Friday, May 21, 2010

Calling Confirmation

This past weekend (May 15-16,2010) a very good friend, Tricia Russell, and I attended the Extraordinary Women's Conference in Birmingham, Alabama.

IT WAS AWESOME !!!!!

God showed up in every way.

First let me tell you how we were able to attend this conference at the last minute. Since T.R. and I will be attending Proverb 31's She Speaks in July we had decided we would save a little money and not attend E-Women this year. The Monday night before E-Women came to town, Lysa TerKeurst, the president of P31, left a post that they would be giving away 2 tickets to a randomly drawn reply. Not really believing I would win I just left a short little comment. Later that evening I found out that I had in fact won. Of course I called Tricia the first thing the next morning. told her to get a sitter cause we were going.

We knew from the first note played on Friday night that we were there by divine appointment and we were going to see God move in mighty ways. I wish I had the time, space and words to tell you all that God did through each speaker, each song and each sponsor but I mainly want to share with you where God took us during lunch break on Saturday.

Because we had won the tickets we did not get the boxed lunch that was offered so we had to leave the complex to get something to eat on Saturday. Due to me have a little brain hiccup and not being able to tell my right from my left we ended up getting on the interstate going the opposite way than we had planned. So we decided to just make the best of it and was heading to McDonald's. As we came around the block to turn to Micky D's we were stopped but a construction roadblock. Once again we had to go to our back-up plan and we went on around the next block to Burger King. As we walking in we sort of questioned if we should stay because it wasn't the cleanest, the line was long, and the staff was no moving to quickly. However, since we were limited on time we decided we would just stay and make the best of it. After a couple of minutes of standing there and couple and their friend came in behind us. As we all stood there waiting and waiting the gentleman just started joking and carrying on with us. He asked us what we were doing in town and we began to tell him about the conference. He told us that he and his wife were both in the ministry. As we continued to tell him about the speakers we found out that his wife was the managing editor of a Christian publishing company. That just blew us away. See T.R. has been working over the last few years to write a book but none of us really knew anything about the publishing business. We decided that even though we only had a short time we were going to stay and share lunch with our new found friends. This couple was such an encouragement to us, not because she was a publisher but because they loved the Lord so much and that came through in the way they shared with us. This couple just sat with us and listened to our hopes, dreams and concerns.

At a time when both of us had begun to throw out all those questions that seem to come in a time of waiting:

Did I really hear from God?

Am I really the one He wants?

Can I do this?

Am I qualified?

An on and on and on..

God sent to us the sweetest couple to confirm what He has already done in our lives and what He will do in the future. In His timing.

(This is just the period and the end of the story)

Because we had sat and talked with them for so long we were late getting back to the conference. We were afraid that we had missed the concert by Mark Schultz but it turned out that there had been some technical prblems and was just playing the first song we we slipped into our seats.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Thoughts......

I had not really planned anything to post tonight but after completing the two bible studies that I am in and then surfing several of my favorite blogs I noticed a recuring theme... our thoughts that we think/say towards ourselves. Why is it that we can believe every promise that God speaks in His word for others but not take it to heart for ourselves ?

  • I can comfort a hurting friend by reminding her that she is a daughter of the most High King but not act like I am also His daughter.
  • I can tell others that they are made perfect in His image but each morning I look in the mirror only to see each new wrinkle or gray hair.
  • I can go on and on to my children about how God has a plan for their lives even quoting Jer 29:11 over and over to them but if they hear me say that I can't teach a class or take on a job at the church that needs to be done, what have I taught them.

I have recently become more aware that the words I speak to myself not only beat me up and effect me but they also reach out to others like the ripples in a pond. The one small pebble of negative self-talk I throw out can continue on.

What are some of the words you speak to yourself ? Are they truth? Do they reflect the new creature you are in Christ? If not, why?

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mother's Day

Our pastor played the audio to this poem in our morning service. I wanted to post it earlier but I have just now been able to find time to sit at the desk and upload it. I pray that each child has some one in their life that they are carrying this I owe u around for. If not a biological mother then maybe a step-mom, an adopted mom, a grandmother, a childrens sunday school teacher, a church friend or even your dad. Always remember and be thankful for those people that God placed in your life to care for you.



I.O.U.