What am I to do, Lord, when life robs my every word? I will listen to Yours...
"He will never leave me, nor forsake me"...."Fear thou not, for I will be with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee by the right hand of my righteousness."...."So when you don't understand the purpose of His plan-in the presence of the King, bow the knee"..."I run to Christ when chased by fear and find a refuge sure; "Believe in me" His voice I hear, His words and wounds secure; I run to Christ when torn by grief and find abundant peace; "I too had tears" He gently speaks, thus joy and sorrow meet"..."Jesus Christ the same yesturday, and today, and FOREVER"...."God who heals us; God who gives us peace and hope; God who listens, carries all our fragile dreams and heartaches, wins and failures, binds the broken, lifts the weak, new beginnings freely offered-Who can make us whole again"...."Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever"...."God is too wise to be mistaken; God is too good to be unkind, so when you don't understand, when you don't see His plan, if you can't trace His hand-trust His heart"...."In His presence there is comfort, in His presence there is peace, when we seek to know His heart, we can find such blessed assurance in the presence of the Lord".......................what time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee....
"I hear my Savior say, "Thy strength indeed is small; Child of weakness, watch and pray-find in ME thine all in all- Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow."
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
CHOOSING to lean
What a lesson to be learned from the lily...
This week has been our Basket of Flowers performance week at the Logos Theatre...prep work and 2 performances today. I am sitting typing this on the same bed I asked the Lord for strength this morning in the realization that He gave me exactly what I needed. If there has been anything I've learned MOST from this production, it is that He is WAITING to hold us up if we'll let Him...but that's the key- actually leaning. I asked for strength this morning and during practice started feeling a panic attack and a weakness come on- i started to give in to it and the Lord seemed to say "you don't have to give in to this" - wait, I CAN give it to the Lord....and so I did. I think today was the first time I've ever done that in my life- rebuke the devil and he will flee from you! And do you know what the most amazing part of it was???-He kept His word. Mary Grace poked her head into my bed this morning and said the Lord had laid it on her heart to give me a verse and it was Isaiah 41:10, "Fear thou not, for I will be with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." And you tell me that God doesn't speak anymore!! I took God at His word and He was FAITHFUL! I proved Him today, and I received His strength as a blanket of warmth in a much needed winter!
I just sit here amazed and think that maybe God gave me this part so I would learn just how much I can lean on that strength...and I'll tell you there's just nothing else worth leaning on.
This week has been our Basket of Flowers performance week at the Logos Theatre...prep work and 2 performances today. I am sitting typing this on the same bed I asked the Lord for strength this morning in the realization that He gave me exactly what I needed. If there has been anything I've learned MOST from this production, it is that He is WAITING to hold us up if we'll let Him...but that's the key- actually leaning. I asked for strength this morning and during practice started feeling a panic attack and a weakness come on- i started to give in to it and the Lord seemed to say "you don't have to give in to this" - wait, I CAN give it to the Lord....and so I did. I think today was the first time I've ever done that in my life- rebuke the devil and he will flee from you! And do you know what the most amazing part of it was???-He kept His word. Mary Grace poked her head into my bed this morning and said the Lord had laid it on her heart to give me a verse and it was Isaiah 41:10, "Fear thou not, for I will be with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." And you tell me that God doesn't speak anymore!! I took God at His word and He was FAITHFUL! I proved Him today, and I received His strength as a blanket of warmth in a much needed winter!
I just sit here amazed and think that maybe God gave me this part so I would learn just how much I can lean on that strength...and I'll tell you there's just nothing else worth leaning on.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Everything so undeserved
I am writing just very quickly before I head to bed tonight...I got to talking with a good friend tonight on the way back from our Basket of Flowers promo trip about our parents...there were many things said and we both agreed we had been blessed with godly parents...not just in word but in deed! It's been on my mind all the way home that what I am is shaped off of what they taught me and how they prayed for me...haha-how they STILL do! Not everyone has the privilege of waking up at 6am at home to see their father kneeling in front of the living room couch in tears with YOUR name coming out before the Lord! How truly blessed I am...and with that thought comes this one- God knew the home He would have you in before He even put you in it. He knew the parents, the siblings, the type of house, the neighborhood-He knew it all,and He still does...and He expects us to honor Him through it! He has placed us each with His goal in mind for our lives, and tonight I want to take each situation He's placed me in and apply it at its FULLEST for the glory of the Master Planner. ANYONE can do that! How blessed, how blessed am I... my mom always says, "I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in truth." Well mom and dad- we learned it from you, and I pray God will carry that Truth in me to the next generation....thank You,Lord...for everything undeserved.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
"Wait on Me, I know the thoughts I have toward you"
Today was a day full of Jeremiah 29:11's..."For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." I looked up "expected" in my Kindle Fire's Bible dictionary and it had an interesting grouping of words at the end of the concordance definition...it described "expected" as "Something I long for". How interesting...I can trust the Lord not only to take me in the best way for me, but through that trust know when He brings about those plans they will be better than anything I could have planned for myelf- in looking back I will long for what He has brought about more than anything I wanted before I could see the entire picture in front of me.
I hope to say this as a word of encouragement tonight...today was full of "Where are you going to send me this summer, Lord"...wait on Me, I know the thoughts I have toward you... "Would a godly man ever think me worthy of being his wife?"....wait on Me, I know the thoughts I have toward you..."You are accomplishing Your plan in my good friends life, while I feel like I'm standing stagnant; what is Your plan for my life?"....wait on Me, I know the thoughts I have toward you! As I walked down the stairs to my cubicle, the Lord stopped me dead in my tracks and resounded through my head "I know the thoughts that I think toward you...thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."....He has a plan, and just because I don't see it fully laid out does not mean that He has stopped it.
It's like the moon...a few years ago I started almost having an inside moment with the Lord and the moon...everytime I was frustrated, weary, discouraged, excited, confused...any moment I had to share with the Lord, it seemed the moon was always above, shining in plain view, reminding me that God was there and would never leave me nor forsake me. One night as I was coming home and facing one of the hardest situations for me at the time, I looked up...no moon. I started getting honestly angry with the Lord, saying "Of all nights I needed to see the moon, THIS was the night" and as I pulled into my driveway the Lord gave me this thought...that just because I can't see the moon doesn't mean it isn't there...and it's the same with the Lord. Alot of times, the clouds get in the way and I can't see anything, but God is at work, developing a greater plan for me than I could ever have imagined. Those clouds didn't clear that night for a long while (I stayed in the driveway and watched them lol)...but it never changed the position of the moon...it stayed right where it had always been, and always would be.
He knows...He knows He knows He KNOWS....and I can trust Him to order my life, but I think right now the trust requires that I wait on Him...Help me welcome it, Lord...not only for the time to know You, but for the fact that it makes whatever Your plan is that much sweeter when You allow it to unfold...Give me strength, Lord to trust that You know.
I hope to say this as a word of encouragement tonight...today was full of "Where are you going to send me this summer, Lord"...wait on Me, I know the thoughts I have toward you... "Would a godly man ever think me worthy of being his wife?"....wait on Me, I know the thoughts I have toward you..."You are accomplishing Your plan in my good friends life, while I feel like I'm standing stagnant; what is Your plan for my life?"....wait on Me, I know the thoughts I have toward you! As I walked down the stairs to my cubicle, the Lord stopped me dead in my tracks and resounded through my head "I know the thoughts that I think toward you...thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."....He has a plan, and just because I don't see it fully laid out does not mean that He has stopped it.
It's like the moon...a few years ago I started almost having an inside moment with the Lord and the moon...everytime I was frustrated, weary, discouraged, excited, confused...any moment I had to share with the Lord, it seemed the moon was always above, shining in plain view, reminding me that God was there and would never leave me nor forsake me. One night as I was coming home and facing one of the hardest situations for me at the time, I looked up...no moon. I started getting honestly angry with the Lord, saying "Of all nights I needed to see the moon, THIS was the night" and as I pulled into my driveway the Lord gave me this thought...that just because I can't see the moon doesn't mean it isn't there...and it's the same with the Lord. Alot of times, the clouds get in the way and I can't see anything, but God is at work, developing a greater plan for me than I could ever have imagined. Those clouds didn't clear that night for a long while (I stayed in the driveway and watched them lol)...but it never changed the position of the moon...it stayed right where it had always been, and always would be.
He knows...He knows He knows He KNOWS....and I can trust Him to order my life, but I think right now the trust requires that I wait on Him...Help me welcome it, Lord...not only for the time to know You, but for the fact that it makes whatever Your plan is that much sweeter when You allow it to unfold...Give me strength, Lord to trust that You know.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
more than just by name...
How much do we really know God? I'm not talking about knowing about Him, but actually knowing Him deeply. I walked the auditorium tonight and am asking the Lord to draw me close and grow me..not just the average "grow me more like You" prayer that we don't even spend 3 minutes on...i'm talking about a heart CLEANSING! I'm tired of being a lazy Christian...I want to know God, I want to talk to Him, I want to be like Him-and not for people saying I am godly, but to be pleasing in His sight! What is He trying to accomplish in me? I want that question to penetrate my thoughts tonight....What is standing in the way of myself and the Lord? I do not wish to be stagnant, I wish to move forward and to care more about the Lord than about who thinks I am attractive or what the score is for my favorite team or how many people commented or liked my status on facebook.... these things are good but what value do they carry in Eternity?
I say I love the Lord..but by seeing my life from His eyes is it true? I want to look into His eyes in Eternity and KNOW Him..more than just by name.
I say I love the Lord..but by seeing my life from His eyes is it true? I want to look into His eyes in Eternity and KNOW Him..more than just by name.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
AoA...the sneak peek ;)
Well, I told you I'd write about the ministry the Lord has lead me to tonight, the Academy of Arts, but I have to check on my girls dorm lol...so here is a quick peak at just where the Lord has lead me...I hope you are able to catch the same vision that excites me to serve everyday! More to come soon... I promise :)
Thursday, January 5, 2012
I will not fear! Say that 365 times :)
Well, this is my first post since being back at the Academy of Arts this spring semester! If you all don't know about the Academy of Arts, I will post more about what the ministry is tomorrow...you won't want to miss that? ;)
The devil has really been trying to get at me with a lot of things over the course of my lifetime, but closer to home these days he has been using fear. I have just recently started struggling with panic attacks-reactions to either fear or stress that leave me sick and about ready to pass out. My family has struggled with them on and off and I didn't even know until now that that is what was going on. I went home over Thanksgiving and realized that this was more than just a need for medication, it was a lack of trust in my Heavenly Father. I prayed then that He would help bring it out of me and closer to Himself. I've been asking the Lord to help me, but I want to look up what the Bible says about fear. I think the devil specifically likes to attack me in this area because he knows the ministry the Lord has put me in is with youth specifically. As I look back, all the times I have struggled this year with these panic attacks were time I had specifically been given or designated to spend with young people involved in our ministry OR times I have had to share the truths of God's Word with them. When I thought on this, it made me more angry than anything! I am choosing to give in to these attacks from the devil and he is winning areas of my ministry because of them! So where do I go? To the Lord-He was tempted in all points just as we are yet WITHOUT sin...so what does Christ say about fear?
Exodus 4:1 gives an example of panic, "And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee." He was making a scenario before it even happened. The footnote says, "Moses' fear was caused by worrying about how the people might resond to him. We often panic over what might go wrong. God does not ask us to go where He has no provided the means to help. Trust Him to supply resources and courage at the right moment." I think here Moses gave what I give so many times. We give the excuses when God has already provided a way through, and He's only asking that we trust Him. Trusting Him thought is not a "success only" card..in Moses' case he came to Pharoah SEVERAL times before he would consent to let the people go! God doesn't promise only happiness and roses...He promises He will never leave nor forsake...and He WILL get us through!
Then there''s Daniel 2:16-18 that contrasts Daniel and his friends stopping to go before the Lord and seek wisdom. The context here was Daniel being asked to interpret the dream of the king that none of his other "wise men" could interpret. This could have been a panic situation for Daniel, but what does he do? He stops, gathers accountability, and GOES BEFORE THE LORD! Part of the footnote says, "Prayer is more effective than panic. Panic confirms your hopelessness; prayer confirms your hope in God." When I was in a situation recently where I felt a panic attack coming on, the people I was surrounded with were praying and as soon as the leader opened his mouth to pray, I felt a calming come over me- I tell myself alot that asking God for help won't really help those panic attacks, but it does if I'd let it. This past summer, I started having alot of stomach pains and cramps and several doctors that I had been to thought I might be having trouble with my gallbladder. I realized in the Fall that I had actually been housing a stomach ulcer. Before I knew what it was, I only knew there was pain, so I tried everything under the sun MYSELF to take it away. I was desperate, but I could not cure, no matter WHAT I did. I finally went to the doctor and he diagnosed me right away just by HEARING my symptoms and gave me a medication that practically cured me overnight. He was experienced, he was learned, and he had a solution to my problem when I came to Him. Why is it that we "self-treat" so often when we have the Master Physician at a knee's bow? He has exactly what we need...and is only waiting for us to come!
I remember hearing the fact that God tells us not to fear 365 times in the Bible-one for each day of the year! If God confirms it, I know He can help me conquer it. I refuse to live in fear when God has promised to help me! Hebrews 13:5b-6 says, "...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Fear is going to hold me back unless I choose to believe the Lord and trust Him.
I want to find all those fear references and write the reference in every day of my calendar. Memorization is a start! If i know His Word, I can use it as a mighty Sword and continue on in ministry for the Lord! I don't just want to take that knowledge at bay..I want to know myself all of these references...everyday of the year! He hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Keep that always on my heart, Lord! May I go forth not in panic, but in peace!
The devil has really been trying to get at me with a lot of things over the course of my lifetime, but closer to home these days he has been using fear. I have just recently started struggling with panic attacks-reactions to either fear or stress that leave me sick and about ready to pass out. My family has struggled with them on and off and I didn't even know until now that that is what was going on. I went home over Thanksgiving and realized that this was more than just a need for medication, it was a lack of trust in my Heavenly Father. I prayed then that He would help bring it out of me and closer to Himself. I've been asking the Lord to help me, but I want to look up what the Bible says about fear. I think the devil specifically likes to attack me in this area because he knows the ministry the Lord has put me in is with youth specifically. As I look back, all the times I have struggled this year with these panic attacks were time I had specifically been given or designated to spend with young people involved in our ministry OR times I have had to share the truths of God's Word with them. When I thought on this, it made me more angry than anything! I am choosing to give in to these attacks from the devil and he is winning areas of my ministry because of them! So where do I go? To the Lord-He was tempted in all points just as we are yet WITHOUT sin...so what does Christ say about fear?
Exodus 4:1 gives an example of panic, "And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee." He was making a scenario before it even happened. The footnote says, "Moses' fear was caused by worrying about how the people might resond to him. We often panic over what might go wrong. God does not ask us to go where He has no provided the means to help. Trust Him to supply resources and courage at the right moment." I think here Moses gave what I give so many times. We give the excuses when God has already provided a way through, and He's only asking that we trust Him. Trusting Him thought is not a "success only" card..in Moses' case he came to Pharoah SEVERAL times before he would consent to let the people go! God doesn't promise only happiness and roses...He promises He will never leave nor forsake...and He WILL get us through!
Then there''s Daniel 2:16-18 that contrasts Daniel and his friends stopping to go before the Lord and seek wisdom. The context here was Daniel being asked to interpret the dream of the king that none of his other "wise men" could interpret. This could have been a panic situation for Daniel, but what does he do? He stops, gathers accountability, and GOES BEFORE THE LORD! Part of the footnote says, "Prayer is more effective than panic. Panic confirms your hopelessness; prayer confirms your hope in God." When I was in a situation recently where I felt a panic attack coming on, the people I was surrounded with were praying and as soon as the leader opened his mouth to pray, I felt a calming come over me- I tell myself alot that asking God for help won't really help those panic attacks, but it does if I'd let it. This past summer, I started having alot of stomach pains and cramps and several doctors that I had been to thought I might be having trouble with my gallbladder. I realized in the Fall that I had actually been housing a stomach ulcer. Before I knew what it was, I only knew there was pain, so I tried everything under the sun MYSELF to take it away. I was desperate, but I could not cure, no matter WHAT I did. I finally went to the doctor and he diagnosed me right away just by HEARING my symptoms and gave me a medication that practically cured me overnight. He was experienced, he was learned, and he had a solution to my problem when I came to Him. Why is it that we "self-treat" so often when we have the Master Physician at a knee's bow? He has exactly what we need...and is only waiting for us to come!
I remember hearing the fact that God tells us not to fear 365 times in the Bible-one for each day of the year! If God confirms it, I know He can help me conquer it. I refuse to live in fear when God has promised to help me! Hebrews 13:5b-6 says, "...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Fear is going to hold me back unless I choose to believe the Lord and trust Him.
I want to find all those fear references and write the reference in every day of my calendar. Memorization is a start! If i know His Word, I can use it as a mighty Sword and continue on in ministry for the Lord! I don't just want to take that knowledge at bay..I want to know myself all of these references...everyday of the year! He hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Keep that always on my heart, Lord! May I go forth not in panic, but in peace!
Boston in the Fall..the epic adventure of our trip to meet Elizabeth Elliot
So…the thousands of people that have asked about the trip to meet Elizabeth Elliot (ok thousands is an exaggeration )…. here it is…
Day 1:
Kara Elizabeth Reish and I woke up late on Sunday morning in Pottstown, PA…yes a wonderful way to start an epic trip! When we woke up, we were both really disoriented lol and thought we had time to get ready, so after we realized we had actually gotten up late, we rushed around, loaded everything in the car and took off for Philadelphia International. I DID drive the speed limit (that was for you, father) and when we got there we still had about 40 minutes before the plane took off. So we drove around like maniacs looking for the place to drop my rental car off, and a very nice man from the wrong rental car place told us where to go lol. So we got there, dropped the car off, ran to the shuttle pick up, jumped on the shuttle and headed to the gate. We did get a chance to talk to the shuttle driver about Christ, so that was encouraging! He was asking us about our ministry and we were able to leave him with a Gospel tract which he said he would read. When we got to the gate to check our bags in, the kiosk wouldn’t let me check in and after talking to the lady at the counter we had missed our baggage check in time by 5 minutes (yes, you may groan audibly…we did not however, we surprisingly remained very calm). Because we were at the airport before our flight took off, we were scheduled to fly standby on the next flight for free. So we checked our bags on, and headed to the gate. The attendant at the gate told us the next flight was completely full, so we might not get on. Kara came back to the seat and we just sat there and prayed for a few minutes that the Lord would just get us to Massachusetts by the end of the day lol. In the meantime ( I do not know what possessed me to do this) but I bought some breakfast food since I LOVE breakfast food in the middle of the day….baaad idea at the airport…the toast was good, that was pretty much it :/ The eggs literally disinigrated in my mouth….i don’t wish to revisit this memory after tonight. Anyway, Kara and I had worked out a plan that if there was room for only one on the flight then I would take it, and pray her into Providence on the next flight. There was no need to do that though, because we both got called up as “Kara Rish” and “Jennefer Dovis” and both got onto the next flight no problem! It makes me laugh sometimes to see the Lord working everything out knowing He already knew we would miss that flight…whatever the reason, He kept us safe and we got on a plane to Providence.
The flight was nice, but because we were on standby our seats were no longer together. We both sat with very nice people…nice conversation, neither one knew who Jim or Elizabeth Elliot were though. The woman I sat by, as we flew into the Providence airport, said to me, “If you want to go clubbing, you are in the right place!” I told her I wouldn’t be doing that and she laughed and said enjoy your stay. I got to give her a Gospel tract too which she took! So Kara stands up as everyone on the plane is quietly gathering their carryons and says (in an abundant Kara voice) “We’re goin to BOSTON!!” HAHA…so yes everyone on the plane knew our agenda at that point, and we headed to baggage claim.
Kara and I completely disregarded the airline rules…actually let me rephrase…I, JENNIFER DAVIS, completely disregarded the airline rules, so in order to fit all my belongings in on this trip, we had 3 carry-on bags each (remember that for later lol) so we were lugging all our luggage around…that was the point I was hoping to find some nice man to say “Here, let me help you with those” (just kidding dad). So kara and I struggled our way up to the third floor to pick up our rental car, and by the time we got there we were literally sweating from carrying all those bags up the stairs in our winter clothes and heavy coats. We got the car, a definite answer to my prayers, and headed out to pick it up. We were walking out there, and kara had strapped a few of my bags on top of her rolling bag to make the load a little lighter, and I was about 5 feet in front of her when I heard “AGH..nooooo” and turned around to see all the bags dumping completely sideways and about to take Kara with them lol. That is an image I wish I had a picture of J We got in our Kia Rio and drove out of the garage on our way to Massachusetts! It was about an hour and a half drive, and I called Mr. Gren (Elizabeth’s husband) to let him know what time we’d be in. I think on the way there we counted over 50 dunkin donuts…those new Englanders love their dunkin! We also passed the stadium where the Patriots play…Kara knows the name, I am not football savy :/ sorry…
So we arrived in Danvers, MA about 3:30 in the afternoon and as we pull up to our hotel, Kara excitedly says “Hey if they have a pool we DEFINITELY need to go swimming” and I am not kidding as soon as we rounded the corner and the words finished coming out of her mouth, there was the pool…covered with a tarp and large ferns…we both had a good long laugh at that one. We checked in, and the room was actually pretty nice. We got settled, got cleaned up and headed over to the Gren’s house.
I didn’t realize it, but in Massachusetts in the winter it gets pitch black dark at 4:30 in the afternoon, so by the time we got close to their house I could barely see the road. The GPS told me we had arrived and the car
pulled to a stop in front of two large iron gates that closed in one of the biggest properties you’ve ever seen right there on the Atlantic. Kara and I just looked at each other and screamed in delight! The house had a call box to open the gates so I called three times but there was no response. So I called Mr. Gren and said “We are here, could you open the front gates?”. His reply…”We don’t have front gates”, so I described to him where we were and he said they were in the house that the road forked left to, and the second drive on that left…which described the gated area to a T. So long story and a couple strange people cut short, an hour later we drove up to a street with a girl standing in solid white from head to toe looking straight at the car. Kara was screaming not to stop, but we did and found out she was Ms. Elizabeth’s caretaker, so she ran in front of the car until we reached the house lol (didn’t want to take any chances on losing us again). When we got to the house, we walked through the hall and into the kitchen 
where Elizabeth Elliot was sitting on a window seat waiting to leave. I can’t really describe this fully but to see someone who has been a living example of true faithfulness was just indescribable. So I got to sit next to her and Kara, I, and Joy talked with her husband for a few minutes. They had to leave the house pretty quickly but before they left he told us to come by around 11 the next morning and said he’d take us on a tour of Massachusetts (which we were EXSTATIC about!) So Kara and I headed back and on the way stopped by the Causeway, which is a locally recommended place that Mr. Gren told us about. Kara especially wanted to go for the seafood but to have something to talk to them about the next day too. So we pulled up and it was a building the size of my bedroom at home and there were people all out front slightly resembling gang activity…so I asked Kara if she still wanted to go and she did the “Kara yes” nod, so we parked and got a number. It actually turns out there was no gang, and everybody was dressed really well. That’s not completely relevant to this story but I thought I’d throw a good word in for the folks of Magnolia ;) When we walked through the door, everyone stared at us…and that is NOT an exaggeration. They were very friendly though and the food was delicious (I had Italian, but that is also irrelevant). When we left, Kara was carrying the camera box out and a guy at the door asked her to play a musical number for everyone lol…we just walked away laughing. We also had a lot of fun at the hotel, just getting to spend time with each other was nice and getting to relax a little bit was a blessing!
DAY 2:
We got to their house around 11 the next morning and when we walked in we heard old hymns being played on the piano, and when we walked around the corner I saw Elizabeth Elliot just rocking back and forth in front of the living room window watching the Atlantic waves crash against the rocks below. It was very surreal, all of it. We sat and talked to joy for about an hour until they were ready to go, then we walked outside and Mr. Gren says, “Do you mind driving?” I said no, but I thought I was going to be sick lol-the thought of a legend in my backseat with my ratio of hits to the vehicle was not a comforting thought. So after the first 20 minutes of panic attack, we started our tour. He took us to this big red barn right on the water and then said that every year artists come to the community and paint the barn, each adding his own flare to it. We got out to take a picture by it and I said “So this is a really big tourist attraction?” He said “Yeah, but I don’t know why-I think it’s stupid!” …Kara and I got to know his humor really quickly lol. So summation, we spent about 7 hours in the car with them, and drove through what seemed like EVERY part of Massachusetts. We got to ask them questions while we were driving, and I’m still kicking myself for not bringing the mic in the car, but Kara and I recorded later everything we could remember about the conversation. It started out with questions about how he and Elizabeth had met, and with each question got a little deeper into the past and he was able to tell us a lot about her, jim and the other missionaries and their relationships. He mentioned that Jim and Ed McCully were actually the closest of friends, which was interesting because of all the wives, Elizabeth and Marilou McCully were the closest, just thought that was neat. I don’t remember if I mentioned, but Elizabeth has completely lost her ability to speak. I tell people it’s similar to talking to a toddler, because you know they understand what you are saying, and can answer you but just don’t have the words to form it yet. When we talked she understood and responded, but most of the talking went through her husband (what a faithful man!). There were several points in the day where I would look back and get a smile from Ms. Elizabeth that just warmed my heart…to think the woman who wrote all of the incredible books and experienced so many incredible circumstances was sitting in my backseat!
When the drive tour was over, we drove to the store to get dinner for all of us, and Lars told Kara and I to stay in the car with Elizabeth. As we sat there, I asked Kara “Do you remember the question you were going to ask her?” (we had both pre planned questions to ask her, before we knew the situation) She said yes but then told me I should ask mine, so I did. I turned around and said “Miss Elizabeth, do you have any advice for me?” She looked right at me with the brightest blue eyes and said, “Yes.” Then for the next two minutes she gave me advice that I could not understand a word of. When she finished, Kara said, “Well, you will know what she said in Eternity.” Don’t take this wrong, I am not mocking her; in fact, I was very discouraged in my mind on the way home. I was saying to the Lord, “Are you mocking me? Why did you send me all the way up here for nothing?”. It was then that He said back to me, “ I’ve already given you all the advice you need. You came expecting a life-changing oration, but you have sought me and you know what I have called you to do. You can look to her as an example of faithfulness and for encouragement, but there is no one that should take my rightful position in your heart.” And I think He brought me there to learn just that. He is my Father, my Friend, my Comforter, the One I confide in…He is all in all, He IS all, and I’ve been trying to fill a reserved spot with everyone but the One who can fulfill all my needs. Kara and I talked a lot after that day and both were touched by different things, but of all we came out with an even greater view of our Savior.
We ate dinner with them, and the conversation was HYSTERICAL. (just ask if you are interested). Lars came in and looked straight at me and Kara and said, “So which one of you is playing the piano for us tonight?” I pointed to Kara since I only know one song, and I didn’t think they wanted to hear “Nearer my God to Thee” for 45 minutes. So Kara and I played and sang the good ole’ hymns of faith for about an hour before dinner, and again, another surreal moment just looking around realizing the place where most of her books were written we were serenading haha! It was just incredible!
DAY 3:
The next day came back just before we left to travel back to Boston to catch our flight to bring the three of them gifts to say thank you for welcoming us and hosting us so graciously! We had written cards to go along with each gift, and as Mr. Gren read ours he seemed to get a little teary-eyed (or he couldn’t read our handwriting :/ ) but thanked us for staying and for fellowshipping with them. I think looking back we were more of a blessing to them than they were to us, which actually blesses my heart more. It’s funny how you go expecting to be the receiver and you get to share in the giving! Praise the Lord for that! We took pictures with all of them before we left, and Mr. Lars gave us cd’s of her speeches and letters that she had written to others about preparing for missions work and writing-and they were an INCREDIBLE blessing!
Kara and I took several pictures in the area before we headed back to Boston. Somehow, we managed to get to the airport late again, but this time we decided to secure the tickets BEFORE we took the rental car back. We went to US Airways because I couldn’t remember the airline because our internet was down in the hotel the night before, so I went off our previous flight…turns out I was wrong. The man at the ticket counter found our flight though in the system but it was Continental, a terminal away. If you’ve ever been to Boston/Logan, it is huge…so we had to drive around another loop and go through the terminals again to get to ours. At this point it was 46 minutes until the flight took off, and we had 1 more minute to check our bags before they wouldn’t take them anymore. So we arrived and Kara beasted our two bags, ran…and I mean RAN up to the ticket counter to check them in. ( Yes, we still have the rental car). So she comes running back with nothing in her hands about 5 minutes later screaming, “CONTINENTAL IS 30 BEFORE!!! GO GO GO!!!” So we booked it to the ramp for the rental car place, which the GPS said was only 1 mile away. Apparently there was a wreck or something on that ramp and it took us about 20 minutes to get the rental car place…25 minutes until take off. We parked, along with 7 other cars that needed checked in and thankfully he got us good to go right as the shuttle was pulling up. We jumped on and headed to the terminal. Kara said security wasn’t long, so we were in good spirits until we got to the line, which was backed up to the escalator (all the little lines were chock full). By the time we got to the security checkpoint we had 10 minutes before our flight took off. He checked our ID’s and when we got to the security belt there was the whole nation of South Korea taking off their belts one loop at a time, so I jumped in front of all of them lol and got through in about 2 minutes without getting stopped. I got through, ran to the gate which thankfully was only about 5 feet away so I asked the lady to hold the gate for her, and they had a back up on the plane so we still had about 15 minutes before the plane would actually take off at this point.
As we entered the door, I was digging through my pockets and couldn’t find my driver’s license. It’s not like me ever to misplace that, so I deduced that I had dropped it as I ran out of the security checkpoint. We voted that Kara go back and I brave my way to the back of the plane with all our bags (6 carryon’s between the two of us…I don’t know how we got away with that…anyway…) I was pretty much one of the last ones on the plane, maybe 10 people behind me, but I had bags sticking out from every possible angle of my person, and I walked down the aisle I’m pretty sure I hit every person on that plane with at least one of my bags…maybe more. So about half way back, 2 very well-rounded people decided to make their way to the front of the plane. They stopped right in front of me and said..and I quote, “You can pass first” I was thinking, “Are you looking at me at all?? WIDE LOAD!” but I chose instead to try to pass. That attempt failed and after 5 minutes literally of this the passengers on the plane ended up passing my bags one by one back to my seat while the lady behind tapped my shoulder and said, “Um excuse me…can you stop hitting me in the face with your backpack.” So I finally got back, and not to sound gross but I had worked up a sweat through that lol. Kara got back about 5 minutes later and praise the Lord she had my driver’s license with her! She sat down and asked where her phone was. She never gave me her phone. So we concluded that she either left THAT at security or it was in one of the bags, so I started calling it and it sounded like it was coming from the back of the plane…so she leaned up and it sounded like it was coming from the front of the plane.
My mind would have said, “It’s on the plane…we’ll get it when we land” because at this point, I’m pretty sure everyone on the plane hated me immensely. Not kara…she got down on all fours, in the middle of the aisle, and said to the everyone who was watching, “Bless my face!” then proceeded to pull out EVERY single one of our bags into the aisle to dig through….and the phone was still ringing at this point. (Kara’s reasoning was if she didn’t find it and turn it off, the phone would mess up our flights tracking patterns….) So she searches for another 5 minutes, and the stewardess comes up and asks her if she’s ok and then I hear it…the voice of frustration from the woman sitting in the seat in front of Kara…”Ugh…*pause and insert groaning sound effect and prepare to say the next phrase in a new jersey accent* IT’S IN YA BACK POCKET.” Kara started giggling…a lot….and that is the point in which I turned my head away. I’ve never heard an audible groan from so many people at one time, but to say the flight was eventful would have been an understatement. We DID make it back safely to Charlotte and our brothers were there to pick us up and take us back to Greenville.
It was an indescribable trip and the Lord had a reason for every moment of it. I may think of more after I post this and have to add to it, but praise the Lord for that opportunity and what He taught us, and I hope above all to see her in glory someday and say, “Thank you for encouraging me to press on.”, and all without saying a word. Thank you, Lord for these moments…they are irreplaceable, and may we honor you by using them for You; may we follow their example, but always hold YOU highest in our hearts...thank you, Lord...for what I didn't deserve...
Day 1:
Kara Elizabeth Reish and I woke up late on Sunday morning in Pottstown, PA…yes a wonderful way to start an epic trip! When we woke up, we were both really disoriented lol and thought we had time to get ready, so after we realized we had actually gotten up late, we rushed around, loaded everything in the car and took off for Philadelphia International. I DID drive the speed limit (that was for you, father) and when we got there we still had about 40 minutes before the plane took off. So we drove around like maniacs looking for the place to drop my rental car off, and a very nice man from the wrong rental car place told us where to go lol. So we got there, dropped the car off, ran to the shuttle pick up, jumped on the shuttle and headed to the gate. We did get a chance to talk to the shuttle driver about Christ, so that was encouraging! He was asking us about our ministry and we were able to leave him with a Gospel tract which he said he would read. When we got to the gate to check our bags in, the kiosk wouldn’t let me check in and after talking to the lady at the counter we had missed our baggage check in time by 5 minutes (yes, you may groan audibly…we did not however, we surprisingly remained very calm). Because we were at the airport before our flight took off, we were scheduled to fly standby on the next flight for free. So we checked our bags on, and headed to the gate. The attendant at the gate told us the next flight was completely full, so we might not get on. Kara came back to the seat and we just sat there and prayed for a few minutes that the Lord would just get us to Massachusetts by the end of the day lol. In the meantime ( I do not know what possessed me to do this) but I bought some breakfast food since I LOVE breakfast food in the middle of the day….baaad idea at the airport…the toast was good, that was pretty much it :/ The eggs literally disinigrated in my mouth….i don’t wish to revisit this memory after tonight. Anyway, Kara and I had worked out a plan that if there was room for only one on the flight then I would take it, and pray her into Providence on the next flight. There was no need to do that though, because we both got called up as “Kara Rish” and “Jennefer Dovis” and both got onto the next flight no problem! It makes me laugh sometimes to see the Lord working everything out knowing He already knew we would miss that flight…whatever the reason, He kept us safe and we got on a plane to Providence.
The flight was nice, but because we were on standby our seats were no longer together. We both sat with very nice people…nice conversation, neither one knew who Jim or Elizabeth Elliot were though. The woman I sat by, as we flew into the Providence airport, said to me, “If you want to go clubbing, you are in the right place!” I told her I wouldn’t be doing that and she laughed and said enjoy your stay. I got to give her a Gospel tract too which she took! So Kara stands up as everyone on the plane is quietly gathering their carryons and says (in an abundant Kara voice) “We’re goin to BOSTON!!” HAHA…so yes everyone on the plane knew our agenda at that point, and we headed to baggage claim.
Kara and I completely disregarded the airline rules…actually let me rephrase…I, JENNIFER DAVIS, completely disregarded the airline rules, so in order to fit all my belongings in on this trip, we had 3 carry-on bags each (remember that for later lol) so we were lugging all our luggage around…that was the point I was hoping to find some nice man to say “Here, let me help you with those” (just kidding dad). So kara and I struggled our way up to the third floor to pick up our rental car, and by the time we got there we were literally sweating from carrying all those bags up the stairs in our winter clothes and heavy coats. We got the car, a definite answer to my prayers, and headed out to pick it up. We were walking out there, and kara had strapped a few of my bags on top of her rolling bag to make the load a little lighter, and I was about 5 feet in front of her when I heard “AGH..nooooo” and turned around to see all the bags dumping completely sideways and about to take Kara with them lol. That is an image I wish I had a picture of J We got in our Kia Rio and drove out of the garage on our way to Massachusetts! It was about an hour and a half drive, and I called Mr. Gren (Elizabeth’s husband) to let him know what time we’d be in. I think on the way there we counted over 50 dunkin donuts…those new Englanders love their dunkin! We also passed the stadium where the Patriots play…Kara knows the name, I am not football savy :/ sorry…
So we arrived in Danvers, MA about 3:30 in the afternoon and as we pull up to our hotel, Kara excitedly says “Hey if they have a pool we DEFINITELY need to go swimming” and I am not kidding as soon as we rounded the corner and the words finished coming out of her mouth, there was the pool…covered with a tarp and large ferns…we both had a good long laugh at that one. We checked in, and the room was actually pretty nice. We got settled, got cleaned up and headed over to the Gren’s house.
I didn’t realize it, but in Massachusetts in the winter it gets pitch black dark at 4:30 in the afternoon, so by the time we got close to their house I could barely see the road. The GPS told me we had arrived and the car
pulled to a stop in front of two large iron gates that closed in one of the biggest properties you’ve ever seen right there on the Atlantic. Kara and I just looked at each other and screamed in delight! The house had a call box to open the gates so I called three times but there was no response. So I called Mr. Gren and said “We are here, could you open the front gates?”. His reply…”We don’t have front gates”, so I described to him where we were and he said they were in the house that the road forked left to, and the second drive on that left…which described the gated area to a T. So long story and a couple strange people cut short, an hour later we drove up to a street with a girl standing in solid white from head to toe looking straight at the car. Kara was screaming not to stop, but we did and found out she was Ms. Elizabeth’s caretaker, so she ran in front of the car until we reached the house lol (didn’t want to take any chances on losing us again). When we got to the house, we walked through the hall and into the kitchen 
where Elizabeth Elliot was sitting on a window seat waiting to leave. I can’t really describe this fully but to see someone who has been a living example of true faithfulness was just indescribable. So I got to sit next to her and Kara, I, and Joy talked with her husband for a few minutes. They had to leave the house pretty quickly but before they left he told us to come by around 11 the next morning and said he’d take us on a tour of Massachusetts (which we were EXSTATIC about!) So Kara and I headed back and on the way stopped by the Causeway, which is a locally recommended place that Mr. Gren told us about. Kara especially wanted to go for the seafood but to have something to talk to them about the next day too. So we pulled up and it was a building the size of my bedroom at home and there were people all out front slightly resembling gang activity…so I asked Kara if she still wanted to go and she did the “Kara yes” nod, so we parked and got a number. It actually turns out there was no gang, and everybody was dressed really well. That’s not completely relevant to this story but I thought I’d throw a good word in for the folks of Magnolia ;) When we walked through the door, everyone stared at us…and that is NOT an exaggeration. They were very friendly though and the food was delicious (I had Italian, but that is also irrelevant). When we left, Kara was carrying the camera box out and a guy at the door asked her to play a musical number for everyone lol…we just walked away laughing. We also had a lot of fun at the hotel, just getting to spend time with each other was nice and getting to relax a little bit was a blessing!
DAY 2:
We got to their house around 11 the next morning and when we walked in we heard old hymns being played on the piano, and when we walked around the corner I saw Elizabeth Elliot just rocking back and forth in front of the living room window watching the Atlantic waves crash against the rocks below. It was very surreal, all of it. We sat and talked to joy for about an hour until they were ready to go, then we walked outside and Mr. Gren says, “Do you mind driving?” I said no, but I thought I was going to be sick lol-the thought of a legend in my backseat with my ratio of hits to the vehicle was not a comforting thought. So after the first 20 minutes of panic attack, we started our tour. He took us to this big red barn right on the water and then said that every year artists come to the community and paint the barn, each adding his own flare to it. We got out to take a picture by it and I said “So this is a really big tourist attraction?” He said “Yeah, but I don’t know why-I think it’s stupid!” …Kara and I got to know his humor really quickly lol. So summation, we spent about 7 hours in the car with them, and drove through what seemed like EVERY part of Massachusetts. We got to ask them questions while we were driving, and I’m still kicking myself for not bringing the mic in the car, but Kara and I recorded later everything we could remember about the conversation. It started out with questions about how he and Elizabeth had met, and with each question got a little deeper into the past and he was able to tell us a lot about her, jim and the other missionaries and their relationships. He mentioned that Jim and Ed McCully were actually the closest of friends, which was interesting because of all the wives, Elizabeth and Marilou McCully were the closest, just thought that was neat. I don’t remember if I mentioned, but Elizabeth has completely lost her ability to speak. I tell people it’s similar to talking to a toddler, because you know they understand what you are saying, and can answer you but just don’t have the words to form it yet. When we talked she understood and responded, but most of the talking went through her husband (what a faithful man!). There were several points in the day where I would look back and get a smile from Ms. Elizabeth that just warmed my heart…to think the woman who wrote all of the incredible books and experienced so many incredible circumstances was sitting in my backseat!When the drive tour was over, we drove to the store to get dinner for all of us, and Lars told Kara and I to stay in the car with Elizabeth. As we sat there, I asked Kara “Do you remember the question you were going to ask her?” (we had both pre planned questions to ask her, before we knew the situation) She said yes but then told me I should ask mine, so I did. I turned around and said “Miss Elizabeth, do you have any advice for me?” She looked right at me with the brightest blue eyes and said, “Yes.” Then for the next two minutes she gave me advice that I could not understand a word of. When she finished, Kara said, “Well, you will know what she said in Eternity.” Don’t take this wrong, I am not mocking her; in fact, I was very discouraged in my mind on the way home. I was saying to the Lord, “Are you mocking me? Why did you send me all the way up here for nothing?”. It was then that He said back to me, “ I’ve already given you all the advice you need. You came expecting a life-changing oration, but you have sought me and you know what I have called you to do. You can look to her as an example of faithfulness and for encouragement, but there is no one that should take my rightful position in your heart.” And I think He brought me there to learn just that. He is my Father, my Friend, my Comforter, the One I confide in…He is all in all, He IS all, and I’ve been trying to fill a reserved spot with everyone but the One who can fulfill all my needs. Kara and I talked a lot after that day and both were touched by different things, but of all we came out with an even greater view of our Savior.
We ate dinner with them, and the conversation was HYSTERICAL. (just ask if you are interested). Lars came in and looked straight at me and Kara and said, “So which one of you is playing the piano for us tonight?” I pointed to Kara since I only know one song, and I didn’t think they wanted to hear “Nearer my God to Thee” for 45 minutes. So Kara and I played and sang the good ole’ hymns of faith for about an hour before dinner, and again, another surreal moment just looking around realizing the place where most of her books were written we were serenading haha! It was just incredible!
DAY 3:
The next day came back just before we left to travel back to Boston to catch our flight to bring the three of them gifts to say thank you for welcoming us and hosting us so graciously! We had written cards to go along with each gift, and as Mr. Gren read ours he seemed to get a little teary-eyed (or he couldn’t read our handwriting :/ ) but thanked us for staying and for fellowshipping with them. I think looking back we were more of a blessing to them than they were to us, which actually blesses my heart more. It’s funny how you go expecting to be the receiver and you get to share in the giving! Praise the Lord for that! We took pictures with all of them before we left, and Mr. Lars gave us cd’s of her speeches and letters that she had written to others about preparing for missions work and writing-and they were an INCREDIBLE blessing!
Kara and I took several pictures in the area before we headed back to Boston. Somehow, we managed to get to the airport late again, but this time we decided to secure the tickets BEFORE we took the rental car back. We went to US Airways because I couldn’t remember the airline because our internet was down in the hotel the night before, so I went off our previous flight…turns out I was wrong. The man at the ticket counter found our flight though in the system but it was Continental, a terminal away. If you’ve ever been to Boston/Logan, it is huge…so we had to drive around another loop and go through the terminals again to get to ours. At this point it was 46 minutes until the flight took off, and we had 1 more minute to check our bags before they wouldn’t take them anymore. So we arrived and Kara beasted our two bags, ran…and I mean RAN up to the ticket counter to check them in. ( Yes, we still have the rental car). So she comes running back with nothing in her hands about 5 minutes later screaming, “CONTINENTAL IS 30 BEFORE!!! GO GO GO!!!” So we booked it to the ramp for the rental car place, which the GPS said was only 1 mile away. Apparently there was a wreck or something on that ramp and it took us about 20 minutes to get the rental car place…25 minutes until take off. We parked, along with 7 other cars that needed checked in and thankfully he got us good to go right as the shuttle was pulling up. We jumped on and headed to the terminal. Kara said security wasn’t long, so we were in good spirits until we got to the line, which was backed up to the escalator (all the little lines were chock full). By the time we got to the security checkpoint we had 10 minutes before our flight took off. He checked our ID’s and when we got to the security belt there was the whole nation of South Korea taking off their belts one loop at a time, so I jumped in front of all of them lol and got through in about 2 minutes without getting stopped. I got through, ran to the gate which thankfully was only about 5 feet away so I asked the lady to hold the gate for her, and they had a back up on the plane so we still had about 15 minutes before the plane would actually take off at this point.As we entered the door, I was digging through my pockets and couldn’t find my driver’s license. It’s not like me ever to misplace that, so I deduced that I had dropped it as I ran out of the security checkpoint. We voted that Kara go back and I brave my way to the back of the plane with all our bags (6 carryon’s between the two of us…I don’t know how we got away with that…anyway…) I was pretty much one of the last ones on the plane, maybe 10 people behind me, but I had bags sticking out from every possible angle of my person, and I walked down the aisle I’m pretty sure I hit every person on that plane with at least one of my bags…maybe more. So about half way back, 2 very well-rounded people decided to make their way to the front of the plane. They stopped right in front of me and said..and I quote, “You can pass first” I was thinking, “Are you looking at me at all?? WIDE LOAD!” but I chose instead to try to pass. That attempt failed and after 5 minutes literally of this the passengers on the plane ended up passing my bags one by one back to my seat while the lady behind tapped my shoulder and said, “Um excuse me…can you stop hitting me in the face with your backpack.” So I finally got back, and not to sound gross but I had worked up a sweat through that lol. Kara got back about 5 minutes later and praise the Lord she had my driver’s license with her! She sat down and asked where her phone was. She never gave me her phone. So we concluded that she either left THAT at security or it was in one of the bags, so I started calling it and it sounded like it was coming from the back of the plane…so she leaned up and it sounded like it was coming from the front of the plane.
My mind would have said, “It’s on the plane…we’ll get it when we land” because at this point, I’m pretty sure everyone on the plane hated me immensely. Not kara…she got down on all fours, in the middle of the aisle, and said to the everyone who was watching, “Bless my face!” then proceeded to pull out EVERY single one of our bags into the aisle to dig through….and the phone was still ringing at this point. (Kara’s reasoning was if she didn’t find it and turn it off, the phone would mess up our flights tracking patterns….) So she searches for another 5 minutes, and the stewardess comes up and asks her if she’s ok and then I hear it…the voice of frustration from the woman sitting in the seat in front of Kara…”Ugh…*pause and insert groaning sound effect and prepare to say the next phrase in a new jersey accent* IT’S IN YA BACK POCKET.” Kara started giggling…a lot….and that is the point in which I turned my head away. I’ve never heard an audible groan from so many people at one time, but to say the flight was eventful would have been an understatement. We DID make it back safely to Charlotte and our brothers were there to pick us up and take us back to Greenville.
It was an indescribable trip and the Lord had a reason for every moment of it. I may think of more after I post this and have to add to it, but praise the Lord for that opportunity and what He taught us, and I hope above all to see her in glory someday and say, “Thank you for encouraging me to press on.”, and all without saying a word. Thank you, Lord for these moments…they are irreplaceable, and may we honor you by using them for You; may we follow their example, but always hold YOU highest in our hearts...thank you, Lord...for what I didn't deserve...
Sunday, January 1, 2012
"And He said unto them, Go..."
Welcome to the New Year.... tonight was one New Year's Eve I don't want to ever forget...
In Pensacola, we have what is called the "Pelican Drop"..they get a huge crane and everybody in the city of Pensacola goes downtown to watch the crane lower the lighted Pelican...then everyone screams for the New Year. You are probably laughing about this, but people love it here lol. Tonight was the first night I've been and it's been around for the past 3 years now, I was just never interested in going.
This event I have heard nearly PRAISED from the city of Pensacola...a just "have to be there" event...so let me tell you just what people are praising....When we finally got to the main drag where everyone was waiting to see the drop, I couldn't look in one direction without seeing someone drinking, smoking, or making out. The group I was in moved out of the street and over by a fountain to wait outside of the smoke cloud for the new year to roll in. While we were waiting a group of 3 guys, not older than 15 I think, came through the alleyway and the two on the ends were holding their friend in the middle up. At first, when we saw them, we assumed he was drunk and they were just helping him along, but they came back up the alleyway and sat down on a curb, and that's when we started watching all of them. The guy in the middle could not even hold his head up; his eyes kept rolling into the back of his head and he kept falling back into the mulch. There was something definitely wrong, so one of the guys in our group went over and a few minutes later brought back the police. When his wife approached them they cursed at her and the scene progressed until we were only watching again while the boys parents showed up and eventually the EMT. While the EMT was checking him, he threw up on himself repeatedly and would go from having his head in his arms to just staring blankly ahead, with literally no brain activity whatsoever. An ambulance arrived and 2 more EMT's had to lift his limp body onto a stretcher and pump him full of oxygen. The police officer came over and thanked us for getting them and the young man who cursed out the woman from our group turned directly to her and said thank you.
I am not just telling this to be dramatic..I was sitting there watching all of this take place and I am telling you it is as if the Lord looked DIRECTLY at me and said, "This is America's youth...do you see the need?" I get so wrapped up in things that don't matter when this generation are marching themselves right into Hell. I asked the Lord to keep that young man's image tonight ALWAYS in my mind so that I never forget the need..that I never fall into the lazy train of thought that says 'Someone else will get um''. Why am I here? Why did He place me in full view of that entire situation tonight? Because I forget too easily and the Lord knew I needed an image stamped in my heart of a lost youth that would surface every time I give an excuse not to share the Gospel. If I am not living to bring that light, then what good am I? I am only a salt that has lost it's savor-that is henceforth good for NOTHING. I am starting this New Year on my knees before a Holy God who has been very patient, and I am begging Him to use me to bring the next generation to Him. That is my calling and I say to every Believer who reads this that we have been passing by long enough and the world cannot afford to wait for us any longer...it is time to OBEY.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature."
In Pensacola, we have what is called the "Pelican Drop"..they get a huge crane and everybody in the city of Pensacola goes downtown to watch the crane lower the lighted Pelican...then everyone screams for the New Year. You are probably laughing about this, but people love it here lol. Tonight was the first night I've been and it's been around for the past 3 years now, I was just never interested in going.
This event I have heard nearly PRAISED from the city of Pensacola...a just "have to be there" event...so let me tell you just what people are praising....When we finally got to the main drag where everyone was waiting to see the drop, I couldn't look in one direction without seeing someone drinking, smoking, or making out. The group I was in moved out of the street and over by a fountain to wait outside of the smoke cloud for the new year to roll in. While we were waiting a group of 3 guys, not older than 15 I think, came through the alleyway and the two on the ends were holding their friend in the middle up. At first, when we saw them, we assumed he was drunk and they were just helping him along, but they came back up the alleyway and sat down on a curb, and that's when we started watching all of them. The guy in the middle could not even hold his head up; his eyes kept rolling into the back of his head and he kept falling back into the mulch. There was something definitely wrong, so one of the guys in our group went over and a few minutes later brought back the police. When his wife approached them they cursed at her and the scene progressed until we were only watching again while the boys parents showed up and eventually the EMT. While the EMT was checking him, he threw up on himself repeatedly and would go from having his head in his arms to just staring blankly ahead, with literally no brain activity whatsoever. An ambulance arrived and 2 more EMT's had to lift his limp body onto a stretcher and pump him full of oxygen. The police officer came over and thanked us for getting them and the young man who cursed out the woman from our group turned directly to her and said thank you.
I am not just telling this to be dramatic..I was sitting there watching all of this take place and I am telling you it is as if the Lord looked DIRECTLY at me and said, "This is America's youth...do you see the need?" I get so wrapped up in things that don't matter when this generation are marching themselves right into Hell. I asked the Lord to keep that young man's image tonight ALWAYS in my mind so that I never forget the need..that I never fall into the lazy train of thought that says 'Someone else will get um''. Why am I here? Why did He place me in full view of that entire situation tonight? Because I forget too easily and the Lord knew I needed an image stamped in my heart of a lost youth that would surface every time I give an excuse not to share the Gospel. If I am not living to bring that light, then what good am I? I am only a salt that has lost it's savor-that is henceforth good for NOTHING. I am starting this New Year on my knees before a Holy God who has been very patient, and I am begging Him to use me to bring the next generation to Him. That is my calling and I say to every Believer who reads this that we have been passing by long enough and the world cannot afford to wait for us any longer...it is time to OBEY.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature."
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Building the faith Hall of Fame
I had a much needed sweet time in the Word of God this morning and it came after a night of selfishness. I don't know if this is true with anyone else but when I speak for myself I know that I sing my love for the Lord, but when He is simply asking me to spend time with Him when I'm tired, or ill...then it seems the love is no longer there. That is not right...His love for me was so deep He took it to the Cross, and then STILL continues to love me even when I do not return that love. I was thinking about my relationship with the Lord today and I can speak about it all I want, but I want HIM to know of my love...always.
I am still in Hebrews and this morning's study was just refreshing! I think the Lord is convicting me about the passion I have for other things-not that I can't enjoy other things, but I pour into things so much and then find myself "too tired" to work on the actual jobs God has CALLED me to do! Where are my priorities? Christ is taking backseat and that's NOT right. Oh Lord, help me set my gaze on what matters-why I am on this earth! Hebrews 10:35-39 are an assurance of salvation for me! Verse 38 says, "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Wow..what is faith? 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I looked up some of these words on E-sword (an AWESOME Bible study program that downloads FREE online...it has been wonderful!) ..."Substance" in the Greek means what is says-"the essence"-what makes up, holds up, fills and establishes things "hoped for" (which means "to expect or confide (expectation or confidence)" the "evidence" ("proof-literally)- a conviction of things not seen! Faith is the "setting under; support" of all our expectations in Christ! AND the proof of what we haven't seen yet-think about it! How many times have you had faith Christ would keep His Word or answer a prayer in His time-those are all evidences-PROOF-not only of His past faithfulness but also of His faithfulness to come!! How exciting is that?
If He could work so powerfully and faithfully NOW-just think of what He will do according to His Word! i was thinking tonight...what are some of the evidences that result from my faith? The whole chapter of Hebrews 11 has been named the faith "Hall of Fame", giving examples of people who had faith and who God worked through MIGHTILY! What is my faith "Hall of Fame" for the Lord? These people were mentioned here as heroes of the faith, but as much as we consider them heroes God is lifted even higher through their testimonies, because HE is the substance of our faith!
I wanted in the short space that I have here to list out what God has done in my life...little evidences of faith in Him that will hopefully show You what they've shown to me as I reflect on them...that He will never cease to take care of me :)
FAITH HALL OF FAME:
July 2010: My sophmore year at PCC I felt like the Lord had led me to the intent of graduating with a Bachelor's in Advertising/Public Relations and then using that to work with the Academy of Arts Ministries. Through a very long series of missed courses and credits that wouldn't transfer, I found out that it was going to take me 6 years altogether to finish. I wanted to be at the Acad SO badly and couldn't understand why God was keeping me back. I tried every way I could to transfer out but none of my credits would transfer...I just wanted to graduate with my class and GO! I got down on my knees to talk with the Lord and I said to Him, "I will go wherever you want me to go-I trust You!" and He said to me, "Do you?"
I said, "Of COURSE I do! ..You are God!" and He said to me, "Then stay." It was there on my bedroom floor that I submitted to His will and that year I met a young woman through the crisis pregnancy center where I worked at the time who was 7 months along and a Christian, but had no church and no family. The next year she became one of my dearest and closest friends; she came to be a part of our family at home and at church and I was privileged to be there the night she had her little girl :) If I had gone when I wanted to I never would have had a part in her life nor she in mine!
I finished my fourth year-the year I was supposed to graduate) and the Lord gave me the opportunity that summer to lead a summer drama team with the Academy. It was during the summer that Doctor Chavers called me and asked me to come on staff, also offering to complete my Bachelor's through the Academy of Arts. Every single one of my credits transferred, and a year later in May 2011 I was able to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in
Sacred Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design. I was thinking back on all of this and realized that IF I had graduated PCC "on time" and gone to the Academy like I had always planned, I would have been there in the fall of 2010 anyway...just like I was when I transferred. It made me think to the conversation with the Lord in my room that day...that maybe He just wanted me to submit and He already had everything else taken care of...how incredible it is to TRUST in the Lord...to have the faith that He works for our good and believe that enough to follow Him no matter how bizarre the call. I do not say this to lift myself up, but to remind myself that there is never an occasion NOT to trust Him.
There are so many points in the Word when the Lord tells His children to REMEMBER His works in their lives! Every time I get discouraged or doubtful I think back on all the Lord has brought me through and it brings me to the Eternal thought...there is NEVER an occasion not to trust Him! I'm going to keep thinking on these things, and it is my hope to add to this collection of God's faithfulness to me! I would love to hear of His to YOU as well! Tis' so sweet to trust in Jesus! Oh for Grace to trust Him MORE! Thank you for your faithfulness, Father!
I am still in Hebrews and this morning's study was just refreshing! I think the Lord is convicting me about the passion I have for other things-not that I can't enjoy other things, but I pour into things so much and then find myself "too tired" to work on the actual jobs God has CALLED me to do! Where are my priorities? Christ is taking backseat and that's NOT right. Oh Lord, help me set my gaze on what matters-why I am on this earth! Hebrews 10:35-39 are an assurance of salvation for me! Verse 38 says, "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Wow..what is faith? 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I looked up some of these words on E-sword (an AWESOME Bible study program that downloads FREE online...it has been wonderful!) ..."Substance" in the Greek means what is says-"the essence"-what makes up, holds up, fills and establishes things "hoped for" (which means "to expect or confide (expectation or confidence)" the "evidence" ("proof-literally)- a conviction of things not seen! Faith is the "setting under; support" of all our expectations in Christ! AND the proof of what we haven't seen yet-think about it! How many times have you had faith Christ would keep His Word or answer a prayer in His time-those are all evidences-PROOF-not only of His past faithfulness but also of His faithfulness to come!! How exciting is that?
If He could work so powerfully and faithfully NOW-just think of what He will do according to His Word! i was thinking tonight...what are some of the evidences that result from my faith? The whole chapter of Hebrews 11 has been named the faith "Hall of Fame", giving examples of people who had faith and who God worked through MIGHTILY! What is my faith "Hall of Fame" for the Lord? These people were mentioned here as heroes of the faith, but as much as we consider them heroes God is lifted even higher through their testimonies, because HE is the substance of our faith!
I wanted in the short space that I have here to list out what God has done in my life...little evidences of faith in Him that will hopefully show You what they've shown to me as I reflect on them...that He will never cease to take care of me :)
FAITH HALL OF FAME:
July 2010: My sophmore year at PCC I felt like the Lord had led me to the intent of graduating with a Bachelor's in Advertising/Public Relations and then using that to work with the Academy of Arts Ministries. Through a very long series of missed courses and credits that wouldn't transfer, I found out that it was going to take me 6 years altogether to finish. I wanted to be at the Acad SO badly and couldn't understand why God was keeping me back. I tried every way I could to transfer out but none of my credits would transfer...I just wanted to graduate with my class and GO! I got down on my knees to talk with the Lord and I said to Him, "I will go wherever you want me to go-I trust You!" and He said to me, "Do you?"
I said, "Of COURSE I do! ..You are God!" and He said to me, "Then stay." It was there on my bedroom floor that I submitted to His will and that year I met a young woman through the crisis pregnancy center where I worked at the time who was 7 months along and a Christian, but had no church and no family. The next year she became one of my dearest and closest friends; she came to be a part of our family at home and at church and I was privileged to be there the night she had her little girl :) If I had gone when I wanted to I never would have had a part in her life nor she in mine! I finished my fourth year-the year I was supposed to graduate) and the Lord gave me the opportunity that summer to lead a summer drama team with the Academy. It was during the summer that Doctor Chavers called me and asked me to come on staff, also offering to complete my Bachelor's through the Academy of Arts. Every single one of my credits transferred, and a year later in May 2011 I was able to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in
Sacred Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design. I was thinking back on all of this and realized that IF I had graduated PCC "on time" and gone to the Academy like I had always planned, I would have been there in the fall of 2010 anyway...just like I was when I transferred. It made me think to the conversation with the Lord in my room that day...that maybe He just wanted me to submit and He already had everything else taken care of...how incredible it is to TRUST in the Lord...to have the faith that He works for our good and believe that enough to follow Him no matter how bizarre the call. I do not say this to lift myself up, but to remind myself that there is never an occasion NOT to trust Him.There are so many points in the Word when the Lord tells His children to REMEMBER His works in their lives! Every time I get discouraged or doubtful I think back on all the Lord has brought me through and it brings me to the Eternal thought...there is NEVER an occasion not to trust Him! I'm going to keep thinking on these things, and it is my hope to add to this collection of God's faithfulness to me! I would love to hear of His to YOU as well! Tis' so sweet to trust in Jesus! Oh for Grace to trust Him MORE! Thank you for your faithfulness, Father!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Four eyes are better than two
This may seem like something very small but to me it was very big...I lost my glasses a few months ago (which is really unlike me) and have been going off just contacts, but when my eyes need a rest I am completely blind. I planned on getting a new pair of glasses over Christmas break if I couldn't find them by then, so today I headed out on the search. I got a really great deal on my glasses last time around because I bought reading glasses frames and then just paid to have my lenses put in them, a whole lot cheaper than paying for the frames full price.
I wandered all over kingdom come until I had convinced myself to buy a pair of frames from Claire's in the mall. I don't know if you've ever been to Claire's, but it's like a pre-teen explosion of justin bieber and "juniors" fashion...but I found frames there so I was standing in line...if you can just picture this...I am 23 and I am in the middle of a line of girls all under 14...anyway, the line was so long it was out the door so I had time to contemplate what I was about to purchase, and the more I looked at the glasses the more cheap they looked...if you are a Claire's fan, I'm sorry if your fashion frequent has been wounded...not everything there is cheap, but my frames were and I thought...I can do better than this with money Christ has given me...
So I put the glasses back and headed over to TJMaxx where they tend to have stuff like that made a little more sturdy. I found all of three pairs and about gave up, but when I walked out the door I saw Dollar General...if you know my family, we are HUGE thrift store people...we've always gotten really nice stuff, you just have to know how to look..anyway, the point is I didn't knock it, but I walked in and it was like the emporium of reading glasses...I actually found a pair that I liked and that was sturdy for $6...so I paid and headed to OptiClub...I've always gotten my eyes checked there and a few years ago I found out my camp counselor from Bill Rice Ranch worked there, so she was kind enough to give me a discount when I bought the first pair. Anyway, the man that worked with me was SO helpful, he looked me up on the computer and said he'd just charge me the same as the last visit and even give me and upgrade with lenses that prevented glare (awesome for wearing with the stage lights at the Acad!) ...so he closed the sale and then disappeared behind the counter and jumped up and seriously STACKED like every set of glasses cases he had in front of me and told me to pick one. I picked out of niceness but thought yeah right they are probably $400 so forget that, but after I had picked one I asked the price and he said no charge, they come with the purchase. So long story that I chose not to shorten, about 20 minutes later I had a new pair of glasses and a case all for $90 with tax :)
What is the point of this? I got in the car and I thought, I asked the Lord to give me glasses, both of us knowing I had a legitimate need for them. But not only did He just meet the need, He gave me the best! I like these even better than the previous pair and they were an even better deal! I was thinking about all of this on the way home and I thought, it is this way in my life. God knows what I need and like Doc says, "He knows my address"...He sends what He knows we need exactly when we need it. And if I take this to heart in every other area in my life...He will ALWAYS meet my needs...but let HIM meet them instead of trying to pilot the plane yourself! I think we will find that His plans are always the best, if we will simply let Him meet the need when He knows it needs to be met...if we will WAIT on Him.
I put a picture of the glasses below...one because i heart them immensely! and two because every time I wear them I will be reminded that God sent those right "to my address" today, and He can do the same in every other area of my life!
I wandered all over kingdom come until I had convinced myself to buy a pair of frames from Claire's in the mall. I don't know if you've ever been to Claire's, but it's like a pre-teen explosion of justin bieber and "juniors" fashion...but I found frames there so I was standing in line...if you can just picture this...I am 23 and I am in the middle of a line of girls all under 14...anyway, the line was so long it was out the door so I had time to contemplate what I was about to purchase, and the more I looked at the glasses the more cheap they looked...if you are a Claire's fan, I'm sorry if your fashion frequent has been wounded...not everything there is cheap, but my frames were and I thought...I can do better than this with money Christ has given me...
So I put the glasses back and headed over to TJMaxx where they tend to have stuff like that made a little more sturdy. I found all of three pairs and about gave up, but when I walked out the door I saw Dollar General...if you know my family, we are HUGE thrift store people...we've always gotten really nice stuff, you just have to know how to look..anyway, the point is I didn't knock it, but I walked in and it was like the emporium of reading glasses...I actually found a pair that I liked and that was sturdy for $6...so I paid and headed to OptiClub...I've always gotten my eyes checked there and a few years ago I found out my camp counselor from Bill Rice Ranch worked there, so she was kind enough to give me a discount when I bought the first pair. Anyway, the man that worked with me was SO helpful, he looked me up on the computer and said he'd just charge me the same as the last visit and even give me and upgrade with lenses that prevented glare (awesome for wearing with the stage lights at the Acad!) ...so he closed the sale and then disappeared behind the counter and jumped up and seriously STACKED like every set of glasses cases he had in front of me and told me to pick one. I picked out of niceness but thought yeah right they are probably $400 so forget that, but after I had picked one I asked the price and he said no charge, they come with the purchase. So long story that I chose not to shorten, about 20 minutes later I had a new pair of glasses and a case all for $90 with tax :)
What is the point of this? I got in the car and I thought, I asked the Lord to give me glasses, both of us knowing I had a legitimate need for them. But not only did He just meet the need, He gave me the best! I like these even better than the previous pair and they were an even better deal! I was thinking about all of this on the way home and I thought, it is this way in my life. God knows what I need and like Doc says, "He knows my address"...He sends what He knows we need exactly when we need it. And if I take this to heart in every other area in my life...He will ALWAYS meet my needs...but let HIM meet them instead of trying to pilot the plane yourself! I think we will find that His plans are always the best, if we will simply let Him meet the need when He knows it needs to be met...if we will WAIT on Him.
I put a picture of the glasses below...one because i heart them immensely! and two because every time I wear them I will be reminded that God sent those right "to my address" today, and He can do the same in every other area of my life!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Feeding the appetite for living
I was reading in "Shadow of the Almighty" tonight and this was an incredible quote I had to share, (written to Elizabeth Elliot from Jim in context of God leading them to wait to be married, and Jim going to Ecuador without her)
"We may imagine what it would be like to share a given event and feel loss at having to experience it alone, but let us not forget-that loss is imagined, not real. I imagine peaks-enjoyment when I think of doing things together, but let not the hoping for it dull the doing of it alone. What is, is actual-what might be simply is not, and I must not therefore query God as though He robbed me-of things that are not. Further, the things that are belong to us, and they are good, God-given, and enriched. Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living." -Jim Elliot
I think that is where we find ourselves alot of the time, wishing for the "used to be's" or "could have been's" so strongly that we miss out on the state God has placed us in RIGHT NOW. I talked with a good friend a few weeks ago and he said he counsels guys in his dorm so often that literally hunger after being married so much that they miss the place and station God has put them in right now. 1 Corinthians 7 is a chapter I have come to read alot over the past 2 years and Paul says marriage is not wrong (of course not, it's ordained by God!) but if a man CAN abide the way Paul did it is better for him!
I got a chance to talk with one of my best friends a few nights ago and she has been married for almost a year in June and she said something that the Lord really pricked my heart with. She absolutely LOVES her husband and their marriage but she said it is a big change in that once you are married, you belong to your husband...Christ still comes first, but marriage brings the partnership of you AND your spouse into that relationship you have with Christ. In a state of singleness, you have a very special time when it is just you and the Lord, only the two of you. Don't get me wrong, she wouldn't trade marriage for anything...but I found the Lord saying to me..."You are wishing away a precious time and if you don't treasure it, you will wake up one day to find it has passed." There is a verse in 1 Corinthians 7 that is my absolute favorite-it is verse 24, "Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God."
The Lord will never leave me nor forsake me, and what stages He brings me to and through He will be a part of every single one..but what He has given me NOW is to be guarded and cherished! Paul said it, Jim Elliot said it...I want my life to be lived to the fullest in the state God has placed me in! He has the time table, and when He decides to move I will gladly move with Him, but if He ever moves to marriage, I do not want to walk down the aisle to that next stage in my life looking back with regrets that I wasted this one wishing for that one! This is "wherein I am called" and I want to abide with God fully-feeding the appetite for living the hilt right where He has placed me, all the while knowing that He is shaping, molding, and preparing me for the future.
I don't know what He has planned for me, but I know that I can trust Him enough to throw myself into His service right where He's placed me! Life is too short to live off longing for what He hasn't given me or may never give; I only need to abide with Him, and He will fulfill all my needs in His time.
"We may imagine what it would be like to share a given event and feel loss at having to experience it alone, but let us not forget-that loss is imagined, not real. I imagine peaks-enjoyment when I think of doing things together, but let not the hoping for it dull the doing of it alone. What is, is actual-what might be simply is not, and I must not therefore query God as though He robbed me-of things that are not. Further, the things that are belong to us, and they are good, God-given, and enriched. Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living." -Jim Elliot
I think that is where we find ourselves alot of the time, wishing for the "used to be's" or "could have been's" so strongly that we miss out on the state God has placed us in RIGHT NOW. I talked with a good friend a few weeks ago and he said he counsels guys in his dorm so often that literally hunger after being married so much that they miss the place and station God has put them in right now. 1 Corinthians 7 is a chapter I have come to read alot over the past 2 years and Paul says marriage is not wrong (of course not, it's ordained by God!) but if a man CAN abide the way Paul did it is better for him!
I got a chance to talk with one of my best friends a few nights ago and she has been married for almost a year in June and she said something that the Lord really pricked my heart with. She absolutely LOVES her husband and their marriage but she said it is a big change in that once you are married, you belong to your husband...Christ still comes first, but marriage brings the partnership of you AND your spouse into that relationship you have with Christ. In a state of singleness, you have a very special time when it is just you and the Lord, only the two of you. Don't get me wrong, she wouldn't trade marriage for anything...but I found the Lord saying to me..."You are wishing away a precious time and if you don't treasure it, you will wake up one day to find it has passed." There is a verse in 1 Corinthians 7 that is my absolute favorite-it is verse 24, "Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God."
The Lord will never leave me nor forsake me, and what stages He brings me to and through He will be a part of every single one..but what He has given me NOW is to be guarded and cherished! Paul said it, Jim Elliot said it...I want my life to be lived to the fullest in the state God has placed me in! He has the time table, and when He decides to move I will gladly move with Him, but if He ever moves to marriage, I do not want to walk down the aisle to that next stage in my life looking back with regrets that I wasted this one wishing for that one! This is "wherein I am called" and I want to abide with God fully-feeding the appetite for living the hilt right where He has placed me, all the while knowing that He is shaping, molding, and preparing me for the future.
I don't know what He has planned for me, but I know that I can trust Him enough to throw myself into His service right where He's placed me! Life is too short to live off longing for what He hasn't given me or may never give; I only need to abide with Him, and He will fulfill all my needs in His time.
Being All There...
"Wherever you are, be all there"...A quote by the famous Jim Elliot. At least to me they are heroes the faith. I've been reading alot about the lives of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot and if there is anything that stands out especially it is that their lives were built on trust and obedience. A majority of their lives were spent in following direction they didn't understand, but they followed, trusting the guidance of their Creator. They lived what Jim Elliot quoted above-no matter what state God met them with, they lived to the hilt every situation they believed to be the will of God...wherever God put them, they were ALL there. That is what I seek for my life to be- a testament to God's exciting and powerful work! By this blog I hope to give testimony to you that God is very much alive and that maybe through my life you will see not only His great sense of humor, His friendship, and His love...but also His desire that YOU draw nigh unto Him as well...and when I look back from Eternity, I hope to hear my Savior say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" for being all there...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)