Scripture memory verse 10, Africa, and pretty feet!

Why do I feel so guilty about coming back to my blog "haven" after having not posted in awhile? I honestly think it's because I want it to be so much more than it is right now. It's supposed to be my place to share...dream...teach...laugh...cry...scream...praise...all in words! I've been doing lots of ALL of that lately...just not here. Let me share a bit of what's been going on.

Back in the winter, my sweet friend and spiritual sister, Lorie, invited me to join her on a mission trip to Liberia, Africa to help lead women's retreats for a couple groups of precious Liberian women. Can I just say that no twisting of my arm was required, because this encompassed my calling and my passions: speaking, teaching women, sharing Christ's love, and Africa! Shortly after committing to the trip, Lorie continued to build her mission team while I began the process of raising financial support for me to be able to do this...mission trip funds were simply not in our budget this year. God was faithful! He provided every last dime that I needed! He. Is. So. Good!!! Throughout this spring, Lorie and I have been meeting weekly to prepare for this retreat, and she secured a couple of other dear women to make this journey with us. Excitement surrounding this trip and God's plan for us in this continued to mount! Fast forwarding a bit...

In ways that only God can do, He shocked all of us (Lorie and her husband included) a few weeks ago when he re-opened her womb after 7 years of unexplained fertility, and have given them the blessing of a new life. Yes! She's pregant! In all of the pregancy excitement, I momentarily forgot that this might mean she can't go to Africa. But, that's exactly what it means. While we still don't know what God is up to, and why He would choose to restore her fertility now right before we are scheduled to leave for this trip...I know that He is Sovereign and in complete control! He has a plan and purpose, and the rest of us on this mission team are still going to fulfill that purpose for Him. He has too much He wants us to share with these women, so we are going to do what we've been called to do in the land where He has called us! (Lorie: get ready for 2011!)

So...with all of that said, I've been a bit overwhelmed (in a VERY good way) preparing for this trip. While I also work outside my home at a summer camp and conference center, you can imagine that leaving to go to Africa the day before summer camp is set to begin brings a little anxiety. I have lots to do to prepare to be gone from work, to be gone from my family, and to prepare for these Liberian retreats. But...just you wait...upon my return, I'll probably have more blog posts than you care to read about over this adventure and journey that God is allowing me to take. I am completely humbled that He would choose me to serve Him in this way.

In preparing for this upcoming trip, I've been praying that God would give me specific scripture verses to cling to and take with me - written down separately - on this trip. So, whenever feelings of inadequacy and fear creep in or doubt or questions of why I'm doing this...I can immediately go to these verses and be reminded of what He promises in His Word. So, in preparing for this 10th memory verse of the year, he showed me something pretty amazing...I have beautiful feet! Bet ya didn't expect to hear that vain remark come out of my mouth did ya? Actually, it's based in scripture (my chosen verse for this second half of the month):

Romans 10:15b (NIV)
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!

According to this, I have beautiful feet, because I'm on my way to Africa very soon to share this good news with sweet women! Woohoo! I just love God's word! This verse actually comes from Isaiah 52:7 also, but in that context, mountains are also referenced, and since I'll be on the African coast (away from mountains), I thought I'd stick with the Romans wording. Ha! Ha! Any of you clinging to a specific verse right now? I'd love to hear it. What are you working on memorizing?

I pray that the rest of your weekend is most blessed as is your upcoming week. I would love your prayers over our team for this trip and for the women that we will be serving. We leave on June 5 and return June 14. Thanks sweet friends!

Scripture memory verse 9!

It's May 1 - already! It's hard to believe that 1/3 of 2010 is already over. This year is flying by! So...with today being May 1, it's time for another scripture memory verse posting. How does it feel - those of you that are doing this with me - to have 8 verses memorized already? Did you think you'd be able to do it? I knew you could!

For those of you that have "fallen off the wagon" so to speak - GET BACK ON! There's no time to re-commit like the present. God wants you in His word and His words in your heart! So, just start where you are...no need to make up for lost verses. Let's get back at it friends! If you're new to my blog and have no idea what I'm talking about, then simply go back and ready my January 1 post for clarification. It's never too late to join us!

The verse that I'm going to start memorizing today is a very popular verse, and I've heard it and read it many times before, but I've never committed it to memory before. I don't know about you, but my faith has been tested A LOT lately. I find myself continually saying out loud...(1) God - you are who you say you are. (2) You can do what you say you can do. (3) I am who you say I am. (4) I can do all things through Christ. (5) God's Word is alive and active in me. (Thanks Beth Moore!) If I don't constantly remind me of these truths, then doubt tries to creep in. I have no room for doubt in my life - it's full enough as it is. Anyway...right now, I'm praying for some God-sized things. And...I mean some GOD-SIZED things. There is nothing too big for God. And...I am reminded of that with this new verse I'm choosing to memorize:

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV) "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..."

See the word immeasurably? It CAN'T be measured! That's huge friends! I stand on this truth.

How about you? What are you working on memorizing? Let's hear it...your name, city & state, verse, and translation!

Be blessed today!

To Know You...

I can't get this Casting Crowns song out of my head. I have it on my ipod, and I bet I've listened to it 4-5 times today. This is my heart's cry friends! I especially love the line..."To know you is to ache for more than ordinary, to know you is to look beyond the temporary." I literally ache for more than the ordinary, because I know that God is not ordinary...He's extraordinary, and He's looking for ordinary people to do extraordinary things for Him. I seek to know Him more...

Maybe this song will bless you as it has me...just had to share...

Disappointed in me...

Have you ever felt like you're a huge disappointment to everybody? Well...that's me today. I guess I'm stuck in my own little pity part, of sorts, but as a friend reminded me so sweetly..."it's okay to visit...just don't stay for cake." I love that! Anyway, here I am on the day that I pledged to begin my 40 consecutive days of blogging prior to leaving for my African mission trip, and I'm going to have to back down on that blogging commitment. Truthfully, I'm overloaded. I'm overloaded at work. I'm overloaded at home. I'm overloaded mentally, emotionally, and physically. So, rather than take on one more challenge (blog writing everyday for 40 days like I did at the end of last year), I'm going to step back and simply say that I can't do it right now. I owe the sweet Liberian women that I'm soon to meet that much. You see...I'm preparing a message of Christ's love for them, and I need to place my focus there. I need to be spending more time with my precious Savior to ensure that I serve Him in Africa the way that He intends for me to and that I share the message that He's giving me for these women. So, I pray you'll forgive me for backing out of this challenge. I still hope to blog here and there before I leave, but I just can't commit to that much time right now.

I welcome your prayers immensely as I prepare for this amazing trip! My heart is fluttering with excitement over the days ahead. I don't take the honor of being part of this trip lightly. To Him be ALL the Glory!

Susana Whittaker needs your prayers!

Friends...I have no words to express the heartfelt sadness I'm feeling over the recent news of little Susana. She is the 4-year-old daughter of Hatian missionary friends of our class at church. After surviving the earthquake and both parents contacting malaria, this family is now dealing with the terrible news that little Susana is covered in cancer. Please, please pray for her healing this side of heaven. Please, please spread the word via other prayer chains. You can read more about this on their blog at howcantheyhear.org, but I'm also including the words of their latest entry here. Thanks for the fervent prayers on behalf of Susana!

Susana Has Cancer...Those are the hardest words that I have ever heard in my life. The doctor just informed us that she has tumors everywhere. My heart aches like it has never ached before. Our tears won’t stop. Words cannot express what we are going through. They said that it is called Neuroblastoma and they said the news is not good. It is an aggressive cancer. They are getting ready to do a bone marrow test and a biopsy and that will determine what the course of action will be.

Our ONLY hope in all of this is Jesus. We cling to Him. We cry out to Him. We trust Him in everything. We cling to His Word and His promises that all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called by His purposes. We trust Him for the grace that we need each second. We trust in His plan, whatever that might be. We remember that His ways are not our ways.

But we still grieve. We still fear the worst. We are emotional wrecks. And we still wait.

Please continue to lift up Susana. God has all power and ability to heal if He so chooses to do so. Our prayer is that she would be healed on this side of heaven. Thank you to all of you who have been praying and offering support. We will continue to post updates as we are informed. – Cody and Maria

Scripture memory verse 8!

WOW! It's shameful to realize that the last blog post I actually wrote was the one entitled "Scripture memory verse 7!" That means I haven't written in a couple weeks. I'm so disappointed in myself at times, but friends...I simply can't do a lot better than that right now. From a work standpoint, this is my busiest season. In addition to that, my Africa mission trip is just a little less than 2 months away! I've had 4 shots already and 2 more to go! And...if that wasn't enough...I've begun a new Mary Kay business for the purpose of earning money for adoption. Yes...adoption! More to come on that later. Then...She Speaks (more on that later too) is only a little more than 3 months away, and I have to prepare for that as well. And...I'm leaving for a quick jaunt to Florida with some work friends in the morning for a little work and a lot of fun! Yes - lots going on, but I'm grateful for the opportunities God continues to give me! He IS amazing!

Aside from busyness, it IS time for those of us committing to this scripture memory verse challenge to post another verse. I know the day is almost over, as of this writing, but it's still April 15. So, I'm going to post my verse! Those of you that are joining me on this journey or would like to join me...please post your verse within the next day or so. Don't forget to give the book, chapter, verse, translation, and type out the verse. I'd also like to see where you're from...first name and city, state will do nicely for that. If you have no idea what I'm talking about...read here for more information!

The verse God has led me to this time is from Proverbs:

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

How often do we set out to do something and never even ask the Lord what He thinks about it or what His desire is for us in the matter? Do you struggle to find success with plans that don't involve God? From personal experience, when God is in the center of my plans (His plans), and I commit those plans to Him...he allows success. But...I fail to do this so often.

So...what verses are you working on? Let's hear 'em friends!

Coming up...another 40 day blog post journey. Stay tuned! God willing, I'll be blogging the 40 days leading up to my mission trip to Africa (April 26-June 4).

Be blessed friends!

Scripture memory verse 7!

Good evening friends!

I'm so sorry for getting this posting up so late today. This day has been a full one, and unfortunately I'm just now getting around to posting my April 1 scripture memory verse. That's right! It's that time again scripture memory verse team! I can't wait to hear what you're working on for this first part of April.

Today, I've chosen a verse that is simply filled with praise. God is so worthy of our praise, dear ones! He is worthy of our praise in all circumstances and at all times...happy, sad, lonely, wonderful, fearful, times of grief, and times of joy, and I could go on and on. Bottom line - He IS my praise, and I choose to glorify Him!

I love beginning my morning quiet time prayers with praise and thanksgiving. We do the same thing at my Wednesday night prayer group. Having specific scripture verses to offer aloud as praise to the King of Kings only enhances that intimate time.

So...with that said...here's the verse I've chosen:

Psalm 63:3-4 (NIV)
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will life up my hands.

As always, feel free to join me in my memorizing that verse, or work on whatever you feel led to work on! Let's hear it folks...verse, translation, first name, and city!

Have a blessed evening!