Marriage Takes Three

September 16, 1989…sometimes it seems so far away, sometimes it seems like only yesterday.  That is the day I married the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on!  He was not only easy on the eyes…he was the kindest, most generous man I had ever met.    We dated for a whole year and never even had one cross word.

We were so very much in love that we wanted to get married above all else.  So here we were, two eighteen-year-olds with love in our eyes and not one penny between us…starting our journey together. 

As a wedding gift, a lady from our church, Pat Green, gave us a poem.  I hung it on the wall of our bedroom and memorized it because I saw it every day.  The words of that poem spoke such truth into our lives.  The poem was titled “Married Takes Three”…

I once thought marriage,

Took just two to make a go,

But now I am convinced,

It takes the Lord, also

For not one marriage fails

When Christ is asked to enter

As two lovers come together

With Jesus at the center

But marriage seldom thrives,
And homes are incomplete,
Till He is welcomed there
To help avoid defeat.
In homes where Christ is first,
It's obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes three.

Author Unknown

And that is the secret.  That is why so many marriages fail.  If it had not been for Jesus in our lives, I know we would not be married today.  But against all odds, and ONLY through the grace of God…these two 18-year-old, starry eyed teenagers created a great life together and raised two amazing children.

We had to learn to depend on the Lord and each other because we didn’t have anything else!  I will not tell you it has always been easy…but I will tell you it has always been worth it!  The Lord has blessed us with 23 wonderful years together and I pray He will give us many more!! 

Shelter: The Story Behind the Song

 In March 2012, we began a monthly Women’s Ministry called L.I.L.Y. (Ladies Influencing Ladies for You) Pad Ministries at our church.  The vision of the ministry was for ladies of our surrounding area to come together once a month to worship and be ministered to.  Our leader, Dorothy, had a desire to strengthen women in their faith so that they could, in turn, have an influence on those around them.

Months earlier, as she began to pray about this ministry, she had asked the Lord to bring her who she needed to fill each position.  When she started praying, we had never even met.  God brought my family to Calvary Baptist Church in February 2012.  Then He impressed upon both Dorothy and I that my part in the L.I.L.Y. Pad Ministry was to be the Worship Leader. 

As I was preparing for the first meeting, all I knew about the study was the title, “The Shelter of God’s Promises”, and a scripture Psalm 91.  I began to pray about what songs the Lord wanted me to lead and He started showing me a picture of a woman standing under an umbrella (I would later find out that the picture for the study was….a woman standing under an umbrella…goose bumps anyone?)   But instead of actual rain falling on her, it was the hopelessness, regret and shame of her past “raining” down on her.  And after reading Psalm 91, I began to write the theme song for the study:  Shelter.

It is a song that emphasizes every aspect of Psalm 91, but makes it relevant to every person that has ever felt like God couldn’t love them anymore.  In my own life I have felt that God couldn’t possibly use me after things I had done in my past.  The opening words of the song, “I am standing in the rain, of hopelessness, regret and shame, looking for a place of shelter in this storm”, is a place that I had been before and I knew others would relate to. 

“Shelter” is a song of hope.  Those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High will rest in His shadow and will be covered with His mighty wings.   What an amazing promise!!  I absolutely love singing this song.   It makes me feel so loved and protected!   When I hear the ladies of L.I.L.Y Pad singing this song at the top of their lungs…the words that God gave to me…well, I just cannot describe how amazing it is.  I get goose bumps every time, so I know the Holy Spirit is there with us when we sing.   I pray that you feel Him when you listen to the song!!     

He is Strong: The Story Behind the Song

In September 2011, my husband, Chris, was having extreme back pain. He could not stand up straight and was having trouble even walking.  After going to the ER and seeing our family physician, he was referred to a specialist.  There he was told that he had Degenerative Disc Disease.  At that time we weren’t sure what that entailed and wondered if he would even be able to work or maintain a normal life.    Because of his age, they did not want to do surgery and he was in excruciating pain most of the time.   

So many questions were running through my head as I was (again) driving to work one morning.  Will my husband be permanently disabled?  How will we survive if he can’t work?  How can he live with such terrible pain?  Will he ever be able to enjoy life again?  I was crying out to God and begging him to heal my husband.  As I was praying…I began to sing the words of my favorite childhood song, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the bible tells me so.  Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong.”  That was my answer.  Somehow through all of the pain and weakness, Jesus was not only going to give His strength to my husband, He was going to carry all of our burdens.     

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

The song “He is Strong” came from my encounter with the Lord that morning. We don’t always understand why pain and sickness happen to those we love, but just like Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians, sometimes we have to experience weakness in order for God to show us His strength. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV – “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

The song begins with the simple words of “Jesus Loves Me” and builds to the chorus that He gave me that morning, “He is strong, He is strong. We are weak, but He is strong.  He carries our burdens, in His outstretched arms.  We are weak, but He is strong.”

We are still believing and praying for complete healing for Chris’ back. And even though he still deals with pain most days, the Lord has helped him continue to work and provide for our family.  In the midst of everything, He has also called him into Youth ministry.  Every day is a blessing from God and we are so thankful that He carries us through in His strong arms.    

1 Peter 5:10 NIV - And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

You Are Here: The Story Behind the Song

One morning, I was driving to work and for some reason I was thinking about the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  It is one of my favorite movies of all time.  In the movie, the main character, George Bailey, (after a series of events that leaves him hopeless) decides he wants to commit suicide because he feels like everyone, including his family, would be better off if he was dead. 

But God intervenes, and sends an angel down to show George what life would have been like if he had never been born.  He was shown how important his life really was to everyone that he came into contact with. If he had not been born, it would have altered the lives of everyone around him, and not in a good way.   

So I just began to write based on the emotions that George Bailey was feeling when he was at his lowest point, about to jump from that bridge.  I also began to think about other people that I know personally that felt like they couldn’t overcome their past mistakes.  So many times, I have heard people say, “This world would be better off without me”, or “I wish I had never been born”. 

The song, “You Are Here” was birthed from there.  We are surrounded by hurting and hopeless people.  They don’t realize that God never makes mistakes.  Every person that has ever been born and every baby that may not even make it out of the womb has a purpose.  I believe that with all of my heart.  

Part of the song says “You were formed in your mother’s womb by the hands of God.  There’s no one else in this world just like you.  Don’t you ever feel that you don’t have a purpose in this life; you are here because the Lord has plans for you.”   If you did not have a purpose, you would not be here.  It’s that simple.

I pray that this song renews hope, touches lives and opens hearts to the truth of why we are here.  He has great plans for each of us.  It’s up to us to figure out what they are. 

Psalm 139:13-16 NIV – “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Psalm 138:8 NIV – “The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever--do not abandon the works of your hands.”

Jeremiah29:11 NIV – “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The Question

The last couple of days, I have felt an urgency like never before to ask my friends and loved ones “THE QUESTION”.  If you died today, where would you go?

I am certainly not your judge.  Only God can judge your heart.  But I do know that the bible says we will “know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:19-20)…..and some of you are not very fruity!

Something to think about:  From GotQuestions.org

“True saving faith is always manifested by good works and a life that desires to live in obedience to God. Ephesians 2:8-10 makes it very clear that works do not save us but that we are saved “for good works which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them.” When we are truly born again you will have hearts that are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit where God’s law is written so that we might walk in His statutes and judgments. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Faith without works is dead because it comes from a heart that has not been regenerated by God. It is an empty profession of faith from someone to whom Christ will say, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.”

I have had times in my life after I became a Christian when I was not living for the Lord.  But during those times, I was miserable with conviction from the Holy Spirit living within me.  If you feel that way, that is a good thing.  That means you have Him!

But if you are a carnal Christian living in sin and selfishness, and you have no conviction or remorse, you may need to examine yourself. You may not actually have a personal relationship with Jesus…and that is a very frightening place to be.     

This life is temporary.  We are NOT guaranteed tomorrow.  I want to spend Eternity with all of you.

Please, check your heart.  Examine your fruit.  Jesus wants to have a relationship with you, just like you want to have a relationship with your children.  But even more so, He wants to save you from eternal pain and torture.  He wants you to have an abundant life!  He died for you to have that life. 

I am here for you.  I will help you in any way that I can.  My heart aches for you to know the joy and peace that comes from knowing that you are secure.     

Just Say the Word

This week I have had the privilege of teaching the bible story to the children at VBS.  The goal was to make them feel like they were part of the story.  We had actors that portrayed the characters so that the stories would come to life.  As always, I am sure I learned more than they did as I prepared for the lessons. 

The first night, we saw Jesus heal the servant of a Roman Centurion.  Looking into Matthew 8:1-13, we witnessed the great faith of the Roman soldier. He believed, without a doubt, that Jesus could heal his paralyzed servant.  “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed” the soldier pleaded.  Jesus was astonished at his faith and healed the servant with just a word. 

The second night, we helped Mary and Martha wrap their brother Lazarus in the grave clothes after he had died.  (John 11) We cried with them as we laid Lazarus in the tomb.  Mary and Martha were very disappointed that Jesus didn’t get there in time to heal their brother.  But when Jesus finally arrived, Martha said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."  She had faith that Jesus could still do something, even though Lazarus was already dead.  Again, with just the power of His words, “Lazarus come forth”, Jesus brought a dead man back to life before their eyes!!

These two stories are not just fairy tales made up to entertain children.  These stories were eye witness accounts of events that actually took place.  But Jesus’ healing ministry didn’t stop when He left this earth.

In John 14:12-14, Jesus was talking to His disciples before His crucifixion.  He told them, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

This week has been filled with people receiving bad diagnoses from the doctors.  I have learned of four in the last two days.  I am sure you know someone that is sick right now.  Jesus is sitting at the right hand of His Father, just waiting for us to ask, with faith, for Him to heal those that are sick and bring life to the (physically and spiritually) dying.  It is so simple, yet we make it so complicated.  It’s all about the faith.  Jesus honors our faith, just like he did the Roman Centurion’s and Martha’s.  Speak His words over sickness and death…JUST SAY THE WORD. 

Rebuilding My Temple

I shared a song at church the other day that I had written called, “House of God”.  It talks about the fact that WE are the church…not the building that we meet in.  It is based, in part, on this scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NLT - “ Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

After focusing on that scripture, I started thinking about how I was treating my “temple”.  Sadly, I realized that I was slowly destroying it…and I only get one!  I was very overweight, I never exercised, and I ate entirely too much junk.  My feet and knees were hurting, my back was aching and I was so short of breath, I could barely sing. I knew that God was not pleased with how I was treating His “building”. 

So, I decided it was time to get it in gear!  I went back to Weight Watchers, because that had worked for me in the past.  I got some great exercise buddies to go to the track with me…they won’t let me be a slacker! But most importantly, I asked the Lord to help me rebuild my temple.  He reminds me every day that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV

And now I am letting you -the whole cyber world- know about my renovation plans!  If I know people will be watching me, I will have to stay on track!  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every WEIGHT that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us RUN with endurance the race God has set before us." Hebrews 12:1 NLT  

We are the temple of the LIVING GOD!!!  What better motivation could we have than that? I challenge everyone who reads this post to join me and LET THE REBUILDING BEGIN!!