Changes

Wow! It's been months since I've blogged! Life has been pretty busy. Life is changing - fast! When I posted my blog last Fall, I had no idea how different my life would be today! God is doing some amazing things and I am blessed to be a part of it. I would not be honest if I said it wasn't scary, because it is. But I know Who I am following and that He wants good for me. "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. "Called according to His purpose." I've had to come to terms with that in these past few weeks and months. As believers, I know that God has a plan for each of our lives. And we are all called for His purposes. It's easy to follow that calling when it is your vocation (or the vocation of your husband, as in my case). With that calling comes a secure job, a nice paycheck, health insurance, retirement benefits, etc. But when that call changes, and it becomes a call on your life -- your whole life, well, that's another story all together! And when that call says step out in faith and follow me -- even without the secure job, paycheck, benefits, etc., well that is a little more difficult. Well, for me it was, anyway. As Jeff has put it recently, "It's easy to say we have big faith when we are secure in our livelihood, income, health insurance or whatever." The real test of faith comes when we are asked to leave that all behind and follow Him, no matter where He leads. And that is what He has asked of us. Leaving our last church was difficult, on many levels. We had fallen in love with the people at Hibernia. We had some amazing college students that we were blessed to minister to and with. And we had a comfortable life. Too comfortable, I think now. Watch out when you get too comfortable, God is probably going to change things! I love His sense of humor! But God did call us away from there. He called us to reach out to an area of Jacksonville where there are churches on every corner, but the parking lots are almost empty on any given Sunday morning. Ministry is not happening. The gospel is not going out to the masses. That became a burden on our hearts over a year ago. It was strange how both Jeff and I, and even Bethany felt drawn to that area of town. We would find ourselves driving down there, for no apparent reason. We began frequenting the local business establishments and dining in the area restaurants. It began to feel like home, long before it was. And so it was that our journey began. We wanted to serve and minister there, but could not continue to be at Hibernia, too. So we had to take that leap of faith. Jeff left his ministry position and began the search for secular employment. (Something he has not had to do in 30 years). Bethany found a roommate and an apartment downtown. Jeff and I packed up all our worldly possessions, of which we have way too many, and either gave away, threw away or stored away. We moved our few remaining personal possessions into our 35 foot 5th wheel travel trailer and parked it in an RV lot in our new neighborhood. We are meeting on Sunday mornings at Murray Hill Theater for worship at our brand new church plant, The Point Community Church, along with about 50 others. God has placed some amazing people in our lives over the years and some of them are here, along for the journey with us. For them, we are most grateful! For all God's provisions so far, we are grateful. I'm learning many new life lessons along the way. That's not necessarily an easy thing at age 53, but I'm getting it! I've learned that less is more! I've learned that stuff is just that -- stuff! I've learned that family and time spent together is really important. I've learned that following Christ and His plan for our lives is number one! I'm sure there will be more lessons along this path. I think I will be ready. Please pray for us on our journey. Please pray for The Point Community Church and those people that God wants to bring into His kingdom through it. Please pray that we be a shining light for Christ in the Ortega, Murray Hill, Riverside and Avondale areas of Jacksonville, and far beyond! Please pray for me that I will be content in whatever circumstances Christ places me -- even if my view is no longer from "the third floor deck." "I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:12-13

Ah, Fall!

Fall in north Florida. One of my favorite times of year! The nights are crisp and cool with the days warming up nicely. I love having the doors and windows open with the wonderful breeze blowing through the house. The change of season causes me to reflect on the many blessings we receive from God every day! He knows just what we need and just when we need it. When the "dog days" of summer have worn us down and we think we just can't handle one more sweltering day in the hot sun, God sends a breeze to cool us down. I find myself sitting out on the deck, enjoying the breeze and soaking up God's creation all around me. I'm thankful for His gentle reminders that show us how much He loves and cares for us, not just when we need a change of season, but for everything in our lives. He is always there, watching over us and meeting our every need. I'm so thankful for our loving Lord. I'm going to enjoy the change of season and this cooler weather and look forward to the return of summer, just when I need it!

My Comfort Zone

The much-anticipated date on the calendar finally arrived! My baby girl is back home! After eight seemingly-long weeks she has returned from her mission. I must admit, I missed her more than I thought imaginable! I've been a mother for 29 years. Twenty-nine years! That's a long time! For the past 29 years I've had a child or children in my home. So, as you might imagine, it was pretty quiet at my house this summer. No children! Well, not on a regular basis, living there. Yes, we were blessed to have, at some point, all four grandchildren with us, from time to time. And of course, we had college kids at the house every Sunday night! But it's just not the same as having your own child there.
Though I missed her terribly, having Bethany gone was not quite as bad as I thought it would be. I busyed myself with church and work activities, vacationed with the family, minus Bethany - twice, and went to visit my sisters and Mom in West Florida. Jeff and I had many, many nice nights together, going to dinner and just spending time with each other -- something we have not done in a long time! I guess when the time comes, I will be able to handle this empty-nest thing! But for now, I am so glad she is back home. We already have plans to do lunch, shop, go to the beach, sit by the pool, maybe go get pedicures, and whatever else we can think of for our girl time together! I can't wait!
Along with Bethany, several students in our college ministry went out to do missions this summer. Last night at The Haven, our college Bible study and hang-out time at our home, a few of them shared their experiences with the group. I listened to a precious young lady share about working with orphans in Russia and how through that experience God revealed many things to her. I heard a couple of our young men share about their experiences in Argentina this past week and how God used them for specific, God-appointed purposes! And finally, I sat and listened in awe, as my own 19-year old daughter shared about her ministry this summer and how God used her to further His Kingdom by touching the lives of children and youth throughout South Florida. I was such a proud mom. Proud, not because she went to South Florida to do Vacation Bible School with kids from every ethnic background you can imagine; not because she lived for the past eight weeks on her own, being a real, responsible adult, having to make adult decisions; not because she was able to meet new people and have new life experiences. But proud, because my baby girl let God use her for His glory! She was very quick to share with the group that it was nothing that she did, but it was all what God did through her, that she was able to accomplish anything at all!
As with each of the young missionaries I listened to last night, including my own precious daughter, the message that resounded loudly to me, was that when you allow God to take you out of your comfort zone, He can and will do amazing things through you! And you will never be the same! At age 52, I've come to realize that I need to get out of my comfort zone and allow God to use me the way He wants to. I realize that I need to do more than just want to get out of my comfort zone; I've got to take positive steps in that direction. One step we, as a family, have decided to take is to learn another language. Bethany shared with us that she worked with many children this summer who were bi-lingual and some even spoke three or more languages. If we are going to be available for God to use us wherever He wants, then we need to be prepared! This will just be the first step in what, I pray will be many more in getting out of my comfort zone.
There is something else I have come to realize this summer; my baby girl is not a baby anymore!
"I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “ Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8

What's Important?

What's important? I've been very philosophical the past couple of months thinking about what is really important in life. I mean, I know the big stuff, like my relationship with Jesus Christ is THE most important thing. But what else is important?
Missing my youngest child all summer has made me realize that how we spend every moment of every day with the ones we love is important. A couple of weeks ago I again thought about one of the saddest days I can remember. The third anniversary of the day we lost two very special people, Lisa and Ben Kelly. The were taken from us so suddenly, without warning. How would we cope? In the days and weeks following that tragedy I watched a husband and father show strength that I know, can only come from God. While we mourned, heaven was rejoicing! Two more are home now. And for that, we can be thankful. We know where Lisa and Ben are now. Our loss is heaven's gain. We can gain comfort in knowing they are with Jesus. That was a rough year. Before the sudden loss of Ben and Lisa, I lost my Dad to cancer. He had been fighting it for three long years. I remember how sick he was at my daughter Ashley's wedding. But he continued to fight. But finally he could fight no more. He had been in he hospital several days, but the doctors thought he would be going home soon. We had planned to go see him, once he got back home. But then came the dreaded call. The doctor said we needed to come now. It didn't look good. I left work early, met Jeff at the house, picked Bethany up from school and headed toward Tennessee. We drove long into the night. But we didn't get there in time. With a couple of hours to go, we received the call that Daddy had slipped away into eternity. I never got to say good-bye. How could we not have made it in time! So many regrets. But again, our loss was Heaven's gain. I take comfort in knowing he is with Jesus today. So thankful that as a man in his 60's, he had given his life to Christ, several years before. I miss him every day, but know I will see him again!
So, back to the question posed earlier: What's important? Living without regret. That is important. Making a difference -- that's important. Forgiving -- as difficult as that may be at times, is important. Loving others, and telling those we love that we love them -- that's important! Don't put that off. You might not get another chance. Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who are lost and dying and headed to an eternity separated from God -- yeah, that's important! Really important. It seems that recently God has been re-emphasizing that point to me. Share the love of Jesus with others! Every sermon, every quiet time devotion -- they all come back to that message. People need to know about Jesus. I need to tell them!
What's important? This scripture keeps coming to mind: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desire of your heart will be." Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT). What I do now, here on this earth for the Kingdom of God is what is important. When I get to heaven, I want to hear my heavenly Father say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Back to Reality

"The Big Blue" -- that's what we say as we cross the intracoastal waterway into Flagler Beach and see the beautiful Atlantic Ocean! I love the familiarity of driving down A1A, pulling our little camper and driving into Gamble Rogers State Park campground, right next to the "Big Blue"! This past week was our 10th visit to Flagler Beach, one of my favorite places on earth! This year we were blessed to have 2 of our 3 daughters and all 4 of our grandchildren with us at the beach for the week. We spent our mornings down on the beach, playing in the sand with our feet in the water, soaking up the sun! Every afternoon we went on an excursion to one of the many state parks located throughout central Florida. We spent days in "the real Florida", enjoying God's creation and learning allot about the history of our great state! We saw gardens, forts, lakes and historic ruins. We walked nature trails and went on boat rides! It was great! In the evening, after grilling our dinner and eating at the picnic table we would sit around the campsite, just enjoying spending time together. What a great week! Today we tore down, unhooked and cleaned up the camp site and headed for home, not my favorite part of vacation! I look forward to spending time at Flager Beach every year and am already anticipating our visit next year, hopefully with all 3 daughters and the grandkids, too! But until then, it's unpacking, laundry, church, work, etc. It's time to come back to reality! But I still have my memories of this wonderful week and of . . . "the big blue"!

HALF WAY THERE!

Happy Birthday, America! We've just celebrated 235 years of freedom here in the United States! We are truly a blessed nation. Let's pray we continue to be blessed and free in the days and years ahead! How did you spend your Independence Day weekend? Picnicing, boating, watching fireworks? Jeff and I had a quiet night at home, sitting on our third floor bedroom deck, overlooking the beautiful St. Johns River, watching fireworks all around us, ending in a spectacular display brought to us by the folks at Moosehaven. It was fun, but a little too quiet for me. I'm used to having all our kids and grandkids around for holiday celebrations. But unfortunately that didn't happen this year. Emily, Brian and their three precious kiddos were visiting the "other grandparents" in Panama City. Ashley, Jason and James were back home in Tennessee, after spending two weeks with us here last month. And Bethany was high atop a building in Miami, watching the fireworks down there! Yes, she is still in south Florida, doing mission work for our Lord. She continues to do Vacation Bible School for churches in the Naples, Ft. Myers area, as well as helping out the Miami team, as needed. Jeff and I and Weston (the boyfriend) had the opportunity to go down and visit her this past weekend. We traveled very early on Friday morning, arriving in Naples before lunch. We got to see where she is staying, meet her teammate, Emily and attend VBS family night at the church they were working at this past week. It was a blessing to see her doing what God sent her down there to do. I must admit, that as a parent, I was very proud of my youngest daughter that night. As I watched her up on stage leading, I couldn't help but think back to the days when she was just one of the VBS kids herself. It was such a blessing to see how she has grown and matured in her relationship with the Lord and how He is using her for His glory this summer. God truly is so very good to us. We were able to spend a fun-filled day with her on Saturday on Sanibel Island, one of my favorite places in our beautiful state! And we had a few hours with her on Sunday afternoon in Miami, seeing the Florida Lighthouse on Key Biscayne and relaxing at the local Starbucks, before we had to leave her so she could go begin her new week of ministry. We packed in allot of fun in a short amount of time, but it was well worth it! And when we drove away, leaving her there in Miami, I was sad. I wanted to pick her up and put her back in the car and bring her home! But I knew I could not. Nor would I really want to cut short her time of ministry this summer. As we were driving north, toward home, still missing her, I realized that she really has grown up this summer. As much as I think she enjoyed her time with Jeff and I, and probably more so with Weston, I think she was excited to get back into the routine and get busy doing Kingdom work. She is thriving in her environment of ministry! God is continuing to do a work in her life! For that I am thankful. But I'm also really thankful that this Independence Day weekend marked the half way point of her mission! We're coming into the home stretch now. And I'm really ready for that!

Summer 2011

Memorial Day - the day we set aside each year to remember those service men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Memorial Day Weekend - the unofficial beginning of summer! I always look forward to Memorial Day Weekend. A time to gather with family and friends and enjoy the great outdoors. Whether it be swimming, boating, the beach, cookouts or camping -- we celebrate the beginning of summer on this glorious weekend. That is what we did this past weekend. We gathered at a state park with two of the three daughters, three of the four grandkids, a boyfriend and some in-laws. We spent quality time together, visiting, eating, talking, more eating, sharing, more eating -- you get the picture! It was great! I really enjoyed myself. Well, at least on the surface I did. But there was this underlying gnawing, nagging feeling that kept me from truly enjoying the weekend. Why? Well, in three days my youngest, a mere 19 year old, will load up her car and head south (six hours south) and be gone for the next eight weeks! What seemed like a great idea two months ago, now has become a dreaded date on a calendar for me. You see, I am truly blessed. Jeff and I have three wonderful daughters, who have never caused us a moment of grief or worry. I say we are blessed because anyone who has raised teenagers knows that no matter how hard you try, or what books you read or what discipline measures you implore, there are no guarantees you will not have problems with these precious beings God has entrusted to your care! But in His great mercy, we have been blessed. And with two of the three successfully raised, out on their own, married and with children of their own, we're almost home free! Daughter number three has been a blessing from day one. The baby, our Boo, as we call her, is 7 1/2 and 10 years younger than her older sisters. She's probably a little spoiled, but that happens to those later-in-life babies. But she is a good girl, who loves God with all her heart and is far more spiritually mature at her age than I ever hoped to be. She's also a Maverick -- always doing things her own way, never going the way of the crowd. Individuality - a word that describes her well, a platform she used to help her gain the Strawberry Princess crown a couple of years ago -- yes, that's our Boo! These attributes are what led to her applying for and being selected to serve as a summer missionary in south Florida for the next eight weeks. She has a heart for God and longs for others to know Him, too! She will spend the next two months leading Vacation Bible Schools all over south Florida. She will stay in the homes of strangers and work with other college students that she's never met before. She will share the Good News of Jesus with all those she meets! It will be a great experience for her and I have no doubt that she will do an amazing job! I'm so proud of her, as any mom would be! I'm also going to miss her like crazy, as any mom would do. You see, this 19-year old has become so much more than a daughter to me. She's my shopping buddy, my frequent lunch date, my accountability partner. She's my best friend. Oh, she has many friends her own age -- real best friends, but she is a best friend to me. And I will miss her more than anyone could ever imagine! Please join me in praying for her this summer. First, pray for safe travels for her this Thursday and she heads down south, and then safe travel all summer as she spreads the Good News. Pray for her to remain healthy and well so she can accomplish the task God has laid before her. And lastly, pray for her Mom -- yes, that's me. I can definitely use it!