Thanksgiving 2017

I am sitting here, in a lovely house on Anastasia Island, in St. Augustine, Florida listening to the rain pour against the side of the house.  I am looking out to see the palm trees sway in the wind.  This COULD be a bummer of a Thanksgiving- pouring down the rain at the beach.  We don't even have ONE drop of Thanksgiving food.  LOL.  We plan on going to the Cracker Barrel today to eat. 

No, it's not traditional Thanksgiving.  Last year two of my sisters came down with their children to our house.  We had a houseful.  It was GREAT!  I actually miss that this year.

We don't go home to Kentucky for Thanksgiving.  We used to go home more.  Then Karen started coming down to our house every other Thanksgiving so we decided to stay home in SC.  We always go home to Kentucky on Christmas Day so- that's a tradition we always keep.  Thanksgiving is "our" holiday.  

Now that Allison is married, and we share them with Ben's family, sometimes we have to change things up.  One year we had Thanksgiving on Friday because it was just too much for them to be eating in one day...too rushed.  I don't mind.  I know things change.

But this year, well it's been a year of a lot of changes so we decided to get away for Thanksgiving.  

I am not going to let the rain ruin the day.  It will lessen up by tomorrow.  

Today, all four of our kids and our one grandchild is in this very house with us.  As a matter of fact, all are still asleep and I am sitting in the quiet, listening to the rain, cup of coffee, and all is well.

What I am most thankful to You, O God, for- is in this house.  

I don't know what next Thanksgiving will look like.  Will there be more people with us?  I don't know.

I know that I am thankful for today- all of us here.  Together.  

That's a great Thanksgiving to me.  

A cold!

Last Thursday I woke up with a sore throat.  Then my head began to get all stuffy.  On Saturday, Johnie began to have the same thing.  We took some Dayquil and Nightquil.  It's gradually gotten worse and on Monday morning was moving into my chest.  Talk about feeling bad.  My head felt full of yuckiness and when I cough it's just so painful.  My eyes look they are going to float out of my head.  I also had a slight fever last night.  That's significant since I NEVER have a fever.  I went to bed miserable.  We are leaving for St. Augustine, Florida this morning and I was wondering how in the world am I going to get packed up?

About 1:30 in the morning I got up and took 3 ibuprofen.  I try NOT to take much medicine.  But desperate times...you know.  Then about 5:30 I couldn't quit coughing.  So I got up and made some honey, lemon and rock & rye.  Went back to bed.  And slept SO well.

I am up and about feeling SO much better!  Not 100%.  Not even 85%.  But better.  More normal.  So...I am going to get the things done that need to get done for our trip!  YAY!

Here's to hoping the sea air will help clear out my head even more!

Yes. Yes. Yes I can.

I am reading Ann Voskamp's book, The Broken Way.

Here is a quote from the book that I love because I found that, yes, yes, I can.

"Maybe you can live a full and beautiful life in spite of the great and terrible moments that will happen right inside of you.  Actually- maybe you get to become more abundant because of those moments. Maybe the deepest wounds births deeper wisdom."

Father, of ALL Grace and Mercy- thank You, for what you have allowed in my life.  Thank You for the brokeness.  Thank You for the starving emptiness.  Thank You for the wounds.  Thank You for the wretched chasing after the wind, the fury, the faux.  Thank You for the gashing of my soul against the rocks of unbelief and untruth. 

Because if I had not endured "fiery ordeals" I would not have been refined BY the fire.  You, are a Consuming Fire, consuming the brokeness.  Your fire, forged, to heal even the scars of my brokeness.  (Isaiah 48:10)

You, in your Mercy, chose to reveal to me how deprived my soul was.  How emancipated.  Without You, there is no Abundance or Nourishment.  You, the Bread and the Wine, "eat and be filled, you will never go hungry or thirsty again."  (John 6:35, John 4:13)

You, Healer, with Your own hands- spread the healing balm of Your blood on my wounds.  (Isaiah 53:3)

You, filler of Need and Purpose, who calmed the rage and intense longing in me- by conforming me to You.  Thank You, for bringing me into harmony with Yourself, who lives in me.  

Thank You, Great Grace, for no condemnation when I allowed the seasons of unbelief and believing the lies.  When my mind, my will and my emotions wanted to choose my own way- and did often, to You, THE Way.  Yet, You never condemned me.  You loved me.  You revealed Yourself to me in more Truth so my heart would see and respond.  

Jesus, I choose You.  I choose You, are More Than Enough.  In this moment.  This holy moment of all Grace.  Enough.  

Borrowing trouble....

Have you heard this saying, "Don't go borrowing trouble"?

Do you know what that means to me?  It's listening to the "what if's".

What if...that hadn't happen to me?
What if...I hadn't done that to someone?
What if...this is not the direction we should be taking financially?
What if...I had been a better mother?
What if...my child hadn't made that choice?
What if...I hadn't made that choice?
What if...what if...what if...

What is your "what if''s"?
And are you listening to them?

You see, a thought can be put in your mind- now, it's up to you as to what to do with that thought.  
Do you allow that thought to lead to another or do you ask the Holy Spirit, who lives in you, if that thought is a lie or truth?
Do you let that lie lead to more lies?  Which can lead to anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, blame, shame, being enslaved to lies, self and an unrenewed mind? 
Do you exchange the lie for truth?
Do you let that truth lead to more and more truth which is actually "being transformed (inwardly) by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).  Which leads to- wisdom, discernment, peace and living from the mind of Christ, in you.  

Believing one lying thought, no matter how convincing it is, can lead to borrowing trouble.  
But that is satan's, your enemy's, goal.  Deception.  Destruction.  Death.  
Believing lying thoughts put in your mind, always leads to deception, destruction and death.

Jesus came to renew your mind- and to even give you His mind.  So that you don't have to believe the lies anymore.  You don't have to run down the road of borrowing trouble.  You CAN stop those thoughts dead in their tracks and turn other way...the way of truth and life= Jesus.  

2 Corinthians 1:20-22
For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God. Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ.  He anointed us, placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts 

1 Corinthians 2

15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Peter 1:13

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Once and For All

Once and For All

Lauren Daigle

God I give You all I can today

These scattered ashes that I hid away

I lay them all at Your feet

From the corners of my deepest shame

The empty places where I've worn Your name

Show me the love I say I believe

Oh Help me to lay it down

Oh Lord I lay it down

Oh let this be where I die

My lord with thee crucified

Be lifted high as my Kingdom's fall

Once and for all, once and for all

There is victory in my Saviors loss

And In the crimson flowing from the cross

Pour over me, pour over me yes

Oh let this be where I die

My lord with thee crucified

Be lifted high as my Kingdom's fall

Once and…

O Praise the Name

            Songs mean so much to me.  

Ephesians 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

O Praise the Name- Shane and Shane

[Verse 1]
I cast my mind to Calvary
Where Jesus bled and died for me
I see His wounds, His hands, His feet
My Savior on that cursed tree

[Verse 2]
His body bound and drenched in tears
They laid Him down in Joseph's tomb
The entrance sealed by heavy stone
Messiah still and all alone

[Chorus]
O praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God

[Verse 3]
Then on the third at break of dawn
The Son of heaven rose again
O trampled death, where is your sting
The angels roar for Christ the King!

[Chorus]
O praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God!

[Verse 4]

He shall return in robes of white
The blazing sun shall pierce the night
And I will rise among the saints
My gaze transfixed on Jesus' face

[Chorus]
O praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God

O praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore!
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God

O praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God!
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God!

Today in Christ

2017 was a year of four Growing in Grace studies.  Oh how I have found beauty and such sweet time with the Lord.  I love sharing Him.  I love sharing His truths.  I love the time just Him and me- and Him anointing me afresh with Himself.  Then Him speaking and sharing Himself through me.  I love watching others when their are receiving and recognizing His revelation in them!

I have learned that God calls me to seasons.  You see, my life isn't defined by Bible Studies and how many I do.  I truly do want others to receive the revelation from Him.  But most of all He has called me to Himself.  He has called me to- focus and fix myself on Him- moment by moment.  Sometimes I can get so fixed and focused on doing and preparing more studies or teaching that I am not- 

-a friend of ours has a lake house and a pontoon boat.  Sometimes he lets us go down and use both of them.  On his lakefront property he has a dock.  You can run and jump off that dock into the lake water.  I love to run and jump in.  I love to float around in the water.  I love when my husband and kids do the same and we are all floating around, playing, laughing in the water.  

Sometimes I get so fixed and focused on doing and preparing more studies and teaching that I am not jumping into the depths of being IN Christ and simply allowing Christ as my Life.  Jumping off the dock- deep into the water, playing-laughing-floating.  

There are plenty of pastors and teachers out there- pastoring and teaching- yet not experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ.  So many of them don't even KNOW what the depths and truths of Jesus really are.  And you can't teach what you don't know so there are many many many believers out there not knowing the depths and truths of Jesus.  Some pastors and teachers need to dive off the dock and begin to experience real and true life- Jesus.  

So, I am taking a facebook break (it can be as time consuming as I allow it to be!)- and a teaching break.  Now, don't get me wrong.  It's not a complete break.  I am looking forward to helping some in our Sunday School class.  I am also looking forward to moving more into discipleship counseling. If the opportunity arises to teach occasionally I will do that.  I am going to be blogging more.  Writing is my outlet.  It's not good.  It's not proper grammer etc- but it's me.  It's my heart.  It's what God is saying to me.  It's like a fire in my bones and I cannot contain it.    

For awhile now I feel a nudging from the Lord to- I don't know- put a fresh study together.  It's a niggling in my mind but I also know something like that can be very very time consuming. Something He has to prepare me inside and out for.  Maybe this is that time of preparing.  

I don't want to think about what I will be doing next year.  Or in 5 years.  Or in 10 years.  Or 20.  I want to experience my Lord and God today.  Right now, in this holy moment.