My Cody's 23rd Birthday!

Happy 23rd Birthday Cody Aaron Ellison! "Friday's child is loving and giving"

We are so proud of you- and these last couple of months we have seen the fruit of years of hard work and dedication.

In a month, you will graduate college. You started coaching your first cross country team AND you started a new job!

Just this week you bought your first car!

Cody- it takes what you have inside of you to do all that. You're a man now- not just a boy in man's body. Dad and I are so proud of the man that you are. We love you!

A special thanks to Eric S. Jolly- thank you, thank you, thank you for all you have done for Cody. He couldn't have made it through college without you and we are so thankful for your kindness and friendship with him.

: )

Jesus- my Life!

I see these slogans like "Keep Christ in Christmas" and I think...well, why not simply allow Him to be Himself in our every moment? Let's celebrate Jesus every day!

... fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith- Hebrews 12:2

Jesus is More Than just a couple of months of trees, music, gifts, decorations, lights and food.

He wants to be your very life.

Colossians 3:1-4 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

8 years ago today!

Starla Ellison shared Allison Ellison Wofford's photo.

8 years ago today a young man walked in our church- Allison Ellison Wofford took one look at him and that was that. I vividly remember her sitting in the pew in front of me and looking at me saying one word, "Mama".

Later that evening the doorbell rang at the house the youth group was meeting- and a voice came to my mind, "If it's that boy, she'll marry him." It must have been the voice of God.

Marry they did- June 16, 2012- in the same church they met.

And I couldn't be a happier Mama.

I love you Ben Wofford. You are a brother to Cody and Johnie- and a son to Nick Ellison and me. You are a blessing and we are so thankful for you.

Happy Veterans Day!

Happy Veterans Day! Nick Ellison 1986  Harold Cleary (196?)

Happy 70th Birthday Connie!

Happy Birthday to the most special and dearest woman in my life. Connie Beasley, I thank God for you! God took this broken, motherless woman and gave me- you. A mother. One that loves me, prays for/with me, speaks truth into me, laughs with me, worships with me, LOVES my husband and children, bakes the best coca cola cakes and loves British shows- as I do! 

Not only have you been a wonderful mother and mentor- momtor- but you have been the heart, hands and feet of Jesus to me. My intimacy with Christ is as vibrant and sustaining as it is because I follow your lead.

Connie, you have filled a a brokenness in me. Your deep and abiding love for me filled and sealed all the holes, cracks and valleys inside of me. I needed the true love of a mother. When God wove me together in my Mom's womb- He knew I would only have her a short time. He knew I would ache and long for the love and guidance of a mother. And at just the right time, in just the right place- (12 years ago!) He brought us together.

And Connie- I wouldn't have it any other way. I would go through all the years of sadness, longing and sorrow over and over just to have you in this life with me.

I love you, Happy 70th!

Looking for something....

I lived most of my life looking for something...just around the corner.

I was always having to have something to look forward to.

When I became a believer, this kind of intensified in my life.  It became more of an emotional high- but the downfall to this is there is always a low.  What comes up must come down.   

That's why I was always so discontent.  I was always living ON an emotional roller coaster.

Then Jesus became my life- and He made plain to me that is now how He wants me to live.  Not up or down.  

He wants me to be steady.  To roll along- as I trust Him.  Now, the circumstances in my life may go UP or DOWN but that doesn't mean I do.  

Maybe that's why Christians always have to have something to DO.  Not so much about serving God but about having to fill that emptiness in their life and have something to look forward to- something right around the corner.  

My friend, Pastor Dave Loser, said this: "The greatest need we have is life."  

I tried to find life- right around the corner.  I tried to find life on a constant emotional roller coaster.  I tried to find life in everything that could never give me REAL life.  

"Jesus wants you to have a great life while you are here.  Abundant and full."- Dave Loser

JESUS is life.  He is the only life. If you want real life...then you need Jesus.  

John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

John 3:15, 16
so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life....whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:36
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 5:21

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

John 5

39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

John 6:35,48

I am the bread of life.

John 6:63

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

John 8:12

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

John 11:25

I am the resurrection and the life

John 14:6

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 17:3

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 20:31

but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Acts 17:25

He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things

Romans 8:11

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

1 Corinthians 15:45

The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Colossians 3:4

Christ, who is our life,

2 Timothy 1:10

but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel

2 Peter 1:3

seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

1 John 1:1-3

 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:11-13
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Revelation 2:7

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

Voices

There sure are a lot of voices trying to get my/your attention. 

Sin. Flesh. The world. Satan. 

Well meaning yet scripturally and spiritually illiterate people, pastors, teachers, friends, family, books, videos, movies, audio, songs, etc and etc. 

But there is only One Voice which speaks to me/you that is Truth. 

How can we know THE Voice amongst all the noise?

When my children were little and through their years- I came to know their voice amongst all others. Why?  Because I know that child intimately. From the way he/she breathes to how they walk through a room. I know their scent, their cry, their laughter. I SENSE their fears, their joys and their cares. I KNOW these kids because I've loved them, rocked them, spanked them, prayed for them, yelled at them, whispered sweet words to them- I've held them within my body as God wove them together in my womb. 

I've lived life with them. 

And they- by the same way- living life with me- know my voice. 

That's how I know my Father's voice.  The voice of my Shepherd. 

Living life intimately with Him and IN Him. 

Abiding. 

Whose voice do you hear? Listen to?