Representing My Faith

During my brief facebook hiatus, God poured some difficult trials on me. Life must go one. Being a mother, a wife, a christian, a friend, etc...all of those have duties. He apparently sees it fit to give me those, so He sees it fit that I can fulfill those duties. It was a brief period but I learned a lot about myself and about God.

 

It didn't take me as long to come to this conclusion about facebook as I thought it would. I enjoy my life without it being consumed with facebook. I get more done. However I do miss seeing my family and friends. All of those sweet babies. So I have decided that my hiatus is over.

 

Being involved with the youth at church, the kids are on facebook and it is an outreach.  They see worldly things that their friends post. I could be the one (hopefully not the only one) that post about God's glory, grace, mercy, etc.

 

Facebook doesn't have to be the devils playground. I have decided to use it to continue to spread God's word.

 

I miss encouraging people. You never know who needs it!

 

Ive been thinking about it for a few days and as Cory reaffirmed last night in youth:

"Being a Christian is not about what you don't do, it is about what you do to represent your faith!"

 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10

 

Let us all start somewhere.

A new chapter.

"A comfort zone is not a growth zone."

 

I have heard it and been reminded of it many times recently. (You could say it is our motto in Sunday School.)

 

Today is the day that my comfort zone goes away and my growth zone begins! I start working with the youth at church tonight at church!

 

I loved working in the nursery. It is a fantastic place and a lot of wonderful things are happening there, with great people. When God speaks, I obey. Even when it is scary, because you don't want to miss the boundless blessings He has in store for you. (9 times out of 10, it seems very scary!)

 

The youth needed help at our church and he told me to go. I didn't want to go. I feel totally inadequate to teach youth. But when God tells you to do something, you know that He will give you everything and more you need  to accomplish it.

 

He kindly reminded me that the nursery was my comfort zone. I had been there a year and it was time for me to move on. I needed to step out and be stretched, be more vulnerable. You see, being in the nursery, the little, sweet babies, crawlers and toddlers cant talk back. They cant ask me questions about my past, or push me beyond my 'limits'.

 

But that is exactly what God was telling me to jump into. That He would be there to catch me. Where I am jumping is a wonderful place that needs people that love Him and His son!

 

I am excited for this next step in my life. Excited to see how God will use it. Even better things are yet to come!!! You just have to be available, so I am making myself available.

Humbled by my Child.

Tonight was a ordinary night. Landen and I had been shooting things with his new gun all day. It was a wonderful day. That little child had been filling my heart with joy just by looking at this face. Seeing him with his hat on backwards and his face lit up with pure happiness.

The events that have taken place the past few days and in the days to come have shaken me to the core. But the thing is, all that has brought me even closer to the Lord. His presence is so strong with in me that is kinds scares me, just a little. It is like I am no longer there and it is Him. (Whoa!) I have been told the past few months by a few of the most important people in my life that I am "wise beyond my years".

Its scares me because I don't know exactly what to do with it, yet. I know.... you say "Miranda, He will show you." I know He will....in his time.

For all the work that I put into my family. All the time and effort, it seems effortless. It is what I am made off.  It seems to flow from me. I have been made for this. Giving the Lord to them. We didn't have the Lord before a year ago. We have lived with out him for so long. No longer!!! Of course I get weary and tired.! But that is when I lean on the Lord and he gives me the strength I need to continue for His glory!

Everything I do is first and foremost for the Lord and then for my family to see the glory of God and then other people to see the glory of God.

Teaching Landen of the Lord is so very important to me and it keeps me on my toes. It is always on the forefront of my mind. Everywhere we go. In everything that we do. With everyone we come into contact with.

Today Mr. Landen taught me a lesson. It was a lesson that touched my heart. A lesson I am thankful for, I will send to his blog so he can remember this too. :)

**I gave Landen his plate for dinner, and sat down beside him and we started to eat. Then he stopped, looked at me and bowed his head and said "I am praying".

(Yep, at that moment God spoke to me and I saw my son teach me a valuable lesson of thankfulness and conviction.)

Landen know the Father's Prayer, "Our Father in heaven, your kingdom come....(every night before bed, that is our prayer) so that is what he started saying.

I asked him if he wanted me to pray for our food and he said yes. So I did (and the Lord again, works on me praying out loud.) So I did, we said Amen. and then I snapped this picture.

He is precious. Absolutely precious. It makes me cry thinking of it.

That moment shows me that of all the things that I am doing, he is getting it! I am leading Landen to the kingdom of the Lord!!!  As long as I am living, I will pray for, live for and love for that little boy. He has treasure in the kingdom of heaven! It is all because of the Lord and his grace, love, kindness and forgiveness for me that I am able to show that to my son.  

Prasie our God, for He is good!

After tonight, we will be praying before our meals!!  :)

Thought I would leave you all with this; Stars and whales singing to "How Great is our God!!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd_iK6IMHCE&feature=autoplay&list=FLzhN6wV_PKKjslJkd5WnTyw&playnext=3

SMS (Shine)

I have heard this song a few times the past few days and each time it stricks something inside me that I want to share with you all. I love it so much and I hope you all will love it too.  When I hear a song that makes my heart beat funny, I like to close my eyes, raise a hand a worship the Lord! Because I know He is speaking to me through song. Take a moment to see if He speaks to you too.

The David Crowder Band

- SMS (Shine)

Send me a sign
A hint, O whisper
Fill me with life
'Cause I am listening

Come break the quiet
Breathe your awakening
Bring me the light
'Cause I am fading

Surround me with the rush of angels' wings

Shine Your light so I can see You
Pull me up, I need to be near You
Hold me, I need to feel loved
Can You overcome this heart that's overcome?

You sent a sign
The hint, O whisper
Human, divine
Everyone is listening

Death laid low
Quiet in the night is stirring

All around the rush of angels

O the wonder of the greatest love has come

Shine Your light so all can see it
Lifted up, 'cause the whole world needs it
Love has come, what joy to hear it
He has overcome, He has overcome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8cAU475dQo 

My Assignment

I want to tell you all a story, a long story, of how the Lord showed up right when I needed him. How he filled me with his Spirit and walked me every step of the way. At first, I didn't know expect the day to turn out like it did, but He did. I am once again, in awe of the Lord Almighty.

One my way to church I talked to my sister and told her that if she wanted to come to church, today would be a great day to do it, because our possible new preacher is preaching! She then told me that she couldn't because my great grandmother's health has really turned for the worse and she probably wont make it through the week. (My sister works for hospice and she knows these kinds of things, she sees death all the time.) So immediately God convicted me of any plans I had after church. The guilty feeling. I knew that I should be there with her in the nursing home. That I had to rush to her side asap. I made plans to drop Landen off with Brandon at home and drive to Whitehouse. But first God knew that I needed to be prepared for my "assignment".

Yesterday at Macedonia Baptist Church, we heard our new preacher! Dr. Keith Kelly was called to our church by God, this was his divine appointment. He served as a mighty warrior! I want to give you a brief run down of his sermon, because each part of it pertains to what happened to me. He spoke about "The Faith that Kills Giants." (This sermon would come to mean so much to me and God has a divine purpose for EVERY thing.) I Samuel 17 David and Goliath.

I. A faith devoted to the assignment: requires discernment, understanding of the assignment. - I knew that driving to my grandmother that death was approaching and that the Lord was the only one who could help/relieve her.

- It requires conviction to do the assignment. (check...the Lord had already accomplished that one.) 

David saw Goliath as an opportunity, not a threat.

I LOVE THIS: Dr. Kelly said, that if we

 "seek out and serve, the Lord can sanctify. But when we set and soak, we get sour. "

II. A faith expressed through the right attitude. - it requires total abandonment from others and commonsense. David told Saul that his Lord will fight the fight for him.

III. A faith exercised though action: - it requires preparation. Time with the Lord. On my drive to my great grandmother, I spent each moment speaking with the Lord. Asking for his wisdom, words and giving him my tears and fears. I know that He is in control and if he wants my precious grandmother, then he will have her. Glory be to him. And she will no longer be in the pain she is in, no my suffering. She will be at his feet praising him!  I was praising him for that!!

- it also requires execution: I was praying that the Lord give me strength to be what my family needed. To be his shining light in this time of darkness. I could feel him within me, but I wanted others to feel it. They needed to feel it. I wanted to be able to pray out loud for her (which I am not very good at, but the Lord is making sure I am working on that!)

- Prayer prepares you for battle. It doesn't take the battle away, it makes it bearable because you have the Lord with you.  

At the bottom of my note pad, I wrote"

"What is your assignment?"

Answered with, "To visit my great grandmaw"

Now I didn't know at the time that my actual assignment would turn to be ushering her into the presence of the Lord himself.  

My aunt and I were on each side of her, while she was taking breathing treatment. We were holding her hands. She was in a lot of pain. I was telling her and my aunt of the glorious day when she will see Jesus! I told my great grandmother that it was ok to go see him. She will no longer hurt, no longer suffer. She will dance with angels, she will worship with the King of Kings! Hallelujah!! My great grandmother has wanted to be with Jesus for along time now.

About 15 minutes passed during the treatment, we removed the mask to realize Jesus had already taken her. What a glorious, very sad, serial moment. I am so thankful that God put me at her bedside. He gave me the moment to hold her hand. To talk to her. To say sweet words to her. To pray for her when she left this earth. Wow. A moment in time that I will hold dear forever and always.

Later that day, my sister told me that she had told my aunt early that morning (my sister didn't know I was going up there yet) "make sure you, or who ever is there, tell granny that it is ok to let go, that it is ok to go see Jesus. I see a lot of people hold on to life because they are scared. They need to know that it is ok."

I KNOW that God put me there!! How humbling.

Satan was in my head for a brief moment with excuses of why I shouldn't go.....thank you God for over powering the devil!

{Thank you Dr. Keith Kelly for enabling me for this assignment, and many more to come! You have my vote!! }

Rest in Peace Sweet Great Grandmaw. Mary McDaniel, 91 beautiful years! Love you so much!

Dance a dance with the King for me!!

Not a Follower

Today the world didn't collapse.

Today the world kept moving.

Today my life kept focus and wasn't filled with unnecessary nonsense.

Today was the day that I canceled Facebook.

But I was feeling some "with drawl" symptoms!  I reached out and seeked encouragment from a friend, and boy did she give it!

She told me that:

"God is clapping his hands at me and is very proud of me. She then called me a leader not a follower".

I dont think I am ever been called a leader before.

She told me that she looks up to me and wants to me like me and there for I am her leader!

WHOA! What? (Thank you sweet friend. You are very special to me too.)

The next words out of my mouth (or out of my hands because we were texting) surprised even myself just a little. I told her:

"I try to be someone who people will respect but mostly I just try and be who God wants me to be."

She said, "that is what I mean - those words amaze me."

Looking back on what I said, they amaze me too.

As long as I am striving to be who God wants me to be,  I am going to be ok!

And I can't follow people if I am going to follow God!

I am a follower of Jesus Christ!!

Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. - Luke 9:23

My Facebook Convition

Facebook..... a network that gives you the power to make your life seem inferior in an instant. Where you have "friends" who look at your pictures and who read what you "choose" to share.

I have been denying this conviction for a while but I have decided to give God his way! He has given me SO many answered prayers, this is something that I can humbly do for him, set aside my idol until it looses its strong hold.

God isn't happy with my "addiction" over facebook. The Lord has told me let it go. That I shall have NO other idols!! I am getting to involved in it; it takes up to much time, my son's time, my husband's time, My Lord's time!

I am tired of hurting myself. Of getting my feelings hurt because of something so petty. It's really pathetic and ridiculous. I am ready to move on!!

Most of the people on facebook are my family and close friends. There are a few were aren't really a part of your real life. They are your "facebook friends". (I don't like that term.) They don't want to or care to talk to me out side of facebook, I wish they wanted to but I cant change them. But somehow I feel the need to be accepted by them. To see what they are doing.

**The only one that I need to be accepted by it my Savior and He accepts me as I am!**

I can't get away from it, so I have to deactivate my account for a little while. Until I can get grasp on how I handle it. I have tried to "not look". To take it off my phone. I am a weak human! It doesn't matter. I have to take the temptation away and refocus totally.

Once I take this idol away, there is no telling what God will do! He is a faithful and gracious God. He has blessed us with my faithfulness many times before.

I have this blog that I love! Without facebook in the way, I will be blogging more. If you want to read them, please follow along! Hopefully, God willing, there will be plenty of good blogging to come! I also have a blog for Landen. That I write letters, stories, post pictures too. Its great! Something that he will have forever!  I will be tending to that a lot more now also.

I am excited to lean on the Lord. To get into His word and to see what He has in store for me and my family!!

God bless you friends! Until next time, see you on the flip side! :)

Look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always. - 1 Chronicles 16:11

Called Me Out

This morning started as usual. Wake up, breakfast, coffee and our Tuesday routine grocery trip. Things were going fine. Nothing great, nothing terrible. Landen and I were doing....ok.

One thing that was not ok, was my attitude. My tone. Landen was acting like a normal 2 year old (well, his normal 2 year old self) and this morning, I was letting it get the better of me. My words were stinging my ears, so I knew they were stinging his.

I didn't like it, so I knew he didn't like it. And I could guarantee that God didn't like my sour attitude.

Things progressively got worse, as I talked to my husband on the phone, my words and tone stung him. We hung up the phone and I single handley made his attitude turn from good to bad.

I was a mad little bee, just stinging everyone who got in my way.  

**sting sting sting, buzz buzz buzz**

Over nothing. There wasn't anything that happened. I was acting like my son! Being a 2 year old.

Landen and I were on our way to the splash pad to hang out with our friends, and I had a talk with God.

I repented for my attitude. I thanked him for his new compassion everyday, because He sure knows I need it! I asked him to forgive me for stinging everyone I loved dearly and to walk with me the rest of the day. Be by my side and take this anger that I was showing away from me.

My pride was shocked at what I heard from him!! Shocked!

He told me to apologize!

He said that he would walk with me, he would always be with me, but I needed to sincerely apologize out loud, to the people I had been rude too. And of course I had to do what he said. I cant tell him no!

He told me that I was acting like his little 2 year old and I need to apologize. (That is what I make Landen do! The lessons that come back to get me!! "Aww, man. For reals? Well played, God, well played!")

I think that God put that red light in my path, at that particular time just so that I could turn around and apologize to my sweet little 2 year old. Landen has great compassion, and said that he forgave me and we vowed to have a great day together with God beside us!

I called my husband and apologized. He forgave me. After I did that, it was like God said, "Thank you child. Now have a better day with me beside me." and Landen and I have been GREAT!

I set my pride aside and did what I was told to do.

*Blessings follows obeidience*

Next time I will try and not let it come to that point. I will ask for God to come along side me BEFORE I start stinging people.

Thank heavens God forgives us!!!!!!

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. -  Lamentations 3:22-24

Melting Pot

For a while now I have been telling myself that I need to sit down a blog again. Well I am now at my kitchen table blogging because I feel that I am about to explode inside. (I m not sure what this will look like, so bear with me. It may be a melting pot.)

One of the things on my mind is how hard it is to take a family through life being the only spiritual leader. It is extraordinarily hard. A challenge that when I am not crying out to God in despair for help, I am thanking him. He sees something in me. Something that I don't at times, something that keeps me going! That in its self is inspiring. To know that God loves you enough to give you a challenge like that, and knows that you can make it through it for his glory! It is hardest when I see my husband discouraged and in need of God's grace, love and mercy. I know that God is the only one that can mend and restore him. That is when I break down, but that is when I need to grow to be my strongest!

As many of you know, I love Jesus with my whole being. Jesus is deep in my soul. He is on my mind all the time! It is like I am having a love affair with him. All day, everything I do. I wake up singing random songs about him! It is most important to teach my son the importance of God. The glory of God. The value and beauty of God against the scorned and dark world. I want to tell everyone about him. He makes me happy, very happy. (I thank him for the great parking spots!) He has done so much for me. He is faithful and will always come when called.

Last Sunday in Sunday School, we talked about idols. What takes place of your time with Jesus? Anything can be an idol. Good things can be idols; kids, jobs, hobbies. God clearly says that we shall not have idols above him, HE is our one idol. Now I am not saying I don't have idols, because surely I would clean my house or sit on the couch and watch tv than be in in his word! But it is something I intend to work on. Setting off more time with my Savior. In this dark world, I need it. I need his strength to fight my family through!

It takes effort to stay in the 'light', when we are in darkness and especially when times are good. It is easy to slip away from God, the world is like a black hole! When we are in darkness, we search for the light. When times are good, we don't search for it and we get consumed with 'things' and loose sight of His glory if we don't have a heart for Jesus. That is why it is imperative to transfer truth to the next generation.

I want to thank all of you who have prayed for us the past few days (my Sunday school class, you guys always pray for us, or via facebook post). There are some choices to be made. While I am asking the Lord which way to go, Brandon is stressed and if you could please continue those prayers, we would greatly appreciate it. I know that having you join me in the fight helps take the heavy load off my shoulders.

When people say "ask for prayer". Do it!! We need to help! Asking each other for prayer doesn't mean we are weak, it means we are coming together under God to worship him and his power, in supporting each other! We weren't meant to fight this battle alone.

Have a great day friends!