I Have a Blind Spot or Two

When my husband was in elementary school, he and one of his little buddies decided it would be a ton of fun to put all of the balls they used for P.E. (physical education) on top of the covered walkway. Upon accomplishing their fete but before they could escape a teacher saw them. The teacher made them shimmy up the poles and get every last ball. Their excuse for doing this act was, "He was did it first." The teacher had the boys follow him to his classroom to write and fill a whole sheet of paper with a verse that my husband remembers to this day: "The blind will lead the blind and they both will fall in a ditch." (Matthew 15:14) Oh that our teachers today could use the Word of God for reproof and correction!
Do you know why "they both shall fall in a ditch?" It seems obvious, doesn't it? They couldn't see. When a person has been sighted and then loses it, the way they experience their world is radically changed. They have to learn a completely different way of operating in the world using their other senses, assistance, and devices.
You might be wondering where this is going, but hang in there with me.
There have been times in my spiritual walk where I've been blind. I was walking in my faith by sight. Is that really faith? It's definitely not a rich, growing faith. I remember going through the adoption process the first time. No one I had ever known had gone through fertility treatments and certainly not the adoption process. I remember telling my mom, "If God would just show me, if He would just tell me, I would obey! Just give me a sign or something as to where I'm supposed to go to get my baby!" (My fear was that I would get the wrong baby. When you give birth to your cherubs, you really don't have to worry too much about that.) I remember crying out to God not knowing what direction I was supposed to be going or what I was supposed to be doing. God knew the intent of my heart was to be obedient (Proverbs 16:2), and He wasn't going to allow me to go astray. If He had whispered in my ear, "This is the way walk in it," (Isaiah 30:21), He knew I would follow, but His ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts (Isaiah 54:8-9). He saw the whole picture whereas I only saw a corner of the picture. My Lord was choosing at this time of high anxiety and stress in my life to develop my faith, my blind trust because my obedience has already been established.
Since that time in my life over nine years ago, I've had other blinding experiences, and I've relied on and claimed Isaiah 42:16, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Are you going through a "blinding" experience right now? Maybe it's with your health, your marriage, your family, your job, your finances – you have no idea what God wants you to do. God knows exactly where your blind spot is, and He is going to use it to its maximum potential to grow you up in faith.
Think about that verse. When you're blind, you are led. Who do you want leading you during your trial? Do you want Someone who has known you since before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) to guide you? Do you want Someone who loves you so much that He died for you to guide you? Do you want Someone who knows what tomorrow holds to guide you down this unfamiliar path? Here's the thing. The path is only unfamiliar to you. He is the Creator of the path.
Did you notice the word "guide?" If He were to lead you so it was blatantly obvious it wouldn't require much faith from you. Would it? And sometimes, He chooses to work like that – Thank you, Jesus! But other times, He chooses to GUIDE. A synonym for the word "guide" is "Shepherd." He will shepherd you where you need to go.
He also said He would make the "rough places" (those "rough places" have jagged ends that can do irreparable harm) smooth. Notice He didn't say, "You won't have pain." There can be and more times than not will be pain in growth. Not only does He smooth the rough places, but He is the Light. Where He is, there is no darkness. We just have to pray that He will remove the scales from our eyes, so we can see what He would have us see.
All those times I was in a "blind spot" He never once left me (Hebrews 13:5). I might not have known His plan or how He was going to work it out for my good (Romans 8:28), but I had confidence that He was going to finish what He started in me (Philippians 1:6), and you can have that same confidence. No matter how difficult a time you are in or what your struggle is, He's not going to leave you in it.

His Daughter,

Kristy Mullins

Seeking God’s Kingdom First – It’s All About Balance

We live in a fast-paced world, and as Christians we have to deal with being part of this world, but not of it. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus instructed us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; then the things that we need would be provided.
Recently, during a time of prayer, I sensed the Lord speaking to me. This is what He said: “Press through the smoke screen of this world – the counterfeits of Me and My glory. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Push past the allurement of the world – the bells and whistles, the “new” innovative ideas, new marketing strategies and techniques. Go past the photographs which promise MORE.”

A few weeks ago, I went to dinner with my family. My sister ordered the “new” chicken dish, which was touted to be so spectacular. The bottom line? It was grilled chicken with fancy macaroni and cheese. Not even a new taste! Nothing new, nothing to “wow” me – much ado about nothing! Just another marketing technique used to convince me that this item was better than any other – so I should spend my money purchasing it.

We must push past the descriptions. The world will always “hawk” their wares like a carnival worker wanting us to throw away our money on a rigged game. Satan’s plan is to lure as many as possible onto the broad, easy path of destruction and to pull us off the straight and narrow that leads to eternal life.

There are many allurements for women, such as the quest to look better - a younger looking body, wrinkle serums and creams, face lifts, Botox, tucks and lifts, cosmetic surgery, hair color, more cosmetics, breast augmentations, collagen injections. These are just some of the outer allurements. Then there are the latest fashion trends, jewelry, shoes, sexuality, power and money.

Sisters, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for looking good – as much as possible. But if our hearts and minds seek these things first instead of furthering the kingdom of God, then we have our priorities all out of balance.

I heard a minister say that Satan can’t take away your salvation, but if he can cause you to not be productive in God’s kingdom, then Satan has succeeded. There are numerous ways through which he can influence us. Our number one line of defense is the same one Jesus used when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness – through the Word of God. And the greatest commandment is that we love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength: that is seeking first His kingdom. And that, dear friend, is living a balanced life.

By:  Sally Frazier

Just a Shepherd Boy

I love studying the life of David. I find such encouragement in his life. God called him ‘a man after my own heart’ and while he was that, he stumbled, fell and hurt just like the rest of us. That speaks to the melancholy in me that is determined to do it all and do it perfectly. I can mess up and God will still allow my heart to beat just for him. First and Second Samuel read to me like the most fascinating of any novel I could find on the shelf at my local Barnes and Noble and right now in this blessed season, I have the privilege of studying the life of David once again.




I’ll have you know that I’m only on the second day of my Bible Study and already my mind is ablaze in wonder.





I wonder what David thought when he was brought in from the field that day and anointed by Samuel. I wonder what he had been thinking about while tending to the sheep in that field just hours before. Were his thoughts lofty or mundane? Was he happy and content tending to the sheep or did he dream of greater things?



These are just a few of the many questions I have the day that I meet my King face to face.



This speaks to me, because in my life right now I feel like I am in a season of sheep tending. Not the pastoral type of sheep tending, but the real sit in a field all day watching sheep graze the grass type of shepherding. I wake up in the morning, eat a bowl of cereal, get the baby ready, kiss the hubby, head to work, sit, answer the phone, sit, greet a guest, sit, pick the baby up, cook dinner, bathe the baby, go to bed. Surely I thought life would be so much greater when I was a young girl. Perhaps you feel this way, too.



Today I read a blog entry written by one of my best friends. She’s really struggling in life right now. Through her written words I can hear her practically screaming “Is this all life has to offer me?” at the top of her lungs.



And then I think of David. I wonder if he thought those exact thoughts while he spent his days watching sheep eat grass, poop and sleep. It’s a known fact that sheep aren’t the smartest or the most interesting animals, surely he got bored.



Perhaps he loved being a shepherd. One of the sweetest moments in my day is having the Daycare’s Bye-Bye buggy make a visit past my desk. (The Bye-Bye Buggy is a cart full of precious one year olds who make their way around our establishment, either in order to prevent boredom or keep the babies from falling asleep.) I love those babies; I know each of them by name. It’s a sweet thought to think that David knew each of his sheep by name- that they were more than just sheep, they were cherished pets.



Regardless, David’s life changed one afternoon when his father sent for him to leave the field and head home. In just a matter of hours, David went from being just a shepherd boy to the anointed and chosen one of God. It says in The Message that the spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind. Can you even imagine?



I’m going to think about David, the shepherd boy David, when I find myself in a rut. When life feels mundane and I want to shout at the top of my lungs “Is this it, Lord?”



Where are you in your life right now? Are you feeling bored, weary, unimportant, overlooked?



Tomorrow could be the very day that God pulls you off of the field to anoint you and call you to the very thing he chosen for you to bring glory to Him. Are you allowing God to prepare you for that time or are you too busy wallowing in your sorrows?



Make a choice to be thankful for wherever God has you in this movement. Learn from it, cherish it, live in it.



I imagine that when David looked back on his exciting and prosperous life, he was indeed thankful for that time he spent in the field merely tending to the sheep.


Sunni Scott

Blessed By Cancer

As I read what a friend wrote about being "blessed by the fire" that burned her house to the ground, I was reminded of something that I had said recently to my daughter's Sunday School class of women. It was something that had been tumbling around in my head for a while, but I had never actually verbalized the thought. And if you had told me just a year ago that I would ever say those words, I would have said that you were crazy. It was just this past weekend that I said the words for the second time, and it was to the group of my closest friends when we went on our annual retreat together. I'm still very cautious about saying these words because most people won't understand, but I have to say them anyway and trust that God will use the words wherever they need to be read or heard.


"I'm grateful I had cancer." There! I've said it again! It took me only three years to say that out loud. Do I want to do it again? A resounding NO! I didn't want to do it the first time, and I certainly don't want to do it again! God and I have had that discussion—more than once! I pray daily that I never have a repeat of that experience, especially for my family's sake. However, I have arrived at the point that I can truly say that if that is how He chooses to use my life, then so be it.


2007 was without a doubt the worst year of my family's life. I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer (lymph node involvement) in April and finished with surgeries, chemo, and radiation on December 21, 2007. There is so much I could say about that year—none of it good. Then how can I be "grateful I had cancer," you may ask: because God was involved, and He did many, many wonderful, loving, compassionate things for us that year, and, to me, the greatest thing He did was to change me. For that I am eternally grateful! I am a much better person than I was, and I like the "new me" much more. I have a clearer picture of so many things—what my priorities need to be, how blessed I am in everyday life, the reality of what God wants me to do and be while I'm on this earth. The most important "clearer picture" is that I got to know—really know—God so much better. For those things (and many others), I am grateful! Have I "arrived"? Absolutely not, but I am farther along than I was b.c. (before cancer). I do not want to go back to being the person I was b.c. So "Thank you, God, for teaching me, for changing me, for allowing me to learn so many things—even if it took cancer to do it."

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8 – 9

 

Written by Sandra Timmons

CAROL ANDREWS – WHAT AN AMAZING MOM!

When you meet Carol, you cannot help but fall in love with her and her love of the Lord. Her faith is so strong, and God truly comes first in her life.


And, oh, how she loves her family; her eyes light up and sparkle as she talks about her husband and her sons. She shares that she is married to “a very special man” -- Frank Andrews -- and that she cannot imagine life without him. He has always been there to support and love her and the kids through all the struggles, and she is happy to say they have been married for 54 and a half years; it will be 55 years in September.

Then there are the boys who truly touch within the depths of her heart -- Andy, Billy, and Johnny. These children are so precious in Carol’s eyes. God blessed her greatly with these particular sons. Andy was 18 months old when Billy was born, and then Johnny was born 2 years later.

When Billy was 3 months old, he was diagnosed with Trachial Stenosis and had his first tracheotomy at that time. Those early years were so hard: when Billy cried, Carol could not hear him because of the trachea; and when he cried without sound, Carol cried out of hurt for him. During this time, it was so hard for the other boys, as mom and dad could not always be there at bedtime. But praise the Lord, Carol’s mother was there to help. GOD IS SO GOOD!

Then the doctor suggested breathing treatments for Billy, and there was no one to give him the type of swimming lessons he needed. Carol did not want to sit on the sidelines and decided to change her profession as a secretary to become a swimming instructor. She took four years of swimming instructions, became a lifeguard, and even wrote a book about swimming. Not only was she able to help Billy with his needs, Andy and Johnny also benefited from the swimming. She developed a special heartbeat for the handicapped and taught swimming to these special children for over 30 years. AMAZING MOM -- she always has and now still gives from her heart where she is needed.

AWESOME THINGS happened through the years. The doctors told Billy he would never talk; but even when the chips were down, Billy surprised everyone by talking through a tube. Billy was told that he would not be able to go to work, but praise God, he went to work anyway in the billing department at LSU Medical Center.

And then there is this sweet answer to Billy’s prayer. He wanted a wife, and it seemed that was not going to happen. He prayed for over 20 years, and then he met his lovely wife, Cathy, at LSU. God has blessed Billy and the love of his life with 10 years of marriage.

What troopers in this family! Andy and Johnny support and love their brother intensely and want things to get better for Billy. Frank and Carol were blessed with exactly the right brothers for Billy, and they are so proud of them for their own strength through these struggling years. And God blessed even further with just the right wives -- Johnny’s wife Lisa and Billy’s wife Cathy -- so full of love and understanding and support. GOD IS SO GOOD!

There is no way in this limited space to tell about all the ups and downs in the lives of this family, but Carol shares that only with her faith in God and the love and support of Frank, Andy, Johnny, Lisa, Cathy, and Billy himself have they been able to move on in these circumstances.

One thing Carol learned is to always give the tithe to the Lord -- even when times are hard. One time, they needed to buy a suction machine and did not have the money for it. Frank said they were going to tithe anyway, and, yes, God did provide the $100 -- and it was a gift. When Billy was 6 months old, Carol said they were honored to give their testimony on tithing in hard times, and she reminds that “God blesses when you give to Him from your heart.”

There are so many good things to say about Carol Andrews! WHAT AN AMAZING WOMAN -- MOTHER AND WIFE -- with a faith that never stops! Her favorite song is “Amazing Grace” because she experiences that every day of her life. To get through the hard times, she says to draw from God’s Word. Her favorite Scripture is Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” When it hurts the worst, be sure to tithe anyway and draw close to the Lord.

GOD IS SO GOOD ! He has blessed Carol with the best Mother’s Day present ever -- truly a miracle! Billy’s vocal cords are now working, and his trachea is straight. The doctor says nothing he did caused this. AMAZING GRACE! Please pray for Billy that he will have complete healing.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, CAROL!

May God bless you as you have blessed us!

YOU ARE AN AMAZING MOM!

Oh, Father, we do pray for this AMAZING MOM, Carol Andrews, and her precious family. Please continue to bless them as they move forward in their lives. We thank you, Lord, for the miracles in Billy’s life, and we pray that you will bless him with complete healing. We pray knowing that nothing is too difficult for you (Jeremiah 32:17), and we pray believing that the answer is on the way.

“As for me, I trust in you, O Lord, I say, ‘You are my God.’”

Psalm 31:14

Written By: Lavahn Stillwell

Thank God for Funnies

Washing your car at the local carwash sounds like such an easy task, and normally it is. On one particular day, I decided to take my 3-year-old grandson, Kylan, with me to help me out. I could teach him little everyday things; plus, this would be fun. What a beautiful morning God had blessed us with. We were going to enjoy our day: do a little visiting, do a little shopping --you know, that kind of stuff. But, first, we were going to get our dirty car washed!

We arrived at the carwash of choice, I grabbed my quarters, and we were ready! Kylan was going to be a big boy and help wash the car. I handed him the nozzle and told him to get ready while I put the coins in the machine.

Most machines that I’d used had the knob that you turned to whatever setting you wished. This one was a little different: it had numbers (which I hadn’t paid attention to) and pictures (which I thought were the buttons). I put the money in and kept pressing the picture; why wasn’t this thing working? I was thinking that Kylan must not be squeezing the sprayer nozzle down, but he was. As a matter of fact, he was standing facing me with the sprayer, showing me he was squeezing it. I turned to look at what else might be the problem with this old machine. OOOOh, buttons; that’s what you do. I pressed #9 and, boy, did things start happening!!!

Kylan was still facing me and still squeezing the nozzle, just like his Nonna had told him, when the machine cut on. The initial constant spray was directly on me--with force, I might add!! Poor little Kylan was so scared--his big brown eyes wide and doing his best to control the hose which was moving around uncontrollably in his little hands. I was trying to get the hose from him, and he was trying to let me have it (no pun intended), but he kept facing me, so he kept spraying me, and, well, you get the picture. I’m sure we looked like two stooges, at that point. He must have realized that dropping the sprayer and running would be the best defense because that’s exactly what he did. Needless to say, I was soaking wet, and I most definitely was on my own when it came to washing the car.

I could not stop laughing as I washed the car and as I looked at him peeping around from the other stall to watch me wash the car. I’m sure you are wondering if anyone else saw us. Well, the answer is “yes.” There were other people there vacuuming their vehicles, and we were in plain view. I’m pretty sure we made their day!!!

The moral of my story is this –“Be prepared for the unexpected and find humor in it, if at all possible!!!!!” Or, the moral of the story could be—“Pay attention.” Or—“If you don’t pay attention, be prepared for the unexpected and find humor in it, if at all possible. I wonder which one the Lord was trying to teach me that day. Regardless of the moral, we should thank God for the funnies or comical things that transpire in our normal daily walks of life just as we thank God for the serious things that transpire in our lives. I most certainly thanked God for this funny moment that I shared with my grandson. I don’t think either of us will soon forget it!

Written by Donna Melancon

IS MY WORSHIP GREATER THAN MY WOUND?

No matter how awful our past, we can’t have a life of quality if we continue to reside there. In our lives, we have disruptions that occur. We experience things such as divorces or loved ones passing away. “Dreams fail to materialize, assumptions about life or about other people are shattered.” No matter what we experience, certain things are just painful.


When these disruptions occur, we experience emotions such as sorrow, grief, anxiety, and anger. These are all powerful emotions, and they can take a lot of energy from us, leaving us overwhelmed or making us feel as if our life is over or making us feel defeated or beaten down. While sometimes we don’t have a choice about what happens to us, we have a choice of how we respond to what has happened, and we can choose a life devoted to God by disciplining ourselves to take our sorrows to Him in prayer and turn our heart to Him, letting go of our sorrow and worshiping Him.

When we talk to God, God responds! He knows exactly what we are dealing with and exactly how to help us. By focusing on God, being faithfully committed to worshiping Him, and staying in constant communication with Him, day by day His strength will enable us to carry on. So the question is, “is your worship greater than your wound?”

We all know that sometimes “sorrow can produce bitterness and resentment, but it can also produce faith, peace, and purpose. Out of our sorrows can come serenity, graciousness, and closeness to God.” If we choose to give our heartaches to God and focus on Him daily, then we can experience serenity and graciousness, and we can also achieve closeness with God.

The more time we spend with God the more spiritually sensitive we are to God, the more our hearts will develop and grow. BLESSINGS and POWER come to the ones who constantly devote their time to God versus being “one day spiritually-on and one day spiritually-off.” At some point, we have to learn to let go of our grief and to focus on God.

When we take our hurts and our sorrows and redirect our energy to worshipping God, we overcome our sorrows. Daily communication with God is much easier than we sometimes think. No matter where we are, we can always communicate with God and glorify Him.

When we go through pain and we turn to God, we are doing more than just surviving the sorrows that we are experiencing: we are “becoming productive and acquiring a meaningful life and getting a sense of wonder.” Something that was shared with me recently that is so effective is when I find myself faced with a tough situation, I should just start to say, “God, God, God, God, God…” until He comes into focus. When we can keep our focus on God, He, in return, will help us and bless us.



Written by Donna Melancon

Inspired by the book Wonder Women of the Bible, New Hope Publishers, written by Brenda Poinsett.