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My Story- Part 3
When my family moved, things were relatively the same for a little while. Our church didn’t lose many people in the church shift, since part of the reason for our geographic change was that many of our members had moved a county over. So, we launched a new campus in a new county in a temporary space. I guess now you may call it a church plant, but we were an established church just moving to an unestablished location. We met in a performing arts studio and I became well acquainted with the meaning of the words “set up” and tear down” at the age of 14. I believe this…
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My Story- Part 2
Mine is a story of reconciliation and restoration through Him, God… of finding myself and a relationship with Him through my broken pieces. So, this story, more than anything, is a spiritual journey. How the Lord rescued me from my own self-inflicted bondage, restored me through his loving kindness, and has now reconciled me to his bride, the church. If you were a church kid in the 80s or 90s, maybe yours is a similar one. Growing up, I just wanted to be happy (hence my dissolve into tears when I displeased someone or someone else was displeased in general). And, above all else, I wanted life to be fair. I…
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My Story- Part 1
I guess I will start at the beginning. Paint a picture of my simple beginnings if you will. I was born in Lake City, Florida. A smallish highway town adjacent to the even smaller town where my parents lived and served as youth pastors- Live Oak, Florida. There is a certain beauty to the town. It does indeed have some beautiful mossy trees. The kind you see in movies and that you picture in sleepy southern towns. Sometimes the movies don’t lie about these sorts of things. I don’t actually remember living here. But I did visit as a child and even into my young adult years. My dad had…
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My story- Prologue
He’s just so good. Rest in Him. Get to know him. Trust in him. Proverbs 3:5 was my path to true freedom. Even though I only knew an inkling of what it meant in the beginning. I am sure I am still only just figuring it out. But I want to know more. I am eager to know more of Him, serve Him more and I WANT to be disciplined in my faith walk. It isn’t a duty. It isn’t a have to. As my husband says, it’s a get to… This blog series (maybe one day book?!) was birthed out of a desire to write many, many years ago.…
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Holy Spirit Led
It’s a “burning, burning, yearning” …not The Supremes kind, or even The Tainted Love kind. No, it’s better than that. This, y’all, THIS is a full on love story from a Savior. The way that God has guarded me, guided me and kept me from decisions that would have lead to more self-reliance, is nothing short of amazing. In so many ways he has pursued me, and now it’s my turn. To pursue God, at whatever cost comes. And do you know what? I don’t live in fear. I know that life will happen and things will be thrown at me, but today I say, bring it! And, that fear…
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Intentionality
So….I wrote this a minute ago, but alas. I didn’t actually post it, so better late than never, right? The kids were all up before 8:30 today and on time to school for the first day back from winter break. It’s a (late) Christmas miracle. That doesn’t sound super early, I know. But we have the benefit of later start times in our district and two girls who like to sleep in. Now, go knock on wood somewhere for me, k? It’s such a small thing, but it made my morning feel better somehow. Like we did something right. And we did. We were intentional about bed time last night…
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My truth about weariness
Every week or so (yes! it’s that often) I feel like I hit a wall. I have to take a step back, mentally check myself, go through all my to do lists and remind myself what’s really important and what’s not. Today I was having one of those days. I worked hard yesterday. I cooked a lot of food. And my kids were particularly, how do I say it? Off the chain. Sorry, there’s not another way to describe it without using potentially offensive language. So, I come home from school drop off and think about simply curling up in a ball on the couch. Then I decide no, I…
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Learning about being… church?
Thinking about Church and what it means to truly be the body of Christ. Mark 12 says the two greatest commandments are love the Lord your God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself. Philippians 1:5 says that we are in partnership in the Gospel. This word koinenia is a participation, communion and relational action (thanks Pastor Manny). 1st Corinthians 3:9 calls us coworkers— that we have synergy for God‘s purpose. If the church is the bride of Christ then his way to the world is through the church. We must all work together, and to work together we must have relationship. Although I haven’t had any…
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The fight
There’s a real reason we are here- more than fun and celebration or seeking enjoyment from life’s simple pleasures. These things are gifts, yes, but they aren’t “the point.” If you’re a believer you are here to bridge the gap between God and the world. You on your own can’t save anyone, no, we don’t do any of that by our own power, but yet the Word of God calls us the hands and feet. Yet we are often so preoccupied with this world, myself included, that our own interests dictate us and we never even stop to participate in the lives of others. We may feel emotion or compassion,…
Spirituality | Caffeinated
