See I am doing a new thing…

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

It is amazing how our creative God works! Upon our arrival to Flowery Branch, GA we began to visit and research churches. We visited some churches a number of times and some weeks even attended 2 Sunday am services at 2 different churches. There were Sunday mornings when we thought to ourselves “this will probably be the church”…but then we did not hear the Lord saying that was where He wanted us.

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11a-12)

The weekend after Thanksgiving Seth and I had left the girls in Dalton for the weekend so we decided that Sunday we would go on a “date” to Passion City Church. It was about 45 minutes from our house and we had no intentions of attending there regularly, but we wanted to hear Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin since we did not have the girls and were at least that close. That Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent and we really enjoyed the message. Somewhat exhausted from the church search we decided we would go back to Passion City for the month of December for the Advent series.

Toward the end of December and the first of January through a series of events it became clear that the Lord was leading us to Passion City, a place we never had any intentions of attending regularly to worship and serve. As the Lord began leading us there I would argue with Him “This doesn’t really make sense. This doesn’t seem like the most logical choice.” And the Lord kept saying to me “See, I am doing a new thing!” “See, I am doing a new thing!” So I told the Lord if this was His will, then I knew He had great plans for us! I would embrace the “new” He had for us and give it my whole heart.

There is no place where you can find peace and true Joy than in the will of God!

One year later...He's still leading the way!

When my oldest, Jossi, was born I had a terrible time with an unexpected C-section. During the delivery and recovery I could not stop my entire body from shaking... Except when they put her face up against my cheek. In that moment everything else disappeared and all I could feel was the warmth of my new baby's face against mine. Recently I noticed that my two little girls still have that same affect on me. The soft touch of their face against mine gives me such a feeling of peace. In that moment The Lord said to me in MY presence and at MY feet I still say "Quiet! Be still!" (Mark 4:39) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV) the more time I spend in His presence the less I worry about everything else. 

This week while I was completing a bible study workbook it suggested completing this sentence "God is good, even when..." So looking back over the past year of our journey to Mississippi, here are some things I have learned:

God is good, even when we don't see where He is leading. 

God is good, even when life is hard. 

God is good, even when the world is not. 

God is good and He will never leave us. 

God is good. He always has been and He always will be. 

God is good and we can trust Him with EVERYTHING! 

I am thankful that I am not the one in charge of making the plans but I can trust the one who is. 

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9 NIV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)

Photo courtesy of Debbie Fetzer

The Most Precious Alabaster Box Ever Broken

The Bible tells of a woman who brought her most treasured possession for Jesus: 

And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil... Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 7:37, 38, 50 NKJV)

 

But this is not the most precious alabaster box broken and poured out in the bible. God Himself broke open the most precious alabaster box of all when He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins! 

“This is My body which is given for you;...” (Luke 22:19b NKJV)

Have you broken open your alabaster box and poured out your precious oil? Have you worshiped with such abandon and do you have such ridiculous faith in your Master that you have broken open your alabaster box and poured out your Most Treasured possession? He freely gave up everything to take on the wrath of my sin, and yours, and the sin of the whole world. God calls us to be willing lay down our precious treasures in return. 

But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. (Philippians 2:17 NLT)

Words from "Unrestrained"

Words from "Alabaster Box"

Hosanna

The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9 NIV)

The same crowd that shouted "Hosanna" one week later turned on Jesus. "But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” (John 19:15a NIV) Instead of Jesus being who they wanted Him to be, He came to be what they NEEDED Him to be. 

We do the same thing in our lives. When our lives do not go as we have planned we turn on God and say "Why?" and we think we have a better plan but all the while He is working things out for His glory and our good. 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 NIV)

Hosanna in the Highest! 

Good Gifts!

I LOVE buying gifts for my girls! On the way home the other night from finishing the last of the girls gifts I thought, does God really love giving me good gifts like I love giving my girls gifts? But The Lord said, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11 NIV). So no matter what is on your grown up Christmas list...a baby, a match with an orphan child, a lost or far away loved one, a job, peace, etc...just remember your Father in Heaven has lots of good gifts for you. He knows just what you need and he sent the most important gift we would ever need on Christmas Day!
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV)

Every Detail

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. (Psalms 37:23 NLT)

The Lord delights in every detail? Really? I read this scripture a few weeks ago but then a week and a half ago The Lord really spoke to me about it. We had a Lizard in the house. Seth used one of Jocelyn's sand buckets from her room to catch the lizard. That night Jocelyn woke up coughing and I could tell it was her cough that always precedes her throwing up. I grabbed the nearest sand bucket just in time to save a mess from her bed. As I lay there beside her the rest of the night making sure she was ok I began to think about that bucket. Why wasn't the bucket full of toys? Jocelyn loves collecting her toys into buckets and bags. The buckets always have toys in them...and then I remembered the lizard. I thought, there had to be a lizard in the house that evening so that Seth would empty a bucket so that I would have an empty bucket to grab when Jocelyn got sick that night. That is when The Lord said to me, "every detail!" If He cares enough to make sure my little girl doesn't throw up all over her favorite toys, then He certainly isn't overlooking any of the big or small details of my life. He knows exactly where I am, where I am going, and every step I need to take along the way! He said, "you can trust Me! Big or small, I know all of the detail!"

Question of the day: Am I living like I trust Him with ALL of the details?

Perfect submission...all is at rest

I have been working with Jocelyn trying to teach her if I tell her to do something she is to say , "yes mam" and do it. This weekend I told her to do something and her response was "yes mam. Now can I ask why?" To which I replied , "no, you have to go do it. " The next day The Lord spoke to me and said, "that's what I expect from you, perfect submission. You want Jocelyn to trust that when you tell her to do something that is what is best for her. I want you to obey and then rest in faith that I know what is best for you."

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11 NIV)