"When Christ who is your life"

The Maya Angelou quote from my last post is still weighing

heavy on my heart. Here's the quote again, "A women's

heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have

to seek Him first to find her.". Well, man or no man I long

to say..."I have hidden your word in my heart..." Ps 119:11.

For the first time in a long time my mind and my heart are

in line on this. Either my mind is being lazy or my heart

is not into it but in this moment they are in agreement so I

have to follow.

When I decided to return to college I prayed and asked God

to give me a career driven by passion. Let me tell you He

did just that. I want to tell you about a little girl named
Hannah that God introduced me to.....this is an email I sent

to a friend....

In the happenings of this week something profound and

life changing occurred in my life and I had to share with you.

I taught a 21 month old nonverbal little girl how to

communicate with the world through sign language. It was

a consistent effort on a lot of people's part but I have put in

the most hours. I'm not trying to boast except in the Lord...

because He gave me the ability. I can't believe I'm fixing to

say this but I have found what I was created for.... wow that's

hard to say without crying. That little girl will never know

me but I've helped totally change her world. That is the most

incredible feeling in the world. The moment she moved those

little fingers into the correct way to tell me what she wanted...

she changed both our lives forever.

I love this part of my job- we call it manding. Here is the short

version of the steps to manding. Find things/activities that

motivate them these things become your mands. Next create

the sings/mands for the items. Normally teaching goes as this:

For a verbal child they start off with Echoic behavior meaning

they are repeating your words but are not able to spontaneously

say them.

For a nonverbal child they learn the signs but until they learn

them most of them scroll. Scrolling is like a guessing game-

trying to figure out what sign goes with what item.

So then we must move to doing transfer trials which is you sign

or say and the child repeats then you delay giving item until

child says or signs again.

Now, I want to go back to Echoic- at this stage we usually start

celebrating because they are getting it and this is the first step

for them. However, until the child realizes and makes a

connection that the word/sign has a meaning/power to it

then it's never going to be useful.

I've been thinking a lot about that this in terms of the Christian

walk. Beginning stages Echoic- hearing some things, memorize

some scriptures but until the Word becomes spontaneous/

understood there's no meaning or purpose behind it.

A second thing that's important for manding training is they

need good visual perception. So they can focus/see what you

are doing with your hands. This is where I am Spiritually.

God is trying right now to say or show me something and I

need to focus in on Him... I need to hear His voice. Sooooo

I've decided to fast. I feel that what I need to fast is the

computer....so I'll be gone for a couple of weeks. (There is

only one thing that I'll be checking in on and that's how a

fellow blog sister comes out on some test results.)

I'll end for now with Col. 3:1-4 from the Message....

"So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life

with Christ, act like it. Persue the things over which Christ

presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed

with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert

to what is going on around Christ- that's where the action

is. See things from His perspective."

Love you all......

Last Sunday our lesson in Children's Church was on Elijah

defeating the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel. It just made me

stop in awe again over how powerful our God is! That Elijah

prayed (once) and immediatly fire from heaven fell. I long

right now to walk out everyday life in this mindset of

Who He is. Then we walk knowing He's not just "got our back"

but He's got all of us.

We have started our next Bible study at church, we are doing

"Beloved Disciple" by Beth Moore. It wasn't the one I "voted"

for doing but none the less it has already blessed me. I

thought I would just share in the next few weeks things that

I'm waiting anxiously to "gleen" from the study.

The first thing we had to do was write a letter to God telling

Him what was our truest heart's desire at this Season we

are in. So I sat down last night with paper and pen but

instead of jumping off into words asked Him to reveal to

me right then how He saw me- where am I....

Here's what He whispered to me....

- you are settling for where you are now because it's better

than where you use to be.

- worring over future

- longing for "that someone" the suitable help mate

This is the last paragraph of her introduction:

"As surely as God loved me and timed this study for me, He

will do the same for you. My reasons happened to surround

a wedding (Amanda's). Yours will be entirely unique to you.

In whatever way Christ applies the truths of these pages to

your precious life, let Him romance you along the way.

No matter what may be going on in your life, never forget that

you are a bride."

Those last four words jumped off the page at me. With Valentine's

Day around the corner that old feeling of....not again rolls around.

There are posts popping up all around about A Year of Romance...

Please don't get me wrong.... I am so excited that you Ladies are

writing these posts!! It is so important for you to support and

encourage one another in this. If I were married I'd be right in there

with you and I do read and learn from you. I had just made the

comment the otherday that my "year of romance" will be spent

with Him again this year. There is nothing wrong with that I look

forward to it! However, the way she simply worded "you are a

bride" was just so powerful to me. I have a clever little way of

reminding myself of powerful words of truth....on my cell

phone I type key words in on my screen. Like right now it says

I am a bride.

I found this quote by Maya Angelou "A woman's heart should

be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first

to find her.". I personalized it for me and my prayer to Him is

this...I desire to have a heart so hidden in You that a man would

have to seek You first to find me. I know if marriage is for me

it will be ordained by Him.

I ask you to lift me up in your prayers for I will be speaking to

a youth group (Feb. 13th) on abstinence. I know satan will try

to have a field day with me. Pray God will give me the words

and wisdom I need to capture their attention to hear His

message.

Our Super Hero

Yeah!!!! I have a day off!!! Thought I would give you guys some

Good News. Some of you may remember at the end of last year

I was really upset by God asking me to change churches. I started

helping with the Children's Ministry at the new church before I

really mentally made the decision to follow my heart. Anyway,

the new church is really my home church so stepping back in was

not hard. My cousin asked me to help her so I did. I had heard

this song by Hillsong "Jesus, You're My SuperHero" and my

nephew loves it. I threw out the idea to do a quarter session on

Super heroes of the Bible and of course that Jesus is our SuperHero.

We wound down our series last night by taking the kids to go see

"The Pirates that Don't Do Anything" the Veggie Tales movie.

Guys, this movie is a must see...it is GREAT! It's different than

the other Veggie Tales movies it has a strong message behind it

too. The message is how God can take an ordinary Joe and show

him/her that when they allow Him- God can do things through

them. How we have in us all along what we need in order to do

what He has for us to do.

Now, back to the Good News message.... since this series of three

months..... We have had two kids get saved!!!!

I realized something- it's not about teaching the kids a Bible

story...it is about telling them how awsome and incredible

our/their God is.

Hey! Just wanted to drop a quick line before church tonight. I have been

thinking for awhile now about privatizing (stealing your word Kate) my

blog. Something came about yesterday at work and I decided to do it.

I almost feel like a weight was lifted of my shoulder. That statement may

be a bit dramatic but I do feel good about the decision. I've read on some

blogs and felt a little intimidated about leaving comments and then that

person stop by here. I read some blogs and feel like it should be about

writing devotions or you always have to have an opinion or insight about

something to write. Sorry guys that's just not me. When you come here

that's all you get is--me. Well, I hope you get a little more ;) I don't

think you guys have ever been disappointed at stopping by and honestly

I trust you enough to invite you to come "into my world".

I feel free know to share things like good days, bad days, struggles,

victories and of course the Spiritual things.

I'm not sure if any of this makes sense but wanted to fill you in on a little

as to why I decided to do it.

I love you guys and your friendships mean the world to me....

Much love to all...

Free Falling...

Details from the last post...

Okay, I'll take you on a little hunting trip...for me now called a
"flashback".
My Dad gave me a bow one year a looonnnnggg time ago for
Christmas. I spent the summer learning how to shoot it. The
next season actually "got" a deer and caught the fever. My Dad
is a work-a-holic and never took the time to hunt and I was told
not to go alone. Welllll...I had a bad day at work and needless to
say my choice in going alone was not a good idea.
My stand was right behind the house. It had rained for two weeks
and turned cold so I dressed in several layers. I got to my stand
the string that we use to tie our bow to while we climb up the tree
was "missing". I mean it was know where. Yeap...hard head
goes on up anyway. I enjoy my peace and quiet, which is what I
was longing for anyway. Now, it's just about dusky dark and I
decide to get down....yeah, before Dad gets home. Oooopps too
late he is driving up. Go to get down from my sixteen foot stand
and here comes the excitement. I can't get my flashlight to come
on. Still being the hard head and the fact I'm dreading my Dad's
lecture on going alone. I decide again to go ahead and come down
on my own. I was in a stand that has screw in steps that are very
narrow. I thought I had my foot on the first step and didn't. I have
my bow on my shoulder and know now that I'm falling. I have to
get that bow as far away as I can so I slung it as far as I could (I
end up landing right beside it). I'm falling straight backward and
I have no doubts I was about to die. I prayed and ask God if He
would let me live when I hit the ground I'd do anything He asked.
However, falling and hitting the ground that hard it never knocked
me unconscious. I knew that my leg must be broke because I
couldn't get up. I managed to turn over and pull myself a good
thirty yards before my Dad got to me. I remember yelling for him
and the voice I heard was not mine it was terrifying. It was almost
like an out of body feeling. I knew what was going on and I was
there but I was watching it. The first thing I asked when they got
me to the house was (I laugh at this one now) do I have all my
teeth! I'm bleeding from the face is all I know. Ya'll I could paint
a picture of how I looked but I won't. I had a broke arm, nose,
cheekbone and pelivs. I had to wait two weeks for the swelling
to go down in my face in order to have surgery on my cheekbone.
My cheekbone was sitting about my jaw line. The nerves were
cut so there was no pain. I was in a wheel chair for a little over
two months...which almost drove me crazy.


I've been thinking so much this week about that vow I made to Him
in that prayer. It's scary how a sincere vow that you mean with all
your heart can fade through the years (it's been seventeen). I'm not
married but it would seem that may be how that kind of a vow
could do the same. You don't mean for it to and you don't even
want it to. It just happens unless we keep the flames stirred. I vowed
today to start blowing on those sparks by spending more time in
His word and with Him. I have this longing again to be more for Him.
I want to renew that old vow I made seventeen years ago. I have to
be still and see what He is asking me to do now.

There are those dates that roll around when you remember exactly where

you were and what you were doing. Where were you when the Challenger

space shuttle exploded, the Gulf War and 9-1-1? When an ordinary day

takes a unexpected turn- it can quickly become a day to

remember. What about the day you gave your heart to Him? It was on

July 24, 1988 when I gave my heart to Him. We had just finished a revival

that left my head and heart spinning.

Every year about two weeks before Christmas I automatically start

thinking of the date January 10th. As the date is here again I'd like to

ask you to sit and reflect with me on the importance this date brought in

my life....

It will be seventeen years today. I left work upset and it was a rough

season in my life at the time. I am a huge Daddy's Girl and needless to

say was a big tomboy. I loved spending time fishing and hunting with

my Dad. There was something about sitting in my deerstand that just

allowed me a peaceful quiet place to see and feel God's presence all

around. I cherished those times. This particular night I decided to go by

myself because my Dad wasn't home from work. I just needed to "rebel"

so I went alone. Right before it got dark I started to come down from the

tree. Hum.... flashlight wouldn't work and the string to lower bow down

was gone....red flag. I thought my foot was planted firmly on the first

step but it wasn't. From a sixteen and a half foot stand I fell straight

backwards to the ground. In the instant....the instant I realized I was

falling I prayed the shortest and most real prayer I've ever prayed.

"God if you let me live when I hit the ground I'll do ANYTHING you

ask..." The moment that prayer was said the panic of death left. They

say that your life pass before your eyes...well, for me it wasn't the past

that went through my mind. It was thoughts of things that needed to be

done in His name and for Him. Thoughts of certian kids in the youth

group came. Ones that I knew didn't "know" Him. The days

ahead while healing physically God spent them preparing me for His

work. It was two years later when I stepped into the Youth Ministry.

It was on that night with a broke nose, arm, cheekbone and a fractured

pelvis that I gave my LIFE to Him. My life has not been the same since.

I can remember every detail of that night. However, the main thing is it

reminds me of the commitment I made to Him. I thought I was going

to lose my life to death that night- instead I lost my life to His Will.

Dt 11:11 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven.
Dt 11:12 It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.

This is the verse I claim to start off my New Year. We don't know what
joys, struggles, victories, or paths that lie ahead this year. One thing we
can count on... God has gone before us into it and will be beside us
through it. Celebrating our victories, watering the dry season in due
time and carrying us through the tough times. I have found myself
really excited today about the New Year that lies ahead of me. I want
to "take possession" of it and claim it His and mine. May we recognize
Him throughout the year on both the mountain tops and in the valleys.