Our “Faith House” Project

The Lord has given us a year to get everything in order and have enough money saved up to actually pay our closing costs (this Friday!--hopefully).  Praise the Lord!  There are so many people and things we have to be grateful for--I am sure we will miss some as I try to recap.  First, we will start by acknowledging the Lord and His direction.  We believe with all of our hearts that He has called us to this move and He has answered so many prayers and filled so many needs I wish I had kept a detailed list.  We know that He prompted us to trust Him as we have pursued this project. We still cannot fathom all He has planned for us but we know He has a plan.  We know that He is the One who orders our steps and He is the One who has sustained our faith and commitment to this journey.  If He had not been there for us, we would have thrown in the towel and walked away many times.  We have experienced disappointment, fear, lack of faith, anxiety, and weariness.  However, we have seen God’s hand at work in so many ways as He has granted us more faith and more strength which comes only from Him.  He has continued to give us hope to continue moving forward even when we couldn’t understand how it all would work out.  So again, we say “Blessed be the Lord, God Almighty!” for He is worthy to be praised and exalted above all.  We are also so thankful for all of our Christian brothers and sisters who have prayed for us throughout this process--we know that your prayers have gotten through and we are stronger because of you and your commitment to love and pray for us.  

Next, I must take the time to thank my sisters and brother for their awesome patience as we have worked on our “Faith House”.  Without your patience and generosity, our “Faith House” journey would not have even begun.  We were especially blessed by Angie and Tim’s talented workmanship:  They have invested many hours in painting and laying floor tile and wall tile among several other tasks from our things-to-do list.  They even custom-built doors for the new storage cubby in the master bedroom!  So grateful for them and their willingness to join their hearts and hands with ours to get stuff done.  Then, we have been so grateful for Marsha and Jim’s patience, advice and counsel in helping us arrange work permits and finding dependable and experienced workers for our various projects.  They have been such a blessing!

Then we must take the opportunity to thank some precious neighbors:  Mike Gilliam, our sweet cousin, has been a special blessing.  First of all, I am so grateful for the love and support he showed to Daddy over the years.  He was there for Dad when we couldn’t be there.  Mike continued to honor Mom and Dad’s memory by supporting us in the clean-up of the property and helping to install the drain lines for the guttering.  We really appreciate all Mike has done for us.  Then there is Chuck and Rhonda Lindsey and their girls - they were so loving and supportive of Dad over the years.  We could never repay the kindness and generosity they showed to Dad.  We are so grateful for Chuck as he continued to mow the property and kept an eye on things that first year after we lost Dad.  We finally starting getting “our ducks in a row” with the help of the Lord and was able to start doing our own mowing last season.  Again, we are beyond thankful and feel so blessed to have such awesome neighbors.

Along this journey, the Lord has sent others to support us in getting the real work done.  With Marsha and Jim’s assistance, we were able to contact our cousin, Jerry Joyner, to get the new basement walls put in and to get the basement floor poured.  What a difference that made--it looks so awesome!  Jerry was so persistent and figured out how to do what needed to be done.  So thankful the Lord used him to bless us.  Then there is Larry Anderson, a precious friend from church.  He is so talented!.  He was able to replace the support beam that had us so worried--he did an excellent job.  The Lord brought Larry to us just after Ed broke his shoulder.  So Larry stepped in and did so many projects for us--guttering, moving the basement steps & door, plumbing and our bathroom remodel.  What a blessing! And just at the right time!  Larry did an awesome job and we are so grateful for everything he did for us.  

The Lord has met so many needs along this journey.  We would have to say His healing of Ed’s shoulder has been the most precious.  It did not look good but the Lord came through in such a mighty way--but how could we have doubted?  He IS the Great Physician.  And He has provided the money to pay all of those medical bills too--the last payment was this month! So Blessed!!  

Last summer, the Lord led us to a great deal on a riding mower and it continues to serve and bless us this year.  We have found many of God’s blessing at the Holston Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Kingsport--we found light fixtures for several rooms, wood trim, curtain rods, great wooden doors for the master bedroom closet just to name a few.  We are continuing to visit the store anticipating our next great find.  Lowe’s has been our “go-to” store for almost everything else we have needed from our guttering to the steel support posts to sheetrock and paint.  We found great deals on our kitchen floor and wall tile among other things.  Wow!  We have spent a lot of money there this last year!  The Lord has provided everything we have needed plus some.

What a journey so far!  We are incredibly blessed and grateful to the Lord for all that He has done and we are anticipating great things in all that He plans to do with us in the future.  

Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Our Savior Awaits

Our Savior awaits
     the offering of our hearts
          whether it is
                     shining as gold or black as coal.

Our Savior makes no note
     of the difference-
           both of equal value
                      in His eyes.

He simply seeks the heart
       that is willing to expose
            the light and the dark.

That's our Savior
        Loving each of us the same.

What Is The Big Deal? It's Just Sex...

Recently I've been noticing several conversations about abstinence and sex before marriage.  The prevailing attitude among today's culture seems to be "what is the big deal, it's just sex--use contraceptives to protect from disease and pregnancy and you are good".  My first reaction:  "Woe unto us! The lies we choose to believe to justify our desire to behave the way we see fit.  Do we think that we can follow our desires and have no consequences?"

I hear people say abstinence is religion-based and I understand where that comes from.  We hear the church preach morality and those who do not see or understand the purposes behind the teaching take it as judgmentalism.  The church has a poor history in this area - choosing to judge instead of offering mercy and grace.  However, I believe the church does a great disservice to itself and those we are trying to reach when we try to impose Christian standards on an unbeliever.  Christians must step back and remind themselves that if the "offender" of morality is not a Christian then our standards do not apply.  The Bible was written to teach the Christian how to live and to be Jesus to the world.  Jesus came into the world not to judge but to offer His mercy and grace to those who would believe on Him.  This gives the Christian an opportunity to reach believers and unbelievers with Jesus' mercy, grace and love.

So if you are a Christian, the moral code in the Bible does apply to you--whether you like it or not.  If you are not convicted by going against the Bible's teaching, you need a checkup or you need to get back to studying your Bible.  Do you have an accountability partner?  Do you really want to pursue God's purpose in your life?  What kind of witness are you?  I hear you and NO, Christians are not perfect--we mess up a lot--but we should desire to please God and want His best in our lives.  That often means we must delay self-gratification for God's higher goal or purpose in our lives.  He will judge your disobedience and you may feel the weight of that judgment in your relationships and in your life circumstances.  But know this, He also rewards your faithfulness.  His mercies are new every morning so you can start over by repenting, receiving His forgiveness and getting back on track.

All right, now the religion-based discussion is covered and we can talk about abstinence and sex.  I agree that when the government (education system) is involved in this teaching, it often seems embarrassing and makes you feel like a number.  This subject is best taught by parents, family or a mentor because you can get one-on-one attention and can discuss all of the emotional and hormonal ups and downs that you experience.

First, abstinence is the ONLY guaranteed and foolproof way to avoid sexually-transmitted disease and pregnancy.  It is 100% effective and medically-proven.  Girls and guys, this decision can save you a lot of heartache.  Many say they just need contraceptives and that will take care of those problems.  This argument has been used since I was young - and it is no more true today than it was then (more than 30 years ago).  Secondly, contraceptives are not 100% effective and in the heat of the moment using a contraceptive is the last thing on your mind.  If you are not disciplined before you enter into the act, it's unlikely you will be disciplined in the middle of it.

Now I would like to talk to the girls out there.  Be warned.  When you allow the petting and make-out sessions, it is hard to change your mind and truth be told most will not because they don't want to disappoint the guy. And it feels good (it’s self-gratifying) at the time.  The guys are visually and physically turned on by you and you have the power to turn the temperature up or down.  If he respects you, he will follow your lead in this area.  If he doesn't respect you, then he is the wrong guy for you.  If you decide to go forward, know this and try to understand - you are more emotionally committed and invested than he is.  Guys can disconnect the emotional component during sex - I have not met one girl who is able to do that.  Sexual intercourse is an intimate act in which partners are committing themselves totally to one another.  It is not a casual act no matter what our culture says. The relationship is best protected and enjoyed in the bonds of marriage.

My admonition:  Girls and Guys, don’t let this decision be emotionally or hormonally driven.  Please make the decision to be pure and remain abstinent beforehand.  Stay committed to your decision-share your decision with a friend or mentor who can help you stay strong. You will not regret it--I promise.  This one decision can affect the course of the rest of your life.  It really is that important.



A Poem Inspired by My Sunday School Teacher

Relief for The Heart

by Lisa Akers

Rumbling.

Frustration.

Threatening to dissolve my resolve.

Longing.

Searching.

Needing answers and direction.

This loneliness demands company.

Relax.

Recall.

My God is in Control.

Realizing I’m never alone

As a Child of God.

And the heartache can only be relieved

When deposited into God's heart.

 

 

A Blessing Or A Burden?

How many times have I judged another person’s actions based on my perceptions?  Too many I am afraid.  It becomes so painfully apparent when I am on the receiving end of such a judgment call.  Lord help me to be sensitive to your leading more than my need to be approved or to have my opinion heard.  Although I agree that fellow Christians are to endeavor to help one another stay on the straight and narrow--we should be doubly sure that we are not being legalistic and setting forth a standard that God has not called us to.  

I know I have been guilty of judging others in the past.  And honestly I really didn’t know what my friend or family member was dealing with.  I used to be a rule-follower believing that would enable me to be a better Christian.  But I have learned the best way to be a better Christian is to be real with the Lord and with people.  That means I cannot be perfect and I need to be ok with that.  The Lord God created me so He’s not surprised by my failings and shortcomings.  In fact, I believe His mercy reaches out to minister then--and I am more able to look to Him for my strength and healing because of those same weaknesses.

Now I can be honest and I can say I am not where I want to be in my relationship with the Lord but I am not running from Him.  I’m just learning to slow down and let Him work in me and on me--healing my body, my mind and my spirit.  In the past, I was overwhelmed and in too big of a hurry to allow Him to work because people were depending on me.  I’m learning to say “no” and I’m learning to rest.  The Lord is delivering me from being a people pleaser and from a performance-based mindset.  I am trying to listen for the Lord’s direction in the things that I do and say.   Even though some difficult issues have presented themselves in my life, I am not abandoning my faith in the One who has all the answers.

So, friends, let’s be cautious about making assumptions and do not judge others when they  don’t do what you think they should be doing.   Walk beside them and show them your love, concern and support.  And above all, use your words to pray to our Father to meet the needs represented in their lives.  When our brothers and sisters in Christ are experiencing challenging times, be a blessing not a burden.

Romans 14:13  Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

Transform Your World With Your Words

In order to grow and gain victory over our challenges, we must examine our thinking and speaking.  Realize that God created the universe by His Word and we are created in His image.  So just as God created all we see with His spoken Word, OUR words carry creative powers.  We must be aware of and cautious with the words that pour from our mouths because they carry the power to build up or tear down (especially with our children).  If we speak blessings over our children, we will see that come forth.  If we speak fear, worry and regret over them, we will see those things manifested in their lives.  

God has used many influences in my life to transform my thinking and speaking.  Of course, scripture is transformative and carries great power and teaches us how to live and breathe and hope in Him.  There are many wonderful ministers and authors who have written books and produced video teachings that have been invaluable to me in my journey to find answers.
 

As we grow in our understanding, we realize that everything is a process—there are no quick or simple fixes to the problems and challenges that we face daily.  At times the journey may be short and sweet and sometimes the paths of discovery are long and arduous—and others prove to be bittersweet at the end.  Once we come through a time of challenge and discovery, we have learned invaluable information about ourselves and about God that maybe could not have been gained any other way.  Thanks and praises to God for not giving up on us - His patience and faithfulness is so comforting. 
 

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Trust In The Lord God - He's Got Your Back!

 

Someone who appears to be gifted with a persistent and determined focus or mindset can wade through a lot of problems without “throwing in the towel”.  However on the flipside of that same coin is a stubborn and willful attitude that throws roadblocks in the way of God working in and through them.  When problems park on our doorstep, we need to accept the fact that we do not have it all figured out.  We need to grow dependent upon God and His direction during these times.  He wants us to give up our pride and our self sufficiency and lay our heads against His chest, listen to His heart and know that He’s got our back.

 

Psalm 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all Your works.