Thanksgiving Thoughts

Every time I read psalm 78 I'm blown away. I'm shocked at the behavior of the people of Israel and then I'm shocked at how like them I am at times. God worked miracles for them, provided for them. Over and over they claimed they would follow then they would turn away. They followed with words but not heart. So much to be thankful for, yet how quickly they forgot and returned to their old ways.  And then there's verse 38...yet He was merciful. That just pierces my heart. How often I forget what He has done for me, yet He shows mercy.
He has done so much for my family this year. Just a year ago, Eddie announced to our church family that God was moving us. We didn't know where. We didn't know when. We didn't know how He would provide. But as we talked about it just the other day, it was as if we were in a grace bubble. We should've been in a fetal position scared and depressed yet we felt so free and amazingly sure that God was in total control not only of us but the surrounding circumstances. And here we sit a year later with too many blessings to list, serving Him with more energy and passion than ever and totally undone by His goodness. He provided so much on our behalf, so many of His people showing us love and encouragement that far surpassed those who didn't. He's kept every promise we felt and claimed and done things we didn't even have the foreknowledge to ask Him for.
This Thanksgiving will be different. We will host everyone at our home. It will be the first time ever we are not at my mom and dads but she's not up to that any more so I'm blessed we are here and can do this and I'm so excited. There are days my mom doesn't know me now but most of the time she does. My sister-in-law lost her dad a few months ago so that will be different for her but blessed they'll be with us again. We have another child married so we will share her but we get a new son at the table. And my grand baby will be at the table in utero so how fun is that. We have challenges like everyone else but they don't compare to the goodness of God.  As Eddie preached Sunday, what we think about determines how we feel and how we feel determines how we act so I'm choosing to think about what is true and lovely and how blessed we are!! I'm choosing to think on God's love and forgiveness. I'm choosing to think about ways to love and serve and minister.  And I'm choosing to believe God knowing that my life is not my own and when I let go and let Him, I actually like His way much better.
So then just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS! Col 2:6-7
I hope this is the best Thanksgiving you've ever had, reflecting on God's goodness and looking forward to what he has for you!!

Monday Morning Perspective

We broke away from Ephesians yesterday, but no fear, we will be back there in January. We have turned our focus for the next month to the season we are in now. We kicked it off yesterday, With Thanksgiving Phil. 4:4-8. Eddie gave us 4 keys to not just surviving this time of year but thriving. We  talked about the importance of prayer and an attitude of gratitude.  We looked at 1Peter 5:7 and Eddie pointed out that we think of cast as throwing. But biblically cast means to let it go. Some have burdens too heavy to throw but we can all let them go, drop them. It reminded me years ago how I realized that when we let something go to God, it doesn't just go out into the unknown. It goes to God. He picks it up. He deals with it. He handles it. We can trust Him because he cares for us. I love how Eddie stressed how important our thinking is. What we think determines how we feel and how we feel determines how we act. I've been practicing that a lot lately trying to be intentional in thinking about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.
We ended the day yesterday with our church family. We gathered for a great time over soup and sandwiches. We sat there around the table and shared the Lord's Supper which was one of the sweetest ones I remember. Then we turned our thoughts to share Christmas which we chose families to buy for this Christmas. We had a great crowd and instead of gorging ourselves on another huge thanksgiving meal and focusing on ourselves, it felt like a night all about others! I'm still feeling the overwhelming sweetness of it all this morning.

Mr and Mrs Broome

I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since the wedding. The newlyweds are back from their honeymoon, settled into their new home and back to work.
What an exciting time it was for our whole family! It was exhausting but it really was stress free and fun! We are so thankful for the family and friends who shared it all with us. God has been incredibly good to the Leopards bringing us two boys who were willing to join our craziness and be part of our family.
Have to tell you my favorite part had to be when those double doors flew open and a beautiful bride stood their with her dad. I just had to catch a glimpse of the groom. Yep she made him cry and that made her cry. That's just better than gold!! What a worship time we had with a wedding thrown in.
Our sweet friends, the whole Culpepper family, had everything beautiful and totally organized. Jenny Williams captures everything in pictures better than I imagined. And the music chosen by the bride n groom was perfect and perfectly sung by Ryan Burns and Ashley Blevins. God is good and we are blessed!!
I'm including the link for pics cause I'd be here all day posting my faves, I love them all!
http://photographyanddesignbyjenny.pass.us/jessicajustinwedding/

Monday Morning Perspective and a Happy Birthday Shoutout

First and most importantly, a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweet boy Stephen.  He is the big 22 today, double deuce!!  He's one of the reasons for my gray hair being that he was the most energetic, excitable, mile-a-minute kid I've ever known.  He is also the reason for wrinkles because I've laughed my head off at him and with him for 22 years now.  He has brought incredible joy and grown up to have more passion for Jesus in his pinkie than I have in my entire body.  Never known someone to love God and love people quite like him and he's a DOER which I love.  Happy 22nd Skeebo!! So wish I was in Ctown with you today but you're on my mind and heart every moment!! Mom loves you TONS!!
Had to do that since his birthday fell on Monday and I'm heartbroken that I can't see his face and hug his neck however he promised me facetime later!!!
I missed blogging last Monday because we took off for the convention Sunday afternoon and besides that Eddie and I both felt like a train had plowed over us from the wedding til about Tuesday.  Wedding blog still to come...
We wrapped up the Body Building series yesterday.  It was a quite interesting service.  If you weren't there just ask someone who was in either one.  I think Satan just didn't want that worship service to happen but it did and God got the victory!!  It was an awesome close to a great series.  Eddie focused some on finding and following the will of God.  It's great to know it but if we don't follow it what's the point.  I've always believed that we must have a heart to follow His will or He won't bother revealing it anyway but that's my opinion.  I loved how Eddie stressed the general will of God for all of us and taking care of the basics.  If we do that, God will reveal the specifics.  And I loved his transparency with sharing our journey the past few years and seeking God's will and then following it.  Blessings always follow obedience.
I love how Eddie ended with the focus on the Holy Spirit and pointing out that the Holy Spirit makes much of Jesus not Himself.  When we are controlled and filled with the Holy Spirit we won't go around boasting in ourself but we will make much of Jesus as well.
I don't want to sail past the holidays because they are going to be incredible at Fairview.  So much is planned to fellowship with our church family but also the serve and reach out to our community.  However I'm so excited about the new year already.  Now is the time to start investing in and inviting people to come be a part of what's happening at Fairview.  Don't let the new year slip up.  People will be hopefully thinking about the new year and of course those new year resolutions.  That's a great time to mention to others about making church a priority in the coming year.  January will be a blast as we look at the family.  Eddie and I had so much fun brainstorming last week and stirring those creative juices.  Invite people and let them know the focus will be on the family and don't we all love and need that?!
I love you church family and we are so blessed to be able to serve you!  May we see with Jesus eyes all the opportunities he has for us and may we see people through His eyes and be eager to share Him with our world that is desperate for Him even if they don't realize it yet!!

Here's the bday boy...just had to so humor me!

Monday Morning Perspective

Good morning! Letting you know up front, this will be short.  I know some of you are praising the Lord for that.  I've been told a few times in my life that I'm wordy but I love details and words and stories.  However if you didn't know, it's wedding week at my house and some of you may know what that means.  Thank you Lord, we are not harried with so much to do.  We've passed the torch of stress and busy to caterers and decorators and florists!  We are just feeling the excitement and bittersweet emotions.  Having said that, I am in between runs and don't want to spend too much time on a keyboard today.
I couldn't let the chance go by though to jump on here and say WOW to the day we had at fairview yesterday.  Pretty sure some are sick of me saying that, I say it a lot lately.  I've also been told before that "bragging" whether on my kids or church upsets people who are at a low point but I don't believe that's God's way.  I think He loves our cheers and praises as long as He's the one getting glory whether it's our kids, jobs, churches, whatever.  We had almost 800 gather together yesterday and SO many of those were visitors.  God is doing an amazing thing and thankfully noone is trying to control it or manage it.  It's just let go and let's see what God will do.  Everyone from our volunteers to our pastors are elbow to elbow striving together, praying together, encouraging, ministering.  Nothing like it when everyone is on the same page and noone's worried about their own back getting patted.  God can do amazing things in an atmosphere like that.  He refuses to share His glory and He chooses to bless and work where He wants.  Hopefully we all will just stay out of His way, not trying to handcuff Him or put Him in a tidy box.  I love Him so and love watching Him do His thing and tremendously grateful for any small part He lets me play.
Points from yesterdays powerful message as we jumped into Ephesians 5...
...Live a life of love.  God's love always gives.
...Live a life of purity.  God gives boundaries for protection.
Don't play games with God.  HE IS NOT MOCKED!! Jesus is our example May we all follow in His steps!!
Btw...I have a few of my fave worship songs too so I was just needling my hubs a bit.  If you were there yesterday, you get it.  And I'm sure you could tell that that was def one of my man's faves!!
Happy Monday to all.  Imitate Christ wherever He has placed you today.  Look for those divine opportunities.  People are searching and God's people know where to send them.  Invest! Invite! It's working!!

Jessica Brooke Leopard

Well it's one week from today! I think I've been in some kind of grace bubble but now reality certainly sets in as we are staring at a wedding one week from today.  Another Leopard girl will change her name and begin the great adventure of marriage.  This time it's the baby girl.  Almost seems unreal but then as I look at you and see the growth and spiritual maturity I know you're ready for this!!

You sweet one have been the source of so much of our joy and fun.  You light up a room with your presence, your smile, your laughter!  You've made me shake my head and you've made me laugh my head off.  You have kept us on our toes and on our knees more times than you're probably aware of.  Tears have poured from good times of joy and from hurts and heartaches.  You've got a heart of compassion and have always been the biggest cheerleader for the underdog, the hurting, and the broken around you.  Someone told us recently that you have the best people skills they had witnessed and I have to agree.  You've always reached out to all people no matter their status, their circumstance, their place in life.  You love so well and that love is so evident as you serve downtown Greenville side by side with your groom.  

Come next Saturday we go from a family of 7 to a family of 8.  We add another man to this bunch (we are so outnumbered girls) and what a man he is.  Justin Broome.  We've added a Gator and now here comes a Tiger (what's wrong with the Gamecocks).  All I can say Mr. Broome is you now have a tiger by the tail.  She will keep you hopping and guessing and wondering.  She will fight for you like no other cause she is a great defender of those she loves and she loves you much!!  You will never have to wonder where you stand or what you need to do and as a cheerleader at heart, she will be your biggest one ever!!  We are so proud of you and the heart and passion you have for Jesus.  You are everything we have ever prayed for for Jessica.  You are a great team as you serve and minister together.  Your compassion for others is challenging and overwhelming.  Your love for God's Word and sharing it and seeing others come to Jesus is beautiful on you.  

I can hardly wait for this wedding day.  You get more beautiful every time I see you in that wedding dress.  The platform my dear will be full of those who have loved you much and loved you well.  Some for a few years and some your whole life.  Your brothers will stand proud and protective as they welcome this man you promise yourself to as a real brother.  That young woman to your left, who leaned over you before going to 3K when you were days old and told you "Ill be back" then upon her arrival back home leaned over you again and said "it's alright, Chrissie's home" (not sure what she thought I did to you while she was gone) will be standing by you on Saturday like she has your whole life, loving and supporting you.  We will all be praying your Dad gets through it but I'm not convinced yet.  I'll be fighting tears but trust me they are tears of joy.  We are so thankful for the godly young woman you are and how you have always chosen to do life God's way.  

As a married woman, continue doing it God's way.  He created you and He brought you and Justin together.  He knows what's best for both of you.  Keep Him the focus and the most important love relationship you have and the marriage relationship will take care of itself.  Pray for your husband sweet girl every day!  Let God lead him and you follow both of them.  Encourage him.  Support him.  Let him know that you believe in him and trust him.  We promise to love you both! You and I now go to the friend zone.  I will always be your mom but we get to enjoy that relationship on a different level.  We will love Justin as one of our own boys.  We have a lot of love and it's all shared equally.  No faves around here.  We get to enjoy the uniqueness he will bring to this family.  

Know for sure that every day we will be covering you both in prayer.  We will be cheering you on as you start this new life, your own family, making your own way as God leads you.  All that God has done in you and through you, He will continue and do immeasureably more as a couple.  Lean in to Him closely.  

Enjoy this week!!  I'll be cherishing every "last" as moms do.  Know that I couldn't possibly love you more Jessie Brooke!!