Happy Birthday John Michael

Wow, 17!!! That just seems so wierd, so old. Guess cause you are the baby, not a baby, the baby. Don't get mad at the title, enjoy it.
Just couldn't let the day pass without saying that I'm amazed by you. I'm so proud of the young man that you have become despite the extra spoiling of being the baby in the fam. You have such a good head on your shoulders and a solid foundation. Your faith and discipline is to be admired and will carry you far. Keep your eyes and heart focused on Christ, the author and Perfector of your faith and the path ahead will be blessed. I love you a ton. You have brought much joy and some of my most precious memories. Your sense of humor is unmatched.
I'm praying not only a great birthday for you but a great birthyear. May God bless you beyond anything you can imagine in the coming year and may you follow Him closer than ever.
The Gamecocks gave you a National Championship right on your birthday (midnight, how much fun was that), really don't know how we can compete with that one. Just receive that gift and we will all enjoy it. Love you sweet boy and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Go Cocks!!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

As for blogging...sometimes God tells me to share things that may be helpful to others and sometimes He makes me keep things to myself. I'm thrilled when it helps others because I love to read other blogs, they help me as well. Sometimes when I read others, just like with sermons, it can be convicting or encouraging. I always like it when it steps on my toes a bit. Most of the stuff I do is either for fun or what God is doing in my life. I don't write with the intent of what it may mean to others, but what God is pointing out in my own life. I love hearing back from so many, we can all learn from one another. Enough said...
Bridal portrait setting...so wish I could put all of those pics on here from yesterday, but no way. I can't risk the groom to be seeing them. Trust me, they are gorgeous. They were all outside and it was 99 degrees!! We were praying for mercy and occassionally God sent a cool breeze. Very thankful for the ability to erase the sweat from the brow by our photographer. It was such a sweet time, but very surreal. Just can't believe this time has come. I am so grateful that I love that groom to be, makes all of this so much more fun.
Beach Camp...we leave tomorrow with our students for camp at Garden City. Absolutely can't wait. Been doing this with our students for 15 years now and we love it as much as the kids. We are taking our staff college students to serve so pray for them, so thrilled that they were so willing. Howards and Revelles will be with us, love our students getting to know our ministers. Jake of course will be there for our kids. We will have someone coming in to lead worship and Eddie will be camp pastor. Pray for all of us as we seek to minister to our students and may all of us leave a little, or a lot, healthier than we go.
Appreciate so many of you who have been praying for us, those who are always supportive and encouraging. We know that God has called us to serve and I promise you we do that as best we can. I'm sure it's not always the way some think it should be but from the bottom of my heart, we are seeking Christ and His leadership with all that we have and our heart's desire is to follow Him. Love to all and may we never miss opportunities He brings our way.

The wicked will not prevail

God has been pounding it in my head lately that HE IS IN CONTROL, not the people who think they are. It's amazing what a power people we are. We want control over things that don't even have anything to do with us. We are on a major ego trip...how can that be for God's people?
Along with this He has also been showing me that He most definitely will take care of His children who are living in obedience to Him and submission to Him. He will watch over those who do not have SELF on the throne, looking out for what is best for themselves instead of what is best for all.
Psalm 94 tells me that He will deal with injustice. He will discipline His people who need it in His own time.
I know He will deal with liars and gossips. He will deal with those who manipulate and deceive. He will deal with those who talk out of both sides of their mouth. He will deal with the fakes, the phonies, the pretenders. Judges shows us the cycle of living in and out of sin. It shows us God's displeasure with it and His judment on it. It tells us that the bar isn't set at "well we're better than we used to be, we've come a long way, or we're trying to change". Jesus Christ is the standard, He is where the bar is set and cycling in and out of sin and excusing our sin for any and every reason isn't the answer.
May we as God's people repent, turn, humble ourselves and pray. May we get healthy and strong. May we watch our intake and that will solve many of our actions. May we guard our hearts and most definitely our mouths. May we live differently than the rest of the world so there's no doubt we are on God's side and not the side of self.
So thankful to be seeing much of His work lately. The more we get to know Him intimately, the more we learn about His character, how He works, and what displeases Him. May we seek to know Him, not about Him, but know HIM that we might strive to please Him in ALL that we do. May we be careful not to compartmentalize our lives and hold out on Him. May we let Him have it all (hot) or turn and go our own way (cold). We do know He hates lukewarmness.

A Lesson for today as well

I've been in Judges the past month or so. Have to admit I ventured in wondering why Judges. It's amazing how God speaks through His word and in such a timely fashion. I love how He gives us what we need when we need it if we are intentionally pursuing Him and chasing hard after His way.
This morning I was in chapter 12. Israel had just won a great battle, but instead of joy, there was pettiness and quarreling. Ephraim was an unhappy tribe. They were angry and jealous. Why??? Oh, because they were not invited to join the fighting ALTHOUGH Jephthah said he HAD invited them. Hmmmmm. Insulting others and being jealous are not right responses when we feel left out. Seeking revenge for an insult is just as wrong and very costly.
Ok, well this isn't so hard to apply even if it is in the Old Testament. How often are things going so well and God is working and doing great things and yet not all of His people can be happy about it. We quarrel among ourselves. We choose petty things to complain about probably because we are looking for a complaint. We side up with others because we know they are unhappy too and will quarrel along with us. We are jealous because we are not included in a particular thing and instead of being joyful that God is working in it we get focused on ourselves and become a cancer. And by the way, Ephraim was invited. How often to we listen to the wrong people and the story isn't just tweaked it's a bold face lie and by the way exaggeration is a form of lying. I know it's just easier because it goes right along with our flesh and we just give way to it. It's so much harder to fight those feelings and allow God to show us our sin and wrongdoing and allow Him to change us. I never cease to be amazed at who is willing to side up with the devil and then not even have eyes to see it. We are a blessed people!! We are His people!! We are children of the Most High God and we should be about acting like it. God give us discernment in who we side with and who we trust and let's get on with making a difference where God has placed us and BE JOYFUL!! Andy Stanley said it best..."we are in a race, time is running out. We need to be about reaching people not necessarily keeping people. There's work to do and we won't get it done whining about what is good for us and what we want".

Monday Morning Perspective

What a great Father's Day message yesterday!! Eddie made four very good points about Hall of Fame Dads...
1. They have a strong faith in God. He pointed out the treasure of a godly heritage while also pointing out that if we didn't have that we can be the one to start it for our family. Our Christian influence long outlives us!!
2. They have a vibrant relationship with God. Loved the statement that "God can't talk with us if we don't walk with Him". How true!!
3. They have a holy fear of God. It's so important that we learn to fear Him rather than fear what others think...working daily on achieving this one.
4. They produce fruit. Noah didn't do anything that the world would consider successful but God sure thought he was.
Everywhere we look we see the need for Christian men to stand up and lead the way in making a difference for Christ. My prayer is that in the coming days we would see more and more men more concerned with the things of God and what God's views on success are than the way the world views success. At the same time may the women in their lives submit and follow their lead, loving them and praying for them constantly. Blessings!!!

Monday Morning Perspective

We continued our X-Treme Home Makeover with Adding On yesterday. Adding on as in children. Children are definitely a gift!! The awesome thing about receiving a gift is when someone gives you that perfect gift that you need, love, is just what you want. A stranger can't give you the perfect gift because they don't know you. Children are a gift from GOD!!! He knows just what we need, what is perfect just for us. He has given all of us the children that are best for us and what's best for them. I love it that He knows us so well, and He creates our family perfectly for us. It's true, I do so often say that "I'm so glad my children are my children". My heart's desire is that everyone feels that way about their children. When we see them as a true gift from God and know that He knows us well enough to give us the gifts that we need, everything seems to fit into place.
I love how Eddie hit on all the biggies of child-rearing: leading them to Christ, disciplining them, and providing that spiritual climate so that they will be healthy emotionally.
Even though Eddie didn't want to pat himself on the back for backing out of the revival to be at the state championship for his boys, I will. It would not have been the same for them without you there. You are the best dad, thanks for always putting our family first even when it costs something. They love you and respect you and know they are priority with you not because you say it and tell them but because you act on it! You flesh it out before them and actions speak so much louder than words and you act it out over and over. They are 4 blessed children for sure. Love you!!