Yesterday it seemed that everywhere I looked there was stuff that needed to be done. I was overwhelmed and annoyed knowing that I didn't have time to get it all done and the stuff I did get done would just undo itself with 2 kids following behind me.
It is no secret that I am picky when it comes to my house. I like things picked up & tidy & every single thing has a place & everyone living with me needs to learn that & put stuff back (at least thats the lie I have been believing). Clutter annoys me to no end, stresses me out, and frankly puts me in a bad mood. I notice things that obviously the other members of my household do not..... Dusty baseboards, the pedestal on the sink gets dirty, the dirt On the floor under the benches in the kitchen, my white kitchen cabinets gets finger prints & food on them, etc. My poor kids & husband! I can be downright hard to live with..... There, I said it!! At least I admit it right?!
So in Luke chapter 10 when Jesus is welcomed into the house of Martha & Martha gets annoyed at her sister, Mary for sitting on her rump while she does all the work, it coincidently sounds a tad familiar! But what does Jesus have to say about it? In Luke 10:41-42 Jesus says, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (ESV)
While Martha was worrying over the details, Mary was doing what really counted. She was resting in The Lord & spending time at His feet listening to His teachings. How often have I chosen to fuss over the little annoyances & make myself downright irritable than to sit and spend time with The Lord & REST? I am Martha!! But oh how I want to be Mary.
Now this doesn't give us an excuse to be downright lazy. As a matter of fact Romans 12:11 says, "Never be lazy, but work hard and serve The Lord enthusiastically." (NLT) But when you are like me and let it ruin your whole day and more importantly give all the stuff that needs to be done priority over my time with God..... Well, that's when there's a problem! There's a difference in resting in The Lord & being lazy.
So how do I find that balance? Sometimes when I start getting overwhelmed I just stop, close my eyes, take a deep breath in, and say a quick prayer and ask for God's help. Peace rushes over me. I think sometimes we forget that we can call out to Him ANYTIME! It doesn't have to be a scheduled prayer time. He is always there & He wants to help us! When I want to talk to David or need his advice I don't wait until bedtime or right when I get up in the morning. I call to him if he's home or I call him on the phone right away. So why can't I be the same way with God? Praise God that I can call out to Him anytime! He is always listening and He loves me and wants to help!
Another thing that helps me is spending time in His Word everyday. It helps me keep my priorities straight and renews my spirit. I am more relaxed, more joyful, and more at peace when I have allowed Him to speak to me through His Word. He is the only thing that can satisfy our souls.
Are you a Martha like I am? How do you rest in Him when your to do list keeps getting longer and longer?
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
9 YEARS SERCHING.......
David and I were married in October of 2003. Our first home together was an apartment in Gray that we both loved. When we got married I was out of church and David moved up here from Florida so he didn't have a church around here that he attended either.
The really ironic part is that the first church we ever visited together as a married couple was Tri-Cities Baptist Church. We both liked it but honestly we weren't too serious about finding a church and cared more about getting our beauty rest on Sundays.
The next year we bought our first house and moved back where I was raised in Church Hill. We visited a few churches throughout the 2 1/2 years we lived there. One church we attended every Sunday for close to a year but never joined. It just didn't seem right for some reason. Why we continued to go and not search out the church for us I have no idea.
Over the next several years we would go to a church for a while and then just stop and not go back to a church for several months. Friends invited me to their churches and we would go and visit a few times and never return. For the most part there was never anything in particular we didn't like that caused us to quit going. We just never found one that we just felt like was "our church."
For several years we stayed away from Baptist churches. They just seemed judgmental and like they had too many "rules." I didn't feel like going to church to be judged every week and that was the label I had put on them. We were determined to find a non-denominational church. But honestly none of them seemed right for us either.
One non-denominational church we went to for a few months didn't offer a response time at the end of the service. The pastor would preach and at the end of the sermon we would be dismissed...... that was it. If someone wanted to accept Jesus as their savior who were they to talk to or when were they given an opportunity to respond to the call of God? It bothered me from the beginning but I was determined it wasn't going to hinder me from finding my non-denominational church that I had in my mind I wanted to attend. I thought I was getting hung up on silly stuff and then one day I tried to think of a single sermon the pastor had preached. Sadly I couldn't! Now maybe that was more my fault than his but I was never moved by a service or ever felt like I had learned anything. I wasn't growing as a christian. So we stopped going there and probably didn't step foot in another church for about 8 months.
When Alexa was about 6 weeks old we went to another church for a couple of Sundays. But it still wasn't our church. I started thinking maybe I was expecting too much or making excuses. Was I really just going to get this overwhelming feeling like we had found "the one" or was that just a fairy tale I was making up so I didn't have to commit to a church?
So for about 9 more months we once again quit going to church. It was really when we began researching homeschooling that we decided to make it a priority to find a church. I told David one night after the kids were in bed that if I was going to home school then I felt like it was vitally important for our kids that we find a church to invest in and make a major part of our lives. I was sick and tired of not going to a church because it was baptist and I thought they would judge me. Now who was doing the judging.... me or the church? Pretty sure I was the guilty one!
We decided that evening that the next Sunday we would go to Tri-Cities Baptist Church. Tri-Cities became an option because of my search for home school information. I had read that Kingsport Christian Academy offered classes for home school kids at the church. So we thought it would be a good option for us and when we went several years ago we really liked it and had every intention of going back until pure laziness got the best of us.
So the next Sunday we made good on our commitment to try out the church (again.....years later) and we got up and got our family ready. Both kids went into the nursery with no problems (that was amazing all in itself). We sat in the back because hey isn't that what visitors do?? We sure didn't want to be noticed too much (or maybe I should say "I" instead of we). What if we never returned? The music and worship part was awesome so we were good so far. Honestly I thought okay the pastor will be horrible or will be hard to follow and not make sense. I just knew I was going to be hung up on something (after all it was a Baptist church.... wasn't someone going to judge me or make me feel unwelcome?).
Pastor Mike took the stage and I braced myself (haha....I am literally laughing out loud right now at how silly I was). It was the first message in a series he was starting called 'Relevant.' He preached on why we believe the Bible. All I can say is WOW! I learned so much that morning. He was easy to follow, easy to understand, and my attention never once was diverted to something else. I left wanting to hear more and sad that it was over. I knew at the end of that service that we had found our church. I was so excited to return the next week and hear more.
I would like to brag on my pastor for a minute. Pastor Mike has a God-given gift to teach the Bible in a way that is easy to understand and relevant. He is very thorough..... he doesn't just pick out a verse and apply it however he wants to. He TEACHES......verse by verse which I love. He admits his downfalls which I believe is his way of making sure we don't idolize him and put him on a pedestal. In a church, especially one as big as Tri-Cities, I think sometimes we look to the pastor almost as a celebrity. It is not Pastor Mike but the Holy Spirit using him to guide us and teach us. He always gives the glory and recognition to Jesus Christ. I can only imagine the work and endless hours that goes into pastoring a church. I believe a lot of people think pastors just work on Sundays (maybe one other day a week to prepare their sermon). I actually think being a pastor is one of the hardest professions......so encourage your pastor. He may need it.
Anyway, about 3 months after that first sermon we joined the church, joined a Sunday school group, and volunteered in the nursery. We decided to find a church and get involved and for once we stuck with it. Now 9 months later we LOVE our church and thank God for it. All of us, including our kids, have grown so much. David and I have been challenged (in wonderful ways) and our personal relationships with the Lord has grown leaps and bounds. I count down the days till Sunday because I am excited what I will learn next. I have learned so much in 9 months and I am pretty sure I can remember every sermon I have heard preached at Tri-Cities.
So, if you are looking for a church we would LOVE to have you try ours. We are living, walking testimonies that church does matter and it makes a huge impact! Can I promise you someone won't hurt your feelings at some point? No....... as a matter of fact I can almost guarantee that someone in fact will. But that is because we are broken human beings and we fall short. We are a redeemed group of people that mess up sometimes. Don't let your fear of hurt and judgment (aka the devil) make you miss out on all the wonderful things that come along with being apart of a church family like it did me for all those years. Check out the link below for more information about our church.
www.tcbchurch.org
The really ironic part is that the first church we ever visited together as a married couple was Tri-Cities Baptist Church. We both liked it but honestly we weren't too serious about finding a church and cared more about getting our beauty rest on Sundays.
The next year we bought our first house and moved back where I was raised in Church Hill. We visited a few churches throughout the 2 1/2 years we lived there. One church we attended every Sunday for close to a year but never joined. It just didn't seem right for some reason. Why we continued to go and not search out the church for us I have no idea.
Over the next several years we would go to a church for a while and then just stop and not go back to a church for several months. Friends invited me to their churches and we would go and visit a few times and never return. For the most part there was never anything in particular we didn't like that caused us to quit going. We just never found one that we just felt like was "our church."
For several years we stayed away from Baptist churches. They just seemed judgmental and like they had too many "rules." I didn't feel like going to church to be judged every week and that was the label I had put on them. We were determined to find a non-denominational church. But honestly none of them seemed right for us either.
One non-denominational church we went to for a few months didn't offer a response time at the end of the service. The pastor would preach and at the end of the sermon we would be dismissed...... that was it. If someone wanted to accept Jesus as their savior who were they to talk to or when were they given an opportunity to respond to the call of God? It bothered me from the beginning but I was determined it wasn't going to hinder me from finding my non-denominational church that I had in my mind I wanted to attend. I thought I was getting hung up on silly stuff and then one day I tried to think of a single sermon the pastor had preached. Sadly I couldn't! Now maybe that was more my fault than his but I was never moved by a service or ever felt like I had learned anything. I wasn't growing as a christian. So we stopped going there and probably didn't step foot in another church for about 8 months.
When Alexa was about 6 weeks old we went to another church for a couple of Sundays. But it still wasn't our church. I started thinking maybe I was expecting too much or making excuses. Was I really just going to get this overwhelming feeling like we had found "the one" or was that just a fairy tale I was making up so I didn't have to commit to a church?
So for about 9 more months we once again quit going to church. It was really when we began researching homeschooling that we decided to make it a priority to find a church. I told David one night after the kids were in bed that if I was going to home school then I felt like it was vitally important for our kids that we find a church to invest in and make a major part of our lives. I was sick and tired of not going to a church because it was baptist and I thought they would judge me. Now who was doing the judging.... me or the church? Pretty sure I was the guilty one!
We decided that evening that the next Sunday we would go to Tri-Cities Baptist Church. Tri-Cities became an option because of my search for home school information. I had read that Kingsport Christian Academy offered classes for home school kids at the church. So we thought it would be a good option for us and when we went several years ago we really liked it and had every intention of going back until pure laziness got the best of us.
So the next Sunday we made good on our commitment to try out the church (again.....years later) and we got up and got our family ready. Both kids went into the nursery with no problems (that was amazing all in itself). We sat in the back because hey isn't that what visitors do?? We sure didn't want to be noticed too much (or maybe I should say "I" instead of we). What if we never returned? The music and worship part was awesome so we were good so far. Honestly I thought okay the pastor will be horrible or will be hard to follow and not make sense. I just knew I was going to be hung up on something (after all it was a Baptist church.... wasn't someone going to judge me or make me feel unwelcome?).
Pastor Mike took the stage and I braced myself (haha....I am literally laughing out loud right now at how silly I was). It was the first message in a series he was starting called 'Relevant.' He preached on why we believe the Bible. All I can say is WOW! I learned so much that morning. He was easy to follow, easy to understand, and my attention never once was diverted to something else. I left wanting to hear more and sad that it was over. I knew at the end of that service that we had found our church. I was so excited to return the next week and hear more.
I would like to brag on my pastor for a minute. Pastor Mike has a God-given gift to teach the Bible in a way that is easy to understand and relevant. He is very thorough..... he doesn't just pick out a verse and apply it however he wants to. He TEACHES......verse by verse which I love. He admits his downfalls which I believe is his way of making sure we don't idolize him and put him on a pedestal. In a church, especially one as big as Tri-Cities, I think sometimes we look to the pastor almost as a celebrity. It is not Pastor Mike but the Holy Spirit using him to guide us and teach us. He always gives the glory and recognition to Jesus Christ. I can only imagine the work and endless hours that goes into pastoring a church. I believe a lot of people think pastors just work on Sundays (maybe one other day a week to prepare their sermon). I actually think being a pastor is one of the hardest professions......so encourage your pastor. He may need it.
Anyway, about 3 months after that first sermon we joined the church, joined a Sunday school group, and volunteered in the nursery. We decided to find a church and get involved and for once we stuck with it. Now 9 months later we LOVE our church and thank God for it. All of us, including our kids, have grown so much. David and I have been challenged (in wonderful ways) and our personal relationships with the Lord has grown leaps and bounds. I count down the days till Sunday because I am excited what I will learn next. I have learned so much in 9 months and I am pretty sure I can remember every sermon I have heard preached at Tri-Cities.
So, if you are looking for a church we would LOVE to have you try ours. We are living, walking testimonies that church does matter and it makes a huge impact! Can I promise you someone won't hurt your feelings at some point? No....... as a matter of fact I can almost guarantee that someone in fact will. But that is because we are broken human beings and we fall short. We are a redeemed group of people that mess up sometimes. Don't let your fear of hurt and judgment (aka the devil) make you miss out on all the wonderful things that come along with being apart of a church family like it did me for all those years. Check out the link below for more information about our church.
www.tcbchurch.org
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
OPEN HANDS
So.....back to our Africa mission trip!
To follow up my last blog on how overwhelming but wonderful motherhood can be it seems appropriate to address my kids in regards to us going across the world. I assure you it came as no easy decision to leave our kids behind and go that far away when we have never left them for more than 2 nights before.
I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that when I first heard about Africa it was completely out of the question. There was no way I was going that far away and leaving them for 10 days. I am pretty sure that was probably my exact words to David. The thought of something happening to one or both of my kids and being a 20+ hour plane ride away seemed ludicrous to me. There was simply no way (or so I thought) I was doing that.
When God first started pointing us in the direction of Africa my first question to Him was, "What about my kids?" I guess I thought I needed to bring them up and remind God that they would be affected by this. Silly me! He began showing me things about my kids that I had never thought of.
I was listening to a sermon on the internet one day and the pastor was talking about idolatry. He said as parents we tend to idolize our children and place them before God. I had never heard that before (or paid attention to it) but when I sat and analyzed my relationship with my kids and my relationship with God I realized I was guilty. I placed them above my daily quiet time, I placed them above my prayer life, and I even placed them above my marriage. They are important and a gift from God but God should ALWAYS be first, then my husband, then my children. I was convicted as I realized that was not the order in my life.
During our Sunday school class at church we did a marriage series called 'The Art of Marriage' which confirmed the order of importance and where God fit into the picture. One Sunday we had Pastor Gene & his wife come in and do a question and answer session with us. If my memory serves me right, they have been married over 30 years. We were on the topic of kids and how to set aside time as a couple. Pastor Gene said they went away once a year for about a week when their kids were young and he said something that really stuck with me. He said, "Your kids will be okay." God spoke to me that day loud and clear through Pastor Gene but I still wasn't ready to let go of my worry.
God spoke to me again through Hilary Alan's book 'Sent,' that I mentioned in an earlier post. She wrote a lot in her book about her kids and how their call to mission work affected them. In one chapter she writes about her pastor preaching a sermon about surrender. He told them to hold their hands out palms facing up and visualize what was most important to them and what they would be willing to die for. Hilary says, "My immediate response? I would die for my husband and children." (That is exactly what my response would be as well.) Then their pastor said to "squeeze your hands with the amount of firmness representing how much you want to hold on to whatever you visualized in your hands." Hilary describes her knuckles turning white because they meant more to her than anything. Then the pastor said, "If you are willing to give whatever it is in your hands to the Lord, regardless of what that means for you, then you open your hands, again, palms facing up and say, 'Lord, they are Yours. Do with them what You will because I release them to You. They're not mine, anyway, They are Yours.'" Hilary said that was when she began letting go of the control she mistakenly had over her children's lives.
About a month after reading that part in the book I was still in a great deal of turmoil over leaving my kids. I was stressed out and upset. Then one night David and I were in the living room after we put the kids to bed and David was preparing to lead Sunday school the next morning. He literally stumbled upon this verse in Matthew 19:29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." I knew then that all my worry and anxiety was from the Devil. The last thing he wants me to do is be obedient to God.
I can worry and stress out about the 'what if's' or I can decide that I am going to fully trust God and His promises. My children were given to me by Him. He created them and they were His first! Why did I ever think for a second that whatever God calls us to do that He hadn't considered my kids? He loves them more than I will ever be able to. Austin & Alexa are a gift from God, given to me to raise up and disciple.
One of the most effective and important ways to disciple my children and teach them is to be a living example. What example would I be to them if I chose them over God's calling? What example would I be if I was disobedient to God? I began to realize that by David & I going to Africa we would be doing our kids more good than if we stayed behind out of fear. One of my greatest desires is for Austin & Alexa to hold true to Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Currently I am at complete peace about this trip. I say currently because the Devil certainly knows my weaknesses and I know he isn't going to let up on me.
We are excited to see what God has in store for us in Africa!! He has amazed us so far and I can't wait to share more with you and watch it unfold myself!
Until then I leave you with this awesome song I came across......
To follow up my last blog on how overwhelming but wonderful motherhood can be it seems appropriate to address my kids in regards to us going across the world. I assure you it came as no easy decision to leave our kids behind and go that far away when we have never left them for more than 2 nights before.
I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that when I first heard about Africa it was completely out of the question. There was no way I was going that far away and leaving them for 10 days. I am pretty sure that was probably my exact words to David. The thought of something happening to one or both of my kids and being a 20+ hour plane ride away seemed ludicrous to me. There was simply no way (or so I thought) I was doing that.
When God first started pointing us in the direction of Africa my first question to Him was, "What about my kids?" I guess I thought I needed to bring them up and remind God that they would be affected by this. Silly me! He began showing me things about my kids that I had never thought of.
I was listening to a sermon on the internet one day and the pastor was talking about idolatry. He said as parents we tend to idolize our children and place them before God. I had never heard that before (or paid attention to it) but when I sat and analyzed my relationship with my kids and my relationship with God I realized I was guilty. I placed them above my daily quiet time, I placed them above my prayer life, and I even placed them above my marriage. They are important and a gift from God but God should ALWAYS be first, then my husband, then my children. I was convicted as I realized that was not the order in my life.
During our Sunday school class at church we did a marriage series called 'The Art of Marriage' which confirmed the order of importance and where God fit into the picture. One Sunday we had Pastor Gene & his wife come in and do a question and answer session with us. If my memory serves me right, they have been married over 30 years. We were on the topic of kids and how to set aside time as a couple. Pastor Gene said they went away once a year for about a week when their kids were young and he said something that really stuck with me. He said, "Your kids will be okay." God spoke to me that day loud and clear through Pastor Gene but I still wasn't ready to let go of my worry.
God spoke to me again through Hilary Alan's book 'Sent,' that I mentioned in an earlier post. She wrote a lot in her book about her kids and how their call to mission work affected them. In one chapter she writes about her pastor preaching a sermon about surrender. He told them to hold their hands out palms facing up and visualize what was most important to them and what they would be willing to die for. Hilary says, "My immediate response? I would die for my husband and children." (That is exactly what my response would be as well.) Then their pastor said to "squeeze your hands with the amount of firmness representing how much you want to hold on to whatever you visualized in your hands." Hilary describes her knuckles turning white because they meant more to her than anything. Then the pastor said, "If you are willing to give whatever it is in your hands to the Lord, regardless of what that means for you, then you open your hands, again, palms facing up and say, 'Lord, they are Yours. Do with them what You will because I release them to You. They're not mine, anyway, They are Yours.'" Hilary said that was when she began letting go of the control she mistakenly had over her children's lives.
About a month after reading that part in the book I was still in a great deal of turmoil over leaving my kids. I was stressed out and upset. Then one night David and I were in the living room after we put the kids to bed and David was preparing to lead Sunday school the next morning. He literally stumbled upon this verse in Matthew 19:29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." I knew then that all my worry and anxiety was from the Devil. The last thing he wants me to do is be obedient to God.
I can worry and stress out about the 'what if's' or I can decide that I am going to fully trust God and His promises. My children were given to me by Him. He created them and they were His first! Why did I ever think for a second that whatever God calls us to do that He hadn't considered my kids? He loves them more than I will ever be able to. Austin & Alexa are a gift from God, given to me to raise up and disciple.
One of the most effective and important ways to disciple my children and teach them is to be a living example. What example would I be to them if I chose them over God's calling? What example would I be if I was disobedient to God? I began to realize that by David & I going to Africa we would be doing our kids more good than if we stayed behind out of fear. One of my greatest desires is for Austin & Alexa to hold true to Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Currently I am at complete peace about this trip. I say currently because the Devil certainly knows my weaknesses and I know he isn't going to let up on me.
We are excited to see what God has in store for us in Africa!! He has amazed us so far and I can't wait to share more with you and watch it unfold myself!
Until then I leave you with this awesome song I came across......
Friday, May 10, 2013
MOTHERHOOD IS A MINISTRY
So I have come to realize it is incredibly hard to sit down and focus and write a blog post with a 5 year old and 20 month old running around. It's ironic that this Sunday is Mother's Day because I have been feeling a little burned out lately. You know when you haven't had a break from being a mother in oh say..... weeks? Sometimes I feel like I am not a very good one at that. I am not patient (at all), a perfectionist to say the least, and frankly sometimes I want to go in my bedroom and close the door and scream to the top of my lungs. How's that for honesty?
On 106.9 last night they were talking to this woman, Erin Davis. She is 32, has 2 kids, & 1 on the way. She wrote a book called 'Beyond Bath Time: Embracing Motherhood As A Sacred Role.' During her interview she said, "Motherhood is a ministry." Essentially, as mothers, we are missionaries. Sharing the gospel with our young children and raising them up to be a light in this dark world. My job is to equip them to be ready for what the Devil has to throw at them.
Another thing Erin said was that she is overwhelmed a lot! I found this to be encouraging (especially since she is adding baby #3 to the chaos). Wow.....I am not the only one!! I want more children (obviously if you read my last post) and I sometimes do ask myself if I can handle more. So because I get overwhelmed on occasion does that mean I may not be cut out for the big family I desire? Does that mean I should just stop at 2 because it's not always a walk in the park? I am not a quitter and when the going gets tough I refuse to let the Devil scare me into bailing on my calling. He knows exactly where our weak spots are and he takes every opportunity to cast doubt & fear. He makes me feel inadequate and not good enough. The best part is.... I am a child of God and the Devil doesn't stand a chance against Him.
I am broken and I cannot do this Mommy thing on my own. I can't all of a sudden be a patient person and I can't let the imperfections not annoy me. I need Christ and He is going to see me through the hard times. When we adopt and bring more children into our home it is going to get harder. But that just means we are going to have to lean on God even more!
No matter how overwhelmed I feel the good still outweighs the bad by a landslide. To see Alexa's face light up when I enter the room, to hear Austin say "Mommy I love you", or to see how sweet they are to one another and how they adore each other. All that reminds me that the hard times are soooo worth it. I have plenty of love to give them and I even believe I can love another child that is not biologically mine just as much as I do my own. So does that mean I can't have a crazy Mommy moment or that I have to be this perfect mother that does everything right and is the image of pinterest? No way! We are way too hard on ourselves and each other. Constantly comparing how good of a mom we are to someone else or how well behaved our kids are. I label myself a failure if by dinner I realize my kids haven't had a single vegetable yet that day. Let me be honest here, some days I am lucky to get macaroni and cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made. I am working on not holding myself to such an unreachable standard.
This Mother's Day I am proud of the Mother that I am despite my downfalls. I am grateful that God chose me to be a Mom to Austin & Alexa and grateful that I still have my Mom to spend this weekend with.
So have a great weekend everyone and remember those in prayer that don't have their Moms here on Earth to spend the day with and those that dream of motherhood but it just hasn't happened for them yet. A great day for some may be a horribly painful day for others.
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3
Stay tuned.... next week I will return to my confirmations on our mission trip to Africa.
On 106.9 last night they were talking to this woman, Erin Davis. She is 32, has 2 kids, & 1 on the way. She wrote a book called 'Beyond Bath Time: Embracing Motherhood As A Sacred Role.' During her interview she said, "Motherhood is a ministry." Essentially, as mothers, we are missionaries. Sharing the gospel with our young children and raising them up to be a light in this dark world. My job is to equip them to be ready for what the Devil has to throw at them.
Another thing Erin said was that she is overwhelmed a lot! I found this to be encouraging (especially since she is adding baby #3 to the chaos). Wow.....I am not the only one!! I want more children (obviously if you read my last post) and I sometimes do ask myself if I can handle more. So because I get overwhelmed on occasion does that mean I may not be cut out for the big family I desire? Does that mean I should just stop at 2 because it's not always a walk in the park? I am not a quitter and when the going gets tough I refuse to let the Devil scare me into bailing on my calling. He knows exactly where our weak spots are and he takes every opportunity to cast doubt & fear. He makes me feel inadequate and not good enough. The best part is.... I am a child of God and the Devil doesn't stand a chance against Him.
I am broken and I cannot do this Mommy thing on my own. I can't all of a sudden be a patient person and I can't let the imperfections not annoy me. I need Christ and He is going to see me through the hard times. When we adopt and bring more children into our home it is going to get harder. But that just means we are going to have to lean on God even more!
No matter how overwhelmed I feel the good still outweighs the bad by a landslide. To see Alexa's face light up when I enter the room, to hear Austin say "Mommy I love you", or to see how sweet they are to one another and how they adore each other. All that reminds me that the hard times are soooo worth it. I have plenty of love to give them and I even believe I can love another child that is not biologically mine just as much as I do my own. So does that mean I can't have a crazy Mommy moment or that I have to be this perfect mother that does everything right and is the image of pinterest? No way! We are way too hard on ourselves and each other. Constantly comparing how good of a mom we are to someone else or how well behaved our kids are. I label myself a failure if by dinner I realize my kids haven't had a single vegetable yet that day. Let me be honest here, some days I am lucky to get macaroni and cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made. I am working on not holding myself to such an unreachable standard.
This Mother's Day I am proud of the Mother that I am despite my downfalls. I am grateful that God chose me to be a Mom to Austin & Alexa and grateful that I still have my Mom to spend this weekend with.
So have a great weekend everyone and remember those in prayer that don't have their Moms here on Earth to spend the day with and those that dream of motherhood but it just hasn't happened for them yet. A great day for some may be a horribly painful day for others.
Stay tuned.... next week I will return to my confirmations on our mission trip to Africa.
Monday, May 6, 2013
A CALLING 6 YEARS (OR MORE) IN THE MAKING
Okay so I am going to take a little break from our Africa mission trip and tell you about a calling that God revealed to me about 6 years ago. Although I believe David knew it way before that.
Before we were even married David would often talk about adopting a child from Africa. I honestly thought he was just joking. I was under the assumption that only rich people adopted. It seemed like too big of a task for little ol' me.
About 4 years into our marriage God began showing me adoption. I remember one afternoon when I was at home alone I came across this video about orphans in other countries. My heart broke in two! I just couldn't imagine a child without a family, without a mom & dad, without proper medical care and poor nutrition.
As soon as David got home from work that night I talked to him about the video and how heartbroken I was. We both knew then that one day we would adopt! We decided that we would have a couple of our own and adopt the rest.
Over the last 6 years adoption and orphans remained in our hearts and minds. We had Austin in 2008 & Alexa in 2011. After having Alexa I knew that our next child would quite possibly come from adoption. David and I talked about it on several occasions. We knew the time was approaching but we wanted to wait for Alexa to get a little bigger plus at the time we didn't have any idea what our next step was to pursue it.
When Alexa was 11 months old we began going to Tri-Cities Baptist Church. A few months after we started going there we joined a Sunday school class and soon learned that a couple in our class had a little girl that they had adopted. We were then introduced to an adoption agency, Bethany Christian Services.
During one of our Sunday morning services at church there were people from Bethany Christian Services there. We stopped by their table and signed up to get more information. There was an informational meeting in January that we weren't able to attend. A few months passed and honestly with all the mission trip stuff going on, we put adoption on the back burner.
Have you ever had one of those moments when you are reading your Bible and its like God is sitting right in front of you speaking to you? I had one of those moments during this time that we set adoption on the "waiting list." I was actually looking up The Great Commission in my Bible and by accident turned to Matthew 18 instead of Matthew 28. Jesus himself says in Matthew 18:5, "and anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me." I knew that it was not by accident that I turned to chapter 18 and my mind immediately thought of adoption. God fueled the fire in my heart that I had for adoption and urged me to take the next step.
I brought it up to David and told him I was going to call the adoption agency and get more info. I called on a Thursday and the lady I spoke with informed me that there was another meeting that following Monday.
Everything worked out and we were able to attend that meeting. It was very informative and we learned so much. My excitement grew at the possibilities and that finally God was telling me that its time to begin this journey (or finally we were obeying).
We are still waiting on God to confirm what type of an adoption he is calling us to. International adoption seems a little scarier to me. There are a lot more unknowns. Usually you don't know the family history for example. The wait time is longer and you will not walk away with a newborn baby. (Which honestly, I don't know if I want to go back to newborn days.) But ultimately we are putting our yes on the table no matter what that looks like or what obstacles we may face. We are just really going to have to depend on God to see us through the uncertainty and scary times. We know He has a child picked out for us.
David recently found this site on facebook called Stuck. It is a documentary film about international adoption. They are traveling across the US showing this film in numerous cities. Their tour will end in Washington D.C. where they are going to take a petition (they are hoping to get like a million signatures) to try to get the US to advocate for international adoptions and do their part to make the process easier. Over the last 5 years international adoption from US families has declined more than 50% because the adoption process has been made so hard with all the legal obstacles. You can imagine with a decline like that what that has done to the orphan population. They are selling the documentary for $12.99 to help fund the movement. Here is a website you can go to and watch a trailer about it.... http://buy.stuckdocumentary.com/
So another journey begins! I am excited to see what our mission trip to Africa holds and what this adoption calling will lead us to. I definitely believe the two go hand in hand in some way. I have been on the edge of my seat in anticipation for God's next move. He fulfills my life and gives me blessings beyond my wildest dreams when I am obedient to Him. Some things may scare me to death and cause me stress while I am walking through it. But I always get to the end and look back in awe at how He orchestrated it and put everything perfectly into place.
For now I leave you with this verse that we taught Austin a while ago from 1 Peter 5:7, "Give all your worries to God because He cares for you." That scripture pops in my head every time I start to worry and get caught up in the "what if's."
Isn't it awesome to be a child of God?! The Almighty God who controls everything, loves us, and cares for us? What if He wouldn't have "adopted" us through the death of His son? I couldn't imagine walking through this scary world we live in without God as my savior. There is peace to be had that surpasses all understanding when you give your heart to God and "....confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead...." (Romans 10:9)
Before we were even married David would often talk about adopting a child from Africa. I honestly thought he was just joking. I was under the assumption that only rich people adopted. It seemed like too big of a task for little ol' me.
About 4 years into our marriage God began showing me adoption. I remember one afternoon when I was at home alone I came across this video about orphans in other countries. My heart broke in two! I just couldn't imagine a child without a family, without a mom & dad, without proper medical care and poor nutrition.
As soon as David got home from work that night I talked to him about the video and how heartbroken I was. We both knew then that one day we would adopt! We decided that we would have a couple of our own and adopt the rest.
Over the last 6 years adoption and orphans remained in our hearts and minds. We had Austin in 2008 & Alexa in 2011. After having Alexa I knew that our next child would quite possibly come from adoption. David and I talked about it on several occasions. We knew the time was approaching but we wanted to wait for Alexa to get a little bigger plus at the time we didn't have any idea what our next step was to pursue it.
When Alexa was 11 months old we began going to Tri-Cities Baptist Church. A few months after we started going there we joined a Sunday school class and soon learned that a couple in our class had a little girl that they had adopted. We were then introduced to an adoption agency, Bethany Christian Services.
During one of our Sunday morning services at church there were people from Bethany Christian Services there. We stopped by their table and signed up to get more information. There was an informational meeting in January that we weren't able to attend. A few months passed and honestly with all the mission trip stuff going on, we put adoption on the back burner.
Have you ever had one of those moments when you are reading your Bible and its like God is sitting right in front of you speaking to you? I had one of those moments during this time that we set adoption on the "waiting list." I was actually looking up The Great Commission in my Bible and by accident turned to Matthew 18 instead of Matthew 28. Jesus himself says in Matthew 18:5, "and anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me." I knew that it was not by accident that I turned to chapter 18 and my mind immediately thought of adoption. God fueled the fire in my heart that I had for adoption and urged me to take the next step.
I brought it up to David and told him I was going to call the adoption agency and get more info. I called on a Thursday and the lady I spoke with informed me that there was another meeting that following Monday.
Everything worked out and we were able to attend that meeting. It was very informative and we learned so much. My excitement grew at the possibilities and that finally God was telling me that its time to begin this journey (or finally we were obeying).
We are still waiting on God to confirm what type of an adoption he is calling us to. International adoption seems a little scarier to me. There are a lot more unknowns. Usually you don't know the family history for example. The wait time is longer and you will not walk away with a newborn baby. (Which honestly, I don't know if I want to go back to newborn days.) But ultimately we are putting our yes on the table no matter what that looks like or what obstacles we may face. We are just really going to have to depend on God to see us through the uncertainty and scary times. We know He has a child picked out for us.
David recently found this site on facebook called Stuck. It is a documentary film about international adoption. They are traveling across the US showing this film in numerous cities. Their tour will end in Washington D.C. where they are going to take a petition (they are hoping to get like a million signatures) to try to get the US to advocate for international adoptions and do their part to make the process easier. Over the last 5 years international adoption from US families has declined more than 50% because the adoption process has been made so hard with all the legal obstacles. You can imagine with a decline like that what that has done to the orphan population. They are selling the documentary for $12.99 to help fund the movement. Here is a website you can go to and watch a trailer about it.... http://buy.stuckdocumentary.com/
So another journey begins! I am excited to see what our mission trip to Africa holds and what this adoption calling will lead us to. I definitely believe the two go hand in hand in some way. I have been on the edge of my seat in anticipation for God's next move. He fulfills my life and gives me blessings beyond my wildest dreams when I am obedient to Him. Some things may scare me to death and cause me stress while I am walking through it. But I always get to the end and look back in awe at how He orchestrated it and put everything perfectly into place.
For now I leave you with this verse that we taught Austin a while ago from 1 Peter 5:7, "Give all your worries to God because He cares for you." That scripture pops in my head every time I start to worry and get caught up in the "what if's."
Isn't it awesome to be a child of God?! The Almighty God who controls everything, loves us, and cares for us? What if He wouldn't have "adopted" us through the death of His son? I couldn't imagine walking through this scary world we live in without God as my savior. There is peace to be had that surpasses all understanding when you give your heart to God and "....confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead...." (Romans 10:9)
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
'YES, LORD'
I will probably have several blog posts in the next couple of days just to get caught up on everything that has been going on with our mission trip and the confirmations God has showed us.
First of all I would like to explain the meaning of the name of this blog.... "Putting my yes on the table." I read this book called Sent by Hilary Alan. It is about this family who gave up the "American Dream" and moved their family to Southeast Asia. It is an awesome book and I would recommend it to anyone. It really brings light to a completely different culture from ours and really how well we have it. But it also shows how a radical and scary step of faith brings blessings and rewards that money can't buy.
So anyway, back to our confirmations on Africa. We knew our next step would be a short term mission trip. The Africa trip was a trip that we had briefly heard about but I dismissed the trip because it was a 10 day trip as opposed to 7 & for me at the time that was out of the question. Not to mention is was much further away than say Honduras or Nicaragua. My 'yes' definitely had some conditions.
We signed up for a class at church at the suggestion of our GO (global outreach) pastor, Jeff. It was called 'Let The Nations Be Glad.' This class was obviously about mission work and was led by one of the other missionary couples that would soon be moving to Uganda, Tommy & Marci. At the end of our 2nd class meeting we ran into our pastor, Mike. As we began to talk about the class and what we thought of it he brought up the Africa trip. He really seemed to think this trip would be a good trip for us as our first mission trip. I, of course, voiced my concerns about the length of the trip and he assured me we could come back early if we just couldn't be away that long. So the Africa trip became an option for us and we began to prayerfully consider it.
A few days later I was driving to my Mom's house while David was at work and I was listening to Big Daddy Weave's song 'Overwhelmed.' If you have never heard it I urge you to look it up and listen to it. It is an awesome praise song. It basically talks about how overwhelmingly great God is and His creation. Now, I have literally listened to this song 100 times before (I just love it) and thought I was well past the crying phase. (You know when you hear a song that moves you and makes you cry but eventually you finally can hear it and not cry anymore?) But this particular time I literally just started crying and worshiping God right in my car (with 2 kids in the back and driving down the road.....yes, people beside me at the red lights must have thought I had lost it). For some reason I had the greatest urge to go on that Africa trip. I literally would have gotten out of my car and boarded a plane right there. It is so hard to explain the enormity of what I felt that day. God's presence was all around me and it was, as the song states, overwhelming (in a magnificent way)!
Now, when I get a "feeling" about something I most definitely like to get confirmation from God on it because lets face it, our feelings can be deceptive and the Devil loves to use them against us. Once again God didn't make me wait long for that confirmation.
When David came home from work he told me he had been praying all day about the Africa trip and for God to give us guidance on that. On his 40 minute drive home he was praying the whole way home and he said this song came on the radio that he had never heard before. This awesome worship song. During that song he said he got this overwhelming sense that Africa was the trip we were meant to be on. He said the experience he had was indescribable.
I reluctantly told him about the experience I had that same day. I say reluctantly because honestly even though I felt the urge to go I knew that once I revealed my experience to David that it would seal my fate and there would be no turning back.....I would be going to Africa!
A couple days later we were in church on Sunday morning and our choir sang this song. It was amazing! They did such an awesome job! I had chills all over. At the end of the service as people were leaving they were playing the song in the background and David said, "That's the song I heard in my car that I was telling you about." God was confirming David's feelings to him. Thanks to my shazam app on my phone I learned the song was called 'O My Soul, Arise' by Sovereign Grace. Here is a link to this incredible song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtFzhLGJAPg
So sometime shortly after all that happened we scheduled a time to meet up with our GO pastor, Jeff (who is also going on the Africa trip) and discuss the details. We were going to Jeff's house on a Saturday evening to sit down with him and his wife and another extraordinary thing happened.....
I began using my direct sales business to raise money for our trip right away. I had made enough to get our passports so the week leading up to our scheduled meeting we got all that taken care of. After paying for 2 passports our "Africa Account" had only $60 in it. On Friday night I prayed to God and basically questioned if this was really what we were meant to be doing. I mean we need about $4,000 and only had $60 at the time. It seemed like a major undertaking to get enough people who were willing to help fund our trip. Lets be honest, I didn't have enough faith that God would pull through. I was doubting and worrying.
The next morning, Saturday and the day we were meeting up with Jeff, I had a message on my facebook account from an old friend whom I had not been in contact with in years. She wanted to donate money to us for our trip and wondered if she could stop by our house that day and drop it off.
For those of you that know me well you know how hard it is for me to take money from someone. I am proud and I want to work for everything I get. But David told me I was going to have to get over that and let people do what they feel called to do.
So I texted her and she stopped by my house that afternoon. Her and her husband amazingly felt led to give us a substantial amount of money for our trip. WOW.... I am still in shock about it! I would have been thrilled with $5 but God knew that it had to be something greater than that to wipe the doubt out of my mind. It was just so astounding to me! I think I walked around in a state of shock for a few days. I don't know why I am so surprised that my God can do great things.
I would like to add a little side note here, who and how much you give is a private issue between you and God so for that reason I chose to leave her name and the exact amount out of this blog.
Some other awesome people have stepped up to help us out in our fundraising efforts in one way or another. We are soooo grateful for each and every one of you. My mobile spa business has brought in about $800 (thank you to my awesome hostesses & customers).
I did an online Celebrating Home party. Another amazing individual bought me a kit to sell. So whatever I sold out of that kit I made 100% of the sales price. As of right now we are still working on raising $1,300 more. T-shirts will be our next avenue that we are going to start working on soon. So stay tuned for those.
It is so exciting to see God work!
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
He can do way more than we can even begin to imagine! Just look outside and see His creation and what He has already done. Think of how perfectly your body works to keep you alive, or how massive and amazing the galaxies are, or how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly! I could go on and on about how wonderfully He created us and this Earth. He did all that and yet I had my doubts that He could provide for us financially to go to Africa. It seems so silly of me when I think of all that He has already done including sacrificing His son for us.
Stay tuned, I still have more ways God confirmed our trip and what about my kids? I haven't left them for more than 2 days so how in the world am I going to leave them to go to Africa for a week? I'll tell you about how God spoke to me concerning this matter too.
I would like to add too before I go, I didn't create this blog to make much of David and I. I created it to be an encouragement to those who read it, to be a testimony that God is still in the business of performing miracles, to make you remember times in your life that God moved mountains, to make you more aware of Him and to pay attention to those times that He is trying to guide you, or to introduce you to my God, if you don't know Him yet, and to share the greatest news with you. That God sent his son, Jesus to bear our sin and die on a cross so that we have a way to Heaven.
First of all I would like to explain the meaning of the name of this blog.... "Putting my yes on the table." I read this book called Sent by Hilary Alan. It is about this family who gave up the "American Dream" and moved their family to Southeast Asia. It is an awesome book and I would recommend it to anyone. It really brings light to a completely different culture from ours and really how well we have it. But it also shows how a radical and scary step of faith brings blessings and rewards that money can't buy.
But in this book when her and her husband first felt called to move, her husband, Curt consulted with his pastor, JD. JD said at the time, "Just put your 'yes' on the table, Curt. 'Yes, Lord, I will do what You ask me to do and go where You send me. No conditions.' And then wait for Him to answer. Your job is to put, and keep, that 'yes' on the table, because believe me, if you do that, He is going to answer." So I pray everyday that no matter what it comes to that God will help me keep my 'yes' on the table concerning every matter of my life. 'Yes, Lord, I will do what You ask of me.' The no conditions part is whats really hard. We all tend to want to say, 'I will Lord but only if.....' I pray that I will just simply say 'YES.' Here is a picture of the book in case you want to get a copy. 
So anyway, back to our confirmations on Africa. We knew our next step would be a short term mission trip. The Africa trip was a trip that we had briefly heard about but I dismissed the trip because it was a 10 day trip as opposed to 7 & for me at the time that was out of the question. Not to mention is was much further away than say Honduras or Nicaragua. My 'yes' definitely had some conditions.
We signed up for a class at church at the suggestion of our GO (global outreach) pastor, Jeff. It was called 'Let The Nations Be Glad.' This class was obviously about mission work and was led by one of the other missionary couples that would soon be moving to Uganda, Tommy & Marci. At the end of our 2nd class meeting we ran into our pastor, Mike. As we began to talk about the class and what we thought of it he brought up the Africa trip. He really seemed to think this trip would be a good trip for us as our first mission trip. I, of course, voiced my concerns about the length of the trip and he assured me we could come back early if we just couldn't be away that long. So the Africa trip became an option for us and we began to prayerfully consider it.
A few days later I was driving to my Mom's house while David was at work and I was listening to Big Daddy Weave's song 'Overwhelmed.' If you have never heard it I urge you to look it up and listen to it. It is an awesome praise song. It basically talks about how overwhelmingly great God is and His creation. Now, I have literally listened to this song 100 times before (I just love it) and thought I was well past the crying phase. (You know when you hear a song that moves you and makes you cry but eventually you finally can hear it and not cry anymore?) But this particular time I literally just started crying and worshiping God right in my car (with 2 kids in the back and driving down the road.....yes, people beside me at the red lights must have thought I had lost it). For some reason I had the greatest urge to go on that Africa trip. I literally would have gotten out of my car and boarded a plane right there. It is so hard to explain the enormity of what I felt that day. God's presence was all around me and it was, as the song states, overwhelming (in a magnificent way)!
Now, when I get a "feeling" about something I most definitely like to get confirmation from God on it because lets face it, our feelings can be deceptive and the Devil loves to use them against us. Once again God didn't make me wait long for that confirmation.
When David came home from work he told me he had been praying all day about the Africa trip and for God to give us guidance on that. On his 40 minute drive home he was praying the whole way home and he said this song came on the radio that he had never heard before. This awesome worship song. During that song he said he got this overwhelming sense that Africa was the trip we were meant to be on. He said the experience he had was indescribable.
I reluctantly told him about the experience I had that same day. I say reluctantly because honestly even though I felt the urge to go I knew that once I revealed my experience to David that it would seal my fate and there would be no turning back.....I would be going to Africa!
A couple days later we were in church on Sunday morning and our choir sang this song. It was amazing! They did such an awesome job! I had chills all over. At the end of the service as people were leaving they were playing the song in the background and David said, "That's the song I heard in my car that I was telling you about." God was confirming David's feelings to him. Thanks to my shazam app on my phone I learned the song was called 'O My Soul, Arise' by Sovereign Grace. Here is a link to this incredible song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtFzhLGJAPg
So sometime shortly after all that happened we scheduled a time to meet up with our GO pastor, Jeff (who is also going on the Africa trip) and discuss the details. We were going to Jeff's house on a Saturday evening to sit down with him and his wife and another extraordinary thing happened.....
I began using my direct sales business to raise money for our trip right away. I had made enough to get our passports so the week leading up to our scheduled meeting we got all that taken care of. After paying for 2 passports our "Africa Account" had only $60 in it. On Friday night I prayed to God and basically questioned if this was really what we were meant to be doing. I mean we need about $4,000 and only had $60 at the time. It seemed like a major undertaking to get enough people who were willing to help fund our trip. Lets be honest, I didn't have enough faith that God would pull through. I was doubting and worrying.
The next morning, Saturday and the day we were meeting up with Jeff, I had a message on my facebook account from an old friend whom I had not been in contact with in years. She wanted to donate money to us for our trip and wondered if she could stop by our house that day and drop it off.
For those of you that know me well you know how hard it is for me to take money from someone. I am proud and I want to work for everything I get. But David told me I was going to have to get over that and let people do what they feel called to do.
So I texted her and she stopped by my house that afternoon. Her and her husband amazingly felt led to give us a substantial amount of money for our trip. WOW.... I am still in shock about it! I would have been thrilled with $5 but God knew that it had to be something greater than that to wipe the doubt out of my mind. It was just so astounding to me! I think I walked around in a state of shock for a few days. I don't know why I am so surprised that my God can do great things.
I would like to add a little side note here, who and how much you give is a private issue between you and God so for that reason I chose to leave her name and the exact amount out of this blog.
Some other awesome people have stepped up to help us out in our fundraising efforts in one way or another. We are soooo grateful for each and every one of you. My mobile spa business has brought in about $800 (thank you to my awesome hostesses & customers).
I did an online Celebrating Home party. Another amazing individual bought me a kit to sell. So whatever I sold out of that kit I made 100% of the sales price. As of right now we are still working on raising $1,300 more. T-shirts will be our next avenue that we are going to start working on soon. So stay tuned for those.
It is so exciting to see God work!
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
He can do way more than we can even begin to imagine! Just look outside and see His creation and what He has already done. Think of how perfectly your body works to keep you alive, or how massive and amazing the galaxies are, or how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly! I could go on and on about how wonderfully He created us and this Earth. He did all that and yet I had my doubts that He could provide for us financially to go to Africa. It seems so silly of me when I think of all that He has already done including sacrificing His son for us.
Stay tuned, I still have more ways God confirmed our trip and what about my kids? I haven't left them for more than 2 days so how in the world am I going to leave them to go to Africa for a week? I'll tell you about how God spoke to me concerning this matter too.
I would like to add too before I go, I didn't create this blog to make much of David and I. I created it to be an encouragement to those who read it, to be a testimony that God is still in the business of performing miracles, to make you remember times in your life that God moved mountains, to make you more aware of Him and to pay attention to those times that He is trying to guide you, or to introduce you to my God, if you don't know Him yet, and to share the greatest news with you. That God sent his son, Jesus to bear our sin and die on a cross so that we have a way to Heaven.
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