You are beautiful.

I've heard Mercy Me's "Beautiful" more times than I can count without ever really listening to the words. Until this morning. It played on my way to school. And. I was in tears. It spoke to me. God spoke to me. For so many reasons. This was just the song I needed to hear this morning. It has stuck with me all day. Replaying repeatedly in my head. I hope to pay it forward. And let someone else know.

You are meant for so much more than this.

You are treasured.

Your are sacred.

You are HIS!

Beautiful!

2,000 Degrees

Today is the last day of school before Christmas break. YEA!!! And we dismissed at 11:00. Double YEA!!! We are very excited around here to be spending the next 17 days foot loose and fancy free. It's been a super busy week and we've had Devotions in a Box every morning instead of our usual devotional meetings. They've all been wonderful, but I thought I would share the one from today.

Here's how the ways of God are described in Isaiah 64:8. It's our word for today from the Word of God. "Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand." There it is. Me clay, Lord; You potter.

When God wanted to explain to His people the painful events in their lives, He sent His prophet Jeremiah down to the potter's house for an illustration. Jeremiah said: "I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as it seemed best to him." Then the Lord sent this message: "Like the clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand" (Jeremiah 18:1-6.)

Since this potter parallel is God's idea, let's consider how the ways of the potter may shed some light on the ways of God in your life, in the past and even in your current circumstances. We're all that shapeless lump of clay until we put ourselves in the hands of the Master Potter. Only the One who gave you your life can shape your life into what it was created to be.

How does He make you into a masterpiece? First, there's the purifying. The Potter works to wash out and work out impurities that keep you from becoming something beautiful. And then, there's the poking and the squeezing-the pain which makes us want to ask the Potter, "Why?"

His answer: "I'm shaping you into something of great value. Trust Me." And then there's the heat-2,000 degrees in that kiln oven. If the clay could talk, it would probably scream, "You're killin' me in here!" No, see the heat solidifies and makes permanent the beautifying work that the Potter's been doing. Without the heat, you lose what He's made you. The heat makes it last. (The heat analogy brought to mind this short post from two years ago. I love it when that happens.)

So whatever you're going through right now is a tool in the hands of the Master Potter. It's not random, it's not just about the situation you can see in front of you. It's the chosen tool of the Potter who is also your loving Father. Let Him do His wonderful work. Trust His loving hands even when you can't understand what He's doing. He's using what's happening to make you more beautiful and more valuable than you could ever imagine.

Because HE Lives

I attempt to listen to Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah each morning while driving to school. I say attempt simply because with two boys in the car with me I cannot always hear the radio. However a couple of weeks ago, they were occupied with other things and I was able to hear his message. He'd been doing a series on hope, and he began telling a story about Gloria Gaither (A Living Hope Part 2, aired on Wednesday, August 25, 2010, at 17mins & 30 secs). She was pregnant during the tumultuous times of the sixties and had become very depressed about what kind of world she was bringing her child in to. She prayed and prayed, and then one day her veil of depression began to lift as the Lord moved upon her heart with the central message of the hope in the risen Christ. She was so overcome with the principle of life conquering death not someday but today. She expressed her feelings and emotions by writing the song, Because He Lives. Dr. Jeremiah commented on how the second verse to the song now makes so much more sense:

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

And feel the pride and joy he gives;

But greater still the calm assurance:

This child can face uncertain days because HE lives!

I've now heard the sermon several times, and each time I hear it I have tears running down my face. You see, I've been where Gloria Gaither was...on this day nine years ago. I was four months pregnant with my precious Trey and I was teaching 1st grade just south of Atlanta. One of the teachers came in to tell me what had happened. I busied my students and went across the hall to a second grade classroom (second grade was at activity) and watched on the television. Shortly after it was time for my students to go to activity. While they were gone I sat in my classroom, eyes glued to the television, tears streaming down my face, wondering what kind of world I was bringing my baby in to. It was a very helpless and hopeless feeling. But, our God is a God of hope & because He lives we can face tomorrow.

Upsy Daisy!

I was blessed to spend this morning with the amazing women of my church at our annual Mother's Day brunch. And it struck me, how amazing it is when God works out the little details of our life. We generally hold our Mother's Day brunch the Saturday before Mother's Day. This year we decided that since Mother's Day weekend is so busy, that we would have our brunch the weekend after. And I fully believe that God knew that I would need this time with our church women this weekend, not last! You see, the past week has been very trying to say the least. Last Saturday night we hit a small speed bump in our little world. Phil was on the way home from the coast with our boys, and he got stopped because a tail light was out on the boat trailer. It wasn't a big deal until the officer informed him that his license had been suspended since June 2008. We were flabbergasted and confused! We had no idea why or what it would take to get him his license back and were very worried that it would take a great deal of time, effort and money. God had already blessed us by having the officer let Phil go with a ticket, rather than putting him in the backseat and hauling him in right in front of our boys. Now I prayed that God would work out the rest of it and He did. It turned out that it was something to do with a ticket that we had paid on June 18, 2008. By Tuesday afternoon, Phil had his license back and life was normal again.

Then Wednesday afternoon disaster struck! Around Trey's first birthday we decided to move our family from our home in McDonough back to our hometown. It took us a year to work out all the details, but in January, 2004 Phil and his brother bought a warehouse to run their new businesses out of and we made our final preparations to return home. It also worked out perfectly, as we now had a place to store all of our stuff! Over the past six plus years, they have operated several businesses from there, and as with all businesses, there have been many ups and downs. Some businesses are now gone, while others have grown, and there have been good times and lean times. Currently Phil and Cory are farming hay. Both of them love the farming life, and the farming life has been good to both families. The headquarters for the hay operation was the warehouse and things have been going really well this past year. Then came Wednesday! Around 2:00pm on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, a forklift caught fire due to a small explosion that occurred when it was cranked. Thankfully, the man on the forklift was able to walk away without injury. However, the fire quickly spread and by the time I arrived around 3:30 pm it was apparent that the whole building was gone. Now, some may say that it was just a business and that they can rebuild. And they can. And they will. However, it was a place where my hubby and his brother and their families have united over the past six years. We spent many of the past six July 4th's there, eating watermelons, cooking hot dogs, and watching fireworks. Our kids have sat in the doors of the water filled loading docks and fished. When we were first getting the offices together, Trey helped paint the hallways and the pink bathroom getting paint all over himself and having a grand time. And we had lots of stuff stored there, all of us, and our extended family. Everything from our wedding, including my wedding scrapbook is gone. Everything from high school. Everything Winnie the Pooh from Trey's nursery. The twin bed that was my Dad's when he was a kid. The ficus tree that we had from Phil and Cory's grandmother's funeral 12 years ago. The swing that my step father built us when we lived in McDonough. And that's just some of the stuff that I had stored up there. My sister in law, my Dad, Phil and Cory's aunt, and friends of the family all had stuff stored there and it is all gone now. Things that can never be replaced. All we can do is move on. Thankful that no one was hurt, and a little sad and emotional over what was lost. And we're also counting our blessings. No one was injured in any way and for that we are very thankful! I am so thankful that Phil never took most of our Christmas decorations back to the warehouse. They've been a pain to walk around in the laundry room for the past five months, but now I am so thankful that they are there. While I lost a lot of my childhood Christmas things that we no longer used, I still have all of our boys ornaments. I am thankful that Phil took our boys fishing last Saturday because it means that the boat was at the house, and not at the warehouse. And I am thankful that my sweet nephew Hinson is using all of our baby furniture because it is safe at his house instead of stored in the warehouse where it has been for much of the last 6 years. And I am very thankful for the strength and positive attitude of my hubby and brother in law. They are moving forward with faith and determination and looking forward to all the good things that God is going to bring out of this tragedy.

So you see, God knew that I would need my church family today. And He sent us the perfect devotional. Our theme this year was gardening, and gerber daisies decorated the tables. This past week, my friend Jessica was searching the internet for devotional ideas and came upon one titled Upsy Daisy, perfect for our garden themed brunch. Before we began the devotional, we passed a gerber daisy around. Each woman picked off a petal and said, "He loves me, and He has blessed me this week with...." Mine was, "He loves me, and this week He has given me strength, and peace over things that I can not control." After every woman had spoken, Jessica read aloud the following devotion. It was perfect for this upsy daisy time in my life and I want to share it with you.

Upsy Daisy!

Written by: Julia Bettencourt

"I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up…" Psalm 30:1

I'm sure you are familiar with the expression "upsy daisy". It's the phrase we use when we want to give encouragement to our children when they are learning to walk or when they've had a fall. It means "up you go". When my own kids were little and learning to walk, I'd let them hold on to my fingers and I'd lead them along and as they'd start to fall, I'd help them and say, "upsy daisy".I think that God does the same with us. We go walking along in our Christian life and hit some bumps in the sidewalk or maybe we even fall into a big hole and God helps us up and says, "upsy daisy". He brushes us off and tells us everything is going to be okay.It's not fun when we are down and we find and our lives turned upside down. It's sometimes hard to see everything in the right perspective when we aren't standing upright. But we have a God who cares about us and is there when we get down and He helps us up. There are some great examples in the bible of some people who had some "upsy daisy" moments.

Job. I think of Job first I guess because when he went down, it was with such a sudden force and a big thud. Here he was, going through life so blessed by God and all of a sudden, Job was laid low. So much happened to Job in such a short time but God was with him all the way and in the end said, "upsy daisy, Job".Job is such a great example to show that when we don't see God, God still sees us. It's like when a toddler falls down and doesn't see his mother because she's out of site for a little bit while he's lying on the ground after he's fallen. It's kind of scary. But then after a few moments when he sees the face of his mother and knows she's there to help him up, he's okay again. Job might not have been able to see God but God could see Job and Job knew God was still there within reach. What’s worth remembering is that even though he couldn't see God, Job still obeyed God. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward,but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work,but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand,that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take:when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips;I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. 23:8-12 It's so exciting to see how God said, "upsy daisy" to Job. The Lord had a way of showing Job that all was okay. God lifted up Job and put him upright on his feet once again and "the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10).

And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters,and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. Job 42:10-12a

David. David had some times when he was down in his life. I think about how when Saul's army was chasing after David. Some of us worry over a few unkind remarks that just one person hurls at us. That sometimes can get us down, but here David was with a whole army in hot pursuit of him. The path for David was bumpy and he had some falls.What I love about David is that when he was down, he still kept the conversation going with His Lord. Some of us find that so hard. We hit a bump and get knocked down and we just stop talking to God altogether. We let our relationship and time with the Lord just slide downhill. David kept talking and crying out to God. We can see that throughout the books of Samuel where David's life is recorded but also in Psalms where so many of David's songs and psalms are written for us. Some of those psalms were written during some very low points in David's life. God just kept picking David up and saying, "upsy daisy". Through it all God was always with him and had a way of lifting David up and blessing him.

And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him. 2 Samuel 5:10 Through this David knew that God was the one that picked him up and put him upright. And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake. 2 Samuel 5:12 These few verses mentioned in Samuel of course weren't the end of bumps for David. He still had a war to fight with the Philistines, a great sin to commit where he fell big time, and a lot of other things. But through it all, God was there to brush him off, lift him up, and gently remind David of His presence.

Naomi. Naomi is another great example of how God just gently lifts us up when we are at a low point in our lives. Have you ever been at that grieving stage when all you can do is cry? Sometimes we get like a small child who's fallen down and is left crying with his hurt and pain. We have to be reminded that there's a God who will eventually lift us up and say, "upsy daisy". Look at Naomi. Her husband had died and her sons. It seemed like death surrounded her. I love this story because it shows that sometimes God doesn't want us to walk alone after we've had an "upsy daisy" moment. Sometimes God may give us a friend to go through something with us or He may provide a church of loving people who are there to encourage us right when we need it. Like Naomi, we may think we don't need someone else to be there for us but God knows best. God had Ruth, Naomi's daughter-in-law there for her to be with her and even travel with her back to Naomi's homeland. I think that's just so great that God gave Naomi a traveling companion. Sometimes when we've had those "upsy daisy" moments, it is hard to get walking straight again and sometimes we may need a friend to walk there beside us. God's aware of what we need and whom we need in our lives. It's His way of laying His hand on us and gently telling us that it's going to be okay.

And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go;and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people,and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. Ruth 1:14-20

In the end and through circumstances that only God could have brought about, Naomi was put back on her feet. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, gave Naomi a grandson. It was one of God's ways of telling Naomi that He was still there with her lifting her up.And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. Ruth 4:14-15

Conclusion: Maybe you feel like your life has been turned over on its head and you are feeling the pressure of an "upsy daisy" moment. Just hold on. God knows you are down. He's not far from you. I know it's hard to be thankful for those "upsy daisy" moments in our lives but don't you just love the fact that it is God that does the "upsy" part. It is Him that lifts us up. It may be through several circumstances that work together but God has His hand working in all of it.There's been many a moment that I've wondered why I'd been brought so low but those are the moments that I've seen God the closest and had to rely on His encouragement the most. If I just look around for Him and listen to His voice I know He's there even when I'm down and I know I can get through anything when I have Him with me. God has that way of giving us His presence and saying, "upsy daisy". It's all going to be okay. You'll get back on your feet again. Up you go! So, are you thankful for your "upsy daisy" moments?

Copyright ©2010 Julia Bettencourt

Scripture References are from the King James Version.

http://www.juliabettencourt.com/

I got one gerber daisy last Sunday for Mother's Day. I got another one at the brunch today. They are now both reminders of how God picks us up and puts us back on our feet during those "upsy daisy" moments.

If Day

February 19, 1942, was a fascinating day for Canada. It was "If Day"--a World War II staging of a fake Nazi invasion of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The intent was to show what it would be like "if" Canada fell under the harsh occupation of Nazi forces, so that Canadians would support the war effort more fully.

As one person described the event, "If Day brought home the reality of Nazi occupation. Manitobans got a very bitter taste of nearly every aspect of Nazi brutality." The key word there is nearly. While "If Day" was a valiant attempt to educated people about danger in the world, it cold not begin to recreate the actual suffering that was sweeping Europe.

Real trials in life are not ifs--they are whens. In fact, life's most profound lessons cannot simply be observed, they must be experienced. It is there, in actual seasons of heartache and loss, that we gain greater insight into life, faith, and our need of God. To that end, James wrote, "My brethren, count if all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (James 1:2-3).

Trials come because we live in a broken world, but we decide if we will learn the lessons taught. There are no "ifs" about it--it is an important way to grow. Someone has written:

Though you cannot see the outcome,

Trust the Lord--He knows what's best;

Be assured He sees your trial,

And He's with you in your test.

Tough times can teach us to trust.

Therefore, seek a relationship with God, finding your joy there, and out of you "will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). Be a fountain through which Jesus can pour His "living water." Live "your life...hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). A person who has that kind of relationship with God lives a life as natural as breathing wherever he goes. The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How wonderful to know that we serve a loving God who has control over everything. How different would we do things if we could see the big picture the way that He does? My guess is that a lot of us wouldn't change much because we couldn't possibly understand the big picture OR we would try to "fix" things and end up making them worse. Trials will come. Tough times will come. And hopefully we learn from them and lean on the Lord more because of them. Three times in the less than a week this verse has been brought to my attention: 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Last week my SIL referred to it when blogging about a difficult road that they are currently traversing. Then Monday night, at our women's bible study, it was the key verse for the night. Our leader had printed it out on bright green "bookmarks" for us to place in our Bibles to help us remember to place our "worries" in the Lord's hands. Then this morning, our principal said that he was going to share with us the teacher's bible verse and then he quoted 2 Timothy 1:7. Three times in less than a week!!! I know difficult times will come, and I'm beginning to believe that the Lord has placed this verse in my path to prepare me for something. What? I don't know. It would be nice to have a wonderful little handbook that tells me all about what's coming and how it's going to turn out. However, that's not the way it works. Instead, whatever comes my way I have to trust in the Lord and know that He knows the who's, what's, why's, and how's even if I don't. And I'm glad that He does because I would just make a mess of things!

Hope every has a very blessed Wednesday!

Love

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Eleven years ago I married the most wonderful, the most frustrating, the most loving, and the most aggravating man that I have every known! Today he still thinks that I'm beautiful inside and out, he still makes me laugh, even when I think that I'm mad at him, he is still coming to my rescue when I won't go anywhere near my car because a mouse has stowed away, he is still MY BEST FRIEND!
I am the luckiest woman in the world.
Thank you Lord for blessing me with this man.

Today I read the most perfect devotion to celebrate our Christmas time anniversary and I wanted to share it with you.

A Gut Honest Look at Love
by: Lysa TerKeurst

"if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV)

As the holidays approach, I have to be careful about developing an overly ideal view of love. Sometimes I'm guilty of setting the expectations so high of what a 'love filled' Christmas should be that it dooms me to feeling disappointed and grumpy. Ever been there? Well, this year I am feeling challenged to look at love a little differently. I don't want to repeat a habit that I've had from the past where I expect unrealistic things from those I love. I used to hold out the little cup of my heart to my husband, "Will you fill my empty spaces? Will you do that one really romantic thing that makes me feel like I'm the most terrific and special woman in the world? "Then I would hold it out to my children, "Will you fill up my empty spaces? Will you do something that makes me look really good as a mom so I'll feel a little more validated?"Then I would hold it out to my friends, "Will you fill up my empty spaces? Will you provide something today that makes me feel more included and significant?"Maybe Christmas is an odd time to consider such things.Or, maybe this season celebrating Jesus is the perfect time to hit the reset button on my sometimes frail heart. Love is a tricky thing. Our hearts were created to crave it. But misplaced expectations from love can wreak havoc in a person's heart.God proclaims in 1 Corinthians 13:8 that love never fails. And in the quietness of my heart that verse makes me squirm a bit. I see love failing all the time. Or do I?If my only view of love is what it will give me, love from others will fail me every time. It's not that love fails. It's that other people were never meant to be my God. Even a great husband, wonderful children and a thriving ministry can never truly fill me up, right all my wrongs, and soothe those deep insecurities. Not at Christmas. Not at any other time of the year.No, I can't read 1 Corinthians chapter 13 with eyes hungry to see what love should give me and then demand it from those around me. I should read those steadfast Scriptures with the realization that this is the kind of love God gives to me. And this is the kind of love I can choose to give to other people.I can choose that my love will be patient. My love will be kind. My love won't keep a record of wrongs. (Ouch - that's a hard one, right?)I can choose that my love will protect and persevere.And I can choose to lay the cup of my heart at Jesus' feet and stop twirling, twirling, twirling...hoping- demanding- that those around me do things for me they were never meant to do.Interestingly enough, when I read 1 Corinthians 13 again this morning I found an odd yet perfect verse toward the end of this chapter. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me" (verse 11).Yes indeed. How funny I never connected that verse about putting away childish things with 1 Corinthians 13 - known as the chapter of love. Oh how we have the propensity to grow in other areas while keeping such a childish, selfish view of love.Love isn't what I have the opportunity to get from this world. Love is what I have the opportunity to give. And I guess there's no more appropriate time to remember this than Christmas.

Dear Lord, thank You for the ability to see love in the proper way. Help me to know how to be filled with Your love so I don't try to get others to fill my empty spaces. Lord, give me wisdom with each of my relationships. Make me a woman that properly lives the principals in 1 Corinthians 13. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Devotion in a Box

Appling Christian Academy is a very special place and it is a very special place to work. One of the many reasons is that the people of ACA, whether they be students, parents, or staff, all become one big family. We look out for each other, we lean on each other, and we pray for each other. The staff begins each morning in devotion. We read the Bible, talk about the Bible, and pray. Occasionally instead of meeting for our morning devotion, our principal writes and hands out our devotion. These are labeled our Devotion in a Box. Today I thought that I would share one of our recent ones.

It was many centuries ago in a remote village in India. Word began to spread that something was about to happen that no one had seen in their lifetime-the prince was actually coming to visit this forgotten little village. Well, everyone was excited, but no one was more excited than the village beggar. Every day he eked out another day by sitting by the road with his little cup, hoping to get enough money to buy some rice to live one more day. He actually had two cups, one for collecting money and one for his few grains of rice. But now the prince as coming. I mean, the wealthy prince! When the prince finally arrived, the beggar mustered his most impassioned appeal, "Alms! Alms for the poor!" And the prince stopped. The beggar's heart was pounding furiously.

"Give me your cup of rice." That was all the prince said. The beggar slumped down in disbelief. Here was the wealthiest man in the land, asking for his lousy little cup of rice. The beggar was about to refuse, but instead he reached in and he put three grains of rice in the prince's hand. The prince turned to his servant and said, "Bring me the bag of gold." The beggar could hardly contain himself as he eagerly stretched out his empty collection cup. The prince reached into his bag and placed three grains of gold in the beggar's cup. And then he disappeared, never to return, but leaving the beggar to wonder for the rest of his life what would have happened if I had given him my whole cup of rice?

Jesus, the Prince of Heaven, may be passing your way today with so much to give you. The forgiveness of every sin you've ever committed, a new beginning, the peace that has eluded you your whole lifetime, and an eternity with Him in heaven. He wants to make you spiritually rich.

II Corinthians 8:9 says, "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (grace means undeserved love), that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."

Your life is as big as you can make it, and it's nowhere near enough, is it? Jesus has chosen to pass your way today, asking you to turn over to Him the life that He gave you and the life He died for.

If you're ready to trade what you have for what Jesus has, would you tell Him that right now? Tell Him you're putting all your trust in Him.

May everyone have a blessed day!

What can we learn from a scarecrow?

Last week Jesse brought home this cute little scarecrow that he had colored. Attached to the paper was the following little devotion that I thought I would share:

Wouldn't it be great if you could use a scarecrow to scare away frightening things in your life? You can't use a scarecrow, but you do have someone that has promised to be with you when you're afraid. The Bible says "The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid." (Psalm 118:6) Today, tell Jesus that you need his forgiveness for doing wrong things. Ask him to help you trust and obey him. Let Jesus know when you feel afraid, because he has promised to never leave you. (Joshua 1:5)

Life doesn't need to be scary,
because Jesus loves you!

I pray that this is a lesson that both my boys are learning and living by. However, I also think it's a lesson that we adults could use a reminder of sometimes.

Remember, even in the darkest hour, God is good!

May you have a blessed day!

And be not conformed to this world...

I've spent the past two days at the Georgia Association of Christian Schools conference in Macon, GA. I was looking forward to it, but I wasn't sure what to expect from it. I had heard lots of good things, but as someone new going in, I was a little unsure. I must say I was blown away! It far exceeded my expectations, took me out of my comfort zone, and made me look at my life...as a Mama, as a teacher, as a wife, as a CHRISTIAN! The speakers were not just inspiring, but they were POWERFULLY INSPIRING and while I know I will never capture their powerfulness here, I hope that I can convey some of their inspiration.

Our theme for the conference was: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 And our first speaker Thursday morning jumped right in. He challenged us to not ENDURE the will of God but to ENJOY the will of God! That we must make our bodies available, acceptable, and adaptable to the will of God! That we must pray to God with no will of our own, for if God is not doing something FOR YOU (answering your prayers) then He is doing something IN YOU so that He can do something great THROUGH YOU!!! Our minds must be transformed, not just conformed to the will of God because whatever you are on the inside is going to come out when you are cracked and/or broken, and we are all cracked and broken pots at some point. What do you leak out of your cracks? Anger. Bitterness. Jealousy. or JESUS! For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. Proverbs 23:7

I want to move to Australia!

Today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
And I want to move to Australia.
Any of you out there recognize the voice of Alexander???
I used to read that book on the first day of school.
I now know why.
Since school has started my life has been filled with terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, mostly because my 3 year old totally refuses to "adjust" to school. Mornings are a fight and I'm called out of my classroom almost daily to attend to potty problems.
Today was the worst.
Then I came home.
And in my email inbox there were two very important things:

#1...My daily devotional which concluded with this:

Is there a situation you are facing that has made you weary? Are you at a point
where you have nothing more to say? If so, you are not alone. Let's pray today
that our words will cease so that we can make room in our hearts and thoughts to
hear His.

Hmmm....a very important reminder!

#2...An interview in which Rick Warren said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a
nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and
God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and
that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100
years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is
the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.
God wants us to practice on earth what
we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you
figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of
problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're
getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more
interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in
making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be
reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to
grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest
year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife getting cancer.
I used to
think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go
to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than
life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a
railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in
your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always
something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in
your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can
focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus on
your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my
issues, my pain."
But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get
your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that
in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to
heal my wife or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and
yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other
people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You
have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually,
sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past
year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me
instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never
had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your
own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He
wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two
different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm
72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our
lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through
last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up
foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches,
equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next
generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24
years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to
be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live
for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt?
Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my
life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say,
God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love
You better ...
God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's
more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human
beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments,
SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every
moment, THANK GOD

I needed both of these reminders today. I needed to remember that I am not walking through these problems alone. I needed to remember that He has a plan in all of this. I needed to remember that it is okay to cry out to Him and say, "please change this!" He may not answer but that's okay too. And most importantly, I needed to remember that there is good in everything. People that I didn't really know at all a month ago came to my rescue today. They comforted me, they allowed me to vent, and they voluntarily took over for me so that I could have time to recover without fourteen 4th graders watching my stress. Yes, I have a lot to be thankful for!

Dear Lord, Thank you for the people that you have placed in my life.
Help me to trust You to work out the problems that Jesse is facing in preschool
and to seek Your counsel and not rely on my own answers. In Jesus'
Name. Amen

Life's Twists and Turns

Life is full of surprises and twists and turns and it seems that I never wind up exactly where I was planning on going. When I left teaching in 2002, I always thought I'd go back to it, one day, way down the road. However, I thought that it would be years and years and years because I never dreamed that we'd move away from McDonough and I never in a million years thought that we'd move back to our hometown!!! In my plans, our life would continue on pretty much as was, Phil working a nice 9 to 5 type job that he truly enjoyed and I would be at home raising the babies. What turns my life has taken in the last 7 years! I never dreamed that Phil would wind up owning/working his butt off for four or five different companies. I never dreamed that he would wind up farming thus meaning that I would be a farmer's wife. I mean when we dated I made it perfectly clear that farming was not the life for me!!! The hours, the uncertainty, the highs and lows...that is not something I wanted. Don't get me wrong, I am so very, very happy that there are people out there who love to farm. I mean where would we be without them??? But that's not my life! Well, the Lord has surely shown me that my plans are not HIS plans and that I better get with HIS program. Phil is currently farming hay in our hometown, the job and location that I never would have picked ten years ago. However, I can look back and certainly see God's grace in all the twists and turns that have lead us here and I can say with 100% certainty that there is no place I would rather be. A few weeks ago another new chapter, another turn took place in our lives. I went back to teaching. I know with absolute certainty that I am absolutely where God placed me. I adored being a stay at home mom. It is absolutely the best job in the world! However, now that my children are growing I wanted something more...a connection to people, to feel as though I was making a difference in the world, and most definitely stability. When I first began looking for a teaching position, several people suggested the small Christian school that Trey was attending. I brushed it off because if I was going back to work then I certainly needed to make x amount and we definitely needed insurance, and the list went on. But God was at work in my heart and once I started listening to Him I realized that there was no place that I would want to be other than that very Christian school. It took some time, but I finally landed right where God had intended me to be the whole time. I love the environment, I love the people, and I am really enjoying 4th grade! It is so different than where I was before Trey came along and I am truly happy. However, there are so many feelings of guilt too. Since I am now in the classroom it means that I will miss out on field trips, class parties, and all the "room mom" type stuff. I will miss that and I feel guilty about it. Jesse has not had an easy time making the adjustment from being with Mommy all day to going to school. He cries and whines and says he doesn't like school at all. It makes me feel oh so very guilty. However reading my daily devotions definitely helps. It's so funny isn't it, that they always seem to be speaking directly to me and a situation that I'm facing. One last week stated "As a mom, I have an opportunity to bring out the best in my children. But it consistently means I have to bring out the best in me." Now this particular devotion wasn't talking about me going back to work. It was trying to show how as moms we can't model one behavior, such as impatience, and expect our children to learn an opposite behavior. I must also admit here that I don't always take the time to read my daily devotions and I probably would have skipped right past this one except that my sister-in-law posted the prayer on her facebook page and also blogged about it's impact on her. And folks, lightening struck! Being the best teacher that I can be, surrounded by eager young minds that I can help shape and mold both intellectually and SPIRITUALLY while working with a wonderful, loving Christian staff most certainly brings out the BEST IN ME!!! And that means that I shouldn't be having these feelings of guilt! Okay, all us moms know that the feelings of guilt never truly go away, but if I am exactly where I am supposed to be, fulfilling God's plan for my life and I'm also consistently bringing out the best in me, then doesn't that mean that I am being the Mommy that I am supposed to be??? I think so! So while the feelings of guilt still linger, and are sometimes quite strong (I was in tears before leaving the house this morning after listening to Jesse tell us how much he didn't like school for at least an hour!) I have the power through our Lord and Saviour to move past those feelings and know that I am doing the best possible job that I can for my family and it's the job that God has intended for me all along. I'll leave you today, after my long and windy monologue, with the devotional prayer from that day. It is one that I needed, and I hope somewhere in all of this that I have inspired and/or helped one of you!

Dear Lord, thank You for calling me to be the mother of my children. I confess that at times I fall far short of where I want to be in this area of my life. I know I can't do this high calling of motherhood without Your Spirit within me. Help me to submit my selfish will to Your perfect way. Thank You for loving me and seeing my potential to grow and change. In Jesus' Name, Amen

While I'm Waiting...

Anyone who knows me well, knows that patience is not a virtue that I possess. I want things to happen in my time, but God has continually shown me that I must have patience and learn to trust in His timing. Yesterday I was having a bad day, and was very frustrated about certain things not going as smoothly as they were supposed to go. I picked up the phone to call a friend who is going through a difficult time and got the message, "please enjoy the music while we find the subscriber you have called." Then I heard the final words of this song..."I will worship while I'm waiting". I knew that God was sending me a message loud and clear! I feel like, not only was He telling me to be patient and wait on His timing, but that I also needed to share this message with the friend who I was calling. Now I'm sharing it with all of you! I hope that it inspires you too!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

I am way behind on my blogging. I have so many pictures and stories to post, but just haven't been in the mood lately. You see, almost two weeks ago someone robbed our house. Now let me tell you...that messes with your mojo in a bad kind of way. It is very unsettling to know that someone was in your house, going through your things. It has left me feeling very * ʇno ǝpısuı puɐ uʍop ǝpısdn *!!! I know times are tough...believe me I know! I've been looking for a job for over a year and a half now and we've been experiencing the financial crunch like a lot of other people. But it makes me very angry that someone(s) thought that the answer to their problems was to break into our house and steal stuff that didn't belong to them. It makes me even angrier that most of what they got was simply sentimental in value and not worth much dough. I mean what are they going to do with my hubby's football region championship ring that was made out of aluminum or selenium. And it totally confuses and bewilders me that the robbery actually answered a prayer of ours and this is the part of the situation that I have been struggling with the most. You see we had some very specific financial needs this month. And we prayed about them, and prayed about them. And those needs were met when we received the check from insurance. God's hand at work in this situation...I believe so. It shows me that God does indeed answer prayers, but that those answers may come in a form that you never would have dreamed of. It shows me that God works in very mysterious ways and HE can make ANY SITUATION good. It shows me that God's plans are certainly bigger than my plans. And it totally astounds me that God would choose this way to answer my prayer. But He did, and I have no doubt that He knows what he's doing. So that's my testimony. I hope that it helps someone to see God in even the worst of situations.

Our back door...the first attempt at entry

Bedroom window, outer pane...this was broken and then the window was pushed up.

This is what was left of the inside pane on the back window. How in world did they not cut themselves???

Do you like cashews???

Do you like cashews? I do...in fact I like pretty much any nut. Their wide availability is one of the smaller reasons why this is my favorite time of year. Why am I telling you this you ask? Well, I received this email yesterday and I found it very uplifting, especially during these trying times. I also found it very timely, as now every time I eat a cashew I'll be reminded of how God is "roasting" me in order to burn away my outer shell. Really confused now...well, read on and I hope you like it as much as I did!

Weekly Encouragement from Women of Faith and Friends
Tender Adjustments
Have you ever seen a cashew in its shell? Me neither. It turns out that a cashew has caustic oil between the nut's inner and outer shells. To rid this delectable treat of its acerbic element, the outer shell is burned or roasted off, and then the nut is boiled or roasted again to remove the inner shell.
Life's hardships often feel as though someone has turned up the heat on us, and we wonder if we'll survive. Yet I find when I've been "roasted" long enough in life's difficulties, my outer casing of bad attitudes, preconceived notions, and high-mindedness is burned off. I'm left meeker, less defensive, more pliable, and less caustic.
Jesus died for every "nut" in the land . . . even the hardest one. And for that, I'm particularly grateful. -Patsy Clairmont

Time After Time

I recently saw this YouTube for Time After Time. The video is wonderful and really spoke to me. I wanted to post the YouTube here, not only for all of you to enjoy but so that I could view it whenever I wanted to. Alas, I can't figure out how to post a YouTube on here so here is the direct link and if anyone can tell me how to post the video on here I would greatly appreciate it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9UWPraNgig

Yea! I figured it out!

On It's Way

I hope that I am not breaking any laws here, and if I am I beg forgiveness in advance.
I recently began receiving a daily devotional via email. The one on Tuesday spoke volumes to me and even had me in tears. I have reread it many times a day and tonight God laid it on my heart to share with all of you. I pray that it blesses you as it has blessed me.

On Its Way – Part 1
Whitney Capps

“Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.” Exodus 2:23-25 (NASB)
Devotion:
In today’s key verse in Exodus, we’re given an update of the state of affairs in Egypt. Clearly, God’s people needed deliverance and provision. When I read this passage, what stands out to me isn’t the people’s situation but the number of times God is called “God.”

Read it out loud and see if it hits you too. In everyday conversation we don’t tend to repeat the name of the subject over and over in subsequent sentences. We say it once and then use pronouns like “He.” However, God is referenced by name 5 times in 2 sentences in this passage. Awkward? Maybe. Significant? Monumentally.

I think the purpose is to make it clear to us that God is the one in charge of all that is about to transpire. God will hear their cries, remember their situation, and look upon them with concern. Then God will initiate the activity that will set the captives free, bringing glory to His name.

The Israelites were crying out to God for help in their slavery, but had no way of knowing that their gracious God was already at work, calling Moses to be His mouthpiece and their deliverer from Egypt. God had heard their cries, but it would be some measure of time before they were aware that He had answered their prayers.

Patience is required for those who seek the face of God. He has the answer in hand before we even voice our need, but it may take some time to manifest. You’ll find many examples of this in Scripture, but can I offer you a more contemporary example?

Most of my earliest memories are set in Fort Worth, Texas where we lived while my dad attended Southwestern Seminary. I remember little of the hardships my parents and grandparents talk about. My Granny still cries every time she describes what those years were like for her young son and daughter-in-law, so poor and so far from home. My mom, though a degreed teacher, stayed at home with me. My dad went to school full-time and worked as much as his demanding study schedule would allow. These were lean times financially.

At one point during our stint in Fort Worth, our car was stolen from the apartment complex where we lived. Mom tells me that while we had insurance, we didn’t have the money to pay the $100 deductible. While my parents tried to figure out how to make the ends meet, the mail arrived that day with a letter from my dad’s childhood Sunday school teacher. The letter explained that God had laid our family on his heart a few days prior, and God had told him to send us some money. In fact, God had told him to send us $100.00!

So a letter left Georgia nearly a full day before our car was stolen and two days before we were aware of our desperate need for $100.00. Even before my sweet parents’ prayers had reached the throne room of heaven, our great God had provision on its way. Remarkable? Certainly. Significant? Monumentally!

God knew what His covenant people enslaved in Egypt needed in 1400 B.C. He knew what a poor seminary family in Fort Worth, Texas needed in 1979. And dear sister, He knows what you need today right this very minute. He knows what we need because He knows all the cares of our heart. He is intimately aware of all that happens to us, because it all comes through His hand purposed for His glory and for our good.

Dear Lord, remind me even in moments of desperation and fear that You are in control. Help me fight the temptation to worry or doubt your provision. Grant me the peace to accept Your will as your promise to protect and provide for me and my family. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Intimacy with God: Your Daily Guide to Prayer by Tara Furman

What Happens When Women Walk in Faith by Lysa TerKeurst

Visit Whitney Capps’s blog

Application Steps:
Track your prayers in a prayer journal so that future generations can see how God’s faithfulness is at work in your life.

Reflections:
What are you anxiously praying for right now?

Can you resolve to set your heart at peace knowing that God’s best answer may already be on its way?

Power Verses:
Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (NIV)

© 2008 by Whitney Capps. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
http://www.proverbs31.org/