Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: What a wonderful day the Lord has made.....it was such a cool day...we are in the process of building Mel and Andrew Mitchell's house.....the journey has been so eventful :)
I feel like I am on third base, trying to steal home...I take a few steps, run back to base then try again....it has been so wonderful to watch the power of prayer....when the week started we were a LONG way from a rough in inspection..needed to put 100 volunteers to work this weekend....everyone told me NO WAY...well I talked with the Lord, admittedly my mustard seed is somewhat hollow...but still asking Him to remove all the obstacles to that He could get some BIG glory from all fo this.
It was AMAZING as He moved all the obstacles...we kept gathering and praying....then within hours....BLING..JESUS shows us the direction and answers ....Andrew who has suffered from severe Post Traumatic Stress for over a year....has a big SMILE...and laughing...and saying he cant believe what is happening...the whole street is buzzing and people are driving by just to see what is happening...
Today Mels brother who will live in the house with them and her father, came to see...it was so cool..he got out of the car and said "I see the hand of the Lord over this house"....there are no words to capture all the excitement...the team is witnessing the hand of God..the neighbors, and today Mel said...I cant wait to have the womens luncheon in MY HOUSE>...
Truly transformation has captured another part of Bay St Louis...Dear Father...THANK YOU THANK YOU....I am so in AWE OF YOU....thanks for letting me be a part of Your great work..please continue to miraculously make Yourself KNOWN...that ALL men will know that YOU are GOD the ONLY GOD....my heart is so full of JOY and Laughter and AWE....YOU ARE SO GOOD>...I love you di
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Green Leaves
Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Saturday afternoon, walking through the woods, birds singing, fish jumping and the leaves a dull shade of red and orange. I have never been a real lover of fall. Seems to be just to be a flash then the long dark winter comes. Sunday AM as I was reading and preparing to preach at Pastor Manyama's I read Isaiah 58 and Psalm 1......Well watered gardens and trees planted by streams whose leaves never wither....
WELL..it is hard to be a GREEN LEAF....think about it....never allowing circumstances, people, comments, rejections, abuse, abandonments, financial struggles, betrayal....to change who I am and who I represent. There have been many times in my life when I was the RED Rage of fall, or the BROWN complacency of fall, or the Orange of discontent....and yet over and over God continues to talk about the well watered, leaves not withering....
Then I think of how hard it really is to be a green leaf tree..pushing the roots of my relationship with Christ through all the rocks of life to get to the deep water...sometimes it is easier to change colors and fall off the tree.
Finally again it all comes back to choosing LIFE....the garden of LIFE always gives me two choices, knowledge of the situation and circumstances whether good or bad...or CHOOSING HIM>..LIFE....so today Lord, I ask forgiveness for all the times I have chosen to be a falling leaf instead of green.....please give me the grace, love and mercy to CHOOSE LIFE>>>CHOOSE YOU always and above ALL...love you di
WELL..it is hard to be a GREEN LEAF....think about it....never allowing circumstances, people, comments, rejections, abuse, abandonments, financial struggles, betrayal....to change who I am and who I represent. There have been many times in my life when I was the RED Rage of fall, or the BROWN complacency of fall, or the Orange of discontent....and yet over and over God continues to talk about the well watered, leaves not withering....
Then I think of how hard it really is to be a green leaf tree..pushing the roots of my relationship with Christ through all the rocks of life to get to the deep water...sometimes it is easier to change colors and fall off the tree.
Finally again it all comes back to choosing LIFE....the garden of LIFE always gives me two choices, knowledge of the situation and circumstances whether good or bad...or CHOOSING HIM>..LIFE....so today Lord, I ask forgiveness for all the times I have chosen to be a falling leaf instead of green.....please give me the grace, love and mercy to CHOOSE LIFE>>>CHOOSE YOU always and above ALL...love you di
Monday, October 8, 2007
Least of These
Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Yesterday the Women's Luncheon sponsored a food drive for the Hancock County Food Pantry. They had made all the arrangements and planned everything. Our role was to support them. However as we arrived at Walmart the women who were going to volunteer were not able to make it...so it became a CityTeam event. Along with Mel Mitchell and Mary Kay Deen we began passing out flyers and asking people going into WalMart to bring out a can for someone else.
The results were overwhelming...both emotionally and physically. During the five hours we collected over 2 1/2 pallets of food for the pantry. Well over 1000 cans, plus cases of paper products and cleaning supplies. For me personally, that was not near as impressive as the response of the people.
The outpouring of support and gratitude kept my eyes leaking all day. One young couple who had been married 1 month before the storm and lost everything....took the flyer, smiled and walked in the store. Thirty minutes later they came out with a cart full of groceries. They had come to Walmart for milk....as they came out of the store beaming they stopped beside me and said "when we were hungry you fed us, when we needed clothes you gave us clothes, when we needed ice and water you gave us ice and water"....now we are so happy to give back !!!
I am still not sure what to do with all the emotions....tears flood my face as I write this...when I worked the streets in NYC...it was easy for me to see "the least of these" according the world by di.....but with Katrina...I did not view them as the least...only as hurting and needy and wanting desperately to show them God's love in the midst of their pain!
Today I have a bit more revelation of His heart....we NEVER know who the least are....the big thing is "ordianary things with extra ordinary love"...'small things with Big love"...and all that love has to be FOR HIM....because each one is created in His image and when I find and reach out to HIM....the result is His pleasure....
The Christian walk is not "normal"...or maybe I have finally found NORMAL CHRISTIANITY...Father I am again awed and overwhelmed...I heard those verses in my soul all day yesterday and saw scripture leap from the page with each testimony of the people bringing their sacrifices to YOU.....Help me Jesus to never miss YOU no matter what disguise you are wearing....I love you so much...di
The results were overwhelming...both emotionally and physically. During the five hours we collected over 2 1/2 pallets of food for the pantry. Well over 1000 cans, plus cases of paper products and cleaning supplies. For me personally, that was not near as impressive as the response of the people.
The outpouring of support and gratitude kept my eyes leaking all day. One young couple who had been married 1 month before the storm and lost everything....took the flyer, smiled and walked in the store. Thirty minutes later they came out with a cart full of groceries. They had come to Walmart for milk....as they came out of the store beaming they stopped beside me and said "when we were hungry you fed us, when we needed clothes you gave us clothes, when we needed ice and water you gave us ice and water"....now we are so happy to give back !!!
I am still not sure what to do with all the emotions....tears flood my face as I write this...when I worked the streets in NYC...it was easy for me to see "the least of these" according the world by di.....but with Katrina...I did not view them as the least...only as hurting and needy and wanting desperately to show them God's love in the midst of their pain!
Today I have a bit more revelation of His heart....we NEVER know who the least are....the big thing is "ordianary things with extra ordinary love"...'small things with Big love"...and all that love has to be FOR HIM....because each one is created in His image and when I find and reach out to HIM....the result is His pleasure....
The Christian walk is not "normal"...or maybe I have finally found NORMAL CHRISTIANITY...Father I am again awed and overwhelmed...I heard those verses in my soul all day yesterday and saw scripture leap from the page with each testimony of the people bringing their sacrifices to YOU.....Help me Jesus to never miss YOU no matter what disguise you are wearing....I love you so much...di
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Driven by FAITH
Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: What kind of spiritual fuel makes you run??? Today Fr. Sebastian reflected on being driven by faith and how St Rose de Lima has made it these last 25 1/2 months. His primary focus was on Faith or Fear....We looked at the first verses of Habakkuk....the prophet is crying out to the Lord...HOW LONG...(di translation coming)...Why do you make me look at all this wrong doing...and what's up with permitting oppression, strife discord...the Word not being followed...the Wicked have the righteous all tied up....justice is perverted....WOW been there cried out like that....BUT
SO here comes the kicker...Gods response....IT is not GETTING BETTER...the evil guys are coming to kick your butts!! (di translation) They are BIG BAD EVIL...YEAH...been there too,...just when the going gets tough....the tough come at ya harder!!! Then Habakkuk is mystified by the whole deal...Adonai You are to pure to see evil...So WHY do you let these evil people SWALLOW UP>>( basically SLIMED) by them???...AND to top it off...they live in luxury with plenty of food to eat. Man this is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it is so REAL about how life with Christ really is!!....
Now here comes the Lords answer...write all this down....FOR THE VISION IS MEANT FOR ITS APPOINTED TIME, IT SPEAKS OF THE END, AND IT DOES NOT LIE...IT MAY TAKE AWHILE BUT WAIT FOR IT; IT WILL SURELY COME, IT WILL NOT DELAY!! This scripture is one of the most hysterical....it may take awhile....it will not delay...WHAT...that is like virtual reality...it is reality that is not real....this is gonna take awhile...it wont delay...I have been caught so many times in my walk with the Lord in this time warp....it is all UCK around me...and gets even UCKIER...and the mean get meaner...and I am waiting for awhile and I think for sure HE is delayed...then the PROMISE...IT WILL SURELY COME.
The solution is in Chapter 2:4b But the righteous will attain LIFE through trusting faithfulness....then God goes on to really outline how HE is taking care of it all...even when I think He is late...the solution is ..."He may not come when you want Him, but He will be there right on time" After all these years....still have trouble getting my clock set with His!!
Now my favorite part of the book...THE END....Habakkuk gets the Whole God picture which is basically this YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE...IT IS YOUR SPLENDOR THAT COVERS THE SKY>>>>YOUR BRIGHTNESS>>>>no matter how UCKY it is.....I WILL TAKE JOY IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION. ADONAI IS MY STRENGTH..HE MAKES ME SWIFT AND SURE FOOTED AS A DEER AND ENABLES ME TO STRIDE OVER MY HIGH PLACES.
When driven by faith...I can stride...notice not rock climb....it is saying to the mountain to the sea...or saying to those deep rooted trees in my life of how it should be...uprooted and to the sea...a mustard seed of faith is HYBRID.....a whole lot more to the gallon...verses fear, or acceptance, or complacency which is like a HUMMER...sucking out all the JOY, GOODNESS<>>ASKING JESUS FILL ME UP WITH FAITH and TOP IT OFF WITH BELIEF.....
Father today again I submit to your plans...help me wear blinders to I keep looking straight ahead at you...and keep my eyes off everybody and everything else....remind me Holy Spirit to always take JOY in my salvation.....You are my Strength O GOD and I DELIGHT IN YOU....love ya di
SO here comes the kicker...Gods response....IT is not GETTING BETTER...the evil guys are coming to kick your butts!! (di translation) They are BIG BAD EVIL...YEAH...been there too,...just when the going gets tough....the tough come at ya harder!!! Then Habakkuk is mystified by the whole deal...Adonai You are to pure to see evil...So WHY do you let these evil people SWALLOW UP>>( basically SLIMED) by them???...AND to top it off...they live in luxury with plenty of food to eat. Man this is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it is so REAL about how life with Christ really is!!....
Now here comes the Lords answer...write all this down....FOR THE VISION IS MEANT FOR ITS APPOINTED TIME, IT SPEAKS OF THE END, AND IT DOES NOT LIE...IT MAY TAKE AWHILE BUT WAIT FOR IT; IT WILL SURELY COME, IT WILL NOT DELAY!! This scripture is one of the most hysterical....it may take awhile....it will not delay...WHAT...that is like virtual reality...it is reality that is not real....this is gonna take awhile...it wont delay...I have been caught so many times in my walk with the Lord in this time warp....it is all UCK around me...and gets even UCKIER...and the mean get meaner...and I am waiting for awhile and I think for sure HE is delayed...then the PROMISE...IT WILL SURELY COME.
The solution is in Chapter 2:4b But the righteous will attain LIFE through trusting faithfulness....then God goes on to really outline how HE is taking care of it all...even when I think He is late...the solution is ..."He may not come when you want Him, but He will be there right on time" After all these years....still have trouble getting my clock set with His!!
Now my favorite part of the book...THE END....Habakkuk gets the Whole God picture which is basically this YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE...IT IS YOUR SPLENDOR THAT COVERS THE SKY>>>>YOUR BRIGHTNESS>>>>no matter how UCKY it is.....I WILL TAKE JOY IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION. ADONAI IS MY STRENGTH..HE MAKES ME SWIFT AND SURE FOOTED AS A DEER AND ENABLES ME TO STRIDE OVER MY HIGH PLACES.
When driven by faith...I can stride...notice not rock climb....it is saying to the mountain to the sea...or saying to those deep rooted trees in my life of how it should be...uprooted and to the sea...a mustard seed of faith is HYBRID.....a whole lot more to the gallon...verses fear, or acceptance, or complacency which is like a HUMMER...sucking out all the JOY, GOODNESS<>>ASKING JESUS FILL ME UP WITH FAITH and TOP IT OFF WITH BELIEF.....
Father today again I submit to your plans...help me wear blinders to I keep looking straight ahead at you...and keep my eyes off everybody and everything else....remind me Holy Spirit to always take JOY in my salvation.....You are my Strength O GOD and I DELIGHT IN YOU....love ya di
Friday, October 5, 2007
REFUSE HIM NOTHING
Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Today I am reading chapter two of Come be My Light..the private writings of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa's writings have greatly shaped my Christian walk. Often as I read her writings the depth of my being cries out in acceptance of the truths God inspired within her, followed by petitions to Christ to help me live out those truths each day.
So today, as I reflect on "refusing Christ nothing" and asking HIM to keep me to that vow...first I have not made the vow, although my deepest longing is to rush in and say the words...before God the seriousness of the vow is not a cheap McDonalds drive through decision...this is Fine Dining...the kind where lovers gaze into for hours, without needing to speak arriving at the decision that truly there is nothing that they will deny each other. Jesus has already made that vow to me....over and over in His word...Ask the Father in My Name....I have given you ALL authority....etc.
Deny Him nothing....Oh Jesus, that my hands will always be Your hands, my feet Your feet, my heart Your heart, my mind Your mind, my time Your time, my emotions Your emotions, my thoughts Your thoughts, my will Your will, my being Your Being....Jesus help me to surrender completely and totally that ALL LOVE is YOUR LOVE and that I will seek to deny you nothing...today I crawl up on the altar as a living sacrifice to be consumed by YOU and be Yours in EVERYTHING....love ya
So today, as I reflect on "refusing Christ nothing" and asking HIM to keep me to that vow...first I have not made the vow, although my deepest longing is to rush in and say the words...before God the seriousness of the vow is not a cheap McDonalds drive through decision...this is Fine Dining...the kind where lovers gaze into for hours, without needing to speak arriving at the decision that truly there is nothing that they will deny each other. Jesus has already made that vow to me....over and over in His word...Ask the Father in My Name....I have given you ALL authority....etc.
Deny Him nothing....Oh Jesus, that my hands will always be Your hands, my feet Your feet, my heart Your heart, my mind Your mind, my time Your time, my emotions Your emotions, my thoughts Your thoughts, my will Your will, my being Your Being....Jesus help me to surrender completely and totally that ALL LOVE is YOUR LOVE and that I will seek to deny you nothing...today I crawl up on the altar as a living sacrifice to be consumed by YOU and be Yours in EVERYTHING....love ya
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
RELEASE
Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: So today is a WONDER_FULL day....it began this morning with JoLynnes amazing testimony of how God is moving and changing her life...she shared how she is learning to say "Daddy"...we talked about how as babies we just keep babbling until it becomes a WORD...how cool it must be to God as we seek to say His name...I remember so fondly when my children began to say mama.,...I am sure it is the thrill of His heart....
TODAY WAS THE DAY!! I finished training JoLynne on all the petty cash and admin stuff...GAVE UP MY KEYS....it is a wonderful freeing feeling....also a point of great awareness...as I reflect to the past couple of years, I am acutely aware of how "tied" I have been to all the needs outside the people part.....it is with great excitement and anticipation that I look to the next couple of months. As I now watch the NEW TEAM..take FLIGHT....their excitement and joy are reminisce of my first 18 months here...and now I sit back in my chair and watch with pleasure as they begin to build the next phase of God's great rescue in Bay St Louis.
I am not sure all the future holds...I know for sure that getting Mel Mitchell in her home is #1 in the next couple of months..Also time to reflect and REST...also hoping to really get to see more of beautiful Mississippi and spend quality time with friends....entering a season of respite after such utter consuming activity brings JOY and the reality that I have to let the top slow down...that could be a bit difficult for couple of weeks...but I know that it is essential to refill the storehouse and prepare for the next leg of this wonderful journey.
Revival is breaking out at St Rose...Fr. Sebastian is preaching "hard" calling us to a new level of intimacy and servant hood...sacrifice in ALL areas....people are reaching out in worship...kneeling, standing...just wanting more...it is SO exciting....
Father that this whole nation would become ablaze for You again...that we would desire to More of YOU in every area...I am so thankful for this wonderful time in Bay St Louis..as I prepare to transition....keep my heart and mind focused on You...to know that where ever You take me...I will see You in everyday moments....Help me to continue to embrace ALL that lies ahead and to keep the fire on the altar burning....love you di
TODAY WAS THE DAY!! I finished training JoLynne on all the petty cash and admin stuff...GAVE UP MY KEYS....it is a wonderful freeing feeling....also a point of great awareness...as I reflect to the past couple of years, I am acutely aware of how "tied" I have been to all the needs outside the people part.....it is with great excitement and anticipation that I look to the next couple of months. As I now watch the NEW TEAM..take FLIGHT....their excitement and joy are reminisce of my first 18 months here...and now I sit back in my chair and watch with pleasure as they begin to build the next phase of God's great rescue in Bay St Louis.
I am not sure all the future holds...I know for sure that getting Mel Mitchell in her home is #1 in the next couple of months..Also time to reflect and REST...also hoping to really get to see more of beautiful Mississippi and spend quality time with friends....entering a season of respite after such utter consuming activity brings JOY and the reality that I have to let the top slow down...that could be a bit difficult for couple of weeks...but I know that it is essential to refill the storehouse and prepare for the next leg of this wonderful journey.
Revival is breaking out at St Rose...Fr. Sebastian is preaching "hard" calling us to a new level of intimacy and servant hood...sacrifice in ALL areas....people are reaching out in worship...kneeling, standing...just wanting more...it is SO exciting....
Father that this whole nation would become ablaze for You again...that we would desire to More of YOU in every area...I am so thankful for this wonderful time in Bay St Louis..as I prepare to transition....keep my heart and mind focused on You...to know that where ever You take me...I will see You in everyday moments....Help me to continue to embrace ALL that lies ahead and to keep the fire on the altar burning....love you di
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