Never Been More Applicable Than Now...

Many of you know that Josh is now working in Nigeria. He is gone for 28 days and home for 28 days. I am still trying to wrap my head around this all. He left Monday and we didn't talk through email until last night. At one am (7am Nigerian time), my Bible lesson came through on my email. I haven't slept much since Monday and I saw it come through. I just read it and can not believe how God works in such amazing ways....the most applicable message for this point in my life.

Fearing the Unknown 29 Mar 2011 by Micca Campbell “Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.” Joshua 3:4a (NIV) Do you ever fear the unknown? Perhaps it’s your health or the uncertainty of your future. Maybe it’s the decisions your children will make about following God or following their peers. Fearing the unknown can cause us to spend precious energy anticipating the worst-case scenario. There are two problems with this type of fear: • The future is not here. • The future is not ours. While the future may be out of our hands, it is not out of the hands of our faithful trustworthy God. When we face a worrisome unknown situation, we can look to Joshua as an example of how to trust God in the face of uncertainty. It’s recorded in the first chapter of Joshua that before Moses died, God passed the baton of leadership to Joshua. The Israelites had been wandering in the desert for 40 years under the guidance of Moses. Now, their journey was almost over. Just beyond the Jordan River was their promised land — the land that God had guaranteed to Abraham and his descendants. Upon reaching the Jordan River, Joshua and the Israelites set up camp by the stream and awaited God’s direction. Much like their meeting with the Red Sea, God had to make a way for them to cross over the river. On the third day, God told the officers to instruct the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant (where God’s Presence abided) to follow it because they had “never passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). In essence, God was saying: Follow Me and I’ll see you through this unknown territory. That’s not all. The people were instructed on how closely they should follow the ark. Without this instruction, the people would have crowded the ark and God wanted every person to be able to see His presence faithfully leading them through the unknown valley. What greater encouragement could they have than this, that the Lord was their God, a God who was with them? You see, friend, the Lord understands our fear of the unknown. He realizes that you may be in a situation that you’ve never passed through before and you’re afraid. It may be the first time you’ve been without employment. Maybe you’ve just been diagnosed with an illness or your child is in rebellion. You’ve never been down this road before and you don’t know which way to go or what to do. God will guide the way. Joshua’s life was unpredictable and full of unknowns much like yours and mine. Yet, he successfully resisted fear by keeping his focus on God rather than the events surrounding him. Just as God guided the Israelites through unknown territory, He will guide you and me, too. As He promises in Isaiah 43, when we come to a place we’ve never passed through before, God is always present to help us. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (v.2-3a, NIV). Even though the children of Israel were not told how they would pass over the river, the people went forth in faith. We too can move forward in faith sharing in the promised presence of God leading the way through our unknown circumstances. Dear Lord, thank You for Your promised presence. It comforts my heart to know that I am not alone. Lead me, Lord, through the unknowns in my life. Make Your path clear and I will follow it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I'll See You At The Party

My Bible Lesson this morning.....Thought I'd Share.... I’ll See You at the Party 20 Mar 2011 Melissa Taylor "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." John 10:10 (NIV) She asked to see the family, so of course, we complied with her request. After all, this woman, now in her ninety-second year of life, had earned our love and respect. Just nine months ago, she was independent, full of energy, and involved in life. Now she was calling her family together to say, "Good-bye." We were saddened by Little Granny's announcement that she was ready to meet Jesus face to face, until she added, "Put away those sad faces...I am happy! Keep smiling." Many would not understand her joy in the midst of the knowledge she was dying. But Little Granny knew something about where she was going. I took my kids to see her to say their final good-byes. They hugged their great-grandmother and told her how much they loved her. She told them the same, her words faint and weak. When it was my turn, I leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I love you," I said. To which she replied, "I'll see you at the party." At first I thought she might be disoriented. But as I looked at her through my tears, I realized she was thinking very clearly. Little Granny was on her way to "the party" in heaven, her eternal home. I get the joy that Little Granny felt over going to the party. I'm so thankful that after this life journey is over, I'll join her at that party. But even in the joy of eternity, death is hard. It's hard on us who are still here. My mother died one year ago. The ache that burns deep in my heart is like none I've experienced. She was my best friend, and now she's gone. Just today as I was grocery shopping, I caught a glimpse of the apple turnovers that she loved so much. We used to eat them topped with vanilla ice cream. I broke down right there in the frozen food section. I so badly want to enjoy an apple turnover with my mom. That part of my life is over and I'm left wounded. The only peace I have is that Mom is at the "party" and one day I'll join her. Until then, I must live my life. I don't mean get through life; I mean really live life. As Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). My Life Application Study Bible's commentary puts it this way: "In contrast to the thief who takes life, Jesus gives life. The life he gives right now is abundantly richer and fuller. It is eternal, yet it begins immediately." Sadly, too many of us spend our lives waiting to go to the party instead of living for the party – right now. We realize that our life here on earth is not always what we wished for but then we settle for a dull, just-getting-by life instead of the spiritually rich and abundantly full life Jesus offers. How do we live that full life with so many trials? We stay close to the One who has promised us life; we stay close to Jesus. We remain in the Word of God and apply His promises to our lives. It doesn't mean all of our pain will be removed, but it does mean we can live full and free lives. Little Granny said, "I'll see you at the party." Well Little Granny, I hope you are having a blast up there! And in memory of you and my mother, I think I'll have a little party right here of my own... a Jesus party, where I will strive to do just what He said and live my life to the full! I hope to see you at the party!

Look What I Did

As I posted before....I need a hobby. Don't get me wrong, Baby E keeps me busy. However, I feel like I could be doing productive after I workout, do the dishes, do the laundry, clean the house....

So I took on a project.

It is simple, but I am proud!!