Sore spiritual muscles? It's a GOOD/GOD thing!

It's been a long time since I have had the opportunity to sit in front of adults to teach the word of God........

I have really missed it. I SO miss the spark of conversation.

This past Tuesday I was given the responsibility to teach/guide a Bible study

for a group of (senior)mature Christians.

You see Keith and Mrs Joy were talking about who would lead this weeks study...they don't like doing that type of thing.....and so Keith offered me up like a sheep to the slaughter. :)

I'll have to say that the realization of what I was doing did not begin to heighten my pulse until I sat there with so much aged wisdom.....and they waited for me to begin.

And then the thought.....What in the world was I thinking!?! Dear God-- hide me behind the cross!

He was faithful to remind me that it wasn't me teaching anyway......so

with a nervous stomach.....I opened my mouth and He spoke.

They were a sweet group of people and they jumped in with the conversation....which made time fly.

And before too long it was over and I had not been hung for speaking anything foolish. \o/

I have missed teaching and I do hope that one day I will get to do it more often.

I do think that when He finally releases me to open my mouth again-- there will be some incredible truths that have been planted in my heart because of what we have walked through lately.

Some things are just crazy......I would have never foreseen going through some of these things.

You know what it brings to mind?

Building a strong resume. 

All those individuals who are working so hard to add experience/school to

their repertoire so that they will be more valuable or so they can earn more money.

But in their case......they are the ones responsible for the work of making themselves well round.

Where am I going with this?

Just a little reminder for all of us who are looking at our lives and wondering why in the world we are going through the things we have gone through and are going through.

So here is the tie in.

As I was studying for Bible study foe Tuesday night.... there was a gentle reminder for me from

our brother Paul in the second book of Thessalonians the third chapter.

  When I first opened the study- I realized the major topic was the lazy people of the day that were not working but expecting others to take care of them. Paul was giving the church the right to "put them out" so that they would learn that if they did not work...they would not be allowed to eat off someone else's plate.

But the thing that touched me was a small verse at the beginning of the chapter.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (New International Version)

³But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

Now this hit me! Isn't it funny how God knows when we need reminders?

I may have been showing my age physically and spiritually.....but I jumped into this verse

because it seemed to be beckoning me.

You probably know that the people Paul was addressing were new believers that were going through a huge time of persecution....life was more than rough.

Can you imagine being in their shoes? They were out there "all alone" trying to work out their faith with fear and trembling....all the time wondering if they were doing it right. Wondering if they were doing enough.....that is why they were hesitant to stop taking care of those people who were no longer working.

They were full of questions, questions, questions.

I am sure they wondered how much they would have to do before they would arrive at the maturity of Paul.

When would they arrive at the point where they could say that in all things

they were achieving peace and content?

And so Paul....what a heart......dropped in some words of peace and security for these young believers.

First, he reminded them that..... God was faithful.

If you have received a text from me in the last several months you know that.....He is faithful.....is my signature. It is something that I need to be reminded of....and something that we all need to KNOW way deep down in the marrow of our bones.

As our savings came to an end... and there was no job in site....I needed to KNOW that He was faithful.

And He was.....we were down to our last dollars and Keith got a job this week.

He is faithful!

But sometimes on the way to that realization ----we sometimes think about what we can do to "shore ourselves up" so that we really believe that when the rough times come.

You know...how cool to have the wisdom before you get to the rough time.

But in the past .....the rough times have often become times of "works" for me.....tackling things on my own.

But the truth of this verse.........it is not my job to strengthen myself.

It is God's job... a promise that Paul uses to assure these wavering believers.

I wonder if they realized that God's way of strengthening them may have just been coming from the persecution they were experiencing?

Hmmmm

 I will stop this wondering/wandering post here...with just a gentle thought.

Will you allow God to strengthen you?

Usually......strengthening comes through opposition.

Are you experiencing opposition right now........remember....He is Faithful!

And remember that.....opposition could be part of His plan to strengthen you

in order to protect you from the evil one.

His plan is perfect.

Are you willing?

Bring the freeze!

How are you doing?

I feel like it has been so long since I was really here just to share what is going on in my heart and mind.

Life has been busy but I think that will change a tad as the cold weather settles in to these mountains.

The word around here is that it is going to be a hard winter.

We have had some major rain this year....even some flooding in the surrounding areas.....and if that trend continues we will be seeing lots of snow.

Of course there have been many groans as people scurry to gather fire wood and fuel....and they hope that maybe someone is wrong and it will be an easy winter....or at least a short one.

Who wouldn't want a winter that had just enough cool for us to get over the heat of summer...but not so much cold and snow that it kept the surrounding areas yucky and us looking outside for the first sign of spring.

Sometimes in my walk with God I have wished for short spiritual winters.

You know...... those times when things are tough and His voice is quieted 

by the things that are falling all around you. 

And I am sure in my heart the groaning came before God something like this.

"O.K God, I know there will be times when I feel locked in and like all around me is dead or dying. I know it has a purpose....to teach me to be more like You. But could you please just make it a quick freeze and then bring back the spring and then the harvest time?"

Can you identify?

Lately I have felt spiritually like those way up north who feel like winter lasts most of the year.

Thought roam through my head like......Will this spiritual winter ever end?

And......He was listening and He sent an answer. 

The other night I was watching a preacher on t.v. and by the time it was over I knew

my time there was God ordained.

We have all heard people talk about seasons.....spring time, summer time and harvest.

.I love harvest time....but I can't stay there all year.

So....this message hit me deep.....right where my pilot light was wavering. ;)

I will try and share with you what God allowed me to hear.

 

One year the winter was especially mild. Everyone was enjoying the fact that they would not have to endure lots of snow and cruel freezing temperatures. One day while he was out the pastor stopped off at a farmer friends to see how he and the farm were doing. In casual chit chat he mentioned how great it was that the winter was almost over and it had been so light.....it was the farmers response that hit the pastor so hard.

Instead of agreeing with the pastors view the farmer explained that the coming season would be extremely hard. Hard because normally when the temperatures got down below freezing and stayed there for a certain length of time......all the larvae and bugs in the ground died. But since they had not gotten those types of tempetures............the bugs would really cause havoc with the crops that would come.

And because of that......harvest would be sparse.

 

God used this information in a powerful way in the life of the pastor.

Many times God takes us into the winter in our spiritual life. He allows circumstances and events to come that have the potential to kill the things in our lives that will seek to kill and destroy the harvest that is to come.

When things get really hard and isolation comes we begin to feel that the events will kill us. But what God sees is that when His work has had its perfect work....all kinds of "bugs" in our lives will be dead.

I know that lately I have inwardly screamed at God.....WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!?!

I have looked at life and thought it could not possibly get any worse.....and then 

something else would happen. And I knew God was showing me just what strength He had already placed deep inside my soul and spirit.....not that that made it less bothersome. :) 

Meanwhile......what is dying in me? 

Is it my love for Christ.....or the part in me

that does not look and act like Him.

I refuse to have gone through all I have been through and let one of those

"bugs" escape to rear its ugly head in the "spring".

Guess it is time to thank God for a long hard winter....both spiritually and physically!

(our first snow up on the mountain)

Puts a little different perspective on winter don't ya think?

 

 

Launching Today

Today is the day that Blastoff opens for the first time.

This is an opportunity for you to shop and earn cash

back at over 400 well known stores.

Not only will you earn up to 15% cash back when you shop

but the discount

available to blastoff members is incredible.

And the cost to join blastoff?

It's free. Why no cost?

I would venture to say that places like Kohls and
many more stores

are showing their appreciation for the massive

advertising the blastoff sites will be providing.

Go check it out and see if it is something that

will help you with your online shopping.

On the 27th of this month Pizza Hut will join our

company in promoting Blastoff  and then

it will be open to the public.

Join now and pass the word.

Remember...it's free to join.

You'll be happy you did.

I am going to close the comments because

I don't want anyone to feel pressured.

~~BLASTOFF~~ .

If you have a question feel free to email me.

If you are on my email list you should be getting an

email from my Blastoff site.
I have noticed that the site response is a little
slow...be patient they are being
bombarded by all our weeks of pr.
We did our job. ;)

Still here

Just wanted ya'll to know that I haven't given up blogging......yet. :)

I am here and wading through this life.

We had a board meeting this past weekend....but still no answers about what our future will hold.

The plan is to open Mountain Top Experience in April....and oh my goodness the amount of work

that still has to be done.

We are still not sure if it is God's will for us to be the camp directors. This process is slow and excruciating!

But we don't want to force the hand of God...and we DON'T want to be where He does not want us.

So we wait.

Another one of those be still and know that I am God times.

My flesh hates this....but I am counting on the fact that this is working out great things in my spirit.

Till then....I am going to look for a job.

If I am right..... this will be the first paying job I have had in almost 12 years!

I started thinking back on what I am qualified to do.....you know dusting off the cobwebs and shooing away the spiders and dust bunnies from those old abilities that have not been used in FOREVER.

Kind of scary!

Prayers will be much appreciated. ;)

We will see what God comes up with.

I know you have noticed that I have not been out and about.....I promise to do that soon.

I am not ready for my time here to be finished...hopefully God feels the same.

As we continue to pray about doing our deputation.... Mom was looking back through family newsletters to see if she could find some format for us to use.

In an old newsletter from 2001, that she forwarded to us, was this fantastic reminder.

I will leave you for now with this great piece of wisdom.

Great Truth to Remember:

God is attracted to weakness.  He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him.  Our weakness, in fact, makes room for His power.

.

LOVE YA GIRL!.......But HE LOVES YOU MORE!

For MelanieJoy

This post is for MelanieJoy......just cuz she asked for it.
Last night as we talked by IM-- and I filled her in on all the glorious details of my life(pour her).....like how I got my computer back from the shop...... dare I say---from STAPLES.....and how they PROMISED to retrieve all my documents, music and pictures............and how when I got it back all they had saved was one picture file and my desktop...and how I quickly took it back in...and how I turned all red in the face when the manager came over and told me she knew how upset I was because she has a lot of documents on her computer--- but she backed them up....*!*!...did I mention that just a minute before I told the technician that he did not save my music because I don't listen to Alanis Morrisset (sp) (a sample on my computer when I bought it) I listen to Christian Music.....and how that was the only thing that kept me from crawling across the counter straight for the managers sweet little neck.....(sheepish grin here).....instead-- how I told her....."Well GOOD for you!"......I know not very Christ like(hanging head in shame).....it could have been much worse had not the Holy Spirit put a reign on my mouth. Whew!
You made it to the end of that rampage?

I think you could have had another career as a school teacher. ;)

After all that...... I told Melanie that fall is here and that I did not even feel like pulling out my camera.......and she told me I should anyway.
So being the obedient person that I am......here is what I took today. ;)

This is the route I take when I go to Mountain Top Experience.....to be further known as MTE.

We are now on Hemp Hill Road.
The corn in the field below was about 10 feet tall until about three weeks ago.....it has now been cut and winter grass planted.

We now begin the journey up, up, up the mountain. Melanie....here are your fall leaves.

The road is getting a little more curvy......no, not there yet.

We have now crossed the little bridge over the creek and we are still continuing our climb...we are now at about 3000 ft. You can see that the trees are really changing here. We have had so much rain that the season is going to be very short.
And there you see one of our signs letting you know that you are on the right path...the name of the road? His Way

Sorry about the "haze" on this picture.....but sometimes it is that way
in these smokey mountains.

We are now standing on the porch of The House Of Joy. This is our view.....if you blow the picture up you can get a better idea of the foliage change going on.

We have our board meeting this Saturday and we are expecting several days of rain before that.....so Keith and Holly have been busy trying to clear out all the trees that have been taken down to give us the view above.

They have both been working very hard. Keith above on his "toy"-- and
Holly below on her baby.

I can't imagine anything more beautiful than this.... but can't wait to get a picture of it covered in snow.....so maybe I can imagine something more beautiful. :)

And now here she is........The House of Joy!
She is beautiful....and 95% finished. Just a few touches here and there and we will be able to welcome those in need of some physical rest and those who want to move deeper in their relationship with God.
Wanna come for a visit?

Yes, that is a cross in the window below......this ministry will be run for the glory of the One who died on a cross so long ago.

And now I am done!
;)

Hold On

This is for my girl...Elayne.
Hold on girl....your Daddy God in heaven is your everpresent help.
Hold On!
And for all of you who watch this and have been rolled over by the waves of this earth...Hold On! He is so faithful......and when we cross the finish line and wrap our arms around the one we have loved for so long.....it will have been SO worth it.

M.I.A?....but not lost

I know I have not been here much...sorry!

Life has been so crazy.

I have been spending lots of time with Elayne as she goes through surgery and is getting ready to start chemo.

She is doing pretty good. They removed a tumor from under her arm.....and the good news...they removed 17 lymph nods and only two were cancerous.

Tomorrow we should find out if the biopsy on her lung shows cancer in the lymph nods.

We pray that that will be a negative. She would appreciate you continued prayers.

We have been busy up on the mountain....you can go here to see what we have been up to.

We are waiting on the board meeting on the 17th of this month to see what God has in store for us. I am kind of excited that they have asked my Mom and Dad to become members of the board. So it will be nice to get to visit with them for awhile next week. And they will get to enjoy the changing of the leaves.....not something that takes place in Louisiana.

I am holding on......life has gotten pretty rough lately.

This whole walking by faith is pretty rough.

I am soooooo ready for Jesus to calm the storm.......but I don't want to pass through this learning session and not learn what He had planned.

So.....I'm walking.

And though He slay me.......still I will worship at His feet for an eternity.

He is faithful!

I promise to get around soon to check in on you.

Take care.....love you.