1 Corinthians 13 for Families

1 Corinthians 13 for Families  by John Coblentz
Though we visit much and keep up-to-date on all our family news, near and far, if we do not love one another enough to be trustworthy and respectful of one another's reputation, our relationships are shallow and empty. And though we are talented and used extensively in our local church, and though we run a successful family business and are highly looked up to in the community, if we do not have peace and harmony in our home life, we are nothing. And though we are known for the donations we have made to church projects, and though we have family members in voluntary service, and though we may have a long Christian history on both sides of the family line, if we hold grudges and build barriers between family members, our good deeds profit us nothing.

Love causes us to be patient with younger ones who are just learning and who do things slowly and imperfectly, as well as with older ones who are losing their abilities. It causes us to share our possessions, our time, and our hearts. It makes us sensitive to the feelings of other family members.

Love . . .
• Does not make messes for others to clean up.
• Does not demand to have its own way.
• Does not put others down.
• Does not tease unmercifully.
• Does not argue or beg when a wish is denied.
• Does not belittle. 
• Does not use unkind names.
• Does not compare family members unfavorably.
• Does not purposely irritate.
• Does not blame, tattle, or falsely accuse.
• Does not use others' possessions without asking.
• Does not pout.
• Does not use crude language.
• Does not say, "I told you so" when right.
• Does not make excuses when wrong.
• Is not loud, harsh, and abrasive.
• Is not boastful.
• Says, "Thank you," and "Please."

Love does not go on and on in describing how wrong a child was in misbehavior, nor does it look for faults in a companion. It finds no delight in criticism, accusation, or complaining about either the present or the past failures of family members. Rather, love delights in finding a job well done, giving a compliment, expressing gratitude. 

Love looks for opportunities to encourage. Love bears responsibilities wisely and injustices quietly. It does its share and then looks for ways to help others, rather than parking on a recliner and grumping if more is asked. 

Love trusts family members to do right rather than expecting them to do wrong. When a family member fails, love is there to help, encourage, and pray. And when failure is regular -- when a family member chooses a wrong path -- love fixes its hope-filled eyes on God to bring about change in His time, rather than attempting to force change on an unwilling heart. 

Love keeps going. It refuses to give up, quit, or turn back. Love's commitment is absolute and final. It refuses even to think of divorce or unfaithfulness. 

Love goes out to each family member freely without requiring a certain level of performance to earn it. 

There will sometimes be a shortage of money; sometimes memory will fail; at times, we may overlook trials or blessings in one another's lives. But this will be only because we live in a condition of limitation and have only limited resources. Love itself will never purposely overlook needs. Through the years, love in a family will grow, commitments will deepen, marriage bonds will strengthen. 

When I was a child, love made me feel secure, wanted, needed, and safe. When I became a man, I desired the same for my children and for my grandchildren. And as I grow older, I realize how little I know, and how much in life is out of my control -- where my children's paths will lead, what will happen when I am gone. But now I know, too, that it is not control that will make my world safe. It is love. By one thing only do I want to be known -- that is by my love, that each one of my family members can feel it, hear it, and experience it intensely. 

There is faith -- that is good. There is hope -- that is even better. And there is LOVE -- it is the greatest.

Great Thought!!!!

Heard this thought on the radio today...

"God's ultimate goal is not to make you a better you or even the best "you" you can be; His ultimate goal is to transform your life so that you become more like Christ and LESS like you.".

I love this!

The Little Bean

It's offical! We are 8 weeks pregnant :)

More and Less of Me

Every day I receive a devotional from the Proverbs 31 Woman Ministries. Some days speak louder than others, and today's was no exception. I felt like God had the world's largest megaphone pointed directly into my ear when I read this. After this week's Ladies Bible Study (where we are studying Me, Myself, and Lies by Jennifer Rothschild), the truths shared in the devotion below just echoed what God has been speaking into my heart.

Nothing More and Nothing Less

Rachel Olsen
"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." Matthew 5:5 (MSG)

Lord, how can I become content with just who I am, nothing more and nothing less?

I'm certainly prone to want to be more, or less, than I am. To be smarter, prettier, funnier, fitter. To be more productive, perky and high energy. And then also to be lower key, calmer, more level-headed and focused.

I want to have better self-awareness, and yet I want to be less concerned about what others think of me.

I want to be a better cook, to sing beautifully and to keep the house neat without so much perceived effort. And did I mention fuller, thicker hair would be nice too? I want to be a better writer – one that's both highly creative and meticulously organized. And I want fewer propensities to run late, slack off or procrastinate.

Yes, I want to be both more and less of me.

Jesus shushes my endless listing of the things I want to change about myself – to improve about myself so I can have what I'm sure would be a better life. He asks me instead to humbly make peace with it all. To lay down my notions of a better woman and a better life by letting Him be the judge of that. To simply take what I'm given and offer it back to Him, in service and surrender. Willingly assuming that I am enough – I have what it takes to live a great life. One that pleases God, others and self.

Today's key verse is among several in the Bible that fuels a core conviction I hold: When I stop striving to create a life for myself, I find the life God creates for me. This, my friend, is a powerful truth, a divine secret. His life for me begins precisely where mine ends. My life ends in my sin and striving and begins again in God's grace and power. His empowering indwelling affords me everything I truly need and nothing I truly don't.

Do you too long to be content with just who you are in Christ – nothing more and nothing less? Jesus addresses us both in Matthew 23:11-12, ""Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty." (MSG)

Amazingly, God's grace humbles a woman without degrading her, and His favor lifts her up without inflating her. The life she finds in Him makes her the proud owner of everything money can't buy – a life of contentment.


Dear Lord, help me to quiet my critical, striving spirit today and gratefully accept who I am and where I'm at in this moment. For You are here, ready to invisibly empower my life to count for plenty right where I am. Help me also to seek and hold your definition of "plenty" – nothing more and nothing less. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Way I Was Made

I just finished reading Chris Tomlin's book, "The Way I Was Made." It's one that I looked at, thumbed through, and then put back on the shelf many, many times, but never took the time to read. It is a quick read, but is so dense with truth that once I finally decided to give it a go, it took me 2 weeks to read it, as I would read a chapter, go back, re-read a page or two, think about it while I was driving or cleaning, and then go back and read some more.

There were several stories and challenges in this book that grabbed my heart, but this one far surpasses them all...

From the chapter, "Spirit Overflow"

One night before a concert, I got an interesting call from my friend Neil. In typical Neil fashion, he shot right past the pleasantries.

"Chris," he said in his raspy voice, "what would it look like if competence was not a fruit of the Spirit?"

That caught me off guard. I mentally reshuffled that well-known list of gifts in Galatians. Nope, no competence there.

"Neil, my friend," I said a little too proudly, "competence isn't a fruit of the Spirit."

Neil didn't even hesitate. "But we sure act and teach people like it is," he replied.

I've never forgotten that. I've always felt the pressure to have the right answer, to never be tired, to always be on -- platform ready. Can you relate? And yes, I desperately need the fruits of the Holy Spirit - "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control" (Galatians 5:22-23). But I think I'm one of those guys who, somewhere along the way, added "competence" to the list. And I think a lot of people in the audience can feel hindered for the same reason. They just don't feel good enough to worship God well.

The more I've lived with it, the more I believe Neil was right. You don't have to have it all together to be a worshiper of God. None of us do. Not one. By grace we all approach the throne of God. We live and breathe in the righteousness and mercy of Jesus.

I want everyone to know this truth.

2 Songs I'm Diggin' Right Now

I keep hearing 2 songs on J933.com and everytime I hear them, I am reminded of how GOOD God is. I wanted to share them both and hopefully encourage someone with how they have impacted my life recently.

The first one is "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes. John is my very best friend, my teammate, my family (I love that!), and the love of my life. There is no way that I could have gone through ANY of the events of the past 4 years if I had not had John by my side. I am so thankful for God's goodness in giving me John at the PERFECT time. God keeps showing me that He has put us together in order to make a difference in the world AND in each other's lives.

This year has been personally challenging to me and has brought several things to the surface that I do not want to admit are present in my life. While I have been wrestling with these issues and asking God to do His transforming work in me, He has gently reminded me of the treasure that He has given me in my husband, and that he is worth all of the hard work of dealing with the junk in my heart.

This song reminds me of my amazing husband, John, and reminds me of the gift that he is to me. I love you, sweetheart!!



The second song is entitled, "I Have to Believe" by Rita Springer. I literally catch my breath every time I hear this song because it forces me to take a hard, honest look into my heart and really ask myself if I believe all of the things I say that I believe. Even as I have walked through the past 6 months, I am so thankful that I can say with confidence that I DO BELIEVE every word that He has spoken, every promise He has given me, and every truth He has given me in His Word. Has it been easy? Not at all. There have been lots of moments over the past 6 months that I had no other choice BUT to believe - and I cannot tell you how incredible this journey has been.

Unfortunately, the only video on YouTube of this song is horribly cheesy, so the lyrics will just have to suffice :) It's a powerful song - I hope you'll check it out!


I have to believe that He sees my darkness
I have to believe that He knows my pain
I have to lift up my hands to worship
Worship His name


I have to declare that He is my refuge
I have to deny that I am alone
I have to lift up my eyes to the mountains
It’s where my help comes from


He said that He’s forever faithful
He said that He’s forever true
He said that He can move mountains
And if He can move mountains
He can move my mountain
He can move Your mountain, too


I have to stand tall when the wind blows me over
I have to stand strong when I’m weak and afraid
I have to grab hold, hold of the garments
Garments of praise


I have to sing praise when the hour is midnight
He unlocks the chains that bind up my soul
My sin and my shame, He has forgiven, and made me whole


He said that He’s forever faithful
He said that He’s forever true
He said that He can move mountains
And if He can move mountains
He can move my mountain
He can move Your mountain, too
I have to believe...

The Last 3 Months...

I'm fairly certain that the people who read this blog (or read it as a note on Facebook) already know exactly what has happened in my life over the past 3 months, but since I have lots of free time on my hands and since it's probably healthy for me to get these thoughts out of my head/heart and written/typed out, here goes...


At the end of September/beginning of October, my working-from-home job turned into the job from hell - trust me, working from home sounds great and does have a few perks, but it is not for me. Thankfully, God blessed me with the most incredible opportunity at the most perfect time, and by the second week of October, I was working in an office with a gorgeous lake view!! The job could not be more perfect for me, but more than that, my boss could not be more amazing! This is the 3rd time I have worked for him and going to work is more like going to an old friend's house for 9 hours a day. As an added bonus, John was super-excited to get his alone time back when he is home and has been relieved to not have to carry so much of the financial burden on his own anymore.


In November, John and I took our first BIG vacation and went away for about 2 weeks. We spent Thanksgiving in Atlanta and the following week, we traveled to Asheville, NC and spent 4 full days at the Biltmore Estate. We stayed at the Inn, I went to the spa, John spent a morning shooting clay pigeons, we toured the house (twice!), the Winery (3x!), plus toured the farm, did a lot of shopping and eating, and even braved the gorgeous hiking trails. It was the most amazing vacation ever! We were worried that after 2 weeks we would be sick of each other, but actually, we came back and were closer than ever! We realized that we have never spent that much time together before - crazy, huh????


On our way back from NC, we received a phone call that my grandmother was not doing very well and that we should get down to see her as soon as possible. We drove down to see her on my birthday and by then, she was in hospice. I am very close to my grandmother and she had not been sick for very long, so it was very difficult. The next morning, she went home to Heaven. Selfishly, I wanted her to stay around for a longer time, but for her sake, I am thankful that she did not have to suffer for very long and is now healed and whole.


After 4 straight week of traveling (for vacation and then for the memorial service), John and I finally started getting ready for Christmas. On December 21st, we received an early Christmas present - a positive home pregnancy test!! We have been wanting to start our family since June, and we could not have been happier! We told our families and friends and couldn't seem to talk about anything else except for "the baby." Unfortunately, our excitement was short-lived. The day after Christmas, I woke up in excruciating pain and after dealing with it off and on all day, I ended up in the ER that night and was told that I needed to have emergency surgery. I was bleeding internally due to an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy and without surgery, I could lose my life. John was in Orlando on a trip (thankfully he was close) and ended up renting a car (all they had was a red Camaro - Thank You, Lord) and made it to Memorial Miramar in 2 hours. He was the first face I remember seeing when I woke up in the recovery room. After a day in the hospital and (going on) my second week of bedrest, I'm feeling better (physically). The doctor said there was no permanent damage to anything and we should be able to try again in 3-4 months. There are still a lot of tears and still an enormous sense of loss, but God has been so gracious to us. Our families have surrounded us with love and support, as well as groceries, meals, Starbucks, treats, and even a clean house! Our friends have been amazing - our small group has fed us just about every day and we have been encouraged and prayed for by so many people. And I have to say that my sweet husband has been phenomenal. No one will really know just how heartbroken he is, and that's mainly because he has been so focused on taking care of me and not worrying about himself. He's done things that I know he didn't think he'd be doing until I was 88 - and never complained once! I'm so thankful that he is the one that God chose to walk through this life with me.

So what now? Well, our new church plant launches on Sunday, January 17th at Fox Trail Elementary (on Nob Hill and 595). There's a preview service this Sunday - can't wait to start!! And there's also at least 6 baby showers in my future - yes, 6 of my friends/family members are expecting - so exciting to watch God breathe life into our new church and into the lives of 6 families that we love dearly.

As far as 2010 goes, I'm looking forward to meeting 6 little boys/girls - one all the way from Taiwan!! I'm also hoping for a trip to Disney with my hubby, improving my Wii skills and my cooking skills, watching my weight go back down, and spending more time reading my Bible instead of books about it. What are you looking forward to in 2010???

30 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

As part of the book, The Love Dare, I wrote down a list of 30 reasons why I love my hubby. Why this may seem like a very newlywed thing to do, I'd encourage everyone - even those who have been married forever - to try it! To make it even better, I posted one reason every day in September on my Facebook for John's 30th birthday :) Of course, my math skills are pathetic, so I actually had 31 reasons on Facebook! Here they are, in no particular order:

1. He is one hard-working man!
2. He takes GREAT care of me.
3. He loves our families.
4. He strives to be a godly man.
5. He makes me want to be a better me and brings out the best in me. He has a lot more confidence in me than I do!
   
6. He provides for all my needs and protects me.
7. He makes me laugh and laughs with me - and never makes me feel stupid for finding humor in even the simplest thing.
8. He is a great singer and loves music almost as much as I do.
9. He always asks for help when he needs it.
10. He usually has a good reason for everything he does.
11. He is the most honest person I know and walks with integrity.
12. He wants to make me happy (and does!)
13. He still makes my heart melt.
14. He LOVES to serve.
15. He is my best friend.
16. He's always willing to do anything I ask - like drying dishes or grilling steaks when it is 90+ degrees outside.
17. He is my favorite person to be with anywhere!!
18. He'll eat anything I make.
19. He is usually open to doing anything I want to do - trying a new restaurant, going shopping, even going to Sephora!
20. Everyone who knows him - or even meets him for the first time - loves him!
21. He is a social butterfly.
22. He is VERY generous!
23. He is one handsome man!
24. He is going to be a fantastic Daddy!
25. He isn't afraid to try anything: flying, fire fighting, hunting, FFDO program, gardening, etc.
26. He always remembers to use the spray after using our shared bathroom :)
27. He doesn't care if the house, car, bedroom, etc. is messy, but he knows I do, so he tries to keep things tidy :)
28. He values our time together.
29. He serves me in BIG and small ways.
30. No one else "gets" me like he does and no one else forgives me as quickly as he does.
31. He loves me for me - in spite of popular opinion when we met, he loved me for me right from the start and helped me to see myself the way he sees me.

John is hands-down the best gift God has ever given to me - besides the gift of salvation, of course!!! I love you, sweetheart!!

Outdoor World and Me

About 2 weeks ago, John and I made a trip to Outdoor World so that he could look at rifles. For those of you that know me well, you already know that: 1) I hate guns, and 2) I am not a frequent shopper at Outdoor World. Within 5 minutes of standing at the gun counter with John, he knew that I would not be an asset to his purchase, so he suggested that I walk around the store while he looked at guns. I gladly left the gun counter and proceeded to entertain myself by taking the following photos of items I will never purchase at Outdoor World as well as items that prove why I am not a fan of Outdoor World, camping, hunting, or roughing it :) I hope you enjoy the following photos as much as I enjoyed taking them :)

P.S. - I heart my iPhone :) (which I am sure is proof that I am not cut out for Outdoor World!)


Okay, at first glance I thought, "Cool - I have a Crock Pot, too!" But upon closer inspection, I realized that this is a camouflaged print Crock Pot - something I hope I never have!!!


If I am ever forced to be outside when the weather is below 50 degrees, I pray that no one throws this plastic tarp at me and tries to call it a blanket. Look how miserable the guy is!! He doesn't look happy at all!!! But he does kinda looks like Joel McHale, which makes me laugh :)


As an owner of 3 chickens, I can totally believe that turkeys would be fooled by fake birds, but the thing that cracks me up about these decoys is their name....The Love Triangle!! Or as they say in France, Triangle D'amour!


Does this really require an explanation? Again, one more reason I will never go hunting!


I pray that no one ever buys this toy for my kids - I guess I should also pray that they never ask me to buy this for them! And yes, there was a Hunter Ann - and they come with carcasses!


This is a DVD series that they sell at Outdoor World - please note the title of this particular episode...Buckmen 13: Fear the Beard!!


Never, ever, ever, ever!!!


If I have to bring my own hot shower, then count me out!! Besides, it looks like you just have to shower out in front of God and Mother Nature and any other tree hugging hippie that happens to be wandering around the woods - and I am positive that there is not enough hot water in this little box for a decent hot shower!


This is the #1 reason I don't belong in Outdoor World...can you imagine walking into my house and seeing this furniture???

John eventually caught up with me after all the fun I had, but I think he had a lot more fun than I did - he is now the proud owner of a new Marlin rifle :) And no, I won't be learning how to shoot it or learning how to prepare wild boar!

The Swirls Inside My Brain Today

Today is Day 4 of John's 4-day trip, and by Day 4, I start talking to myself, the chickens, the news anchors on Fox News, the vacuum cleaner - anyone who will listen - because the thoughts swirling in my head for the previous 3 days are ripe and ready to come out to anyone who will listen - even a chicken!! Thankfully, I have this little blog on which to dump out the contents of my brain and see if I am still making sense after 3 days with little to no human contact :)

John's birthday was yesterday (September 7th) and in honor of his 30th birthday, I have written a list of 30 random reasons why I love him and am posting one reason each day on Facebook for the whole month of September (and it just so happens that there are 30 days in September, so bonus!). I had written a list of 20 a while back as part of the journey of reading The Love Dare, so adding 10 more reasons was not so difficult :) I was looking over the list on Saturday to choose which reason I would post for that day when I came across this reason: "he loves me for me." My mind instantly re-wound back to a day when I was working in a church office and was called in to review a letter to the staff that was to be sent out the following day. I began to check the letter for grammatical and spelling errors and was surprised to find that my name was in the letter. As I read on, I realized that my name was classified among a list of "miracles" that God had performed that year in our church...the miracle related to me being that someone actually wanted to marry me. I laughed it off and acted like it didn't bother me, but inside I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach.

Now I will be the very first to admit that it was a miracle that John wanted to marry me - at that time, especially!! I was ultra-high-strung and ultra-rigid in my work, and was super-protective of my stuff and my "territory." John somehow broke through my intense work persona to find the real me hidden underneath all of that defensive exterior. It absolutely crushed me to realize that while he loved me for me, there weren't that many other people in my world that did - and that simple letter delivered that reality to my door!

Since that time, God has used so many circumstances and people and has broken through my defenses and turned my heart into clay and molded it to be a lot more flexible (Praise God!) and a lot less protective and threatened. I don't worry so much anymore about what people think of me or what they think I am worth, but I am definitely a lot more concerned that people see God in me - not me trying to be like God, but actually seeing God's transforming power in me! God has used so many people (John, primarily) to gently show me what I am worth and where my worth comes from - and it's not from a job title or how many pats on the back I get or even the size or brand of my jeans.

So thankful, Father, for Your love, protection, and power in my life!

What's In Your Garden???

While I was working inside this afternoon, the front door flew open and my sweet hubby came running in, jumping all around and making gross faces. "Did you walk through a spider web while you were working in the garden?" I asked. "Nope," he replied, "Snake in the bushes." Alas, the gross thing is no longer with us...definitely NOT a garden snake!

Crossway Church!!!!

Here is a link to the bio The Church Planting Network posted on their website about Jon and Melissa and Crossway Church! Check it out!!!!

John's Surprise 30th Birthday Party!

Since April, I have been planning a surprise 30th birthday party for my sweet hubby. With the help of our family and friends, we successfully shocked John with a Cuban-themed party with over 50 of his friends and family members this past Friday night!!

John is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I thank God for him every day! It was so awesome to make this night all about him and to celebrate all that God has done in his life over the past 30 years! I am so blessed that I get to spend the next 30+ years with him!!

Enjoying the lake view at my in-laws' AMAZING house!


The AWESOME Cuban cigar roller :)


Our friends waiting patiently for John to arrive!


Enjoying Cuban cigars :)


Blowing out the candles :)


All of the guys :)


What's a party without a little karaoke??


I LOVE my girls!!!!!!


And I love this man even more!!!!


Happy 30th Birthday, John! I love you so much!!!!

Family Vacation

John and I just returned from a fabulous weekend vacation with my family to Fort Myers Beach. Other than a quick trip to the ER Friday night (John caught a catfish and then was caught by the catfish!) it was a very relaxing and stress-free weekend!!

Here are some photos from our weekend...Enjoy!!

Paid In Full!!

This week I received the above notice informing me that my student loan has been PAID IN FULL!!! I felt just as fabulous as I did the day I walked across the stage at FAU and received my degree - it was the same feeling of accomplishment and relief all wrapped up in one amazing package!!!! Even though my degree has hung on the wall for the past 10 years doing absolutely nothing for my bank account, my self esteem, or my marketability, it still reminds me that God allowed me to start AND finish my degree while at the same time working full time in Student Ministry. Although my degree probably isn't worth as much as the beautiful frame my mom chose for it, it reminds me of all that God taught me and did in me and through me during that time. There were SEVERAL times I just wanted to quit and focus on ministry - there were also several times I went days without sleep so that I could work AND go to school. It was extremely challenging, but with the support of my mom and several friends, I finished. I am so thankful that I didn't quit or lose focus to spend more time on my job - now that the job I planned on having forever is history and my time in full-time ministry has come to an end, it makes me glad that I didn't give up on my dream of graduating from college - and with honors, I might add :)

Not to overspiritualize this post, but when I got this notice, my first thought was of another debt of mine that has been paid in full, but this debt was one that I did nothing to repay, nor could I ever repay...My past mistakes have been erased, my life has been rescued, and my future is secure - I don't deserve it, I didn't have to earn it, and the One who paid it was happy to do so because of His incredible love for me. My student loan "paid in full" letter now sits on my desk as a reminder of all that God has done for me and reminds me of one of my favorite passages...

Psalm 116:12 (NIV); "How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?"

BIG Announcement!!

I am so excited to share some BIG news with the 3 of you who read my blog :)

Our dear friends, Jon and Melissa Elswick, are going to be planting a church in February 2010 and have asked John and I to be a part of the Launch Team. We have been praying through this leap of faith with Jon and Melissa and have total faith in the dream that God has placed in their hearts. We're thrilled to have been a part of West Pines Community Church for the past 10 months and have been blown away by their support and excitement for Crossway Church! It is such a blessing to be a part of a church that believes in building the Kingdom instead of building their own kingdom. While we are sad to leave numerous friendships and areas of service we have fell in love with at WPCC, we can't wait to see what God has in store for us and for the community at Crossway Church!

Check out the new website and the blog for Crossway Church and please keep Jon and Melissa in your prayers. Not only are they about to launch a new church, but they are also preparing their hearts and home for a little one from Korea! Their passion for Christ, His Gospel, and His creation inspires me each time I am around them and I hope you'll join me in praying for this fabulous couple!

The Great Elswick Adoption Yard Sale

Our amazing friends, Jon and Melissa Elswick, are in the process of adopting a precious baby from Korea. Because the cost of international adoption is so expensive, they are coming up with several creative ways to raise money for Baby Elswick. One of their ideas is coming to fruition on Saturday, July 18th in the form of a Yard Sale.

If you have items to donate or if you would like to come to the Yard Sale and do a little shopping, please visit their blog for all of the details about the Yard Sale.

James 1:27 (ESV); "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."

Another Crazy Dream

Last night, I had another crazy dream, and it has been on my mind all morning!!!! In my dream, I was "forced" (not sure why or how) to switch husbands and families and ended up with a guy that I dated in college and his 3 kids (that I am pretty sure do not exist). At first, I was a tiny bit intrigued at the thought of getting to see what my life would have been like if I had hung on to this guy, but the longer the dream went on, the more I found myself asking everyone in my dream where John was and if I could PLEASE go back home to him. Everyone kept telling me that I really wanted to be with the new guy, but I was begging to get back to John. The thought of not being with John and having to start all over again was sickening!!

Of course, it was only a dream and I am definitely not going to be submitting an application to "Wife Swap" any time soon, but it has been on my mind all morning. How many of us start to think how much "better" life would be with someone else when times get a little tough with our spouse?? How many of us still hang on to the thought of someone else besides our spouse paying us a compliment or paying even the slightest bit of attention to us? How quickly do we entertain the idea of someone new??

At the same time, how many single ladies settle for so much less than God's best simply out of fear, loneliness, or the lie that they cannot do any better than the loser they think they are "stuck" with only to find themselves in a less-than-God's-best marriage while they unfairly compare their marriage to everyone else's?? No, I'm not advocating leaving your spouse if they are not a Christian or are not doing the things they should - what I AM advocating is being extremely discerning and listening to all of the warning signs BEFORE that person becomes your spouse. Once you are husband and wife, there are so many new struggles and temptations that come along, and you don't want to set yourself up for disaster by ignoring the warning signs before you say "I do." (As someone who often settled for dating guys I KNEW were not God's best for me, I know what fear and loneliness can do to your brain!! It's DANGEROUS!!!)

I heard this story last week and it has stuck with me as I have thought about discernment...

There was an old man sitting on his porch watching the rain fall. Pretty soon the water was coming over the porch and into the house. The old man was still sitting there when a rescue boat came and the people on board said, "You can't stay here - you have to come with us." The old man replied, "No, God will save me." So the boat left. A little while later the water was up to the second floor, and another rescue boat came, and again told the old man he had to come with them. The old man again replied, "God will save me." So the boat left him again.

An hour later the water was up to the roof and a third rescue boat approached the old man, and tried to get him to come with them. Again the old man refused to leave stating that, "God will grant a miracle & save me." So the boat left him again.

Soon after, the man drowns and goes to heaven, and when he sees God he asks Him, "Why didn't You save me? I thought You would grant me a miracle and You have let me down."

God replied, "You idiot, I don't know what you're complaining about. I sent three boats after you!!"

Whether you are choosing a date, a spouse, a job, or even entertaining the idea of someone new (other than your spouse), look for God's rescue boats - they are everywhere!!! If you're having trouble recognizing them, ask a trusted friend if they see any circling around you. You may be surprised at the number of warning signs God is sending your way!!!

WPCC Missions Team

The WPCC Missions Team left today for Guatemala and will be traveling June 14th-20th. I am so excited for them and for all that they are going to witness and experience while working alongside Compassion International. I had the awesome privilege of helping the Care Ministry Team to collect supplies for the missions trip and seeing the team off at church this morning. Hopefully John and I will be able to be a part of the next trip!!!

You can follow the team by clicking on this link: WPCC Guatemala Missions Team

Please join me this week in praying for each of the mission team members by name!

Robey Barnes

Rebekah Barnes

William Elmore

Sheila Englund

Cera Gomez

Matt Mashburn

Christine Sherlock

Nicole Torres

Danny Vendrell

Letty Vendrell

Completely Random

• I am so incredibly thankful for West Pines Community Church. I have never felt as challenged, as encouraged, or as healthy as I feel at WPCC. I have made some amazing friendships and have been able to get involved and serve in ways that complement my gifts and passions without feeling like I am under a microscope or not doing it the "right" way. I love their commitment to keeping the main thing the main thing and their unwavering belief that our job is to be obedient; God's job is to foster growth and results.
• I am horrified and saddened by the new Britney Spears' song, "If You Seek Amy." I wonder if she just sits around thinking of new ways to be shocking and disgusting - she's a mom of 2 young boys - it makes me sad that she is so wrapped up in herself and keeping her image "trendy" and shocking. It must be exhausting to keep that up all of the time.
• Speaking of music (if you can classify Britney Spears as music), I have found that people either LOVE or HATE the new Black Eyed Peas song. There's no in between.
  
• It is summer in South Florida which means that pretty soon we will be able to tell that it is 3 PM without looking at a clock. When the thunder and lightning are simultaneous and you can't see past the hood of your car because of the sheet of rain in front of you, it's 3 PM. (As long as I am not driving in it, I love it!!!!)
• My niece, Jordan, is the coolest girl in the whole world. She is graduating from K5 in 2 weeks and yes, I will definitely cry at her graduation.
• I have recently been asked to lead the Care Ministry Team at WPCC and I could not be more excited!! I have so many ideas for our 1st meeting on May 31st, some of which involve the church's upcoming missions trip to Guatemala...more to come later!!
• I am planning some BIG surprises for my hubby...more to come on that later, too!!!
• I love re-connecting with long lost friends on Facebook, but it seems like everything I know about my long lost friends AND even my close friends is stuff that I have found out on Facebook and not from actually speaking to any of my people. It's kinda sad and really has challenged me to spend less time on Facebook and more time WITH my friends and family.
• I just finished reading "Unlikely Angel" by Ashley Smith - the girl who was held hostage in her apartment just outside of Atlanta by an escaped prisoner and used "The Purpose Driven Life" to minister to him. Yes, I'm a little late - it happened a LONG time ago - but what an amazing story!! Check it out!!!
• Colossians 2:18-19 (MSG); "Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as He nourishes us."