Hey Mama

Hey Mama,
I cannot believe it has been 5 years since you left this earth. I know that you are in Heaven with our Lord and are well and happy. I miss you terribly everyday. But I'm OK most of the time and actually happy too. I feel you with me and I know that you are proud of the path my life is on.

Caleb is getting so big, he's 14 now. He is doing very well in school and is involved in sports. You would be so proud! He is involved in the youth group at Ebenezer. His teachers say he participates openly in classes. He's polite and well mannered. He and I still talk about you often, he has great memories with you.

We have been through some ruff times in the last 5 years, but we have come out of it OK, and me stronger in my faith. I am so glad that I trusted God to be in control of my everyday life, not just my Sundays. I know that thru everything we do, He is in control and wants the best for us. Caleb and I joined Ebenezer in November 2010. We started going with Mimi and Papa and just felt it was time to become part of the church family. Caleb has gone on some trips with the youth and made some really good friends. I have a wonderful sunday school class and a bible study group that I don't think I could do life without anymore.

I have been on a journey of spiritual growth Mama. I love it, crave to study more. I love my Drawing Room time with God. I love that I pray my way to work most mornings. This wonderful journey is taking me to Africa Mama. I am going to work in a children's village in Kenya this summer. Can you imagine?! I would have never seen myself leaving the United States, much less going to Africa. You remember how afraid of planes I was? My friend Sherrie helped God help me with the fear of flying.God has made it possible for me to travel with a group from church to Kenya to share His love with these children. I know you will be with me every step of the way.

God sent me Sherrie Gilreath from Atlanta since you've been gone. She lost her mama too. I finally was able to see what I look like with a full head of hair! She has been a good friend. She has also been a great encouragement in my spiritual growth.

I talked to Jeannette and Daddy every now and then. Ricky is still mad at me for spending time with Melanie and the boys Thanksgiving 2010. I am hoping one day he will realize how important family is. Melanie lets us see the boys when they come home. They are all getting so big. Hard to believe that Caleb will be driving in a year!

I know you already know all of these things, but I just felt the need to write it down for you to see on this Anniversary of you starting your life with our Savior. I am so happy for you, but still get really sad here at times. I know you are happy and don't want us to be sad. I know you were ready. I love you Mama!


Wawee

Happy Day

Happy that I could share my testimony. Happy that I could thank my church family for their love. Happy that we live in a nation where we can meet and openly praise God. Happy that I met some new people by going to both services at our church. Happy that I had three laughing boys at the lunch table. Happy that I get to spend time with my Kenya group this afternoon. Happy that our church family will share a meal this evening. Happy that even though tomorrow will be 5 years that my mom passes away, she was with me this morning as I shared my story of giving my life to Christ.


2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Your life paints the picture of His Love & Mercy

I have been preparing to give my testimony at our worship services this coming Sunday. I have just sat down and started typing, letting God guide me to what to put on the paper. I think my notes have changed at least once a day since I started this process. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why I was asked. This past year has been pretty horrible for my family. They economy and housing markets have made us make changes and get rid of most of our material things. Adjusting to sharing a home with my in-laws. Recovering from surgeries. We've had better years. But as I wrote, pages and pages started filling up.

This has been one of the best years of my life. When I sat back and read the words I had on the paper, I realized that although we have gone thru some tuff times in the last couple years, I am happier than I have been in a long time. We are blessed. Blessed to have a roof over our heads, family that loves me, a good job, and on and on. I also know that all of this is because Jesus has never left my side. I gave him my yoke and he has showed us the best in the situations we dealt with and all I can do is praise Him.

I was reading Matthew 25 this week since that is what David will be giving his message on. And because I am trying to make it all  about me, I think what do I have to give for God's use? Then I go back and start reading my notes. It's not how much we have, but how well we use what we have. I pretty much have nothing left (material possessions). But I do have and have used the love God has given me. If nothing else I pray every morning that others may see how God has changed me thru my daily actions. I want to ooze His love. I want people to ask me about my new outlook and be able to share what God has done in my life.

AHA! This is why David asked me to give my testimony - for the Glory of God

Making Me Like A Wave

I sat in front of my computer one day in the summer of 2011 and watched a 10 minute Youtube video. This video was about a children's village, seemingly worlds away from Florence, SC. I had a couple lunches with your Youth Pastor and talked about the opportunities for our church to send a group to this village in the summer of 2012.

God immediately started talking to me about this journey. I call it a journey because it is not just a trip, at least not to me. I have been on a journey with our Lord to prepare to visit the children of Mattaw Children's Village. We often wonder why God doesn't stop things that we perceive as bad from happening. I have learned over and over again that it is when we feel at our lowest, that God is at his strongest in our lives. If we just give the worries, anxiety, pain over to Him, He will comfort us and eventually we will see the good that comes from the situation.

Since 2009 I have had 3 surgeries because of problems with discs in my neck. Before the last on in 2011, I felt hopeless, depressed, scared. To top things off, because of my surgeries and recovery times, it was beginning to be hard to make ends meet with our monthly bills. We asked for assistance from our mortgage company and they said we had to be in default before we could apply for any kind of assistance. So, that's what we did and applied for all of the assistance programs that were offered and that we could find on the internet. The problem always seemed to be that we had jobs that were "too good" or we weren't behind enough, or we were too behind. In January 2011 I started praying for God to give me a peace with all of this. I gave it to Him because I didn't know what else I could do. I was in constant pain awaiting a trial procedure and totally fed up with the mortgage companies. So I prayed. Looking back I realize that is where I should have started...in prayer, but then I wouldn't have this story to tell you about God's amazing plans for my life.

I prayed and my husband and I talked and it was decided with our family that we would try combining households with his parents. They could use the monetary help as well and we could also help in other ways around the house and yards. Again, I pray. Are we doing the right thing? Are You sure this is where we are suppose to go? I had a great peace. I knew this was all going to be ok.

So we are back now to late summer of 2011. I start seeing signs from God everywhere that I am suppose to go to Africa. I see Africa EVERYWHERE I look. So, I go to the first meeting and when the deposit deadlines are laid out I told God, "Ok, if I'm suppose to go, I am giving it to You to get me there." Every deadline has been met, all because He is in charge.

My heart is being changed by His love and I know how much more blessed I will be the more I share His love. Since just sharing enough money for a cup of coleslaw blessed me beyond I imagined, I can't fathom the JOY that is awaiting me at Mattaw Village. Make me like a wave dear Lord, and use me as a tool of love.

Weepy or Leaky

My friends at work call me YAYA Weepy, because I cry at the drop of a hat. Good cry, bad cry - you can count on me. This week I think I am changing my name to Leaky......I have been so blessed and am so amazed at things that are happening to me and thru me, that it is all just leaking out! Every day this week I have "leaked" while talking to a client. Funny how God is using ACS Financials to also share His love and for me to receive His love from the clients I have spoken to. Buying cards and stickers to send to a little girl in Kenya, "leaking." Telling others about the precious 8 year old I am going to hug in June - "leaking." Sitting back and looking at how important my church family is to me - "leaking."

OK, that is all

Have a blessed week, ya'll!

Jump In and SERVE

My Pastor and friend posted this challenge in his blog today:

You can acknowledge the fact that your church IS NOT perfect, but be glad God has given you a church family.  And you can jump in and LEAD … jump in and SERVE … be a part of the SOLUTION, not a perpetuator of the PROBLEM.  There are problems in every church.  The Lord KNOWS Ebenezer has it’s share of problems!  Why are there problems in every church?  Because NO CHURCH IS PERFECT.  Every church is made up of imperfect people.  So, you can ask God “Where can I make a difference?” and when He shows you, jump in and MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  Part of the SOLUTION, not a perpetuation of the PROBLEM.  Which will you be?

I choose SERVE. We can't all make a difference in the same way. What we do is go to the Word and PRAY. God will show us where and how He wants us to serve. I would have never in a million years dreamed of going to Africa to share God's love. South America, sure; NY, New Orleans, California, Florence - bring it on. But God hand picked me to go to AFRICA. Justin can tell you that I often text him with "My heart is not right enough to do this, I think I made a mistake, I don't think I am suppose to go, I can't raise that much money." And 10 out of 10 times I get reminded that I can't do this. But God can. 

Bible study that I signed up for months ago begins, I go by my book and on the About the Study Page I read, "the Book of James and its many themes. Among them is his clear and blunt call to a faith that shows itself through Christians serving the poor, the widowed, and then orphaned." HELLO - coincidence? I think not. At a meeting we were reminded of the verse that Mattaw was founded on, Isiah 61:3b (Message) "Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness" planted by God to display his glory."  The very name Mattaw is the English spelling of the Hebrew name for garden or planting.  The first week of out study we reminded in Luke to grow strong and wise with grace of God, and to grow in wisdom and stature with favor of God. OK, Justin was right and God is getting my heart ready for this experience. OR maybe getting ready will be the experience for me, I know it has been so far. 

So, maybe you aren't called to serve in Africa, Georgia, Honduras, or even Florence. But you can pray for your church family members. You don't have to go out of your way to support them, but don't go out of your way to be negative about what God is calling them to do in their life either. Don't understand why anyone would want to do this, why we are going so far away....I don't understand why people like beets. Evidently that is not for me to understand, but I'm glad Mimi likes them and enjoys them. Thank God we are all different and all called to do different things to the Glory of God. Just ask Him, He will show you to where you are suppose to be. And you never know, you may end up in a children's village half way around the world one day.