Happy Birthday!

Thank you, friends and family, for all the birthday wishes yesterday! The day started off shaky as Sundays are the days that Satan seems to be the hardest at work. I threw my own little pity party that a few were invited to. However, God had my attention during the morning service and He gave me a spiritual spanking. The Lord reminded me that I am completely dependent on Him. He gave me the perfect gift during the invitation when my husband picked out the hymn, I Need Thee Every Hour, which I did not necessarily think fit with the sermon. However, it was just what I needed. The song has had a special meaning for me for the past 7 years as my aches and pains have made me realize that I must depend on Him "in joy or in pain." I always tear up when I hear that song but yesterday, tears were streaming down my face effortlessly. They were tears of joy and comfort but my poor daughter thought there was something seriously wrong with me.

The remainder of the day was so much better after that. My sweet hubby took me to lunch at Spring Creek BBQ. Yummy! Then he took me shopping for my birthday gift. I don't have it yet since we want to make a wise choice because it is a big decision. I am excited about it because it will be a useful tool in the ministry and it is something I have wanted for a long time. So, when I get it, I will post about it. 

The evening message was an excellent way to end the year! We have been waiting for the Lord's direction for over two years and we were reminded to continue to wait for Him and not jump ahead. Waiting is one of the hardest things for a Christian to do but it will be so worth it!

The day ended with a Cowboys loss but I was not disappointed. The pain of a rocky season has come to an end. The playoffs would have just delayed the inevitable. They played a decent game, much better than I expected. So, I am a happy football fan. 

I am so thankful to have spent the bulk of my day in God's house with friends and family! I am in awe of God's goodness in my life! Thank you, Lord, for loving me and blessing me far above what I deserve!

Let Us Pray!

As this 4th of July comes to a close, I felt the need to blog some of my thoughts regarding our country and our freedoms. My family and I have spent the day indoors just being together. I've used a good part of the day to think about what today means for me, for my children, and for my grandchildren.

I am a patriotic red-white-and-blue-blooded American. The very sight of the flag still gives me goosebumps and tears. The men and women of our great nation who wear the uniform will always have my great respect and admiration. I am so blessed to be born in a nation that was founded on Biblical principles where freedom is mine.

Having said all that, I cannot help but think that the country I was born in is not the same country today. I hardly recognize it anymore. It seems we as a nation are getting farther and farther away from what our forefathers envisioned, what they fought for. We see daily in the news stories of legislation that our "leaders" are pushing that is taking away the freedoms that we have taken for granted. More and more, our nation is turning into a modern day Sodom as homosexuality is becoming commonplace and if you do not support gay marriage, then you are intolerant and unloving. Unborn babies, yes, I said babies, are being murdered daily all across this great land, and we are debating as to whether they feel the pain of abortion and if so, at what gestational age. Sin is not being called sin. Christians are not stepping up and taking a stand. I am downright afraid for our country if we continue down this path. God is not pleased with our nation as a whole. I believe we are only beginning to see God's judgment on us.

I am praying for a revival in our land. I am praying for that revival to start right here with me. I am praying for God to work in the lives of Christians across this nation. I am praying that we can get back to sharing Christ with the lost. He is the only answer to what ails us. If you are reading this and you are Christian, won't you join me in prayer for a revival like we have never seen? Will you stand up for what's right when it seems the rest of the world is against you? If you do not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, I would beg you to get that settled before it is eternally too late.

In closing, I have a verse that has been on my heart for quite some time along these lines. II Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Let us pray.

What's Love Got To Do With It?

I can be so stubborn sometimes as my husband would be the first to point out. After 15, yes, 15 years of marriage, I finally realized a valuable truth about loving my husband. Are you ready for this? Here goes!

I am commanded to love my husband.

 

Sounds simple, right? Wrong! God wants me to love this man that He has given to me whether I believe he deserves my love or not. So often in my marriage, I have been guilty of holding back because I don't feel loved or secure or valued. Love between a husband and his wife is supposed to mirror the love God has for us. More often than not, it is distorted and ugly, not at all what the Lord desires for us. To make matters worse, this is what we are demonstrating for our children, to place conditions on love.

 

Where would I be if God loved me that way? I would be dying in my sins to be forever separated from Him for all of eternity. The Lord and everyone around me knows that is what I deserve, not the lavish love He bestows on me moment by moment. So, why do I find it so hard to love my husband the way that God loves me?

 

It boils down to how I love God. I am commanded to love God with all of my heart, soul, and mind. If I am loving God the way that I should, I will be able to love my husband no matter what. (Afterall, he is God's gift to me). What does that love look like? It is caring for him when he is sick as well or better than I care for our children when they are sick. It is giving him an impromptu massage. It is dropping whatever I am doing when he walks in the house at the end of a long day just to give him a kiss and tell him how much I love and appreciate him. It is praying for him like my life depends on it. It is forgiving me before he asks for my forgiveness. It is admitting when I am wrong and not telling him when he is. It is reverencing him in front of our children and the rest of the world. It is allowing him to lead as the Lord leads him. It is listening to him. It is making time for him when I have not gotten to everything on my to do list. It is putting him before myself and our children. You get the picture! It is so much more but that is a start.

 

I am going to fail as I often do but at least I see that loving John will come much easier if I love him the way Christ loves me. Unconditionally!

 

I hope this helps other wives to love their husbands better. Titus 2:4 says, "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children." Let us learn to love our husbands better so that they can be the men of God that He wants them to be.



What are these trials for, anyway?

Since surrendering to the ministry almost two years ago, John and I have faced numerous tests and trials along the way. I have often had to ask, "What am I supposed to be learning from this experience?" Everything from illness to financial difficulties to losing loved ones and everything in between. We may never know why we face trying times in our lives but I am always aware that God is still God and nothing can take Him by surprise. My desire is that He will receive glory and my praise in the good times and the bad.

Most recently, I failed miserably at handling a trial well. Quite honestly, I was on the verge of going into a deep depression and I probably would have if I had not been in the Word and praying. It seems all three of my children (or at least two of them) have whooping cough. They have all been vaccinated and we took the necessary precautions. Nevertheless, we find them coughing so hard that they have trouble catching their breath and sometimes even vomit. I was told originally that the cough was due to severe allergies and that given time, it would pass. We carried on as usual going to church, the grocery store, and friends' houses. We even sent our oldest to camp for the first time ever. So, as you can imagine, I have felt an enormous weight of guilt. I just know that I most certainly will not be nominated for Mom of the Year. Afterall, not only have my kids been suffering but they have potentially infected others.

So, what have I learned from this? I have learned that my faith is too easily shaken. I have learned that Satan will use anything to get me to believe his lies. I have learned that I am double minded. I have learned that circumstances are beyond my control. I have learned that people are often way more understanding and compassionate than I give them credit for. I have learned that I have so much more to learn in my lifetime.

I have been reading the book of James in my daily quiet times. Let me just tell you that if you have never studied it, James can be a tough pill to swallow! Thankfully, my Heavenly Father knew just what I needed during this storm of whooping cough. I needed to look into the mirror of His Word and see that I was not walking with Him as I should. If I had been, I would not have begun to believe the lies of the devil who was ready to devour me.  James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." If I love Him with all of my heart, soul, and mind, He will help me to endure whatever may come my way. I will come through the fire better than when I went in.

Can I encourage and pray for you in whatever trial you may be facing? The Lord wants to make His children "perfect and entire, wanting nothing." You can rest in knowing that whatever is weighing you down is not bigger than our God. He wants your best. So learn from Him and allow Him to work in your life.

Beauty in the Storms of Life

The Lord showed me something beautiful as I was listening to the rain and thunder of this evening's storm. I don't know why I never noticed before... maybe because I haven't been paying attention. I wanted to share with you in case you have never seen it before. It is giving me a new perspective on the storms of life.

What do we know about storms? They can bring uncertainty and fear. It can sometimes seem there is no end in sight. A particularly harsh storm can bring floodwaters that can leave a lot of destruction in the path and can make one fear drowning. But storms are also beneficial. The rain washes away pollution and spreads pollen and seeds to allow for new growth. Storms bring with them a refreshing smell. If one looks closely, beauty can be seen in the raindrops and lightning. Speaking of lightning, although it is unpredictable and often dangerous, it also provides nitrogen in a useable form to sustain life. At the end of storms, either the sun is shining and a rainbow can be seen full of promise or a new day dawns giving glory to the Creator. The wonderful news is that storms do eventually end.

How does this relate to the storms of life? Simple. We are never certain of where a trial or difficulty is going to lead us and we may experience fear of what could happen to us. Sometimes, it seems that our problems may never end. We may experience a lot of aftermath from a particularly harsh period in our lives and we may fear our problems will overtake us. But we need to realize how beneficial it is to have trials. Things that can be harmful to us can be revealed and washed away. New growth can occur in our lives out of the lessons we learn through our hardships. After a difficult time, we have a renewed sense of joy and trust in the Lord that He saw us through it all (i.e., life smells better). Upon reflection, the storms of life actually hold an abundance of beauty. Trials and tough times are a necessary part of life that cause us to depend on God to give us just what we need at the exact moment we need it. In the end, we are assured that God's promises are always true and faithful and His mercies are new every morning. Praise the Lord...the storms of life do eventually end. They may not end in the way that we expect or desire but God is always in control! What a blessing to know that we do not have to go through life doing it all on our own! He has our best in mind and He is the King of kings and Lord of lords!

I hope and pray that you are as encouraged by all this as I am. I don't know what struggles you are going through but I pray that this can be a blessing to you. Please share any insights on "storms" that you may have and/or if you have something you would like me to pray for specifically, feel free to PM me or write it on my wall.

May God bless you,
Rene'

My Burdens Are Too Heavy

It has been a few months since my last post for good reason - life has just been busy and hectic. Many times I have thought, I really should post what the Lord is teaching me. I just haven't done it in awhile but today I just had to share because I think based on my conversations with other moms, homeschooling and ministry or not, that what the Lord showed me today will help someone else.

For the past couple of weeks, if I'm completely honest, I have not read my Bible (except at church). I have barely spoken to the Lord except through tears of grief. It started out as a day that I had a lot on my mind and my plate. Satan got me with the lie that I was just too overwhelmed and busy to spend time in the Word and in prayer on my knees or otherwise. I believed him. I got out of bed and immediately started about my day without so much as a thought that the Lord was exactly who was going to get me through my busy day. Needless to say, I didn't get much accomplished and I remained frustrated all day long. The next day, I awoke to thoughts of what I had to do that day since I didn't get much done the day before. Before I knew it, yesterday (Tuesday, November 27th) was here. Again, I had another frustrating, exhausting, and busy day. I realized at about 9pm last night that it had been a couple of weeks since I last really read my Bible or spent any time in fellowship with the Lord. The Holy Spirit brought to mind Lamentations 3: It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. (Lamentations 3:22-27)

As I went to sleep last night, my thoughts were His mercies are new every morning. I will not start my day without spending time with Him. As I got up this morning, those thoughts came back to my mind but were fighting with the thoughts of all that I need to get done in the next few weeks. I knew I could not go another day without spending that much need time soaking in God's Word and seeking Him first (Matthew 6:33).

I began looking for a quiet place to sit and be with the Lord but everyone was already up and there was not a quiet place in the whole house. So, I put Joshua back in his bed and I sat in the living room to read and pray. At first I had difficulty focusing on what the Lord was trying to show me as is often the case when we are out of fellowship with Him. I got to the last three verses of the passage I was reading and I just started weeping.


"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

This passage has been special to me since a warm day in early June 1989. It is what was preached the night I received Christ as my personal Savior. But this morning it had a different impact. The Lord spoke to my heart and reminded me that I do not need to go through my days carrying my own burdens. They are just too heavy for me to carry. If I will come to Him, He will give me rest and I do not have to do it on my own. It hit me that God knew from the beginning of time that I would not read my Bible for the past couple of weeks and that on this very day, I would need those words of comfort and encouragement. I was wrong for not seeking His face every single day and He was still merciful to give me just what I needed for this day. Praise His Holy name!

So, if you're like me and you are finding yourself overwhelmed, discouraged, frustrated, angry, etc., don't let Satan win the small battles of life. Stay in God's Word and talk to Him. He is always there to welcome you back into that sweet fellowship. He truly is good all the time! He will carry your burdens. As I was typing this, another passage came to mind and I want to close this post with it.

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." -I Peter 5:7-11

Living the Life of a Wife in the Ministry

Today's post is a bit touchy and difficult to write but it is all part of our journey into the ministry. My desire is to document that journey, the good with the bad. So, here goes!

Satan has been attacking me via other Christians. It seems my roles in the church as well as my role as a mother is in question. In the past year or so, I have taken on several tasks within our church and our homeschooling co-op. This has meant many hours for me and the kids spent at church. I will be the first to admit that I have not always handled those responsibilities in a way that was pleasing to the Lord. There have been days when my children have been put on the back burner due to my "work for the Lord" and I have gotten my priorities out of order. I have been, on many occasions, more than impatient with them. I have also placed a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of my oldest child. I am ashamed to admit all of that but I have asked the Lord and them for forgiveness and mercy.

Having said all that, I am a work-in-progress. I am a wife-in-the-ministry-in-training. I need the Lord each and every day to teach me what I should be as a wife, a mother, and a woman in the ministry. I need more experienced women to teach me by loving example and gentle direction. I need support from my church family as well as my natural family. I need mercy when I do mess up.

What you may not know is that the Lord is continually growing me as a wife, mother, and woman in the ministry. I have prayed and will continue to pray for Him to show me areas in my life that need to be changed. One of those areas I have mentioned in my two previous posts - NO DR. PEPPER and MORE WATER. As a result of this change in my life, I feel healthier and I am not experiencing as much pain. I have more energy to run with my toddler and I can still get other things done around the house and at the church. That was my goal - to be able to be a better wife, mother, teacher, and church member by being healthier.

After learning what others are saying about me and my parenting, I stayed up late into the night praying and seeking the Lord on the matter. He showed me, through His Word and through His people, that I am doing what I should be doing (not always perfectly but I am at least on the right track). I should not quit working at the church but I should always put my roles as wife and mother before church work. I just have to learn to balance the ministry to my family with my ministry at the church and in WACHE. All of this is part of living the life of a woman in the ministry. Yes, there are things that need to be done at the church but they are never  more important than time with my family, loving my husband and training my children. My children are my mission field and what I am doing now will impact them for all of eternity.

So, if you see me getting things out of balance, I would appreciate loving words of encouragement to help me get things back in line with what the Lord has intended. I love being a part of the family of God and getting the opportunity to serve the Lord with gladness in my home as well as in the church. I just want to please the Lord in all that I do.

All that being said, I am reminded of a song I learned as a child and I still enjoy singing it.
            He's still working on me,
            To make me what I ought to be.
            It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars,
            The sun and Earth and Jupiter and Mars.
            How loving and patient He must be,
            He's still working on me!