Yes I am here:)

Hello Friends!



You might be wondering...Where has she been? Well, not at a computer that's for sure! When you work for FCA, summer is crazy with camp, camp, and more camp! Camp season is officially over but it was amazing! We saw lives changed, walls broken, marriages strengthened, and new believers in Christ. Yippee! God is great!!! Now that I am back, will you join me on this continuing journey we call life, I mean busy life, I mean crazy life....And everything in between. There are so much God is teaching me and I can't wait to share it with you!

So let's get caught up and back on track.......

I was the guest speaker at my parent's church over Mother's Day this year. As I was praying and preparing about what God wanted me to share God used 3 moms of the bible to speak to me and I knew that was what I was supposed to share: Lessons from Mom's of the Bible.

The first one was Hannah. Hannah was married to a guy by the name of Elkanah who also had another wife named Penninah. Penninah was not very nice to Hannah at all. You see, Hannah did not have any children and Penninah did. Penninah pretty much rubbed that in Hannah's face each and every day. There was one day that Hannah was so sad, frustrated, and distraught that she wouldn't eat and went to the temple to pray. You can pick up the story from here in 1 Samuel 1:10-18.
You will see that as Hannah poured out her heart to God and she was so visibly distraught that the Priest thought she was drunk. If you keep reading, after Hannah prayed and spoke to the Priest she left and she was different: she went and ate and there was no sadness.

As mom's, wives, daughters, sisters, friends etc. we have all cried out to God during hard times with a heavy heart just like Hannah. Maybe it was a death in the family, you couldn't find a job, you couldn't get pregnant, you lost a baby, prayed for a loved one to know Christ, we have all cried out to God in Prayer but there is one lesson that we can learn from Hannah: Let Go and Let God. Even though we go to God in prayers, if you are like me, very rarely do I leave it with God. So often I will pray and then pick it up and take it with me.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your cares on Him for he cares for you." The word "cast" literally means to throw or hurl. So many times we cast our cares like we cast our fishing pole, we eventually reel it back in. No! we are supposed to "hurl" or "throw" our worries and fears so that He can take care of them-all of them!

Even though Hannah's circumstances hadn't changed her attitude did. The only difference in circumstances was that she left it with God! Ladies, the same God that heard Hannah's prayers and pleas is the same God who hears yours!
He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the End, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
We need to learn from Momma Hannah to Let Go and Let God!!!! What do you need to let go of today?

Stay tuned for lesson #2 of Lessons learned from Mom's of the Bible!

Need some rest?

We as women, moms, and wives live in a world of craziness. Our days consist of getting kids dressed, ready, fed, and bathed. Being a taxi, counselor, prayer warrior, cheerleader, listener, and boo-boo fixer. All while trying to be a wife that is an encouraging, submitting, and honoring to our husbands. Then you add friend, daughter, sister, home-room mom, house-cleaner (I use that term loosely:)), bake-sell baker, church volunteer, and if you work outside the home, job. All while trying to be the best at every single one of these things. Wow!! It can be overwhelming so many days. I am tired just typing all these things we do and are. Does God really understand everything we do and go through as moms and wives etc. Yes!!!!!! Jesus understood and lived it! But even more importantly shows us how to handle it.

In Mark 6:30-31 says, "The disciples gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

Coming and going, so many people, so many needs, not time to stop and eat...Yep-that sounds familiar. Then Jesus says to them the same thing he wants to say to you......"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Quiet? Rest? What?

You see, Jesus tells us through his disciples that we can't be all that God wants us to be unless we COME TO HIM AND FIND REST! Jesus, himself, after doing healings and teaching to so many would often retreat to be by himself and get alone with God. Ladies, if Jesus the Son of God can't do it all without getting alone with His Father, what makes us think we can??!!!
Our time with God has got to be the most important time of our day. Unfortunately, this thing we need the most is the thing we do the least. Jesus says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you." If we seek God first, then we can be a great mom. If we seek God first, then we can be a great wife. If we seek God first, then we can do ALL that God has called us to do and be!
Ladies, it is time to "Come with me, by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
Let Jesus fill you up today!

Subway

So...we were on our way home from Church Saturday night and my husband asked if we just wanted to stop and get something to eat and take it home. "Not cook?" I thought, sounds perfect to me. We decided on Subway that is located inside our Loves store. Chris announced to the kids that we were going to Subway and they could each pick out one piece of candy too. My son replied, "Yes! We are so rich!" Chris and I looked at each and both said simultaneously, "Yep, we are!" It was such a great moment that I will never forget and it just reminded me of how rich we really are. Sometimes we get so focused on what we don't have that we lose sight of what we do have. I am so thankful that we all have closets full of clothes, we each have beds to sleep in, and we even get to go to Subway every once in a while. I want to ask you-What are you thankful for today? I want you to think of 5 things that God has provided you and your family and say a prayer of Thanksgiving! Wouldn't it be awesome if God got flooded with prayers of Praise!
Ladies, We are so rich!!!!

Amnesia

Hello my Friends!

I hope you had a great Easter with your family and celebrated the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ!!!
One of my favorite things about Easter every year is the watching of the classic movie The Ten Commandments (No, I was not watching the Final Four-my bracket was shot). Even though I have watched Charleston Heston year after year lead the Israelites out of Egypt, there was one thing that kept jumping out at me. It was the fact that the Israelites kept getting amnesia. They were witnesses to some of the most amazing miracles in the Bible from the plagues, to being freed, to water coming out of a rock so they could have something to drink, Oh and the small miracle of parting the Red Sea. Are you kidding me? They walked on dry land with a wall of water on both sides of them! But yet they still doubted, questioned his presence, and even started worshipping a golden calf when they didn't hear from God immediately. I was just amazed at the lack of faith "God's people" had in God.

I started thinking about my own life and my own trials and I realized I have done and still do this same thing. I often ask "God where are you?" "Are you still there?" "Do you even hear me anymore?" And have even tried to do things my own way when God just wasn't moving fast enough. All this when I, too, have been a part of some great miracles in my life from healed marriages within my family, 3 miracle babies, God working out situations in coaching etc. He has shown his faithfulness time and time again. The bible teaches us that God IS faithful even when we are faithless. Praise the Lord!!!

Whatever you are facing today in your family, marriage, school, job, relationships, it is time to get your memory back and remember that God has been faithful before-He will be faithful again and again and again!!!

Great night!

I just wanted to share with you what happened in the Roberts' house last night. We were doing our night time ritual of prayers and reading the bible with the kids and the story was Jesus getting baptized. We were just asking them questions about baptism and if they knew why people get baptized. It was really just normal night time conversation about our bible story before going to bed. After the potty, drinks etc. everybody was in bed and I was in Chloe's closet getting her clothes out for the next day when I heard,
"Mommy."
"Yes, Chloe?"
"I want Jesus to come live in my heart."
As tears ran down my face, I yelled at Chris to come here. I told her to repeat to Chris what she had said and she did. We looked at each other and knelt down beside her bed. Chris asked her why she wanted Jesus to come live in her heart and with the most innocent, sarcastic voice she said, "Dad, because He doesn't live there now."
We prayed the prayer to ask Jesus to come live in her heart with her in her bed.
Does she fully understand what exactly it means to be saved or born again or even grasp what Jesus did so she could ask him to come live in her heart. No She doesn't, but God reminded me
of the blind man who was born blind and Jesus healed him. The Pharisees were questioning him to find out what exactly happened-trying to find fault in Jesus in some way. When they asked the man about Jesus and what Jesus had done for him they said, "Give glory to God, we know this man (Jesus) is a sinner." The healed blind man replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind and now I see!"
He didn't fully understand what was going on, but what he did know was that he was blind and now he sees. Chloe doesn't fully understand the decision she made, but what she does know is that Jesus wasn't there before and now He is. Praise the Lord!!!!!
I never thought I would have a happier day than the day she was born. I was wrong-I have joy like I have never felt before-it is the day she was born again!

The best quote ever!!!

So...I was on facebook and I ran across a guy who was in my youth group back in the day and had this as one of his favorite quotes: God never said it would be easy. He just said it would be worth it! I love it! That quote hit me right between the eyes. Is this not so true in every aspect of our life?

Wait for the right person to marry-It will be worth it

Wait to have sex before you get married-It will be worth it

Wait on the job that is perfect for you and your family-It will be worth it

Wait until you have the cash to pay for something-It will be worth it

Wait for God's direction and not your own-It will be worth it

Wait for God to answer your prayer-It will be worth it

It may be hard being bold for Christ in your work, home, friends-It will be worth it

It may be hard staying true and faithful to your family-It will be worth it

It may be hard living in a world that rejects God-It will be worth it



The Bible teaches us that if we lose our life we will gain it. Giving up our life is suppose to be the most freeing thing, but we like to make things difficult and make it the most trying thing. Francis Chan, pastor and author of Crazy Love says that when things go wrong or get hard, we tend to hold on to them a little tighter instead of giving them fully over to God. Why? Because when things are going great-God is doing a great job with my life. But when things start getting a little tough, we think God must need a little help and we grab the wheel back and try to take over. The Bible says that God works ALL things to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Yes, even the hard times!

I want to encourage you each time you have a bad day, month, or even year resist the temptation to take the reigns back in your life. God never said it would be easy-He just said it would be worth it!!!!




Be encouraged today!!!!

Have you sold your house?....Nope

Have you sold your house yet? I probably get asked that question at least once a day-every day. And every time, I reluctantly I have to mumble out the words...Nope not yet. When you are in the coaching profession, you kinda have to sike yourself up to move...again. You get tired of moving, but as for me, I am ready to move-now! I have to admit, I am all over the place in my prayers-I sometimes pray that our house will sell or that he would give my patience until it does or even ask for forgiveness for questioning God's whereabouts in all this. I just sometimes don't understand why God would lead us to this coaching job (which we love) in the town where I work, we go to church etc. and yet we still live somewhere else. You may have felt this way at some point or even right now. I will tell you something that helps me each time these thoughts creep into my mind.
I am encouraged by the story of David as a young shepherd boy. After God rejects Saul as King of Israel, He sends Samuel to the house of Jesse because "He had chosen one of his sons to be king." Samuel went to the house of Jesse and looked at all the older sons and even though they were very tall and handsome, God tells Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Samuel asks Jesse if he has any more sons and Jesse says, "There is still the youngest, but he is tending to the sheep." Sure enough, David is brought in and He is anointed to be the next King of Israel.

Even though David was told and called to be King by God-it wasn't time yet. So David went out and continued to tend to the sheep. He was then later called to play the harp for King Saul, killed a giant, fought in many battles, had to flee to live in a cave because King Saul wanted him dead, all while knowing that He was suppose to be King someday. I am sure at some point David was saying, "I am not sure what you are doing, God, but I will continue to go where you send me." Each one of these setbacks were actually set ups for what God was preparing to do in David and through David. Each test prepared David a little bit more to be the King God wanted him to be.

When David finally was seated at his calling as King of Israel, God said these words to him,

"I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. ....The Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you....Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me, your throne will be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:8-15

Wow!! That gets me every time! I believe God is with us, preparing us for great things. May you too, find comfort in the story of David. God is faithful-even if we are faithless! Be encouraged today