Stopped Up Heart

I just realized that I only wrote one blog post in the entire year of 2016.  Where did that burning desire inside of me go?  I love writing...devotions, songs, poems...I used to have a constant flow of words.  Now I can't even remember the last song I wrote. 

The bible tells me that everything I do flows from the heart. (Proverbs 4:23)  I believe that I have let my heart get a little bit stopped up.  It's kind of like when my nose gets stopped up.  I have an allergy to tree pollen. When tree pollen is in the air and it hits my nose I will immediately stop up and then nothing will come out no matter how much I blow my nose.  It's a terrible feeling.  

Not being able to write is also a terrible feeling.  So now I need to figure out what that allergen is that is stopping up my heart.   This week I will pray for the Lord to show me what I have allowed in that is causing this blockage.  If you read this...I ask that you join me in prayer about this.
 

Wrecked

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own

understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall

direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

This scripture became my lifeline in June 2010.  We had just finished up the first night of a weeklong vacation bible school on June 21.  As my daughter Maddie and I were leaving the church, my phone started ringing.  Two different people called me in a row to ask if my son, Cody, was ok because they had heard that a truck like his was involved in an accident.  Praying that they were mistaken, I began to frantically call Cody’s phone. There was no answer, but within a few seconds, I got a third call that no mother EVER wants to receive…it was the Emergency Room nurse telling me that my son and his girlfriend had indeed been in an accident. 

When we arrived at the hospital, we had no idea what we were going to be facing.  Miraculously, Cody’s injuries were minor…his ear was cut, he had glass in his skin, his shoulder was separated and he had a slight concussion...but besides the bruises and cuts, he had no internal injuries. His girlfriend (now his wife), Rebekah, was in much worse condition.  Her collarbone was broken, she was bruised and banged up and she had internal injuries that required emergency surgery which left her in the hospital for over a week and with many weeks of home recovery time. 

When something like this happens, there are two responses that one can have.  You can either trust God and lean on him to carry you through, or you can worry yourself sick and fall apart.  I wavered between the two for the first few days.  Besides the injury aspect of an accident like this, there were so many other issues to deal with involving the driver that caused the accident, auto insurance, medical insurance, medical bills, attorneys, loss of pay and so many other things that I can’t even recall right now…it was incredibly overwhelming.  I remember sitting at my desk one day feeling like I was drowning in a sea of unanswered questions.  I didn’t know what to do or where to turn because I had never had to deal with anything like this before.  I felt so lost.  Then parts of the scripture in Proverbs began to flood my mind, “lean not on your own understanding…He shall direct your path.” 

I had been praying throughout everything, but I had also been worried sick about everything.  At that moment, I decided to trust that God had Cody and Rebekah’s best interests in mind and that He knew exactly what He was doing. I decided to trust Him with ALL MY HEART and stop worrying about things that I had no control over. I felt a weight lift off of me.  I didn’t have to know all of the answers, I just had to trust in the ONE that did and take one day at a time.   

 I remember telling the kids (after I saw Cody’s truck and how mangled it was and had received all of the scary details of the crash) that God must have something BIG planned for their future because He protected them and kept them here for a reason.  It is now six years later, and I have been able to see how much God is using these two for His kingdom.  They are both active in their church, serving and ministering in many different ways. They have a wonderful life together and they both are a blessing to anyone that they meet.  

June 21 is a day to be celebrated in our family, because satan tried to wreck all of us that day.  You see…it is always his intention to “steal, kill and destroy” according to John 10:10.   But what the enemy meant for harm, God used for good to draw us all closer to Him and to each other. I know there are many families in our area right now that are going through rough times and are drowning in that same sea of the unknown.  I urge you to take this scripture and write it on the tablet of your heart.  When you feel lost and confused, say it over and over again.  Trust Jesus with your whole heart and let His peace and comfort carry you through.                                                                                       

       

       

Even This

^“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28 NIV

October 2015 will forever be a memorable month for my co-mother (my son’s mother-in-law…but that sounds too impersonal, she is much more than that…she is my friend and the future grandmother of my grandchildren!).  

 

 On October 1st Dianna had open heart surgery to replace her aortic valve.  Although the surgery went well, something happened to cause her not to wake up for three days after the surgery and to have a seizure.  Her family struggled terribly through this time, drowning in unanswered questions and heart-gripping fear.

 

 

Then on October 4th she finally woke up! But after a few hours her family realized that something was still terribly wrong…Dianna did not know them and she had no memory of where she was or what had happened. It was a scary time for everyone, including Dianna because she was having terrible hallucinations (a side effect from one of her medications).  Over the next few days she grew stronger physically, but she struggled with her memory and hallucinations for more than a week. 

On October 13th Dianna got to come home from the hospital! But she was still struggling with her memory.  She didn’t recognize the roads or towns along the route home, not even her daughter’s house.  This was still scary for her and her family…there was always that little question in the back of everyone’s minds, “will she ever truly be herself again?” 

On October 15th  God showed me that HE is large and in charge and there is NOTHING impossible for Him.  When I sat and talked with Dianna on this day, I saw the light in her eyes and heard her talk about memories from the past that none of us could even recall.  She had been completely restored mentally!         

So many times in my life I have seen the miracle of Romans 8:28 unfolding before my eyes…especially in this past month.  Even though there have been lots of very scary and bad moments, God has brought so many good things out of this situation.  They are still unfolding day by day…but here are just a few:  a quick diagnosis (God placed the right doctor in the right place at exactly the right time),  a miraculous recovery and restoration of Dianna’s mind (like I said…she remembers things that no one else can), new and re-newed relationships with Jesus for several family members, the revealing of incredible maturity and spiritual strength in Dianna’s children, encounters with angels, increased prayer time for many of us and stronger faith for all of us.

Although this has been a terrible experience that I wish my sweet friend and her family would never have had to go through, God was able to take what satan meant for harm (his evil purpose was to steal, kill and destroy) and brought so much good out of it.  And just like Joseph was able to say to his brothers after they had tried to destroy him…Dianna can shout out to the devil,

“ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”  Genesis 50:20   

 

 

Today is Dianna’s birthday…and what a great cause to celebrate!!!  She has survived satan’s greatest attack and has triumphed through the POWER of GOD!  I know that the Lord will use her testimony to reach countless people.  We praise Him for working ALL THINGS together for her good….even this.   

The Battle is the Lord's

How many of us feel like we are always in a battle with someone or something?  It seems sustained periods of peace are few and far between in this world.  The battles that each of us face can be very different but equally grueling: they can be spiritual, emotional or physical; internal or external; short lived or never ending.   Right at this very moment you may be in the midst of any number of skirmishes involving work/school/church related conflicts, family problems, health or mental issues, monetary dilemmas, home/vehicle troubles and the list goes on and on…and on.  But great news!  I have a message for you today that should bring you total peace and harmony. You do not need to fight!  The Lord has your back!    

I want you to open your bible, your bible app or get on your computer and look up 2 Chronicles 20.  I want you to read verses 1-30.  When you are done, please continue reading! 

King Jehoshaphat was warned that three armies had declared war on his kingdom and he was terrified.  Along with his community, he began to beg the Lord for guidance through fasting and prayer, admitting that they were powerless against such a mighty enemy and that they were not equipped to handle the problem.  Then the Lord spoke through the prophet Jahaziel in verses 15-17 and said, “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.   Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel.  But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”  

King Jehoshaphat and all the people began to worship and praise the Lord for what He was about to do in their lives.  The next morning as they readied for battle, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of his army to praise and worship the Lord as they went.  And something amazing happened in the midst of the praise:  the Lord caused their enemies to start fighting amongst themselves.  They turned on each other and every last man was destroyed.  When the army of Judah arrived, there was no one left to fight against.  And as an added bonus, there was so much equipment, clothing and valuables left behind it took them three days to collect it all.  The Lord had held true to His word. 

He had fought the battle for them.

In this passage of scripture I see three things that we can learn from how King Jehoshaphat reacted when he faced an impending battle.  First, he sought the Lord for guidance (he PRAYED). He didn’t panic, worry, call all of his friends and ask them what to do, google his problem to see what the internet had to say or read a self-help book.  He immediately prayed and begged the Lord for guidance.

Next, he PRAISED and worshipped the Lord.  He had faith that the Lord was going to do what He said and he praised Him in advance!  He didn’t wait until the battle was over to see if God was really going to take care of things, he praised Him through it all. 

Finally, he PROFITED. King Jehoshaphat and his army did not have to lift a finger in this battle, the Lord went before them and took care of everything. The blessings that they received through trusting God’s plans were even greater than they could have ever imagined!  Romans 8:28 tells us that ALL things work together for good for those that love Him and have been called according to His purpose. The Lord wants good for us, we just need to trust in His plans and His timing.           

I can’t imagine what kind of destruction King Jehoshaphat would have caused to his nation if he had not sought the Lord before this battle.  We will face that same kind of destruction if we don’t seek the Lord to fight our battles for us.  The bible has warned us that we have an enemy that has set out to steal, kill and destroy us in any way that he can. (John 10:10)  The only way to have victory is to give it all to the Lord. Today He is telling His children the same thing He told Jehoshaphat…

Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you.

PRAY for guidance, PRAISE Him through it all and then you will PROFIT with victory and blessings! 

We Saw God at Church Camp

I know that every year I say that church camp was amazing and couldn’t get any better…but this year something was different.  I really cannot put my finger on it, I just know something was different.  I have attempted many times to begin to put into words what we experienced, but I just cannot seem to explain it with mere words.  (I hate to use the phrase, “you just had to be there,” but you kind of did.)  SO instead of me telling you what happened, I thought I would share a few quotes by some of our teenagers…

 

“this past weekend has been a real eye opener, and I am so very blessed that I attended. I couldn't be more grateful to have such an amazing group of people to be there when I need them. Hearts were changed and relationships were mended throughout this camp, so many laughs were shared and tears were shed but so worth getting to worship and grow closer to God with a youth group like this. Thank you to the sponsors for taking the time and working so hard for all of us and a special thank you to @thedavidfarren for coming to lead us in worship, so very grateful for all of you.”

 

“My heart is so full, and I am becoming a better inspiration and bigger leader than ever before. I am blessed to not only have these people in my life but the rest of our youth group as well. It is our job, now, to hold each other accountable for the decisions we make daily. I love each and every one of you, and I cannot express my readiness for the changes that are taking place. God showed up and showed out this weekend, that's for sure.”

“My life is forever changed. My heart is so much fuller and there's so much weight lifted off my shoulders. This weekend church camp changed me for the better, and I can't thank my friends enough for inviting me. I love you all so much and above all I love God more than anything now.”

“Church camp was amazing. Came home with a full heart and NO TURNING BACK. I love my church family soooo much.”

 

"I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (Philippians 3:13-14 MSG) God definitely did some amazing things in all of our hearts this past weekend, and I pray that everyone continues on the path God has set out for them, though we may stumble and Fall, we must remember we ARE NOT alone. I love this entire group so much. Thank you for allowing me to come with y'all!"

 

(Hebrews 12:1) "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" Now, if you’re like me, you spend your whole life in church being confused about something, but you're too afraid to ask anyone what it means. With this particular verse I always wanted to know, "who are the witnesses?!" I got my answer at church camp this year; our “witnesses” are the believers who have already went to be with the Lord.”

 

As you can see...lives were changed.  The only thing that I can compare it to would be the Day of Pentecost...when the Holy Spirit fell on the people and everyone was changed. 

[Acts 2:1-4 NLT] "On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place.  Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.  Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability." 

We did not speak in different languages...but our kids (and some adults) changed before our eyes and began to speak their testimonies in front of everyone with  great boldness.  It was pretty amazing...we saw God at church camp. 

 

I Saw God at Church Camp

by: Sherri Mayo 8/4/15

 

I saw God at church camp, when so many hands were raised

In worship to their Father: not embarrassed, not ashamed

 

I saw God at church camp, when I prayed over a doubting soul

She came alive right before my eyes, then proclaimed her salvation to all

 

I saw God at church camp, when He increased my faith

He used a needle in a haystack to prove His power that day

 

I saw God at church camp, in the tears of a broken child

In the sharing of her struggles and her boldness to walk the aisle

 

I saw God at church camp, when a whole family was restored

Forgiveness overcame the hurt through the power of the Lord

 

I saw God at church camp, when the shyest boys I know

Held nothing back, stood up and went to pray with a struggling soul

 

I saw God at church camp, when my own timid child

Began to speak out boldly and transformed before my eyes

 

I saw God at church camp do things that I couldn’t have dreamed

He impacted each and every life in a way I can’t even explain

 

I saw God at church camp, in each sweet tear-stained face

Who left that place on fire for God, determined to finish the race

 

I saw God at church camp, He made His presence known

We may not have been at Pentecost, but it’s as close as we’ve ever come.   

 

 

 

 

When You Fail a Test

When I was in school, I was definitely an overachiever/perfectionist.  My goal was to always make the highest grade in the class...so failing a test was not an option for me. (I still have nightmares about pop quizzes that I don't have the answers to.)  If I did happen to do badly on a test, I would always ask the teacher if there was anything that I could do...like re-take the test or do some extra credit.   Sometimes they would give me a second chance, sometimes they would not.  

 

 

As Christians, God's word tells us that we will be tested for various reasons: in order to strengthen our faith (James 1) or in order to prove our faith (1 Peter 1).   But what happens when we fail a test?  Can we ask our "teacher" for extra credit or maybe even a re-take?  My overachieving self sure believes that we can.  Why do I believe that?  Because last weekend, I failed a test.  In the midst of "doing the Lord's work" I neglected to minister to someone that the Lord placed before me.  For the sake of privacy, I will not give you all of the details, but trust me when I say, I failed this test miserably. 

 

My test was presented on a day that was one of  those hectic, crazy days that actually started at 5:00 am.  I couldn't sleep for thinking about all that I had to get done over the next two days, so I got up and got started. I had a to-do list a mile long that exhausted me just thinking about it (the work of the church is never done, right??).  After several hours of running around and doing some actual manual labor, I plopped down into my car to drive home.  Before I even had time to put the car into "drive",  God handed me my "test paper" back with a big huge "F" on it.  He immediately brought to my mind the test he had placed before me and I knew instantly what I had done wrong.  When I got home, I prayed, confessed and asked for forgiveness...but I still felt bad.  So I asked for a little "extra credit" work.  I told God if He would let me live until the next day, as soon as I could, I would make this right.      

 

Some that I told about my epic fail thought that I was being too hard on myself.  They know my heart and know that my slight was not intentional.  But God also knows my heart...and He created a desire in me to always strive for His perfection.  God's bulls eye is ULTIMATE PERFECTION through CHRIST.  When I missed that mark, that was sin. But when I confessed, God was faithful and just and forgave my sin...and cleansed me from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)  He even gave me an opportunity to make things right by allowing me to bless the person that I neglected.  He worked it all together for good.  (Romans 8:28) 

 

So what do we do when we fail a test (and we ALL will at some point)?  Confess, ask for forgiveness and if possible...request a re-take or some extra credit work!!  I don't think God would ever say no to that request...He is a God of second chances (read about Jonah, Paul, Moses or David)  Don't beat yourself up.  Move forward and try to see the failure as an opportunity to grow your faith.  God knows that we will never be perfect this side of Heaven, but He expects us to set that as our goal. 

 

^" Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."  Phil 3:12 

My Life Changer - Graduation Edition

“There will always be a reason why you meet people. Either you need them to change your life or you’re the one that will change theirs.”  My friend sent me this quote one day.  My response was, “or maybe both.”  I have been blessed with so many amazing life-changers along the way, but one of the most important is my daughter, Maddie.   

 

From the moment she was born, she was so attached to me.  When she became a toddler, she was my shadow.  Everywhere I went, she went.  Everything I did, she did.  Everything I said, she said.  If I turned around too fast I would step on her.  I learned very quickly that I had better be a good example because there was this little person mimicking everything that I did.

 When she was about four, I remember her begging to come into my room while I was studying for a bible class that I was teaching at the time.  I would always tell her, “Go play, Mommy needs to study!”  She would cry and say, “I will be real quiet.  I want to study, too.”  So I would let her in and she would have her little bible and notebook and watch me read and study, then she would pretend to read and study.  What a sobering moment.  I held all the power in my hands to mold her into a strong woman of God by modeling for her what that was. 

 

When Maddie started school, she was introduced to bullies.  Of course as a parent, your first response is retaliation.  When your baby comes home crying day after day, you want them to defend themselves.  One day in anger I said, “If she hits you again, you better hit her back!”   Do you know what her response was?   “Mama, I can’t do that.  That is not right.”  Another sobering moment.  (Sometimes we hate when our kids speak our words back to us!!  )  But she was correct.  Retaliation is never the answer.  God is over the revenge department, not us.  "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." Romans 12:19 NIV

  

 

 

Now my little shadow has grown into an independent, strong, mature young woman. In just a few days she will be graduating from High School and then going away to college in the fall. This time in our lives is so bittersweet. It is sad because I will miss my baby, but it is also so exciting to see what God has planned for her future.  Having her for a daughter has definitely changed my life.  Knowing that she would pattern her life after mine has caused me to be a better Christian, a better mother, a better friend and a better wife.

 

 

 

 

Today, I want to encourage every parent that is reading this to remember that the eyes of your children are always watching you and learning from everything that you do.   If you want to have God-fearing, loving, obedient and respectful children you must be God-fearing, loving, obedient and respectful.  Children will not become who you TELL them to be, they will become who you SHOW them to be. 

 

 “Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.” 

 Proverbs 22:6 ESV