Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Thoughts on Tuesday ~ God & Country


Continuing the summer message series, we had Military Appreciation Day this past Sunday. Senator Brian Birdwell came to speak regarding God and Country. I'm afraid that I'm going to do him a great disservice as I attempt to summarize his message, because he had such a wealth of information for us. He carefully traced our Country's roots of faith, faith that under-girded and guided our Founding Fathers as they created our great nation. He used factual information regarding the structure of the Declaration of Independence and how it shaped the Constitution, quotes from those such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and George Mason, and Scripture to shape his teaching. I was enraptured the whole time, and though I was taking notes like crazy, I just couldn't keep up with the wealth of information that he shared.

I was encouraged and inspired by his message, and I keep thinking back to a specific quote that he shared from Benjamin Franklin: "I therefore beg leave to move-that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business...".

Here, Mr. Franklin was reminding the Convention (who had reached a deadlock) that in previous situations of writing treaties, deliberating and carefully constructing a Declaration of Independence, they had prayerfully sought wisdom, and this was a time they should return to doing so.

I seem to do the same thing. I've seen the work that prayer can do. I acknowledge my own limitations. However, I often forget the most fundamental and useful tool - prayer.

I fret. I think. I work. But, I forget to seek Him. I forget, or I willfully neglect, to share my heart and ask humbly of the Lord to guide and direct me and then listen.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

The Storm

In April we had one of those Texas thunderstorms that grew into much more. It was a situation where, earlier in the evening, Jeremy and I were standing at the barn and facing the storms coming in, but the wind was coming in from behind us as if to take our legs out from under us as it sucked back into the storm. He looked at me and said, "It's going to be a rough evening."

So, we did the prudent thing, and we prepared. Steers were fed and barn was closed. Loose objects around the house were secured. We even backed the vehicles into the carport so that if hail came, the trunk of my car and bed of his truck would take the brunt of it. We opened our 5+ weather apps (I LOVE weather), and then we went on our merry way. As things intensified that night, we ended up with the pets in the house with us while we watched alerts and warnings roll across our screens. You know, tracks and warnings like this:

Now, there was an hour for it to die out and become nothing, so we went along with our evening. Then the hail hit. But it came from the wrong direction; it doesn't hail from the east, it hails from the west. This hail was coming from the east, and it was straightline. This meant that not only was it hitting windows that should be protected by our 9 foot porch cover, but also that the vehicles we had so carefully backed in under the carport were getting hit on the hoods. Jer looked at me and said, "I can do it," and ran out to reposition them.

Shortly after, the alerts for severe weather sounded on our phones, so my sweet husband opened the front windows to watch and listen for the tornado. I know, I know; I was shaking my head, too. Not one to get too worried about these matters, I did decide it was, again, prudent to move the kids out of their beds where they were sleeping into the bathroom which is our shelter for storms (when we built the house, we really didn't think through the interior room, and the only ones we have are our pantry (hello flying canned goods and small appliances) and a small closet in my photography studio (hello small, pointy props and light stands).


I was texting a friend who is 3 miles to the west of us, and things got a little real when she said she felt the suction in her house of the air pressure changing; I've lived in Texas my whole life and know that's a pretty bad sign. Simultaneously Jer's and my phones started lighting up with text messages, "Are you okay?" "Are you in shelter?" "Please let us know you are okay." "We will come help with any repairs you need." "The news just reported a tornado in Nemo." Oh.  Now, I've heard also that pets are great indicators of what is happening, and this was the situation Howdy the weimaraner had taken on the the matter. My friend's response was both humorous and encouraging.

We waited out the craziness as the storm approached from the west, but the hail and rain continued, often in straightline fashion, from the east. The battering of hail on the roof indicated we were under heavy attack. And then it all lightened up, and we came out to look around. Darkness was heavy, so we mopped up the puddles of rain that had seeped through the doors and decided that morning light would give us the best indication of what happened. We weren't leaking through any ceilings, and that was a point for which to be thankful and one which meant I could go to sleep.

The next morning we discovered the outdoor grill to have been tossed into the yard from the porch where it had rested, Jer's tailgate had blown closed (we left it open to avoid hail damage), and some nice divots had appeared on my car. No windows were broken. The wooden trim on the house was dinged in some places, but, overall, we were in good shape. We made the calls to the insurance adjusters and thanked the Lord for protection.

When the storm reports were released, it was fascinating to look at the trail of the tornado (which did some major damage to the east of us after it, according to some of the tracking maps, passed right over us).

I took some thoughts away from that experience. I had the opportunity to serve in Granbury after the tornado that did some major damage in 2013. I will admit that some gruesome images passed through my mind as those texts and alerts started passing over my phone. I realized I have a lot of love for and pride in my home and the contents of my home. But, in those moments of alerts and warnings, my heart and mind started prioritizing the important and the unimportant. To the bathroom, I took my family. I prayed with and encouraged a friend down the road via our phones. I committed to not worrying about the house and vehicles because they were 'just things' that could be repaired and replaced.

As I think back to April and use some lessons from that night to reflect on today, I have to ask myself (as you should maybe ask yourself):
  • Where is my love placed today? 
  • What are my priorities? 
  • What do I need to ask the Lord to shelter me from today?
  • What storm is brewing around you, and how can you have faith in the boat?

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Thoughts on Tuesday ~ Kingdom Blockers

One of my favorite pastor's wives (which is a confusing thing to write: he has one wife, no matter how that can be misconstrued) used to write a Monday Morning Commentary on her blog each week. I always admired that for several reasons, one being that I saw it as a great way to support and cheer on her husband. I've thought about doing it many times, but it seemed like such a commitment to make to write a blog EVERY week ;). Mine may be more like today and be Thoughts on Tuesday, and other times I might make Monday Morning Commentary status...either way, let's get started.

Using the parable of the sower, Jeremy examined this truth:  There are certain things that block people from pursuing the Kingdom and living a fruitful life for Jesus. 

What’s blocking your pursuit of God and His Kingdom?
  1. Satan (Matt. 13:19)
    • In the passage, Jesus tells about the footpath where the seed falls and birds snatch it and carry it away; he explains that these are those who hear about the kingdom, but do not understand. 
    • In our lives, it is our hard heart, hardened by the enemy, which prevents the Word from permeating and growing. This is often a pride.
  2. A Shallow Commitment (Matt. 13: 20-21)
    •  In the passage, Jesus teaches of the rocky soil. The seed grows quickly and then withers from lack of a deep root. 
    • In our lives, as Jesus explains after his parable, these are hard times that come and take our joy. It may be persecution, suffering, or things just not going our way.
    • To overcome a Shallow Commitment, we need Deep Roots. We develop Deep Roots through:
      • God's Word: Get in God's word - read it, listen to it, memorize it, meditate on it, share it (FB, IG, text encouragement to others)
      • God's People: Resist isolation and build community; allow others to speak Biblical truth and correction in to your life as well as encouragement.
      • God's Spirit: Learn how to listen to and follow His Spirit. The Spirit is a gift the Father gives us when we commit our lives to Jesus. Rely on the Spirit.
  3. Distractions in life (Matt. 13: 22)
    • In the passage, Jesus teaches about the seed that fell among the thorns, and as it grew was choked out by those thorns.
    • In His teaching, the thorns in our life are worries of this life and the lure of wealth (Mark goes on to add the 'desire for other things' to his list). Jeremy pointed out that our culture makes it easy for these very same distractions to lure us away.
The good news is that there is one last type of soil!

Matthew 13:23 (NLT) The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

What a joy to know that I am not doomed to suffer a life of the blockers, but that I can live in the fullness of the good soil!

Hosea 10:12 (NLT) ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’

Which soil describes the condition of your heart and your life at this time? What can you do to correct that? If your heart is in the 'good soil' category, what can you do to maintain that and share that with others?


I see 'Distractions in life' as my biggest blocker. And, I'm thankful that Mark added the 'desire for other things' to his list. That's me. And, the 'desire for other things' aren't always bad things that I chase; I'm easily distracted by the lure of a clean, orderly home; by meeting deadlines for business; by meeting needs of others. However, if I'm not sitting at the feet of Jesus first and then serving out of His filling, I'm not producing a harvesty of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times more!

If you missed the message and want to hear it, you can find it here.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Delayed Obedience

I've heard it said that "delayed obedience is actually disobedience." I believe that's a parenting principle, isn't it? Funny how so many parenting principles apply to our lives as His sons and daughters.

It appears that it's been almost 2 years since I've last written a blog post. While my photography blog isn't so unloved that it's missed 2 years, it feels the pain of neglect, too. I need to get out of "I'm and introvert, and I like it" mode and get into "obedient share" mode.

For the last two years I have enjoyed a plethora of experiences ranging from deep despair (that time I lost my ability to move) to this is cRazY (can you believe someone gave us a top-of-the-line Yukon Denali?!), and, in time, I'll share some of those with you. 

So, what's been keeping me from it? Thoughts like:

"What happens when you run out of things to write?" (as if He can't give me more every day)

"I don't want to seem prideful or like I have it all figured out." (because I don't)

"No one really cares." (selfish much? it's not really about me, is it?)

"Who are YOU to write for other people to read?"

I laugh at that last one because I was just listening to a conference call for She Speaks that I have the honor and privilege of attending next month. She said (I'm going to quote, but there is some paraphrasing happening here, so read the quotations loosely), "Some of you are wondering what you have gotten yourself into not only by signing up for She Speaks, but by signing up to meet with a publisher. You're thinking, 'What was I thinking?!' The lie Satan is whispering in your ear is 'Who do you think you are to write a book and present it to a publisher?' The truth right now: It's not about who you are, because this isn't about you. You are being obedient to God."

So, here I am...being obedient.

For years I've had people speak into my life about the books I'm going to write one day. One went so far as to gift money for me to attend a writing conference. In the last year I've been dipping my toes in the water to get a "feel for things." As I spent a little time writing for StoneWater U, I found it is something I DO love and enjoy the challenge.

The next step seemed to be taking the step to use that gift and register for a conference. When I registered, I clicked the little box that said "I would like to meet with a publisher." I knew I registered later than those who were really "with it," and that the liklihood I would get an appointment would be slim to none. Really, it was a low risk box checking that I did. Earlier this week, I received an email that explained a publisher appointment had opened and asking if I would like to take it. The thought that ran through my brain was, "Really?! Could it be that I might really on the verge of doing this?" I stepped back long enough after typing, "Yes, I would love the opportunity," to say a prayer about my answer, and, feeling confirmed, I hit 'send.'

And then...

then I received the follow up documents. Suddenly I feel like I'm in grad school again with projects to complete that take me all the way back to my English undergrad years of analyzing and deconstructing pieces, except starting from the ground and building up. I have a lot to do, and I have a lot to learn as I go. Grad school was kind of crazy - I was teaching full time, expecting one child (whom I birthed early in one semester, so I went back to class when she was 5 days old...right around feeding time that evening...moms, you get this), and I finished as I juggled teaching and chasing a toddler and being a youth minister's wife.

It's pretty much deja vu: I'm running a business full time, chauffeuring and cleaning up and loving on two kiddos (all of you who stifled your laughs when I lamented how I couldn't wait until my two precious littles could cook and clean for themselves, go ahead, let that laugh out loud and proud ;), being a pastor's wife, women's ministry coordinator, and the other variety life offers.

You know, it may be that nothing comes of this. I go to an awesome conference, I learn a lot, and I sense I've been obedient and move along to His next plan.

You know the best part though, I'm no longer in the "delayed obedience" category...I'm walking in the freedom, purpose, and joy of surrender. This chapter should be titled, "Obedience," and I'm betting that it's going to be exciting.