Job Security

I don't have to worry about job security.  Hoorah!

In my life I can attest to God having set me apart for His work.  God already had my name picked out and told my mom before she even knew she was pregnant with me.  Including the spelling.  Coolness!  Then my parents dedicated me to the Lord on the alter at church on their own.  Not like how babies are dedicated to God during the church service normally.  Even growing up I probably wasn't your "normal" kid most of the time.  At the age of 14 I started leading worship at church with the pastor's daughter.  And I always had a strong desire to study the Bible.  Don't get me wrong...I did do bad things and give my parents hell for a couple of years (which I regret).  But there was always this yearning to be close to God.

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified (set apart) you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

Now I don't think I'm called to be a prophet to the nations but if that is what God has for me - I'll do it.  But is very comforting to know that God has always had a plan for me - a specific plan.  I don't know the details or really what the whole plan is but that is okay.  I know that I won't need to ask God, "is this all my life is going to amount to?"  Nope.  He will always have something more.  Job Security.

I can't wait 10 years from now and look back.  Well even looking back now.  This is craziness that I would never have dreamed up myself!  I never would have thought that I would be living with my in-laws because I'm a missionary.  That was the last thing I would have picked for myself 10 years ago.  And now....I would never dream of being anywhere else.  In God's will is where I desire to stay until the very end.  No matter how hard the job.

38 1/2 days

I know it's been a long time.  Since Feb. 16 to be exact and that was saying that I was musing over a lot of things and wanted to kinda figure them out before saying anything.  Well now I can share.  Upon returning from our trip to Nashville and Georgia, Justin and I talked and prayed hard about entering a 40 day fast.  My pastor from Georgia and his church had just completed a 40 day fast and so we talked alot about fasting.  I had been thinking about fasting more and more but just never took "the plunge".  We received wonderful teaching from Pastor Todd along with a better understanding of what fasting is.  Basically to realign our spirit with the Holy Spirit and putting into right order our spirit-soul-body instead of body-soul-spirit as we are accustomed to.  But I am not going to talk about all this.

So on Feb. 20 we entered into a  40 day progressive fast.  Progressive for us was eliminating certain foods each week until we were down to basically nothing this past week.  Reflecting back I can tell that I am more in-tune with the Holy Spirit and really enjoyed reading through the Bible as Pastor Todd had laid out for their church.  It was hard sometimes with desiring certain foods and having to deny myself those things that I would have just ate no matter what.  But feeding my body and it's desires was not what I was focusing on.  I was doing this to walk closer with God.  To have a sweeter communion with my Lord that I had not reached in my Christian life yet.

I had been earnestly crying out to God these past couple of days to show me that He is working.  Honestly, I was hoping that we would be at 50% (at least) of our monthly support by now.  We're not even close.  Today I was talking with Justin (after working on the grocery shopping list - bad idea to do when you are fasting all food!) and expressing my frustrations and just wanting to give up.  What's 1 1/2 more days?!?!?!  I just wanted to go to Applebee's and have a quesadilla burger!  If the Lord hasn't done anything till now, then why not break our fast now?  (Wrong thinking in-light of what the whole purpose of fasting is about.)  Is God even working or is He just sitting there watching us?

We "cast lots" to see if we were going to Applebee's or continuing our fast.  We flipped a coin in all seriousness and said that we would be content even if it landed on tails (to continue).  But I sure was relieved that it was heads and off to Applebee's we went!  Although not feeling content with the decision.  We went to church afterwards and expected to continue through the Proverbs like we had been doing for quite some time now.  Nope.  Our Pastor shared from Psalm 111.  How great are God's WORKS.

I was reminded about God's awesome works and how He is faithful to the covenant that He makes with His people.  Justin said to me afterwards, "Even when we are only 38 1/2 days faithful, God is faithful the full 40."  Ouch.  But also "Thank you God for Your faithfulness!"  Another thing that God reminded me of was that I had ceased worshiping Him.  I was praying but I wasn't WORSHIPING Him.  That's actually when the battle got bad and all the doubts started rising up.  Forgive me Lord!

I share all this to remind you (and myself) that even when we are not faithful, God is.  When I doubt Him, He smiles at me and loves me unconditionally.  Why?  I will never fully understand why but that's not the point.  He loves me and that's all that matters.


P.S. It's not important but I did lose about 15 pounds because of this.  A great jump start to really kicking those pounds off now!

Been awhile

I know....it's been awhile.  We have been a little busy with building our Support Team as missionaries.  Last week we were able to visit a friend from college in Nashville and had the opportunity to speak at her small group.  Then we headed down to the Augusta Georgia area to visit my old youth pastor from Okinawa and he was able to get us some speaking time at a small group and then he hosted a little dinner and we spoke to a few more people then.  Since being home we have had a couple of appointments with pastors and just getting some other things done.

While in GA, we had a wonderful time and were more encouraged in our faith more than anything.  I am still mulling over some thoughts before I post them.  Sorry you have to wait.

Well I just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about my musings.  I'm just musing a lot lately.

Now what?!?!?!

I usually finish my Bible study time with reading a Psalm.  I don't do it every day but most of the time I do. Today I decided to finish with a Psalm.  I read Psalm 94.  What jumped out at me was verse 19, "When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul."  That is me right now!  Not knowing how this building our support team for being missionaries is going to work out.  

Afterwards I decided to check Facebook, where I received a message from a friend stating that our plans for next week are going to have to be rescheduled.  Now what do we do?!?!?!?! Anxiety growing greater within me!  We were going to use that visit to springboard to a different place.  I told Justin.  A little while later I went back up to the bedroom and saw on our little white board a scripture verse.  I asked Justin where he got that from.  He said it was in his reading for the day.  The verse..... Psalm 94:18,19.  I explained that I read that Psalm today also.  Not knowing anything about the other person's reading place.

Consolation: comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment.

My comfort is knowing that God has this all planned out.  We are just to follow His plans.  I know, easier said than done.  Especially when you don't know what the plans are.  But one way that God says this is not the direction I have for you right now, is by closing that door.  And with this particular trip, God apparently has a different direction for us to go in.  He has something better. We have no idea what right now but we are waiting to see what it is.  

But how cool is God that He knew this was going to happen and He gave us both the same scripture reading for the day.  Just goes to show the importance of reading the Bible and how God continues to speak to us through His written Word.  Thank you God for Your faithfulness, guidance and comfort.

Stephen

I've been reading about Stephen in the book of Acts these past couple of days.  He is typically referred to as "Stephen the Martyr".  Stephen was an awesome man that God used to impact a lot of people.  We first meet Stephen in Acts 6. He was one of the 7 that was chosen to look after the needs of the neglected.  Acts 6:3 says that he was of "good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom...".  His life was consistent with his confession of faith (good reputation).  He knew the will of God and lived it out.  How did he know the will of God?  He studied the Scriptures.  Which is evident in the address that he made to the Sanhedrin.

Stephen was also a man after God's own heart.  He shared with everybody about Christ and was a powerful witness (6:8).  He knew that whatever he could have planned and done with his own life was nothing compared to what God had planned.  He was "sold-out" for Christ.  All the way to the very end.  Facing the Sanhedrin, he must have had some sort of idea that they were going to kill him.  Maybe not though.  He wasn't scared (or at least the Scriptures never tell us) but that is because he was being empowered by the Holy Spirit.

My point is that we should not use Stephen as an example of how to die for Christ.  But rather how to LIVE for Christ.  He was only able to stand strong to the very end because of the relationship that he had with Jesus.  He was strong in his faith.  He knew the Truth because he studied it and applied to his life.  He listened to God over anybody else.  I respect those that have died for Christ and pray that I am as strong as they were when faced with death.  But I know that the only way that I am going to be that strong is in how strong my relationship is with Christ.  If I turn away in the hard times, then guaranteed I will turn away when it really counts.  I want to be one that God says "well done my good and faithful servant."  But not because of how I died but for how I lived my life for God.

Prayer & Pilates

For over 12 years I've had a bad lower back.  I'm not sure how this came to be but it is.  And it sucks.  Usually.  I've only gone to chiropractors because I've never had the resources to see a specialist.  And that's been ok.  I've had times where it's been really really bad and others that there isn't any pain.  Once I hurt it so bad I had to go to the E.R. but they couldn't do anything for me.  Even the muscle relaxer and pain meds they gave me touch the pain.  But no insurance meant just getting through it.  And God helped me.

Well for about the past month I've had some pain that just would not go away.  I went to my chiro but he couldn't even get it.  (I don't much care for him anyways and we were going out of town so I didn't bother to go back.)  So it had been getting worse and worse.  To the point that laying down, which usually alleviates the pain, hurt.  I tried numerous times to go back to my chiro but for whatever reason it never worked out.  Either when I tried to go he wasn't there or I was too busy to go.  Last week I decided to really start praying about this and asking God to be my Ultimate Physician.  He's the one that made me and knows exactly what is going on down there.  Who better to fix me than my Creator?

The first day I prayed I felt the Lord tell me to strengthen my core (core muscles - stomach area).  I have taken some pilates classes in the past and have always enjoyed them since they don't put strain on the lower back when done properly.  So I started doing some of the exercises that I could remember after praying.  1 week later.....the pain is decreasing!  Laying down at night doesn't hurt!  I know that it is because I am seeking the Lord and doing what He said that this is happening.

As I spend time with my Heavenly Father through prayer and reading His word, I am strengthening my core in Him.  My foundation is being laid stronger and stronger.  Just like the wise man who build his house upon the rock (Matt. 7:24f).  As I build my foundation (relationship) upon Jesus Christ (the Rock), I will be able to "weather the storms" that come.  A house is only as good as it's core - the foundation.  My relationship is only as good as what I make it.  Just like my relationship with my husband.  It is only as good as the time and energy that I invest.  It's only as strong as I want it to be.

So as I build my foundation stronger in the Lord, He is giving me the tools I need to do what He has called me to.  And as I do my pilates and make my core muscles stronger, the Lord is healing my back and getting me ready for the work that He has given me to do.

Frank

So we have no kids but we do have the greatest kitty ever!  Frank Martin.  We named him after Jason Statham in The Transporter movies.   Only because Frank does all his own stunts too! ;-)
Some of the things that Frank likes:  Sleeping, sun bathing, bird/squirrel watching.  Okay, basically what other cats like to do too.  But he also likes to play a game we call "sneak".  Just sneaking up on each other. He also loves mashed potatoes and French Vanilla Creamers.  Every morning when I get my coffee he is right there to consume the drippings from my single serve creamers that didn't make it into my coffee.  And he reminds me every time that he wants them.  Gotta love it!
Well enough about my "baby".  I just wanted to share a picture that I just took.