An Inspiring Weekend.

I finally came to the realization I'm not going to have time to type up my own post about our wonderful weekend in Branchville, AL at the American Vision conference.  I kept thinking I'll get around to sharing, but we have been incredibly busy enjoying life.  Since I don't want to deprive you of such wonderful encouragement, I'll share what some of the talented authors we met at the conference found time to write.

One couple we "met" on Facebook prior to the conference came all the way from Vancouver and said THIS about the weekend.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered the amazing owner from the blog Generation Cedar that I've been following for a year was sitting with her beautiful family in the pew behind me! HERE is what she had to say.

One of the speakers, Joel McDurmon said THIS.  I spent several hours with his wife, Lori, in the "cry room" of the overwhelmingly amazing Branch Cove Church.

The audio from the weekend will be online soon, I'll be sure to post the link.  These articles, and the audio are totally worth your time.  

It has been there the whole time.

I just came upon this verse-

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands... so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. ~1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

It made me say wow, isn't that what we are trying to do? So I read it to Dad.

Dad ~ What? Read that again.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands... so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. ~1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Dad ~ I thought we just had a conviction about some things and thought maybe we should live in a travel trailer to help us change, but no, it's like God is standing there like 'Duh, this is part of my plan, it was there the whole time.'

It is in faith that we follow along the path that the Lord sets before us, without a road map or concrete direction. We often don't have a clue where we are going, but when we look back we can see where He has guided us. This is amazing but, with faith, it is not surprising. God is good!

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. ~Psalm 145:3

Everywhere a Quack, Quack!

First Sally's eggs hatched, then yesterday Sam's eggs hatched! Hurry, quick, run! I grabbed the camera and headed out the door with almost as much excitement as the children. Sam's nest is right out our back door, we can actually see it from the dining room window. I bet that nest has been looked at a hundred times the last couple days in eager anticipation.

Sam was doing a very good job at covering her little ones, but after several minutes I finally was able to capture this lil' guy peeking his head out from under his mama. We spied three ducklings under Sam, one a little brown spotted duckling that the children named Lucky. I grew up raising chickens, ducks and geese with incubators everywhere, but I do not ever recall any chick feathers other than yellow so I was looking forward to see him running about in a day or too.

We discovered this morning that Lucky is not so Lucky after all. He didn't make it through the night. This makes my children very sad, there were many tears.

Lucky didn't know it, but he made for a perfect school day. In this fallen world there is penalty for sin (Romans 6:23). God never wanted for death, but Eve took from the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genisis 3:1-5). We feel pain and God cries with us (John 11:35). We were meant to live forever, but now there is a time for living and a time for dying (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15). God won't stop us from pain but He can take our pain and work it out for His Glory (Romans 8:28). Thanks Lucky, for making this lesson real.

Let us look forward to the promise that there will come a day where there are no more tears - this happens to be Boy's favorite verse.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away ~Revelation 21:4

Amazing Grace and Things Sufficent

I think it's a "God-oince" that the churches we have been attending as of late sing Hymns for worship. Our church in Florida had just gone back to singing Hymns right before we started attending and the new church here in Ole' Miss only sings Hymns too. We used to think that Hymns are old fashioned and maybe a little plain and boring. We thought there had to be a band and "music that moved you" for the worship to be effective. We probably wouldn't even have attend a church if they only sang Hymns for worship just a short while ago. That was before... Now Hymns are sufficient. We are even enjoying learning them at home. Weird? Maybe!

When I look back a few years or in some cases even just a few months ago, I often think "what a fool I was." And a few years from now I hope will look back and think "what a fool I was a few years ago" because I want to be ever learning, ever growing, ever changing. If I am not moving forward, I might as well be moving backward.

I am so glad for the Grace of God. I am not perfect, yet He loves me anyway. I do not have it all together. Sometimes I might look like it, and I might even occasionally think I do, but it's a lie. I come to the throne with dirty hands and He washes me. His Grace is sufficent for me. Let it be for you too.

...Out of my sin and into Thyself,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of my shameful failure and loss,

Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;

Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,

Jesus, I come to Thee;

Out of earth’s sorrows, into Thy balm,

Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,

Out of distress to jubilant psalm,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of unrest and arrogant pride,

Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;

Into Thy blessed will to abide,

Jesus, I come to Thee...

from "Jesus, I Come" by William Sleeper