Thursday, January 22, 2009

What Can Brown Do For You?

I want to first say, that if you missed the Kick-Off event for Just Give Me Jesus Waco, I am sorry for you, friend. I do hope that you will consider going to the revival in September. Please get your MomAgenda out and write the date down. September 11-12, 2009. As I was there, I was astonished at how many young women were NOT there. There were a handful, but surely we can represent better than that. I know, I KNOW it is hard to do things like that during the week. I probably would not have gone had I not been invited many many many times by my MIL! SO, no sweat, but please pray about how you can serve in the upcoming months....as I would say in my sorority, glory days, "Get EXCITED, girls!!"

I have to tell you that I am a skeptic when it comes to hearing people "preach." Or "deliver a message". Whatever you want to call it. I want to be moved and touched and convicted every time. Maybe that is not fair, BUT it is what I want when I hear a sermon. Anne-Graham Lotz convicted me on Tuesday night. Sometimes, I feel sorry for people who have to follow in their parent's footsteps. Can you imagine being Billy Graham's children? The PRESSURE!! Don't feel sorry for her. She holds her own. The message was too too close to home.

I would not do her any justice to even try to paraphrase or summarize what she talked about. My words would totally botch it up. I can tell you what I heard from the message. She talked about how we don't always like the way God packages things in our lives. It's not the gift wrap with the pretty bows and paper. Sometimes, it is just an ugly brown package. And we don't like the way it looks. When all the while, the inside is awaiting us...and it is good.

Lost jobs, wounded relationships, abuse, poor health, death. Where is the good in it? And worst, how can we praise God for these "brown packages?" I think about the times in my life when I don't like what is handed to me. Especially because I for sure do not want to wait on what good will come out of it! How do I praise Him through the event? In spite of the event I am facing...can I still be a woman of God? Am I still that contagious infection of His love like I mentioned earlier? I am sad to say that my answer is truthfully NO. I throw out the brown package before I open it and see the wonderful gift inside.

My favorite part of the message was when she talked about how no one wanted to hear about my love for Jesus if my hair, house, dress, car, marriage, children....life was always perfect! People want to be able to relate to struggles! They want to see that your overcame the doom still loving The Savior! How often do we try to pretend our lives are perfect? For me, it is more often than I would like to admit!

I challenge you all to think of your brown package today. Think and pray on it. What is making you angry about your life? Are you bitter? Jealous? Did The Lord leave a brown package at your doorstep that you threw out? Go get that package and try to upwrap it...use it to His Glory. Thank Him for it. What came out of it? Praise Him.

Romans 5:3-5 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. "

xoxo

HOW TO POST A COMMENT

It has been brought to my attention that there may be some new bloggers, some "newbies", if you will. WELCOME to the addicting world of blogs, newbies! I hear you may have some trouble commenting, well, here is how you do it.
1. click on 'comments' at the bottom of the post you would like to comment on.
2. type your comment in the given box.
3. under 'choose identity', if you do not have a google account, or are not a registered blogger, click on "anonymous".
4. click "publish your comment"

hope this helps! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment so I know that you all are reading!!

xoxo

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Contagious

con·ta·gious
adj.
1. Of or relating to contagion.
2. Transmissible by direct or indirect contact; communicable: a contagious disease.
3. Capable of transmitting disease; carrying a disease: stayed at home until he was no longer contagious
.
4. Spreading or tending to spread from one to another; infectious: a contagious smile.

If you are anything like me, you see this word and cringe. I think about taking my tiny tot to his MDO and what germs he will bring home for the rest of us to share in the afternoon. Dr, is he contagious. Yep. Watch out and be super cautious over the next couple of days. Yuck. I think I loathe the word itself.


Starting this blog was birthed from an infection. A contagious one. Let me explain, please. My dear and sweet mother-in-law has a love for the Lord. She has been working on this Just Give Me Jesus Revival for quite some time. I never really asked her about it, I just knew it took up all of her time. All of MY free-babysitting time. She asked me the other day, months after she had begun working on the revival, to pray about being a part of it in XYZ ways. Not really understanding the whole premise, I called her. Before she even answered my mind said this, "do you know I have a 6 week old baby at my house, sleeping in the other room?" "Oh, and there is this other kid here too, he is currently rebounding a basketball off of her head in his diaper." Translation: (and I know you mommies out there feel me on this) "PLEASE do not ask me to start any projects...I don't have time."
Well, she explained to me the whole idea of this Revival in Waco. She stroked my ego a little...told me I was good at certain things. But honestly, it didn't matter. It was simply the idea that I want women's lives to be changed by my Jesus. Plainly put. I wanted my own life to be changed by Him too. I know I love Him. I know the rules and the game. But I need Him now more than ever. I know my friends need Him. I know the un-churched and un-loved need Him. I know my own life is consumed with other things. I used to be so on fire for this kind of stuff. For salvations. My mind is racing. The excitement takes over me. Infected. By Jesus. He is contagious.
So, at the very least, I offer my blogging services. Something I do when I should be doing other things. Still, I understand blogs. I love to write. I am a super duper amateur at it. But I can offer it as a mission. Are you still reading? I hope this blog gets you young women, young mothers excited. Maybe you will decide to serve in the revival in some capacity. Maybe you just need to go. Maybe you need to catch something like this. I don't know. But I invite you to read, to come, to serve. To bless and be blessed. Sisters, I know we are weary. I know the day to day grind is tough. Raising our children to love the Lord and still be potty-trained at the same time. To love on a husband when you would rather take a shower. To cook a semi-homeade meal only to find your picky eater would rather eat cereal. It is wear and tear. Or worse. Working through the wounds of a fresh divorce. A disabled child. A bruised past you can't shake. Where is our Savior?I know each of you desire the deep friendship that I do. I know I look in all the wrong places. I want and desire a deeper level of relationship with my Father.
Maybe today you can ponder someone you want to infect. How are you contagious? ARE you contagious? If you are...go breathe on your neighbor today. If you aren't...go get your Bible.

Luke 1:58
"Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy."

Kickin' It Off!

Kick-Off Event with Anne Graham Lotz

This event is for all women of "influence" in the Central Texas area: Bible Study leaders, Sunday School teachers, community volunteers, small group leaders, etc (this means all of YOU!)
... Anne Graham Lotz will be the featured speaker.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Time:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
First United Methodist Church
Street:
Cobbs
City/Town:
Waco, TX

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Time of Prayer

Please join in prayer for the kick-off event
Hillcrest hospital cafeteria.
Friday, January 16th
12:00 noon