Sharing secrets, shining lights...

As I'm writing this, it's a lovely September morning in Mobile, AL, and I'm beginning to fill my home with little accents of oranges, browns, leafy greens, and rich reds.  We don't get the incredible leaf experience of the north, but I can create that crisp, yet cozy feeling inside, even if the temperature continues to climb outside.

Fall is one of my most favorite seasons, and being in the south, I really love when you have a moment or two when it FEELS like fall.  This morning is one of those moments, and I am savoring every second of it.

Have you ever have someone share a piece of information with you, just in conversation, and then you go back to it over and over?  Has it ever made a real difference in you daily life?  That happened to me a couple of weeks ago, and since it has blessed me again & again, so I thought it might bless you.

I was helping with a wedding reception for some friends when there came a bit of a frantic search for something among all of the guests.  Turns out, the photographer was taking an picture of the groom's wedding ring, on top of the cork, on a bottle of champagne.  The cork blew off, and the ring disappeared.  (Thank goodness, the bride & groom were outside having a bite to eat and enjoying the band, so they didn't have to be in the throws of the ring search.)  Shortly thereafter, the lost ring was found.  Now, it was not found on the floor, or on a table...it was hidden inside the curve of the fondant bow, on the tippy top of the bride's cake!  A friend had taken her camera, held it high, and took a shot to see up there, thus finding the groom's ring, nestled in his bride's cake.  (They cut that particular portion to share :-)

Chatter about it abounded for a few moments.  I, too, was talking about it to a friend, and he shared something profound with me.  He said that he has found so many lost things, much more quickly, by praying a particular scripture.  He said he couldn't remember it word for word, but it basically says the hidden things will be brought to light.  He gave a couple of examples of times when he or his wife were searching for something, as soon as they would pray that scripture, they always found what they were looking for quickly.  Moments before the ring was discovered, he had prayed that the hidden ring would be brought to light, and it was.

Now, I have prayed for God to help me find lost things before, and He has.  But there was something that stuck with me about that moment, that conversation, and it came to me again and again over the next few days.  Such a simple thing, yet not.

Prayer is indeed a powerful tool, but praying the scripture is like the best of the best!  Have you ever had your child pull out some truth that you have taught him or her, at just the moment it was needed, and 'stand' on it because s/he knows it to be true?  It's a beautiful thing to behold!  I believe God finds us standing on His Word and grabbing hold of its truth beautiful to behold as well.

Let me give you some personal examples...I was heading out to a photo shoot, and I could not find my camera anywhere!  I looked, Rick looked, we all looked.  Even though a professional photographer was going to be taking the shots, I wanted to look through my lens to see the angles of the room, details of vignettes, etc.  I almost got frustrated, then I remembered the conversation with Dennis and grabbed my bible.  I couldn't find the verse, but as I was loading the car, I prayed anyway saying, "Lord, you know Your word says something somewhere about the hidden things being brought to light, and my camera is hidden from me now, but You know right where it is...please show me."  I put my box in the back of the vehicle, then looked way under the seat and there it was.

This same kind of things happened a few times before I had the chance to actually sit down and find the actual verse.  From a key, to Kathryn's shoes, to a document filed in one of those "I'll never forget where I put this places"... Each time, I would pray quicker and quicker, before I even had a chance to get frustrated.  I figure God doesn't want us wasting time looking for things that He can reveal to us right away.

Finally I took the time to search the scripture and find the actual verse.  It is Mark 4:22.  I don't have it memorized yet, but I am working on it.  The NIV says, "For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open."  The NKJV says, "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light."

This verse, or the various translations of this verse, have been ruminating with me this week.  Not only for finding things that have been lost, but for matters of the heart as well.  For me personally, I do want those things that are hidden in me that don't need to be there anymore brought to light and dealt with.  (Truth be told, it makes me a little nervous writing the above sentence, but I do mean it, come what may.)  I also want God to show me the things that my daughter may try and hide so that truth will be revealed.  I know He did that for my Mother...there were things that she never should have known except for God shining His light on it for her.  I wasn't so grateful then, but am immensely grateful now.

Just last night I was looking for a very small something in my rather full garage.  After about 30 seconds, I spoke that scripture (to the best of my recollection), out loud, and literally the next place I turned, there my little bag was.  It made me smile.  Some might chalk it all up to coincidences, but I know it's much more.

Sitting and sipping my cup of Joe this morning, I was reading the October pastoral letter from Charles Simpson, and several bits of it jumped out at me with regard to all of this.  In it he wrote, "There is something uniquely powerful about the spoken Word (see Psalm 29; Romans 10:14-17)"  He continues with, "Sound has power, uniquely so when that sound is the voice of God, by whatever means He may use."  He also states, "The Word was specific and to a specific individual.  The Word of God is not vague...The Word was personal and taken personally."  Actually I could keep quoting and quoting, because there is so much in his letter that is so applicable, but I'll just encourage you to read the whole thing at http://csmpublishing.org/pastoral_full.php?pastoral=150 (be sure to look up the scripture references also).

Now you may, or may not, have a relationship with the Lord where you share your day to day experiences with Him.  You may, or may not be sure that He is even real.  I know to the core of my being that He is real, and I would not be alive at this moment if He had not spared my life, on more than one occasion.  But if you are unsure of Him or His desire to be part of even the most intricate, tiny details of your life, give it a go.  Next time you are searching for something, be it a tangible thing, or a matter of your heart, or even something with your kids, ask Him to reveal what is hidden...to bring that which is concealed out into the open.  It's not a test, it's just an opportunity for Him to make Himself known to you.  Speak the Word out loud, let His voice ring out through yours, and watch Him reveal His unique power to you personally.

The words that we share, through stories & testimonies of God in our daily life, may not seem like a big deal at the time, but they can bring light and life to those around us.  Just as a flash illuminates the dark corners and details of a room, so the Word illuminates the light of Christ in us.  Thanks, Dennis, for sharing with me, and in turn, sharing with those of you who read this.  Don't keep your God moments a secret--bring them out into the open and see what He'll do with them.

Mark 4:22 (the Message)
"We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them; we're not hiding things, we're bringing them out into the open."

Blessings to you, this beautiful day~may your light shine brightly!       Deborah

                                                       Carlos Prieto Photography

Jump & jive, I'm 45!

This morning when I woke up, my first thought was to thank God for making me, putting me in the family I’m in, for my lot in life, and for just being my Father.  It was a great start to the day, actually.  This afternoon, I popped on Facebook and saw all of the birthday greetings...definitely makes a girl feel like she has a ‘network’ of friends!  From those that you see every day, to those that you just ‘visit with’ online.  It’s rather fun, really.

You know, I’m an odd bird.  The older I get, the more I enjoy my birthday.  For me, it’s not about parties and presents...it’s about being alive.  Not ‘alive’ in the ‘thank the Lord I’m not dead yet’ mode, but alive in the sense of loving life and living it to the fullest.  

I was remembering some of my ‘milestone’ birthdays.  My 25th birthday was spent in Paris.  (I just decided that my 50th should be, too :-)  I got together with my group of friends from all over the world, and although I did miss being with my family, I felt so grown up.

My 30th birthday fell in the midst of a very difficult time in my life.  But a dear passel of friends, in Hebron, MS, threw me a surprise party, and I felt loved and encouraged.  The  next few years took me to from the valleys of immense grief & sorrow, to the mountaintops of inexplicable blessing & joy.  

Along came the 40th...truthfully, I couldn’t wait!  I was so looking forward to being 40, and had been for a year or two.  I knew that it was going to be a step into a new decade full of incredible God moments.  I can’t explain it, but I did wake up that morning feeling...smarter.  You just never know what’s coming, but on that very day, God put it on my heart to be open to having a mastectomy.  Happy Birthday to me!  :-)  

Short version of a long story...He reminded me of a book my aunt had given me on breast cancer and dairy, so I ‘took the day off’ and read.  Sort of an odd way to spend your 40th birthday, but I enjoyed it, felt His favor, and spent a quiet day with the Lord and an odd choice for a book.  Little did I know how that day would come back to me & comfort me, time and time again, throughout the following year.

So, here I am, forty-five and happy to be so.  I’m not ‘forever 29,’ ‘forty-something,’ or any of those phrases that try to disguise.  I feel like a fine wine ~ I think I get better and better the older I get.  With every passing year, I feel better in my own skin (even though my Wii Mi goes ‘doyyyinng’ and ends up looking like a gourd on Wii Fit).  I have laugh lines around my eyes, but praise God I’ve had joy in my life!  I do have to wear reading glasses IN ADDITION to my contacts now, but I don’t have them on a bedazzled chain...yet.  If gray hair is a crown of wisdom, I’m one wise woman...but that one I’ll grow into “Nice & Easy” ~ I wouldn’t want Kathryn’s friends to think I’m her grandma!

So I encourage you today~be who God made you to be.  Embrace, enjoy, love & live life to the fullest!  Each moment is a precious present to be continuously unwrapped, given to you by your Father who loves you ~ you beautiful child of God.

And now, even though I'll enjoy all of the 'in betweens,' I can't wait to turn the big Five Oh!

Keep walking...

I am still using Sarah Young's Jesus Calling as a daily devotional, and it was one that I wanted to share this morning.

"Keep walking with Me along the path I have chosen for you.  Your desire to live close to Me is a delight to My heart.  I could instantly grant you the spiritual riches you desire, but that is not My way for you.  Together we will forge a pathway up the high mountain.  The journey is arduous at times, and you are weak.  Someday you will dance lightfooted on the high peaks; but for now, your walk is often plodding and heavy.  All I require of you is to take the next step, clinging to My hand for strength and direction.  Though the path is difficult and the scenery dull at the moment, there are sparkling surprises just around the bend.  Stay on the path I have selected for you.  It is truly the path of Life."

Have you ever had the feeling that there were 'sparkling surprises just around the bend?'  I know I have, and I do at the moment.  As soon as I read this this morning, my mind was flooded with memories of times that I felt like the scenery was dull at the moment, and the path was difficult, yet there always were sparkling surprises around the bend.  I'll give you some examples...

Starting in 4th grade with glasses, my physical transformation heading downhill (in my opinion) for the next SIX YEARS!  Seventh grade added braces, orthodics (Dad was a podiatrist), and a lovely back brace (after being pulled out of the health line at school with scoliosis).  Top that off with me being in a school play singing, "I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty, and witty, and bright..." not so much.  But, once 10th grade rolled around and I was set free of all of my shackles, I was surprised at how sparkley I actually felt.  Plus, I had forged a love for reading :-)

Fast forward to being in my late twenties...ALL of my friends were getting, or had gotten married, and kids were starting to come.  I, of course, had thought that I'd be married by twenty and have a house full of children by this time.  Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy my life at this point, because I got to travel, eat out, buy shoes, etc., but I did hope for my 'sparkling surprise around the bend.'  Then, in the most unlikely of places, at the most unexpected moment, God gave me my 'sparkling surprise.'  This has happened for me not once, but twice, and it is always, always, always worth the wait.

The memories go on and on, from places to live, to jobs to take, to a daughter being delivered straight from the Father.  That story is almost reminiscent of a stork delivery, but it was a heavenly delivery~God is so creative, and clever...I know He delights with us as we experience our sparkling surprises!

So, as you travel down this path of Life, remember that He is there with you, guiding you step by step, and holding your hand along the way.

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."   ~Psalm 16:11 NIV

L'chaim!

Deborah

Swimming with the shark...

What a great tag line for Good Friday, huh?  It reminds me of a message by my pastor, when I was living in Atlanta.  It was a beautiful Sunday morning Mother's Day.  Instead of sharing on the blessings of a woman, the legacy of a mother, you know, those typical Mother's Day messages, he shared a sermon entitled "The Wrath of God"!  I loved it and remember it every Mother's Day with a smile.  So, I thought of him this morning as I felt like God wanted me to share this today.

A few weeks ago, I had a dream.  I know, we dream more often than we remember, but this one I happened to remember.  In this dream, my daughter was taking a bath.  She LOVES to take baths, and usually fills the tub with nine million toys, or sometimes chooses just one.  She has an assortment of animals, one being a rubber shark.

In my dream, she was 'swimming' and playing in the tub, but with a shark that was real.  Real fins, real eyes, and real teeth.  She wanted to play with it, but I kept trying to teach her how to push him away when he came near, so he wouldn't bite.  She would say, "But Mommie, he's not going to bite me.  I just want to play with him a tiny bit.  It's OK, I'll be OK."

Again, in the dream, I must have had a screw loose, because I allowed her to stay in there.  I just kept an eye on her.   If the shark came too close, I (calmly, actually) told her to either move out of his way, or to bump him in the nose so he would swim away & wouldn't bite.  And he didn't, at first.  But, after some time, and before you could do anything about it, he took a big bite out of her leg.  That's when the dream ended.

Now, it wasn't that traumatic the next morning for me.  Partly because I only vaguely remembered it, and partly because I knew it was a dream that made no sense...yet.  As the days unfolded, though, I felt like God was bringing it back to my mind to teach me something.

One morning, I was reminded of the dream again.  God took a few moments to share with me.  He said I needed to be careful not to actually put Kathryn in the tub with the shark and expect her to protect herself.  WOW!  He had my full attention.

This particular time, God was very loving and gentle with me.  He didn't scold me for anything, but just wanted to make me aware of the choices that I make in our day to day activities.  I think we are sometimes unaware of the effect some of the outside influences have on our children.  With all of the electronics available now; TV's, movies, computers, games, music...are we really in tune with what is 'swimming' with our children?

Truthfully, I am so grateful and encouraged that God would show me this now, while she is just 6.  We don't engage in anything that I would immediately say, "Oh, that must be a shark," but I am just trying to be aware of the subtle ways the enemy tries get near our children and 'get in their tub.'

So, on this Good Friday morning, I am going curl up on the sofa with my little girl.  We will pull out the Resurrection Eggs read the Easter story together.  I am so very grateful for the sacrifice our Father made.  I am grateful for the obedience of His Son, and this gift of eternal life to all who invite Him to live within their heart.  God is not just waiting and watching to see how we will survive in this 'tub' of life...He is right beside, inside us, guiding us as much as we will allow.  He was, and is, and is to come.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--"  1 Peter 1:3-4

Have an abundantly blessed Easter celebration this weekend ~ He knows you, He loves you, and He gave His life for you.  

"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!  Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!" 1 Chronicles 16:31-32

Monday morning humor...

I hope you're waking up to a marvelous Monday morning!  I think it's great to start the week with a good chuckle, so I thought I'd share.  Feel free to laugh.  Your not laughing AT me, your laughing WITH me ~ because I was, and still am, laughing about it.

If you happened to see the last post, then you know that I had a speaking engagement this past weekend.  It was so much fun!  This event was entitled 'A Woman's Legacy,' and this group of ladies took it over the top with their decorations, food, and gifts.  Everyone was truly blessed, especially me.

So, to the funny part.  After a lovely dinner, it was my time to pop up on stage and share.  I always get a little nervous at first, so I try and be very careful when walking up the stair to the platform.  I had decided to wear cute shoes, just because they were cute, and I wore these high red wedges.  I had long jeans, high heels, a patterned scarf, so you see, I was hip & cool.

I made it to the mic without a hitch (or trip), so I told them all that I was so grateful not to have a "Miss Congeniality" moment in my cute shoes, as I have done before strolling down the streets of New York city.  In my head, I breathed a sigh of relief and started speaking.

Now we had been served a delicious 'legacy' type meal of recipes that your grandmother might have passed down...chicken pot pie, green beans, peach cobbler, etc.  It was yum-my!

Anyway, about 15 minutes or so into my testimony, I felt a little air pocket begin to rise up the center of my being.  Now some may call this a belch or a burp, but if you keep your mouth shut, it's just an air bubble.  However, this little bubble of air was threatening to make an audible appearance.  I waited until just the right time, closed my mouth tightly & swallowed it back down, smiling all the while so I didn't look like a freak.

Somehow, instead of going back where it came from, this little bubble of air exploded in my throat. Normally, this would go unnoticed.  However, when you have a microphone an inch from your face, every sound tends to get picked up and broadcast around the room.

In the split second that it took for me to hear the "BWAAAAAMP" reverberate in the monitor, a stream of thoughts ran through my brain; 'You have got to be kidding me...I just burped in front of 200 women, 200 southern women...I am supposed to be a southern woman...What would my Grandmother say...I bet this never happens to Beth Moore!'

I immediately said, "Oh my, please excuse me."  Then I got tickled and just started rolling off things like, "Just call me 'Grace,'' 'You have got to be kidding me,' 'That was lovely, wasn't it,'" and so on. We all had a good laugh and eventually moved on.

Later that evening I learned that most of the room couldn't even hear it.  I guess the monitor just made it sound REALLY loud to me.  That made me laugh again because there were those that had no idea why I couldn't stop laughing, & just started rambling off these random phrases, trying to regain my composure.

Truth be told, there were a number of women there that night that needed a good laugh because the circumstances of their life would tend to produce more tears than laughter.  I am happy to be used by the Lord, in whatever way He sees fit.  As my Mom loved to say, "ALL things work together for good to those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose."  (Rom. 8:28)  Amen, Mom.

I hope you have a lovely week, filled with the Joy of the Lord ~

Deborah

The Great I Am

"Let the words of my mouth & the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock & my redeemer."  Psalm 19:14

My heart is full of the majesty of the Great I Am this morning.  I don't know if you've heard a new song by Jared Anderson called Great I Am, but you must take a listen.  I was driving on a trip a few weeks ago, & popped in the new CD from New Life Worship.   To be honest, I was so engaged in thought that it was background music for me.  However, once the 6th track got started, I could not help but listen & join in worship.  It is a such powerful proclamation to the Glory & Greatness of the one true God, the Great I Am.  I must have listened to that one song over & over, at least 8-10 times in a row.  The whole project is wonderful, but every time I play Great I Am, I feel like the heavens open up & the glory of God is poured out over the earth.  I added a link below so you can be blessed by it as well.

http://youtu.be/cPb1OwqplR8

I am honored to be speaking this weekend at a Ladies Night Out event in Star, MS.  I have a lot of family there, & one of the churches asked me to come & share my testimony.  I've shared it a number of times, at various venues, & so I thought maybe I should share something different, you know, something 'fresh'.  I kept asking God to let me know what He wanted to say to these women.  I would try to take a nugget from this day or a word from that devotion to build upon, but it never really went anywhere.

This week I was reminded that a testimony is a living, breathing story.  It is our own history in the making; but it is actually HIStory.  If we look to the Bible, we don't see new stories being handed down from generation to generation...we see THE story being told & retold.  When we read the Word, God reveals something new and fresh, even though we may have read the same words over & over.  The same thing happens with our testimonies~each time we share what He has done in our lives, God can reveal Himself to someone in a new, fresh way, even though the story may be the same.

God has done some absolutely amazing things in my life, & brought me through times that I would not have survived if I had not seen the 'goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.' (Psalm 27:13) The testimony that I have of His faithfulness is a story that I love to share, whether it is to an audience of 200, or an audience of 2.  My favorite testimony time is spent curled up on the sofa, with an audience of one...one pair of beautiful hazel eyes staring up at me as she asks, 'Mommy, tell me about the time..."  Her story will have mine & Rick's woven into it, just as our testimony has those of our ancestors, friends, & family running through it as well.  That becomes our living legacy.

We all have a story, & we all have an audience.  Take a few minutes & listen to Jared's song; 2, 3, or maybe 10 times.  As you worship the Great I Am, may He remind you of His faithfulness to you in such a real way that you have to share it with someone.

If you don't mind, I'd appreciate you joining me in prayer for this weekend.  Saturday evening there will be a couple hundred women coming to hear my / HIStory.   May God use my mouth to speak His words, & may He open all of our hearts & minds to hear His voice.  I am humbled & extremely grateful to be a child of the Great I Am.

"The Lord bless you & keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you & be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you & give you peace." Numbers 6:24

Deborah

I want to post the devotional for today from the book Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young.  


March 25, 2011 ~ "Let thankfulness temper all your thoughts.  A thankful mind-set keeps you in touch with Me.  I hate it when My children grumble, casually despising My sovereignty.  Thankfulness is a safeguard against this deadly sin.  Furthermore, a grateful attitude becomes a grid through which you perceive life.  Gratitude enables you to see the Light of My Presence shining on all your circumstances.  Cultivate a thankful heart, for this glorifies Me and fills you with Joy."   (1 Cor. 10:10 and Heb. 12:28-29)


I woke up really early this morning, but stayed in the bed & had a morning conversation with the Lord.  The scripture that He reminded me of was the one that a lot of people know well, Jeremiah 29:11.  "For I know that 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."


So often, I think we almost gloss over some of the scriptures that have been a part of us for a long time.  But this morning, He kept saying to me over & over, "I know, I know, I know," & then reminding me that it's "the plans I have for you."  It was very powerful & encouraging to me, & hopefully it will be to you, also.


In my little life, this is a day with a lot going on in the lives of us & some family members.  So, hearing Him say to me that He knows, & that the plans for me (& mine) are His, brought such a level of peace to my petitions.  Then I read Jesus Calling and was so grateful of the reminder to be thankful in everything.


Just yesterday, my daughter was crying & crying (for the second evening in a row) because her eyes were red, itchy, & swollen from the pollen outside.  We had to run an errand in the car, & she literally sobbed the whole way, occasionally throwing out a "Jesus please heal me, RIGHT NOW!"  


Memories of my mother flooded my heart & I asked Kathryn if she had thanked God for the pollen.  "Nooooo, why would I do that?!!" came her passionate reply.  I proceeded to tell her (in true Anne Cox aka Mom fashion) that God created the pollen, & without it, we wouldn't have all of the lovely blooms in spring.  And, she could be thankful for the pollen, yet also ask God to take away her allergies to it.  


So, she gave it a go, and in between sniffles, indeed thanked Him for the pollen that makes the pretty flowers.  She then asked (rather than demand) that He heal her itchy eyes.  Not long after we were home, the itching stopped, the redness went away, & we thanked Him for His healing touch.  Thank you, Lord, for making Yourself & Your hand known to the heart of my daughter.


Back to the plans...having a thankful heart totally changes our heart & gives us a paradigm shift.  As Sarah said, "a thankful heart glorifies Me & fills you with Joy."  Next time you feel anxious or upset about something, or even find yourself carrying a load that is a bit heavy, look for even an eentsy weentsy part of it about which to be thankful.  You'll be amazed at how your heart will be lifted & filled with true Joy.  Even if your circumstances don't change, the manner in which you walk through them will change.  How do I know?  Because it's happened to me, time & time again.  But mostly because He has promised, & that makes it a done deal.


I'll leave you with the follow up from Jeremiah, verses 12-14 ~


"Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity..."  


Amen.  Have a blessed day today ~