When God Plans Your Trip, He Doesn't Cancel It!

Back in June 2001 Mike and I made plans to travel with Beth on the Beloved Disciple tour to Greece and Turkey.  I was soo excited to have that opportunity.  Then, Sept. 11th came 3 months later.  It totally freaked me out and I definitely wanted to cancel the overseas trip. I wrestled with this practically every day until a couple of months later, I went to hear Beth speak for the first time in Evansville, Indiana.  I went with my friend Lezlie Phillips and we had a wonderful time.  Everything was still so new to me....worshipping with 20,000 women, I even raised my hands for the first time evah!  This is also the trip where the deaf woman and her friend asked to trade seats with me and Lezlie so they could have a better view and we said, "NO!"  Also, at this time I thought Travis was just an O.K. singer.....for  just a few minutes........until he did a solo and really opened his mouth and belted out his pure gift!!! Anywhoo,  as Beth began to speak, one of the first things she addressed was how Satan would use fear to capture us and keep us from traveling.  She said, "Do not let him win.  If you have travel plans, GO."  I immediately new I had gotten a word from God and right then and there I settled it agreed that I would not let fear prevent me from doing anything God ordained for me.  As the time came near for us to go to Greece at the end of March 2002, you better believe I had to pray like crazy as the enemy came after me often.  But I persisted because I knew I HAD A CONFIRMATION WORD FROM GOD THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO ON THIS TRIP.  It made all the difference in the world b/c when Satan taunted me, I didn't listen to him for I KNEW what God had told me.  But it was still difficult as I had to resist the devil and draw near to God on an ongoing basis.  Satan, unfortunately is relentless!  But God got the victory.  Mike and I went and it was a HUGE step in our spiritual growth in so many ways.  Also, before we left the country, God gave me more "ammo" and reassurance in the form of concert tickets to a Plus One/Natalie Grant show in Columbus Ohio.  These were front row tix!!!  The concert was scheduled for early May which would be AFTER we had returned from our "Beloved Disciple" trip.  Molly was sooo excited that we had been able to get these premo tix b/c we were just beginning to listen to Christian music and she loved Plus One.  We didn't really care about Nat Grant so much (didn't really know who she was...haha now she is one of my favs)  One thing that kept going through my head to counter travel fears and leaving my family for 10 days and all the possibilities of how something bad could happen but just as I would begin to speculate such possibilities, I would remember via the Holy Spirit that God had given us front row tickets!  Now why would He do that if we weren't gonna make it back to use them. It was like He was saying, "You can trust Me 'cause I gave you and Molly concert tickets as a deposit of this proof!"  So He used the tickets to help me to grow in my trust of Him.  One thing I have noticed about God is that He is not really One to cancel out on trips.  When Lauren was first pregnant before she miscarried, her due date was when we were supposed to be in St. Bart's for our 10 year anniversary trip.  I remember thinking, "Why would God let us plan to be out of the country when our first grandchild would be born?"  I wondered if Mike was presumptuous in planning it ( he planned it like 11 months out so we could use our miles) but then I just resolved to trust God no matter what.  Then she miscarried, got pregnant again and delivered Margeaux on July 10th when weren't out of the country.  What I've learned is that He is completely in control.  He calls us to grow in out trust for Him and He puts us "out there" to grow us in this. I am learning to ask God what He wants me to do.  It helps to get the confirmation so that when the enemy comes to taunt me, I will know with 100% assurance that GOD SPOKE TO ME.  It makes ALL the difference and empowers me to stand up, fight and win!!!  His will be done.

Hurting for the Haitians

Oh, my!  Lord be HUGE!!!  The earthquake disaster in Haiti is so unfathomably unsettling.  But yet, God is Sovereign and in control.  I have prayed for mercy, comfort, miracles, deliverance (spiritually and physically) rescues, rescues, and more rescues.  God, we know that YOU WILL BRING GLORY TO YOUR NAME through this.  

a 17 year old girl was found alive 15 days out!!!  Thank you, LORD. (1/27/10)

Prayin' for Prof. LJ Pays Off!

Back in September 2009, Molly took an Asian Humanities class to fulfill her link cohort requirement at Belmont Univ.  Within a couple of weeks, she began to struggle and complain that she wasn't doing well in the class nor on her papers because the professor "hates women and is bitter from his divorce."  I immediately had compassion for this man because I, too, had been through divorce.  I suggested that she just continue to study the material and write her papers as best she could but also to begin praying for Prof. LJ.  I reminded her that sometimes people are placed in our life in order that we may be intercessors for them.  She agreed to pray for him and I also began praying for him.  (mainly Eph. 3:16-20)  As the semester moved along, her complaints diminished regarding him.  Approximately one week before the semester ended, she mentioned casually that she had done well on one of her papers and that Prof. LJ loved her!!! She said she may even get an "A" in the class!  I was shocked to hear those words come out of her mouth but then, I wasn't.  I KNEW God had answered our prayers!!  I said, "Molly, are you serious? Do you comprehend this situation and how God is blessing you for caring enough to pray for this poor guy?  She said, "Yes, I made that connection."  We weren't praying for a good grade.  We simply prayed for Prof. LJ to know the love of Christ.  But God was so merciful and poured out His favor on Molly that she did end up with an "A" as her final grade when early in the semester she was concerned that she may not even pass the class.   Wit Woo---the power of prayer!!!!  I believe that Prof. LJ's life is surely being touched by God.  I don't know him or anything about his spiritual walk but I truly believe that we helped him in some way.  

Be Joyful and Believe

I will believe LORD that You hear me,

I will believe LORD that You care,

I know You love me in this moment,

I ask You please, O LORD draw near.

Be joyful and believe, that You are with me,

so I am free, LORD set me free...

I Have Been Too Preoccupied With Facebook to Post!

Lifeway Women's Ministry Forum in Nashville!!!

Lisa, Paula, Kelly Minter, Alyssa, Dana, and Paige
Me and Margaret Feinberg
Sophie a.k.a. "Boomama" and me-- Love her!!!
The team plus Molly at Cantina Laredo--tableside guac and best chips evah!!
Paige, Paula, Me, Lisa, and Alyssa

We're "Basptists" ya know...according to our "typo"shirts (Bright and shiny people trusting in supernatural Truth!)

T-rav, always a fan favorite. He blessed us with an unscheduled "meet and greet."

MOMENTum! Ephesians 5:15-16 "Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk--not as unwise people but as wise--making the most of the time, because the days are evil." This was my 4th year to attend the forum. Wit Woo!!! My take home message and goal for women's ministry summed up in a sentence (or 3) would be to build a bridge for our women to cross over from the church into the community in order to be the hands and feet of Christ. Yes, we will continue with bible study as the anchor for the women but we have to "hook 'em up" so that they can use their gifts in profound ways. Ministries are waiting to be birthed. Maybe the WEM team members are just midwives/labor and delivery nurses! LORD, give us wisdom and show us where to plug in. Isaiah 58 says in v. 7, "Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? v. 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn and YOUR healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. v.10b And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."

Solid Foundation!

This summer/fall season (2009) has been strange yet amazing at the same time. We found out in June that our house (the original part was built in 1948 and the addition in 1992) had a SERIOUS problem. The older section was about to undergo some "cosmetic" work on the wood trim and whatnot....or so I thought. When our construction person begin to remove some of the wood trim, he unveiled a MAJOR problem. Water had been flowing under our house to the point of moving the foundation an 1 1/2 inches and the wood that protects it was completely rotten from old termite and new water damage. We were looking at a big restoration project that needed immediate attention. We agreed with Matt and gave him permission to do whatever needed to be done. Spiritual application? I actually began to pray and ask God over the next few days exactly what He was trying to teach us. I asked Him if there was something in me and Mike that needed restoring or what problem in us might He be exposing. The answer I got as I prayed face down in my closet was this: the church. Wowsa. The church? The church. My church. It actually made sense because of some "things" that I had sensed, perceived and seen over the last few weeks and months. Without going into detail, let's just say that I began to pray for a work of restoration to be done in my church in order to eradicate the "serious problem" and to be restored to original condition or as close to it as we could get. I have continued to pray fervently over the months and as my house has been completed with foundation restoration, new drainage system to keep water and moisture from collecting under the house, new replacement windows, new cement siding to replace all of the wood, new deck railing with timber tech product, new landscaping......well actually we are still waiting on the landscaping. I believe God has shown me that He will not plant until the WEM has recognized its problem, confessed it, repented of it and been healed. Then He will replant. It is His way of keeping me in tune with the work that He is doing so I am not left guessing. It is a spiritual parallel in order to show me the progress. I met with the landscaper last week to go over the new plans. He thought he would be able to start today (Thurs., June 4th). I knew, however, that he would not be able to start until WEM leadership had been addressed and as of today that has not totally happened. It has helped me to be supernaturally patient with the landscaper because I know that God will not release him to plant until which time God is planting the new, restored WEM. Your timing, LORD. Not mine.