God's Will

I heard a thought provoking message last week on God's will.

Now...thought provoking in my shallow, practical mind...not in a deep theological mind...we will only be wading here folks, so don't get all zipped up in your wet suit!

Usually when God's will is prayed about, discussed...it usually centers around, "Where does GOD want me to go? What does he want me to do with my life? What job should I take? Where should I go to college?'...and on and on.

The point was that God's will is not necessarily about LOCATION, etc. but it is about BEHAVIOR!

YES...God has a plan for where we are supposed to go, who we are supposed to marry, where we should work.... but that cannot be our myopic focus.

As we walk in obedience and behave in the way God instructs us we don't have to worry those things. GOD will take care of it. He will open and shut the doors for us. He will make it clear to us what direction we should take in a specific area of our life.

I have been dwelling on that and searching the WORD the last few days. Here are two passages that I have been dwelling on.

Romans 12:2 from the New Century Version: 2 Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking (transformed by the renewing of your mind). THEN you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

I Thessalonians 5:15-18
Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is GOD'S WILL for you in Christ Jesus.

For ME...right now...GOD'S WILL means...

• some more HRT...
  
• get my hiney out of bed in the mornings and press in in prayer...
• and to pray continually...
  
• memorize HIS word and hide it in my heart...
• work on my organizational skills, (post about that to come)...
• control my tone of voice...
• be as sweet to my family and friends as Honey is to Pooh!
• to TRUST GOD IN EVERYTHING...
• relinquish total control of my life to HIM...HARD for me!
• to give thanks in all circumstances...
• and to be HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!!
  

There is so much more...but I don't want to drown my 'easy to get overwhelmed' self.

Get out your Bible or go to Bible Gateway to do your own scripture search and ask youself the question:

"Am behaving in GOD'S WILL or is it time to say to myself...Straighten up young lady (man)?"

Share your thoughts...

Wedding Pictures

Here is a link to my friend Kim's blog.

She has MORE PICTURES of the wedding posted on her blog.

If you want to read their vows....Here is the link to JOHN PALMER'S blog. He is Brad's uncle.

FUN!

"Going to the Chapel..."

ATTENTION ALL YOUNG ADULTS, SINGLES, TEENAGERS,
and PARENTS OF THE AFORE MENTIONED...and THOSE who just enjoy an AMAZING LOVE STORY...

Read and have your children read the following story of Brad and Leah.

We attended their wedding on Saturday. Steve had the privilege of being a groomsman and Brianna and I had the honor of helping behind the scenes.

In Brianna's words, "It was the FUNNEST wedding I have ever been to."

Brianna had prayed for 2 years...EVERY NIGHT for Brad to find a wife...the PERFECT wife for him. I know many others joined her in that prayer... Leah, Leah's friends and family also had been praying for Brad... they just didn't know who he was at the time!!!

This story of their meeting, courtship, engagement, and the years of believing GOD throughout their 20's for the perfect mate... (Leah is 28 and Brad 29)... is a wonderful Godly example of faith, trust, perseverance, purity, and of course, LOVE. As you read... be encouraged...be challenged... and let your heart be warmed.

Read the transpiration of events in Brad's and Leah's words via their blogs OR listen to a more detailed account via PODCAST HERE when they shared their story at Church of the King where Brad pastors...and a church that NOW has a PASTOR'S WIFE! WOO HOO!!!!

FROM BRAD'S BLOG: Engaged: Part 1

When you are done reading part 1 BE SURE and click the link at the top of Brad's post to continue to Engaged parts 2, 3 & 4. You don't want to miss a single post.

THEN you HAVE TO READ Leah's Reactions: Part 1 and Part 2.

ENJOY!

***For those of you who are new to blog reading (mom, dad, and all their friends)...click the underlined links in my post to go to Brad's and Leah's blogs and to the podcast...AND thanks for reading. I love you all.***

In Memory of Karen

We had a great, but very busy Christmas and New Year's. We went to Arkansas to visit Steve's family, SALT ( a conference for university students who love Jesus in Cincinnati), Weston home from college, and his friend Zach who came to visit. (We love you, Zach. Come any time!) THEN Conference on the Ministry in Traverse City where we were able to hang with friends, hold babies, and LOVE our church planting families.
In the midst of all that was a very sad day. One of our church planters wives, Karen Rabideau, suffered a heart attack and went to be with Jesus on Christmas Eve. A little over one year ago, Joe and Karen, along with their daughter Melissa, planted Michigan's first Bikers' Church in Holt. The church is growing and seeing lives transformed in the Biker community. Karen was an integral part of that success.

Just to give you a glimpse of the lives she touched, let me tell you about her funeral...or as we choose to call it... "the celebration of Karen's life".

There were between 800 and 1,000 people at the service...in the middle of a major SNOWSTORM! It took an extra hour to get there, the weather was so treacherous. There were flowers from a local coffee shop, Michigan State University, and from SOOO many more people and places where Karen left a ray of sunshine.

She had such a big heart...always reaching out to the hurting, encouraging those who were down or struggling, had a smile on her face every time I saw her, a hug for anyone who needed one...and even some who didn't WANT one! BUT no one could refuse that loving heart and sweet spirit....and then each would admit they felt so uplifted because of that hug.

She always had time to pray for you....laugh with you...cry with you...just be your friend.

Karen impacted so many in her short time on earth with her life of servant hood and love. There was never an activity Karen was invited to where she didn't insist on helping.

Many shared that day about the impact Karen had on their life and in their walk with the LORD. She had a special way to let one know that they could MAKE it no matter what their circumstances and that Jesus loved them for who they were NOW.

Joe and Karen's 19 year old daughter Melissa sang at her mom's Celebration. Joe shared. I don't know how they were able to do that...except for the peace in their hearts KNOWING without a shadow of a doubt that Karen was with Jesus. Celebrating with Him.

As I sat there on that snowy Friday afternoon, seeing Joe and Melissa, knowing the family had just moved into their dream home in November that they had been building this last year. Karen enjoyed it for a month then went to live in her mansion. Seeing Karen's Mom, Dad, and sisters... watching her young pre-teen nephew weep and weep through the whole service from a deep love for his Aunt Karen whom he was going to miss...to the hundreds of others in the pews... I reflected on life. How short it really is.

Karen had just turned 47 on December 17. She and Joe would have celebrated 21 years on January 1st. (They were married at the stroke of Midnight on Jan. 1, 1987 so they would be the first one listed as married in 1987! How fun!) Karen lived life to its' fullest.

Am I living life to its' fullest? Every day?

• Loving my Jesus to the best of my ability.
• Loving my husband, even when he wears my pants....
• my kids...showing them and telling them with every fiber of my being how much I love them and how blessed I am to have them...
• sharing Christ with my neighbors...
• taking care of my body like the temple of the Holy Spirit it is...
• acknowledging my friends and how special each one is in my life...
• appreciating my mom and dad, and my grandma for the heritage of faith I have been given...for the sacrifices they have made for me so I can be where I am today...
• for my brother and his family for what they add to my life (NOW...I didn't think big bro. added anything when we were kids and would practice those wrestling moves on me...like head locks...and throw me in the swimming pool with all my clothes on...)
  
• For my in laws for bringing Steve up to love Jesus, be a great provider, and believing in him when he felt GOD calling into full time ministry...
• for my brothers in law and their families for the richness and completeness they have added to my life...especially in the form of my nieces and nephews. I LOVE THEM!
• for my aunts, uncles and cousins who I dearly love but neglect to tell them that regularly...
• for the church planting families in Michigan and how incredible they are for all the sacrifices they have made to plant churches so that people will come to be believers in Jesus.
  

Have I overcome SELF to lay down my insecurities, fears, frustrations of day to day living to let my actions speak louder than words...IN A GOOD WAY...in the DIVINE HRT way of life...

To make JESUS the center of all I am and of all I do...remembering that life is but a vapor...

don't put off until tomorrow what we should do today...

So, today, with me, acknowledge the LORD in all you do, in everything that you are.

Overflow with HIS love.

Hug a friend.

Write a love letter to your husband or wife.

Play with your kids.

Thank your parents for what they have done for you.

Pray with someone who needs some encouragement.

Show love to that Co-worker who drives you crazy.

Count the ways in which you are blessed.

That is what my friend, Karen, would have encouraged you to do.

PS...Karen's daughter, Melissa, left a comment about her mom. Be sure and read her thoughts.