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GO.....
There is action to this word...it means "to move or proceed."
Jesus told us to GO and make disciples just before He breathed His last. It was SO majorly important to Him, it was the last thing He said before He went to be with His Father.
To GO, we must move....we must get up....we must take action....we must do something to get out there and spread the Gospel! For the most part, we can't just sit where we are AND GO at the same time!
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. GO therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20
Here we are at December 1 tomorrow....the beginning of the Christmas season again. Isn't THIS time of year the best time ever to do as we have been commanded and GO?? It might be our neighbor, it might be a co-worker, it might be the checker at the grocery store, it might be a family member or even your good friend, but.....GO....GO AND TELL them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How about inviting them to our Christmas program this Sunday night? That's a great way to start....let the program itself tell the story of how "Jesus Saves."
Now.........Ready....Set.....GO!
My Lord and Savior
My husband
My children
My grandchildren
My parents
My grandparents
My teachers
My sisters
My aunts and uncles
My pastors
My friends
There would be NO possible way ever to list all those people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude and thanks for what they have done for me throughout my life. Many of the above listed people I'm sure I never thanked enough or maybe even never did say thank you to them.
I've always heard IT"S NEVER TOO LATE to send a thank you card as its' always in good taste to just mail it and forget that it was owed long ago. IT"S NEVER TOO LATE to say a simple THANK YOU, not just for what someone may have done for you but simply for who they are.
THANK YOU to ALL of you who mean so much to me. For loving me, for praying for me, for counseling me, for listening to me, for laughing with me, for crying with me, for putting up with me and for being a part of my life. "I thank my God for all my remembrance of you." Phillipians 1:3
So, who should you run and thank tonight or tomorrow for what they've done for you or simply.....for who they are?
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE....We all sure do have an immense amount to be thankful for and each of YOU are part of what I'm thanking God for tonight:)
When I was a little girl, my mother's FAVORITE drink was Pepsi. Now, mind you, we had Pepsi in our home but I don't remember it being for the 3 of us. It was for my mother.
Each evening after dinner, my mother would go upstairs, take her bath and come downstairs smelling so good with her jammies and her housecoat on and she would always have a glass of Pepsi in her hand. Once she sat down, I would often sit at her feet and longingly gaze up at her as she drank her Pepsi. What I nightly said to her was always the same, "MAY I HAVE A SIP PLLLLLLLEASE?" Very seldom did I get a drink, just a sip was all I was allowed. After all, it was hers, not mine.
Don't ask me why, but this is just how my crazy brain works.....I don't know why this came to my mind today, but it did. I thought about my mom giving me only a "sip" of what I was so thirsty for. What if, mind you, what if, THAT is how the lost see us? You know, as only willing to give "A sip" of ourselves and no more. They are THIRSTY for what we have yet we give only enough to wet their mouths but not quench their thirst.
"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;
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to 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? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?
The King will answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:35-40
Oh Father.....burden me for those who are THIRSTY for the One I drink from daily.....help me empty myself so that I may give freely to those who want more than a sip.....to those who want to drink long and hard of You. Help me be willing to give all You have given me to quench the THIRST of those who so desperately need a drink of You. Someone is waiting.
There are so many things that I LOVE in this life.....
My husband, my children, my grandchildren, the rest of my family, my friends, my pastors and church, music, animals, nature, SHOES, jewelry, chocolate, candy, new clothes, traveling, electronic gadgets (YEP!!!), kitchen stuff and the list could go on and on and on........I mean that, literally, the list could be endless.
Within 2 months, I have lost two dear friends. It has hit me hard and forced me to think long and deep about much in my life. What is really important in life, I mean "really" important??? It's critical to identify the CHERISHED IDOLS in my life so that I don't make people and things more important than God Himself and it is very easy to do. Just ask anyone who misses church more than one Sunday in a row to take their new boat to the lake or spend the weekend in their new summer place or watch and see what happens when a saved person starts dating an unsaved person. It is easy to allow the "stuff" in our lives AND sometimes, the people of our lives to keep us from cherishing that which should be THE most important part of our life...........JESUS.
What are your CHERISHED IDOLS??? When we make stuff AND people more cherished than our Savior.....who would YOU say we're worshiping?????
"God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him."
Jason Powers, missionary from Cambodia, made this statement tonight in our evening service. It rang so true in my heart. So much so, that I wrote it down in the back of my bible. You see, it's in the back of my bible that for years, I have been writing down "one-liners" spoken from the pulpit that deeply touched my heart, as well as marriages, births, deaths and salvations in my family.
I promise that I did listen to Jason as he spoke tonight but once the above phrase was out of his mouth, my mind just began digesting the fullness of what he had said and I had a hard time focusing on anything else.
IF others are to see Jesus in me then must not GOD be glorified in me?? How will they see Him IF He is not????
I'm sick of daily living.......I want the glory of God Almighty to shine in me and through me for the rest of my days, however long they may be.
"God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him."
I LIKE THAT.
Dear Brother Gene, (Gentle Giant)
Today, we will bid you goodbye for the final time on this earth. But our hope, because we are in Christ, is that we will see you again. What a legacy you have left behind here on earth. Hundreds lined up last night....they just kept coming and coming to pay their respects to a man who reached not only Baker County but the far corners of the globe for our Jesus Christ. I have never seen such an outpouring of love in my life. If there were hundreds upon hundreds here....I can only imagine the thousands upon thousands who lined up to thank you upon your arrival in your eternal home.
"I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy"
Lyrics from the song "Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman
OH MY, what a legacy Gene Graves left on us all. From generation to generation, he will be remembered by us all. A man who loved God enough to give him an offering of "himself". He gave his life for the call of Christ, most especially, the country of Honduras. We will all miss you so much Gene. Thank you, oh thank you, oh thank you Father for our brother in Christ. We shall never forget and as we say goodbye to him today, we shall weeep for his physical loss to us here on earth, but we shall rejoice for his addition to heaven.
We will carry on the spreading of Gospel for His glory and honor.....UNTIL NEXT TIME WE SEE YOU.......thank you Gene......thank you.
A mere 24 hours has passed since our brother Gene has gone to live forever with his Jesus. How I wish we could see him now in his new healed body and singing all those songs he so loved to sing that told the story of his precious Lord.
Gene loved the Gospel. He clung to it. He yearned for it. He shared it. He lived it. He taught it. He drank it in. He counted on it. He cherished it. He wanted everyone to hear it and to receive it.
If you ever went on a trip to Honduras with Gene, you saw a gentle giant in action. When it came to spreading the Gospel, he was intent, focused and systematic about making sure no home was left not stopped at in our witnessing. I remember the early days, before Gene knew Spanish. It drove him crazy not being able to go through the cube himself. It wasn't long until Gene began learning Spanish and was not only able to go through the cube himself but eventually, could interpret for the rest of us! He was driven and so passionate.
I wish I could have seen the line of souls that came to thank him upon his arrival in heaven for bringing the Gospel to their door, their street, their business, their church, their school or their orphanage! There's probably still a line passing by him to say "thank you."
It was Gene who Cathy M. and I bugged and bugged and bugged way back in the first years of RRC mission trips, to let us go! Every year, it was the same....NO! But we persisted and Gene finally gave in and allowed Cathy and I to be the first women from our church to get to go on a mission trip. We shall never forget that trip to Panama, nor shall I ever forget my last trip with him exactly 1 year ago this month. I can see Gene now, dressed up in his Goliath costume that we talked him into wearing! What a sight and what a memory I will never ever forget.
Thank you Gene.....thank you for all you accomplished for the sake of the call.......thank you for the passion for spreading the Gospel that you infused into so many of our adults and young people.......thank you for your untiring work at our church.......thank you for the godly example you were as we watched you walk through trials throughout your life and even up to your homegoing.......thank you for giving me and Cathy a chance to prove that women did have a place on mission trips and had just as much to give in a different way.......thank you for loving my family and praying for my sons over the years.......thank you for being the man of God you were......thank you for everything.
I miss your presence already but we will meet again. Only next time, it won't be on a dusty road in Honduras, it'll be on a street made of gold! Thank you God for Gene. When you gave him to all of us, you sure did do a good thing. Another one of my heroes is gone. I will never forget you Gene and will forever be grateful for your life and your living.
"Day in and day out, we find ourselves in the monotony of life; self-help books, work, family, friends, cars, house, medications. Most of us are simply trying to live a "normal life." Have you ever found yourself wondering whether the goal of life should be normalcy? NOW is the time to stop and think." Francis Chan
I don't want to live this life looking, acting or feeling "normal".....you know, the kind of normal the world would see as normal.
JUST STOP AND THINK about it......do you "want" to look like the world? Do you want to fit in and blend in with what the world calls normal??? A ho-hum life, unfulfilled, living day to day hoping for better days ahead.
I don't....plain and simple......I just don't. I want to laugh loud, praise Him with ridiculous joy, dance in praise to Him, tell of His name to all I encounter and live like He calls me to live and from what I read in His Word, I shouldn't look like what the world calls "normal."
JUST STOP AND THINK.........
Let's not be normal.....let's be Jesus Freaks instead!
I encourage the reader to go to www.crazylovebook.com and watch the two videos you will find there. IF you have opportunity, I encourage you to also read this book, entitled "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.
Just 24 hours ago, Darrel and I were completing our JOURNEY back home from North Carolina. We talked as we drove and recounted what we did, what we saw and what we had just learned from an incredible book that I read out loud all the way home.
I thought about the physical JOURNEY we had been on together and what we had accomplished. But the book that we had just read, forced me to think about the spiritual JOURNEY we are each on throughout our lives.
Websters Dictionary describes "JOURNEY" as this: something suggesting travel or passage from one place to another
Our spiritual lives are most certainly a JOURNEY. We pass from one level of faith to another as we see God do new works in our lives and our faith is deepened, encouraged and strengthened. We mature through each trial and draw closer to the One who has given us the very breath we breathe and as the JOURNEY continues we learn more of Him, desire more of Him and want to look more like Him. Our spiritual lives are a daily JOURNEY of stretching, growing, changing and pushing forward because we want to know more of our Savior.
Or do we???
I simply ask you tonight, as Darrel and I had to ask ourselves after reading this book, "WHERE IS YOUR JOURNEY TAKING YOU?" Are you constantly traveling toward the cross of Christ or are you content to remain in your faith where you are now, or have you lagged behind and put your faith on the back burner?
Just as you are in a car and the scenery changes, the miles go by as we drive forward and the JOURNEY takes you from one place to another, shouldn't our spiritual JOURNEY move us forward also? Shouldn't our desire be to know more of Christ and how He truly yearns for us to live? Shouldn't it? Isn't it??
I encourage anyone who reads this to pick up the book, "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. This book has literally shoved Darrel and I forward in this JOURNEY of being a Christian. It's changed us.
So, WHERE IS YOUR JOURNEY TAKING YOU??? Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see Truth, to examine ourselves and to run after You with all our might.
Today, Darrel and I took a wonderful drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The mountains are just breathtaking. At every overlook point, all you want to do is stand there and drink in the beauty of it all. One ridge after another, melting into one another, the mountains build a most beautiful landscape for the eye to behold.
As you stand and stare at the scene before you, you can almost hear the mountains singing out to you! It's as if they stretch forth right before you and make you hear them.
Psalm 98:8 says, "Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the mountains sing together for joy." I'm telling you, when you stand at 5000 feet and gaze upon the natural handiwork of God, you can almost hear these mountains singing together for JOY!!! As you look at them, joy bubbles up in your heart at their Maker and it leaves you feeling a part of it all. I wonder, if we could really hear them sing, what would they be singing?????
I think I know.........in fact, I'm sure of it. They're singing their praises unto the God of heaven and earth, the Maker of the stars, the universe, from the tiniest insect to the grandest mammal, HE made it all and they're thanking HIM for being a part of HIS creation.
TOday, I heard THE MOUNTAINS SING TOGETHER FOR JOY and it was good, real good. But then, of course it would be.........GOD MADE IT TO BE SO.
Every so often, we ask God for something that's so simple and unimportant that we almost feel bad for asking Him! Know what I mean?
Today was one of those days. Darrel and I got up when we felt like it, ate a late breakfast at a wonderful restaurant overlooking Maggie Valley and were trying to decide what to do for the day. I really wanted to drive to Cataloochee Valley to see the wild elk that roamed there but we were told by the locals AND by all the brochures we read that the best time to view them was early morning and at dusk and it was about 1-2 in the afternoon before we took off on the drive.
On the way up into the mountains to get to the valley, I simply asked the Lord to allow me to see just one elk, that's all......just one. As we made the long trek back into the mountains on a very narrow road, I just knew in my heart that it was gonna happen. OK...maybe childlike faith, maybe I'm just too stubborn to admit it might not happen BUT, I was convinced it would.
When we rounded the corner to approach the valley, there was nothing but wild turkey to see but I had already thanked the Lord for them anyway! ANY wild animals thrill my heart, so I was tickled. The drive continued and we rounded another bend and there before us, lay a wide expanse of beautiful field filled with wild elk!!! All I could do was shout THANK YOU LORD! I yelled to Darrel, "IT'S ANSWERED PRAYER IN CATALOOCHEE VALLEY!!"
I was humbled by the sight. God did it for me. It didn't matter that we were told they weren't seen much during the day! GOD saw fit to let me view these incredible creatures! These creatures roam wild. There are no fences, no restrictions, although you are asked to not approach them or feed them. We pulled over, got out of the car, set up the tripod with the video camera and just stood mesmerized for 30-45 minutes while we watched. The one huge male every so often would make this incredible noise and then run at one of the females. What a sight!
I counted 38 elk! 38!!!!!! And all I'd asked for was one!!! Thank you sweet Abba for your gesture of love on me today. Darrel and I were in awe of your work.
ANSWERED PRAYER HAPPENED IN CATALOOCHEE VALLEY today and we praise His name for it!
This morning, Darrel and I left for Maggie Valley, North Carolina, for a few days away on a much needed vacation. We hit the road around 7:00 a.m. and arrived at our cabin on the mountain at about 4,300 feet elevation about 4:45.
We weren't on the road very long when I realized THE RIDE itself was all part of the vacation. I had turned on the radio by the time we hit Jax and Darrel instantly said...."Remember what Johnny said about Silence and Solitude Sunday????? Hmmmmmmmmm.....I got the message and quickly turned the radio off.
Soon after, the conversation began to flow. From one subject to another, we talked and laughed at one another as the miles flew by. Before I knew it, it was time for lunch at Cracker Barrel.
THE RIDE was becoming possibly one of THE best parts of a trip that had barely begun. I had been yearning to see the colors of the leaves, the mountains, our cabin and all the sights here, but THE RIDE was blossoming like a summer rose as its' petals unfold to display its' beauty.
Sometimes, I thought, we get so caught up in the "what's ahead" that we miss "what we're in," in the right now. Know what I mean? I'm so tickled that I recognized how sweet the hours together in the car were, without any major attractions to stop at, fancy restaurants to eat at or before any souvenirs had been bought.............
THE RIDE had already been a gift worth treasuring.
Each of us has a past and in that past are generations of our ancestors who also each had a past. I'm not exactly sure that I want to know everything in my ancestors past.
BUT this I do know.....
I want to spirtually take this generation FORWARDS and not BACKWARDS. I want the future of my descendants to move forward as a godly people. As God's children, we are part of a process spanning generations. Each generation builds on the legacy of our predecessors and contributes to the future of our successors. I do not want to contribute unwisely to the future generations of my family. I may not be here to witness the outcome, but while I have breath in me, I want to be able to know that I contributed to a depth of faith in those who shall come after me and not the demise of them.
It is within my power and mine alone, to help each precious life in the future of my family to be anchored in Christ. Because of that, I will press on in doing my best to pass on a legacy of faith in the One who gave us life and the opportunity to have eternal like to boot!!!
Which direction will you choose to encourage the future of your family??? FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS???
It's amazing to me that there are over 6 billion people on this planet and each of us has a different voice. Every one of us can easily identify the sound of our parents, childrens and spouses voices. For each of us, they are distinct and easily recognizable. Isn't it cool? When my children call me, they don't have to tell me who they are because I KNOW THEIR VOICE.
Today, I witnessed something so extremely precious, I nearly cried. I attended Josh and Trista's wedding this afternoon, at which Summer was singing. She asked me if I would hold Will for her during the wedding as she needed to sit up front. Naturally, I was tickled to do so.
I sat in the back of the church and kept Will occupied throughout the service. I sat him in the floor and out of the diaper bag, he grabbed 2 diapers and literally played with them almost the entire service. He never stopped picking up and dropping those diapers and kept himself completely occupied and wasn't paying attention to anything else at all until something happened............
His momma began to sing. He heard her voice and the moment he did, he stopped what he was doing, looked straight to the front of the church and listened intently. He got completely still and simply listened. He was "fixed" on her voice. It was so incredibly precious.
I thought about how the Lord must do the same thing. We speak and he tunes His ear to all of us and says.........I KNOW THEIR VOICE! Man, is that good or what???? He focuses in on each of us when we speak and He "intently" listens to us just like little Will did to his momma.
I KNOW THEIR VOICE He says.......let that sink in a few minutes......HE KNOWS YOUR VOICE!!! I like that, I really like that. Tonight, as I lay my head down and thank Him for this day and everything else I have to be thankful for.....I will ponder the miraculous fact that He knows "my" voice:)))
You know, if you'll really think about it and admit it, MUCH can be accomplished in only an hour. There are countless tasks that can be completed, countless joys that can be had and countless glorious things that can be done in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Sixty minutes sounds like such a small amount of time, but it's really not. Today was one of those days that much was accomplished in one hour.
The first THursday of every month, I wait at our church for any 6th-12th graders who will join me to go visiting at the local nursing home. Every month it's different. One month we had 18 show up whie another time, only one youth came. I never know who will come, but it's always such a joy and a blessing, whether there's one or twenty.
Upon arrival, the excitement always amazes me! I mean, come on, it's the NURSING HOME, after all!! And yet, their spirits are high, conversation loud and laughter contagious! Truly, they are amazing. You might think that they are standoffish and shy, and some are, but most take off in small groups without me and wander around on their own. It's always understood that we meet back in the foyer at 5:00 and there are always stories they have to tell me about who they talked to on their visits and what was said. It's so sweet.
Today, what a blessing when I saw Wyatt waving me to hurry up and come down the hallway to him. He had a huge grin on his face. The woman in the room had been his teacher years ago and he wanted to go in and see her. I stepped into the room and a gentleman about my age was there. She was his mother. I asked permission for the kids to come in and he welcomed their visit. Much to our surprise this very elderly lady recognized Wyatt and called his last name! What a treat to visit with her and bring a smile to her face. We were there to bless her and yet, she blessed us. Thank you God. We also were blessed to hear Mrs. Henry Y. share an incredibly deep and powerful lesson she learned today. She shared a story about what God had shown her. Man, it was good.
AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME "CAN" make a difference in a life. It does every single time we go to the nursing home. One hour...just one hour....can bring joy unspeakable to someone. Isn't it worth it to you?
I sure am proud of all our youth, but most especially today, those 11 who came to give of themselves. Thanks you guys and Mrs. Henry Y. Thanks also for posing for the pictures! I love you all dearly but Jesus loves you more:)
My "baby" turned 30 last week! YIKES...can it be possible that my "baby" is 30 now and has 3 babies of her own????
Where have the years gone? Did I appreciate them enough? Somehow, I just don't think so. Oh yes, no doubt, I appreciated them "in the moment" but I'm older now and I think I understand the depth of it all better now. Age and maturity teaches us much.
DJ is 37 now, Butch 35 and Summer 30. I loved their childhoods and I miss it. I guess being here with Lindsey, Amber, Madison, Butch and Karli and doing all the "mothering" stuff, has made me miss my own children's childhood all the more. I miss tucking them in at night and kissing their faces. I miss hearing, "I LOVE YOU....NITE NITE."
I think Summer's 30th birthday hit me harder than it did her. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you just never think you're "baby" will ever be 30. But, here it is. In a way, it frightens me as the realization that old age is creeping ever closer and closer. I can't stop it and I can't go back. I yearn for the past in many ways and yet I yearn for the future too.
Last night and tonight though, I got to hear those wonderful words from the mouths of my grandchildren.....I LOVE YOU....NITE NITE. Oh how sweet and soothing to my ears. There's just something so sweet about tucking in a child, praying for them and bidding them goodnight. I'm so thankful.
Time rushes by us. I am reminded to enjoy this moment, for time is a gift from God and what we do with it is our choice. Man, sure is good to be here with my grandkids, enjoying this moment in time. So for now....
I LOVE YOU....NITE NITE
Life is good. Well, at least, life is what we make it and tonight, life is good.
I have the privilege of staying with my son and daughter-in-laws 5 children (1 of them ALMOST an adult actually!!!) while they are in Atlanta for a couple days.
As I prepared dinner and they went about their evening activities, I sat back and simply watched them. I thought about how different their lives are compared to what mine was when I was their age so very many years ago.
But one thing never changes with children....they all LOVE cookies right out of the oven! Talk about a tickled bunch of kids when I took those PUMPKIN SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES out of the oven! It was just adorable. Children never really change as each decade goes by. They love just as sweetly, smile just as tenderly, hug just as tightly, sleep just as peacefully, get in trouble about the same things, talk just as fast, express themselves the same and enjoy PUMPKIN SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES just as much now as I did when MY Grandma used to make them for me.
THAT'S the part I "really" love.....you know, that they would still love the very same things that I did when my own Grandma did them for me. It gives me those warm fuzzy feelings inside. You know, the ones that make you feel all is well with the world??? :)
Tonight, as I lock the doors, pray for and tuck in each one of them and turn out the lights, I'm thankful God has allowed me this gift. I'm thankful for them and for PUMPKIN SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES and for yet another opportunity to spend lots of time with them. Life is incredibly short....the time to enjoy them is now. I'm so blessed.
Last night at church for our monthly "Night of Praise," Cathy and I did a song together. The night before she called and asked me if I would do the sign language for the above titled song while she sang. I was honored that she asked. As we began talking about the song and went over the words to it, we both were so broken for so many who are "not" on their knees yet. We mulled over the many youth who have come through our SS department over the years, as well as those who are with us now who either have not yet received Christ or have walked away after they turned 18.
Before the service, we prayed together for all those who would hear the message to the song. We prayed not only for those youth we knew who would hear it nd who needed Jesus, but also for family members and those adults who we know NEED Jesus.
I would ask them....."If not today, then when??? Why are you putting it off? What do you think you have to loose if you ask Jesus in your heart today?"
The time is now. Our hearts yearn for the salvation of the lost. We have prayed and waited so long. We hunger for the Lord Jesus to reach down and change our youth, our families and our adults. Lord, bring them to their knees. They say they aren't ready Lord, they're too strong to be weak. Show them their need Father.
Please, if you are reading this and you were not at our service last night, I humbly ask you to listen to this song. The link is below. May God bless you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BXzypkClRM
