Taken from Beth Moore's Living Proof Blog - Amen!

I copied this post from the Beth Moore's blog. You can go to Living Proof and read more. I loved what she had to say. I'm so glad God uses her and she is willing to be used and share it.


Siestas! It's Bible study day and I don't have three minutes to spare but I had a thought I wanted to quickly share with you. I'm sitting at my breakfast room table with my Bible, books, and notes, putting the last few sentences on my message for tonight. (Can't sit outside because the wind is whipping so hard that I can't keep my notes on the table! It's nearly blowing the feathers off my blue jays!) Keith is out and about, leaving the house nice and quiet so I can prepare - which was going well until I got distracted by a particularly silly birddog. Beanie is sound asleep on the couch but must be dreaming she's chasing a rabbit or a squirrel. She's barking in her sleep the way she does when she's chasing a critter and all four legs are going back and forth as if she's running like the wind. It's the funniest thing you've ever seen. She does it periodically so maybe one of these days after I master the camera, I can move to video and catch her in action. Every time she does it I think the same thing: is that what we're doing? Are we just snoozing our way through (purposeful) life and day dreaming about how we're going to chase down what Christ chased us down for - or are we going to wake up and actively pursue what God has created us for - even when the path gets rough? I ask the question because I've faced the dilemma. See if you can go here with me a minute: We get some vision from God and get pretty jazzed about it then, as God leads, we start taking steps that direction and suddenly the path gets hard. Or LONG. We wanted to leap there. Not crawl there. Somehow we weren't expecting it to be like this. We were thinking it was going to be fun. Always fulfilling. And, for crying out loud, not so dad-blasted hard and irritating. We didn't want to have to learn it or live it. We just wanted to do it. NOW. So we retreat and decide we dreamed it all up - just like Satan was hoping we would. We don't understand that the pressures we face getting to our places of full-throttle effectiveness in Christ are crucial for developing the muscle to sustain ministry there. He's developing the character the calling requires. The Apostle Paul knew better than anybody what the path to Christ-ordained effectiveness required. In 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, he told of a "great and effectual door" that God had opened for him in Ephesus and in the same breath mentioned the great opposition he faced there. Let me echo here on this blog again and again: Satan will never oppose us more than when he thinks we're onto our callings. Bet on that. As L.B. Cowman said in Streams in the Desert, "Both in the physical realm and spiritual realm, great pressure means great power." (p.9)Read these words from Paul with a fresh application to your significant life: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)Let nothing - no obstacle, opposition, pressure, PAST, or passage of time - stop you besides Christ Himself. And if HE does, stop immediately. It will be only for your good and your clarification. You will know the difference as you lie on your face before Him and ask Him. To double check that we ourselves have not inadvertently caused a delay, let's be sure and turn dramatically from pride and every hint of selfish ambition so that Christ can entrust us with power from on high..."For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come." Habakkuk 2:3"Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you"! Eph. 5:14
Posted by Beth at 1:38 PM 261 comments

My Niece

I had fun visiting my parents this weekend. We also were able to spend time with my sister and niece. Honey was not happy with me holding the baby. She went to Sh and pouted. The baby loved Sh and Sp. They held her, read stories to her, and changed diapers!

DN Weekend

Some of our sweet former church people who came to help us this weekend.
Sweet precious forever friend!

My baby has grown from 7th grade and is now leading - She's such a beautiful young woman.
Some of my sweet girls - How blessed am I. Looking forward to having some precious babies here just like these precious girls. Didn't know how much I missed you until I saw you. There's always room for you in my heart. You have a permanent place!

K winding things up Sunday Morning. He does such an amazing job. I'm blessed to be married to such a Godly man. We found out this week that our high school girls made the play offs and so at the last moment he had to arrange transportation for all of them to the burbs of the city. Thank the Lord he is flexible and has such a great sense of humor.

This weekend was Disciple Now for our church. It was an amazing weekend. Different years I play different roles. Some I'm a host home, leader, and sometimes like this weekend I was behind the scenes the whole time. On top of that it was my turn to take care of preschool during worship; and so I missed that as well. It was probably better since I'm going on my fourth week of sore throat and laryngitis. I'm going to break down and have to get into the doctor tomorrow. We had 19 saved this past weekend. The precious thing was that we had several youth/college from our former church come lead small groups and participate as students. Nothing thrills your heart more than to have them yell your name in the parking lot and come running up to you and give you a great big hug! They so encouraged my heart! My precious friend also came to help lead the college with her husband. Sweet deep talks of total vulnerability- ugliness and weakness all out there with no worry that my friend won't love me inspite of it. Its been so long - what a refreshing time! The precious babies and deep talks will come here as well - it just takes time. We've only been here a year and a half and I feel like I'm still proving myself. sigh! The cool thing is some of our jr highers from the former church who are now in college are going to be able to help me with princess retreat as well! Yeah! We also traded out daughters with sweet friends. We had a nice time visiting with them as well. Our dn pastor David Griffin did an amazing job; as well as the band Burgandy Road. One of the wonderful things about our church now is how many people in the kitchen and with cleaning up. Our dn pastor was impressed with the service of our people. We are blessed!

Father Daughter Banquet

We had our Daddy/Daughter Banquet tonight. We had an illusionist team come to our church. They did an awesome job! It was fun to see some of my students from school with their daddys! Our good friend was volunteered (I'm sure by my husband!) to put his head in the blade! His girls got very upset. They kept checking his head afterwards!

New Devotional Book

I started a wonderful study by Linda Dillow on worship. It has been very good. She has challenged the reader to learn 2 scriptures a week. The cool thing is she mentioned something on worship and K brought up the same thought in the lessons he is writing on Revelation for Sunday School. I love it when God brings up an obscure verse twice in one week. I got His hint and searching for what He wants me to learn. I've also got my small group at church holding me accountable on learning my Scriptures. If they ask me to say it and I can't I owe them treats. smile. I bought a package of mm's this week.

University Night

A local university has a night that it invites our district to come perform during the basketball half time. K cheered at half-time and then the cheerleaders invited them to cheer with them on the side line. Cool! Sp did a dribbling routine with the elem. She does a one-handed cartwheel while holding the ball. Impressive!

My Sweet Husband

My first day of school, my husband sent me these flowers.

One of my new favorite photos!

I took this one at the wedding and it just melts my heart. The love of a daddy and daughter.