Pretend I Have a Highlighter...

*Serious stuff first: Please pray for a little girl named Sierra, from tiny-town. She is a sweet girl that attends our Bible Club every Wednesday night. Her home had been destroyed in the flood so her family was staying with friends. There was a very bad car accident and an 11 year old (friend of family) was killed and Sierra is in very serious condition with a broken back. This is all the info I know right now. Please keep this beautiful little girl and her entire family and friends lifted up in prayer*


It is true and no big surprise that I have managed to read blogs and do posts while on vacation. I assure you that I have indeed been doing other things than sitting at the laptop (which by the way I HATE typing on! I will kiss my big ol' computer upon returning home) ...what was I saying?!? oh yeah, I really am very quick at doing posts...therefore explaining the lack of depth and proper English techniques *insert cheeky smile*


Highlights of yesterday:

• The morning speaker at the conference: WONDERFUL...spoke on Psalms 22, which is an Old Testament picture of Jesus' crucifixion (before crucifixion even existed), which I had never noticed before (now ya'll know how scholarly I am :) Of course, I cried through most of it...with no Kleenex. I'll get into all the great stuff I learned in later posts, when I have time to put more thought into it!


• Then, they had all the military chaplains come forward (bawled) and one young man in particular was going to be heading to Iraq as soon as the conference was over, so they had his wife come on stage and we all prayed for them. That's when the "snot all over" crying began...with no Kleenex...it was a lovely, lovely sight.


• forgot to mention that the man we sat next to the first night told me he had a daughter named Sarah and that I looked like I was about her age...after consulting with his wife to find out his own daughters age, he said "she's 24" and I refrained from hugging him...but he is indeed my new BFF...except I don't know his name...


• Eating out every meal is the best thing ever!!! Since leaving yesterday I have had spinach & artichoke pizza and home-made potato chips, Chicken ranch sandwich, home-made waffles, another buffalo chicken sandwich with waffle fries and onion rings, 1 large iced coffee, 1 McFlurry, and 1 Mint choc chip Frappaccino and a steak burrito...most of that I split with my hubby, but still....


• Went to a workshop on connecting our church to the community and it was so, so good! The guy doing the presentation was so genuinely passionate that it was contagious. I loved tiny-town before this conference...and now God is expanding on it in ways I could not have foreseen! The timing of this conference and vacation is so clearly precise...knocks my socks off!


• Went back to the mall (again), and sat in Barnes and Noble and skimmed through "Blogging for Dummies" and mostly learned that I am indeed a "dummy"


• We ate at Champ's for lunch, and I had another episode of Blog Mouth. Our waitress had beautiful hair like my friend here. Usually, I would just comment to Ben about how fab is was and NEVER actually say anything to her!!! But of course, part way through the meal, when she brought us more fried food, I said to her..."I just have to tell you that your hair is beautiful! My friend in high school had the SAME hair and I loved it!" And seriously, the look on her face was priceless!!! She came back to the table 5 more times just beaming, and of course, talking about how she used to hate it because it was different and now she's accepted it...(whole 'nother lesson for me there) I left there knowing I had totally made her day, and it felt so, so good! Look out strangers...here I come!


• Ben and I are having so much fun (alone) together! If I saw us on the street I'd probably think it was nauseating, HA!...so glad I don't have to see us :)


• I am missing the boys...but in the "just want to see them for a 1/2 hour, hug and kiss" and then leave again kind of way. I've called (and called) and they are having a blast with grandma and grandpa. (also called my mom and she assures me Odie is also fine, except that he is apparently fasting in protest to our absence...which, if you've seen my over-weight wiener dog, you'd agree with me that it's probably OK :)
• I am very, VERY bad at sitting still at the conference. Last night I had to sit for close to 3 hours and it was not pretty...the fidgeting...I kept looking around at all the people sitting so still and I thought to myself...really, maybe I do have a little ADD!! Ben informed me he thinks it may be "selective ADD"...I won't argue :)
• Tomorrow, some pictures, I promise.

Happy Thursday Friends!!

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No Turning Back

In the process of revival, this is where I started. At the bottom of a gigantic mountain. I knew it would be tough, but my optimism was high.

This is where I find myself now...

Part way up the mountain and finding the climb tiring and seemingly impossible. The point in the hike when you look up and see the huge rocks yet to climb...and then look down so see how far you've climbed. And it's decision time. Keep going, though it seems impossible, or turn around, slide back down and wonder what might have been. I won't lie...the urge to slide back down and go about life is extremely tempting.

The mountain seems impossible. Feels impossible. I am not kidding when I say it will take a miracle to move some of the mountains. A big miracle.

I find myself running back to God's word...for (constant) re-assurement that the miracles I need are really possible. You know what I find? They are. My God is a big God...bigger than any of these mountains. I just need to believe it and carry on with what He has called me to. It's not about how I feel...or how things seem to be. No more turning around and running back down the mountain. It's all the way this time.

Have any mountains this Monday?

*images from www.googleimages.com *

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Resisting

I am realizing that there are areas in my spiritual walk that I am resisting God. Certain areas that I see Him wanting to change, and feel Him changing, and my gut instinct is to resist Him and flee back to what is comfortable.


I am about a quarter through Breaking Free. I'm usually a speedy reader...but this one I need to really let sink in. When I read a book, I always need my own copy because I like to underline sentences that stick out to me, so that later on I can skim back through and find what I'm looking for (you should see what my Bible looks like) Anyways, needless to say, much of this book is underlined already! It's amazing how well it fits in with the Seeking Him study...maybe too well :)

Here's some of what I'm learning so far...

• Changing my behavior & thoughts is HARD. And not fun...at all. I want a quick fix. And yet the deeper I get into this study, the more I realize how far I have left to go! I want God to do it for me...I want to just magically love difficult people...instead, God gives me opportunities to follow His instructions and love them. *God has said to me: Too bad little lady...I have a better way, keep on following Me and you'll see it*
• Pride...it is a problem. It may be at the root of all problems. I sort of had my own definition of pride: Anyone who thinks they're better than someone else, or believes they don't need anyone else. Somewhere along the way, I adopted that definition...probably to convince myself that since I don't see myself as "better" then I obviously do not have an issue with pride. Wrong definition. SO WRONG. Seriously, any person who thinks they don't have an issue with pride is likely the very person with a HUGE pride problem!
• Pride = Self. That's what I'm learning. At the root of all the areas that need changing, self is the problem. I am learning to humble myself, because I do not want God to do it for me :) On a side note: humbling myself is something I have to do constantly. CONSTANTLY.

There's more...so much more..but for now, the main thing is that I do not want to resist God changing me! And I'm looking ahead, longingly, for the day when changing seems easier...or there is less changing to be done! I know it will be worth it!

- A new blog friend has a wonderful post on longings...it spoke to my heart because it just "fits" with all this stuff I'm learning. She has a great way with words and God's truth!

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Eagerly Anticipating Today...

My 6 year old left me this message on our white board...apparently he's afraid I might forget his birthday...in May. He's already eagerly anticipating the big day. It caused me to think about what I am going to eagerly anticipate today...

• Tonight is our Ladies Bible Study! It's our first real time of getting together since we've started this Seeking Him study. I can't wait to hear & see what God is doing in their hearts. I'm hoping I'm not the only one who's taken a beating this week :)
• Also looking forward to the "Catch-A-Man" dip I made for the Bible study. (I made enough so I could eat some for lunch too :) It's a recipe I got from my friend Beth who is originally from the south. Apparently this is what they use to catch themselves a man ;) It's delicious, and even better, it's only 5 ingredients (perfect for me!)
• Recipe: 16 slices cooked and crumbled bacon (I buy the pre-cooked stuff), 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese: shredded, 1 C sliced almonds, 4 green onions: chopped, and 2 C Hellmann's mayo. Mix together (chill) and serve with crackers or veggies. YUM!
• I am anticipating my house cleaning itself, because I do not have time.
• warmer weather...no coats...and Flip Flops, oh how I long to wear flip flops again!

When I am excited about something, I just can't shut-up about it. Can you tell?!? The Bible talks about how what's in a man's heart, will eventually come out of his mouth and actions. (I can't remember where it's at...you Theologian's, help me out!) Right now, God's teaching me so much, I can't stop talking about it. I realized today, that my last several posts are pretty much all the same..there's other stuff going on in there, I'll eventually get to it!

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Painful But SO Worth It...

They're cute...I know. I wore them for Easter, I don't mean just church. I wore them all day long. I did take them off for just a bit, while we went out and hunted for eggs. Rumor has it, that my husbands grandma, who's in her 80's gave them a try! She couldn't resist...I know the feeling. They are my latest love in the shoe world. So...guess what these lovely shoes and....

this wonderful Bible study have in common? PAIN!!!! They have both caused me much pain and suffering this week.

The shoes...kill. After church, I had to wrap my big toes, very meticulously, so that the pain from the rubbing would stop, and yet I could not have it showing through the cute peep toe (that was the cause of the pain in the first place!) A little pain has not stopped me before...I have three children to prove that :) These shoes are certainly worth it...and so far, so are my kids. HA!

The Seeking Him study; *OUCH!* Nancy, (we're on a first name basis, she however, does not know this) has been stepping on my toes and pushing me out of my comfort zone all week long! I was going along, totally agreeing with her, and then I got to pages 12-15 "Making It Personal." Yeah...fun times. Hard "Do I?" questions. I found that I had to answer no or I wish for many of the questions. Revival hurts....but is so necessary and worth it...kinda like the shoes :) Okay, okay, more than the shoes!

On a side note...I'm very honored to be mentioned over at www.allthatnaz.blogspot.com go check her out, and I've been reading her other blog (which you'll find after you go to her site) and it's so wonderfully thought provoking and well written. Makes me think I need to take some online grammar/writing classes! Thank you new bloggy friends!

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Invasion From Heaven

There are so many times in my life, that I look back on the order of events that have occurred, and just stand in amazement.

Our ladies Bible study has just started this book, Seeking Him- Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival by Nancy Leigh DeMoss & Tim Grissom. This workbook has been hanging around our house way before we ever started this study. You see, it takes us ladies a quite a while to get through a study :) Lot's of talking and sharing....it's one of the best parts of being together! Each time we near the end of a study I begin the dreaded search process. This usually involves lots of pleading with God for direction, while I'm scouring the Christian Book Store and various other means in hopes of finding the perfect study. In the past, during this process, this Seeking Him book always crossed my path...and I always dismissed it. Oh, I had lots of good reasons...the main one being that I thought it was just "too deep" for where our group was at. Isn't that funny. What God has revealed to me now...is that it was "too deep" for me. I had wanted to believe that it was our group of Ladies that was not ready for it....but God said to my heart, "Sarah, you were not ready to lead it." *ouch* And, He was right.

When Seeking Him crossed my path this time, I was ready! God had begun to work a real revival in my own heart...and now I'm ready. As I look back, it makes me smile to see how God was gently pursuing me...never giving up...knowing that the revival was coming, all the while I was totally oblivious. I am so excited to continue this journey, to see what God has in store. Let me leave you with this quote from the study...love it!

"Revival is not some emotion or worked-up excitement; it is rather an invasion from heaven which brings to man a conscious awareness of God." - Stephen Olford

...invasion from heaven...I'm ready for that!

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