Remember...

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

I've gotten older!!! Not quite sure how that happened, really. ;) Each day it seems I have forgotten more things than I can keep up with! And then to look at how much time passes between...things...it is mind-blowing. (I cannot believe it has been nearly four years since my last post.)

One of the reasons my time flies is because life is so full - husband, toddler, mother-in-law living with us, job, other family, church...you get the idea - the hours of each day slip by like clouds in the sky. We get up for each day and it seems it's just a few hours and we're laying back down to get some sleep before we start all over again the next day. I'm so busy, I let myself think there's not enough time to sit down and read God's Word. So I have nothing to meditate on, talk about, chew on all day and I have forgotten too much. Busyness leads to forgetfulness.

When I started this blog eleven years ago (Oh. My. Gosh.), I was just trying something "new" that everyone was doing. I had thoughts and ideas and wanted to contribute something to someone. Yes, there were a few people along the way who commented on my posts, telling me how it helped them or challenged them. But the truth is, this blog became a huge part of growing my faith. I was always thinking of how God was working in my life and was looking for ways to share that through the written word. My thoughts were on God and finding Him in the daily routine...the small things in life. These days, there's just the routine. It has overwhelmed me and kept me from thinking and wanting to share.

There is power in the written word. Just look at The Bible - the single most printed and influential book in the world. Moses even reminded the children of Israel to "write them (the commandments) on the doorposts of your house and your gates." The process of putting thought to paper (or keyboard) requires moments of quiet and introspection. It takes time to put together a coherent thought.

It's time to get back to that. Time to focus. Time to remember. I must make the time to read, talk, remember and be quiet. I'm not pledging to write "x" number of posts each day, week or month, but I am pledging to do the things that will lead to me writing again. I need more of God in my life because I've never felt further from Him than I do right now. Writing is what I need to help bring me back to the right mindset.

Fortunately for me, God is faithful even when I'm not. He never forsakes, leaves or abandons us, and if we just read, think, remember and listen...He speaks so clearly. I want to hear from Him again. I need to hear from Him. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter that needs to know her Creator and I'm the one to teach her. Maybe my words here, forever captured on the internet (you know where nothing ever disappears!) will be there for here when I'm gone and will remind her to read, think, remember and listen.

When we see His face...

They all looked straight in his face...And when some looked, the expression of their faces changed terribly - it was fear and hatred...And all the creatures who looked at Aslan in that way...disappeared into his huge black shadow...But the others looked in the face of Aslan and loved him, though some of them were very frightened at the same time. And all these came in at the Door...
- The Last Battle from The Chronicles of Narnia

Encapsulated in this brief quote from The Last Battle is a fictional representation of the moment of our judgement before God. Many volumes have been written on this subject - final judgement - by people much more educated than I and with much deeper understanding. I am no theologian or Bible scholar, however when I read this part of the story, I was struck at the language C.S. Lewis used to describe the scene.

For those opposed to Aslan, fear and hate was on their face when they saw him face to face. For those "on his side" when the time came to meet him, there was fear and love. Interesting how everyone felt fear. Perhaps the fear came from having heard stories of Aslan and who he was, imagining in their minds what he looked like and how he was, but, when face to face with him, the stories became reality and he was more than what they had ever imagined. There was no longer any doubt about the truth of his existence and at that moment the fullness of his power and authority. The hearts of each creature produced the other emotion evident on their faces - either hate or love. Those whose hearts were for their own interests, desires and power hated Aslan once they saw him. They knew his authority was real and absolute over everything. They hated him for that and their fate was sealed. Same thing for those who always believed what they heard and longed to see him. Once they saw him, their wildest hopes and expectations were confirmed and they loved him for who he was - and their fates were sealed.

Don't you think that is exactly what our choice is when it comes to Christ? For those who desire their own pleasures, desires, passions, power, etc....there is no room in their heart for love of Christ, His will or His ways. For those who deny self, give of themselves for others and sacrifice their wants, wishes and desires, their hearts are filled with love of Christ and their focus is His will and His ways.

I believe when we meet Him face to face, all the details of the "how" we went about our lives for Him won't matter. All that matters is one choice we make that determines the "how" of our lives. Either we hate everything about Christ or we love everything about Him and embrace it fully. The things we do don't determine our heart choice, but it sure represents that choice. If we love Him and choose Him, our life is going to have more of the self-denying, self-giving, self-sacrificing, self-revelaing love one for another and the actions that come with that than it won't. Sure we all stumble and fall and miss the mark (why else do we need a Savior?) but for the most part, our lives will reflect His love.

Those who choose themselves, their wishes, wants and desires first may be able to display moments of "love" but it won't last long and it won't be what they are remembered for.

Oh how I long to meet my Savior and Lord face to face....and enter in through the Door. How I wish everyone I knew and loved felt the same way.

Where does the time go?

I'm not sure where the past month and a half (or has it been two months since my last post) have gone. :( I'm ready for things to slow down a bit!

This is our busy time of year with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, so maybe I'll be able to really pick back up in a couple of weeks.

If anyone is reading, or cares.... :P

Something Amazing!

The following video simply moved me to tears! What an incredible story!

Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009
Uploaded by moovieblog

What isn't surprising is the response of the judges and the crowd when they first meet/see Susan. Too many times, we as humans, are so quick to make judgements about people simply based on what we see. Their assumption was that she couldn't possibly have anything "golden" to offer, because she didn't look like she would. What a surprise for all of them! I love the fact that a simple, ordinary woman was able to knock the socks off of an entire country....and hopefully the world!

I hope it inspires people who feel like they don't belong because they don't "fit in" or look a certain way.

God bless Susan and protect her as she enters the spotlight of the world.

Mississippi Tea Party!

Well, I'm looking forward to attending the Mississippi Tea Party event here in Jackson, MS on April 15th! I hope that everyone who can will attend. It is so important for us stand up for our rights and be the silent majority no more!

Those of us who know what is good and right must speak out!

Trusting - Part 1

Well, it has been some time since I've posted on this blog. Writing down my thoughts causes me to be more introspective and I think I've been missing something by not writing more regularly. Anyway - I hope to be more consistent in writing...just for my own benefit. I hope something I say will spur others on to greater growth!

Since my last post, many things have happened in my life. The biggest "thing" is that I got married! I have a wonderful husband and I know having him in my life is a direct result of trusting God. Let me tell you the story!

God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

In February 2006, after many years of praying for a husband, the Holy Spirit placed in my heart the promise that I would know who I would marry by the end of the year. I know, many people would say, "yeah, right!". Trust me - I did too! I told myself that I was just making that up to comfort myself - after all, I was turning 33 that year and I was tired of waiting for a husband. But deep down, I knew that I had heard from God. Through the year, I kept watching and waiting....evaluating the guy "friends" I had to see if I could tell which one was "the one." The funny thing is this - the man who is my husband (whom I met online around the time God gave me His promise) never even entered my mind as a possibility!!!

To make a long story short - we met through Skype thanks to his brother in February 2006. He lived in Israel at the time. In the summer, he told me he wanted to come visit, so it worked out for him to come in November. He and his father came to visit and during the 10 days he was here, he basically courted me - treated me to dinner, spent time with me, bought me some gifts....and was a perfect gentleman! Up to this point in our relationship, I had not considered any type of relationship with him other than friendship. In fact, while he was here that year, I kept saying to my friend, "I don't know why he's here!" And I didn't! I really had no clue what his purpose was but I found out on Thanksgiving 2006. The evening of Thanksgiving, we were at my house and he was baking me a cake (yes he cooks!!) While it was baking, I asked him why he came and that's when he told me he wanted a Christian wife and it was hard to find one in Israel. He had evaluated my character and now that he had met me and spent time with me, he knew he wanted to marry me.

Can I just say I was blown away? :) I told him I'd have to think about it and I wasn't sure if I could give him an answer before he left the next Tuesday. He said that was ok because he wanted me to be sure of my answer. No regrets....no looking back.

I took all of the next day to think and pray about what he had said. God reminded me of His promise to me, reminded me of things I had prayed for in a husband (which was embodied in my husband) and also reminded me of a prayer I had prayed SEVERAL times. He reminded me distinctly about this prayer I had prayed: "God, if the guy I'm going to marry would just show up and tell me he wanted to marry me and I didn't have a clue, that would be great!" It was a prayer of frustration - not with God but with my own efforts to "find" a husband. But for some reason, it was a prayer God heard!! Well, maybe He heard it or maybe it was just a means for Him to speak His purpose into my life - because that's exactly how it happened! That day I was praying, I told God, "I am trying to come up with a reason to say 'no' but I can't - except for this one thing: I don't know much about him, God, but I know I don't have to. You made him and know all about him, so I'm expecting you to show me if I should say no." Well, God made it clear to me that "yes" was to be the answer. And as people say - the rest is history!

I share all of this to demonstrate what it has meant for me to trust God. It took coming to a complete surrender of my will to be able to receive God's best for me. Two weeks before Sasha visited me, I was praying and said to God, "Lord, I don't know what I need but you do. Whatever that is - no matter who it is - I am willing to accept it because you know what is best."

Isn't that the whole idea? God does know what is best and we can trust him? I have found the scripture I referenced to be completely true - "God is not a man who lies...or changes his mind." Wow! What a great promise to trust in!

I wish I could say I never doubt anymore. LOL! I'm still human. But I know one thing, I sure give up my doubt and control much faster than I used to! Lord, help me to trust you at all costs!

It's time once again...

It's been eons since I last posted! Wow-so many things have happened in my life. I got married, we bought a house - well, that's all the big stuff, but it's been enough to keep me busy!

I hope to get back into the habit of posting something. Seems like writing to this blog helped me stay a bit more focused on God and His Word.

I've missed it!