Its important

The other morning, just as we were going out the door to go to school, my little one said, "Wait! I forgot something!"
She came to the car with her Bible.
On the way to school, she asked me where it says that Jesus was baptized. I told her to look in Matthew 3. She found what she was looking for and highlighted it. Then she said "So I can find it later." I told her that she could use her book mark to help her find it too. "Thanks Mom"
A little bit later she said, "Now, what are the ABC's of becoming a Christian? Is it A - Admit that you are a sinner, B- Believe that Jesus is God's Son, and C...Mom, What's C?"
"Confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord"
She said "OK" and got really quiet.
Then she said "Can you be a Christian in California?"
I told her that you can be a Christian anywhere.
"Can you be a Christian in Hollywood?"
I told her "Of course you can...what's going on with you this morning?"

"My friend Kennedy is moving to Hollywood, California, and I need to make sure she is a Christian before she goes. What if she moves and there is no one in California to tell her about Jesus?? I have to make sure she knows that Jesus loves her. It's important Mama." And my sweet little baby girl started to cry.

We got to school about that time and she composed herself and I told her that I'd be praying for her and for Kennedy. I cried thankful tears all the way to work.

I'm thankful that Izzy loves Jesus and is a Christian.
I'm thankful that Izzy realizes that Jesus loves everyone and wants a relationship with everyone.
I'm thankful that she wants to make sure that her friends know Jesus.
I'm thankful that she has been in Sunday School, Children's Worship, and Wednesday Night WOW and for the adults who have taken time to teach her the Bible because she knows that Jesus was baptized and that she can share that from her Bible.
I'm thankful that she has been in VBS and has learned the ABC's of becoming a Christian.
I'm thankful that she watches her big brother who prays with his friends and for his friends and openly talks about sharing Christ and the Plan of Salvation with his friends.
I'm thankful for the teenagers in our church family who pray for and with each other and take time to make sure that the "little kids" grow spiritually.
I'm thankful that Calvin is a strong Christian man who loves us and leads our family.
I'm thankful for the adults in my children's lives because they have shown the love of Christ to my kids...who are in turn showing the love of Christ to others.

It's easy to get discouraged when parenting. It's easy to question whether or not I am doing a good job. I fail every day....multiple times a day. I try to pick my battles and often I pick the wrong ones to fight. I worry that I am not doing enough to prepare my children to be mature, productive adults.

God in all His graciousness has shown me that both of my children understand the most important thing. They both understand that we will all die one day and that, when we do, we will either go to heaven or to hell. They both want to make sure that the people they love are bound for heaven. Nothing has made me more proud, more grateful, or more humble than knowing that God has entrusted me with these 2 precious children.

Praying for one more night!

 

 

Well, it is safe to say that Heaven's Gates / Hell's Flames has been a HUGE success!!! The sanctuary has been packed every night and over 50 people have made the choice to live for Christ each night! People we have been praying for for years have accepted Christ as their Savior. There are no words to express how exciting this is!

 

We have had an "Artic Blast" hit central Mississippi this morning and the roads are terrible. I took the interstate to work and it was a sheet of ice! Some may think nothing of this, but I have lived in the deep south all my life and have NEVER had to drive on actual ice except for the occasional iced bridge! Obviously not many other people have either because there were NUMEROUS trucks, SUVs and cars in the medians and crashed into the concrete barricades along the interstate. There were police officers everywhere helping stranded motorists and several ambulances and fire trucks passed me on my way. I have never been so glad to get off the road and into work!

 

Now, my prayer is that we will be able to present the HG/HF ministry one more time tonight. I'm praying that Calvin will agree to do it for whomever will attend and that the cast will have been so moved by the Holy Spirit these last few days that they will be willing to be there.

 

I'll let ya know tomorrow how it turns out!

Regaining my Focus

 

 

 

Last night and this morning I spent time looking back over different things God brought me through over the past several years and at all the battles He prompted me to share here. I was also made painfully aware of battles I fought, especially this past year, that I didn't exactly win and didn't write about. Maybe if I'd continued to write, I'd have been more victorious? Perhaps. I know that when I write, I seek God more consistently. When I put things in print, they are easier for me to look at objectively.

 

Maybe thinking about Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames has caused me to take a serious look at my spiritual life.  I don't doubt my salvation nor do I doubt my call to the ministry. I certainly don't doubt my call to care for Calvin as he leads our congregation. I don't doubt my influence on my children or my ability to nurture them in the Lord. BUT the last time we did HG/HF, I was made painfully aware of just how spiritually immature I was and I wonder, am I more mature now than I was then?

 

Last time we did the drama, Rick and Julie were our leaders. We became friends and spent a good amount of time together. To me, they are "Super Christians". They are steeped in God's Word. Their days revolve around their ministry. Every conversation, every activity, every choice, everything they do ties back to God and what God is doing in their lives or in the lives of people they know. 

 

After visiting with Julie one on one, I was painfully aware that I had a LONG way to go to be like her....and I wanted very much to be like her. Looking back over the past several years recorded here, I see how God grew me through circumstances that forced me to focus on Him, choose to follow Him, trust Him, etc. Hindsight is 20/20 and looking back I can see how God used the circumstances over the past several years to reveal Himself and His character to me. In the process, He matured me Spiritually.

 

Looking forward to HG/HF  and preparing my heart for revival made me stop and think...am I closer to God than I was when we did this last time? Am I more Spiritually mature?

 

I think I WAS maturing and moving closer and closer to God and following His will for my life.... and I chose to stop seeking God's hand in every detail of my day. A friend told me that I need to seek help for my "super spiritual, but unrealistic, view of life". It broke my heart and made me doubt everything I'd believed God had called me to do. I have second guessed everything I have done since that time. Each time I teach, sing in the choir, do anything for our congregation, and every time I start to tell someone how God is working, I hear her words in my head. Many times her voice stops me in my tracks.

 

Over the past several months, I have come to realize that I was wrong to allow her comment to derail my pursuit to be closer to God. Where I should have seen her comment as a tell-tell sign of her own spiritual walk, I used it as an excuse to stop focusing on God and His hand in my life and to start focusing on everything else... and I have been perfectly miserable since.

 

So, as I prepare for revival through HG/HF this weekend, I am committing to seek God with desperation. I want very much to be used again by Him. If those around me don't understand, then so be it. I can't let someone's opinion of me and my relationship with God stand in the way of Him growing me into a mature Christian woman who can be used by Him.

 

I didn't make a New Year's resolution this year, but now is as good a time as any.

 

 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:31-34

 

I resolve to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness first and let everything else fall into place.