Your Story Matters

I sat in the middle of my bedroom floor with the big purple bin I've lugged around for 20 years.  It's full of memorabilia, pictures, and letters.  Those letters captured my attention this weekend.  I read letters as old as 25 years, and others as new as a year.  While reading through all of the cards and letters, I had a moment where I realized that all of these gifts were a result of God connecting hearts to encourage one another. 

Most authors of the notes sent multiple notes.  Sometimes, the letters were in return for a note I had sent to them.  This was a wonderful reminder from God.  An answer to prayer.  Years later, I am still receiving encouragement from these very notes.  They are fueling my heart to continue to do what I know God has called me to do - encourage others.  I believe I am an encourager.  I love to encourage people.  When asked to describe my perfect job, I've always said it would be a position that allowed me to help someone else shine, and I truly mean that.

The thing is, as an encourager, sometimes your cup can run dry.  Every now and then, a whispered word of hope to someone like me can be life giving.  Hearing that our words helped someone else overcome, well, that gives us the ability to offer words of hope and restoration to others.  Last weekend, I had the privilege of being invited to a bridal shower for a girl I babysat many years ago.  I felt so honored to be a guest and to be able to shower her with blessings for her future.  In return, my cup was full.  The verse Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 was a reminder to me "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.  For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

God never meant for us to live this life in solitude.  Look, I am an introvert, and I LOVE my solitude.  I love quiet, and I need retreat from the demands of life often.  But, I know that God desires for me to step out of that comfort zone sometimes and invite others into my space.  Come into my home and talk or pray.  Come with me to shop or to lunch.  God desires for me to be a friend, to use the gift of encouragement that He's given me.  

Reading through those letters this weekend gave me a reminder that I matter.  My story matters.  YOU matter. YOUR story matters.  It can often feel so minuscule in the grand scheme of life, but you really do have a story, and it really does need to be heard.  

What has God written on your heart?  What is your story?  Join with me, and let's step out of the boat and walk with Jesus to see where He leads our story.  Be encouraged friend, you are not alone.

Sowing on Good Ground

Five Minute Friday

When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a mom and wife more than anything else in the world.  I wanted to be a missionary wife and mom on top of that.  I wanted to have 7 kids, both naturally and adopted.  I thought I would open an orphanage in Russia and live as a missionary.  I had all these thoughts and plans for my life, but it wasn't the course God had for me.  At least not in the way I imagined.  

Sometimes God changes the course of our plans and directions to best suite HIS plan and purpose for our lives.  My 20 year old self would not have been ready for that kind of challenge.  I had no real idea of what it was like to be a mom, to run a non-profit, to face real adversity.  My non-Type A personality would have caved and drowned in the demands of all of that.

However, God has a way of meeting us right where we are to show us that those dreams were really from Him.  He has a way of bringing us full circle without having to do it our way.  Psalm 18:30 "This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him."  Is that great hope, or what?  His way is perfect, his word proves true.  Those dreams I had as a teenager, they are coming true today.

How?  Well, I've been blessed to be part of this wonderful blogging community over with Lisa Jo Baker.  Every Friday for the past year (at least for me it's been a year), I've joined up with this community to blog on a word prompt.  Today, we are joining arms to raise $150,000 for The Maubane Community Center in South Africa.  The goal is to raise this money from Valentine's Day through Mother's Day, and I believe we can make that happen.  

This is good ground to sow into.  In Matthew 13, Jesus told the parable of the sower.  I will be a witness and say that this is not thorny ground, or rocky ground.  The birds will not come and eat this seed up.  It won't get scorched because it is not deep.  No, this is deep ground.  This is good ground, ready to receive these blessings and do important work for the kingdom here.  

The definition for sow as defined by Merriam-Webster is "to scatter upon the earth for growth; to set in motion; to spread abroad".  I love that "set in motion".  Let's set this project in motion by our sowing.

The first phase of this project is for a community vegetable garden.  This is why we are "sowing" this time around.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to know that as you are feeding your children each night, you are also feeding 400 mouths in South Africa?  Let's work together and make this first phase a reality for these 250 orphans and 150 adults.  Would you consider this?  God has blessed us with an abundance.  We have everything we need at our disposal.  All He asks of us is to love Him and love our neighbors.  This is a great opportunity to do both.  You can click on the box to the right to donate to this first phase to bring food and hope to a community who needs us.  

Father, I thank you for this opportunity to serve you through giving.  Thank you for loving us and giving us the opportunity to love you in return and to show your love to others.  I ask that you would multiply these gifts and cause them to be more than enough.  Thank you for your promise that you can do exceeding, abundantly above all that we could ask or think, and I ask you to do that now.  In Jesus Name, Amen!

A Thankful Heart: Day 16 - It Takes a Village or Community

It takes a village to raise a child.  - African proverb

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Philippians 2:3-4

I'm feeling reminiscent today.  I'm thinking of all the women who helped shape and form me into who I am now.  Of course, I grew and formed opinions on things on my own, but those developmental years were rich with women who loved the Lord.  These women were openly flawed, yet quick to give it over to God.  They were imperfect, but had much to give and teach us young ladies.  I feel so blessed to have had that in my life.  

I think of everyone to my children's pastor at one church, to the youth pastor I worked under at another as a young adult, to my mom's friends, to my friend's moms, and I could go on, but you get the idea.  There were lots of women around.  They were and still are very important to me, and I'm so thankful for their influence over my life.  Of course my parents were the greatest influence in my life, but these other ladies helped guide and reinforce the things my parents taught us.  

I desire that for my boys, that they would have godly men in their lives to help shape them.  My husband and I are good, but I'd love them to have men in their life who can teach them what we can't, what we don't know.  We are all members of a body, and we work together to raise our children in the ways of the Lord.  

My 4 year old has suddenly developed separation anxiety as he started school this week.  He has always been very happy-go-lucky, easy going, joyful, but he is also very strong-willed.  I need my village to help encourage me as I help him get over this fear of being away from me, though I don't really think it is fear at all.  I think he just wants to be with me, or he thinks that I might be having fun without him.  But I believe that my community will help me overcome this hurdle, and I pray that they will help him overcome this hurdle, too. 

So, today, I give thanks to God for bringing such powerful, beautiful, loving, gentle, strong, and just amazing women into my life as a child through even now as an adult.  I thank Him for showing His love for me in that way.  I praise Him for instilling principles in me at an early age that were reinforced by so many women along the way.  I ask, Father God, that you would do the same for my boys.  Let men rise up to bless them, teach them, guide them in your truth.  I pray that they would have a village to look back on, a community that will help reinforce the truths they learn at home.  I ask You, God, to help Todd and I train them up in the way they should go, and that you would send leaders to help with that training.  In Jesus Name, Amen!

Iron Sharpens Iron

I am so incredibly blessed to have grown up in church.  I feel even more blessed because I had awesome youth pastors!  My youth pastor, Jimmy Kirby, challenged us to learn the Word, study it, memorize scripture.  "Put the Word in you when you don't "need" it and it will be there when you do!"  Understand that we always need the word, but his point is that we go through highs and lows in life.  When you have studied and hidden the word in your heart during the high seasons, it's there for you in the low seasons.  I have found this to be so true in my life!!!  Jimmy started a discipleship class for us, and I think about a dozen or so youth signed up.  At the time we were running probably 75 strong in our youth group.  This was a lot back in 1990!  Anyway, in discipleship classes, we were asked to memorize LOTS of scripture, make sacrifices in our tv and radio time (this is a big deal for a teenager), and study the word.  One of the scriptures that mean so much to me is Proverbs 27:17 (AMP) "Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend [to show rage or worthy purpose]." 

I was thinking about this all day today.  We were made to sharpen each other.  I am so thankful for my small group friends, who challenge me in the way I think and the way I approach God.  I am thankful for the women God is placing in my life to challenge me in all aspects ranging from physical, financial, spiritual, etc.  These ladies sharpen me, they make me want to strive to be better.  I miss some of the older, wiser women who once were prominent in my life.  I don't see them much anymore. 

This leads me to what I really am writing about.  One of my goals for this year is to not be lazy.  I'm not off to a great start, but I am slowly making changes.  I think in my head, I envisioned the starting line to a race and that I would take off in a blaze of glory.  Not happening.  So, keep me accountable, friends.  Sharpen me!  Give me tips for saving money, getting organized, achieving goals, being a better mommy, wife and friend.  I know you can't make it happen for me; I need to get moving and do it myself.  However, if you would just continue to encourage me to be productive, I would really appreciate the sharpening!  I'll sharpen you as well!  Love you girls!!!