Look before you leap....Why my girls will not be " jumping"

I know....I know....You all saw me and their daddy do it,

but our girls will not be jumping.

They have begged.... but ... NO.

I asked them if  they could tell someone what it's like to be married and they said "No, I am not married."

Exactly! You cannot lead somewhere you have not been.

I'll talked to my oldest and she understands that salvation is a calculated decision to give up your life for your Savior.

Not just something to do...

She also understands that it's not a decision she feels ready to make yet. 

We have shared and prayed and while we have done everything in our power. .. until the Spirit leads....

we wait.

See, we believe ...Missions is not a game. People are choosing to die every single day for the cause of Christ.

We cannot for one minute allow their actions to be cheapened.

Some will probably disagree with us on this. That is fine.

I am not saying that it is wrong for anyone except our girls.

So, you guys keep on jumping. 

We support what you are doing whole-heartedly. Just know that there are two who won't be joining.

Sometimes being a parent is fun....but most days it's just hard.

Teachable moments come and you must grab them when you can.

I guess...in a way....your challenges have been "mission work" even in our own family as we talked them through our decision to say. .."NO."

You are helping to water the seeds.....while we wait for that harvest.

So, dear friends.... while we pray that in the future our girls will choose to jump head first into  the arms of a glorious adventure with our Savior,

we are just not there today.

Send your wonderful challenges to another.

....because in missions... and in life - we are teaching our girls...
you must look before you leap.

We love you all!

1-2-3 JUMP

I have been given 24 hours to complete the “Coldwater for Missions“  Challenge. 

                          (thanks Abigail!) J

     If you know me at all, then you know that I will not pass up a challenge!

    The Challenge is simple: 

Find cold water and jump in it. 

“Call Out" 3 of your friends and tell them that they have been given 24 hours to do the same.

               It is supposed to be for Missions awareness, and for the life of me I couldn't see why anyone would do this.

     I mean, how does this help Missions?  How does jumping into freezing water do anything for the Kingdom of God? 

     I have tried hard this weekend to figure this out. 

  “a cup of cold water”…. “Go into all  the world?”

something…. anything… right?

     I mean seriously, if I am going to jump into a freezing body of water at least I would like to understand why. Does someone get money for this?  Is it a new “witnessing tool?”  

                       Where IS my t-shirt? 

Or.... is it supposed to be about something else?

      You have to make a conscience decision to jump into that freezing, cold, water.  You have to conquer your fear.  

You know it could be less than pleasant, probably painful…..and it will rock your world.  Your shocked system will go from scared, to numb, to exhilarated in a matter of minutes.

You must do it in front of the world (camera).

You must then get 3 other people to do it too.

               Uncanny  huh?     

Sounds a whole lot like what we have all been 
"Called Out" to do.

  Some people go to Africa to share the gospel and some do it at Wal-mart.  Some people adopt orphans, others feed the homeless. One man feels called to build houses, while the other man cooks supper for his family because his wife has had a long day.

The only common denominator in showing Jesus to the people of this world is...

It is not a request.

          The Great Commission is not optional. It is purposeful, and intentional... and sometimes I forget that.  I get busy doing life and forget about the LIFE that was given to me. 

        So, today I will jump.  I will do it on purpose and with full knowledge of what lies ahead of me.  I will make a decision to commit to my challenge.

Because today it is about a swimming pool… tomorrow it is about something much, much more.

               1-2-3 JUMP!

1826 days

          “What makes you think this is the greatest moment, 
the biggest thing that God is going to do with you?”

 My sister Cindy's words still echo as I replay those days.

           I had come through some absolutely, incredibly, wonderful, gut- wrenching days and we were all still here.

 Massive aneurysm, brain surgery, life and death stuff…. pretty scary stuff.

  I was satisfied that I had been given my miracle, my moment.  God had shown up, and shown out, and that was just going to be enough for me. 

God was not dead.  I had always believed it,  and now I had first hand proof! 

         HE had chosen to show me so much about Himself  and HE loved me and wanted to continue to work in my life.

    I learned during those days that God chooses to communicate with HIS children in different ways.  For me, it has always been with music. I don't know why, but it just seems like He gets my attention with songs.  

  It was around that time I heard the song, “God of this City."  I sat there just allowing it to sink in . I played it over and over again.  There was a message for me there.  It wasn’t the whole song, but just the part about “Greater things are still to be done here.”

 I took this as a timely reminder to me that God wasn't finished with me.  As long as I have breath,  HE will still act.

 There is always  more from the hands of my Jesus.

                     ( Hang on to that a minute, you will need it later!) 

 Fast forward 1826 days… 5 years.

          Yesterday marked 5 years of my journey.   5 years of lesson plans, supper, softball, dance, cleaning, 5 years of really good days, and 5 years of some really terrifying days.

          All the while, life happened.   So much life happened that most people who weren't involved in the story, will never even know it.

 Being human, I found myself wondering if anyone would even remember that it had been 5 years. 

  Should it even matter to anyone except me? 

          Have you ever had a moment where all you could do is experience God?  No words are needed, no words are adequate.  Only silent tears in the presence of your Savior? 

          I opened up my devotional, and my heart simply stopped.  There on the page was the date:

 March 9, 2014

and the scripture for the day was Psalm 139:15-16

          I couldn't even see the words through my tears.  You see, that is the scripture on my tattoo that is on my foot.  The  daily reminder that God knows me, God sees me, and loves me.

       I will never forget the night before surgery telling my family that if I survived this, I would get a tattoo to remind me. We joked about it for  a while, but in the back of my mind it was always there. I wanted the scripture that God had played over and over in my mind to comfort me.

  The one I literally clung to for dear life.

      On the one year anniversary of my brain surgery, Gary took me to finally get my tattoo.  A mark to serve as a forever reminder of the sovereignty of my God in MY life.   The Scripture is Psalm 139, and the flower is a Japanese Cherry Blossom.   

Both representing the "fragility of life"  and the presence of a CREATOR.

….and here I was 5 years to the day opening up my Bible, being reminded once again that God knows my heart. HE cares about what I care about!  That while life happened and time moved on- He simply didn't.  He is still the same…. and HE knows my name and HE remembers.

          I spent the rest of the day in celebration of my “special gift.”  His acknowledgement of me was enough.  I needed nothing more. How dare I even ask?  My God had gently reminded me that HE was still involved in my thoughts, heart and life.  

  I went to church and sat in the back.  I don't normally do that.  I am the minister's wife and have been on the front row for 20 years.  It was just that night wanted to be quiet and worship privately.  My blessed heart had cried all day and  simply wanted to thank God for remembering me on my "special day".  

Normally I go to church to get something, but this night I just wanted to thank HIM and tell HIM that HIS work in my heart was all I needed.

The praise and worship team began leading in worship and I stood there in awe.  Replaying my day and thanking HIM for all HE had done- not just that day but the last 5 years of this journey.  

And I guess you have figured out the rest of the story..... 

The last song.... of the last set.....  I heard the first note, and my heart just knew. 

The song was, “God of this City."

     I uttered whatever pitiful attempt I could through my tears.  I wouldn't even really call it singing, but I tried.

There I was, standing in the middle of hundreds, with one realization. While I was worshiping the God of the Universe, HE was remembering me....


.....and  Greater things are yet to come.....  ( that's pretty awesome!)