catching up

Wow it's been a whirlwind few weeks! I have wanted to blog so many times, but things have just kept piling up on us. It's been unreal. We have had our washing machine go out, our vacuum literally broke apart, and our parents were very close to losing their home in a wildfire. And friends, that's just THIS week. Sigh. Dano had his very first ear infection and very first prescription. We have been so lucky with him, he NEVER gets sick. This year however it seems like he's been sick every other week. Of course with the crazy Texas weather everyone I know has been sick at least 2 or 3 times. It's been wild. All of this has sent me to my knees more times than I can count. I have been so down these past few weeks. It just seemed like everything has been snowballing. Then God finally brought to my eyes that even in all this mess we are blessed. We were able to buy a new washer and a new vacuum. It could have been worse. We could have not had the resources to do that. And so I'm claiming the blessing rather than dwelling on the the down sides.

On Monday I got the scare of my life. Well, ONE of the scares of my life. It was my mom and she sounded terrified. At first I didn't really grasp what she was saying. They were being told to evacuate because there was a wildfire coming towards their house. My dad said he looked out the back door and all he could see was fire. There was nothing to do but grab moms purse and leave the house. I can not imagine. I'm still tearing up now just thinking about it. They were allowed to wait in their car on the side of the road for a little while as the firefighters tried to turn the fire and save their home and our neighbors home. My moms friend called their small group and asked them to pray for my parents. I did the same with our small group. Being able to reach out that way was amazing. We felt immediate prayer. That feeling will stay with me. I love the way my dad explained it. He said within 10 minutes of hearing that so many of our church family were praying for them, he said he saw the fire switch directions. The wind turned, some heavy machines were brought in, and my parents home was spared. We've seen some arial photos of the fire damage and it literally looks like an arm was laid down stopping the fire and sending it another direction. When my mom called from their house I wanted to scream some Hallelujah's! We'd been talking throughout the ordeal, but I knew when that # popped up on the caller ID everything really was okay. Nothing but the power of God could have made the fire move the other direction. The winds were gusting up to 50 mph at times. The fire was moving 300 yards a minute. The flames were at least 20 feet tall. The embers were flying up into the air and being carried across the highway. It was unreal. Without God's intervention, my parents would have lost their home. For those of you reading this that were part of that immediate prayer team - Thank you doesn't even cover it. Knowing that over 30 people went to the throne immediately for us... THAT is an amazing feeling. One woman did lose her home, several other homes were damaged, and a Dodge dealership suffered about 1.3 million dollars in loss and damages. I'm attaching some photos of it all. These were taken from my parents driveway after the fire had turned. They were still not allowed in their home, but at this point there were allowed to wait in the driveway in their car. (this was so in case the wind flipped again they could leave quickly)

these are a bit grainy because I had to enlarge them

these were taken the day after

how does the heart manage?

I have begun my ministry blog. God has given me a goal and blogger is the tool that will hopefully help me get there. (you can find the page by clicking the "my ministry blog" link in my links list) I have to laugh when I say hopefully because after the reports from this weekend, I know starting that blog up is allready and will continue to be an amazing part of my calling. What I want to know from you who have begun in this crazy world of womens ministry handle IT with your heart. Let me explain. I recently spent a lunch with some great women who talked about needs in their lives. My heart was so burdened for them, a devotion I'd been struggling with suddenly poured out as I furiously tried to type the words God was giving me to share with them. I hit post and immediatly hit my knees in prayer for the lives it might touch. Being my first post and not many people knowing about it, I didn't think I'd get many comments or repsonses. But if I ever needed a sign that the move I was making was withing God's plan for my life, I got it. And my heart is FILLED to the brim with so many emotions I'm not sure it can hold them all. A woman came up to me and hugged me, telling me how deeply the devotion had touched her. When she pulled away with tears streaming down her face, I was taken aback. It was the first time someone had come straight to me and told me what God had done to them through what He'd done through me. I can't get her tear filled eyes out of my mind. I am constantly affirming to myself that THAT is why I am doing this. Regardless of knowledge, education, experience, etc. I am doing this #1 because God has called and I am willing, and #2 because there are women like her out there that need to hear from God in whatever way He chooses. I wanted to dig deeper and peel apart exactly what it was that touched her, or just get deep into some prayer with her but I let the moment sink in instead and just held her hand. I honestly couldn't tell you which one of us received the bigger blessing. In the past few days I have cried, prayed, questioned, praised, and done it all more than once over that moment. I want more of those moments. Most of all, I want the women I reach out to to have more of those moments. My goal was and is to reach out in such a way that would bring glory to God, and Christ to others.

So, share with me. What do you do at moments like this when words fail because they simply wouldn't be enough? How does your heart manage all the emotions that come flooding in after such piercing moments? Do you ever forget that first woman coming to you to simply say thank you? What are your stories? Encourge a fellow Siesta. :)

tickets

I am jumping for joy right now. I just purchased tickets for my mom and myself to go to the Living Proof Live event/Siesta Fiesta in August in good ole' San Antonio!!!! YEAH baby! We're also attending the Women Reaching Women Fully Loaded conference that will take place the day before the Beth Moore event. Can you say FUN STINKIN WEEKEND???? Anyone else going? Gimme a shout out! We'll meet up. Shonda and Bev... I wanna meet you girls SOOOOO bad! Tell me you're going! :) Debra are you coming to the Siesta Fiesta??? Anyone else?? I want to meet me some Siestas! Ole!

oh it's ON now!

Many things I love in life. Chocolate. Java City. Time with my family. Games. Board games. Card games. Family games. You get my point. I love games. :) And well, when my friend Annette taught me and 10 other ladies this particular game, my affinity for competition BURST wide open. That's right Marcie... it's bunko night at Trinity. And oh man... IT IS ON! Lol :) . We are getting together with another class at church and having us a dice throwing, chocolate eatin, coffee slurpin, raising the roof off the coffee house LADIES NIGHT! Come Friday night at 6 p.m. I will be transformed into what novices call "scary woman" and pros call "the one to beat". :) I'm kidding of course, but the truth is... there is just NOTHING like a good night of bunko with some of my very best friends in the world. A room full of my Christian sisters all laughing and having the best time is what I like to call a little piece of that abundance God promises me. There is nothing else on this earth that brings me the feeling of joy that bunko night with my "home-girls" brings me. And so my sweet sisters, if you are reading this - please go put your game face on and come join me for some table slappin' bunko FUN!!

Friday night, 6 p.m., be there.

And Marcie - I am going to miss your laugh and going at the dice with you. You're one of the best dice-grabbin' gals I've ever had the pleasure of playing with! You sure you can't fly down for a night? :)

what is it THIS time?

Draining friends.

We all have them.

How do you deal with them?

excitement

I can feel it welling up. The past few weeks have been filled with inner excitement. God is breaking through. To any of you that have ever been on the precipace of God's movement in your life, you know what I'm feeling. Excitment courses through me. Today I felt like I was literally going to jump out of the pew and shout praises to God right in the middle of church. Lol, restraint is definatly a Godly gift. But it's exciting! God is beginning a new journey, a new work in me. I get giddy with anticipation just thinking about what plans God may have for me. I have received a few questions as to why I posted the post "she". Some people don't understand why I told my story so openly. Well, it's simple. It wasn't for you. It wasn't even for me. It was something God wanted me to do. As I was typing it out I knew many would not understand why I'd post something like that out in the open for all to see. But I never for a moment paused about posting it. It was such a freeing move. Recently I have been asked by a young woman if I really believe that God forgives all sins. She asked me if there was anything in my past that I'd done that I felt like God would not forgive me for. When I told her I knew God has forgiven all my sins, she simply said "I guess it's easy to know you're fogiven when you've lived such a good life". It really hit me hard. She didn't know my past, didn't know the depths of sin I'd gone to, and most off all didn't know the freeing beauty of Christ reaching in and pulling me out. I think as Christians, we sometimes tend to take for granted the situations people have been through. And we tend to lose focus of the fact that for each of us that have been pulled from the pit, there are hundreds more still wallowing. And they too need a hand up from the mud. I haven't been able to talk to her again, I am praying for that opportunity. I want her to know that no matter what she's done, God still loves her. And I want others to know that as well. I want others to feel the freedom in Christ I am feeling. I want others to feel the excitement and the movement I am feeling. I want others to feel the love of Christ, just as I have and do. And I want others to realize that being authentic Christians means being open Christians. You can't just talk the talk, you have to get in there and walk the walk. You have to be open not only to God's movement in your life, but also to the lost world. You have to love not only fellow Christians, but also the lost world. To reach them you must be open. And nothing to me is more exciting than being open to God's movement in my life, and being an open book to the world around me. I have been to the pit, I have been pulled out, and I am better for it. And if that's not exciting, check your pulse.

she

She is a girl who in high school did well for herself. Good grades, many friends, not "popular" by teenage standards, but knew many and was known. She was in many clubs, she did many things. She loved her life (for the most part). Something in her junior year caused things to change in her. Her senior year was spent searching for more. She didn't find it. She went to college away from family, away from friends, alone. She knew no one and soon became all things to everyone. She changed her likes, her dislikes, her mood, her clothes, she changed depending on where she was and who she was with. She met an older man and hung on for dear life, though she was not faithful. She became a "party girl" and a drinker. She became someone she did not recognize. She followed this man to a new town, quitting school and once again leaving everything she knew. Her life quickly fell apart and 18 months later she was living at home again, with parents who were much more gracious than she ever deserved. She went from bad to worse. This time using more than alchohol and men to fill the void in her life. She moved into another bad situation and once again found her life spiraling out of control. At this point in her life she met another man. One whom she'd decided would fill the void in her life. He was not good for her. She found herself in another situation she never thought she'd be in. She was pregnant and dating an abusive man. She once again became someone she didn't recognize. But this was the turning point in her life. She began to hear a faint whisper in her ear. A gentle tug upon her heart. She realized her searches had come up empty, and yet she was still searching. She was lost. She was abandoned. She was hopeless. She was not ready for the new card her life was dealing her. She couldn't figure out how she'd gotten here. She was lost and desperatly clinging to the wall, trying to get out of the pit.

She was me, minus Jesus.

*****************************************

I know the healing power of Jesus Christ. Sometimes I feel like I know it better than anyone around me. Despite all the bad things I'd done, God loved me enough to drag me up from the pit I'd dug myself into. That life is gone. Those situations are gone. And the most amazing part is that I did nothing to change them. Through His grace, God changed my life. I don't just mean He changed my heart to certain things or He changed my destination (both of which He did do, btw) I mean He CHANGED me. He brought me back from a place I never thought I would be. And He can for you too. I have been to the lowest of the low points. I know what it is like. But the freedom that came with giving God my life and receiving His salvation is unexplainably amazing. You can have that. You can feel that. If you're searching, cry out to Jesus. If you're stuck, cry out to Jesus. If you have no idea how your life turned out the way it did, cry out to Jesus. He came for you. Cry out to Him.

Please watch this video.