Freedom's Call

In the midst of the crowd

2010-01-24T13:32:00.000-08:00

Stretch our your fingertips in the midst of the crowd !!!

There we were in the midst of thousands of people. The crowd was large and loud. Being a part of the sights and sounds of Time Square, New York City New Year's Eve 2009 was indeed quite a unique experience. There was so much sound, and yet I found myself closing everything out in that hour prior to ushering in 2010. I found myself looking out over the huge crowd and asking, How many of these folks know who Jesus Christ is? Are they looking forward to a New Year in which they will have the opportunity to serve The Lord? How many of these folks are filling their empty lives with temporal things that will only last through the night, only to find themselves empty once again on January 1, 2010. How many souls in this sea of humanity are absolutely lost?

For a moment I found myself praying for each member of our family as they approached the New Year. First giving thanks for my husband of 35 years, the love of my life and best friend. Then my prayers turned to our older son Mark and his wife Katie and our younger son Michael and his wife Renee ( pregnant with our first grandchild). What a blessing they all have been.

Then my thoughts were turned to the woman in the scriptures having an issue of blood for twelve years. She was an unclean woman that thought if she could only touch the hem of His garment that she would be healed. She pushed through the crowd and believed as sh extended her fingertips just to touch His garment.

Standing in the NYC crowd, feeling people pressing in against me on all sides I could understand the disciples when they said, Master, the multitude crowd thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touch me?" Luke 8:45 They must have thought how absurd. Really Lord, who touched you?

But they should have known that the Lord would always notice those that need to be healed. He was always aware of those that came to Him, believing with great faith that they would receive. Luke 8:48 Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith had made thee well. Go in peace.

How many times do we feel pressed in against with a great crowd of worry, stress or despair? Are we still willing to move ahead in faith, believing that our Lord will notice our needs? Do we reach out our our Father? Do we believe He will be moved by our touch? Do we really believe in faith not wavering?

In Bruce Wilkinson's book, You Were Born For This, he states, "The amount of our faith___and the actions we take as a result___can either limit or release God to act in a Miracle situation.

Usually we decide not to move ahead because fear grips us and strips us of the power and strength that the Lord promises throughout the scriptures.

Once again from You Were Born For This, " The root of fear is unbelief in our hearts. When we respond with unbelief, we are saying to God, You are not trustworthy. Therefore, if I'm faced with a situation that depends on You to come through, I won't take a risk." What if the unclean woman had not taken the risk?

Bruce Wilkinson continues, " We don't tear down unbelief in our hearts by trying to muster up courage or fan the flames of emotion. We tear it down by rejecting the lies , claiming the truth, and acting on it. Then we take courage in spite of fear... and step out of the boat.

Let's face it, unbelief is sin. We need to spend our energy rejecting Satan's lies and claiming Truths found in His Word.

Why do we try to take care of these thing ourselves? Have you ever heard yourself say: "Oh come on, this problem isn't that big. I shouldn't even bring this before the Lord. Surely I can handle this one myself. You should be ashamed of yourself. Look at these other folks that have major problems. Suck it up and get on with your life."

Reject the lies that Satan tries to put before you and take everything to Him. He wants our conversation, our companionship and our hearts.

Will you choose to extend your fingertips in the crowd and believe?

Debbie Fritz

IN THE BEAUTY OF HIS HOLINESS

2010-01-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

Holiness…I believe this is where my Lord wants me to focus my time with Him during 2010. Of course, I want to draw nearer to Him in every way, but lately He has surrounded me passages, devotions, and Bible study regarding His holiness. I know the signs all too well. When the Lord is trying to draw my attention to something it almost always comes to me in a variety of readings and experiences.

We don’t hear as much about holiness these days as perhaps we should. In Leviticus 11:44a, God commands Israel, “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” And in 1Peter 1:15-16, Peter tells us that we can no longer be conformed to the former lusts which marked our pre-conversion lifestyles, “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior, because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

Jehovah Mekadesh is a beautiful name of God that means The Lord Who Sanctifies You. The name is often overlooked because it is not translated in the English Bible in this form. Yet there is no other name for God that more adequately expresses His nature and the requirements He places on His people. It is first found in Leviticus 20:8, “You shall keep My statues, and practice them; I am the LORD [Jehovah Mekadesh] who sanctifies you.” God inspired Moses to write Leviticus. It is often called The Book of Life. It is indeed about the walk and worship of the redeemed people. In The Names of God, Ken Hemphill writes, “At this point in the life of the nation, Israel was a redeemed people. They had been taken from Egyptian captivity and were being prepared to inhabit the Promised Land. What was Israel to be like in their relationship with God? How would they maintain their distinctive qualities as a people related to God when they settled in a land inhabited by pagan nations who did not know God? Sound familiar???? This is as relevant today as it was during the time Moses lived.

Sanctified means to be set apart. Like Israel, we have been set apart as a holy people. Sanctification suggests that we should be like God in our purity and be set apart unto Him for service. God by His very nature is holy. God’s holiness sets Him apart from all other gods. He alone is God. God’s essential attribute is His holiness. Most often we would say that love is God’s primary attribute. This is a strong argument particularly based on 1 John 4:16, “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” And John 3:16 furthers the compelling argument for God’s love as it declares it was God’s great love that prompted Him to send His only begotten Son for our redemption. Yet, if you follow John’s argument, you will find that the redeeming love of God was to make us fit for His holy presence. God, out of His love, redeemed us so that we could have a relationship with Him.

It is not insignificant that God’s Spirit is referred to as the Holy Spirit. That is not simply a title for the third person of the Trinity; it is a clear recognition that God is a holy God—and when He expresses Himself as Spirit, He is a holy Spirit. Like David I cry out to my Lord, “Do not cast me away from Thy presence, / And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:11) To spend one minute without the Holy Spirit by my side is not a thought I relish.

An old Scottish theologian, Nathan Stone, wrote concerning holiness:

“It is the balance…of all the attributes of Deity.
Power without holiness would degenerate into cruelty.
Omniscience without holiness would become craft.
Justice without holiness would degenerate into revenge.
Goodness without holiness would be passionate and intemperate fondness,
doing mischief rather than accomplishing good.
Love without holiness would become little more than anemic sentimentality; and
Freedom without holiness, mere license.
It is the holiness of God that constitutes the perfection of all His attributes.”

The final book of the Bible tells us that the four living creatures will spend eternity praising God. Their song will be, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD God Almighty.” I want to be holy like Him. I challenge you to PURSUE HOLINESS with me!

(Debbie lives in Dacula with her best friend and husband of 17 years, Sonny, and the love of their life, Bandit!)

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

Christ Bell

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3 :20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13 )
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).. I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
Who you are?

Merry Christmas!!

Amy

He Went Before Me and Made a Way

2009-12-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

We have spent almost one entire year meditating on the Names of God as well as who God says we are. When we began this journey, I was so excited to learn something new about our God. He has knocked my socks off. He is so Faithful, and Gentle and at the same time He is our Protector and Shelter and fiercely protective of His children.

It's that last little bit that has become so precious to me over the last few weeks. Without going into a lot of detail, I was deeply hurt by someone close to me. This wasn't the first time these choices were made and that is what hurt the most. It brought up all sorts of old feelings, fear and insecurities I thought were long gone. I found myself headed down a road that I haven't been down in several years.

Here is what I love about my God. He made a way for me to have some completely alone time with Him before Thanksgiving. It was incredible. To spend time in worship, prayer and most importantly: SILENCE.

I had poured out everything in me and then sat and listened. Do you know what I heard?

Verses. Specifically Psalm 139, where He tells us He knew us before anyone else even knew we existed. That we are fearfully and wonderfully made!

I heard Deut. 33:12 where He tells us the one the Lord love rests between His shoulders.

I heard Him saying that He was with me and FOR me and that He does not forsake those that love Him.

He reminded me to forgive that person again. THAT part was not optional. So I forgave.

He reminded me that I was treasured and protected regardless of what others said or how they acted.

Then I wound up in Psalm 138. I decided that for the next two weeks I would begin to memorize and pray verses 7 and 8.

Here they are from The Message.

When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, with your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal - don't quit on me now.

I share this with you because for almost one year we have concentrated on WHO God says He is and who He says we (Christians) are. If I had not been making a diligent effort to do that, I'm not sure what kind of mess I would be in right now.

But I'm not.

I have peace that I can not describe.

I have the desire to love this person and see complete restoration. Sure, that scares me a little and believe me I've had the "what if" conversation with God. BUT, my friend, He has assured me that He can handle whatever comes up. I am to just choose love today.

As I was reminded in my Bible study this week, weeping is okay. Just make sure you are weeping forward. That is where we are headed. No looking back. FORWARD. Right on the heels of our God. Is there any safer place?

He went before me and made a way for me.

There is no one like my God.

How I love Him.

Blessings,
Stephanie

My Everything

2009-11-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

To fret or not to fret? That is the question.
Your hands are sweaty, your heart is racing, and your
mind is reeling out of control. What brought it on and why can’t you control this feeling? You can’t even remember what initially caused this mode of fretting. You just know your head feels like a volcano about to erupt and your entire body is facing major exhaustion.

Sound familiar? It’s called fretting. Most of us have fallen into that black hole at one time or another. Some go there daily and others find themselves completely debilitated because they choose to stay there day after day with no peace in sight.

We need to find what brought us to that place and deal with the root of the problem. If we take the time to trace the thought process back to the root, we will always find that Satan is standing there feeding us some lie. If we don’t “nip it in the bud”, Satan will enhance that lie and add others to it. He will convince us that we are worth very little. He will have you believe that others are laughing behind your back. The lies will continue to spin a vicious cocoon around your heart and in a short period of time you will become lifeless. He’ll even try and convince you that you are the only one that can control those feelings. That lie could not be further from the truth. Trust me; we must place this sin at the feet of Jesus. He is the One that can destroy it.

Last Monday I found myself ready to drop into that black hole. I had already lost hours of productive time to fretting during the day. I had even permitted him to steal hours of peaceful rest during the night. Satan loves to attack us when we should be resting. The Lord’s position regarding this sin was simple. “Debbie, give no time to fretting, wipe it off your agenda. You need to focus on Me and accomplish all that I have equipped you to produce today.”

Once I got to school the next day I went all around my room saying the name of Jesus constantly; walking up and down each row of chairs. As I touched each chair in my room, I prayed for each child that would enter my classroom that day. I called His name on my breath constantly throughout the day. He rescued me. He gave me my lesson plans for the day... and the fretting stopped. At the name of Jesus, the demons trembled.

We have so much power through Him, if we will only breathe His name and believe in His promises. That day, the names of Jesus washed over me. It was as if the Lord gave me a front row seat in a fancy movie theater. Name after name of my Savior flashed across the screen reminding me that He is and was and will always be My Everything.

You know the signs of fretting. When they begin their deceptive dance, decide what lie Satan wants you to believe. Command Satan to flee and then set about your daily routine empowered with His word, the Names of Jesus and the desire to serve Him even more boldly.

Revelation Song
Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus Your Name is Power
Breath of living water
Such a Marvelous Mystery.

Debbie Fritz

"Not I, But Christ"

2009-11-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

What does that verse mean to you? To me, it means that we have someone on whom we can depend, no matter what may come in life. We have someone who will restore us. We have someone who will love and strengthen us. When we don’t feel like we have the power or courage to go on, Christ becomes our strength and deliverer. The Christ of the Bible, the Creator of the universe, wants to be uniquely active in our lives. In Him we find everything we could ever need to make it through life.

We don’t stand alone when we walk the steps of life. We don’t stand alone when we talk about Jesus to someone we meet. We don’t stand alone, even when we feel completely abandoned. We don’t stand alone when our families are in trouble or our marriages are falling apart. God wants to help us through every challenge in life. He wants us to lay our burdens at His feet.

As I look at the challenges in my life, I can only pray to God, “Lord, I can’t do it, but You can. So please, do it.”

Debbie lives in Dacula, GA with her most wonderful husband and their 4-legged wonder Bandit.

I AM FROG!!

2009-11-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

It seems like every time we turn around there is another crisis. Whether it be within our family, a personal friend, or the world. We all know of someone going through a crisis right now. All you have to do is watch the news or pick up a paper. What is happening? is there any peace? Well if all you do is rely on the media, you would not think so.Even as we exam our own lives, our own crisis it is so easy to be sucked into this world of despair. We do not need to do this. it will only pull us down and then we can't be who God wants us to be.

I have been learning to Fully Rely On God(FROG). This summer when I was at McDonalds I got a Happy Meal. The toy I got was a miniature beanie baby- it was a frog. His name was Jumps. I thought how appropriate..We own an moonwalk business. later I was reminded by a special friend that frog stands for fully rely on God.I had heard that before, but at that time in my life it held a whole new meaning. I know keep him in my car as a daily reminder to FROG.

God is our refuge and strength a very present help in time of trouble.Psalm 46:1 and then 9 verses later it says in Psalm 46:10, Be still and know I am God. He is there for us all we have to do is be still and rely on His strength and power. We can't deal with any our our crisis on our own - we were not made to. God wants us to rely on Him that is how He made us.

Some people believe that God only is concerned with our big crisis', but I believe He is concerned with our smallest crisis.If He knows the number of hairs on our head, then He knows ALL of our crisis and He wants us to bring them to Him and let Him handle them. He will do a much better job than we will anyway!

That is where you will find real peace. When we can truly turn everything over to Him and let Him have control. Easier said than done? I think we will find if we will surrender to Him our life will be a lot easier.

So next time you see a frog.. Remember it is just a reminder to FULLY RELY ON GOD!

Amy lives in Lawrenceville with her husband Jerry and their 3 boys and 2 dogs

I am Blessed!!!

2009-10-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus......................................... to the end that we Who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:3-12)As I sat down to write I was struck with the awe of our God. I am His child and I know Who I am has nothing to do with this world but totally to do with Christ in me, the Hope of Glory. As I walk through this season of my life I am awed by the work He has done in my life. The things of the world are growing strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. I am confronted daily with the awe of knowing I am accepted ( Romans 15:7) not on the basis of my own works but on the finished work of Christ. Therefore there is never a time when I am not accepted. Not only am I accepted but I am adequate for the role He has me in. 2 Cor 3:5 says Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves but my adequacy is from God. Therefore I can lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles me and run with endurance the race that is set before me, looking unto Jesus the author, finisher and perfector of my faith. (Hebrews 12) In the race as I encounter various trials I can be confident that after I have suffered for a little while, the God of all Grace Who called me to His eternal Glory in Christ will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish me. ( 1 Pt. 5:10) And in the process of that I am more than a conqueror, that nothing can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. ( Romans 8:39)

Based on Who I am in Christ I see life through His eyes. This past month our family was faced with something you think only happens to other people or that you see in movies but as we have walked through it and seen the Lord do miracles again in each of is and those around us I am now convinced that whatever trial may come my way, instead of wanting it gone, I know that the one who redeemed me and transferred me from the Kingdom of Darkenss to the Kingdom of Light is up to something good. That no weapon formed again me will prosper and that He is working all things together for Good and He will receive Glory.

My prayer for you is that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened so that you may know what is the Hope of your calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe. (Eph 1:18)

Nothing you accomplish on this earth can compare with the surpassing greatness of knowing Him - of knowing Who you are in Him. The greatest accomplishments in my life are pale in comparison to Him.

I pray you will take time to reflect on a few of His promises to you and ask Him to show you the reality of that truth in your life today. Don't waste your time - He has everything you need and more.

Here is a start to think about:

You are chosen - Col 3:12
You are His Handiwork - Eph 2:10
You are inscribed in His Palm - Isaiah 49:16
Your are His - Isaiah 43:1

Now these are the things to shout about and nothing and noone can take it from you. My dear sisters, rest in the unchanging character of God and the precious position, of knowing Him, has placed you. If you would like a "Who I am in Christ" booklet, email me at jmilligan3@carolina.rr.com and I will mail you one as long as the supply lasts.

O Magnify the Lord with Me and Let us exalt His name together.

Jill

How Do You Smell?

2009-10-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

A pleasant aroma. It is what continued to come to my mind as I prepared to post here tonight. I sat and tried my hardest to come up with a post centered around that theme, but God reminded me that I had already written it. This is a post that was on my personal blog last October. It is exactly what I feel God wants me to share here tonight...I pray that it ministers to you!

Earlier this summer we made a weekend trip to Chattanooga. It was hot, boy was it hot. As we pulled into town, we decided to go see Chad's mom and her husband first. After two hours in the car, we were all ready to stretch our legs. Our toy poodle Paddington needed to run and since they live on several acres, it was the perfect way to start our family visit.

We pulled up and got out of the car. Almost immediately one of the girls said "Gag a maggot mom, what is that smell?" I gave her the "mom look" that pretty much said, hush your mouth and don't say anything else.

As Chad's mom came out she told us that earlier in the morning, a skunk had wandered down very close to the house. The dogs spooked it and he "hid" up against the house. I guess the dogs wouldn't leave the poor little skunk alone, so he decided to leave them a gift. (Oh yes he did, and from the way it smelled...he didn't have any stink left in him.)

My first thought was, thank goodness it was outside and the little stink bomb didn't get into the house!! I'm so glad I didn't say that out loud! My mother in law then told us that their entire house smelled like skunk all morning, but that the smell was better now.

We headed into the house for the comfort of air conditioning and to escape the skunk smell only to find, it was worse in the house. That one daughter of mine, the one that had already been pretty vocal, looked at me with huge eyes. She started to say something, but I quickly gave her the look again. She hushed and put her hand over her nose and mouth. And yes, I talked to her about that once we got back into the car.

I felt so bad for them! It had been almost 8 hours since the "spraying incident" and the odor was still very strong. Bless her heart she had tried everything...opening windows, candles, air freshener you name it, she tried it. As hard as she worked, you can't just air that smell out over a couple of hours. It takes time as much as anything. After the initial aggravation of the entire incident wore off...she was having a good laugh. I still felt bad for her!

We had a nice visit and got in the car to head to my parents. Once we got there, my mom hugged us and said...did you hit a skunk on the way here? We cracked up and told them the story. Here's the thing...

We had spent about an hour or so with Chad's mom. And yes, the aroma was startling to begin with, but the longer we were there the less shocking it became. We didn't realize that just being in that environment would change OUR aroma.

We immediately changed clothes and tossed our skunk scented clothing into the washing machine. We washed our hands and realized that we would have to wash our hair too.

Until Saturday, the Skunk Incident of 08 had slipped my mind. This Chinese Proverb was on my calendar Saturday:

"Flowers leave their fragrance on the hand that bestows them."

I thought about my recent actions, my words, my attitude. I had been pretty "skunky" last week. As a result there were several days that I know my children's behavior was a direct reflection of MY actions. They were irritable because I was irritable.

I did not bestow sweet smelling flowers very often last week.

My "stink" rubbed off on them.

God's word tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

"Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."

Whew...that hit home big time. We, believers in Jesus Christ ARE the aroma of God in this world.

And you know what God REALLY impressed on my heart?

The world....

starts at home.

"How am I smelling God?" It's a question I'm starting to ask more often.

Have a blessed week!
Stephanie

A Spiritual Journey - An Iron Man Event

2009-09-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

An Iron Man Event

Our younger son Michael just completed his first 70.3 Iron Man, an athletic event which includes a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run. This particular Iron Man event was the second largest one in the world, with over 3,500 athletes participating. After making the decision to enter, he told many of his friends. Many competitive athletes know if they verbalize their goals they will be more accountable. They are definitely locked in. With his commitment in place, he began training. Serious physical training was essential, but with this being his first Iron Man, he knew he would need to glean knowledge from seasoned veterans. A dear friend of the family gave Michael informative books and magazines to read. But more importantly, he gave him words of wisdom and a promise that he would be praying over the entire Iron Man journey.

Michael didn’t jump right in and tackle the full 70.3 miles. He gradually started to take on more distance while decreasing his time. He was careful to feed his body proper nutrition and to rest in order to recuperate physically and mentally. He set goals for himself. He achieved those and moved forward after hitting each benchmark. He realized the importance of pacing himself. He knew daily and weekly schedules would be vital. His sweet wife, Renee, was there to offer encouragement and research proper nutrition for this type of event. As husband and wife, they discussed the importance of sacrifices that each of them would have to make over the next few months. Competition would be within himself, not so much against others. He decided not to compare himself to others and become frenzied, but to focus on his goals.

It has been great to talk with Michael over the past four months of preparation. He knew he had strong support system from family and friends. On the day of the event we got up very early and traveled to Augusta, GA. to see him compete. Although we couldn’t see every mile of the race, we were there at benchmark spots to yell words of encouragement, display signs, hand him bottles of water and take lots of pictures to capture those memories. Folks that could not attend pledged that they would be praying for him throughout the day. Countless spectators offered words of encouragement and shouts of praise to thousands of participants they had never seen before.

Michael’s main goal was to finish the race.
He would indeed give it his personal best.

How did he do?

He finished the 1.2 mile swim in record time. He decreased his time from 45 minutes to 31 minutes. He came out of the water with a smile on his face ready for the 56 mile bike trek. All was going well, until the last 12 miles of the bike run. His rear tire went flat. Unfortunately, no one was there to help him repair it, so he biked the last 12 miles with a flat tire, which meant he had to put all of his weight on the front tire. Needless to say, his legs took a beating on those 12 miles. Once he completed the bike trek, he had to face 13.1 miles of running. Obviously cramping set in, but he persevered. While he had set a personal best of finishing in 6 hours, he knew he would have to settle for a much longer time. He refocused and ran across the finish line in 7 hours and 20 minutes. We were so proud of him. He had finished the race, differently than he had planned, but with a sense of accomplishment. He didn’t quit, he didn’t look back, but pressed ahead toward the prize… the finish line.

A Spiritual Journey

As I looked back over the Iron Man event I realized how many things parallel our spiritual lives.

We must make our decision to follow Christ. No one else can make that decision for us. Many of you can remember that decisive moment. You ran to tell others and they rejoiced with you and surrounded you with lots of prayer support and words of encouragement. If you were wise you found an accountability partner. I still call on accountability partners for many areas of my life. They help keep me in line. While Michael trained four months for this event, our training will take a lifetime. We must spend time in His word and seek His wisdom. We need to feed our bodies daily, always being sure to rest in order to more fully develop our relationship with Him.

There will be moments of great sacrifice. You will have “flat tire” situations in your life with no one around to rescue you. Will you press on? Will you persevere? We must be like the dying seed, that sheds the outer skin and blossoms a new from within. Count on others to offer words of encouragement. Seek out faithful prayer warriors and offer to stand in the gap for others in need. And remember, sometimes we finish parts of our lives differently than we had planned. Sometimes we will feel beaten down.
How will you refocus? How will you finish your race?

If you want to finish the race…give Him your personal best.

Phil 3:14
I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Michael and Renee

2009-09-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

I AM always on His mind!

Do you believe this statement? Have you had personal experiences that bear witness to His attention to every detail of your life? God is 100% faithful. He will never leave us or forsake us. He CHOOSES to be in relationship with us. That truth is ever so humbling. I am living it in a new way, and I want to share my most recent encounter with the One and Only.

In mid-August I developed vertigo. If you have ever been seasick or dizzy-sick after a ride at Six Flags, you KNOW what I mean! Vertigo is like being seasick 24/7. There is not one second of fun associated with it. This illness turned my life upside down for FIVE weeks. Medication did not help and physical therapy brought only temporary relief.

During this time I was humbled on several levels, but one of the toughest aspects of having vertigo was being incredibly dependent on others. I could not drive, I could not read (and I was in the middle of final exams for summer classes during this time), I couldn’t stand or walk without holding on to someone, could not exercise (that was NOT a bonus!), and I wasn’t able to lead in worship at my church … that was heartbreaking. We don’t stop and think about how many daily functions depend on our ability to stand up! And what I mentioned only represents a few of the daily living activities that were impacted by having vertigo.

As miserable as I felt during those five weeks, I was encouraged daily by God’s presence. He gave me the courage to ask for help when I needed it. I was reminded of what an awesome husband He has given me. God has also given me the best friends anyone could ask for. They did for me what I could not do. My ever-present Father brought encouragement through His Word and gave me prayer warriors in great numbers.

One of those prayer warriors represents the most incredible blessing I’ve ever received. Because I am always on His mind, He put me on the heart of someone I did not know. She heard about my illness through a friend. God continued to put me on her heart for a couple of weeks, and then He gave her a plan. What seemed like “out of the blue” to me came the offer to give me a therapeutic massage to see if it would help. I was hesitant because of not being able to lie down, roll over, drive, etc., etc.!! But I sensed the offer was God-ordained, and whether or not it brought healing, I was to allow my new friend to be obedient to what God had instructed her to do.

PRAISE GOD! He instantly brought healing to my broken body and my troubled heart during that massage session. I am still in awe of what God did that day. I’m stunned over His ways. Only a God like Him could orchestrate such a miracle. And because my new friend LISTENED to Him and took a bold step to offer help using her giftedness I can give GLORY TO MY FATHER. I love to give and do for others, but I am not very good at receiving. God used this trial in my life to open my heart to receive and allow me to have a tangible experience to receive His love. When I could not stand I could lean on Him. He stood up for me!

I am ALWAYS on His mind, and I’ll never forget what He did for me through His Son Jesus Christ and what He did to bring healing to me through this trial. PRAY, BELIEVE, REST, and RECEIVE!!!

Debbie lives in Dacula with her awesome husband of 17 years (it's our anniversary!) and their 4-legged wonder, Bandit.

Ongoing Call August 2009

2009-08-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

What a weekend we had! From the moment we checked into the Bed and Breakfast, we felt right at home. Thank you leadership team for going above and beyond last weekend.

The group of ladies that we had the honor of serving were there to meet with Jesus. They were ready and eager to worship and hear the Word He had for them. And boy oh boy what a word it was!

Jill amazes me. She so beautifully shares what God puts on her heart. It isn't always an easy thing, but you can be sure if she is teaching it she has lived it! Thank you Jill for sharing truth. I'm sure I speak for many others when I say God taught me something new this weekend. Thank you for being obedient to teach His word.

I so want to just type up my notes and share them with you, BUT....that would be A LOT of information. (Maybe we could come to your church and you could just experience it live and in person!!) I do want to share one thought that I have been chewing on since last weekend. Are you ready?

We need TRANSFORMATION by the Word of God NOT just INFORMATION from the Word of God. Oh ladies. I know what the power of God's word can do in your life! He has changed my life. If He can do it for me, He can do it for you! May we never get over that each and every time we open our Bible we are reading the WORD OF GOD. There is power in it! Heb.4:12 says it is alive and active and sharper than a two edged sword! I want to, as James 1 says receive the implanted word of God deep in my heart! Oh boy I could go on and on and on about this. :)

One of my favorite memories is the very end of the day Saturday. To watch each precious lady make the choice to get up, come to the altar and exchange her chain for the yolk of Christ was very emotional. As we shared communion I was once again overcome by the love our Heavenly Father.

Thank you Norma and your sweet team for hosting us. You all hold a very special place in our hearts.

May He who began a good work in you last weekend, be faithful to complete it! We look forward to hearing what God is doing in your community!!

Anticipating Him!
Stephanie

I am able to do ALL things

2009-08-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how you were going to get through another day, hour, or minute? Are you so stressed out you feel you are on a merry go round spinning out of control? You want to cry out, but will anyone hear you? Does anyone care?

Well ladies that is my life right now. This summer has been one of the most stressful times in my life. Nothing bad has happened; there have just been huge changes for all 5 of us. As you know any kind of change always brings stress. It seems like everyday there is always something else to take care of or to do. This is my reality right now, but I have great news!

God hears all of our cries! Our cries of desperation, anger, fear, doubt, and sadness. He loves us so much and he doesn’t want us to be stressed out. He wants us to rest in Him. He is our Father and He wants us to give Him complete and total control of our lives. He wants us to surrender to Him.

I know God will give me the strength to surrender to Him. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It is only through Christ that we can face another minute, hour or day. It is only though Christ that you will get off your merry go round. He is right there waiting on you, will you surrender to Him?

I am surrendering to Him to take over because I can’t handle it. I was never suppose too. He already has a plan for my life and He knows exactly what to do. It is only when we totally surrender to Christ that we will have true freedom. I am a work in progress and I claim Phil. 4:13 daily. My prayer is that you will make Phil. 4 :13 a daily part of your life.

Love ya,
Amy

Amy lives in Lawrenceville with her husband Jerry and her 3 boys.

I am a Daughter of the King

2009-08-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

As we continue on this journey reflecting on Who We Are in Christ I hope you will find those quiet moments to do some reflecting yourself. I so often am totally transformed by that simple song, Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of the world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. As I begin to utter those words, truly the things of the world WILL grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. We are bombarded daily with messages that say, You need this, You should look like this, act like this, hold positions like this, make money like this etc. And yet if you look around you we have a very dysfunctional society all looking to get their needs met anyway they can and still feel empty. As I have been seeking the Lord the message is so clear for me. It does not matter what day I read, or what I read, the message is consistent. My Daddy is saying, Come unto Me, Open your heart so that I can bring healing and restoration to your soul and spirit, Set your mind on things above, See from my heavenly perspective, Rejoice in knowing that I am with you in all things, Look and see beyond the flesh and worldly concerns. I will lead you and guide you and bring the wisdom of this age to you rmind. Purify your conscience. Set all things in order according to My Word.

As I began to think what to share with you concerning Who I am in Christ, the thing that would not leave my mind is I am a Daughter of the King. You may be saying, I know that. But do you? Do I? Do we really embrace that our Daddy owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the earth is His and all it contains, That nothing was made that was made apart from Him, that He puts rulers in positions and removes them and on and on. One of my favorite passages is when He was talking to Job. I remember the moment this was first put in perspective for me. I was sitting on the beach in Panama City very troubled with some things that had just happened to me. After I had shared my frustration with the Lord, I opened my Bible to the daily reading and actually began to laugh out loud. Verse 12, says, "Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place....... Wow and Wow! The one WHO commands the morning is MY Daddy! It is going to be Okay!

But do we live like that? I was thinking of the movie Princess Diaries. This is a quick synopsis but hopefully will make the point. She was the daughter of a prince who had died and her grandmother was Queen of Genovia. She was living in America almost in poverty with her Mom. It becomes time for a new Queen - she is the likely candidate - Grandmother finds her - takes here there and she learns the ways of a Queen - Of course there is more to the story but for today's post think of the correlation. Alot of us are living in spiritual poverty and yet are daughters of the king. We know that is a reality but because of circumstances of life we live as if we are not. He sent His Son to show us the way and when He left He sent the H.S. to indwell us so we could live the life He meant for us. How are you living?

Are you living under the expectations of this world, people around you, the position you hold or are you experiencing the freedom of knowing you are a princess and your Daddy owns it all, and is able to provide what you need, when you need it, and how much you need at the time you need it? Are you living knowing that nothing escapes your Daddy's notice and He is able to accomplish what concerns you from the past, present and future? Are you living knowing that you are not a victim? That no one can thwart what your Daddy has put in motion for you?

Now lets go back to Princes Diaries one more time. When it came time for her to be queen there was one stipulation and that was she had to be married. The time was fleeting and if she was not married she could not be queen. She came to a point that she realized she could not get married just to be queen and came before the people and shared her dream to be their queen but also her view of marriage was much more and to get married for this reason would violate who she really was. She appealed to them to think of their own daugthers...........

Wow, to be a daughter of the King we must not allow ourselves to be victims, we must not allow the enemy to tell us He won't provide, we must not compromise our values to receive anything. For He truly owns it all.

I don't know where you are in your life today but I do know Your Daddy knows. Sit back in his lap. Accept His love, His counsel, His grace, His mercy, and on and on. You don't have to beg. You are His and He is Yours. His Banner over you is Love.

In closing, I must share what my Daddy did for me this week. Joel has been out of work for over 6 months. Our Daddy has been faithful. We have been blessed and stretched. Mid way into this we had the privilege of hosting a young missionary couple in our home for a month. We could not have asked for better house guests and we were blessed by them. As summer approached we knew we would not be vacationing and out of the blue they offered us their beach house in Fort Walton Beach for 10 days. My Daddy knew we did not have the resources but needed the rest so He provided a place through them. And our Daddy did not just provide a place but He provided a beautiful place. I am sitting here looking out at the bay and stand in awe of my Daddy. He is faithful. He is your Daddy. Go to Him! He is waiting! You are His daughter.

Blessings from another daughter of the King,

Jill Milligan

A New Series

2009-08-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

We have spent several months sharing different names and attributes of our Savior. It has been exciting to log on each week and read what God has been showing one of my sisters. He has used each one of these posts to remind me that He is very serious about being involved in every aspect of our life.

As personal and vulnerable as we have been sharing what God has been teaching us about Himself, we are embarking on a journey that will require us to be even more open with you.

As I sit to type this first post in the new series, I have a strong impression that yes it will be sweet, but there may be weeks when it is hard. God's word says in Deut. But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

We are going to seek Him and ask Him to show us something new. Would you pause now and ask Him to speak to you?

If I were to ask you face to face “Who does God say you are?” What would your answer be?

My guess is some of you would say things like forgiven, loved, or redeemed. A few may say daughter of the King, or Princess. All beautiful, and correct answers for a woman who has received Jesus Christ as her Savior! Girlfriend the Holy Spirit of God lives in you and you are Royalty an Heiress for goodness sake!

Since we aren’t face to face I want you to ask yourself “Who am I in Christ?"

I’ve been asking myself this question daily for a week and one word continues to come to the front of my mind.

SECURE.

God says I am secure. Regardless of everything going on around me, I am secure. My life verse is Deuteronomy 33:12 it says:

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in HIM, for HE shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.”

God gave me a visual of this verse when my youngest daughter was around 2. She had the flu and was very clingy. It was nap time, but I knew she was not going to nap in her bed for very long. I was at that point where I needed a nap too so we just cuddled up on the couch.

Earlier in the day, I had read this verse in my Bible study homework. It had consumed my mind and my heart. I grabbed my Bible and my journal in hopes that Emma would sleep and I could write down my thoughts before I grabbed a quick power nap.

Emma was very congested so I had her sort of sitting up facing me with her head against my chest. She could breath easier this way and I could prop up and read. As I read that verse again, I felt the Lord speaking to my heart.

You see Emma had quickly gone to sleep and she was FINALLY resting. Her labored breathing had slowed down and had fallen into a pattern similar to mine.

She was resting between my shoulders. Close enough for her breathing to fall into sync with mine. Her head was close enough to feel my heartbeat. She felt safe, secure and free to rest.

God reminded me that He offers me the same thing each and every day. I have the freedom to crawl into His lap, put my head on His chest and let my breathing,my heart beat fall into sync with His.

It is a safe place. A secure place. A stable place.

Isaiah 33:6 tells us that God will be the stability or the sure foundation of our times.

Regardless of what is going on in my life I know that my God knows. He is my sure and stable foundation. Nothing can shake Him. If I am living as one who believes she is secure, I will not be shaken. Life may throw some hard things my way. It may feel overwhelming and like the fight of all fights! BUT, my Savior says in Deut. 33:12 He shields me all day long and I can rest secure.

I am a SECURE heiress of God! Is there a more secure place to be than between the shoulders of the One who gave His only Son's life for you and for me?

What kind of impact would we have if we really believed we are secure? I wonder what would happen in our communities, our churches and most importantly in our homes if we started living as a secure woman. I want to leave you with a quote from a favorite Bible teacher...

"My theology has not become my reality when I refuse to walk in the security of Christ and who I am in Him!"

Oh my sweet friends, lets press in a little closer and make the choice to believe we are who God says we are! Let's walk a little more secure knowing that we are HIS.

Anticipating Him!
stephanie

2009-07-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

He is … Faithful and True

The scriptures are packed with verses reminding us of the faithfulness of God. Countless musicians have composed hymns and songs about His faithfulness.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

How can we become more faithful? With the celebration of each birthday or anniversary can we journal how God has been faithful to us? Yes! But how many paragraphs in our journals do we compose about the ways we have been faithful to God?

Summer vacation always provides a lot of time for reflection for me. Summer seems to be the time I can recharge my battery in preparation for the fall when I go back for another year of teaching Middle School musicians. If you know anything about middle school students, you definitely need to recharge in the summer.

When the Lord is working on a particular character trait in me, He brings me to His word so that I can search His character first. Secondly, He shows me men and women in the Bible that have grown in that area. Finally, He lets me encounter personal stories through living testimonies in my own world.

At the beginning of the summer my husband and I took a trip to Arizona. God’s handiwork was evident at every turn. One trip to the Grand Canyon will remind you that He is God and you are not. In the midst of all of that beauty, “Revelation Song” …With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings” still rings in my ears every time I look at the summer photos. Our faithfulness can be found in our voice of praise.

My sister, Rita and I took a short trip to Charleston S.C. If you have a sister make plans next summer to spend some time alone with her. We have been doing this for five years now. God always shows up and shows out when we’re together. Sometimes you’ll be laughing so hard that you’re crying and other times you are just crying together. “Sometimes we find our hearts in a thousand pieces, maybe more.”

from Mandisa’s “Broken Hallelujah” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH16B5449Iw

ministered to my sister and I, as we continue to be faithful to all that God has called us to and continues to bring us through. Our faithfulness can be found in our willingness to stay true even in the very difficult times.

Then it was off to Pennsylvania for a few days with each of our parents. What a sweet sound of faithfulness to hear my mother-in-law reading scripture aloud to my father-in-law at the breakfast table before they began their day of taking Meals On Wheels to those in need. At my home I would rise to see my dad sitting in the living room pouring over God’s word as he does every day. In the evenings we listened to CDs speaking of Bible Prophecy, one of my mom’s favorite topics. I wonder how many times those four saints have prayed over my family. Our faithfulness can be found in our prayer life.

Our next stop was to visit a dear High School friend that is on her 63rd chemo treatment over the last six years. Her lips could not praise God enough for who He is. She has found her HOPE in the Lord and shares that with everyone she meets. Our faithfulness can be found in our testimony.

Before we returned home, we visited Pawleys Island S.C. with friends. The sights and sounds of the beach showed forth the handiwork of the Master once again. But this time, I was more taken by the faithfulness of God to provide such special friends. He wants us to fellowship with Him, but he provides such sweet fellowship with other believers. I was touched by the love these couples had for one another. As we talked about His faithfulness, I was once again reminded of the importance of praying for your children and their future spouses. Now that both of our sons have found the sweet bride that continues to complete them, I know that over 20 years of prayers on their behalf was not too much to ask of me. Our faithfulness can be found in our sacrifice.

No, we did not vacation the entire summer. We were only gone about 20 days. God is just faithful to pack a lot into a short period of time. Today, I am blessed to celebrate one of the sweetest testimonies of faithfulness, our 35th Wedding Anniversary. Our faithfulness can be found in our love for one another.

In the next few days of your journey with Christ, ask Him how you can be more faithful. And remember: He will always be faithful to your faithfulness.

I remain ever thankful to a Faithful and True God.
Debbie Fritz

2009-07-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

HE IS……the "ARM OF THE LORD"

I’m posting another eye-opening examination of a common phrase that transformed my thinking of how powerful my Abba Daddy is in my life right now, and also a revelation of just how powerful He has been my ENTIRE LIFE. So many experiences come to mind of just how He reached down from heaven to rescue me, guide me, and teach me LONG BEFORE I accepted Him into my life as Ruler of my life. How awesome to dialogue with Him now about all that He has done for me! Let’s study His word together.

Definition of “Arm of the Lord” from Webster's Dictionary - Figurative of power or might

Nelson's Bible Dictionary - A symbol of God's power, strength or might (see Ps. 89:13, Is. 53:1)

A common scripture reference talks about God’s deliverance during the Exodus, when He redeemed Israel from bondage in Egypt (see Ps. 77:15, Is. 63:12). But there are many other examples that relate to our everyday experiences. Each one elaborates on God's character in a different way.

Numbers 11:23, "…is the Lord's arm too short? …"

In this passage the Israelites are complaining about the manna and demanding meat. Moses questions how God can provide enough meat for 600,000. God’s reply to Moses is in the form of a question, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?”

It is easy to trust God when we "see" His mighty works but after a while, in the routine of daily life, His strength may appear to diminish. God doesn't change, but our view of Him often does! The monotony of day-to-day living lulls us into forgetting how powerful God can be. God's strength is always available!

Hebrews 12:12, "Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees."

I had to include this reference even though it refers to human arms. God is a disciplining parent and a demanding coach who pushes us to our limits and requires our lives to be disciplined. OH, HOW I FALL SHORT! Although we may not feel strong enough to push on to victory, we will be able to accomplish it as we follow Christ and draw on His strength. I don't draw on His strength, as I should, particularly in times of temptation.

Exodus 6:6, "…I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment."

Small problems need only small answers! But big problems give God an opportunity to exercise His great power and give big answers!!

Exodus 15:16, "…By the power of Your arm they will be as still as a stone --"

Here Moses is giving praise to God after crossing the Red Sea and seeing the Egyptian solders drowned as the waters returned. God's power is amazing! We had an experience while driving to the beach yesterday that revealed God’s amazing power. Unbelievable and so undeserved!

Deut. 5:15, "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm."

I must remember that God has rescued me from the slavery of sin and eternity in hell with His mighty arm. My response to His gift should be complete obedience. Why is that so hard?!

Deut. 9:29, "But they are your people, your inheritance, that You brought out by Your great power and Your outstretched arm."

I AM HIS INHERITANCE! What a privilege. What a waste if I don't claim it and live it to the fullest!

Deut. 26:8, "So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders."

God's ways and methods are higher than ours. Notice the words, "great terror." Some of our most terrible experiences are turned into good because of the Lord's rescue missions in our lives. Also notice the words, "miraculous signs and wonders." Do we really accept the things He has done as miracles???? If we did, we would not be able to get out of bed in the morning without crawling!

Deut. 33:20 reminds us that the “Arm of the Lord” is just and merciful.

Punishment is necessary for growth and character development.

2 Kings 17:36, "But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the One you must worship. To Him you shall bow down and to Him offer sacrifices."

The "One I must worship" … I've been convicted lately there are times when I worship other things and put more energy into things of this world rather than on my loving Father. That makes me very sad.

2 Chron. 32:8, "With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles."

Victory is not by our might or power but by the Lord's Spirit. The battles we face everyday can be won with God's strength. Again I say “why don't I call on Him when I'm tempted???” After all, my life's verse is Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Why don't I live my life's verse? URRRRGH!

Job 35:9, "Men cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful."

Again, why am I not living in the strength that runs through my veins?

Job 40:9, "Do you have an arm like God's…"

Ps. 44:3, "It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You loved them."

In this passage, surrounded by enemies, the psalmist remembered what God had done for His people and took heart. We can have this same confidence in God when we feel attacked.

Ps. 89:10, "…with Your strong arm You scattered Your enemies."

I love this because I am reminded that no matter how hard satan tries to keep Freedom's Call from being what God wants it to be, GOD IS IN CONTROL!! He will scatter our enemies and remove the roadblocks!

Is. 30:30, "The Lord…will make them see His arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire…"

God disciplines. He justifies wrongs done to His people. Ponder that!

Is. 40:10, "See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and His arm rules for Him."

Is. 40:11, "He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart…"

How my heart is warmed when I think of God gathering me into His arms and carrying me close to His heart! He is powerful, yet careful and gentle. We are powerful when we rely on God's caring strength.

Is. 51:5, "my arm will bring justice to the nations."

This is a sobering scripture in lieu of the moral decline of our nation…..

Jeremiah 17:5, "…the Lord says: 'Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength (arm) and whose heart turns away from the Lord.’”

Once again, not a scripture pointing to the "Arm of the Lord" but a powerful revelation of how we error when we rely on ourselves instead of God. People who trust in human beings and/or false gods will be barren and unfruitful. Those who trust in God flourish like trees planted by water. Those trusting in humans will be impoverished and spiritually weak and have no strength to draw upon. Those trusting in the Lord will have abundant strength for themselves and others.

I don't know about you, but I WANT TO BE A HUGE WILLOW TREE PLANTED BY THE WATER!!!!

Debbie lives in Dacula, GA with her amazing husband Sonny and super-dog Bandit.

He is our Way Maker

2009-07-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

God is Our Way Maker

Have you ever been really excited about something? I am sure we all have been about one thing or another. In this world of instant gratification we want it now or even yesterday. But what happens when we have to wait? And then wait some more.

We just knew this was what God wanted for us and that it was perfect timing. At least in our minds. So why are we having to wait? This is God’s plan for me, right? Why isn’t he giving me the results I want? After all I did pray about this and it has all just fallen into place…..

Questioning God is a natural thing. We have to remember that we are on God’s time table not ours. It is very hard sometimes to trust that God has our back and He does know what He is doing. It is not our plan, but that His perfect plan for our lives will be revealed only in His timing.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait on the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, and they will walk and not be faint.

My husband and I are going through a time right now where we are having to wait. We thought everything was going to be great because we could see God’s hand all over it, but there have been a lot of roadblocks along the way. We are trusting God to complete the great work He has started, but like I said it is in His timing not ours. Frustration and anger are real, but it is when we rest in Him that He makes a way for us.

There is a song out now called While I Am Waiting by John Waller. This is a powerful song from the movie Fireproof. I have included the lyrics. If you haven’t heard it I encourage you to look it up and listen.

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Rest in Him and he will make a way for you no matter what you are going through!

Have a great week!!!

Love ya,

Amy

HE IS GOD

2009-07-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

July 6, 2009

We have been sharing with you for the past 4 months Who God is in the midst of our lives. That He is totally trustworthy in all situations of life no matter what those situations are. And in those life circumstances as He is Who He is to us, He is perfecting us and conforming us to His image. What a mighty God we serve. Everything He is and Does is for His Glory and our Good.
In the past 7 months of our life we have experienced 5 ( that I can remember) of the main stresses in a person’s life one right after another; some amazingly wonderful and others challenging. In all textbook conclusions we should be whatever they say we should be. But God!
It started with a wonderful call on Kimberly’s life to Mission Work. This call was confirmed on November 11, 2008 and her first assignment was in January 2009 to YWAM in Kona, Hawaii. Yes, you got it, 50 days to prepare, fill out all paperwork, raise support and go. At the same time we were rejoicing in this I was going back and forth to Atlanta to see my Mother who was in her last days in a nursing home . She had been failing since May of 2008 and my heart was filled with gratitude to the Lord that I was free to spend a good bit of time with her in her last days. Several days before Thanksgiving she passed. The memorial service was amazing and at each corner we saw the Hand of the Lord and rejoiced in His goodness to us through my Mom’s life and the memories that would be there forever.
In all of this He was faithful and we put Kimberly on a plane January 1st heading to Kona. Faithful is He Who calls us and He will bring it to pass.
20 days later Joel was laid off. And as of today, we are still seeking His face for a job. But God. He has provided all our needs and we stand amazed!
In April and May I began to suffer a lot of pain with my R.A. again and many days wanted to give in to it but He reminded me that his strength is perfected in my weakness, so I began to thank Him for the things I could do instead of focusing on the things I could not do. It made me thankful when I could get out of a chair or turn a knob. It made me realize truly that apart from Him I could not nothing. Wow and Wow. He truly was my strength when I was weak, He truly was the treasure that I see, He truly was my all and all.
On May 14th I woke up in the middle of the night in so much pain I thought I was having a heartatache. In the morning I went to urgent care and found out I had pneumonia and they put me in the hospital. While I was in the hospital Joel began to have some of the same symptoms and as I was being released on the 18th Joel was being admitted with a blood clot in his lung and pneumonia. It was the strangest thing to leave the hospital and go to the emergency room to see Joel being admitted. He then was in for a week and was released on May 25th. On May 26th we got a call from Atlanta that his Mom was not doing well and that they were taking her to the hospital. Joel immediately left for Atlanta. She was admitted on the 26th, put in hospice on the 28th and passed on the 30th.

Why do I tell you all this?? Because in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us and gave Himself up for us. Our lives are a mixture of wonderful blessings and amazing challenges, BUT GOD. As I reflected on His goodness to us every step of the way, I was humbled again at His all knowing character and how even my being released in the morning and Joel going in that afternoon was a blessing as one of us was there for Lauren our 15 year old daughter. I thought of Joel getting out on the 25th just in time to be there for his Mom in her last moments. I thought of the blessing of Kimberly being called in the same time of my Mom’s passing and how even though I was having to say goodbye to a very special person in my life, I was also celebrating a new season and call in a very special person’s place in my life, my daughter Kimberly. His closeness overwhelms me with gratitude. He was available all the time through each thing, He showed me how He has already walked before me so I could trust the path, He comforted me when I need comforting and He caused me to rejoice even in the midst, knowing it was okay. His mercies were new each morning and His peace was amazing. At times when I was frustrated he would search my mind and heart and bring me back to what was true. He was my wonderful counselor, He was my shelter, He was HIM every moment of every day and every situation. My heart exults in Him!!!!
I hope wherever you are today, you will stop and ask Him to show you HIMSELF! There is nothing too difficult for HIM, He is not too busy and His eye is on you even as you ask and His answer is but a breath away. Because HE is your ANSWER.

2009-06-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

He is...My Shield - The Deflector of Distractions

Oh precious sister, I’m so glad you joined me today. Come on in, sit for awhile.
I’ve just poured you a nice tall glass of sweet tea. Let’s just chat.

Think back to the last time you were serving Him. That’s right! It was in choir last
Sunday morning. Remember that sweet look of contentment on your face as you sang.

I look around and I see
All the works that Your hands have made
The awesomeness of You
And how Your love will never fail
Mere words cannot express what I feel inside
I can’t describe Your glory divine
But as a token of my love
This is what I’ll do
I lift my hands and cry Holy

Lord, You’re Holy
Lord, You’re Holy
And we lift You up
And magnify Your Name
Lord, You’re Holy
Lord, You’re Holy
And we lift You up
And magnify Your Name

You know you’ve been in the presence of the Savior. You can feel the sweet peace that falls over a congregation at the close of a praise song. The pastor has just made his way to the podium to deliver God’s word. But before you’ve even had a chance to open your Bible, someone comes to tell you that your sweet Jonathan has managed to bite a precious little girl in the nursery. Distractions! Then the mind tapes play. You probably shouldn’t even be in choir! Why, you should only be ministering to small children for the next 5 years! What made you think you think you have a decent voice? You can hardly sing the alto part, let alone leas others in worship!

Or maybe you were serving Him as you sat in a church meeting, planning for the upcoming youth events. You just volunteered to serve as a host home for 15 eighth grade girls. Your passion has always been to minister to young girls, making God’s word come alive in their every day lives. You can already smell the popcorn and hear their laughter. The best is yet to come as they quiet down and you’re sharing how God impacted your life as a teenager. Someone interrupts that vision! Another lady in the meeting states, “We do have a home with much more room, dear. Surely you don’t mean for all 15 of those girls to stay in your house. Where would they all fit?” Distractions! Then the mind tapes play. She’s right! We really don’t have much to offer. The girls would probably prefer sleeping in separate rooms vs. having everybody sleep downstairs in sleeping bags. What was I thinking? We’ll never own a big fancy house.
In the first scenario, our sweet sister actually started her service for God, and then got distracted. With the second lady, Satan had already pushed the play button before she actually had a chance to open her home to those middle school girls, who desperately need to hear God’s word in a Christian “home”.

And if you think that once you’ve finished a project or an act of service for the Lord, that you will not be distracted, or tapes are no where to be found… Oh, girlfriend… not so! The pause button is just about ready to be pushed. And who do you think has his finger on the play button?

Here’s an example:

Freedom’s Call was invited to do a ladies conference this past weekend at The Mary Hall Freedom House. Their beautiful mission statement reads: To improve the quality of life of women and women with children by empowering them to break the cycle of addiction, poverty and homelessness. The director of The Mary Hall Freedom House, Lucy Hall, is dedicated to serving these women by investing in their lives and showing them that Christ is the answer. Over 2500 women have completed the program since 1996.

The weekend was incredible. God took over and did a work in us and the women at the Freedom House like no other. The worship was anointed and Jill brought forth the Word of God with power and compassion. Breakout sessions were packed with good questions, shared heartaches and testimonies, and true revelations from God. The Holy Spirit had free reign to move about as He set women free from their chains, You can imagine how the lyrics from songs like “Shackles” and “Amazing Grace/ My Chains Are Gone” fell fresh upon those ladies and the five of us in Freedom’s Call.

On our way home from the weekend conference, we were fairly quiet. I felt extra weepy for the next several days (I still do). When folks asked how things went, I was barely able to blurt out more than, great, amazing. I believe that when we encounter the Supernatural, we will have a hard time describing it with man’s words. I also felt tired. Why? We had been engaged in spiritual warfare. Why didn’t I feel the pressure of it during the conference? Thank goodness so many of you were praying for us as we ministered to the ladies at the Freedom House. God was meeting all of our needs, including physical strength.

So when did the distractions start? When did the tapes start playing for me? I started when I was alone and away from the prayer covering of our faithful prayer warriors and the Mighty Movement of the Holy Spirit during the actual conference.

Then the tapes started to play. How did you really sound? I think you messed up on your part in several of the numbers. Why did you decide to sing that song? Your solo wasn’t very strong. Aren’t you getting a little old to be singing with this group? Did you even make an impact on those women?

What can we do when Satan starts those tapes and causes all kinds of distractions? (He seems to know where that silly rewind button is, doesn’t he?) First, take it to the Lord and ask Him to permanently destroy those tapes. Then go see your girlfriend, you know the one that always has your back. Your personal pray warrior. Together you can encourage one another. Recognize where those lies have come from. Go boldly before the Throne together. You can counter the attacks with prayer.

It will get easier to recognize Satan’s paralyzing voice. Anytime you hear Jesus calling you the “Beloved”, Satan will be standing in the shadows just waiting to distract you. You are a child of God. Step into the Light and tell Satan who you work for. Call out the name of Jesus and make him tremble.

Thanks for listening. Should I pour you another glass of ice tea?

The Ice Tea Lady
Debbie Fritz

2009-06-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

He is…MY FRIEND

To know me is to know that I am thrilled over any opportunity to sing and share what God is doing in my life. I had an awesome time yesterday as I spoke and sang for a Tea Party at First Baptist Lawrenceville. I’d like to give a shout out to those wonderful ladies who welcomed me so warmly, who listened respectfully and sang along with joyful hearts…what an angelic sound as you lifted up praise with me!

The message the Lord gave me for these ladies was “He is our Friend.” Isn’t it just chilling when God gives you a message and it turns out to be a recurring theme in an event? Makes me wanna shout HALLELUJAH! Nothing reveals God to me more than when this happens. It makes ministry so alive and drives me to serve Him with more passion.

Yes, God is my Friend. John 15:15 says, “I no longer call you servants…but I call you friends.” Allow me to share the Tea Party message with you.

It began with the song “Friend of God”…a simple, humble chorus that will bring you to your knees if you sing it with heartfelt abandon. “Who am I that You are mindful of me? That you hear me when I call? Who am I that You are thinking of me? That you love me? It’s amazing!”

Are you amazed that God is mindful of you? That He hears every word you speak to Him? That even right this very moment He is thinking of you and the future He has planned for you? Can you hear Him speak “I love you” from His heart to yours? I don’t know about you, but there’s another hallelujah moment for me!

I shared with my tea mates that my testimony begins in childhood. I grew up in a Baptist church. My mom, in my eyes, was a saint if there ever was one! She loved the Lord; she walked the walk and talked the talk. She taught me to pray, to read the Bible and BE IN CHURCH EVERY TIME THE DOORS WERE OPEN!! I didn’t understand her motivation then, but I do now.

As a very young child, I played the piano and sang hymns in church with my little sister. I played Mary in our Christmas programs and have a cool picture of me with the shawl on my head. That must be when the drama bug bit me!

I was baptized at age 9. I still remember walking down that aisle with tears streaming down my face. All my life I have known God, believed in Him and thought He was in control of my life…BUT…..I did not develop a relationship with Jesus until much later. You see, my mom laid the foundation, but it was my responsibility to ask Jesus into my heart. No one else could do it for me.

I still recall, quite vividly, the morning I ask Jesus to begin a relationship with me. A young pastor’s wife in my church gave her testimony…she was baptized as a child but realized she didn’t have a relationship with Jesus. My heart stopped! The huge hole in my life, all the searching and emptiness, could it be that I didn’t know Jesus? I sat in my choir chair holding on for dear life. I was NOT going to move. I was a children’s choir director, adult choir member, music teacher to many of the church members' children…what would everyone say if I went forward at the time of invitation???

I did not go forward…I went to Sunday School and the Holy Spirit followed me there!! I’m quite sure He sat down right beside me, tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Whatta ya gonna do now frady-cat?”

He wouldn’t leave me alone! I realized I had to go back at the end of the next service and talk with the young women who gave her testimony. I had to know for sure that heaven was my destiny and that Jesus was my Lord.

I did just that. She counseled me, and I prayed for Jesus to come into my heart and be my Savior. And what a wild ride these years with Him have been! I was baptized again and began to serve Him in ways I never dreamed possible. To apply an Oswald Chambers quote to my life…He has made a holy experiment out of me – and His experiments always succeed!

Jesus is not only my BFF, He is my Shield, my Strength, my Portion, my Deliverer and my Everlasting God. A devotion book I’m reading has a wonderful description of how great a friend our awesome God is.

“Our God is an interested and willing listener. Let Him be your teacher and share all your secrets with Him. Take God as your spouse and friend and walk with Him continually, and you will not sin. You will learn to love, and the things you must do will work out prosperously for you.”

If Jesus is not your best friend, why isn’t He? You can ask Him right now to forgive your sin and come into your heart, and instantaneously, He will do just that. No physical exam to check your heart, no financial questionnaire to check your wealth; just your willingness to follow Him whether He leads.

Are you ready to do that? Oh please say "yes." It will be the greatest day in your life!

Debbie lives in Dacula, GA with her wonderful husband Sonny and wonder-dog Bandit

He is Our Adonai, Lord and Master

2009-06-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

Definition:
Adonai is translated Lord in the Bible. It signifies ownership or mastership and indicates the truth that God is the owner of each member of the human family, and that He consequently claims the unrestricted obedience of all.

Meaning:
Lordship meant complete possession on one hand and complete submission on the other. God is never an unjust master and therefore does not ask what cannot be performed, and never requires a task for which He does not equip His servants. In other words, everything God asks us to do is good and just and can be accomplished as we trust Him to enable us to do all that He has asked us to do.

Wow after reading that it made me realize that God really does have our backs. He never said it would always be easy, but no matter what, He has equipped us to perform the task He has laid before us. Only if we trust Him……Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and he shall direst your paths.
Rom 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Our "reasonable service" is a complete surrender to the will of God our Adonai. God will never ask us to do anything we can not accomplish. Because He is a kind and loving master; he equips us with all we need to succeed in the tasks He requires of us.
As I deal with the issues of my 3 boys, it seems harder to give it to God. I feel so out of control and helpless. Deep down I know God is in control and is handling things and all he wants from me is my obedience and trust. That is easier said than done. I frequently quote and question the verse that says God will not give you more than you can handle. (Smile)

What in your life do you need to stop trying to control and just give it to the one who knows how to handle it? God is our Adonai. He loves us and is going to take care of us all we need to do is to submit to Him. He will take care of the rest.

Will you trust Him with whatever you’re struggling with today? I pray you will. It is then that you will find true freedom in Christ.

Have a Great Week!

Amy

Amy lives in Lawrenceville with Jerry and their 3 Boys

He Is - My Everything

2009-05-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

Oh sweet friends, I can't thank you enough for stopping by and visiting us this week. Our prayer is that you feel like you are sitting across from an old friend. If you were in my home, I'd make us a pot of coffee or tea and we would sit and chat about our Jesus.

This would normally be Jill's week to share her heart with you. I'm filling in this week as her family prepares to celebrate the life of her mother-in-law.
This precious lady went home to Jesus Saturday night. Would you please join us in praying for Jill's husband and their entire family this week? Feel free to click on "comment" and leave an encouraging word for her. We will make sure she sees it.

One thing I love about Jill is that she is totally reliant on the Lord. She loves Him with every fiber of her being and when you are with her, you can't help but smile because you see Jesus all over her.

As I logged in tonight to begin this post, I knew where I wanted to go. I had a plan to share a little bit of something I'll be sharing with a group of people this Thursday. ( I was going to test it out on you!) BUT God had another plan.

I started looking at our past posts and quite frankly I was overcome with gratitude to our God. I'm stopping right now to give Him a hand clap, will you join me?
He is so good and I think sometimes we need to do as one of my favorite Bible teachers does and just stop to give him a round of applause!

Sure hope I didn't' scare you away! Back to the list of past posts. Seriously, as I read over that list it hit me that there is nothing we encounter in life that God can not handle. What a Savior. One word came to mind:

EVERYTHING

He is everything to me.

My Comfort, My Answer, The Voice, My Deliverer, My Creator, My Atonement My Refuge, My Rest....My God. My Everything.

I can't help but think of Isaiah 55.

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear that your soul may live..."

Jesus says to us in Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Our physical needs, our emotional needs and our spiritual needs, He is everything.

Everything you or I could ever need is satisfied in Jesus Christ. I pray tonight sweet friend that you know Him and that you leave this post, open His Word and ask Him to speak to you. I promise He has something very special to say just to you.

Blessings,
Stephanie

He Is - My Deliverer

2009-05-23T12:35:00.001-07:00

It was almost five years ago that I found myself trapped in a stronghold that was slowly taking over my life. To those around me, family included I was no different because I spent alot of energy to appear normal. The truth was, I was in a deep pit and I was desperate for deliverance.

At the lowest point, I remember asking God to deliver me, to just change my heart's desire. His response was very clear that He would, but that it would be a fight. He reminded me that I didn't just wake up in that place, and that while He would deliver me, there would be some work we would need to do to make sure I didn't wind up in that place again.

So fight and climb out we did. Some days I felt like I had made great progress. Other days however, I felt like I slipped backwards. It was hard to admit that I had allowed myself to be deceived and as a result fallen into this pit. But God.

He showed me so many of His attributes during that time. Counselor, Redeemer, Friend, Defender, I could go on and on but the one that sticks out to me today is Deliverer.

Today, I would love to look you in the eye and tell you how faithful my Deliverer is and was. As deep and dark and stinky as my pit was, my Deliverer was bigger, and brighter and stronger than the sin that kept me there. He fought for me and changed my heart.

As I am re-reading a great little book called "The Red Sea Rules" by Robert J. Morgan, I am reminded that even when we find ourselves in a pit due to our bad choices, GOD can bring us out.

Morgan says this in the preface of his powerful book:

"No sea is deeper than the ocean of His love. There is no army stronger than His hosts, no force greater than His throne of grace, no enemy who can overcome His direct and indirect work in our lives.

The reality of the Red Sea, in a word, is this: God will always make a way for His tired, yet trusting children, even if He must split the sea to do it."

He brought me out friend and He has become my stronghold!

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

Do you feel like it's impossible for Him to do the same for you? Let me remind you of Jeremiah 32:27 where God says

"Behold, I am the Lord the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?"

I pray today that you know the Deliverer and that HE is your stronghold!! Nothing is too hard for Him!

God introduced me to the following song in New York City just a few months before my slide into the pit began. I thought of the words often during that time and pray that it will minister to you today.

Stephanie lives in Dacula, GA with her husband Chad and daughters Chloe and Emma.

HE is my..."DREAM GIVER"

2009-05-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

In my April post, I mentioned I attended a conference featuring Dr. Bruce Wilkinson as speaker. I’m still in awe as I ponder Dr. Wilkinson’s explanation of how God is our "Dream Giver." If you remember, I said I would tie together "He is...ALL" to what the Lord revealed to me that weekend. The message my heart heard was so profound. I will attempt to paraphrase my notes and pray that the Holy Spirit writes it ever so clearly on your heart.

Everyone has a dream in his or her heart. God put it there. People who don’t have a dream don’t make it in life. Over time we cover the pain with self-defeating, addicting behaviors. But what we don't comprehend is that the dream is why we are the way we are! We tend to think, “I’m not good enough.” Or we become afraid of failure. 100% of people feel that way! That’s how God made us to feel! God makes everyone’s dream too big -- seemingly too impossible.

Feelings of inadequacy or of fear are NOT supposed to kill the dream! Your comfort zone is never where the dream is. When you feel fear, you must understand that God never takes away the fear. The dream is YOUR DESTINY! If you don’t pursue it, you don’t want it bad enough. We become empty when the dream is not pursued. Self-hatred takes over and we destroy ourselves when what He desires is for us to take courage and do it afraid!

Jeremiah 1:4 & 5, “The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’”

A commentary I read for this scripture says, “When you feel discouraged or inadequate, remember that God has always thought of you as valuable, and He has a purpose in mind for you.”

We are arrogant to think we can make our own dream! We are “here” to fulfill God’s dream, His purpose, not our own. Doesn’t that make you feel special? Doesn’t this idea create a new hope and a great expectation within you? Doesn’t it tempt you to say, “Oh please, tell me more, Lord” …

God will accomplish His dream. It’s never too late to seek that dream. Everything you’ve been through has been for a purpose AND to fulfill God’s dream. Trials are NOT to destroy us; they are to make us strong. If you think you’re too far gone maybe it’s “your time.” God has been preparing you your whole life. Open the door where God keeps dreams. To think you need to be different to accomplish your dream means you believe A LIE!

1 Corinthians 4:7, “For who makes you different from any one else? What is it that you did not receive?”

Shame on me if I think I have not received “ALL” I need from Him to fulfill my purpose. I am so convicted I could crawl under a rock and not come out until the sun goes down!

Exodus 35:30-35, “The Lord has filled [you] with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts – to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship – with the ability to teach others, and with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers.”

What is God going to say about how you lived your life? Are you fulfilling the purpose He created you to fulfill? Looking through His eyes, take inventory of who you are and what you are capable of doing. Your potential is astounding!

Psalm 139:13-16, “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”

God’s character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthlessness or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God’s Spirit is ready and willing to work within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us.

Ephesians 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

If God considers us His works of art, we dare not treat ourselves, or others, with disrespect. We dare not consider God’s creation an inferior work. Your work is eternally important! Thank God for all of your life, and apologize for hurting His heart by not following your dream. He is ALL you need. He has given you ALL you need to fulfill His awesome purpose for your life.

OH, I feel like dancing!!!!!!!!!!! (There’s still more to this story!) I have a dream, and I’m going to live it. How about you?

Debbie lives in Dacula, GA with her amazing husband, Sonny, and their 4-legged wonder dog, Bandit.

He is ...The Voice

2009-05-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Voices. We hear them all day long and from many sources.

“Good morning Atlanta! Rise and shine! Our high will be 102 today!”
“Yes, I ate the last piece of chocolate cake, did you want that?”
“Mommy, I don’t feel so good, can I stay home from school?”
“Mom, can I go to the prom? Yes, he’s the boy from church!”
“Mom, I think the washing machine is overflowing!”
“Congratulations! You’re going to have a baby!”
"Mommy, Jason just put the cat in the toilet!”
“Honey, I got the job!”
“Happy Mother’s Day!”

But…
When was the last time you heard the Voice of God?

Carl and I have two sons, Mark and Michael, and what a joy they have been to raise. However, waiting for those babies was a very difficult time for me. We were married for a few years and then decided that we wanted to start a family. God had other plans. The nine year journey began with many trips to the infertility clinic, an operation, and a miscarriage that turned into another two year wait. But those things seem so far away right now. The part I remember the most was January 15th. Carl and I had gone to the clinic with hopeful hearts. Hallelujah! The ultrasound allowed us to view our son Mark for the first time. We were thrilled. The next question the doctor asked, “Do you have to work, Mrs. Fritz?” I looked at him befuddled and said, “What do you mean?” He further questioned, “I mean financially, is it necessary that you work?” For just a moment, my mind started focusing in on my students. I was a Middle and High School Choral Director in a small town in Ohio. Financially, I probably didn’t need to work. My next question was, “When do I need to stop working?” His instant reply: “Tomorrow!” I swallowed hard, looked at Carl and said, “Okay, fine.”

God and I had many a conversation over the years about children. I thought we had touched every possible scenario. Not this one. I could hear the Master saying, “I thought you wanted to have children, Debbie?” “I do Lord, but leave my job and my students?”…How could I even ask God that question?

What seemed like an eternity were only a few seconds of dialogue between me and the Lord. I knew I needed to get down on my knees and beg God’s forgiveness. Oh Lord, how could I even question any of this? We’ve been praying for a child for so long. Forgive me for hesitating as if to say, “Are you sure Lord? Do I really need to stop teaching?”

Obviously, God was pulling me away from things so I could devote myself to Him and to my family. The Lord waited and I said, “Forgive me Father. Show me what You want me to do.”

We left the clinic, went home and I immediately called my principal. He dropped everything and came to our home within a few minutes. As I shared my heart, he listened. After I finished our story, his eyes filled with tears and he said, “Whatever you two need to do. My wife and I had a similar situation and we know how painful this wait has been for the two of you. I would like you to come in to school tomorrow and personally tell your students that you will be leaving them for awhile.”

The next day I met with all of my chorus members. God gave me such a sweet time to witness to my students. For the next three months I was pretty much in bed. My best friend, Judy lived next door. She had traveled this path too. She had lost a set of twins. God had blessed them with another pregnancy, but she too, was now at home in bed with this pregnancy.
I know God gave us that time together to call one another, go to a Bible Study once a week and spend lots of one on one precious time with Him. What a glorious time of fellowship with the Lord. God was preparing us for a new journey: Motherhood.

I stayed home until April 15th and then the doctor released me to go back into the classroom and finish the year out. When I walked out of the building for the last time I knew God had been preparing me all that time to leave the passion of teaching in the classroom, in exchange for the passion of teaching in my home. It was easy, because He had been with me during the entire course of that journey.

Can you imagine what the school board must have thought as they read my letter of resignation? I hear by submit my letter of resignation to take on a fulltime position as Wife and Mother. Psalm 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

Almost two years later, He gave us another son, Michael.
That’s a blog for another time. Until then…
Listen for the Voice of God.
Place your hand in His and take your journey.

Debbie lives in Lawrenceville
with her husband Carl.
Both of their sons are married.

He is .. Our Answer

2009-05-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Answer

When I read this word I thought of the song “Jesus is the Answer for the World Today”….It was a popular song many years ago, but it has a true message.

Jesus is the answer for the world today
Above him there's no other, Jesus is the way
Jesus is the answer for the world today
Above him there's no other, Jesus is the way

If you have some questions in the corners of your mind
And traces of discouragement and peace you can not find
Reflection of the old past, They seem to face you every day
There's one thing I know for sure that Jesus is the way

I know you got mountains that you think you can not climb
I know that your skies have been dark, You think the sun won't shine
In case you don't know, I'm here to tell you that the World of God is true yeah
And everything that He's promised, I tell you he would do it for you
Let me tell you that

Words & Music by Andare Crouch and Sandra Crouch
(c) Bud John Songs, Inc.

I know I am always trying to "fix" things myself. I need to be in control and who better than me can " fix " it? I know in my heart and mind that if I will just trust God with even the smallest things that He will take care of it, but it is so hard to relinquish that control to Him.I often wonder why it is so hard to just to trust Him. Why do we try to "fix" all of problems without involving Him? He is the Answer to Everything. No matter how big or small.

Do you struggle with that same issue? Do you always need to be in control? Do you get frustrated when things don't go your way? No matter what is going on in your life, God is there for you. His Word provides the answer for whatever you need.

Philippians 4:19

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 9:10

Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

A very good friend just gave me this advice... ask God every morning "What do I need to trust you with today?" Then do it! How much easier our lives would be if we would just relax in Him knowing He has the answer to all our needs.

Amy lives in Lawrenceville, GA with her husband Jerry and her 3 boys, Jerry Nicholas, and Zachery.

2009-04-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

Creator – Architect and Builder of My LifeHave you ever stopped to think what it means for God to be the Creator, Architect and Builder of YOUR life? This has been something He is bringing closer and closer to home with me. It is something I think of all the time lately. I am becoming more and more aware of how little I “know” and how much I speculate instead of walking in what He has already done. We are His Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2)
You are His masterpiece!
Think of an Architect and Builder who have together just finished the most exquisite building. They stand in awe of their work and have an open house for all to see.
God stands in awe of His Work in YOU and wants the whole world to see the Glory of His Work.
• What are you doing right now?
• What are you feeling right now?
• Embrace what He created you to be.
• Ask Him what it is.
The Bible says in Psalm 139 that He formed our inward parts, He weaved us in our mother’s womb, that our frame was not hidden from Him, when we were made in secret and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. In Jeremiah 1, He told him, Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I knew you, And before you were born, I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Now grasp this in the light of these passages:
• God created YOU!
• He “skillfully” wrought YOU in the depths of the earth
• He placed YOU in your mother’s womb
• He created beforehand the “work” YOU would do
He made a way to come to HIM through His Son and sent the H.S. to abide in YOU and accomplish the work in and through YOU that He skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.
Wow! So who has been talking to you? Do you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made? Do you know that He has a plan for your life and it is for a future and a hope? That everything in your life right now is being worked out for good and taking you to the finish line He skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth? That no one else has the master plan for YOU. And that He will complete it because He said He would. Sometimes I feel as if there is no plan, or that the plan is not working but that is not from God. It is the enemy coming to me just as he did in the garden with Eve when he said, “Indeed did God say’? What are you hearing right now? God will make a way when there seems to be no way – Why? Because He planned it that way. Rest in the fact that Before You were He Was, is and evermore will be. That when He placed you in the family He did, He already knew all things and had taken ALL that in consideration. Trust the Creator, Architect and Builder. His plan works.

He Is- My Atonement

2009-04-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hi! It's Stephanie here. We are so glad you are taking this journey with us! Leave us a comment and let us know you stopped by. Just click on "comment" at the end of our posts and follow the directions.

I’m sitting in my favorite leather chair right now. My laptop is appropriately, on my lap. My Bible is balanced on the arm of my chair and my notes are scattered on the floor and side table beside me. I’m struggling to write this. I’m overwhelmed and touched in the deepest part of my being by this word. It is real to me especially today.

Let’s just get the definitions out of the way.

ATONEMENT. The satisfaction or reparation for a wrong, injury. (The doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, as accomplished through the life, suffering and death of Jesus Christ.)

ATONE. To make amends for an offense or crime. To make up as for errors or deficiencies. (To atone for one’s failings.)

I love Jewish history and the picture of Christ the Old Testament so beautifully paints. One part of this history, the Tabernacle and all the details that went along with it, never ceases to amaze me. In particular, the Mercy Seat. What a picture!

God tells His people in Exodus 30:6 that He will meet them at the Mercy Seat. When I looked up the Hebrew word for atonement one of the words that came up was “Kaphoreth” it means mercy seat AND place of atonement

As Jewish law required each year on the Day of Atonement a sacrifice was to be made. The purpose of this particular sacrifice was to cleanse the priests as well as the people from their sins and to purify the Holy Place. It was a sacred day, a day that would “make up for” all the errors and failings of the last year. The Day of Atonement sacrifices reconciled Jehovah and His chosen people.

As I said I am overwhelmed by this word. As I always do, I go first to the dictionary to read the meaning of the word. When I read “to make up, as for errors or deficiencies” my heart just about burst.

It’s hard for us to admit we are deficient in any area isn’t it? It’s even harder to admit we have made a mistake, or an error. We or maybe I should just keep it personal and say I, fight my nature to shift the blame onto another person. (If they hadn’t done…..then I wouldn’t have done……) One thing that God showed me is that shifting the blame onto another person does not cover the offense. Shifting blame does not make up for my deficiencies! Even if another’s actions have contributed to my sin, another human being can not atone (cover or make up for) my errors, my deficiencies, my sin.

Old Testament law demanded a blood sacrifice to cover or ATONE for the sins of the people. Leviticus 17:11 says

“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”

Hebrews 9:6-7 tells us
“When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room and that only once a year and NEVER without blood which he offered for himself and for the sins the people committed in ignorance.”

It is the blood that makes atonement for my life. Not just any blood, but the blood of Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:23-25
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement and through faith in his blood."

Every year they went through this process. Nothing the priests sacrificed would atone for their sin once and for all. It is only through Jesus that their sin, our sin was finally atoned for.

Once and for all. Hebrews 10:1-18 tell us this.

In particular verse 4 says

“it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Hebrews 2:17 says
“For this reason, he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.”

Look at Leviticus 17:11 one more time.
“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”

Read that first part again…the life of a creature is in the blood. We can not live without it. Jesus poured out His blood, his life as the final atonement sacrifice. My life is what it is because of that single sacrifice.

Jesus Christ, the perfect lamb, the Atonement for our sin. He is the Atonement for MY sin.

Oh my sister, do you know Him? I pray that you do and that you realize just how precious you are to Him.

Have a blessed week,
Stephanie

He is... Our Risen Lord

2009-04-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday April 12, 2009
He is...Our Risen Lord

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood,
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When he comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing;
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Phillip Bliss composed “Hallelujah! What a Savior” in 1875. Can you imagine what that song will sound like with thousands of saints singing it together in the heavens? Will you be a member of that choir? Are you one of the ransomed He will be bringing home? I look forward to lifting my voice in song on that glorious day, but until that day arrives, I must be purposeful and intentional about the work He has given me today.
How can we become purposeful and intentional servants of the Savior?

2Cor. 3:5
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” As we grow spiritually, we will more fully depend on the Father and He will equip us to better serve. Then, when God calls us to a task, we won’t hesitate to act. We will not entertain any thoughts of disobedience by turning away from His call. What has the Savior called you to do? Be assured that He hasn’t made a mistake. You don’t need to hesitate or disobey. Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, but don’t let that prevent you from the purposeful, intentional task at hand. Take a moment and think about all that the Savior has done for you. How can you best serve our Risen Lord? Ask Him. He will be sure to answer.
Serving a Risen Lord,
Debbie

Debbie lives in Lawrenceville, Georgia with her husband Carl.

2009-04-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

HE is … "ALL"

An old Webster’s Dictionary that belonged to my precious mother defines the word “all” as “the total entity.” To apply that definition to describe God leads me to say that He is total, entire, utmost. To stop here would NOT be taking anything away from Who He Is! He is "ALL" -- nothing more because nothing can be added. He is the grand total of everything we need and nothing less because He is perfect. Consider that He is the perfect number, the completed and perfect circle, no beginning and no end. I drew the following diagram in my journal....

G
O {I wrote "me" in the middle of the O}
D

He completely surrounds me, encompasses me. Does His presence surround you daily? Do you feel His encompassing Spirit every minute of your day? Does He complete you? Is He the Essence of your being? Is He truly ALL you need?

“In Sylvia Gunter’s “He is the I Am,” she reflects on Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM...I AM has sent me.’” Her commentary on that scripture says "He is the I AM, before all things, the uncaused cause, eternally existent."

To me that means God existed before ALL things. He created ALL things. He existed BEFORE creation. His nature is unchanging. He is the same ALL the time. He never wavers. I’m overwhelmed by trying to comprehend ALL that He is!

In Philippians 2: 9-10 we read, “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every (all) name(s), that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” The authority and glory of God is revealed through the Name above ALL names, Jesus Christ!

I recently attended a conference featuring speaker Dr. Bruce Wilkinson and learned about a name for God that I did not know. Dr. Wilkinson explained how God is our "dream giver." WOAH...GLORY! What the Lord showed me during that weekend was more than amazing. Stay tuned to my next post in May when I tie together "He is...ALL" to what the Lord revealed to me that weekend!

Before I close for this encounter you need to know that I cannot write about my faithful and glorious Abba Father without lifting praise through song. Music lifts my soul and completely rocks my world! Please ponder the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, “You Are My All in All/I Will Praise You” by Dennis Jernigan. These lyrics capture the essence of the word “All” in a powerful way to me.

“You are my strength when I am weak,
You are the treasure that I seek,
You are my All in All.
Seeking You as a precious jewel,
Lord to give up I’d be a fool,
You are my All in All.

Jesus Lamb of God; Worthy is Your name

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame,
Rising again I bless Your name,
You are my All in All
When I fall down You pick me up,
When I am dry You fill my cup,
You are my All in All

Jesus Lamb of God; Worthy is Your name.

All that I am, all I will be,
All that I know and all that I cannot see,
All that I was is no longer me,
For my Redeemer, my Lord, set me free,
He rescued me!

I will praise You, For all that You have done for me,
I will praise You, For redeeming and setting me free,
For loving me!

I was so lost and You seemed so far,
But redeeming blood washed me to right where You are
Now I am Your Child and You are my God,
Your redeeming love just leaves me standing in awe
Of Who You are!

I will praise You, For all that You have done for me,
I will praise You, For redeeming and setting me free, For loving me!”

In His Service,

Debbie Murphy

Debbie lives in Dacula, GA with her husband Sonny and 4-legged wonder Bandit.

He is ... Our Provider

2009-03-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6: 25-34

In this passage Jesus tells us not to worry about our life, what we shall eat, drink, or wear. God is aware of our needs and He will provide them.

When the economy started to head south last year. I didn't give it much thought. I had a pretty secure job and my husband's 2 companies were doing okay. It wasn't until later in the year that my husband's truck needed a costly repair. We looked into replacing it versus getting it fixed. God provided the perfect vehicle at the same payments we were already paying.

About a month and half later I got a promotion at work. We were excited that we were going to be able to use some of the extra money to pay off some debt. God had other plans. My car died and we were in the market once again for a vehicle. Due to the economy vehicles were marked down and God provided that once again perfect vehicle for me. My raise was exactly what I needed to make the payments. It was October.

November rolled around and my husband's business decreased. Now I was starting to get worried. If he wasn't able to pay himself, how would we pay our bills? How would we buy food? Christmas was right around the corner and we have 3 boys, what would we do? Well, his pay did decrease to 1 paycheck a month instead of 4. It has been that way since November. We have always been frugal with our money, but now even the little things really add up. It has taught us discipline on spending and what it is like to trust God and just let Him take over. I have always said God was in control of my life, but was He or was I?

God has provided in so many different ways for us. I have seen miracles that I wouldn't have recognized if it hadn't been for out financial situation. It has also been a great lesson for our boys. Things are slowly turning around with my husband's businesses. God is still providing!

Two thoughts my pastor said a few weeks ago:
- Sometimes God will not intervene until things are totally humanly impossible.
-Our impossible situations are opportunities to experience a new dimension of God's glory.

My favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."

Are you wondering where your next meal is going to come from? How you are going to pay the next bill? God will make a way for you, trust in Him, HE WILL PROVIDE!

Amy lives in Lawrenceville, GA with her husband Jerry and her 3 sons Jerry, Nicholas and Zachery

2009-03-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

ALL KNOWING

Wow, have you ever STOPPED to think what God being all knowing REALLY means. The biggest "aha" I have had as I meditate on this part of Him, is that because HE KNOWS I don't have to know. And because HE knows and knows completely and perfectly, and promises to work all things for His glory and My good, I am wasting my time trying to know because I can never know the way He knows and can never fully understand because His thoughts and ways are higher than my thoughts and ways.

Quote from Knowledge of the Holy: You now instantly and effortlessly all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creaturehood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all laws and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feeling, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil heaven and hell. Because you know all things perfectly, you know no thing better than any other thing, but all things equally well. You never discover anything. You are never surprised or amazed. You never wonder about anything nor do YOU seek information or ask questions.

Whew! When I read this I was like a limp rag. I am finite, He is infinite. I am weak, He is strong. I am imperfect, He is perfect. I am weary, He does not grow weary. I am fickle, He is faithful. I am limited in knowledge , He knows everything. I am limited by time and space, He is not. I think I know sometimes, He knows all the time.

I don't know where you are today, but my guess is there are some challenges whether it is in reference to the economy, relationships, children, marriage etc. And there are probably many things you would like to know NOW. As I continue to meditate on this and am faced with so many things "outside" my control I am beginning to "see" that my need to fix or know is an affront to WHO HE IS. I have asked HIM to forgive me for trying to be the answer when HE is the Answer. I have again realized that when I passionately pursue HIM for WHO He is, I will find HIM as He has promised and no matter what comes my way I will know that He KNOWS and hold all things together. Therefore I will pray and intercede according to His Word and His character which will never change. If I try to understand based on human reasoning, I will become confused, discouraged and defeated.

It is amazing to me that if I go back 12 years I can begin to see so many things that have happened and at the time of their happening I did not know anymore than just that: they happened. Now on this side I can see the wonderful handiwork of God in each of the circumstances or lives and realize HE REALLY KNEW what was happening, what needed to happen and what the result would be. He reminded me again that if we must be perfect he died needlessly. Therefore we must release one another to the ONLY WISE GOD who KNOWS EVERYTHING. This does not condone sin, but gives God his rightful place in our lives. Because He knows all things perfectly I can entrust every member of my family to a faithful Creator in doing what is good, acceptable and perfect in their lives. Not based on their goodness but His redemptive work on the cross. And I can stay at His feet, will full confidence that He Who began a good work in them will complete it based on fully KNOWING the person, their heart, circumstances and need.

I hope you will take time today to thank the Lord that HE KNOWS what is troubling you right now. And He knows it perfectly - He knows the beginning and the end of it. And He has the answer. Thank Him that you don't know. And that it is enough that HE KNOWS. And then rest in it. He will SHOW UP! He can't help it. It is His nature to be there.:)

Jill Milligan, Charlotte, N.C.

He is - Our Cover

2009-03-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Clothes. Because spring is in the air and I have two little girls who are outgrowing everything, clothes have been on my mind all week. Boy oh boy, do I love them.

I love fashion.

I love checking out what is new and trying to figure out each season which pieces I will purchase. To me, the adventure of finding those new pieces is fun. I like the challenge of finding just the right piece of clothing and finding it cheap. (I've got some incredible stories of how God shows me just the right deals, but that is for another day.)

Clothes cover. They cover a multitude of things. Since we're mostly girls here I can be honest. The right piece of clothing will hide all the lumps and bumps we aren't very proud of.

Would you agree with me that we girls take great effort to find the perfect fit so that we appear longer, leaner and look our best? Put on the right type of clothing and you can cover what you don't like about yourself.

But what happens when you take those clothes off? Reality hits again.

The back fat is still there. The stretch marks? They're still there too. And don't forget about the cellulite, it seems to reproduce overnight sometimes.

Oh the "uglies", the things we don't like about our bodies. Try as hard as you can to accessorize and cover them at the end of the day, they are still there.

Sin is our spiritual "ugly". When we try to cover it up ourself, we are doing nothing but throwing on a piece of clothing that is several sizes to small. It just doesn't work. We can never say enough, do enough or be enough to make right, or cover our sin. There is only One who can.

Jesus Christ. The perfect tailor. He has custom designed a piece of clothing for each of us that will more than cover any sin. The sins we have committed in the past,are currently involved in and better than that, the sin we will commit tomorrow and the next day....

The Hebrew word for cover is "kasah" and it means to cover, conceal, hide; to clothe; to forgive; to keep secret; to hide oneself, wrap oneself up."

Our Jesus has paid for our garment of salvation and our robe of righteousness with His Holy blood, sweat and tears. Sometimes I need to be reminded that I have been wrapped up, covered and clothed by Jesus Christ.

The Lord has had me soaking in Isaiah 61. Verse 10 says this...

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.
For He has CLOTHED me with GARMENTS OF SALVATION and arrayed me in a ROBE of RIGHTEOUSNESS."

So how about it? How about you take off those ill-fitting clothes and maybe even a few accessories you've been using to cover yourself with. How about letting Jesus cover you in a beautiful garment. He is waiting to wrap you in your royal robe, will you let Him?

Stephanie lives in Dacula, GA with her husband Chad and two daughters, Chloe and Emma.

Hi There!

2009-03-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

We are about a week away from our first "official" post, but since we have the blog up and running I thought I would just pop over and give you a sneak peek!

Since we are focusing on the Names of God, I thought it would be fitting to start off with this song. We've been singing it at our church and boy...it does something to me every time.

Every need we have can be supplied in Him. Every hurt can be healed by Him. Every destroyed relationship can be restored by Him.

Our God is a strong tower.

He is a shelter like no other.

Nothing has the power to save...but His Name...

See you next week!!

Stephanie

2009-02-21T15:16:00.001-08:00

COMING SOON.......

A personal look at the Names of God.

Who do you say He is??

Check back March 15 to see who we say He is.