Posts
Do you ever have the urge to blog more when so many emotions are in a whirlwind within? I have so many things spinning around in my head, and sometimes it helps to pull them all together when I can write them down. However, sometimes when I blog, my every emotion comes pouring out, and that doesn't always bode well for me either. I know that I'm rambling, but I'm trying to configure what I should and shouldn't blog about.
Since my emotions have just drastically changed within just seconds of beginning this blog, I want to share a story with you. My sister in law posted on her facebook page today, "I just lived through a parents worst nightmare, hug your kid today and tell them you love them." It seems as though there was a shooting today at our nieces school in Tennessee. Apparently a guy came to the school and pulled a gun on the principle. After all was said and done, the cops shot the guy down, and he died.
It happens all around us, but we never think it's something that can possibly happen to us, but today it happened in our nieces school. I can't begin to imagine the scare, and the fear of the students, parents, and workers. I can't fathom, and honestly I don't want to, how I would feel in this very situation. All I know is the little things we grumble about everyday, all of sudden seem a little less important.
Matt and I were talking about the movie "The Book Of Eli" with some friends of ours the other night. In the movie, everyday things we take for granted, everyday things we simply throw in the trash, are a luxury. Books are not readily available, t.v. doesn't exist, water is scarce, and even God's written word can't be found. I can't imagine a time when money wasn't of use, a time where a bar soap was worth more than a brick of Gold, and even more so, a time without God's word. At least we could then be more appreciative of what we have. At least then we could truly be thankful for every thing that God has given us.
I'm sure my brother in law and his wife are having one of those days right now. Appreciating their daughters voice a little more than they did the day before. I'm sure the latest cell phone is not the thing that is most on their mind right now. I guarantee that today, they said 'Thank You Jesus" a few more times than they did yesterday.
It has been a tough few weeks, I know emotions have been spinning round, but God is the one constant that keeps me moving forward. God constantly reminds why he has placed me where I am. I have watched my church family pull together, help each other, pray for each other, and be what a church family is suppose to be for each other. I don't expect anyone to be perfect, because I am far from perfect myself. We love each other for who we are, and that includes our every imperfection. As my Sister In Law said, Hug your kid and tell them you love them, and be thankful that God has given us another day.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
A Mere Window.............
What a roller coaster of a week it has been for me. I had to drive to Talihina at 7am today. After such a long, exhausting kind of week, I have to say that I truly enjoyed the nice quiet drive to Talihina and back to Greenwood. God really spoke into my heart about so many things today. As Stretch would say, it's a great time to sit and reflect, and just simply listen to God.
Matt and I both have tried so hard to not be prideful about our project this weekend. I know people mean well by thanking us for what we did because we were willing to do Gods work. Honestly, as I sit back and look at the whole picture, and to think that I did it, or Matt did it was completely insane. God's work that was carefully orchestrated over the last year, completely leaves me in awe.
It started last October with backpacks, and then God literally started providing us with free donations from Wal-Mart, in which we had never even asked for. When God literally starts dropping things on you for free, it was at that time that we knew this is really what God wanted us to do all along.
The lady that worked with us all summer long, she works for the same company as my dad. I had called and asked her to see if maybe the company would be willing to donate a case or 2 of copy paper. She began to explain to me of everything that she had asked them to donate to over the years, and she was always turned down. She walked into the office one day, and the girl (the same girl that always turned her down) had seen our story in the paper and said that they could donate to the project, all she had to do was fill out some paper work. A few weeks later we were handed a $200 check. My friend didn't even get a chance to ask them for a donation, they offered it to her.
It really kind of saddens my heart that people were so proud of us. This shouldn't be the uncommon thing to see among Christians. We as Christ followers wants our church to do everything for us, but we don't want to do any of the work ourselves. How many times have you gone to your church and said, Sally Jane needs her electric turned on, can the church take care of that? When fact of the matter is, you had enough money in your wallet to do it yourself all along. People are suffering, and we don't want to sacrifice our time or our money to help them. We are set in our ways and think that we just have to pay our tithes and nothing else, and half of the church probably isn't even doing that.
Matt and I don't have money. We live pay check to pay check. Yes that is our own fault, that we are working diligently to correct, but that doesn't mean we use our lack of money as an excuse to not be able to care for others. I never dreamed that we would have been able to help 250 kids this past week. It wasn't us, we didn't have the money. But what we did have was the willingness to take what God had put on our hearts, even when we didn't fully believe that God could have taken it to this magnitude, and we stepped out on faith. When our faith was a little weak, he would drop school supplies in our laps that we didn't even ask for. We would say, "OK God, we get it, we are going to run with it, I don't know how it's going to work out, but this is obviously what you want us to do."
While we were on vacation we visited a church, and the sermon still speaks to my heart. The pastor said, God placed their church in one the riches communities in their town. Why did he do that? He said another pastor friend of his, his church was in the ghetto part of town. His church is out there reaching out to the homeless, right in the midst of the poor. Obviously the church doesn't bring in a lot of money, because anyone who attends doesn't have much money to give. He began to say that we each have a different roll in the community. God blessed his church with finances, so they can partner with the church in the ghetto, the church that is placed in the midst of poverty, to help them reach the poor and needy.
I may not have money, but I have time, Matt may not be a motivator like me, but God gave him the vision, Linda, well she went to the church that had the financial resources and other connections that we needed, and then he sent us Tim and Kim, who's church had just started a clothes closet just weeks before we were to bring all of this together. All of us from different churches, all of us playing a different roll, all of us working on the same vision. To think I could have ever made all of that happen, is simply crazy.
We should all be willing, we should all be searching for our roll. Saturday I watched several families in need, stories of men in near tears and all because of free school supplies? I don't know about you, but when you can't provide for your kids, and they are having to walk into a school where kids are probably going to make fun of them for what they are wearing, for their torn and old backpacks, and not being able to bring basic school supplies to school, I know I would rather personally go hungry than for my kids to experience the cruelty of kids at school.
Maybe it's time to quit running to your church and asking them do the work that God is telling you to do. Maybe it's time you learn to make a few sacrifices, so someone else has food on their table. If my babies were hungry, and someone driving a new car, and wearing new clothes, talking on their IPhone, with $40 mani pedi's, walked past my hungry babies and never missed a step, I wouldn't have much faith in Christ and I surely woudln't think much of that person. What kind of message are you sending out everyday? My heart is broken right now. I know those 250 kids are in need of so much more than crayons. God is challenging me, that this weekend was just a mere window to be able to see the needs around me. It's my choice to sit and be like everyone else, or will I listen to Gods call?
Matt and I both have tried so hard to not be prideful about our project this weekend. I know people mean well by thanking us for what we did because we were willing to do Gods work. Honestly, as I sit back and look at the whole picture, and to think that I did it, or Matt did it was completely insane. God's work that was carefully orchestrated over the last year, completely leaves me in awe.
It started last October with backpacks, and then God literally started providing us with free donations from Wal-Mart, in which we had never even asked for. When God literally starts dropping things on you for free, it was at that time that we knew this is really what God wanted us to do all along.
The lady that worked with us all summer long, she works for the same company as my dad. I had called and asked her to see if maybe the company would be willing to donate a case or 2 of copy paper. She began to explain to me of everything that she had asked them to donate to over the years, and she was always turned down. She walked into the office one day, and the girl (the same girl that always turned her down) had seen our story in the paper and said that they could donate to the project, all she had to do was fill out some paper work. A few weeks later we were handed a $200 check. My friend didn't even get a chance to ask them for a donation, they offered it to her.
It really kind of saddens my heart that people were so proud of us. This shouldn't be the uncommon thing to see among Christians. We as Christ followers wants our church to do everything for us, but we don't want to do any of the work ourselves. How many times have you gone to your church and said, Sally Jane needs her electric turned on, can the church take care of that? When fact of the matter is, you had enough money in your wallet to do it yourself all along. People are suffering, and we don't want to sacrifice our time or our money to help them. We are set in our ways and think that we just have to pay our tithes and nothing else, and half of the church probably isn't even doing that.
Matt and I don't have money. We live pay check to pay check. Yes that is our own fault, that we are working diligently to correct, but that doesn't mean we use our lack of money as an excuse to not be able to care for others. I never dreamed that we would have been able to help 250 kids this past week. It wasn't us, we didn't have the money. But what we did have was the willingness to take what God had put on our hearts, even when we didn't fully believe that God could have taken it to this magnitude, and we stepped out on faith. When our faith was a little weak, he would drop school supplies in our laps that we didn't even ask for. We would say, "OK God, we get it, we are going to run with it, I don't know how it's going to work out, but this is obviously what you want us to do."
While we were on vacation we visited a church, and the sermon still speaks to my heart. The pastor said, God placed their church in one the riches communities in their town. Why did he do that? He said another pastor friend of his, his church was in the ghetto part of town. His church is out there reaching out to the homeless, right in the midst of the poor. Obviously the church doesn't bring in a lot of money, because anyone who attends doesn't have much money to give. He began to say that we each have a different roll in the community. God blessed his church with finances, so they can partner with the church in the ghetto, the church that is placed in the midst of poverty, to help them reach the poor and needy.
I may not have money, but I have time, Matt may not be a motivator like me, but God gave him the vision, Linda, well she went to the church that had the financial resources and other connections that we needed, and then he sent us Tim and Kim, who's church had just started a clothes closet just weeks before we were to bring all of this together. All of us from different churches, all of us playing a different roll, all of us working on the same vision. To think I could have ever made all of that happen, is simply crazy.
We should all be willing, we should all be searching for our roll. Saturday I watched several families in need, stories of men in near tears and all because of free school supplies? I don't know about you, but when you can't provide for your kids, and they are having to walk into a school where kids are probably going to make fun of them for what they are wearing, for their torn and old backpacks, and not being able to bring basic school supplies to school, I know I would rather personally go hungry than for my kids to experience the cruelty of kids at school.
Maybe it's time to quit running to your church and asking them do the work that God is telling you to do. Maybe it's time you learn to make a few sacrifices, so someone else has food on their table. If my babies were hungry, and someone driving a new car, and wearing new clothes, talking on their IPhone, with $40 mani pedi's, walked past my hungry babies and never missed a step, I wouldn't have much faith in Christ and I surely woudln't think much of that person. What kind of message are you sending out everyday? My heart is broken right now. I know those 250 kids are in need of so much more than crayons. God is challenging me, that this weekend was just a mere window to be able to see the needs around me. It's my choice to sit and be like everyone else, or will I listen to Gods call?
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Hometown Missions..........
I know so many people are called out to be missionaries, but we cannot overlook the fact that we have so many people in need all around us, so many people in our own neighborhood that doesn't know Jesus. Today I learned a lot about the needs in my hometown. A few years ago, God had placed something on my husbands heart. He wanted to give school supplies away to kids, and he wanted to set it up like a store, so kids can get their school supply list and pick out their own items and choose which backpack they like. So we let that year pass us by, not because God didn't supply, but somehow we were convinced that maybe we weren't really hearing God.
A few months after school started last year, my store ran backpacks on clearance for $2 a peice. God was really tugging on my heart, and I told Matt, I don't know why, but I think we are suppose to buy 100 of those backpacks. We weren't really sure how, because we really didn't have the money, but I just knew that God was going to supply. So we bought them and began asking friends and family if they wanted to donate money to help pay for the 100 backpacks that we had bought. We raised almost the full amount of what we spent.
Within a month or so, once again, our store had scissors, and folders in abundance. Some people in my store knew that we had bought the backpacks, and the store had 800 folders and 200 pairs of scissors they donated to our project. All we had to do was make a small donation to CMN. At this point, we kind of thought God must be telling us something. We were going to have to take on this project, and he was going to help us do it.
In the months to come, God connected us with so many people. People donated supplies, made cash donations, and clothing donations. God united the churches in our community to come together to make a difference in our hometown. One church worked hard to stock up their new clothes closet and open it up today to help the kids in need. One church supplied more backpacks for us, and we had cash donations from churches and area businesses. It was so great to break some religous boundaries, to show people the same Jesus that we ALL serve.
I'm sure that there are stories that I will never know, but I have at least 2 that I can share with you. One of the teachers said that during open house a father of one of her students said it would be 2 weeks before he could afford to buy school supplies. She began to tell him about today, and how he could come and get school supplies for free, and she he nearly broke down and cried.
My second story, is the person of the day. A girl that once was a very good friend of mine in my younger years. I had seen her a few weeks ago. Her grandma had passed away, and she had been more like a mom to her than a grandma. My family had gone to the funeral home to visit with the family and friends, all in which I had known for most my entire life. She began to tell me how much she appreciated the school supplies. Her hours had been cut on her job, and she just didn't have much money. She got her supplies and began to walk out the door, and I could here God telling me, "Don't let her walk away." I turned around and called out her name, and met her at the front door. I began to talk to her about our bible study on Sunday Nights. She wanted to know more. So we talked a few minutes, I could tell she seemed like a person who had really been beat down by life. I invited her to come to my home group, and she seemed excited. I'm praying that she will come tomorrow night.
Thanks to everyone who thanked Matt and I, but to think that this is because of anything we did would be crazy. God gave us so many hands to do his glorious work, and we couldn't have done it without Christ. We had just enough supplies, we had just enough extra money to cover the cost of every pre-k and kindergarten student who needed their $25 fee covered (this is something we had not planned on being able to do). All I ask is that when God is telling you to do something, quit looking for an excuse not to. No, it won't be easy. It may take days, weeks, and even months of work to make it happen, but the end result is the most amazing thing you will ever experience. When you sit back and finally see all the lives that were touched, every minute of every day you spent working on it will seem like nothing. Thing is, God knows the needs before we do, we just need to listen along the way.
A few months after school started last year, my store ran backpacks on clearance for $2 a peice. God was really tugging on my heart, and I told Matt, I don't know why, but I think we are suppose to buy 100 of those backpacks. We weren't really sure how, because we really didn't have the money, but I just knew that God was going to supply. So we bought them and began asking friends and family if they wanted to donate money to help pay for the 100 backpacks that we had bought. We raised almost the full amount of what we spent.
Within a month or so, once again, our store had scissors, and folders in abundance. Some people in my store knew that we had bought the backpacks, and the store had 800 folders and 200 pairs of scissors they donated to our project. All we had to do was make a small donation to CMN. At this point, we kind of thought God must be telling us something. We were going to have to take on this project, and he was going to help us do it.
In the months to come, God connected us with so many people. People donated supplies, made cash donations, and clothing donations. God united the churches in our community to come together to make a difference in our hometown. One church worked hard to stock up their new clothes closet and open it up today to help the kids in need. One church supplied more backpacks for us, and we had cash donations from churches and area businesses. It was so great to break some religous boundaries, to show people the same Jesus that we ALL serve.
I'm sure that there are stories that I will never know, but I have at least 2 that I can share with you. One of the teachers said that during open house a father of one of her students said it would be 2 weeks before he could afford to buy school supplies. She began to tell him about today, and how he could come and get school supplies for free, and she he nearly broke down and cried.
My second story, is the person of the day. A girl that once was a very good friend of mine in my younger years. I had seen her a few weeks ago. Her grandma had passed away, and she had been more like a mom to her than a grandma. My family had gone to the funeral home to visit with the family and friends, all in which I had known for most my entire life. She began to tell me how much she appreciated the school supplies. Her hours had been cut on her job, and she just didn't have much money. She got her supplies and began to walk out the door, and I could here God telling me, "Don't let her walk away." I turned around and called out her name, and met her at the front door. I began to talk to her about our bible study on Sunday Nights. She wanted to know more. So we talked a few minutes, I could tell she seemed like a person who had really been beat down by life. I invited her to come to my home group, and she seemed excited. I'm praying that she will come tomorrow night.
Thanks to everyone who thanked Matt and I, but to think that this is because of anything we did would be crazy. God gave us so many hands to do his glorious work, and we couldn't have done it without Christ. We had just enough supplies, we had just enough extra money to cover the cost of every pre-k and kindergarten student who needed their $25 fee covered (this is something we had not planned on being able to do). All I ask is that when God is telling you to do something, quit looking for an excuse not to. No, it won't be easy. It may take days, weeks, and even months of work to make it happen, but the end result is the most amazing thing you will ever experience. When you sit back and finally see all the lives that were touched, every minute of every day you spent working on it will seem like nothing. Thing is, God knows the needs before we do, we just need to listen along the way.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Memento......
My husband may be the only one to appreciate this blog, so this is for your honey. :)
My husband seeks out meaning in every movie he watches. It seems that no matter what the movie, when it's over he can walk away with something that relates to God or our Christian walk. So, last night we were watching a movie called Memento. In this movie a guy named Lenny, (or is it Lenny?), loses his memory. He has long term memory but no short term memory. By short term memory, I mean he cannot remember anything from 10 minutes ago.
I'm not going to re-create the entire movie, because it is not relevant to my blog. I began to wonder what it would be like if we all had no short term memory. We wouldn't be able to hold grudges from yesterday, and we wouldn't cry over things we didn't have. Every day would be a clean slate, a new start per say. What a difference it would make in our lives.
However, God did not create us this way. He created us to make our own decisions, he gave us the right to hold a grudge, or not. He gave us the ability to make a difference in the world, or not. We do not get do overs. We have to fix our mistakes, we have to learn to forgive and forget the way that God has forgiven and forgotten our sins. Just remember that anything you do or say today, you are going to remember the next day. So make sure it's something you are going to want to remember and remember without regret.
In the movie, not even Lenny's world is perfect, people begin to take advantage of Lenny's (or is it Lenny?)illness. After all, he won't remember what happened 5 minutes from now, so why not use it to their advantage. He doesn't know his friends from his enemies. Just remember, in this life, there is only one thing you can be sure of, and that is God. He is the one constant in our lives. He is the one that teaches us how to live, protects us from our enemies, and calls us to live like him.
My husband seeks out meaning in every movie he watches. It seems that no matter what the movie, when it's over he can walk away with something that relates to God or our Christian walk. So, last night we were watching a movie called Memento. In this movie a guy named Lenny, (or is it Lenny?), loses his memory. He has long term memory but no short term memory. By short term memory, I mean he cannot remember anything from 10 minutes ago.
I'm not going to re-create the entire movie, because it is not relevant to my blog. I began to wonder what it would be like if we all had no short term memory. We wouldn't be able to hold grudges from yesterday, and we wouldn't cry over things we didn't have. Every day would be a clean slate, a new start per say. What a difference it would make in our lives.
However, God did not create us this way. He created us to make our own decisions, he gave us the right to hold a grudge, or not. He gave us the ability to make a difference in the world, or not. We do not get do overs. We have to fix our mistakes, we have to learn to forgive and forget the way that God has forgiven and forgotten our sins. Just remember that anything you do or say today, you are going to remember the next day. So make sure it's something you are going to want to remember and remember without regret.
In the movie, not even Lenny's world is perfect, people begin to take advantage of Lenny's (or is it Lenny?)illness. After all, he won't remember what happened 5 minutes from now, so why not use it to their advantage. He doesn't know his friends from his enemies. Just remember, in this life, there is only one thing you can be sure of, and that is God. He is the one constant in our lives. He is the one that teaches us how to live, protects us from our enemies, and calls us to live like him.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
WHAT VACATION MEANS TO ME.........
va·ca·tion (v-kshn, v-)
n.
1. A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation, especially one with pay granted to an employee.
It has been an amazing week. We weren't able to take a big trip to Walt Disney World, or go to Mexico, but we truly enjoyed the actual meaning of vacation. Honestly, when is the last time your family took an actual vacation. With no worries, no packing or unpacking, just time to hang out together as a family. A carefree week, not having to watch the clock, or answer a phone, no alarm clocks.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel the peer pressure of big vacations, traveling long distances and spending a lot of money. Seriously, when someone asks you what you did on vacation, they don't really want to hear about the fact that you didn't go anywhere. But truth is, we do not have a lot of money. So, with what "cash" money we did have, we enjoyed everyday here at home. OK, we did go to Tulsa one day, but we also had to visit our friends in the hospital.
So why was home so amazing?
1. First of all, I have an amazing family that I love to be around, that alone makes being home enjoyable.
2. My son opened my car door for me, almost everyday this week. (He told me that his Daddy taught him well.)
3. I listened to my kids laughter through 2 entire movies (Despicable Me and Diary of Wimpy Kid). I love to hear them laugh and play together.
4. Anytime was the right time for Ice Cream, or a Sno Cone, Candy, or Nacho's.
5. My kids spent an entire day in Tulsa with us, and when we finally got to a WalMart at 11pm, to get the toy they had been waiting for all day, The Wal-Mart was out of stock. My kids didn't complain one time about waiting til the next day to go to another Wal-Mart.
6. On the way home from Tulsa, my daughter asked us to turn off the radio. She wanted to hear daddy and mama sing silly songs. We turned on the ipod and we all sang and laughed half the way home. The windows were rolled down, and were singing extremely loud while going through a toll booth. It was priceless.
7. We were able to bond with my family, more than we ever have in our 14 years together. What a blessing it will be for me to attend church tomorrow with my younger brother at HIS church.
8. People watching, made it possible for us to talk more about Jesus with our kids. What is the right and wrong way to try to reach people for Christ.
OK.........so I could go on. But I think you get the point. It's not about where you go or how much money you spend. It is about relaxing and bonding with each other. I truly feel that my family did that. I am so thankful for this time that he has given us. Time to refresh our minds and rest our bodies. So slow down, take time to listen to your kids laugh. Take time to have a jam session in the car, play a little air guitar, and air drums, with the windows rolled down. I promise it is moments like these that you will cherish forever. I want to thank my family for a wonderful week. Without you, life would be boring. I love them more than they will ever know.
n.
1. A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation, especially one with pay granted to an employee.
It has been an amazing week. We weren't able to take a big trip to Walt Disney World, or go to Mexico, but we truly enjoyed the actual meaning of vacation. Honestly, when is the last time your family took an actual vacation. With no worries, no packing or unpacking, just time to hang out together as a family. A carefree week, not having to watch the clock, or answer a phone, no alarm clocks.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel the peer pressure of big vacations, traveling long distances and spending a lot of money. Seriously, when someone asks you what you did on vacation, they don't really want to hear about the fact that you didn't go anywhere. But truth is, we do not have a lot of money. So, with what "cash" money we did have, we enjoyed everyday here at home. OK, we did go to Tulsa one day, but we also had to visit our friends in the hospital.
So why was home so amazing?
1. First of all, I have an amazing family that I love to be around, that alone makes being home enjoyable.
2. My son opened my car door for me, almost everyday this week. (He told me that his Daddy taught him well.)
3. I listened to my kids laughter through 2 entire movies (Despicable Me and Diary of Wimpy Kid). I love to hear them laugh and play together.
4. Anytime was the right time for Ice Cream, or a Sno Cone, Candy, or Nacho's.
5. My kids spent an entire day in Tulsa with us, and when we finally got to a WalMart at 11pm, to get the toy they had been waiting for all day, The Wal-Mart was out of stock. My kids didn't complain one time about waiting til the next day to go to another Wal-Mart.
6. On the way home from Tulsa, my daughter asked us to turn off the radio. She wanted to hear daddy and mama sing silly songs. We turned on the ipod and we all sang and laughed half the way home. The windows were rolled down, and were singing extremely loud while going through a toll booth. It was priceless.
7. We were able to bond with my family, more than we ever have in our 14 years together. What a blessing it will be for me to attend church tomorrow with my younger brother at HIS church.
8. People watching, made it possible for us to talk more about Jesus with our kids. What is the right and wrong way to try to reach people for Christ.
OK.........so I could go on. But I think you get the point. It's not about where you go or how much money you spend. It is about relaxing and bonding with each other. I truly feel that my family did that. I am so thankful for this time that he has given us. Time to refresh our minds and rest our bodies. So slow down, take time to listen to your kids laugh. Take time to have a jam session in the car, play a little air guitar, and air drums, with the windows rolled down. I promise it is moments like these that you will cherish forever. I want to thank my family for a wonderful week. Without you, life would be boring. I love them more than they will ever know.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Words to Treasure: Don't Grumble
Sunday I sat with the kids in my Sunday Night Fuel Cell, the words to treasure for the evening was "Do Not Grumble." I asked the kids to very quickly tell me the 5 things they are most thankful for. As we went around the room this is what was said, " air conditioning, food, video games, tv, family, friends, home." Next I asked them, what if you had home, but no food, electricity, or water, now tell me five things you would be most thankful for. The tones changed considerably, it took them a little more time to think about what they were thankful for. This is what I heard, "I would be thankful for a roof over my head, family and friends, and clothes, and one of them even said the backyard."
I began to explain to them a story. A few years ago, God brought me to home. I was told this family didn't have any food in there house. It was a Grandma and Grandpa raising several of their very young grandchildren. None of them had ever had a Christmas, and when I say there wasn't any food in the house, I mean there wasn't one drop of food in the home. I didn't know what to expect when I walked in, but I picked up a few essentials on my way home to take to this family, such as bread, butter, and milk. When I arrived, I was greeted by several smiling kids, playing like any kid would be. I told them, that I heard they needed food, so I had brought a few things by.
This day is forever burned in my heart. I wasn't prepared for what was about to happen next. I remember the roaches crawling everywhere, and these little kids looked in the sack that I had placed on the table, and very excitedly said, "you brought us bread, AND BUTTER, you mean we get to have toast with butter on it." They were so excited, you would have thought someone had given them a million dollars. I remember the hugs, and the smiles, and the tears in their Grandma's eyes. I never felt more humble in my life. I was fighting the tears, and trying to make note of what else was needed in this home.
I went home that evening, feeling ashamed of myself and who I had become. I don't even really get excited about a new shirt, or pair of shoes, or the big TV that sits in my living room. My cabinets are full of food, my closet is full of clothes, my house is full of furniture, my driveway has 2 cars parked in it, and yet I didn't even have an ounce of the excitement that these kids had over bread and butter. I remember walking in my front door that night, and Matt was sitting in his recliner, and I knelt down at his knees and began to cry.
These kids, were full of joy, yet they had nothing, I had everything, and didn't feel that I expressed 1/4 of the joy that they did. They were so thankful for what they had, I didn't hear one word out of them about what they didn't have.
I asked the kids in my Sunday Group how many times they had gone to their fridge or their cabinet and nothing was there. No one could raise their hands. I asked them how many of them didn't have clothes to wear, and once again no one could raise their hands. I challenged my group, the same way that I am about to challenge you. We all have things that we don't need or maybe we are over abundantly blessed with, what do you have that you can give someone else. How about this, lets not just give away the things we don't want, but give away one pair out of the 8 favorite pairs of pants you have in your closet.
Don't grumble about what you don't have, when someone else may have nothing. Find Joy everyday, no matter what life brings you. There is always something to be thankful for. No matter what your situation may be, God can still use you.
I began to explain to them a story. A few years ago, God brought me to home. I was told this family didn't have any food in there house. It was a Grandma and Grandpa raising several of their very young grandchildren. None of them had ever had a Christmas, and when I say there wasn't any food in the house, I mean there wasn't one drop of food in the home. I didn't know what to expect when I walked in, but I picked up a few essentials on my way home to take to this family, such as bread, butter, and milk. When I arrived, I was greeted by several smiling kids, playing like any kid would be. I told them, that I heard they needed food, so I had brought a few things by.
This day is forever burned in my heart. I wasn't prepared for what was about to happen next. I remember the roaches crawling everywhere, and these little kids looked in the sack that I had placed on the table, and very excitedly said, "you brought us bread, AND BUTTER, you mean we get to have toast with butter on it." They were so excited, you would have thought someone had given them a million dollars. I remember the hugs, and the smiles, and the tears in their Grandma's eyes. I never felt more humble in my life. I was fighting the tears, and trying to make note of what else was needed in this home.
I went home that evening, feeling ashamed of myself and who I had become. I don't even really get excited about a new shirt, or pair of shoes, or the big TV that sits in my living room. My cabinets are full of food, my closet is full of clothes, my house is full of furniture, my driveway has 2 cars parked in it, and yet I didn't even have an ounce of the excitement that these kids had over bread and butter. I remember walking in my front door that night, and Matt was sitting in his recliner, and I knelt down at his knees and began to cry.
These kids, were full of joy, yet they had nothing, I had everything, and didn't feel that I expressed 1/4 of the joy that they did. They were so thankful for what they had, I didn't hear one word out of them about what they didn't have.
I asked the kids in my Sunday Group how many times they had gone to their fridge or their cabinet and nothing was there. No one could raise their hands. I asked them how many of them didn't have clothes to wear, and once again no one could raise their hands. I challenged my group, the same way that I am about to challenge you. We all have things that we don't need or maybe we are over abundantly blessed with, what do you have that you can give someone else. How about this, lets not just give away the things we don't want, but give away one pair out of the 8 favorite pairs of pants you have in your closet.
Don't grumble about what you don't have, when someone else may have nothing. Find Joy everyday, no matter what life brings you. There is always something to be thankful for. No matter what your situation may be, God can still use you.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Follow Your Heart
God is a gracious God. He is a man that loved us before we were even born. He is a man that gave us life, and died for our sins so that we may spend eternity with him. He created us for his Glory, not for ours. To think that we can take credit for anything we do on this earth, is absolute insanity. When we give, it is not us that gives, it is God. As my husband tells our kids, we are only the hands that does the work that God lays before us, it is God that gets the glory. It is through Gods word, and Gods guidance that we are placed in the right place at the right time. It is our job to follow our heart, to do what God is leading us to do. However, understand he doesn't need you, but he chose you to be the hands that gives, he chose you to be the mouth that speaks the word in which he created long before we ever existed. Strip yourself of your pride. Lay your heart before God daily. Ask him to open your eyes, to see the needs around you. Ask him to give you the heart and the ability to do the job that he has set before you.
Do not walk away, do not take the easy way out. One day you may be the person sitting in a house with no electric, and two little kids to feed and no food in the cabinets, and you won't be able to. It is then, only when you are in desperate need, that you can truly understand all of the needs you have walked away from in your life. When your kids are hungry, and you have turned to person after person, including who you thought were Christ followers, yet their heart wasn't following God and they kept on walking. Does that remind you of any story you have heard of in the bible?
So why the title, "Follow Your Heart"? That's where my daughter comes in. Today she wore a shirt that read "Follow Your Heart". As I read her shirt, it reminded me of her heart, and things God had laid upon heart. The things she chose to listen to, the lives that have been changed, because my daughter chose to follow the call that God had laid upon her heart. You can't have the excuse of, I don't have enough money to help, or I don't have the time, or I don't know anyone in need.
My daughter came home, her heart broken, because she knew a little girl that was in need. So God began to open doors to help this need before us, and my daughter wanted to help. She went to her room and gathered up some good toys in which she wanted to give. She brought them to me, and out of my ignorance, I said to her," someone is going to buy her new toys, you don't have to give her your old one." She went to her room and cried. God then began to speak to me. See, she was following her heart, and what she felt was the right thing to do. She wanted to be able to help in any way that a 7 year old possibly could. So, I began to cry as God began to break my heart, and said it's not about money, it's about the willingness to Give, and your daughter is willing to give in any way she can.
My daughter will be the first to tell you, we do not allow people to think that it is because of anything we do, that actually helps. But it is Christ that is taking care of them, it is Christ that gives, and we want people to go to Christ and not us. My daughter has taught me the unselfishness of giving, and that if God can use a 7 year old to realize the needs of people around her, he can use anyone. Sometimes it's about being willing to simply share what we already have at our home. When you have nothing, anything is a blessing. People with nothing, are more blessed with our used somethings, than we are to receive something new.
Ask God daily to open your eyes and your heart to see the needs around you. Ask God daily to give you the willingness, to simply share with others, the things that you are abundantly blessed in. Follow your heart daily, and leave your pride at the door. Keep it between you and God. If you allow yourself to brag, you will begin to think it is something you did, and forget that only Christ should receive all glory.
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