Christopher proposed to Jeannie at the RMA Store! We are so blessed to be a part of these two lives. Two really great people, one really great store and love is the banner over our lives right now! I’m smiling as I write this! I could not be prouder of Jeannie in this moment, I love this girl!
By the way, they asked me to perform the ceremony! Honored and blessed beyond measure!
When my husband calls me these days my ringtone sings a Jason Mraz song whose lyrics go, “Happy to be loved by my best friend, happy to have been where I have been….”
Hold up though, where I’ve been has been pretty rough. A widow at 35, held at gunpoint in a stalker/attempted kidnapping, married my husband and then went through the hell of blending a family and being labeled the wicked stepmother. So how can I relate to a song that says, “happy to have been where I have been”?
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Somehow when all is said and done, I have walked through the darkness and come out in the dawn. My faith has been tried and tested and it looms larger than life. I have huge faith for you too because I know that I am not God’s favorite kid, he treats us all that way.
I have learned big huge lessons and today it’s good to be alive, I couldn’t always say that. I have somehow fallen into the arms of the Father and he has placed me in a wonderful place. I have a husband who loves me. We aren’t perfect but I could tell you stories that would show you the miracle of our marriage and that we survived the white water rapid-like beginning of it. My kids are grown and doing well. My stepkids, whom I call stepkids for this writing only, have settled down and we have a good relationship now. I work at a job I love. I have good friends.
So here you have living proof that even when we go through trials and it feels like you’re not going to make it, you will! You’ll learn something with every goodbye. You’ll somehow or another wake up each and everyday, and if you’ll apply your faith, forget about your “right” to be okay all the time, realize life happens and suffering happens, you’ll see the dayspring as well. The bible says, it rains on the just and the unjust. Meaning life is just life, there are hills and valleys for all of us. There are great lessons to learn if you’ll walk it out and not throw yourself down on the ground and throw a fit. Through this process I’ve learned that God was with me even in the dark days, that all I had to do was take his hand and trust him to lead me to light and show me a few things about the process in the meantime.
Just like the day, it’s always darkest before the dawn, but the sun does eventually come out. Here is a Josh Wilson song that touches my heart.
Before The Morning
Misc 1
(PRE-CHORUS 1)
Someday somehow you’ll see you’ll see
Chorus 1
Would you dare would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing
‘Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It can’t compare to the joy that’s coming
So hold on you gotta wait for the light
Press on and just fight the good fight
‘Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning
Verse 1
Do you wonder why you have to
Feel the things that hurt you
If there’s a God
Who loves you where is He now
Verse 2
Maybe there are things you can’t see
And all those things are happening
To bring a better ending
Verse 3
My friend you know how this all ends
You know where you’re going
You just don’t know how you’ll get there
So say a prayer
Verse 4
And hold on
‘Cause there’s good for those who love God
But life is not a snapshot
It might take a little time
But you’ll see the bigger picture
Misc 2
(PRE-CHORUS 2)
Once you feel the weight of glory
All your pain will fade to memory
Chorus 2
It’s just the hurt before the healing
Oh the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning
CCLI Song No. 5520800
© Ariose Music | Ben Glover Co-Publishing Designee | Meaux Hits (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Ben Glover | Josh Wilson
For use solely with the SongSelect Terms of Use. All rights Reserved. http://www.ccli.com
CCLI License No. 2285171
Suze Orman said something great! “You say yes out of fear versus no out of love.” I loved this statement and it hit my heart so powerfully that I wanted to share it with you.
When she was talking it was in terms of financial decisions but it really does apply in all areas of our life doesn’t it? Those of us who are mothers usually know the answer to our children’s questions of us, but because we often are afraid of the confrontation, and because we don’t want to hear the whining and the crying, and God forbid they get mad at us, we tend to say yes out of fear of what may happen or because it’s just easier.
When it comes to our spouse or boyfriend we say yes out of fear that he’ll be disappointed or angry or won’t let us then do something we want to do. We are scared to say no even when we know it’s the right thing to do.
When it comes to ourselves, we say yes to things we don’t really want to do because we are afraid of what others may think of us. So to protect our reputation with others we are willing to lose our reputation with ourselves. Is that crazy or what? We say yes out of fear rather than no out of love even when it adversely affects our life!
Isn’t it interesting that our yes out of fear is more important than our love for the other person? The fact that we are willing to compromise what we know is right to do to appease others, when if LOVE truly reigns in our life, then it would show up in our firm NO truly says a lot about us.
How many times in our lives have we said yes instead of facing the fact that we really didn’t want to? How many times have we said no to something we’ve really believed in, only to cave in because the other person got mad? It hit me that maybe we don’t love as deep as we think we do. It hits me that maybe how we are perceived is more important that our moral standard.
This isn’t just something in the big picture items; these belief systems erode in the little things first. Michele Cossey, a mother, who was charged with buying her minor son weapons and pleaded guilty a few years ago, just wanted her son’s depression to ease and she wanted to make him happy. Maybe we aren’t buying guns but we are trying to buy ourselves out of confrontation of unpleasant things.
Think about your yes and your no answers. Were they truly lead by your heart? Were they led by the selfish flesh part of us? We say to each other, “Tell me what you really think”, but the fact is we don’t really want to know. What we are truly saying is, “Tell me what I want to hear”. So then in turn we tell others what they want to hear.
Today challenge yourself to examine yourself realistically. Ask yourself; do you say yes to things out of fear when you know that you should say no out of love? If you do, why do you do it? I am going to consciously pay attention to what my heart is saying about a situation without thinking about the confrontation that may come along with it. Then I am going to pray and ask the Lord to help guide me to the proper response! How about you?
The Christian dress code is the controversy that keeps on going. What do you wear to church?
It seems to be one of the controversies where we make judgment calls on others based on their outfits. I have to admit I am conflicted and (maybe?) outdated on my thoughts here. On the one hand, I LOVE the idea of “Sunday Best” and I dress for church. The question becomes what is best for me on Sunday may not be so for you. On the other hand, I hate the fashion police mentality. Jeans on the platform, no jeans on the platform is one question. Most Christians have rules on this.
Does it say I have such a great relationship with Jesus that we no longer pretend that I am not a jean’s kind of girl and wear a pair most days?
What length of skirt pleases God? Does one below the knee make him happy or does he like my bony knees? Boots, do they offend him or is He more concerned with my open toed shoes because they show my red polish?
So many questions and I have more! Could it be that God wants me in church regardless of what I wear? Does God really hate for me to show my shoulders or do you hate for me to show them? Is he really offended by flip-flops or are you? Did he create me with a certain style or did I pick one up? Do I need to change for him or for you? Would it bother you to wear a suit if I didn’t? Would it bother you if I wore a dress and you preferred pants? Why does it bother you?
What would Jesus do? Would he be thrilled that I chose to be with a group of followers who want to access the power of unity in prayer or would he be appalled at my clothing? Would he tell me to get over myself and love people and quit caring what they wear or would he ask me to gently guide them to more holy clothing? Although, admittedly he technically has never asked me not even with the pajama wearer.
This is going to sound so stupid, but it’s my blog so I will take license today, but Nirvana’s song Come As You Are keeps going through my head as I write today.
Come as you are,
As you were,
As I want you to be,
As a friend, As a friend,
As a known enemy,
Take your time, hurry up,
The choice is yours don’t be late, take a rest….
Come doused in mud,
soaked in bleach,
As I want you to be,
As a trend, as a friend….
The song always invokes a “make up your mind” feeling when I hear it. As if nothing the writer did was the right thing to do. As if people tell him to come as you are but really want him to come as they need him to be.
This is what the Dress Code invokes in me. As if no matter what side I pick on this issue it won’t be right. No matter what I do it won’t be right. Help me Jesus to allow me to see in others what You sees in them.
Maybe I could get past all of this. I still prefer to dress in ‘Sunday Best’ but whose to say I’m right? Maybe I could past all of this. Then again, I’d probably still check out your shoes.
Titus2:3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
I am blessed to have an amazing mother-in-law, Doris, that has been my spiritual mentor. She loves the Lord and she is a big time intercessor (that means she prays for me)! I love her and what she has to teach me. Do you have a spiritual mentor? If not, pray and ask the Lord to send her.
How will know when she arrives? Is she already in your life? Here are the signs that follow a mentor. She is the one who encourages your spiritual walk. She walks with the authority of a woman who knows her Lord and she teaches you what she knows as you are ready to learn. She is the one who loves you through the rough times in your life and leads you straight to the feet of Jesus. She is the one whom you see really walk out her faith. Is she perfect? No, not at all but she’s working on herself and it shows. She sees your progress and tells you about it. She never loses patience with you (for very long). She has a divine word for your life and she prays for you. She corrects you with love and guides you with wisdom. She rejoices with you in all of your successes and comforts you in your sorrow. She imparts her wisdom into your life. She is one with whom you can share your secrets with and she will hold them, not casting judgment but giving wisdom. She teaches you to walk in the way of a true woman of Christ.
Here is how you know she is not a spiritual mentor. She will not ever give you advice that goes against the word of the Lord. She will never manipulate you into doing what she thinks you ought to do. She will never try to control your actions. She will always have your best interest at heart. She does not counsel with you over her stuff but she is authentic and may share life lessons learned. She does not intimidate you ever. She knows intimidation never works long-term. She understands you will either follow her advice or not but she loves you anyway.
My prayer for you today is that you find her. That if you don’t have her in your life already that God will send her to you. Your life will be better for it and you will have someone with whom you can rely on to be with you!
Got this email that is truly worth sharing. Take it from someone who knows this first hand!
So my husband and I took off for a few days of rest. We stayed in South Lake Tahoe and took a drive to Virginia City. It’s a beautiful drive with lots of great scenery. We got off along the way to take some pictures and do some walking. After all, not having an agenda is the goal!
It was such a gorgeous day, the snow is melting, the sun is out and it’s a good time to be outdoors.
Isn’t the lake just the best sight? Imagine that God made this all for YOU!
My husband decided that if he was going to live in Virginia City then he wanted to be the Sheriff. He is a Louis L’amour fan! Then we saw this church. When it was built it cost $12,000. Man, talk about a cost of living increase. I wonder what they’d think of what we’ve paid to have our church put back together?
It’s been a good time off. Now it’s time to head home and get back to work! I’m blessed to work, and I’m blessed to have a good man to share my life with. Some things we should never take for granted!
I’m learning so much! We are taking The Love Dare at church. The lessons have been excellent. I’ve learned a lot about myself and the kind of wife I am. On some things I’d grade myself an “A”. On other things I fail miserably. Yet, my husband, week after week loves me anyway.
One phrase that seems to be the resounding cadence of the men in the class is, “It’s Never Good Enough”. Wow! I can certainly see how the snake in the garden of Eden got to Eve and caused her to sin so simply. In her eyes, it simply wasn’t good enough and there was room for improvement. Since in our inner design, we as women are multipliers. I suppose that at our base level we view everything as able to be improved. However, in our saved condition we must learn to be at peace and content.
It has really been a learning experience to hear good men say they feel that they can’t do things right at home, when really the issue is they don’t do the task as their wife does it. It can be something simple like sweeping the floor or something a little more complicated like giving the kids a bath. We women have this idea that we can do it better.
So my resolve is set, my eyes are fixed on the prize and that is to have a husband who feels more than adequate and who really is my partner in life. He’s not perfect, but neither am I so we’ll have to be works in progress together.
Everyone’s been asking what Anthony’s been up to because he’s never around these days. Well, he got a fabulous job and moved to Los Angeles. He met a beautiful girl named Frances, from our home town, at the May Day Fair. She is smart and funny and the rest is history.
So on a rainy day they went out to look for some fun! Here are some pictures.
So there you go. He has trade shows coming up in February, but maybe we’ll see him around in March!
Pastor Susan 