What an on-time God...He's my Drama King

I woke up the other morning at 4:15.  I spent the next 2 hours flooding my pillows with tears...good tears.  Been a lot of those lately. I've also done a lot of fasting lately and I wish I could say it was planned, get closer to God fasting because that would sound right and spiritual but it wasn't that kind.  It's the kind where there's such a huge knot or knots in your stomach that there's no room for food, just a huge knot.  So much lately has been personal and private journal kind of stuff. I haven't done the blog a lot. I've been selfish, just keeping all the stuff to myself...good stuff.  Have you ever felt like if you started talking about it then it would go away or sound cheesy or people (most of whom you don't really care what they say or think anyway but you bow to it) would think you're bragging or overthinking everything or Satan would hear you and have at ya?  Wierd I know but that's how I roll a lot of times.  Some of it is just that it's so hard to put into words.  But I decided I'll give it a try and hope that it helps encourage others if it makes sense and I don't just talk in a bunch of circles.  I want to boast in the Lord as Galatians tells us to do because Lord knows I have nothing of myself to boast about.  I'm choosing to do it because I saw a fb post by such a sweet young woman the other day having to do with trusting God's timing and not stressing and so knowing that we are not called to be selfish but we are called to encourage one another in the faith I decided I would write this and hope that it helps because if she struggles with it and I know I do then I know lots of others do.
This is all about God's faithfulness!!  His faithfulness even when I am not!!  His goodness even when I don't deserve it!!  His love even when I still worry, stress, or lack the faith to believe Him!!
We (our family) went into January knowing how crazy and hectic our schedule would be.  We knew there would be lots of opportunities to get bogged down in busyness and be exhausted beyond what we could handle.  We knew in our own strength and genius planning we were doomed before we started.  We figured we would spend a lot of time in different directions and having to pick and choose between children and events not to mention all the ministry stuff going on.  And of course there were shots along the way about our schedule or more like Eddie's schedule but somehow God did not let us get fazed by that (and it's always interesting that those things come from directions you don't expect but that's for another time).  For anyone who knows me at all knows that I hate to miss anything my kids are involved in even if it's being at one child's thing over another child's thing and Eddie and I constantly texting with info.  Jessica was cheering at SMC, Stephen was playing baseball at SMC and John was playing baseball at South Aiken.  The potential was there to get all out of sorts and not do anything well.  I'm one that believes God cares greatly about everything in our lives even the things we deem little and insignificant.  So I gave Him all the schedules, all the possibilities for problems and anything He could see coming that might throw us into a tailspin.  Can I just tell you that God worked little miracle after big miracle and blew our minds over and over again.  From seeing Stephen through his surgery and recuperation to us not missing out on anything, God has been busy showing up over and over again.  He has done a few huge things in the past months for us but He's also been busy in the day to day and I think that's where I tend to miss Him the most.  I'm trying hard to focus on seeing Him in action in the every day stuff of life.  I have to admit a few times along the way I stressed and wondered how He was going to fix this or make this happen or what He was going to do about a particular thing.  Then I end up crying my eyes out when He does it and repent of my lack of belief. I saw Him turn things upside down!!  Don't you know He is our Drama King.  I believe He loves to surprise us and prove our faulty thinking wrong!!  I know He's never late and He's an on-time God but sometimes I still fight doubt.  He has taught me so much about prayer and trusting Him and His personality.  I have pounded His throne over and over and I've learned to never give up because it could be just one more prayer away.  I saw Him heal my uncle when there seemed to be no hope.  I know how my family prayed over him and believed God for a miracle and Saturday I stood with him in Spartanburg not believing my eyes as he was the picture of health and proclaiming God's goodness to all who will listen.  I had just told Stephen Sunday afternoon that I wasn't sure we were going to make it to Colorado to see him in the World Series because it came on us so fast and we had no idea what plane tickets would be and we were just short on cash.  Sunday evening someone gave us a gift to help us make that trip happen.  Don't tell me God doesn't care about those kinds of things.  He has made a way for us to go and then get back and hopefully be only a tad late for John's final baseball banquet.  What a heart He has for the things that He knows are so special to us. He is capable of doing so much more than we can even imagine if we let Him...Eph 3: 20!! In the midst of our trust issues that Eddie and I both battle in ministry, He continues to proclaim to us in a silent but extremely loud voice, "but you can trust Me".  He has proven that over and over lately as well.
If I could offer any encouragement it would be, TRUST HIM!!  He will never let you down.  He knows what is heavy on your heart whether it's a sick family member, a friend's betrayal, or getting to a ballgame that is important to you.  You may know His character but do you know His personality?  Remember trusting Him and waiting for Him is part of what keeps life fun and challenging and full of adventure.  I can still hear my grandmother's voice singing as she would cook late in the afternoon.  Her favorites were Victory in Jesus and I know whom I have believed.  I've been singing those a lot lately myself.

Monday Morning Perspective

Yesterday was Mother's Day and I hope it was a great day for all!  I've come to learn that our spiritual mothers should be celebrated that day as well and I have several of those in my life who are extremely special to me.
Eddie and I got to tag team the message and we focused on parenting offering some things that we have learned along the way sometimes the hard way.  I think what we most wanted everyone to take with them is that even though parenting is probably the hardest job we will ever do, it's the most rewarding and can only be done with the power of Christ working in our lives.  Doing it God's way is always the best way.  We also hope that we all realize that noone is perfect therefore noone's family is perfect.  We want those struggling to find hope and help to come and find it within the church family not run from it because they feel they can't measure up.  We should all be helping one another along the way encouraging and striving together as God writes His story upon our lives.  Be encouraged.  Never give up praying for your kids whatever season of life they're in.  Pound the throne daily on their behalf, no prayer or tear goes unnoticed by our God.  He loves our children even more than we do!!!

Monday Morning Perspective

Yesterday Eddie preached on a Know-so Salvation and he was so right when he said that every Christian needed to hear this message.  What a miserable way to live wondering if you're saved or hoping that you're saved when God's Word says we can know that we are saved.
He gave us 3 ways we can know...
1.  The work of the Savior.  It's all about what Jesus has done for us and not what we do.  His work on the cross was all sufficient and we cannot add to it or take away.
2.  The witness of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit confirms and bears witness to what Christ did.  I love how he pointed out that we are so quick to believe stuff we read or hear that may have no truth to it at all but we fail to believe the real Truth!!  How sweet to also hear that it's so much deeper than feelings.  Our emotions are the shallowest part and God goes down to the depths of our heart and confirms we are His.
3.  The Word of the Scripture.  It has stood the test of time and the attacks of critics.  Rom. 10:9-10, if you've done it, then stand on it.  We should be exclamation marks of our salvation not question marks!!!
Big question...Are you trusting in the Jesus way?