My Happy Place

I can remember when getting ready every morning (you know the time spent taking a shower, putting on makeup & fixing hair) brought on a battle in my mind that was so fierce I just wanted to run back to bed and hide under the covers.  Every. Single. Day. 

The thoughts, lies and what ifs pelted me like golf ball sized ice in a hailstorm. 

 

The battle was real, and it was exhausting.  And I often found myself on the losing end.  I would feel defeated before my day even got started.

Then, several years ago, I took a friend's advice and started arming myself with Ephesians 6.  I posted the verses in my bathroom and read them constantly.  I repeated various parts as needed and would visualize myself putting on each piece of the armor described in the Scripture. 

As I allowed God's Word to sink into my head and my heart, things began to change. 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." 

Ephesians 6:10-18

 

God's Truth began to change me from the inside out - one battle at a time.  It transformed my mornings which in turn transformed my days.

Now, it's WHILE I'm getting ready that the Lord speaks to me the loudest (not audibly of course but in my spirit & thoughts.)  He births blog posts, retreat topics, volleyball practice plans, prayers for people, creative gift ideas, Bible study lessons, parenting solutions, answers to prayers, peace for circumstances, etc. during my morning routine. 

Oh, isn't it just like the Lord to turn what used to be the toughest part of my day into the brightest part??!!!  He turned my battlefield into a harvest field. He took the dreaded and made it the anticipated.  He created my "sweet spot" from my weak spot. ONLY GOD!

 

So yesterday, while I was getting ready, I was praying for different people that the Lord brought to mind.  As I prayed for the 12th grade girls in my discipleship small group at church, the Lord brought something else to mind.  He reminded me of something we do at the beginning of each small group.

 

Every Sunday night when we meet, the first thing we do is write down on a sticky note an attribute of God, specifically who He's been to us during the past week (Faithful, Forgiving, our Provider, Protector, Comforter, Redeemer, Joy etc.)  Then we post it on the wall and go around the room during our prayer time and praise God for who He's been to each of us during the week. 

 

As I thought about this, I soon began to consider what attribute of God I would write down this coming Sunday night.

The first thing that came to mind...My Happy Place.

 

God has been my Happy Place this week.  (I'm not sure of the exact Scripture reference for that attribute, but I'm sure it's in the Bible somewhere :) lol)

 

But not just this week.  He was my Happy Place last week and the week before that and the week before that. 

 

And by my Happy Place I mean my true source of joy, trust, love, identity, hope, security and rest. It's a place I long for and a place I don't want to leave once I get there.

  
Yes, I know that as a believer & follower of Jesus Christ, God is always with me.  His Holy Spirit lives inside of me and never leaves me. I've been adopted into His family as His daughter, and nothing can pluck me from His hand.  That's not what I'm talking about. 

I'm talking about the place where the Lord's presence is overwhelming to me.  The place where I delight in His Truth and gain perspective & clarity.  The place where I choose to be still before Him and simply listen & allow Him to minister to my soul. The place where He and I fellowship in ways that are often indescribable.    
   
Unfortunately, I sometimes have trouble finding this place.  I get too busy to stop by. Or I think I don't need to go there because I've got everything under control.  Or worse yet, I don't want to go there because I'm afraid of what may be revealed to me (about myself, my sin, my circumstances etc.)

Ugghhh! There come those lies again - taking aim and trying to rekindle an old familiar battle within me!  But thankfully now when the lies come, I'm able to remind myself to "stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist..." Ephesians 6:14.

And the truth is
.....when I go to the Lord, I will find rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30) 
.....He is sovereign and apart from Him, I can do nothing (John 15:5)
.....in Him, I will find forgiveness for my sins, not condemnation (Romans 8:1-4) 
.....He will work all things together for my good & His glory (Romans 8:28-30)
.....there is nothing that can separate me from Him or His love because He is my Abba, Father and I am His daughter (Romans 8:14-17; 31-39)
....the deepest desire of my heart is to know Him more and more each day (Psalm 37:3-4)

The truth is.....He is my Happy Place (Psalm 18:2) 

So what about you? What attribute of God would you write on your sticky note?  Who has God been to you this week?  In what ways has He revealed Himself (His character) to you specifically?  Is He YOUR happy place?
 

God Cares About the Mail & the Rain

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:38-39 

It was sunny and warm this morning when we woke up, but I had heard the weather report and knew this was going to change.  I warned my children about the rain and cold front that was coming. 

Faith: "Mom, can you pick me up from the bus stop this afternoon so I don't get wet?"  (She rides the bus home because our neighborhood is the first stop & it's much faster than the carpool line.  She gets off 2 streets up from our house and has to walk a short distance to get home.)

Me: "Yes ma'am.  I'll be there."

Fast forward to this afternoon.  I'm at work trying for the 3rd day in a row to reconcile a bank statement.  Frustrating.  I have 6 accounts to balance.  Five of them are done, but  one of them is not cooperating!  My head is hurting - literally - from staring at the numbers.  It's time to go.  But, I decide to look at one more thing to see if it's the solution to my bank statement problem. It's not.

Now, I'm pressed for time.  I pack up and head out the door.  My hands are full as I venture out into the wind, and something on top of my stack gets blown away.  It goes flying over the top of my van, and I can't find it.  I'm looking under cars etc. but don't see it.  Time is ticking, and I need to go.  As soon as I back out, I see it.  I put my van in park, jump out and grab it.

Now, it's decision time.  Do I turn left and fly go by the post office on my way home or do I turn right and go straight home to meet Faith at the bus stop?

I decided Faith was more important so I turned right.  As I approached the stop sign, guess what I saw?  A mail lady getting out of her mail truck!  I rolled down my window and asked if I could give her my mail.  She said yes.

As she approached my van to get the mail, I told her that God had sent her to me!!!  I explained that I was in a hurry, and God was using her to help me.  I told her what a blessing from the Lord she was.  The look on her face was priceless!!!  

WoW!  Only God!

Now, if I could only get to the bus stop in time to meet Faith.

I didn't. 

Faith was 2-3 minutes ahead of me.  She apparently walked in the front door right before I pulled up. 

But, when I got home, I wasn't sure if the bus had already come or not.  So, I left everything in my van and ran into the house to see if Faith was already there.  She was :(  I apologized to her. 

Her response, "That's okay Mama.  It wasn't raining so I didn't get wet."   I gave her a hug and walked back outside to unload my van.  Guess what, it was raining now!!!  God had held the rain off until Faith got home!

WoW!  Only God!

Although I had fallen short, God had not.  He had taken care of Faith.  HE IS SO FAITHFUL!!!

You know, I should probably change the title of this post because it's not the mail and the rain that God cares about.  It's me and Faith!  He loves US so much! 

And HE LOVES YOU TOO - SO MUCH!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."  John 3:16-17 

Now that's true love!

In Awe of HIM,
Nancy

I Need to be Honest

I just counted 5 posts about Africa that I have been working on since we returned from Uganda and Kenya 3 weeks ago.

Honestly, I have been writing the New Year's Day post for more than a week now.  God did so much in my life that day!  I NEVER want to forget.  So, I'm including lots of details.

Honestly, I readjusted to East Coast time last week and stopped getting up at 3 a.m. to blog - which I miss so much!

Honestly, I started working again last week (while my kids are in school.)  What a huge blessing!!!  But, my time to blog has been drastically reduced.


Honestly, I'm afraid once I finish blogging about Africa, our time there will become just a collection of pictures and sweet memories.  Even though, it was much, much more than that.

So please bare with me as I continue to (slowly) blog and savor every single thing God did in Africa and in our hearts.  It's about the process (journey), not the end result, right??!!!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy

New Year's Eve in Uganda - Part 3 - What Were We Thinking

Yes, I am STILL blogging about New Year's Eve in Uganda!  This is the last post for that day, I promise.  But let me forewarn you, New Year's Day was the biggest "God day" for me in Uganda.  He just revealed so much and did so much.  I was absolutely exhausted - in a good way.  So stay tuned. 

Now, back to New Year's Eve.....

After leaving the Kingfisher, we headed back to Canaan Children's Home.  The younger kids had to go to bed, but the older ones were allowed to stay up if they wanted to.  So, we brought out party favors and played games to try to stay awake.

Sarah and Helen and another set of eyes

Just hanging out and having fun with their party hats.

Being silly

These children live in the village, not at Canaan.  But they came over to get party hats and play with us.  One of the things that I love about Canaan is even though it is gated, other children are still welcomed in.  This speaks volumes to me so I know it does to the  children too. 

 A little futbol in the dark

A little Duck, Duck, Goose with Rachel & Carla

A little dancing with Ashley and Sarah & the kids

Allyson joined in too

We must have worn the kids out (and most of our team) because none of them were still awake at midnight.

And only 9 out of 26 of us were together outside eating oatmeal cream pies (thank you Stefan!) when the new year began.  Here's Sarah, Stefan, & Hayden.  Sorry, I missed getting a picture of Shawn, Tymm, Austin, Tiffanie, Nate and me :(

Here is Sarah's midnight kiss! 

Somehow, I don't think we were able to replace her husband Jason though :)

One of the local New Year's traditions we heard about was the burning of tires in the street by the young people.  Curious, we all walked over to the gate by the church to see if we could witness any of the excitement.  People came up to the gate & there was a lot of "HAPPY NEW YEAR" exchanges, but that was it.

Tired of talking through the bars, we decided to see if the gate beside the medical clinic was still open - it had been earlier.  Sure enough, it was.

All caught up in the excitement, we decided to venture out into the streets.  I mean who would notice us right??!!!  Nine Mzungus in the street in the dark in Uganda on New Year's.

 

 

It was festive and loud.  Lots of people of all ages gathered along the side of the street.  

In the street were several guys on motorcycles.  They were riding very fast up and down the same stretch of road in front of us, often doing tricks.  But soon, it started to feel like they were closing in on us.  About that time, we were joined by 5 more of our female teammates (followed closely by the security guards from Canaan who were probably thinking "What are these crazy Mzungus doing?!!")

Then, the lead motorcycle turned around & aimed his motorcycle directly at us & revved his engine.

TIME TO GO!!!

FAST!!!

14 CRAZY MZUNGUS FLEEING THE STREETS BACK TO OUR SIDE OF THE GATE!!!

CRAZY!!!

WHAT WERE WE THINKING??!!!

Thankfully, God protected us! 

But it just reminded me of how often we choose to go our own way, outside of God's will, outside of His provision & protection.  We allow the pursuit of our own emotions, desires, and plans to lead us right out of the gate of God's will and into dangerous situations.

SCARY!

Thankfully God never leaves us nor forsakes us (Deut. 31:8; Hebrews 13:5) - even when we do crazy things.  Although our choices have consequences (Galatians 6:7), we do know that God can work all things together for good and for His glory (Romans 8:28.)  But to avoid that difficult path, Galatians 5:16 tells us to "...live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature" which is the best solution of all.  When we rely on the Lord and the power of His Holy Spirit, we won't go outside His gate in the first place.  

 Thankfully, here we are safe and sound! 

(Bottom left to right:  Shawn, Carla, Stefan, Hayden, Rachel;

Top: Austin, Tiffanie, Tymm, Nate, Sarah, Kim, Ashley, Nicole)

Same people but this time, Rachel made me get in the pic while she was the photographer.

Hey, I was just happy to be alive lol!!!  

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,

Nancy

New Year's Eve in Uganda - Part 2 - Team Time

Often when we go on mission trips, we think our sole purpose for going is to minister to the native people God will put in our path.  Sure, that is one of the main reasons God sends us, but it is definitely not the only one.  And if we aren't careful, we can miss some of the most amazing opportunities He has for us.  Opportunities that involve others, like our teammates. 

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor (teammate) as yourself."  Matthew 22:37-39

After spending the morning at Amazima loving on children, we spent some quality time together as a team that afternoon.  We took a boat ride from Lake Victoria to the Nile River. 

It was at the Kingfisher hotel where lots of visitors stay.  Beautiful grounds.  Beautiful people.

Here we are on our little boat heading out.  (Rachel is on the left & Sarah is behind her.  Kim is on the right & I'm behind her.)

Alyssa is showing Amy some love.  Amy is not so sure about our little boat - definitely can't blame her for that :)  When I think about the Nile River, I prefer a BIG boat!

We had to take 2 boats and this is the other half of our team on their boat.

My friend Sarah.  I love her!  When we met in the Dulles Airport in D.C., she needed a mom to make sure she had her passport & yellow vaccination form, and I needed someone to mother!  But by the time we reached Africa, we were FRIENDS!  She makes me laugh so hard! I miss her so much!  She was definitely one of the reasons I had to be on this trip with this team.  No doubt about it!

Anyway, back to the picture here.  The water behind Sarah is where the Nile River begins.  This area is called the Source of the Nile.  The huts are souvenior shops.

Photo opp just for tourists like us :)

After our boat ride, we had dinner at the hotel restaurant.  We actually placed our order before our boat ride so our food would be ready when we returned.  Cooking for 27 people (our team and our fabulous bus driver Abus) can take awhile.

When we were placing our order, Tymm, one of our leaders, couldn't decide what to get.  He finally chose a fish dish.  He watched the waiter write down W. Fish.  When Tymm asked him if the W. meant white fish, the waiter promptly told him "No. It means WHOLE fish!"  I laughed so hard!!!  Unfortunately for Tymm, he wasn't feeling very food adventureous on New Year's Eve!!!  Check it out!!!

And by whole, the waiter meant w.h.o.l.e. - complete with eyes, teeth, bones, fins, & tail!!!

My husband on the other hand ordered the same thing and cleaned his plate!  He said it was delicious.  Keep in mind, he did grow up on a farm in the country in Sharon SC - I'm just saying....

There's something about food that just brings people closer together.  We Baptists know all about this :)   But seriously, sitting at the table (and not having to hurry off to the next place) allowed me to get to know some folks better, including Tymm as he played with his whole fish! 

Interestingly, one of the things Tymm shared with Shawn & I was about a book he read called "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning.  Yesterday at church, our guest pastor Foster Christy also mentioned this book.  Obviously, I need to read it.  Thankfully, our local library has it, and I plan to get it tomorrow. 

I was also able to actually talk with some folks I hadn't really talked to before like Lindsey.

I found out that Lindsey just started a new job at her church in November.  This was a major career change for her.  She had been working in the finance world.  God is really working in her life, and she's striving to listen to Him and obey Him.  It's hard when not everyone around her understands.  

Over the course of our trip, I absolutley loved watching Lindsey love!  She does it wholeheartedly and with such selfless abandon.  She is not afraid to be the heart beat of Jesus - which is so much more intimate than just His hands & feet.  Despite the hurt/grief that comes when she has to say goodbye to a "new friend," this young woman LOVES!!!  It was so beautiful to watch.  And while some of us honestly guarded our hearts a little more as our trip progressed, Lindsey's love only intensified!!!  What a privilege it was to serve with her and learn from her.  

I also got to talk with Nate.  Such a humble guy.  He had been in Africa (Rwanda & Ethiopia) since the beginning of December.  He flew from Ethiopia to Uganda to meet up with us. 

During dinner, he shared an absolutely amazing God story that I must share with you. 

Nate and his friend were walking through town in Ethiopia when his friend noticed a teenage boy covered in dirt on the street.  His friend asked Nate if they should help him.  Nate agreed, and they approached the boy who was actually eating the dirt. 

The boy only spoke his native language but God provided a translator.  Here's what they found out.

His name was Geregna, and he was from a village a few hours away.  He had been living on the streets for a couple of years now due to some very horrific circumstances.  Some men had come into his home and killed his family in front of him.  Then they put him in a car and dropped him off in a town a few hours away.  He did not know anyone.  He did not speak the language.  He was all alone.  And people on the streets had not been kind to him either.  Until God sent Nate and his friend to find Geregna!!!

They cleaned him up, fed him, and gave him a safe bed to sleep in - for the first time in years!  Look what a difference love makes!!! 

Talk about a transformation!!!

And guess what?  Nate's friend and his wife feel led to care for Geregna and be his family!!!  ONLY GOD!  ONLY GOD! 

Such a beautiful picture of God's love for us, isn't it?  We were covered in filthy sin.  Just trying to survive.  When God, in all of His grace and mercy, sent His Son Jesus to find us, cleanse us (through His atoning blood on the cross), and adopt us into His family forever!

Overwhelming!

So be sure to spend time with the people God brings into your life.  You never know how He will bless you through them. 

I am so thankful for my Uganda/Kenya teammates!  I love yall so much!!!  My life has been deeply enriched because of you.

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy
   

New Year's Eve in Uganda - Part 1 - Ministry

New Year's Eve was a very exciting day.  I've been praying about the best way to share it with you and I've decided to use pictures.  Lots and lots of pictures.  

It's been a long time since I've posted about Africa, so I want to refresh your memory (& mine) and share with you again where we were staying, etc.

We were at Canaan Children's Home in the village of Buziika near Jinja Uganda.  Pastor Isaac and his wife Rebecca opened this home about 15 years ago after God spared Pastor Isaac's life.  I would encourage you to click on the link and read the incredible God story for yourself.

We spent 3 nights at Canann.  The first night we arrived, an all night prayer meeting was taking place at the church on the grounds.  Several of us felt drawn to go so we slipped in the back door around midnight.  Lots of praying, praising, and worshipping - in a language foreign to our ears but translated by the love of Christ in our hearts.  AMAZING!

When Shawn and I left, here is what we saw outside in the dark beside the church...

our friend Sarah cuddling with 2 of the children!  How sweet is that!  Casting her fear of snakes aside, Sarah chose to put love into action!  A little later, one of the children said to Sarah, "Wake up.  You have to go inside so you do not get malaria!"

Here's Shawn in our room.  Pretty nice.  Praise:  The rooster did not crow until AFTER it was light outside!  (Unfortunately though, the cows who lived right outside our window did not get the "no mooing until after sunrise" memo!)

Every morning, we would wake up to lots of children eagerly waiting for us to come outside and play.  I absolutely love staying with the people (nstead of separated from them in a hotel etc.)  There is no better way to experience their culture and their daily lives than to live among them.

Because we were at Canaan during the holidays, a lot of the children had gone to visit friends, sponsors, and relatives.  We only got to meet some of them.

Okay back to New Year's Eve.  On the agenda for today: Amazima Ministries.  Amazima means "Truth" in Lugandan (the language spoken in Uganda.)  This ministry was laid on the heart of young Katie Davis by God when she was serving at Canaan as a teacher.  She is from TN, loves the Lord, and loves children.  I've been reading her book Kisses From Katie to my children and strongly recommend it.  In addition to ministering to 100s of children each week, Katie has also adopted 13 girls of her own.  This is an example of what God can do with a life that is completely surrendered to Him. WOW!

Amazima is less than a mile from Canaan so we were able to walk through the village.

Lots of red dirt, lush green plants & gardens (their rainy season just ended), and mud houses in this village.  (It was hot & humid in Uganda too - it reminded me of home. )

Check out this young boy's car! 

The children would turn almost anything (tires, sticks, plactic lids, rocks) into a toy or game. So simple. We could learn a lot from them.

Everywhere we went in Uganda, the people were so welcoming and friendly.  This village was no exception.  Everyone smiled and spoke to us.  There were ALWAYS fires burning (for cooking) which created a distinct smell.  Lots of people working hard. 

The men were often building their homes, businesses etc.  Sometimes they would use the red dirt in their yards to make bricks for their buildings.  Fascinating.  Lots of farming.  Lots of markets.  (Lots of industry in the city.)  But what I loved most was how creative & resourceful they are. 

After crossing over a railroad track, we finally arrived at Amazima.  Today was Family Day and the children had a special program planned. 

In this picture, you can see most of the young children.  Lots & lots of children.

In this picture, you can see lots and lots of adults who dressed up for this special occasion.

 

These 2 pictures are of more Amazima children who were sitting dancing in the church.

Truth written on the church wall!

BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN!!!

This was one of the performances in the show.  They did such a great job!!!  It was obvious they had been practicing for a long time.  Some of the older children did skits.  Some were funny and some addressed serious issues.  One issue addressed was that guardians sometimes mistreat the children in their home who are not their biological children - even if they are family.  

Alcohol was another issue addressed. (I just did a little internet research and found out that Uganda leads the world in alcohol consumption per capita!  OH. MY.  We had been told about the devasting impact of alcohol, especially on the men.  Their "homemade brews" create all sorts of problems, including blindness & early death)  I love the fact that issues are being addressed (through the children) and not ignored.  No pretending or burying their heads in the red dirt here!!!  In their skits, the children acknowledged the problems and then provided solutions - God's solutions!  They are bringing awareness.  They are trying to break the generational strongholds with the Truth of God's Word and the power of His Holy Spirit.  WOW!!! 

This young child was responsible for taking care of her sister.  I was sitting on a ledge and they were sitting below me.  The baby started crying so I had big sis pass her to me, but she started crying even more.  When I gave her back, a friend whispered something in big sis's ear.  I watched as she then put her baby sister on her back & the baby instantly stopped crying!!!

So for hours this big sister carried her little sister on her back.  Both of them grew tired.  But if big sis tried to sit down or move little sister around, she would start fussing.  Finally, big sis got so tired that she came over to me and put her head in my lap! 

Here we are with Katie Davis. 

You really should read her book Kisses From Katie. 

It will bless your socks flip flops off!

These 2 sisters were the reason I was in Uganda on New Year's Eve!  Daphine is in red

and is very protective of her little sister.

We played together on this enormous playground built by "Uncle Brad" of Amazima.  God also had me write letters to the girls for them to read long after I was gone.  I felt such a connection with Daphine that I also gave her a picture of me & my family.

And just like the previous 2 days in Uganda, God had me provide simple "mother" medical care to Daphine's sister.  Neosporin + a bandaid = love.

I wish I had taken my dramamine!  It's tough getting old.  But the sound of laughing children make it all worth while!

These 2 little ones attached themselves to Shawn, and I got to witness a very sweet interaction between them.  The precious girl in the red had a gash on her arm and was picking at it.  Shawn examined it, put medicine & a bandaid on it and then kissed it and said "All better!"  It was sooooo sweet!!!  You should have seen the way she looked at him afterwards!  I have a sparkle (& tear) in my eye just thinking about it!

While we were playing with the children, other folks were working hard to prepare food for everyone. 

Here is Franco the pet monkey. He seems pretty tame, especially with all of these children around him. But don't think all monkeys are like that. I have a story to share with you from Kenya to prove my point!

After a tearful departure from Daphine, it was time to head back to Canaan. Once we crossed over the railroad tracks, these children ran up to me. I don't think they understood much English, but they definitely understood a hug :)

As we got closer to Canaan, these 2 boys came up to our teammate Stefan and grabbed his hands. What a beautiful picture of our Father and His amazing love! Notice who's carrying the heavy bag burden.

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

And to think, it was only lunch time! We still had the entire afternoon ahead of us!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,

Nancy