I'm living my life for You
And I'm giving everything to You
Not holding back, from every part
I'm giving it all to You

I'm living my life for You
And I'm giving everything to You
Not holding back, from every part
I'm giving it all to You

I'm giving it all to You
Take all of me
I'm giving it all to You
Take all of me

I'm giving it all to You
Take all of me
I'm giving it all to You
Take all of me

As he was signing this tonight I had a special time with God and I got to really thinking about the words, Giving it all to You, Take all of me. I was singing it along with him and using it as a prayer. What does it mean to give it all to You? What does it mean to ask Him to take all of me? Can I do it, can I give God ALL of me? That includes everything, my attitudes, my family, my thoughts, my money, my life...none of it is mine; it all belongs to Him. When I offer Him all of me, does that mean that I give Him everyday, every minute and every second of me? Do I get to keep any for just me? I need to hold nothing back and give it All to Him!

Giving it all to God can be scary, but it doesn't have to be. It should be exciting, because God is waiting to take us on an amazing journey. When we give it all to Him, life will never be the same! Make this your daily prayer, give it All to Him...

God's amazing design...

The hubby and I are on a bit of a getaway this week. We are in Texas picking up our daughter from school. She's got some end of the year commitments so Brian and I are enjoying a few days, just the two of us! It has been extremely relaxing and an amazing time for us! We've been taking in the local flavor and doing some touristy things as well.

The Haven River Inn...our refuge 

Last night we found ourselves at an amazing hamburger place, literally in the middle of nowhere. Best burgers ever! You need about a couple dozen napkins, but very good!

Just down the road is the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area. It's main attraction is bats. Yes, that's right bats. Every night between 7:30 and 8:30 the bats come out of the tunnel they live in to eat. It's an amazing sight. Last night there were 300,000 bats that came out, they come out in an almost tornado looking formation. By August we were told that there are 3 million bats that come out, it takes 45 minutes for them to all get out of the tunnel, last night it only took 7 minutes.

As we chatted with the park guy we became very intrigued by these bats and their story and God's design. Somehow they know the right time of day to come out and feed on the insects. Coincidence, I think not. God designed them to instinctively know when to come out.

Before the bats exit the cave, they send out scouts, to see if it's safe. These scouts are barren females, they just know they are the ones to risk their lives for the family of bats living in the tunnel. Not only do the bats know when to leave the tunnel, but its predators are very aware of their exit timing as well. The close to 8:30 it got, hawks and vultures started circling for a quick snack. Snakes even lie in wait on cliffs striking out at unsuspecting bats.

As the park's guy explained more and more about the bats, we were in awe at God's design. How can you look at something in God's creation and not see God's hand in it. These bats know when to feed, who to send as scouts and every year millions of them return to this exact tunnel.

Maybe because we had been in God's creation all day and enjoying the diversity of Texas, it just struck us how awesome God is. Everything He made has a function. Without those bats, we would have a serious insect problem. God has made some amazing creations and even though a bat is a bit creepy to most of us, it really is an amazing animal. It is equipped with just what it needs to survive.

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
   the world, and all who live in it..

Psalm 24:1

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good...

Genesis 1:31

Just remember when you see animals, nature, and even people...all were made by God. Not just made by God; designed by God. The word designed shows that God knew just what he was doing with each and everyone of his creation! He is amazing!!!

Snoozing away....

I have a confession to make, I love my snooze button!  In fact I love it so much that I need to set multiple alarms for myself in the morning. There's nothing better, in my mind, than those extra 5 minutes of sleep! Actually those 5 minutes turn into 10 and then before I know it at least 30 or more minutes have gone by. 

This is actually a bad habit for me. I have learned to ignore my alarm, the very thing telling me its time to wake up. Someday, I'm going to miss something important because I don't get up in time.

Is God sounding a spiritual alarm in your life, in the life of our country? If so, I believe we are hitting the snooze button. God is trying to tell us to wake up before we miss something important!

A recent survey by the Barna Group shows a few alarming statistics. It shows that very few Christians have a Biblical Worldview or even believe that Satan exists.

The Barna Group - Barna Survey Examines Changes in Worldview Among Christians over the Past 13 Years

We need to wake up to this statistic and look at how we view the world. If our worldview is not centered on the Bible and God, then it is askew. Our worldview shapes how we live, act and react to situations. Are we turning a blind eye to the things in this world that God warns us to avoid? Things such as abortion, divorce, premarital sex, honesty, and media choices.

God calls us to be in the world and not of it, if we are not viewing the world through God colored glasses, then I believe we are slowly becoming of the world. The alarm is sounding, what can you do to wake up and stop hitting the snooze button?

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised 
to pounce, and would like nothing better than to 
catch you napping. Keep your guard up. 

I Peter 5:8 (The Message) 

Resources to help you develop a Biblical Worldview

The Truth Project 

Summit Ministries

Demolishing Strongholds

Answers in Genesis

 

 

My Cracked Life...

God has this way of giving me illustrations in many different places. One such illustration is one that I get the opportunity to think on several times a week, as I clean our church. This particular illustration involves the women's restroom in our church. 

By now you are probably wondering where I am going with this. Well in this restroom there is an ongoing problem with a leak somewhere in our roof. 

 This is what the ceiling and walls have looked like all winter. Its a source of stress for our property guys who are trying very hard to find the leak. Each summer there is work done on the roof and we think, yeah its fixed. So the walls are fixed with new drywall and are prepped for new paint. By then it is winter again and the snow begins to fly. It is then that the leak shows up again and makes us want to pull out our hair!

No matter how good we try to make that wall look, it will always return to this state. That is until we find and fix the source of the problem.

So application time. I've begun to see this wall as a view into my spiritual life. What am I trying to cover up with drywall and paint? What is lurking underneath? Do I put on my mask on Sunday and allow people to think that all is well underneath? Do I even fool myself that all is ok? Am I willing to dig deeper into my life and see what needs to be done to fix my leaks? As Patsy Clairmont says, we are all cracked pots! God is the ultimate sculptor. If I allow him access to my leaky, cracked life He can create something beautiful; a person who is fully submitted to Him!!!

My Feelings His Facts...

My Feeling His Facts

by A.N.H.

My Feelings. His facts.

Having nothing. Having everything.

Having no one. Having the One.

Feeling rejected. Feeling accepted.

Totally abandoned by them. Totally abandoned to Him.

Feeling empty. Feeling filled.

Overcome with loneliness. Overcome with wholeness.

Wanting them. Having Him.

Seeing them fail. Watching Him heal.

Wanting them to see me. Knowing HE’S watching me.

Wanting to be liked. Knowing He Loves.

Satan’s lies. God’s truth.

Harsh world. Caring Savior.

My feelings. God’s facts.

This picture is of my daughter Abby. It totally embraces her and her love for Jesus. She is totally abandoned to Him. That does not mean she is without struggles, we all are. I wanted to share this picture and one of her poems with you today. They inspire me and hopefully will you as well. Abby is in the process of a major life decision and I am asking you to pray with me for her as she makes this decision. She is trying to listen to God and do His will. 

** Abby has made her decision, thanks for praying!! She knows at least what she's doing next year with her life.

Contentment

This is my cat Mickey. See how relaxed and content he looks here. He has this ability to sleep for hours and look so comfortable and content. He will be content like this until he hears us open the cabinet where his food is kept. Then he is suddenly meowing and thinks he needs to eat, no matter what time of day it is. All of the sudden he is no longer a content kitty, but a very annoying one!

 Contentment, we all struggle with this, just like Mickey. How many of us love our home, our car, or our clothes; and then we visit someone with a cleaner house, a newer car or cuter clothes. This can cause us to want something we don't even need.

Sometimes we struggle with contentment in our situation. Perhaps we are in high school, dreaming for college; in college, dreaming for life after college; newlyweds, anxious for a baby; parents of a newborn looking forward to the kids being older; or empty nesters wishing we still had kids at home. It seems whatever our life stage we are always dreaming of a different one.

Lately the verse 1 Timothy 6:6 has been one that has continually appeared before me. This verse says; But godliness with contentment is great gain. It seems like whenever God gives me a verse he gives me an opportunity to practice that verse! Sometimes I don't like it when God does that! I just want to throw a pity party, but God doesn't let me stay that way for long.

God, in His wisdom, uses those low moments to show me what I need to do. God never wastes an experience, He will use this for His glory! I am coming to realize that my current circumstances are molding me, making me into the person God wants me to be.

No matter what your circumstance, cling to 1 Timothy 6:6. Be content, remember you are in this circumstance for this season. Allow God to use it!! Don't be like Mickey, who thinks that he's hungry when his belly has just been fed!

Spring Cleaning

It's that time of year. Time when spring cleaning happens in most homes. I love going through my stuff and throwing or giving away the stuff we no longer need! I love knowing that even my closets are clean. All this cleaning  got me thinking about another type of spring cleaning; a spiritual spring cleaning. How does one do a spiritual spring cleaning?

The best thing to do would be to take a day and go on a personal retreat. This doesn't have to include going far away. A day at a local park, ask for permission to use a room in your church for a day, or you could find a quiet corner in your house. Be creative and do what will work for you.

As with any cleaning job, you will need the proper tools to complete your spiritual spring cleaning. I suggest your Bible, a journal, your favorite worship music and Kleenex. Just as we all have our personal cleaning styles, I believe your spiritual cleaning will need to be your  own as well. But here are some ideas of things I have done.

 I evaluate my life. Just as when I clean I look for hidden cobwebs and dust bunnies, I must look for those in my own life as well. Am I harboring some attitude that is ugly, is there sin in my life. What am I hiding from God? (or think I am hiding from Him). Once I make a list I pray through each of these and leave them at the foot of the cross, I ask God for forgiveness and the ability to change my bad habits or attitudes.

I evaluate my personal Bible reading plan. Am I making time everyday to read my Bible? What am I reading daily? Am I just doing it to do it? Sometimes a change in translation for awhile or just to be deliberate about a reading plan helps. Personally, I set a goal to really study the Old Testament this year and I am using an online reading plan to help me achieve my goal.  http://mybibleplans.com/  That daily reminder really helps me.

Next I evaluate my prayer life. Am I spending time praying every day? Do I tell people I will pray for you and then do I follow through? Do I pray for more than just myself? Am I praying for my family, friends, church, pastor, persecuted church, the sick, those who are suffering? The list of who to pray for can be quite long, but I still need to pray!

After you've done those three things, just spend time with God and let him guide the rest of your day. Perhaps God will give you a new direction for you, a new ministry to dive into, maybe He will prompt you to seek forgiveness from someone you have offended, maybe He just wants you to spend the day worshiping and praising Him. The key is to do it, to clean out your spiritual closets, get rid of what doesn't fit you anymore and rearrange somethings. You won't regret it!

I'm a Thinker

Questions, that is something I do. I ask tons of questions. I just have this need to know and understand things. My questions can be as deep as trying to comprehend the reality of what heaven will really be like to something as simple as what does that call mean in any sport. I am always thinking and asking questions. This at times tends to make my husband a bit crazy as he always seems to be the one I am directing my questions to. I have discovered over the years that Brian does not always have all the answers. (I know it shocked me at first too!) So there are times I need to go into research mode and find the answers myself. Oh, the things I have learned along the way. We have often joked that I should write a book of my questions and their answers. I think by now I have enough to fill several books.

But you know, some questions I can't find the answers to. Some questions will remain just that, questions; at least until I enter heaven and then I believe God will answer them for me. Just last night I was pouring my heart out to God to understand why? That is the trickiest question of all, why? I'm sure many of you have had the same question, why? Why did she have to die? Why can't we get pregnant? Why am I sick? Why won't you answer me God? Why...why...why?

Scripture is where I go to find the peace I need in the midst of an unanswered why. I love the way The Message words Proverbs 3:5;

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.

We may not be allowed to see the answers to our questions on this side of heaven, but God calls us to trust him from the bottom of our hearts no matter what! I have learned that if I research something too much it will drive me crazy. Sometimes I have to accept that I can't figure out everything on my own. With God by my side, I don't need the answers, I just need to trust. Will there still be times when I cry out to God for answers? Yes. Sometimes He might give me insight, and other times He will give me peace, the peace I need to make it through my current struggle! 

So maybe today I will put aside all my questions from last night and rest in the comfort of my Father's peace!!! Ah, that's better than any spa or any answer I could find on my own!!