Where are God's People?

Have you ever made plans to do something, then had to cancel, but then got to actually do it?  Well, that's what happened to me this weekend.  I have had tickets to see Jeremy Camp, Natalie Grant, and Bebo Norman for a while.  As the long awaited weekend approached, my little man became ill.  He was so congested Saturday night that the hubby and me decided we should cancel our concert plans for Sunday night.  We didn't want to be away from him while he was ill.  We felt like that made us horrible parents... another topic for later.  Anyway, we tried to sell and just plain give away our tickets, and that didn't work.  I still really can't believe that!  Well, by Sunday afternoon, the little man actually starts acting more like himself, no fever, still a little congestion, but much better.  So, we decide to make use of the tickets and go. Now I was still a little unsure of whether I actually wanted to do this.  Somewhere between snotty noses, clingy hands, fussy cries, and very little sleep Sat night, I lost all interest in a concert.  Who has the energy for that??  But man was I glad I went.  It was awesome!!!  Not just the concert, but the time with just me and my hubby as well.  Our little man was safe and sound with his cousin playing up a storm.  The worship in that building was just incredible.  I have to say, Jeremy was one of the most humbling artists I have seen on stage in a while.  He seems like the real deal, and I love that about people who are in the spotlight like that(or just people in general).  God was truly praised that night.  Not the lights, the looks, the attention, etc.  He was there to show people the love of God, and that was very evident.

One of things that stood out the most to me was a story that Bebo told when talking about Compassion International.  I can't remember the guys name, but he has been a big part of Compassion, traveled a lot, spoke on the tragedies of Rwanda, hurricanes, etc.  He said everywhere he goes, people are asking "where is God" in all of this madness, death, starvation.  Some of us are so quick to question God's love for us when things go wrong, but God has a plan.  This guys response to that was it's not about where is God, it's "where are God's people?"  Did that stab you like it stabbed me?  Where are we?  Are we sitting in the comforts of our living room like I am right now?  God is still here with us, and He loves us dearly.  Bad events don't equal an unloving God.  Are we there to help pick up the pieces?  Are we one of those with so much hatred built up in our hearts that we participate in evil doings?  There is so much work to be done, there is so much help to be lending, there is so much love to be given.  It's a huge part of why we are here.  "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

I walked away with that little golden nugget that will forever ring in my ears.   My prayer is that it will convict me daily, and I will do a little more the next day than I did the day before for the glory of God.  And boy, do I have a long way to go!  This momma can get too cozy in her living room!

Go Pirates!

As I was thinking about how to start blogging, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about my college years. This pic was taken about 8 years ago, and that's my baby sister beside me and my now hubby behind us making the funny face... he was flirting I think. We were rooting for our ECU Pirates... Arrgghhhh!! You see, my college years were some of the best years in my life. Meeting my husband there only added to the enjoyment. I really learned who I was and who I wasn't; what I believed and what I knew were lies; how I wanted to live my life and how I wanted not to; and why certain things mattered to me and others seemed to not matter so much anymore. It took asking lots of questions and sometimes I pretended to be something I wasn't, but it was a journey that led me to where I am now.

When I think about generations rising, I think about college folks. They're at a pivotal point in their lives, and it's so important to reach out to them. For you who are among my generation and now starting families, it's partly our responsibility to show the rising generations how to be a follower of Christ. That's where my heart is right now.

And speaking of generations rising...

I now have the pure enjoyment of chasing this little fella around. He's our baby boy, and he's almost 1! As amazing as it is, I am also acutely aware of the tremendous responsibility we have as parents with this brand new generation. Oh, how we pray for the Lord to guide us!

So, all my Pirates out there, be a generation that rises above conformity no matter your age.

We hope you'll enjoy our blog. You never know what sort of random topics you'll find here, but you'll know you're not the only crazy one out there!!

Ahoy Mate!