Fall Memory Wrap Up

I hope my posts this week haven't seem too disconnected. Maybe this is just me being transparent and letting you see how my crazy brain works. But, hey, that is the way God created me and I AM a work-in-progress . . . So thank you for bearing with me!

Let me see if I can tie all this together:

Yesterday, I shared a verse out of Psalms that reminds us to tell the next generation of His great works. I encouraged you to remember God's mighty acts of the Old Testament and remember them anew. However, I think we should also remember and retell His works in our own lives and families.

This is part of the reason my grandfather's stories are so precious to me. They show a heritage of faith. As I retell them to my daughters, they show God's provision through five generations. My family stories are just merely a small part of God's much bigger story and plans. I want my girls to know the good, the bad and the sinful pasts that they come from. I want them to see how God redeems and uses ALL for His glory. I want them to know that God is much bigger than just them.

And I think Fall is the perfect time to gather them in, sit by the fireplace, share a mug of hot cocoa and tell them His mighty acts.

Do you have a special way that you pass on God's faithfulness in your family? Do you keep a special journal or scrapbook? Maybe you use family devotions or have a special family tradition dedicated to this purpose? Or maybe you have incorporated it into something else that you already do as a family? Please share your ideas. I would love some new ways to tell the next generation!

Old Testament Memories

Psalm 145:4 (New American Standard Bible)

One generation shall praise Your works to another,

And shall declare Your mighty acts.

Recently, I began working with a group of very talented preschool teachers at church. Shortly there after, I read the above verse in my quiet time and a profound truth really hit home.

We have the honor, the privilege and the responsibility to tell the next generation of all the works that God has done.

I used this verse to encourage these teachers. Most of them have many years of preschool teaching experience. All of them are very familiar with the Bible stories that we share with the children. But I wonder how many of them are still marveled by the miracles that we share with the children.

How about you? Have you become too lax about the amazing stories of the Old Testament? Has the wonder and awe of His mighty acts passed you by?

As I have mentioned, I was raised in church and have been very familiar with the stories of the Bible for all of my life. I can't remember a time when I wasn't aware of God's works. Unfortunately, that familiarity can breed a lack of praise within my worship.

It isn't that I don't worship or that my praise is shallow, but when I worship with the recognition that I am worshiping the same God of Moses and David there is a whole new dimension of adoration to my praise.

Give it a try. The next time you begin to actively engaged in worship remember that you are praising the God that parted the Red Sea. Have you checked out on a map just how big that body of water is? He is pretty amazing, isn't He?

More Fall Memories

Thinking of my grandfather and his stories yesterday really made me grateful for the heritage of faith that God has graciously given me. His father was a preacher and so I know that a lineage of at least 5 generations of my family has been raised in church. I don't take this for granted and know that it is a true gift of God.

For me there is just something cozy about fall. I relish gathering with those I love whether it is around a roaring bonfire or a Thanksgiving dinner table. The Christmas holidays are right around the corner and with them, the new year. Fall has always been a season of taking stock and giving thanks in my life. When I survey the beauty God displays in the fall colors, I am also reminded of His greatness and goodness. It is easy for me to become overwhelmed with all that I have to be thankful for.

During my last posts, I wrote of the things that I felt God was trying to teach me in regards to my lists and calendars and schedules. The thing I think I will take away from that season is to be intentional to live in the moments that I am in, seeing God's blessings and purposes in ALL aspects of my life.

I say all this to explain that I want to be intentional this fall to make memories to continue to pass on the heritage of faith that I have been given. My prayer is that many of my family's generational sins will end with me, and the seeds of our best faith efforts will produce a mighty harvest in the lives my girls.

So Ladies . . . how do you do it? What are some of the things that you do pass on your faith to the next generation? What are some of things that you do in fall that your family will remember or what is it about fall that you remember from your own past that pointed you to Him?

Happy Fall

I love this time of year. Some people like spring with its singing birds and blooming flowers. Others like snowy white winters. And there are even a few people who love the summer sun and activity. However, Fall is my favorite - the changing foliage, the cooler temps, the smell of a bonfire and taste of s'mores.

I have some great fall memories of my childhood visiting my grandparents and listening to my grandfather tell stories from his childhood in eastern Tennessee. For a girl born and bred in Ohio, the mountains of Jelico and its surrounding area sounded like a pretty exotic place to me. We would gather around a

bonfire and he would begin each with "I remember when . . ." That was our cue to settle in, sit back and listen.

Now, I have another fall memory to add to my list of reasons of why I love this season. On October 1, 2009, Riley, my oldest daughter, accepted Jesus' gift of salvation and made Him Lord of her life!

We had spoken of it for a long time, but she had brought up much more frequently in the days leading up to the 1st. She had come to me while I was sorting laundry during a short thunder bumper of a storm outside. She said it was as if

the thunder was God's way of telling people to believe in Him. When I asked her what He was trying to tell her, she said "I need to believe in Him too." My husband and I spent the next few weeks fielding questions and trying to gently guide her to the point she knew that she knew she needed Jesus as her Savior AND Lord.

At bedtime on that first night of October, she knew. There was such certainty in her voice. She prayed straight from her heart words of her own and when she said "amen" I was crying happy tears. She looked at me and began to cry too, exclaiming, "Momma, you're making my eyes water too!"

My husband and I were careful not to push or pressure Riley's decision. It needed to be her own. We don't ever want her to look back and doubt. Time will tell . . . But from the day we knew she was coming until now, we continue to entrust her to Him, the one who made her, died for her and, now, calls her His own twice over.

Mountain Tops and Valley Floors

We have been looking forward to returning to Vancleave, Mississippi for the happy occasion of the wedding of the daughter of some of our dearest friends. The brides name is Heather and her dad, Don Boone, is pastor of FBC Vancleave. Randy was pastor there from 1979 to 1992 and it remains a very dear place to our family. Not only will we enjoy the beautiful wedding and great reception (LOTS OF SHRIMP!!!), but Don asked Randy to preach on Sunday.

Aren't you glad God gives us days of wonderful reunions where you know the people want to see you as much as you want to see them? It is going to be an incredible time for the Boone family, that church celebrating the marriage of their pastors' daughter, and a homecoming of sorts for us.

Thank you Lord for these mountain peaks!!!!!!!!! BUT........

I was looking forward to staying with my dearest friend and her husband while we were on the Gulf Coast. Judy is the kind of friend that you laugh the most with; talk the longest with: and cry the deepest with. You know....the first one you call with good news or great burdens. Today her sweet mother-in-law passed away. Our agenda has changed. A funeral has been added to the schedule. A long anticipated wedding on Saturday; preaching at a beloved former pastorate on Sunday; the funeral for the mother of a friend on Monday.

In a 48 hour period we are reminded again that Jesus is Lord of the mountain tops of this life and He is Lord of the deep valleys of life. He is Lord of ALL the other days as well. We can trust Him.

Ladies Ministry

Last week we kicked off our Ladies Ministry Year with a Ladies Night Out we entitled "Where are your shoes taking you?" The Committee had such a good time putting this together. The centerpieces on the tables were different shoes showing where we go as ladies. There was one with boots to go hiking, bathroom slippers, heels, slides, flip flops, even Cinderella's glass slipper. It turned out to be a really cute theme.

That night a young girl came that doesn't normally get to attend because of her work. She had just told me the day before that she had been dating a nice guy for about 3 months. She is a single mom with a 3 year old little boy. The father is in prison in Florida. She is trying to get her life in order and is wanting to come to church. However, she is not always able to because she also works on Sunday. Anyway, she was excited about coming to the Ladies event.

At our Ladies Night Out the speaker kept referring back to where God would have us go in our shoes. Ultimately, He wants our shoes to take us to Him. It was a wonderful message.

The next day, the young man this girl was dating broke up with her. She was very hurt but instead of being angry, she was seeking God in it. That night, her mom took her out to eat to get her mind off of things, and the girl told her mom that she wanted to go buy a new pair of shoes. I saw her the next day and she told me what happened about the break up. Then she asked if I had noticed that she was wearing new shoes. I told her how cute they were and she looked at me kind of funny. Then it hit me...God was speaking to her heart through those shoes!!! She said with tears in her eyes, "I wonder where God is going to take me in these shoes?"

My heart broke and rejoiced at the same time. I hate she is having to go through this, but I know that the Lord is using it to pull her closer to Him. I was so excited that God used that night for the very reason we worked so hard to put it together...to speak to the hearts of the women that were there.

Sometimes we don't always know what God is up to when we are being obedient and doing what He has called us to do. But that night, it was a sweet affirmation that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things!

What a Day....

I am not the norm...I know many of you have figured that out already, but really I'm not. Most of you I would venture to say do your "Spring" cleaning in the Spring. Not me, I usually wait until the Fall so that I can have everything clean for the holidays.

Well, that is what I have been trying to do now for a couple of weeks. A little at a time. There are always so many interruptions. It seems as if I just get started and have to stop to go somewhere, answer the phone, start dinner... Anyway, this afternoon I had set aside a little time to clean my front room windows. It was actually very pleasant. I had the window open and the breeze was coming in. It was just me and the Lord talking over some things. It was then that I noticed the fly that had gotten caught in the spider web! I looked at it for a while and tried to figure out what happened. I am sure when it got caught it must have tried to get out for quite a while. But it was no use. He couldn't do it by himself and so he died.

As I looked at this, it occurred to me that that was exactly what I had done earlier in the week (not died...but got caught up in a web). You see, I had gotten angry at someone for
n-o-t-h-i-n-g! I had assumed something and it was false, but I acted like it was truth. I was tired and didn't think it through and just reacted. It really hurt someone that I care about dearly. I didn't sleep hardly at all that night and the next morning I felt terrible. I tried to figure out how to get out of the mess (the same way as the fly) but I couldn't figure out what to do. Finally, I went to the only One that could help me. I confessed my anger and saw it for what it was. Then I had to apologize to the one I had hurt. I wasn't sure what to say, so I called and just told them I was sorry. I also told them I was wrong and asked them to forgive me. They were very kind and accepted my apology but I still knew that it hurt them.

Why are we like that? Why do we allow ourselves to get caught in satan's web? One minute we are bowing in worship, praising the Lord, and the next we are sinning without really even thinking about it.

You know the Bible used a story about the ants to teach us a lesson. Today, God used a fly to teach me another!!!