Adam came home Friday. Just for the weekend. He’s staying at Chapel Hill again this summer. But, it was good to see him for at least a few days!
Meagan went to the prom Saturday night. Yes, Meagan has graduated but she went with Oscar Trejo, a senior our youth group (Focus). She borrowed a dress, and Holly and Megan did her hair makeup. Thank you ladies. Meagan is so funny. When she stresses, there is really no comforting her. Then when it’s all over, she’s as cool as a cucumber. She reminds me of someone else I know. (me) Chloe spent Saturday hanging out with Nanny. I didn’t do anything constructive on Saturday, ‘cause I was sort of running around, but after everyone left Mark suggested we eat. The only problem was I was very uncomfortable. I wanted to dress to match Oscar and Meagan’s color scheme for pictures. See my pants were too little, they had shrunk obviously!! And I had on lil’ heels, which I NEVER wear. My back was acting up, which horrified me when I realized that I might fall. So, initially the thoughts of going in somewhere to eat sounded less than desirable, but I quickly got over it and we went to a fish camp. For those of you who don’t live in NC, fish camps are very popular here. Mark and I had a nice dinner. I was able to talk to a lady who works there. Come to think of it, two ladies who work there. One lady’s daughter is in my class at church, but the mother doesn’t come anymore. Another lady’s autistic son used to be in the youth group, and she never came, only sent him. She told me that he’s having some health problems, and we talked about church and I told her I’d pray. The other lady-I bragged on her how awesome I think her daughter is. So, in the end, it most definitely a good thing that we went.

Sunday at church, Roger continued preaching on Daniel. The sermon title was “Can One Person Make a Difference?” http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=daniel
Daniel agreed to some of the things that the king had ordered, but when he was instructed to eat the food he refused. I think it’s so significant that when it was something that was going to literally enter him he said “No.” As Christians we are misled into thinking that going with the flow makes us somehow makes us more desirable. If you’ve known me for very long, you know that I really have problems with legalistic thinking, so please know I’m not talking about spiritual arrogance. I DETEST that. Think about the way Daniel handled it, he begged that he would be allowed to do what God wanted and felt confident that righteousness would be shown. He didn’t say “sinners, going to Hell, I WILL NOT eat this, and you better not either!” It’s hard, very hard, but I believe that when we do what we are supposed to do and live it in front of people, sometimes that speaks and does more in a person’s live that our words. There are certain people within the body of Christ, such as pastors who do give guidance and instruction, he’s supposed to. But not every person is called to do that, and I firmly believe that there are far more people who aren’t called to judge than are doing it. I know I reference it often but James 3:1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. Sorry, that was sort of a soap box moment. Anyway, Daniel did make a difference, and you and I can too.

I am experiencing this in my own life. I say experiencing because I’m still learning. Sometimes I fail, but I try to start over. See the ways that God has chosen for me to impact peoples lives, wasn’t part of my plan or what I wanted. But, as I let go of my grip I can see that as I soften myself to say “whatever You want” and actually mean it, things happen. For example, I’ve really wanted to become friends with lots of people at work, and at church and we are and have been, but I mean closer. I wanted them to consider me a blessing in their lives. But I just wanted them to feel that way. I didn’t want to do anything to inconvenience me. But as I truly allowed God to instruct me, and the few times I’ve actually followed I’ve seen Him do something. Not me, Him. So as that spills over into lives and then keeps on producing fruit, something that’s as good as dead, suddenly blooms with new life and new hope.

I really didn’t want to go to that fish camp Saturday. I wanted to get something to go, and then go home and put on sweat pants so that I could both breathe and eat. But, it just may be that one or both of those ladies may at some point in their lives think about something we discussed.

Today you may feel like there’s no point in doing anything, or maybe in doing anything else. But somehow God has His perfect way of supernaturally doing anything that He wants to happen. Please don’t give up. You may make that difference today. How many what ifs do you think people play over in their minds as they have to face the fact that they could have made a difference? That doesn’t have to happen today. Not this time.

This weekend the ladies from the UNBOUND ministry team had an overnight retreat at Ridgecrest. Ridgecrest is the hidden little diamond in the NC Mountains. It’s very inexpensive, secluded, and beautiful. Oh, and I forgot the best part-black bears live there. Ya, we’d had an incredible first few hours there. Holly led an absolutely God inspired retreat, and in sort of the middle of one of them, I think we were all having an emotional unplanned cleansing sorts. In the midst of an ocean of tears we hear something, and all just freeze “what was that?” The ever so brave Megan B. says “I’m not scared, I’ll go see.” And see she did-a bear. We all screamed and then went to lock the door and discovered there was no lock. We would surely be eaten alive. We called security and they quickly came. “There’s a bear at the back door.” “I know. There’s a momma and her 2 cubs.” As in “Ya, big deal, we know that.” If you’ll read my blog from October you’ll see last time we were there we had received noticed that said “Bear Alert” and we had this time, I just didn’t expect to really see one. He then showed us how to lock the back door (duh) and left. The weekend was incredible. I’ve heard Beth Moore say before the blessing of having friends you can bare (no pun intended) your soul to. Thank you ladies. You were that for me this weekend.

Sunday was mother’s day. I felt sick a bit on Friday, and felt bad and tired by Saturday night. But, I had a wonderful day. I got 2 mugs, and my facial cleanser and loads of coffee and a mini burger maker. We went to Mark’s mom after church to celebrate and ate burgers and all kinds of yumminess. Then we met my mom at Cracker Barrel. You don’t understand how much I love pinto beans with corn relish and onions. MMMMMMM.

We were nearing the end of our meal and my mom, almost as an afterthought sort of thing said to our waitress, “You’ve been a very good waitress.” I can promise you with everything in me my mom just made that statement as a pleasantry sort of thing. I mean it was true, and my mom wanted her to know it, but we had no idea………………..
“You don’t know how much I needed to hear that” her eyes filled with tears. I had a party of 15 and there was an order mix-up. Me and the other waitress tried really hard to serve them, and they acted like things were fine. They left us a $2.00 tip. Then the mgr. told me that he’d just been chewed out because of me. I’ve been here since 2:00 (it was 7:30) and I’ve made $12.00” Wow!! None of us saw that coming. We tried to our best to comfort her, and I told her I would pray for her, and my mom gave her $20.00 Those few lil’ words “you’ve been a good waitress” unleashed a flood of things that we didn’t expect.

I’ve dealt with it the other way as well, and I’m sure you have to. I’ve been emotionally wounded by hurtful words, and I’ve emotionally hurt other people with my words.

Is there something you should say to someone today?? Please say it. You don’t know what it might do for them.

Is there something you want to say but shouldn’t?? Please don’t say it. You may cause them more harm then you every imagined.

Proverbs 18:21 21Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof

James 3
Taming the Tongue
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

The waitresses name was Chelsey. Please pray for her by name.

We had a good weekend.
On Friday we did nothing. On Saturday Mark went and coached softball for the you, I slept late. When Mark suggested we take advantage of our Carowinds season pass (given by Nanny) to go that afternoon, I was all for it. Chloe has already been one time and she was very excited to be going back. She was very excited for us to ride Cobra. The lines were really short, which was an added bonus. The temperature was perfect too. When you get old like me, little things like that become much more noticeable.

We got to Cobra. As we stood in line we heard over and over again “If you do any obscene gestures while the camera is taking your picture, the police will escort you out of the park immediately. We got on and a very steep incline holds you by a cable suspended until you almost have a heart attack. Then it releases you, you do two double flips, go up a hill, and then do the same thing backwards. It is beyond my imagination how anyone would be cognitive enough to do anything during the picture taking on the ride than hold on to the bars and scream.

You know that guy let us know, if you do this…………………….then you’re outta here. I’m not insensitive to the enormous pressures that Christians are under today. I am one! I realize that most of us don’t feel like we can here an audible voice from God of completely clear instructions sometimes. At least I don’t. It’s a discipline to spend time asking him, listening for His answer, through whatever way He chooses to reveal it. We know to pray and read out Bible. Yet, (at least for me) I struggle at times to do this. We know to forgive, and that when we don’t a wall goes up. Yet, (at least for me) I struggle at times to do this.

I am on a new quest to find God’s desires and will for my life. It required patience, humility, obedience and a lot of other things, that I lack in. But for me I am realizing that anything other than what He wants me to do won’t work

Ask God for What You Need
7 “Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.
9 “If your children ask for bread, which of you would give them a stone? 10 Or if your children ask for a fish, would you give them a snake? 11 Even though you are bad, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!
But what we must understand is this: Our greatest need is Him. End of story. “Till we get that, nothing else will be right.

Last night Mark was trying to get a head-start on all the yards he cuts each week. Chloe and I went to Pizza Hut, because she had a certificate for a free pizza. On the way home I said “I remember when we came to eat here when our house was being built. I can’t remember, but I think Aunt Doris came with Katrina. I don’t think the twins (Katrina’s) were born yet. I really can’t remember. But, I just remember we came to eat here.”
“I know. You already said that part. And?????” “And what?” “What’s the rest of the story?” “That’s it.” “What’s the point?” “I don’t have one.” By this time I’m annoyed that Chloe realizes I told a pointless story. I want to retaliate when she tells me one of her pointless stories. But I love them so.

That’s so Chloe. “Get to the point. There must be one.” She’s so HER. She’s just approaching that age where she might start trying to be someone other than herself. The reason?? You. Them. Us. Me. The outside influences of friends, enemies, lay people, her family, me-we will tell her “you need to act like this person.” or “you should really try to look like this person.” or “look at so-and-so over there, they’re nicer and more pleasant to be around.” or “(you fill in the blank) That’s why last week the theme of her party was princess, but not the pretend perfect princess, the princess that all girls are crowned as Christ royalty. I did a lil’ question sheet asking the girls different princess things. The last question was “Are you a princess?” One of the girls answered “No.” Wow. But that’s sort of what I figured. We raise a generation of defensive paranoid youth, and then wonder why they act that way.

We are doing a wonderful Chip Ingram study on Wed. night in Vision. It’s called “Your Divine Design.” It builds up to your Spiritual gifts. But, this week was the starting lesson “You are a Masterpiece.” You know it’s largely the modern day church’s fault that so many don’t believe that. They’ve basically been told they should loathe themselves and if they act good enough, maybe, just maybe, they’ll be accepted. Insecurity and low self-esteem are emotional prisons. I know. I’ve been sentenced to there many times. I’m my own judge and jury, and I’m not supposed to be.

Do you treat people in a way to help them believe they are God’s masterpiece?? Do you believe that about yourself?? Oh, well that’s the problem. Deal.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.