A Few of my Favorite Things

My very most favorite thing is LOVE!!!  Love is a Person in action!  We only have Love because of The One Who IS LOVE!  Daddy God is the supplier of every ounce of love we have.  Love is the one thing that we all need to survive.  Without Love we die from the inside out.  Love....and I'm talking about REAL, LASTING LOVE, only comes from Daddy God!  If you have never accepted that Love then you will never be able to GIVE THAT KIND OF LOVE!  If you have never accepted this Love from Jesus then you will never be able to accepted it from others because you will not understand it.  This Love is the best and it is why we were created =)  All other imitators of love will fade away in time.  The very best part about this Love is that it is EVERLASTING!!!! 


My helpmate, my honey, my partner, my man, my hubby Max is next on this amazing never ending list of favorites!!!  This man was created just of ME!  We have been blessed with something so special that words cannot even come close to doing it justice.  He is honest, loving, REAL and extremely handsome, (that, I believe is just a bonus)! 

Oh and then there is that special gift that was all the proof I ever needed that Daddy God thought I was pretty special.....the day I was blessed with Hunter Max Elrod was the day a LOVE like no other took over my entire life!  He has blessed every single day of my life since the moment I knew he existed!  Watching him grow into a young man has been so amazing.  Watching the prayers that Max and I have prayed over him his whole life being answered has to top everything else!!! 

My "list" really is never ending!  As I sit here my mind is filled with so many wonderful memories and thoughts and plans!  My Daddy God has me all wrapped up in His FAVOR!!!  I am completely consumed with HIS LOVE =) 

IM BACK

WOW!  It seems like a hundred years since I have been here!  There have been many changes in the past few weeks.  Max and I made what has been the biggest step of faith EVER!  We knew the Lord was calling us out and we knew we had a big decision to make but we had no idea how to make the first move!  So we put on our "trust hat" and made the choice to trust that Daddy God knew full well what He was doing and we took that first step!  We left the Ranch and the ministry we loved so dearly.  This was not just leaving a job or even a ministry.  We were leaving the children that had become such a part of our very hearts! While the boys were not OURS, our hearts felt otherwise.  We wondered how God could bring them into our lives just to separate us in 6 short years!  But....we chose to TRUST!  We believed that God would grace us and them for this transition.  It was a sad goodbye but as promised, Daddy God protected our hearts.  I miss them so much but I hold to the promise that after our "no contact" period is up, (6 months) we will enter back into their lives in a different but just as vital way =) 

So we have gone from a family of ten to a family of THREE!!  Well, most of the time there is just me and Max!  Hunter has a life!  hahaha  I am so enjoying the new relationship with my husband!  I love being able to spend time with him again.  Our future is set to be filled with joy and excitement!!! 
God has opened many doors for me to go and share the message of healing and restoration!  I absolutely LOVE going and speaking!  I wish I could do it EVERYDAY!!!  I cannot speak enough of just how good Daddy God is =)  This is the ministry He has birthed in my heart!  Being a lifelong lover of photography, I am also able to now do that as a means of income for my family! 

I am learning that when I submit myself and everything I do to the Lord, HE blesses it all =)  He has given me JOY, PEACE, SUCCESS and more LOVE in my heart than I have ever had before!!!  When I say, "GOD IS GOOD", I mean it with everything deep in my soul!  The devil still tries to pick on me but I just remind him WHO I AM and WHO I BELONG TO!!!! 

I have so much more to share and I am BACK so keep up!

Join me on my ministry page:  http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2926615089116&id=1373072897&ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/pages/TeenaElrodMinistries/192133980856032

Daddy God Provides!

So, my life is in transition right now and I am missing my blog SO MUCH =/  There are a lot of changes going on and Daddy God, as always, is tending to my every need!  He is so FAITHFUL!  His plan is unfolding and I am walking and trusting =)  Expecting amazing things!!!  As my family walks our our faith know that my thoughts are still towards those hurting and longing for restoration!  I will post a brand new post by the first of December so look out, a fresh and ready Teena is about to hit the scene!!!  hahaha 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!  Enjoy TIME with the ones you love and pray for those who may be "down" during this time of year.  I pray that the LOVE of Daddy God completely saturates all of those who feel "less than" right now. 

Be free with you LOVE and HUGS!!!

In the Know

Do you ever find yourself thinking that God should just give you a little more information before  He expects you to jump off into something?!  Oh, this has been an ongoing lesson in my life for years!!!  I "say" that I trust HIM and that I will go and do whatever He says.  BUT......then I end up trying to figure it all out and wait on God to keep feeding me information BEFORE I decide to move!  The truth is that all we really have to do is trust Him!  Yes, it is that simple.  He gives us His Word and in it is all we need to know.  He will speak to us (and through us), with His Word.  It really is an amazing thing. 

I found myself in a position a couple of weeks ago asking God for understanding on something.  Actually, I had been repeating the same request to Him until He finally opened my eyes though His Word!  It was when I quit trying "figure it all out" and just trusted in the simplicity of HIS WORD that I had a complete breakthrough in my situation!  The enemy tries to trick us into thinking the ways of God are super complicated!  I used to have this picture of God sitting up on a cloud watching me try and find myself through a maze!  Like he was some kind of riddle maker and I had to solve the riddle to get to the next step in my life.  All the while trying to learn lessons, like He put me though stuff just to teach me lessons!  I am SO THANKFUL that this is NOT who my Daddy God is!!!!  I am so thankful to be free from all that wrong thinking of Who God is!  He does have a plan for my life and that plan WILL be complete!  I listen, I still search His Word, I still make mistakes, but I am learning to TRUST and rest in that KNOWING!  There are some things that I will never know and that's OK.  Daddy God will ALWAYS make sure I am "in the know" on the things He has for me.  I cannot see to the end of the plan, but I know it's good and I know it is full of HIM!  I'm good with that =)

He has, however given me dreams and visions and I love meditating on what He is going to do through me!  Sometimes I just sit and daydream on where He is taking me.  It's like practicing  what is to come!!!   I LOVE IT!!!!!! 

There are some "unknowns" in my future but I am NOT afraid!  I am EXCITED because God is in it and I cannot wait to live out this plan!!  IT'S GONNA BE WILD!!!!!!!   If you are in my path....hold on cause this wave is powerful =) 

Jeremiah 29:11
  For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Go to THE WORD, and be IN THE KNOW!

Who do you think you are?

First of all I have to say that I have missed my blog time!  It seems like my days have been packed lately.  After I fell and injured my knee in the most embarrassing accident ever, I found myself pretty much bound to my house.  Luckily it was only a sprain, but the recovery has taken longer than I would like!  I was asking and believing God for healing.  I was meditating on healing scripture.  But most of all I was frustrated because I was not getting the results I thought I would get.  Praying and believing, yet still unable to walk without crutches!  Then Daddy God spoke to me!!!  He told me that I was asking Him for something He had ALREADY given me!  I was spending my days desperately awaiting something that I ALREADY had!  He also reminded me who was responsible for my condition and who I needed to be talking to.  He reminded me that it is the enemy that comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10)....the enemy that comes to try and hinder my walk.  But Luke 10:19 reminds me that I have been given all authority over the enemy!!!  THAT IS POWERFUL....THAT IS LIFE-CHANGING REVELATION!!!!!!   Above all I was reminded who I am!  I am a daughter of THE KING OF KINGS!  So I began to speak to the enemy....See I am on a journey, an amazing path, a life changing transition and the enemy does not like where I am going and what I am doing in the Name of my Daddy God! 

Daddy God gave me a WORD a while back....He told me that He had amazing things to meet my faithful feet!  Soon after I received that Word the attacks started.  This last one was intended to be a direct hit....MY WALK!  I have been unable to physically walk for 3 weeks!  According to my doctor I would be on crutches for at least another week, but today was MY DAY!  I woke up and set the devil straight!  I REMINDED him who I was and Who my DADDY is!!!  I refused to take his attack, in fact I LAUGHED at his attempt!  So today I never even touched my crutches!  I have been walking ALL DAY!  I went to physical therapy and did double the workout on my knee and all it did was make me STRONGER!!!!  I am healed in the Name of Jesus Christ =)  I still feel pain but I am still walking and I will receive all the amazing things that Daddy God has to meet my faithful feet =)  I honor HIM with each step I take.  It is His power in me that makes everything possible.

The enemy can get into our minds and try to trick us into thinking we are powerless.  That we have to accept hardships that comes our way.  He even tries to make us believe that it's God trying to teach us something or tell us something.  God can use it but our loving Father is does not cause us hurt or knock us down.  HE gives us everything we need to get back up.  In case you have forgotten, the devil has ALREADY been defeated! 
Stand strong and remember who you are in Christ Jesus =) 

Mama Dixie

Last week held a mix of emotions for my family.  Our Mama Dixie, who was 97 made what I know had to be a grand entrance into heaven!  She lived a full life here on earth and for the most part was always healthy.  She was spunky and funny.  Everytime we would walk in her room, there would be a smile on her face. 

I first met Mama Dixie and Papa John (her husband) 22 years ago when I entered into this amazing family.  My husband had a very close relationship with his grandparents.  Once I became a part of the family (which was the moment I met them), I feel in love with these two extraordinary people.  They showed me love and welcomed me in.  Max and I were married at there home.  We had Sunday dinners every week.  Pappa John had cancer and was getting sicker during that first year.  He died about a year after Max and I were married.  I wondered how she would go on without her love.  She did go on and she was strong and independent.  I loved to hear her tell stories about Papa John.  She saw her grand kids grow and marry.  She saw the birth of her great-grandchildren. 

Several years ago Ma Dixie had a stroke and was not able to be by herself.  My mother-in-law always made sure she was taken care of.  She stayed with her when she wasn't working.  Max, Hunter and I would spend the nights with her during the week.  We would watch Wheel Of Fortune and she would always get the puzzles first! 
She would help me cook!  haha  That's a joke, she would tell me how to cook!  She was a very small woman and was always cold so her house was always HOT!  Max and I would race to the thermostat to turn the air on just a soon as we made sure she was in bed!  Hunter loved being there because she spoiled him beyond belief!

There came a time when we all could no longer care for her in her home so she moved to a nursing home.  Within the last year she began to have more health problems.  Last week, my mother-in-law called Max and told him she was not doing well and that we needed to come up to see her.  Max and I went right then.  We could tell when we walked into her room that she looked very different.  She didn't talk to us but she did look at us when we talked to her.  She smiled a few times but she mostly just staired at the corner of the celing.  I watched her as she gazed upward.  Every once in a while her eyes would go wide open and her right eyebrow would go up.  I beleieve that she was seeing things.  Maybe glances of where she was going.  Maybe glances of WHO was there to take her.  Max and I had to take turns being there so Max had a while to be with her by himself.  I am so glad he had that time with the grandmother that he has adored his entire life.  Later that evening I went back up there while Max stayed home with our kids.  Not long after I got there my mother-in-law had to leave for a minute.  Max's brother, his wife and son were also in the room.  I pointed out to my sister-in-law that Ma Dixie was moving her mouth.  She had not been doing that.  Mandie said she was gasping for air.  It was not a violent gasp, just an open and close about 3 times and she was gone.  It was the most peaceful moment.  Her eyes didn't shut but you could tell that she was gone.  She was here, and in an instant, with three breaths, she was gone.  She was still looking up at the corner of the ceiling.  As I looked at her I could see past the small, so small frail body laying in that bed, I could see her dancing with her love.  I have never died so I don't know how it all works.  I know that it's the Lord Who calls us home, but I just know that Daddy God allowed Papa John to have a part in her homecoming!  After a few minutes my mother-in-law came back and as soon as she realized what had happened she sat in the chair beside the bed, and as silent tears rolled down her face she turned off the oxygen machine, removed the tubes from her mother's face, unwrapped the blood pressure cuff from her tiny arm, folded her hands and covered them up.  She stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.  Jane has been by her mother's side everyday.  I have been so inspired at how Jane (my mother-in-law) has cared for her mother.  She always sacrificed her own needs for those of Ma Dixies.  I know how hard it was at times but I also know that she would not have had it any other way.  Taking care of her mother was as natural to her as breathing. 

I was instantly aware of the fact that we would see Ma Dixie again one day!  I thanked God for the promise that this was only going to be a temporary separation.  So for the next few days we gathered as a family and we celebrated a life lived well.  We celebrated Ma Dixie's 97 years lived on this earth and we praised God that she is now HOME and she is now perfect.  Her body holds no disease or hurt!  She is joined with all her loved ones that went home before her.  That is how we are able to go on and live and continue to love each other.  We know it's not a permanent end.  Really, it's just the beginning =)   Oh, how thankful I am to Daddy God that He fills the parts of my heart that hurts with His LOVE and promises.  What an honor it is to have loved and been loved by such a special person. 

                                                            Ma Dixie and Hunter

                                                                Ma Dixie & Hunter

                                            Ma Dixie & Jane   (This was at mine and Max's wedding shower!)

                                             Ma Dixie playing with Hunter! 

                                                                    Max & I with Ma Dixie =)

Papa John, Mama Dixie, Me, Max, Jane & Nick (Max's Brother)

That can't be God, this dress is NEW!

I was watching Joyce Meyer this morning and she made this statement and it woke up something deep inside of me!  The subject was giving and hearing the Lord when He instructs us to give.  It's easy to give things that don't matter much to us anymore.  The example was cleaning out our closet and giving away our old clothes!  I have done it a hundred times!  I buy new clothes and or shoes and I go through my closet and pull out the things that either do not fit me anymore, are out of style, or I just no longer like!  Is this REALLY giving from my heart???  Well, I thought it was!  I mean, I am not going to wear it anymore and I could just throw it out (the sad truth is, some of it is worthy of nothing but the trash!), but I give it away!  As Joyce said, "The Lord seemed to be saying, those people that get your old stuff are doing YOU a favor by taking it off your hands!!"  I'm not saying that it is not a worthy service from the heart to donate our used things that we no longer use.  I believe it's a great thing and is good seed!  I have received used things from others and been super blessed by it!!!  But, I am saying that we should always be moved to give of our very best. 

So that brings me to the title of this blog:  Joyce heard the Lord tell her to GIVE AWAY HER NEW DRESS!  She replied, "That can't be God, this dress is NEW!"  hahaha  She said (to the Lord, as if to convince Him that He couldn't mean to give THAT dress), she also had matching earrings for that dress!!!  God then said that since she was so concerned about keeping the "set" together, to give the earrings too!!!  I love it!!!  God is so not concerned with our comfort!  Not that He doesn't want the very best for us, but He knows that all we really need is HIM!  We do not need a new dress to make us happy and complete.  Even if it comes with earrings!!!  All giving must take place because of LOVE!  All through the Bible God teaches us about sowing seed.  When our sowing is motivated by LOVE the seed is good and it will always grow!  I guess we should just ask ourselves the question, "why do we give"?  Are we looking for something in return? Are we just cleaning out our closet?  Does our giving only count if it make US feel good?  It doesn't matter if we give a cookie or a $500 pair of shoes, the heart must be motivated by LOVE!  That is how God operates.  Everything He does is birthed from LOVE because He IS LOVE!  To plant a seed through LOVE is sowing the very nature of Daddy God!  Show LOVE, share LOVE, BE LOVE!!!   Give the NEW dress =) 

The big fall

So Max had surgery a couple of weeks ago and I have been taking care of him and loving every minute of it!  Really, I have!  It was nice to slow down and spend quiet time together.  He is doing really well and his recovery is coming along quiet nice.  He finally got out the other day and drove down the street to a neighbors house.  While he was gone I was home with the kids and needed to iron a few things.  I set the ironing board up in the laundry room, sprayed the clothes down with starch and went to get my bottle of water while the iron heated up.  Apparently, some of the spray starch got on the tile and made it very slick!  When I walked back into the laundry room both feet flew right out from under me!!!  I hit the dryer and then the floor...HARD!  I knew immediately that I had hurt my leg.  I thought it was broken!  I couldn't move it and it felt like my knee cap was twisted.  All my boys came running in when they heard me fall.  I started asking them if they could see anything...like a BONE, sticking out of my leg!  hahhaah  They said no and I had Hunter call Max to come back home.  I could not get up!  I suddenly realized what it felt like to be an older person taking a fall!!!  Max came in and I was STILL sprawled out on the floor!  Of course he couldn't help me up, after having hernia surgery, he still couldn't lift anything over 5 pounds, and I am ever so slightly over that weight limit!!  hehe  Two of the boys helped me to the couch and Max came over to access the damage!  All I knew was that IT HURT!!!  Having 8 boys in the house, I not only had an audience, but lots of little "helpers".  Before I knew it, a few of the boys had gone out to the garage and collected me a set of crutches.  I stayed on the couch for a while and put ice on my knee.  After a few hours I guess the rest of my body realized we had fallen because my back and yes, my HIP, were hurting!!  hahaha 

My first attempt to take a trip to the bathroom using my crutches was quiet an adventure.  When I was preoccupied I seem to have lost every single bit of coordination in my body!  The more I used the crutches the worse it got!  Finally yesterday (2 days after my fall), Max took me to the doctor.  They wanted to take x-rays.  Not thinking before we took off to the doctor, I was wearing a sundress!  Some of the postions they had me in on the x-ray table were just WRONG!!  There is nothing broken but the doctor said there could be other damage to my knee.  I am in a brace and still on crutches but I am believing for a complete recovery, and one withOUT surgery!  I did put a little weight on it this afternoon so I am on my way to walking free of assistance!  On top of all of this, I had just started exercising and changing my diet to live healthier.  I have lost 20 pounds over the last 5 weeks and now I'm stuck on the couch!  There are times of the day that I can HEAR the cookies in the kitchen calling out to me!  BUT....I will walk soon without crutches and I will exercise again...SOON!  I have a friend helping me change my eating habits.  I am keeping a food diary and I have discovered that I eat like a 10 year old!  Changes are on the way!  GOOD changes!  I know that the devil would love for this to get me down but too bad for him because I will NOT let this short time of being down define my progress!!!  I am pressing on!  At least I am getting some upper body workout!! 

Lesson to be learned:  Never allow the attack of the enemy over ride the VICTORY of Jesus!!!!  I have VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am speaking healing and I am claiming my health!  Supernatural healing is MINE =) 

Her nothing was EVERYTHING!

I love reading and learning from the women who have gone before us.  There are so many women in the Bible that teach us so much about how to live and how not to live!  Some have names and some are nameless but they are all very important or they would not have been mentioned at all!  The woman that I am referring to today is one of those nameless.  Although her name is not known, Jesus had His eyes on her and her intentions.  She stood in the corner of the temple, holding her last two coins.  They were worth less than a penny yet she couldn't help but reflect on how her recent past had brought her to this place and time.  She had lost her husband and struggled to make ends meet.  She had no family and no one to support her.  She had nowhere to turn.  I believe as she stood there her heart filled with the memories of the goodness of the Lord and all He had done for her.  She could not withhold from the One who had sustained her and blessed her in her time of struggle!  She had to let go!  Surely He would provide a way for her to survive.  I know she felt the heaviness fall from her shoulders as she dropped the coins into the box!  She was now TOTALLY in the Lords hands now!!!  He has invited her to trust Him far beyond the comfort zone of her faith!  I can almost feel how her heart must have leapt!  The freedom that can hardly be put into words!  At this moment, her struggle was over and Daddy God was in complete control.  There is a place of safely and she had found it!  Can you imagine the worship that must have taken place within this woman?!  To give thanks to Jehovah-Jireh, her provider, Jehovah-Shalom, her peace!!!!   Although she was unaware, Jesus saw it all.  He saw her give EVERYTHING!!!  He saw her very heart!  It went way beyond those two coins! 

I crave the heart of this amazing woman!  I crave to give EVERYTHING and gain more than I can even imagine!  I want Daddy God to have complete control of my life, my heart, my future!  I want my hand in His!  I serve a God who created everything I see out of nothing!   I BELIEVE that He will take all my nothing and create beyond my wildest dreams!!!!  There is no such thing as impossible with my Daddy God!  I am following the dreams in my heart and loving Jesus all the way.  This is an amazing path and He is just getting started with this child!  This heart is open...WIDE OPEN!!!!

My Husband, my very best friend!

Each year I find myself falling more and more in love with the man that God has blessed me with!  We have weathered many storms and our relationship has grown roots deeper than I ever thought was possible.  We have raised an amazing young man.  He has cared for me in my times of need and I have done the same for him.  It has not been all sunshine and roses!  There has been some hard work put into this amazing life together.  We have dealt with pride and the need to be right.  We have fought and said hurtful things and had the sweetest makeups.  After 22 years, I have to say that this time in our marriage is such a comfort.  I trust this man with my whole heart and I'm not afraid to be ME!  Our marriage is now older than we were when we got married!!  I am honored to be Max's wife and I am blessed to have the most wonderful helpmate.  I enjoy every minute I get to spend with him.

With all of that said.....Max had surgery a week ago and during his recover he has depended on me.  He is a pretty good patient!  We have had a 5 day camp out in our living room!  I know he is recovering from surgery, but I have had so much fun hanging out with him 24/7.  It 's kinda nice knowing that he can't get away!  hahaha  I just love him so much!

With all that we have been though I am thankful and I am so excited about what God has in store for us as a couple in the future!!!!  I am just looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together, loving,  growing and serving!  

Whatever stage of marriage you are in, enjoy it!  Give your marriage to Daddy God and allow Him to pour blessing into it!  If you are not married yet, pray and believe God to lead you to your very best friend!   Most importantly, always make your relationship with Daddy God FIRST!  HE gives you everything you need to make your marriage the most rewarding experience ever!  I know that because of Daddy God's LOVE, I am a better wife.  Because of Max, I am a better person =)

We really need some recent photos!!  hahaha

What is your status?

Ok, I am a Facebook junkie!  I don't get out much so I love how I can stay connected through facebook.  I love the encouragement I receive and how I can encourage others through this social network.  I have a lot of young people on my friends list and as I was scanning through all the posts this morning I once again was disturbed at how many of them had changed their status from "in a relationship" to "single".  I see more and more teenage girls jump from one "relationship" to another!  They seem to always be searching for that someone who will make the feel worthy.  I have used a LOT of restraint!!!  I have wanted, so many times, just tell them to WAKE UP!!!!  There is only ONE relationship that will ever fill that void.  That if they would only commit to a relationship with Jesus, all others would be more meaningful and fulfilling because of The One living inside of them! 

When we foster and grow in our relationship with Jesus, we see others in a different light!  We are drawn to those who are allowing the light of Jesus to shine through them!  The Light attracts the Light!    I want these young girls to know that Jesus loves them and they are ALREADY worthy in His eyes so they do not have to seek that from others!   If you want the PERFECT boy, just go to Daddy God because He has created THE ONE just for YOU!!!  You will find him through HIM! 

Be the kind of girl whose facebook status says..... _____is in a relationship with JESUS!!!   Let those boys know that they have to go through your Daddy GOD to get to you!!!!!  You deserve nothing less than the very BEST so do not settle for anything else!!! 

The Lotus

I am a lover of flowers.  I cannt grow them but I do love to receive them!  Of all the flowers, the Lotus is my favorite.  

The lotus is an Asian water lily known for the delicate beauty of its water flowers. It possesses an amazing ability to flourish in a variety of environments ranging from clear ponds to muddy marshes. It is also known for its exceptionally hearty seedpods, which often plant themselves far from its source, bringing the beauty of the lotus blossoms everywhere.  The stem is very long and goes deep into the soil under the water.  As the lotus reaches the top of the water it blooms towards the sun!  I just love that!

Like the lotus, when we look upon the face of the Son, it doesn't matter that we have been in the muddy marsh, He makes us bloom beautiful!  Because our root is deep in the good soil, and our seedpods are hearty, we can plant the seed of Daddy God's blessings near and far!!!  We have the ability to be a part of producing other lotus flowers. 

I know there is a lot of information out there about these beautiful flowers.  I do not agree with all of it.  I do, however, think they are a symbol of how Daddy God brings beauty from ashes.  It doesn't matter how we start, or what we have been through, if we look upon the face of the Son and trust in Him, He will make us perfect in His eyes =)   

Who is to blame?

I have been  working on a couple of new projects, one of which is a devotional book!  In my devotional book I use some of my blogs, so I have been reading through some old blogs.  I came across this one and felt the need to re-post it today.  I trust it will encourage someone =) 

 

 

One of the issues as a rape survivor is, who's to blame?  For years I blamed myself.  Did the decisions I made lead to my attack?  Did I ask for it?  Was I just to stupid to see it coming?  And the big one; was God trying to get my attention or teach me a lesson?  I struggled with these questions (and many more) for years.  I settled, for a time, on blaming God, but not in a bad way!  I was scared to be mad at God so I just figured He had His reasons and I would just be gracious and accept it and move on.  I even thanked God for choosing me to be sexually assaulted!!! 

 WOW!  I blow my own mind sometimes at the things I believe!  I find it very interesting that I never placed the blame where it belonged.  I never blamed the rapist.  Don't get me wrong, I knew what he did was wrong, and I was hurt on a level that I cannot even express in words, but the emotion that I reserved for the rapist was, wait for it.......sadness!  Yes, I felt sorry for him!  Even before I knew why, I felt sorry for him.  I just could not for the life of me wrap my head around how he could have been so evil.  Why was he so evil?

  It was only after God reveled some TRUTH to me that the blame was to rest on the one responsible for all that evil.  It was Satan!  The ruler of the darkness.  See, God is LIGHT and there is NO darkness in Him!  It is the enemy who comes to kill, steal, and destroy.  God comes to give LIFE and give it in abundance!!!  I was giving God credit for something the devil was responsible for!  My Daddy God is a life GIVER!!!  Satan is a life killer!  I also came to the understanding that my rapist made choices, out of his free will, he allowed himself to be so influenced by the enemy that he was capable of  caring out the unspeakable acts that day.  God didn't give him the ability or instruction to rape me! 

 I do not have ALL the answers but I do know what the Lord has reveled to me and shown me.  Everything else is on a need-to-know basis and when I hit that point I replace my questions with TRUST and FAITH that God is the ultimate winner and I will be delivered to my place at His feet when HE sees fit, NOT when the devil says so!  See, if it were up to Satan, I believe he would have taken me out that day.  BUT GOD!  God was with me then and He has been with me everyday since, and He still has work for me to do in HIS Name! 

 When I share this belief, some have asked me why I think God "allowed" this to happen to me.  Why do bad things happen to good people???  In case you haven't noticed, we live in a fallen world!  All I know is that God is GOD and I trust Him.  He is ABOVE Satan and his demons that roam this earth!  And a day is coming when HE will stand and even the demons will bow down!  I am on HIS side, no matter what!  I have had this vision of the demons bowing and all evil bowing like cowards, and all of GOD'S CHILDREN are standing behind Him peeking around His robe, safe behind DADDY!!!!  At that time we will no longer have to exist in a world filled with evil.  BUT, until that day comes, it is up to us (as Christians) to speak TRUTH into as many lives as we can!  Greater is HE that is living inside of me!  We have the Holy Spirit as our helper, and we are to be a witness to the LOVE and SALVATION of Jesus Christ!  Let's live our lives like we have been changed, and be LIFE CHANGERS!!!!!

Praying Parent

I always knew I wanted to be a mommy.  As a young girl I would play house and I always had lots of babies!  After I got married I had a lot of female issues and was told I would not be able to get pregnant.  I never really believed it but it took us almost 5 years to get pregnant with my son.  I was so excited I could hardly stand myself!  The day I found out, I was only 7 weeks and I went to the store and bought maternity clothes!   hahaha


I loved being pregnant!  After Hunter was born I experienced a level of love that I never knew existed!  I wanted him to always have the very best of everything.  When he was a toddler Max and I started praying for Hunter's future wife!  It seemed a little strange at first but we knew that God would honor our prayers for our son.  We have prayed for Hunter to always make wise decisions when it came to relationships.  We have prayed for him to resist temptation and trust that Daddy God was growing and preparing his mate for just the right time.  We also prayed for Hunter's future mate.  We have prayed for her to grow strong in the Lord and resist temptation.  We have prayed for her protection. 

When Hunter was old enough we began to encourage him to pray for his future mate as well.  Max and I have tried to live out our marriage as an example to Hunter.  When it came to dating, we talked to him about how the world views dating vs. how God intended it.  I do not believe you have to "try out" different people until you find the one that bests fits!  There is nothing wrong with going out and enjoying friends, but as for as relationships, we believe the Lord will make it clear if we are searching HIM! 

Max and I did NOT go about relationships the way we should have!  As we both look back we can see how, with each relationship, we gave a piece of ourselves that were intended for each other!  I gave pieces of myself away that I should have been more protective over.  God's way is ALWAYS the best way!!! 

So, I shared all of this to encourage other parents.  I believe Daddy God has heard our prayers and is now honoring His promise!  Hunter is in love with the girl his daddy and I have prayed for all of these years!  It is never too early to start praying for your children's future!  We spoke love over Hunter.   Danille, Hunter's girlfriend, who we like to call the GOD-SEND, loves our baby boy!  I trust her with his heart and we love her with all of our hearts!  God is faithful and He is so good =)  By the way, Danille's parents prayed the same prayers over her throughout her life as well.  I am so thankful that as much as love my son, his heavenly Father loves him beyond and has nothing but the absolute best for him! 

I'm sharing a few photos of my baby boy and the very best God has blessed him with!   If you do not know Hunter and Danille, let me tell you that they are such a blessing!!!  There were destined to change their world =) 

Remembering 9/11

It is hard for me to believe it has been ten years!  Ten years since things were forever changed in this country.  I remember that day very clearly.  Along with two friends of mine, the three of us had just started a small preschool through our church.  We had converted the church parsonage into a place to care for children.  My son was in the third grade and was at school.  The kids in our preschool were playing and I got a phone call from my mom, telling me there had been a plane crash into a building in New York and to turn on the TV.  We turned on the news and as we were watching the news the second plane crashed into the other tower!!  RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES!!!  I heard the news person say something about it being a terror attack and all I wanted to do was go get my son from school and have him with ME!  We watched the news coverage all day in disbelief in all that was going on.  When the towers fell we were speechless!!!  It just all seemed to be a dream, or like a movie.  At the end of the day when I was home safe with my family I knew that things were going to be different.  Over the next few days there were gatherings and church services and people seemed to be seeking God like never before!  My husband and I had many talks about how we, as Christians, were in a position to bring TRUTH to desperate people!  We prayed for the church to rise up and recognize her place and responsibility!  I believe there were a lot of good that followed this tragedy.  There has also been some damage that only God can repair.  I pray that as we remember all that happened on that day and all the days that followed, we can look to Daddy God like never before!  Seek His Wisdom and guidance.  Do you remember how we all reached out to our fellow HUMANS!  We were not looking at rich/poor, black/white, lost/saved,  ect......we saw each other has humans living in a scary time, and we helped one another.  My prayer today is that we don't just look back at how we WERE, but strive to regain some of that love and concern we had for others.  God is LOVE, and LOVE trumps everything else!!!!! 

I want to encourage you to share your stories from 9/11.  Share your thoughts.  Share your dreams of the future.  Share your prayers!!!  This blog is open to anyone who wants to share.

LOVE, not time, heals all wounds....LET LOVE DO ITS JOB! 

In His Arms

There are days that all I need is to just climb into the arms of my Daddy God!  Just let Him love on me.  I love that He can fill me up to go out and be His child with a passion and energy.  How He can give me a WORD to share with someone that moves them in a way only He can.  I am thankful for all the opportunities He gives me to be a part of change.  But there are those times that all I need is His arms around me, His love flooding my spirit and knowing that He has all the time in the world just for ME!  I can access this at any time.  Sometimes we get so busy that I think we forget that we have access to this!  The best part is HE desires is more than we do!!! 

Hunter is 18 now and I don't get a lot of snuggy time these days!  haha  But, when he was little, snuggy time was my absolute favorite!!!  We didn't have to even talk to each other.  Just having him crawl up in my lap and let me put my arms all the way around him and just snuggy!!!  Most of the time I didn't even have to ask him to snuggy, he just came all on his own because he desired to snuggy with his mommy.   As amazing as that feeling was to me, I know Daddy God loves it even more when His children snuggy with Him =) 

If you haven't been there in a while, I encourage you to go and spend some time in Daddy God's arms, just let Him love on you!!!   Snuggy with your Heavenly Father =) 

Everyday Joy

Have you ever rolled out of bed with kids yelling, hubby grumpy and you only had about 4 hours of sleep?  Well, I have and my first thought was NOT about how much JOY I felt in my heart!!  hahaha  It is easy on the days when you wake from a good, full nights sleep, obedient children and a pleasant hubby......sorry, I just went into a daydream!  My point is that we usually base joy on how we feel.  We base our joy on our circumstances!  Oh the lessons I have learned (and am still learning) from Paul!  Paul wrote about JOY from PRISON!!!   He knew where the source of his joy came from.  In his letters he made it very clear that his joy, strength, hope and peace came from the Lord!  Phil. 4:13  I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength!


When my Papaw died (15 years ago), I thought my world as I knew it was over.  It hit me so hard.  It was like one minute he was here and then he was just gone!  I could hardly wrap my head around it.  Even though it has been 15 years, I still think about him all the time.  I have wonderful memories that I can play over in my mind and I can tell stories to my son about how amazing this man was to me.  I am sad because I miss him, but my heart cannot hold all the JOY I am flooded with when I picture him walking and hanging out with Jesus!!!  I can see his face light up as he looks at his Heavenly Father face to face!  My eyes are as full of tears as my heart full of JOY!   See my circumstance, living without my Papaw does not over-ride my ability to contain joy.  I choose to have EVERYDAY JOY!   I hope you are encouraged today to not allow your present circumstance to steal your joy.  No matter what the enemy throws at you, put on JOY and deny him the opportunity to knock you down!!!  Stand STRONG in the source of all JOY, PEACE, HOPE and LOVE!!! 



 No matter what our misfortune or difficulty, God reigns supreme and sovereign. He can — and will — see us through anything the enemy throws at us!

Freedom

The more I submit to Daddy God the more freedom I experience!  It is simply amazing!  I can remember years ago thinking of all the things I would have to "give up" to follow Jesus the way He wanted me to.  I look back now and see how much I have gained =) 

When I first started to realize some of the things the Lord was calling me to do, I thought, there is no way.  I thought, how can I ever do all that He is calling me to do?  It seemed to me that it would require me to "give up" so much.  Then He began to speak to me and my spirit eyes started to see so clearly.  My heart was changing and the more I said "yes" the more freedom I felt!  God has a plan for me.  He has a plan for each of us!  His plan is GOOD and His plan is perfect.   His plan is not to harm us!! 

Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I am excited about my future because I know it is GOOD =)

Don't allow the enemy to come in and try to steal your future!!!  Submit your life to Jesus and live in His FREEDOM!!!!  

MOVE!

I love that Daddy God moves on my heart...stirring it up to take action!!!  As I release more and more of myself to Him, He fills my heart with more and more!  More love, joy, grace, instruction, excitement, compassion, a desire to live out what He created me to do!  I am finding that my desire and His desire for me are flowing together.  It is such a beautiful experience =)  He is placing people in my life and allowing love and encouragement to flow in and about these relationships!  I am completely consumed with HIS LOVE!!! 

I have no fear of the future!  In fact, I feel that my future is NOW!!!  I am walking into my future right now and with each step comes a feeling that I am unable to explain.  The only word that I can even come up with is JOY!!! 

I have my book signing in a couple of days!  Just me!  I am so excited about the people I know Daddy God is going to send!  I'm excited about all the opportunities coming up to go and speak;  to share this love and joy that God is filling me with!  To share the message of healing and restoration.  The message of living the life we were created for!!!  I am currently working on a couple of other projects that I am so pumped about!  God is GOOD and HE has good for ALL of His children!!!  I think back to when I sat in an abandoned house, scared to death, feeling more alone than ever.  Then I become aware at where I am now with my Daddy God.....WOW!  It is IMPRESSIVE that He brought me through all of that...and even MORE impressive that He sees fit to use ME to further His Kingdom!!!!!!! 

I pray that YOU are encouraged today that Daddy God has an amazing plan for YOU!  It is a perfect plan that is for your good and the good of others that you influence!  He created your heart to be filled with all things good =)  Don't let the enemy tell you any different!  God is faithful and He is ALWAYS working in YOUR best interest!!!!  Don't be afraid to MOVE =)

Dare to BE!

There are so many things that Daddy God has planed for each of us.  He didn't just create us to live, but to live a life of expediency!  To expect blessings, peace, abundance, and a life filled with joy, a heart filled with LOVE!   He has a great and perfect plan for His children.  We do live in a fallen world but we do not have to live under it's curse!  The enemy would love to deceive us into believing there are things that we cannot overcome, but that is a LIE!  We have every right to expect all things of heaven and earth!  We CAN live with HEAVEN ON EARTH!  When we believe the WORD and trust in THE LORD, all this is ours for the taking!  Even though there is destruction in this world, we have the RIGHT to live above it.  When the enemy attacks, Daddy God has already given us everything we need to pass through, we just have to KNOW it and ACCEPT it!  WE ARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!  HE has already done HIS part and now it is up to US to DARE TO BE who He created us to be!  Don't be distracted by the lies of the enemy.  Be confident in the TRUTH OF OUR CREATOR!!!!!
Be encouraged and DARE TO BE!!!!!! 

Use What Ya Got!

Ephesians 1:3 — God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. It follows, therefore, that if we are not in Christ we do not have the spiritual blessings God has for His people.
This is why we need to be in Christ.

When we made the decision to accept Christ, we opened the door to receive everything we would need to live the life we were created for.  It is all available for us, but most of us, for some reason, do not operate in that fullness that is promised to us!  For me, I lived most of my life thinking I had to "earn" this in some way.  I could have it all but if I messed up I got sent back to the beginning and had to work my way back up!  I also had earthly blessings and spiritual blessings all mixed up.  I thought that if my finances were bad, I was not under God's blessing.  If I got sick, that for some reason, God had lifted His blessing off of me.  I WAS SO WRONG!  See, spiritual blessings are far greater than earthly blessings!  Spiritual blessings are HOPE, PEACE, LOVE, CONTENTMENT, JOY, POWER, AUTHORITY...........the only way these blessings are lifted is if we chose not to accept them.  We can chose not to operate in them!  It doesn't matter what the earthly circumstance, the SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS remain!!!  Now, God does bless us with earthly blessings as well.  He can supernaturally supply things that in the natural cannot be explained! 

I believe the greatest spiritual blessing is the power and authority!!!  When we recognize that we have power and authority over the enemy, we walk in confidence that there is nothing that can take our blessings away!  Satan may attack, but we do not have to live under that attack!!!  We can have JOY, LOVE, PEACE and CONTENTMENT in spite of what the enemy tries to trip us up with!!! 

I pray that you are encourage and empowered by this TRUTH!  I know I am!!!  God is ALWAYS good!  He has already given us these things so USE WHAT YA GOT!!!!! 

Impressed

God gave me another opportunity this weekend to go and share His goodness through my story.  I have to say that it fills my heart with unspeakable JOY when I get to talk about just how good my Daddy God is!!! 

As I got up to speak I could feel my heart reaching out and being received by those at the conference.  I could look at  the faces and see that the Lord was ministering to them through me.  It was powerful and humbling at the same time.  I felt so small yet larger than life!  I knew that THE ONE with the power was inside of me, enabling me to stand before them and tell my story.  He gave the ability to encourage them that they, too are eligible for freedom and restoration!!! 

I had people coming up to me after, sharing their stories and how they, too wanted to be free from their past!
God is at work and the work is GOOD!

On my way to the conference I was talking with Daddy God and asking Him to use me, asking Him to touch and restore!  Asking Him to bring healing to the broken.  As I began to pray it hit me like a ton of brinks......and I said to Him, "I am so IMPRESSED with YOU!  I am IMPRESSED that YOU can use ME!"  See, I was NO GOOD for SO LONG!!!  There was NO GOOD in me and He MADE ME GOOD!!!  He took all the bad and replaced it with His good!  It really is astounding!  He used ME to carry the most important massage....HIM!  I receive A LOT of encouragement but I also receive discouragement.  I know that I do not have to receive the discouragement!!!  This is HIS PLAN and no man can hinder it! 

Are you IMPRESSED with what He has done in your life?  Are you IMPRESSED with just how far He has brought you?  I encourage you to spend some time thinking about it and thanking Him for it! 

A kept Woman

Ok, so in one of my first blogs I talked about the process of getting my book published.  I knew from the very beginning that I would not base any decision on money but on what God told me to do.  He told me to publish my story (really it's "our" story because He has everything to do with it!).  Daddy God is the Author of my life!  I didn't consider the cost and took that first step of faith.  I remember the very first "seed" that was sown into my book.  It was $100.00 and the day it was given to me I had to meet my grandmother for lunch.  We had a waitress that day that was very pregnant and after talking with her,  found out she also had 3 other small children.  I wanted to give her the $100.00!  I asked the Lord and just didn't have an settled feeling about it, so I kept the money.  The next morning as I was ironing school clothes and watching Joyce Meyer, I heard her say something that changed my thinking.  She was talking about sowing seed and that we always think of it as money.  Not all seed is money.  It can be our time, our prayers, our words, ect.  Then I heard the Lord tell me that the $100.00 was for my book and that my story IS my seed!  I am sewing my story of healing and freedom into lives and that God will use my story to change, heal and comfort  and RESTORE others! 

As the days and weeks went on God called more people to sow seed into my book and my life!  I have received money,  prayers, and encouragement!  God always comes through and provides everything I need to do this work He has called me to! 

I woke up one day and as I was laying in bed collecting my thoughts for the day, I heard the enemy speaking to me.  He was saying, "Where's your money?"  "You know you have to have $430.00 in 2 days and you don't have it?"  "Your bank account is going to be overdrawn!"  "When the publisher sees you have no money they will not publish your book!"   I am being very transparent here so I am trusting that you understand my heart in sharing this.  You see, we had $8.00 in our account and the publisher was going to  draft the LAST PAYMENT for the book ($420.00) in TWO DAYS!  I pointed my finger at the devil and said, "STOP IT!!  You LIE!!!  My Daddy God has already provided my needs!!!!!"

I thanked God for being my provider and for loving me above the lies of my enemy!  I took a shower and as I stepped out of the shower I had a text message asking me to call when I could talk.  I made that call and as I hung up, I had $200.00 for the book! I praised God and thanked Him all morning!  By the afternoon I had another $100.00 seed money!!!!  MY DADDY IS THE BEST!!!!!  How could I NOT trust Him????? 

I was reminded of the verse
“What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?” Romans 8:31-32

His plan for me is so good and so big!!!  He is for me and He has given me all authority to cast the enemy off of me!  I do not have to accept the lies of the devil!  And all the bondage of my past is GONE!  I am FREE!  Free to tell my story, Free to encourage others, Free to go out and fulfill my destiny!!!!

The next morning as we drove into town my husband got a phone call and when he hung up he looked at me and said, "YOU BOOK IS PAID FOR!"  All praise and glory go to the KING OF KINGS!  It's another day in the blessing and living the miracle that is, life with Jesus =)  I am HIS and HE has all control in my life!  I am blessed to be a kept woman!!! 

I am believing that you are encouraged today!!!!  I am challenging you to encourage someone else today!!!  If God has placed instruction on you to give money, time, or just a word to someone...DO IT!  Do not count the cost because what you receive will be more that you could ever imagine!!!!!!

This is who I am!

I love my blog and I love hearing from the people who read it =)  You guys really do ROCK!  So I decided a couple of weeks ago to let YOU ask ME anything!!!  There were some pretty interesting things you wanted to know!  hahaha  So  now the answers to what enquiring minds want to know!!!

I was raised in Hope, Arkansas!  Family, friends and lots of WATERMELON!!  I do not go back as often as I should.  I do still have family there.  And LOTS of memories =)

No I do not know Bill Clinton!  But when Max and I started dating, our pastor was Mike Huckabee and he married us in 1989 =)

My favorite color is RED!  Says a lot,  huh?!

In 5 years I see myself following the leading of The Holy Spirit!  I know I will be sharing Jesus wherever He allows me to go!!!  There are NO LIMITS to what Daddy God will do in the future of my family!

Max and I are in full time ministry.  We are house parents at a children's ranch.  We serve in a boys home.  We have 8 boys that live with us (including Hunter, our son).

There are many people that have influenced my life!  They have all inspired me in different ways.  STILL DO!

I have 2 awesome brothers!  I am the oldest =)

My prayer for my amazing son ,Hunter , is to always allow Daddy God to lead him and for him to always have a heart for people! 

My favorite TV shows are Dancing With The Stars, So You Think You Can Dance and any real crime show!  I love to watch true stories. 

What I wanted to be when I grew up.....A Dancer!  That was all I wanted to do. 

Why I blog:  In part because it is like an outlet for me to empty my brain!  But my main goal is to encourage and challenge those who read it.  (I usually find that it is ME that is encouraged and challenged)!

Yes it was a bit scary when I decided to publish my story and expose my entire life!  There was a lot of prayer and confirmation before I decided to publish the book.  Daddy God is faithful and He is my leader and that is really all I needed.  Excited about the future!!! 

This was really a lot of fun and I thank you all for participating!  BE BLESSED! 

The Good Stuff

The deeper into the Word I go the deeper in love I become with my Savior!!!  I am beyond amazed at His love for me and when I do try to think on it, I become ever whelmed!  Oh the JOY that fills my heart =)

I just finished reading "Dear Evelyn" and I have to say that it fueled the fire in my heart.  If we do NOT have a desire to love others there is something wrong!  It is that simple!  I'm talking about a love that can only come from Jesus.  A love that drives us to do things that we would just not do in the natural.  It's a supernatural love that does supernatural things!!!  It's some GOOD STUFF!!!  To see past our own little world and into the world that so desperately longs for that JESUS LOVE!  They long to see it and experience it through you and me.  As we allow God to LOVE us and FILL us with His love we cannot help but want to pass it on to others!  There really is nothing like it.  When you share something from The Father that sets someone else free!  WOW! 

When we give our LOVE and reach out to meet the needs of others, we are giving back to the Lord! 

Matthew 25:36-40     For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
    “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
    “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Do we really treat others like we would treat JESUS? 

I hope that you are encouraged and challenged, as I was, to receive this TRUTH!  Oh Daddy God, do not ever let me forget how much YOU love people and let me see with Your Eyes to be Your Hands and Feet, Your Arms and Ears!!!  Flood my heart! 

Band Days!

The past couple of days a classmate has posted several of our old Marching Band videos!  It has been a blast looking back and remembering the fun times we had and the pride we had in a job well done!  As I watched the videos it felt like I was there all over again.  I posted a blog a while back about band and how God directs and guides us similar to a band director.  I'm going to re run it with a BONUS at the end =)

So if you are or were ever a BAND GEEK and proud of it, you will not want to miss it!!! 


Back during football season Max and I were able to attend one of Hunter's marching band rehearsals.  We were sitting about mid-way up the bleachers so we had a pretty good view of the whole band out on the field.  We watched as they moved from one formation to the another.  As we watched we listened to the Band Director give instructions.  He was sitting at the very top of the bleachers.  He also had the advantage of knowing what the formations were supposed to look like and he also, having years of experience could instruct his students in a way they could understand.  We watched this for a while.  He would have them do a section of the routine over and over until they did it right.  I heard him say at one point, "I can see all of you and if you will just listen to me and go exactly where I tell you to the whole formation will be right."  From where Max and i were sitting we could see exactly what he meant!  We could see when one person was slightly out of line!  As they ended each formation he would call out the names of the ones who were out of place.  "John, take one step to your left, Cody, move half a step back, now, THIS is where you need to be at the end of this formation!"  As the kids began to listen and obey their instructor the formations became smooth and each section joined together to make some really neat looking designs!

As I watched this Daddy God opened my spirit eyes to see that this is how HE instructs His children!!!  HE has the best point of view to see all of us and He is always instructing us where and when to go and what to do so that we can make beautiful designs.  Sometimes He has to say, Teena, take one step back, Max, move slightly to your left."  His desire is for the body of Christ to work together to bring to light HIS PERFECT PLAN! 

I was in the marching band in high school.  Shout out to the HOPE SUPERBAND!!  WOOT WOOT!  Anyway, I can remember when we were at the beginning stages of learning the routine for the year it was hard to imagine how it was all going to fit together!  As a section, we had our own part to learn and we would practice it over and over, TRUSTING in out instructor that it would all work.  We put a lot into our individual parts!  We would not have tried so had if we didn't have faith that the one leading us knew what he was doing!! (Another shout out to Mr. Hesse!)  Its the SAME with God the Father!!!  If we TRUST and have FAITH that HE KNOWS what HE is doing, we follow HIS instruction!!!  We wait for Him to tell us how many eight counts to go until we halt.  And we do just how were told so that we all succeed! 

Our Holy Instructor, Jesus has given us everything we need to walk out our life.  His Word is our marching orders!  We only have to TRUST Him and KNOW that He is sitting up high enough to see the entire formation.  He knows the beginning and the end.  We just have to trust and obey Him throughout the middle =)

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”


BONUS!!!  I give you The Hope High School Superband =)    I like to call this the glory days!!  Hope you enjoy =)

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150717849650694&oid=2220973736

What Do You Want To Know?

I get a lot of messages and thought it would be fun to do a question/answer post!  After all, I am an "open book"!!!  So this is your chance to ask me anything.  I would also love to hear your ideas on what YOU would like to see on this blog.  You can respond in the "comment" below or send me an email or private message.  I love this blog and the people who follow.  I absolutely LOVE your comments and messages!  I have laughed and been brought to tears by some of the stories that have been shared with me.  I thank you for trusting me with your stories.  God is good and He is ALWAYS faithful to His Word =)


So here we go.....you questions and suggestions can be serious or funny!!!!  Can't wait to hear from YOU!!!!! 

Finding My Voice

This journey that The Lord has me on has been so amazing and I know that there are only BETTER things to come!!!  He has imparted many things to me and I have taken each one back to Him and accepted this path.  Things are changing and I am learning to let go and let Him guide me.  I am also very excited to learn that the things He is calling me to do are the very things that I desire to do!!! 

I have written a book and opened my entire life to everyone but it has now come time to open my mouth and SPEAK!  Not just talk, but talk to people...in front of people!!  You have to know that I have had to do public speaking before and EVERY time I would get physically ill.  I would often brake out in a rash from nerves! I am a talker, but I never in a million years dreamed that God would call me to be a SPEAKER!!  I mean He knows how fearful I have been to stand up in front of people and speak!  Well.......guess what?!? 

He has not only call me to it, but He has given me the ability AND He placed inside of me the DESIRE to do it!!!  I have given Daddy God my past, present and future and I am just following His lead!  This morning He opened the door for me to go and SPEAK with a Sunday School Class at a local church.  I have been living on the edge of an excitement breakout for weeks and I was not disappointed!  It was GREAT!  Daddy God took over and SPOKE His Words through ME!  I could feel Him in every breath I took.  I was not afraid.  The enemy tried, but he FAILED today!!! 

I have found my VOICE and I will not be quiet or afraid any longer!!!  As I allowed God the Father to minister through me this morning I was at a complete peace!!!  This life belongs to HIM!  He has set me FREE and I will honor Him by living this life in FREEDOM!!!  Despite what the enemy tries to tell me....There are NO LIMITS!

He is faithful to His Word =)  What is He calling you to do?  Who is He calling you to be?  Where is He calling you to go?  We cannot be afraid of the path...lives are depending on it!!!  There is a lost and hurting world that is depending on you and me to be the vessel that carries the life saving message of Jesus Christ!!! 

The Bible and a Kit Kat

I have a dear friend from high school that is in training for a fitness competition.  I have followed her journey and been so inspired!  I have to admit that I am one of "those people" that for example, will sit and watch an entire DVD of a workout before I will actually commit to do it in real life!!  hahaa     Some of you are laughing because YOU do the SAME THING!  I know I'm not alone!  OK, back to my friend...... It seemed like every time I saw an update on her progress, which would be about all the healthy food she had eaten and the insane workout she had just completed and how GREAT she felt.....I was reading it on my lap top while eating a Kit Kat!!  OK, another confession....I LOVE KIT KATS!  It is my candy of choice =)  As I was reading one of her posts, she was talking about the food we put into our bodies.  I sat there reading about this as I munched on my Kit Kat wishing that I would have made a healthier choice! 

A few days later there was another update, only this time my friend was having a "weak" day.  Not in her physical strength, but her mental strength.  The enemy will always attack our thoughts and leave the rest to us!  See, when we begin to think defeated, the belief of being defeated is not far behind!  I went straight to The Word of God to send her some encouragement.  As I allowed Daddy God to fill me with encouragement to pass on, He began to speak to ME!!!  He revealed to me that my friend was physically STRONG today, she feeds her body with the food that best fosters the growth and strength it needs, and it shows!  I mean you can see it!  But her Spiritual strength was weak.  That was how the enemy was able to get in and slip the thoughts of defeat in.  I feed my Spirit everyday and today my Spirit was strong.  The REVELATION came when God showed me that we cannot survive on spiritual strength alone, just as we cannot survive on physical strength alone!  I cannot sit and read my Bible while eating a Kit Kat!  Feeding and caring for my physical body is just as important as my spirit man!  If I do not take care of my physical body it will limit what Daddy God has created me to do!  He created me for a very LONG and very ACTIVE life on this earth! 

The Bible tells us that in this world but there WILL be trouble, BUT GOD!  I just LOVE when it says "but God".....HE has given us His Word to encourage, to instruct and to support His children! 

I will be more aware and more careful with what I put in my mouth!  What goes into my mouth is just as vital as what I put into my heart and mind!   Thank You Daddy God for this LIFE CHANGING message!!!!

Sow a Seed

I love how Daddy God brings people into our lives at just the perfect time.  He has done this all throughout my life.  I got a friends request last week and as I read about who he was I found myself getting so excited at this new friend that had come into my life.  The Lord has opened my heart to this person, his family and his ministry! 

Chad Matthews is the author of, "Dear, Evelyn", due for release is just a couple of weeks.  Chad and his wife, Marjorie have a heart for the homeless.  They minister to these brothers and sisters who live on the streets.  They provide their material needs but most importantly they plant the seed of SALVATION and the LOVE of CHRIST into their lives!!!  They are the Hands and Feet of Daddy God!  They are HIS ARMS that hold these that most tend to look beyond. The Book is about the experiences they have had ministering on the streets.  I cannot wait to get my hands on this book!!!  The Lord has birthed a dream in their hearts to go and BE CHRIST to those who need Him, those who seek Him, those who may not even know Him! 

So they are going to set out on a 2 week travel through the south, ministering as they go!  Sound familiar???  Isn't that what Jesus did?!!  YES!  Jesus has always met people where they are.  Loving and ministering as He went!

I am posting the link to a site where you can go and read more about this mission and you are going to be given the awesome opportunity to be a part!!!  We cant all go but we can still join with those that can!  WE ARE THE HANDS A FEET!!!  We all play a part in reaching the lost and hurting!  Some of us go and some of us are the WALLET that makes it possible for the work to be done!!!  PLEASE go and visit this site.  PLEASE pray and ACT!  You can give ANY amount!  There is even the option to give $1....ONE DOLLAR!!!!  Chad even offers YOU a GIFT for giving!  Lives are going to be changed...lives are going to be SAVED!!!! 

Go now and be the Hands and Feet or WALLET!!!   A seed planted will ALWAYS produce a blessing!

http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Dear-Evelyn-Missional-Tour