two-for-two-at-one

A good while back my pastor friend, John Moore encouraged us do be very intentional as we prayed. One suggestion was that we choose a specific time every day to pray about the same thing. So for a long time I prayed for two things for two minutes every day at 1:00 (lunch). I would go to the back of our building and lean against the brick wall. Every day I would pray for a friends salvation and I would also pray for the forgiveness of another friend.

I would like to share of God's faithfulness to those prayers.

I'll start with the forgiveness story. It is after all, one of my very favorite stories!

I had wounded a very good friend with what I thought was good reason. I felt very justified in what I had said to her. I knew what I had spoken was truth, but true or not... maybe I shouldn't have said it. My friend Christine even worked up the gumption to come and talk to me about it. Still I was hard hearted and thought I was right in my opinion. The truth is, it may have been true, but did I need to say it in the tone and the time that I did? Ummmm... looking back, that would be a big fat "NO"! So, finally, I realized that my friendship was extremely severed with my precious friend. Now let me say, she wasn't just a friend. She was a heart friend. The one you fall in love with the moment you meet her and you love her with all you heart. The kind of friend if you don't see her for a long time, it's just like yesterday when you do see her. Well, I called my friend and told her I was sorry and asked her to forgive me. She said she would. But I could tell by her tone that the day she forgave me would be a very cold day in you-know-where.
So, every day that was one of my prayers. And I prayed, and I prayed and I prayed.

It was at a Beth Moore conference in Columbia. It was Beth's first time in our area. So far back that she was actually in a church and not an arena. As our group settled into our seats I looked directly across the sanctuary and guess who was sitting right there in front of me.
There we sat Friday night, Saturday morning trying not to get caught looking at each other. As the last service was coming to a close, my heart was about to jump out of my chest. I looked and faithful Christine had dropped slam out of sight. She was down on her knees praying. I jumped two pews and almost ran to get to my friend. As I rounded the last corner, I looked up and to my surprise... there she was, running to me. We stood there hugging and kissing and hugging some more. Every time I hear the song that was playing, I think of God's faithfulness to redeem all things, even things said in haste to an already wounded heart.


Then there was the prayer of salvation. I knew my friend needed prayer. Not knowing what all he needed, it seemed that his salvation would be the most important thing I could pray for. So every day he was my second prayer at 1:00.
One day I received a call from P.J. saying his friend was in trouble and they needed help. I went by and picked up my pastor friend, John, and we went to see what help we could offer.
That was one of the saddest days of my life. My friends life had ended. It became mine and John's job to tell his family.
That was hard.
But God is good.
The night after my friends death, I woke up with two very specific scriptures that seemed to be amplified in my head.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is
faithful.
~Hebrews 10:23

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his
glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior
be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before
all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.~Jude1:23-25

I knew in my heart that God was letting me know that my friend was with Him.

It's always good to remember those times in our lives when God's hand was so visible in our lives. I hope you have sweet memories of times when He was there in such satisfying moments with you too.

I would like to encourage you to do the two-for-two-at-one.
You can make your own formula.
But try it.. you'll like it!

If you need something to pray about... I would humbly ask that if you have time that you pray a prayer for Wellspring Living SC. I wouldn't presume to tell you what to pray, because that might limit what you would pray.

It is always an honor to know that you think of us, pray for us and encourage us in the many ways that we do.
Here are the lyrics that was playing that day in Columbia... way back when...

Thank You, Lord by Dennis Jernigan

For all that You've done, I will thank
You
For all that You're going to do
For all that You've promised
And
all that You are
Is all that has carried me through
Jesus I thank You
And I thank You
Thank You Lord
And I thank You
Thank You Lord
Thank You for loving and setting me free
Thank You for giving Your life
just for me
How I thank You
Jesus, I thank You
Gracefully thank You
Thank You

Democrat or Republican ?

I guess this election season has stirred my thoughts on a few things such as Democrats, Republicans and Christians. Some of my dearest friends are Democrats. And do you know what? They love the same Jesus, rely on the same Holy Spirit, worship the same God and are just as devoted to their Savior and their churches as most of the Republicans I know.

You have to love the fact that God will not fit into any box even when it comes to politics. It's really funny, we pray to the same God about the same thing... God... show me Lord how YOU want me to vote. I believe He does just that. To some of His children He says "you vote for my child Barack", and to some He says "you vote for my child John". No matter how upset we may be when the winner is announced, one thing is for sure - God's Word tells us how we are to honor those in authority over us.

Don't you know it's all about HIM and not THEM? If every Christian in America voted for the same candidate, could it be that we would place our worship and our trust in that person and not our God, who is the only ONE.

Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Pentecostals... since we each have our own personal relationship with the Lord, He leads us all in different directions through His zillions to the tenth power (more than we have ever heard of!) aspects of His character.

What I hate most during an election year is not a person who votes Democrat over Republican. What breaks my heart is when people who have been granted a freedom that much of the world only read about in books (if they have that freedom) choose to sit at home and complain about the outcome of it all.

Truly, the greatest sadness happens not just during an election, but day after day and week after week when the Democratic or Republican Christians don't live out their lives in the greatest freedom that they were given by our Lord...

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

God bless you in all your freedoms. I pray that you don't take a single
one for granted, but understand how great they all are.

I pray that you will vote on November fourth... no matter who you vote for!

But more than that, I pray that you come to a fuller knowledge of the freedom given you by the blood of Christ.

Stormy day at the beach

You know how you are usually wishing that you had remembered your camera when you see something breath-taking? Well that's me almost all the time. This time included. A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to hang out at the beach with a few girlfriends. Some of them decided to stay in their jammies all day watching chick-flicks. Tracy and I decided to head to the beach. It had rained the day before and there was a 60% chance of rain for Friday. But off we went. We had walked a couple of hundred feet when it started raining. We stopped, and decided to go on and figured the rain would pass over us. I don't know if Tracy has ever clocked it, but I am guessing we walked well over a mile to where the channel comes into the barrier island. We made the trek with sand blowing over the beach like you would expect to see in Lawrence of Arabia or a modern-day war movie.
But on we walked. When we reached the edge of the beach where it runs into the channel, there was a small crowd of folks gathered on the shore to watch the dolphins playing. It was so much fun, it was like you could almost touch them they were so close. After the dolphins swam out into the deep, we turned to head back.

As we turned what we saw actually took our breath. It was the biggest, darkest, closest cloud I have ever seen. Not only that, it was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen at the beach. Far beyond the most beautiful sunrise or sunset. It almost looked like the picture above. There were no light clouds at the top of the sky. It was layers of deep blues in varied hues, mingled with smokey white to foggy gray clouds hanging in streaks over the blue. The beach rippled in motion with what seemed to be three different beaches amid the waves. It was almost to much to take in. As we continued to walk into the storm, we could see the faint white mast of a shrimp boat out in the distance. Wow.

As I looked at Tracy I had to laugh. She looked like someone trying to walk into a wind tunnel. As the rain begin to blow in our faces it felt like small pins stinging our skin. After we had walked a pretty good distance, I told Tracy that I had just had to stop. I wanted to cry because it was so beautiful. I had to stop and praise the Lord for the beauty that we were witnessing in the midst of the storm.

It seemed like it took us a good forty-five minutes, longer really, to make it back to the board walk where we had left our shoes.

It must have been that kind of storm on the sea when the disciples saw Jesus walking to them on the water. No wonder He said "peace be still". I know many of you have had just that too... peace in the storm. Or maybe you are in that storm right now. Stop where you are, lift your hands and praise Him... for He alone is worthy!

Even though I didn't have my camera, I stil have the picture in my mind. I hope it stays there for years to come as a visual reminder of the beauty that comes with the storms in our lives. It's my prayer for you that you have seen beauty in the storm.

God + Me = Me or God

You know I got to thinking the other day about this whole Wellspring thing. As I was having my morning prayer time I told God that I believed He would super naturally provide for the funding for the Wellspring Home. But then I'll go write a grant proposal. So I had to ask myself after I prayed that prayer... how would that be super natural to do it like everyone else in Spartanburg County? Would God get the credit? I would give it to Him. But chances not very many people around here would hear or notice.

So here is my declaration as of Wednesday, October 9, 2008...
I do believe that God will do just what He has said. That part
of Wellspring is His yoke, not mine. Hence... I am hereby released from operating according to the world's system.

And when it happens... God will get all the glory and I will humbly bask in the comfort of His faithfulness as He provides for His daughters that will occupy the Wellspring Home.

Make me heart ready Lord... do whatever it takes. I trust YOU in ALL THINGS.

So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.
Acts 27:25 (New Living Translation)

five years and a day

I sat down at my computer desk last night to catch up on a few blog readings. As I began to straighten up a few of the accumulated piles something caught my eye. I knew immediately that it was my ticket to the 2003 Beth Moore conference in Atlanta. As I picked it up and realized it was dated September 26-27th, how it took me back. Yesterday was the 27th. Five... count them five years have rolled by as we continue to make strides to start a Wellspring Living in Spartanburg, SC.

This past Thursday night we held our board meeting at what we believe and hope and pray will become the Wellspring Home. One of our board members asked me how I decided on Wellspring. My reply was that I had not decided on it at all, that God made that decision for me as I sat in that arena of 20,000 women.

Remember when God spoke to Elijah in that whisper? More than any other way, that is how God speaks to me too. So soft that it would be easy to ignore Him and pass it off as a fleeting thought of my own. But when I stop to listen and act - there is no doubt that it was Him.

But on that September day... He was using more than a whisper. It was more like the earthquake.

Then there was the day that Geraldine and I went to Atlanta to meet with Mary Frances and she gave us the hope of carrying the Wellspring name to SC. That was the day God spoke to me with the fire of the passion He had placed in my heart in 2003.

Then there was the wind... as I waited for the board to arrive at the home Thursday night, I went out to the swing in the back yard. As I imagined the healing that might take place in that very spot the wind began to blow so strong that it seemed to push the swing even higher (yes... even with me in it!!). It was as though God was speaking in the wind.

So five years and a day later I am still so humbled to walk this journey with my Lord. There is so much excitement to think about all that He is doing in our city and the world. When you realize all the redemptive work He has going on all at one time. Woo-Hoo! When we are reminded as we were Thursday night that He is and has more than enough for all of us.

So Lord... again... help me to cease striving and rest in You. To do the things you have told me to do so we can get on with our next step. I thank you for hearts inclined to your voice and your heart that come along side to get Your work done. May we forever be reminded of who we are in You. As my old friend Allen used to say... "may we not try to possess the power but rather may we be possessed by the power..."
Thank You that You speak in earthquakes, fires, strong winds and whispers...with written words, through other people, dancing girls on a stage, birds that sing,
we love you for being You and are more than thankful that we are YOURS!

This weeks fav song...

Yours by Steven Curtis Chapman

Such Irony

This morning I read something that really caught my attention...

When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned
with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

I Samuel 17:28

That seemed a little odd because yesterday I read what God had to say...

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

I Samuel 16:7

Isn't it ironic that God looked at David's heart and saw it for all it was worth and David's oldest brother looked into his heart and saw the total opposite? How many times have we been accused by those that are closest to us of motives, and actions that are as far as east to west from the truth?

And how many times have we listened to the voice of everyone but God for our self-worth? We think because of our sins or the opinion of others that God cannot use us or we are not worthy to be used. Yes, David was a young man here when all these conversation were going on, but God knew even then the sins David would commit in his lifetime. But when we think of David we always think of him as

"The Man After God's Own Heart"

No matter what, no matter where, may we too strive to live by what God has said about us over the opinion of others!