Giving us Time to Listen

* I spent 2 hours writing this post (beginning at 3:55 a.m.) only to have it disappear when I hit "publish" due to an error. Interesting, huh?  Maybe God intended the original post to be only for me & my heart.  Maybe He wanted me to add some things and delete others.  I don't know why it happened.  But I do know that I wouldn't trade the 2 hours I spent writing with Him for anything!  He does make me laugh though when I read the title of this post and realize rewriting it will give me more time to listen to Him!!!  *

It is amazing to me how much God speaks to us.  Unfortunately, I think we often miss hearing Him because we don't take the time to listen.  Our busyness and daily routines tend to take precedent. 

Often times, we need God to shake things up a little (or a lot if you are stiff-necked & hard headed like me) to get our attention.  You know, like remove us from the "rat race" through unemployment, 2 weeks in Africa, etc. :)

Since returning home from Africa a few days ago, Shawn & I have really been praying and listening and listening and praying.  We came home to a new season in our lives, a new adventure. 

When I look at my husband, I see God's masterpiece.  "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10

You see, when I met Shawn nearly 20 years ago in college, he was a full-time student living on campus and working to support himself. Financially, he was on his own and had been for some time.  For as long as I've known him, he's always been a very hardworker.  Idleness is not in his nature. 

Before we got married, my mom said she'd never have to worry about me (financially) because she knew Shawn would do whatever he needed to do, even dig ditches, to provide for us.

While I enjoyed the security from Shawn's hard work (he srongly believed in paying cash for everything), I did not enjoy its price tag.  Early in our marriage, Shawn's job was my biggest competition.  We both wanted his time and attention.  Unfortunately, his job often won.  Shawn believed God kept him healthy so he could work ALL THE TIME to provide for us.  He was also doing what he had seen his father do - work, work, work.

When Shawn was a deputy and later an investigator at the sheriff's department, he got into trouble for working too much.  He would never turn down overtime.  While our bank account may have been okay, our marriage sure wasn't. 

Then God allowed Shawn to be snatched out of law enforcement in such a way that he can never go back.  It was hard.  It was unfair.  It was later deemed wrong.  But honestly, it was an answer to prayer.  It saved our marriage.  It grew us closer to the Lord and to each other.  What satan meant for evil, God used for good!!!

For the past 7 years, I've watched my husband be humbled and shaped by the restaurant business.  Dealing with the public is no small feat.  It requires a ton of restraint and a ton of grace.  It requires relying on the Lord in a new way (so you don't destroy your testimony!!! - I'm just saying...)   

Today, I see my husband surrendered before the Lord, willing to follow Him wherever He leads.  Shawn has allowed himself to be challenged & changed by Christ.  Yes, he still shoulders the burden of taking care of us.  Yes, he's still willing to do whatever it takes to provide.  Yes, it's still hard for him to be unemployed.  But, he's NOT willing to sacrifice his relationships for the sake of money.  What a difference JESUS makes!

Right now, Shawn is at a job interview.  The difference this time - he is not looking for a career.  He is looking for a way to provide for us AND follow God's call - a call that definitely involves Africa.

I am so stinking proud of him, I can't stand it!  It just does something to a wife's heart when she sees her husband trusting & following the Lord.  There ain't nothin' like it!!!

Shawn's been unemployed a few times before (like when we found out I was pregnant with Tanner), but watching him handle our current situation is nothing shy of a miracle.  A miracle of trust.  A miracle of obedience.  A miracle of surrender.  A miracle of love.  A miracle of the heart. A miracle of complete transformation.

The Bible says,

"Come and see what our God has done, 

what awesome miracles He performs for people!"

Psalm 66:5

Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles;
   You display Your power among the peoples.
With Your mighty arm You redeemed Your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah

Psalm 77:13-15

"He (God) is the Maker of the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted."
Job 9:9-10

Oh how thankful I am for yet another opportunity to do life God's way!  Who knew unemployment could be so exciting!!! 

Doing life God's way is so much better than the world's way.  Even if it's harder.  Even if it goes against everything we've been taught.  Even if it creates a fierce battle with our flesh.  Even if it defies the American Dream.  It is worth it.  God is worth it.

And God is so faithful! He has been showing us Scripture and then confirming it over & over again.  Why?  Because we are calling out to Him, and we are taking the time to listen!  We are finding Him & His answers because we are genuinely seeking Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:12-14.) 

In my last post, I shared that right after Shawn & I prayed together on Monday morning about our future, God showed us Matthew 6:19-21 which says,

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 

Yesterday (Wednesday), I had a dentist appointment and some errands to run afterwards.  While I was in my car, God had me hear Dr. David Jeremiah teach on "Investing in Eternity" based on Matthew 6:19-21 TWICE!!  TWICE!!  (I actually heard it a 3rd time earlier today when I wrote this post the first time.)  I told you I am stiff-necked & hard headed :)  But God knows that already so He has me listen to the same teaching as many times as it takes until I understand what He is saying to me.  HE IS SO AMAZING!!!

God has been showing us verses on holiness & righteousness too. Not to mention, He still lets us see or hear something about AFRICA every. single. day. It's all prepartion.  It's all part of His plan.  So please pray we will wholeheartedly respond to Him in obedience. Together.  With our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2.)

* Disclaimer:  As it turns out, the majority of this post is VERY DIFFERENT than the original one I wrote early this morning.  I know this post is not about Africa.  But, I PROMISE AFRICA POSTS ARE COMING!!!  My plan today was to share a quick post about how God has been answering our prayers since we've been home and then write another trip post picking up where I left off - in Uganda on New Year's Eve.  Ha Ha Ha!!!  Clearly God is in control here - not me!  I will try to write a trip post by the end of the day.

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy 

Back to Life; Back to a New Reality

Leaving Kenya and heading home was a 36 hour process.  A journey.

Katie's all  packed up wrapped up and ready to go!

 My friend Sarah and I just before we boarded the plane in Kenya heading back to Uganda.

From Uganda, we flew to Istanbul Turkey and

got our first taste of familiar food!!!!  (Rachel, Kelsey, & Ashley)

From Turkey to Washington DC and then onto Charlotte!

Finally HOME!!! 

Check out the mirror in our bedroom.  It is covered in Bible verses!!!  Thank you Leann!!!  I won't be taking them down anytime soon :)

The first 12 hours I was at home, I loved on my children, took a bubble bath along with 2 hot showers, and slept 8 straight hours!!! 

I can't wait to share Africa with you and all that God did while we were there.  I've asked Him to give me time to recall, reflect and write.  I want to "lay low" this week and listen to the Lord as I remember all that He has done.  I feel like Mary in Luke 2:19, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."
 
So, the reason I'm writing now is to tell you about what God has done since we've been home. 

*My family picked us up from the airport Sunday night.  When we got in the car, guess what song came on?  How He Loves by Dave Crowder!  My favorite!  God wasted no time - He seranaded me before we were out of the airport parking lot!!! 

*On Monday morning, Shawn & I spent a lot of time praying together.  Praying for others.  Praying for ourselves & our future - asking for guidance, wisdom, & direction. Almost immediately, God showed us this scripture:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:19-21

WOW!!!  God is clearly telling us to invest our lives in eternity and not things of this world.  This is huge for us given that Shawn does not have a job and is seeking employment.  But more than employment, my husband is seeking God's will for our family and our future - and Africa is definitely a part of that.

*Then I read  my "Experiencing God Day by Day Devotional" by Henry Blackaby.  I needed to read January 7, 8 & 9 to get caught up.  Here are a few points from each.

January 7 - "We Live by Revelation"

"Without revelation people run wild; but one who listens to instruction will be happy." Proverbs 29:18

"The world operates on vision.  God's people live by revelation.  The world seeks grand and noble purposes and goals to achieve.  People dream up the greatest and most satisfying things in which they can invest their lives.  Institutions establish goals and objectives and then organize themselves to achieve them.  God's people function in a radically different way.  Christians arrange their lives based on the revelation of God, regardless of whether it makes sense to them.  God does not ask for our opinion about what is best for our future, our family, our church, or our country.  He already knows!  What God wants is to get the attention of His people and reveal to us what is on His heart and is His will, for God's ways are not our ways! (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Whenever people do not base their lives on God's revelation, they "cast off restraint."  That is, they do what is right in their own eyes.  They set their goals, arrange their agendas, and then pray for God's blessings. Some Christians are living far outside the will of God, yet they have the audacity to pray and ask God to bless their efforts!

The only way for you to know God's will is for Him to reveal it to you.  You will never discover it on your own.  When you hear from the Father, you have an immediate agenda for your life:  OBEDIENCE.  As the writer of Proverbs observed: "Happy is he who keeps the law."

January 8 - Exceedingly Abundantly

"Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power, that works in us."  Ephesians 3:20

"At times, we feel as if we could impress God with all we are trying to do for Him and His church.  Yet God has yet to be impressed with even the most grandiose human aspirations (Psalm 8:3-4 and Phil. 3:7-8.)  Our problem is we become too easily enamored with our own plans.

We need to remind ourselves that the Father sees the "big picture" that His power far exceeds our limited imagination.  We must set aside our own agenda, however lofty.  We must never become satisfied with our own dreams, for they are finite at best.  When we follow God's direction we will witness things happening in our lives that can only be explained by His powerful presence.  How could we be satisfied with anything else?"

January 9 - Prayer Discovers God's Agenda

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a desserted place.  And He was praying there."  Mark 1:35

"It was common knowledge among the disciples that they would find Jesus praying during the early morning hours.  When they needed Him, they knew to go to the place of prayer.  When Judas betrayed Jesus, he led his cohorts to Jesus' place of prayer.

Every time the Lord Jesus faced an important decision, He prayed.  When He was being tempted to do things by the world's methods instead of the Father's, He prayed.  When it was time to choose His disciples, He prayed the entire night.  If the Son of God required a night of prayer in order to determine the Father's mind, how long might it take us in prayer to clearly determine our Father's will?

Because Jesus was so often surrounded by crowds, He knew He must find a quiet place so He could clearly hear His Father's voice.  Jesus had many people seeking to influence the direction of His life.  His disciples wanted Him to go where the crowds were.  The crowds wanted to crown Him king.  Satan tempted Him to make compromises in order to draw a following.  Jesus knew His mission was not to attract a crowd, but to remain obedient to His Father.  It was prayer that set the agenda for Jesus' ministry.  Prayer preceded the miracles; prayer brought Him encouragement at critical moments; prayer enabled Him to go to the cross; and prayer kept Him there despite excruciating pain.  Follow the Savior's example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life." 

*Then I heard a pastor on a Christian TV station say: "You can't have the world and Jesus too. Do what God calls you to do, and dig ditches to pay your bills if you have to!"  (He also talked about the faith of Moses discussed in Hebrews 11:23-28. And he mentioned the Ethiopians!!!  I plan to dig deeper into the Hebrews passage to see what God wants to reveal to us there.)

What really makes me stand in awe of God is that He revealed all of this to us within about 2 hours after our prayer time!!!  All of this happened on Monday by noon!!!

WOW!!!  Only GOD!!!

Now you know why I need lots of time to ponder and process Africa!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy

Jesus Makes All The Difference

*NOTE* We head to Kenya tomorrow (1/2/12) and most likely will not have internet access.  I still have the past 2 days to blog about and GOD HAS DONE SOME AMAZING THINGS! here in Uganda!!  So much happened today that I need some time to process before I share.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS - please don't stop now!


Friday 12/30/11     11:23 pm Jinja      3:23 pm SC

As I write, a 24 hour prayer service is taking place at the church on the Canaan Children’s Home grounds.  The presence of the Lord is unbelievably strong here.

This morning, we checked out of the guest house in Kampala Uganda and drove for over an hour to a children’s prison (referred to as M1) in another town.  Only some of the children at M1 actually have criminal charges.  Most have been abandoned or orphaned.  Parents can literally just drop their child off at the facility & leave them there.

Both males and females reside at M1 but are housed separately.  Out of the 200 children living there, only about 8 to 10 were female.  

When we arrived, it was almost breakfast time – time for them to eat their porridge cooked by several of the older boys in huge pots over an open fire.

They drank their porridge (which is water & corn flour mixed together.)

Then we had a time of worship with the kids who wanted to attend and the folks from Sixty Feet Ministries.  This was a special time. One of my favorite parts was forming a “Conga line” while praising God through song and just dancing before Him.

Today I asked God again to show me the children He wanted me to reach out to.  Initially I tried talking to some of the older girls, but they weren’t very interested.  So, I prayed for clarity and God answered.  I sensed Him telling me to be a mom to one of the kids that was hurt.  I spotted a young boy who had a cut on his leg, but before I could get to him, he left the room.  So, I waited.

After worship, we went outside and played games with the children.  Shawn & I threw the frisbee with a group for a long time.  Then when I couldn’t stand the sun & heat anymore, I headed for the shade.  I sat down beside a boy and started talking with him.  That’s when I noticed a gash on his foot.  He told me he had gotten burned by the fire used to cook the porridge.  It looked bad.  It looked painful.  But guess what I had in my bag?  Medicine and band-aides!!!  Here was the hurt boy God wanted me “to mother.”

He is the reason I was at M1 today.  I was able to pray with him before we left too.

Here is everyone at “parade” which is count time.  They line up by age groups.

After leaving M1, we drove for 4+ hours to Canaan Children’s Home in Jinja.  All of our weariness disappeared when we pulled up and the children hollered & ran to us.  We were barely able to get off the bus!!!  We received a very warm welcome from the staff as well.  Tears.  It was so touching.

Lucy was one of the children who attached herself to me.  She sang the entire time we were together!  Oh the joy little Lucy has!  That all of the children have!  That all of the adults have too!  There is no mistake about it – JESUS LIVES HERE!!!  WOW!!!

Fortunately, we will be staying here in the guest quarters for 3 nights.  YAY GOD!  I am looking very forward to being a part of what our Heavenly Father is doing here!

God is the Father to the fatherless!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul, 
Nancy

WE MADE IT!!!

December 29, 2011   3:35 pm SC    11:35 pm Uganda

We had a good but bumpy flight from Turkey to Uganda – my favorite!  But, we FINALLY made it to Uganda around 2:00 a.m. local time.  It was dark, foggy, and humid.  Our ride & reservations for the night weren’t expecting us until the next day so the only thing waiting for us were the mosquitoes!!! 

But God took care of us like only He can!  Pastor Samuel, a local pastor at Return Ministries, received a desperate call at 1 a.m. and came to our rescue. Two vans & one taxi later, we were on our way to find a place to stay.

At 4:30 a.m., we ended up at the Namirembe Guest House “a day early” where they graciously gave us 4 rooms. Shawn & I actually ended up with our own room.  But 17 ladies had to share 1 room with 6 or 7 beds.

Most of us slept for a few hours and then it was off to our first ministry – Return Ministries led by Pastor Samuel.  This ministry feeds/works with nearly 200 children in Kampala and focuses on loving them and providing a strong family atmosphere to help them understand the love of Christ. 

When we arrived, the children cheered!  And cheered!  And cheered!  Then, some of them performed a dance for us.  WOW!  It was fantastic.  As I sat there watching the children dance, I asked God to show me at least one child He wanted me to speak to.  That’s when a young girl in a yellow dress with a beautiful smile caught my eye.  Her name was Catherine.

After the performance, we sang a couple of songs and then started playing while lunch was being prepared.  Kids were everywhere!  I was looking for one of the older girls who had dropped her sash while dancing when someone grabbed my hand.  It was CATHERINE!  She approached me first which just confirmed that God indeed wanted me to share His Truth with her.

Catherine & I talked and danced.  Then it was time for lunch.  The children were so orderly and well behaved.  It was quite impressive. We served each of them a plate full of beans & rice – the only meal for most of them for the day.

After lunch Catherine spent some time talking with Shawn.  Then I saw her run to the front of the house and put her shoes on.  When I asked her where she was going, she said with a big smile on her face, “I’m going to clean the toilets.” 

It was at that moment that God had me share some things with her.  I told her how much God loves her and how He sent Jesus to die for her.  And how important she is to Him.  And that He has very special plans for her and her life (Jeremiah 29:11.)  And how her willingness to serve others by cleaning toilets made Him so proud of her because she was acting just like Jesus.  I encouraged her to trust the Lord. To love Him with all her heart.  To follow Him, no matter what.  And to grow closer to Him by praying and reading the Bible.

She was beaming from ear to ear!  The presence of the Lord was so overwhelming!  Then with an extra spring in her step, she went to clean the toilets.  Humbling.  Today, she is the reason I’m in Uganda.

Pastor Samuel’s wife prepared a fantastic lunch for us.  Then it was back to more playing & loving on the children.

Trampolines in Africa??!!!  Absolutely!  Kids are kids no matter what part of the world they live in.  I’ll probably be sore tomorrow!

Saying goodbye was not easy, even after only a few hours with the kids.  We had a great time hanging out with them and being the hands & laps of Jesus. 

After a little shopping at Return Ministries to help support their program, we returned to the Namirembe Guest House for the evening to help recuperate from jet lag.  Our rooms were straightened out, and everyone had their own bed tonight.

Please pray for us on Friday as we work with a ministry called Sixty Feet.  We will be reaching out to children in captivity/prison.  Please check out their website for more information.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN!  He is in complete control of every single detail!  His ways are not our ways.  Thankfully, His ways are best!

P.S.  We will be traveling to Jinja, Uganda after we leave Sixty Feet on Friday so I’m not sure when I’ll have internet access again.  KEEP PRAYING! 

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,

Nancy

Heading to Africa - FINALLY!

12/28/11      1:01 p.m. SC     8:02 p.m. Turkey 

We are currently on the plane flying from Istanbul Turkey to Entebbe Uganda – our 3^rd flight since leaving home.  I can’t believe when we step off this plane, we will be on African soil!  It seems surreal to me!

Things were quite crazy at our house before Shawn & I left, as you can imagine.  But the hardest part of all was leaving my children!!!  I have NEVER been away from them for 2 weeks before.  It’s difficult – very difficult.  So please pray for all of us while we are separated.

Remember Emily – the young lady making pillowcase dresses for the girls in Kenya & Uganda?

Well, 2 weeks ago, she gave me this box.

Guess how many dresses were in it…..

SORRY BUT THE PICTURE WOULDN'T UPLOAD - will try again later :( 

Are you ready?  106!!!  WOW!!! But they are not just dresses.  They are expressions of love, God’s love, that 106 girls will get to experience!  And Shawn & I were able to pack all of them in our bags with 1.5 lbs to spare!  I can’t wait to see how God uses them. 

Our team of 26 finally met up together in Turkey, with the exception of Nate who is already in Africa and will be meeting us in Uganda. 

We are going to have a great time together.  Here’s Kim (from Baltimore) and Sarah (from TN but now living in Savannah.)  We have shared lots of laughs together already.

I will be journaling daily and will post my entries on my blog as often as we have internet access.  Please continue to pray for our team and the ministry opportunities God has for us.  Pray for us to have pure, focused hearts, a supernatural boldness to share the Gospel and a willingness to be the tangible hands, feet & mouth of Christ – even when it’s out of our comfort zone. 

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy

The Cost of Obedience

I am so proud of my husband!  He was between a rock and a hard place, and he chose THE ROCK -

"I love you, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. 

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold."  Psalm 18:1-2

Our journey to Africa started about 13 months ago. And while we still do not know exactly what God wants us to do there, we do know that He wants us going to Uganda and Kenya with Visiting Orphans this month. 

About 7 or 8 months ago when God laid on my heart that we were to go in December, I laughed.  Out loud.  Then I told God that December would not work.  It was the worst possible time for us to go - for lots of reasons.  I told Him there was no way.  But He persisted. 

God had already laid Uganda and Kenya on our hearts, and I knew He wanted us to go there first.  After He told me we were to go in December, I sensed He wanted me to check the Visiting Orphans website for their upcoming trips.  Wouldn't you know it, they had a trip going to Uganda and Kenya in December!  I was really convinced then.

Now it was time to tell my husband.  Several weeks went by before I shared all of this with him.  He of course responded much like I had - there was NO WAY we could go in December.  I told him God and I had already had that conversation, and God wasn't changing His mind.  So, I removed myself from the equation and left it up to God and my husband to figure out. 

It didn't take long before God gave my husband clarity and peace about December - as crazy as it seemed.

Not wanting to deal with some of our obstacles though kept me from signing up with Visiting Orphans (VO) right away.  On several occasions, I knew the Holy Spirit was prompting me to sign us up, but I procrastinated.  I even searched for other trips with other organizations at different times.  But, God kept bringing me back to the December trip with VO. 

When I finally decided to be obedient, the trip was FULL!!!  I was so distraught!  I knew I had been disobedient.  But I also knew we were supposed to be on that trip!  So, we put ourselves on the waiting list.  And we waited.

While I was on mission in Jamaica this past August, we did not have easy access to the internet.  I was only able to check my e-mail once while we were there.  But once was all I needed to receive the good news that Shawn & I had been added to the Uganda/Kenya December mission team!!!

Soon after that, we started facing lots of opposition.  So, one night we began praying VERY SPECIFICALLY about whether or not we should go to Africa in December.  The next morning, I read my daily devotion from Henry Blackaby's "Experiencing God Day by Day" and it said........

"For am I now trying to win the favor of people or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ." Galatians 1:10

"At times, you will have to make a choice between pleasing God and pleasing those around you, for God's ways are not man's ways. As important as it is to strive for good relations with others, it is even more important to maintain a steadfast and obedient relationship with Christ. Disobeying God to keep peace with other people is never wise. Peace with God is always paramount.

Jesus warned that obeying Him might cause division in your relationships. If Paul's primary goal had been to please others, he would never have become an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul went completely against the wishes of his colleagues in order to obey Christ. At times, obedience to God sets family members at odds with each other. When you follow Jesus' lordship, your family may misunderstand or even oppose you, yet your obedience to God reflects your identity as His child. Jesus said that those who obey His will are His brothers and sisters. God does not intend to divide the home, but He places obedience before domestic harmony.

It is important to get alone in quietness with God so that you understand what pleases Him. The world's thinking will mislead you more easily when you are not clear about what God desires. It broke Peter's heart to know that the opinion of a servant girl had mattered more to him than the approval of his Lord! If the desire to appease others tempts you to compromise what you know God wants you to do, learn from Peter's mistake. Determine that you will please your Lord regardless of the opinions of others." 

OH. MY.  God could not have made it more clear!!!  There was our answer - spelled out for us in black and white!  Clear as day!  It left NO room for any more questions or doubts!  I nearly passed out!!!  I couldn't believe my eyes!  God had spoken - issue resolved!  It was time to move forward.

Right after that is when God also made it clear to me that He would take care of every financial need we had for this trip.  It wasn't going to cost us financially, but it was going to cost us in other ways. 

I talked a lot about this in my Garage Sale Chronicles posts so I won't go into detail again except to say that God had me read 2 Samuel 24:18-25.  These verses are about David building an altar to God on Araunah's threshing floor, and Araunah wanting to give David the animals for his sacrifice.  Here is David's response ..... But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

You see, if we offer something to God that cost us nothing, where is the sacrifice in that?!!!  Saying yes to God means we have to say no to something or someone else.  Obedience has a price tag.  It can be expensive.  But, no matter the cost, it is ALWAYS worth it!  God is ALWAYS worth it!

So why am I so proud of my husband, and what does it have to do with sacrifice?  Well, my husband has chosen to obey God and follow His call to go to Africa in December.  The cost - his job. 

God in all of His tender mercy even gave my husband a sign of reassurance yesterday in the midst of his difficult circumstances.

God is so amazing and faithful!!!  He continues to blow my mind!  He is so worthy of our praise and our surrender!

God is ushering us into a new adventure with Him.  Our first step is going to Uganda and Kenya in December.  Our second step is completely trusting Him to lead us from there.  Our hearts and our lives are wide open now! 

Please pray for us as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

  

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Matthew 6:25-34 

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy

Summer Flashback

"But don’t just listen to God’s word. YOU MUST DO WHAT IT SAYS.

Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves."  James 1:22

This week's warm weather has me reminiscing about the summer and some of the things God did that I have yet to share.

I actually need to back up to spring - spring break to be exact.  My family and I went to the beach that week.  On the way home, it was raining pretty hard.  As we drove by a hotel, something caught my eye near the bushes along the road.  It was a homeless woman, and she was getting soaked.

My heart was heavy for her.  I wanted to turn around but we were in the midst of thick traffic on the highway.  Stuck.  No way to turn around. Ugghhh! 

God etched that lady in my mind and in my heart. 

Within 12 hours of getting home, God had me take food to the Charlotte Rescue Mission to help with their Easter meal.  *There's a whole God-story behind this too.  Let's just say that God used a news story, a question from my sister-in-law, and a broken computer to prompt me to act. But it all started with seeing the homeless lady at the beach.  WHATEVER  IT TAKES!*

Then, God planted another idea.  He had me gather all of the strap bags I could find at my house and fill them with supplies and food from The Dollar Store for folks who were homeless.  Once packed, I put the bags in my van and waited for God's prompting. 

I prayed over each bag and for the people who would receive them.  I asked God to lead me to the specific people He wanted to have them.  I should add that God had me make one bag specifically for a female too.

With the bags ready, I kept my eyes open for people in need, particularly when I went to Target on South Blvd in Pineville.  Homeless folks often stand at the stop light between The Dollar Store and Chick-fil-a holding a sign. 

On 2 different occasions, I was leaving The Dollar Store and saw someone standing with a sign at the stop light.  As I drove towards them, I asked God to have them wait for me if one of the bags was for them.  Both times, they were GONE!!!  It took me less than 30 seconds to get to them, but there was NO TRACE of them when I got to the light!  Obviously, the bags were not for them.

Faith Wrenn was with me when 3 of the 4 bags were given away.  She spotted all 3 of the people too - long before I did!!!  What a blessing that she got to experience God this way!

Here's Faith Wrenn with the last bag as we waited in traffic to give it to the young man she spotted.  We also gave him a Chick-fil-a coupon, and he made a mad dash to CFA to use it.

Hang on - there's more.  Keep reading to find out the rest of this story and how it relates to the next story :)

For the past 3 summers, I've had the privilege of going to Student Life Camp with our youth group from church.  For the 2nd summer in a row, our camp was held at Lee University in Cleveland TN.  There were over 1600 people at this last camp.  That's a lot of mouths to feed at one time. 

In the cafeteria, there were 4 serving lines, all serving the same thing.  Almost every time I went through the line (no matter which one it was), the same young lady waited on me.  I always spoke to her and asked her how she was doing.  She was a hard worker and moved pretty fast so we never had a chance to have a real conversation. 

The night before we left, I had just finished eating dinner when God hit me up side the head (because I am such a slow learner!!) and said "Umm, have you not noticed that no matter what line you get in, the same young lady waits on you??!!!  Don't you think you should go speak to her NOW & find out her story??!!! Don't forget to tell her that I sent you!"

I barely had 10 minutes before I had to meet my family group (small group) for prayer time.  So, I quickly headed back to the serving area but didn't see her.  I told another worker who I was looking for and asked them to please get her for me.  Within a couple of minutes, she appeared.

Meet Jennifer from NIGERIA!!!  Yes, you heard me right - she is from AFRICA!!!  No wonder God wanted me to go talk to her.  Jennifer came to the U.S. to go to college and become a doctor.  She had just started working in the campus cafeteria a few days before we arrived!  ONLY GOD!!! 

And check out the shirt she has on.....

It's for BREAST CANCER!!! I took that as another indication that God had ordained our meeting.  We exchanged cellphone numbers and e-mail addresses like we had known each other for a while. 

It's been 5 months now since we first met and we talk, text, or e-mail nearly every week.  Jennifer is such a positive person, and she loves the Lord!  Things have been challenging for her this semester, but she continues to trust God and His plans for her - no matter what.  She is a blessing in my life. 

Please pray for her as she works really hard to afford school and will not be able to see her family again for a few years.

Did I mention what a blessing Jennifer is in my life?!!  Out of all the people at Lee University that week at camp, God introduced me to Jennifer from NIGERIA!!!  ONLY GOD!!!


Two days after returning home from camp, Faith Wrenn and I went to Columbia to help my friend Leann move.   We left early Saturday morning and decided to stop for breakfast at Chick-fil-a in Fort Mill on the way.  Right before we turned into CFA, I was thinking about the bag I had in my van that God had me make for the homeless female in need.  I wondered if I would meet her today in Columbia.

Faith Wrenn and I went through the CFA drive-thru and started to pull out onto the road when Faith spotted her - a woman on the other side of the road holding a sign for help.  I immediately pulled over and jumped out of my van to introduce myself and see what I could do to help.  As I got closer, here's what I saw...

A BREAST CANCER HAT - HOPE!!! 

Meet Pam.  (She asked that I not show her face so I am honoring her request.)  She and her adult son were living in the woods near CFA in a tent - in the blistering heat of summer.  She shared part of her story with me, and my heart broke for her.  I shared Jesus with her.  Then I gave her "her bag" and she let me say a prayer for her. 

When Faith Wrenn and I got back from Columbia, we tried to find Pam again to give her 4 gallons of water she had asked for.  But we couldn't find her.  I'm not sure what happened to her, but I have no doubt that God ordained our meeting that morning and had me make that bag especially for her!!!  God used her breast cancer hat to confirm that!!!

Doesn't God just blow your mind??!!! 

Within 3 days, He put 2 precious women in my path - BOTH OF THEM WEARING PINK BREAST CANCER ATTIRE!  I know that (the pink) was God's way of giving me a hug from heaven :) 

NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY!  Well, almost....

During this time, I was praying for 2 things: 1) "God, break my heart for what breaks Your heart" and 2) "God, use me.  Use me to be the answer to someone else's prayer/need" - I was inspired by Bruce Wilkinson's book "You Were Born For This".

And GOD ANSWERED!!!  To Him be ALL the praise, ALL the honor, and ALL the glory!  GOD IS SO AMAZING!!!  SO AMAZING!!! 

He (Jesus) told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field."  Luke 10:2 

What about you?  Are you available to God - for His purposes?  For His people?  For His will?  I sure hope so.  Our lost & hurting world needs you.  Your co-workers need you.  Your neighbors need you.  Your family needs you.  Your spouse needs you.  Your children - the next generation - need you. 

So, GO MAKE A DIFFERENCE - FOR ETERNITY! 

GO BE SOMEONE ELSE'S MIRACLE!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy