A Time of Refocusing...

I will be signing off from the blog for a time. I am being pressed by Him that I need to refocus and come away with Him for a time to recenter. Only He knows why, but I can say that even something as simple as a blog can have the tendency to capture all your attention and become an idol if you allow it too. I have a tendency to stray if God does not keep me under His thumb and He and I both know that very well. So, when I feel the pressure of that great big thumb start to get a little heavier than usual then I know that either He is calling me to Him for a season of preparation or calling me back to Him because I have wandered. I'm not exactly sure which one this is but I do know that it is not fun for me if I don't listen. Not at all. So, I will miss you guys, all my faithful followers and those who I have yet to meet, but I will return. Hopefully better for being obedient and hopefully changed even more. I hope you guys have a GREAT GREAT Thanksgiving holiday. Please, be careful if you are traveling and don't eat toooooo much...lol. See you guys on the flip side!

Very Much Heartfelt Love-Nicole

Harmony...what a beautiful sound...

I went on a field trip last Friday with my ll year old daughter who has joined the band to play the Saxophone. I didn't really know what to expect. We were going to another middle school to sit in on their band practice. We walked in and the eighth grade was practicing for their Christmas Concert. Amazing! It sounded like we were listening to the Phil Harmonic. Seriously! The were playing We Wish You A Merry Christmas and I saw my child's eyes get big as saucers at how great it sounded. She turned and looked at me and said "Wwwwooooowww" under her breath...
Now granted they had every instrument you could think of from winds to percussions because it was a much bigger school and our little school in the country was not near as large but still they had it all together and it sounded sweet. Then came the 7th grade, not as good but still sounded great as they played the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Then came the 6th grade, my daughter's grade, and then the immaturity of first year players began to show through tho I have to say they still did pretty well. They got to sit in and play with the 6th and 7th grade band for their practice so they were nervous but thrilled. Then little did I know after that we got to go over to the high school where Winthrop University's traveling wind symphony was putting on a concert for the students of band. Okay, it was like the perfect day for me in so many ways. I got to be with my daughter and watch her blossom with a love of music even deeper than she had before and from a mother who loves music more than life, it was the best thing ever to witness. But I also got to listen to "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" and a multitude of other great arrangements that day. And as I sat in that music hall in the dark and listened to all the different instruments come together and make such beautiful music, I could only think one thing...harmony! Okay, yes, I am one of those weird people who sees or hears the gospel in everything, but I couldn't help it. It was staring me right in the face and ringing in my ears. I began to think of how all those different instruments complimented each other. One of the young ladies who played the flute had a solo at one point and oh man was it ever beautiful, but then another flute came in to accompany her, then another and then a saxophone, then a trumpet, then a percussion, and so on and so on until the sound was out of this world! That same girl could play the flute and then she went over and played the baritone. And others in the group, very few, but others could switch up and play another instrument. The percussionists were running back and forth in the back of the stage playing many things at once. Then there were those who played only one thing but played it well and with excellence. Also they were all dressed in harmony as well in their black and white tux and dresses. Okay, so this is what I gathered and it is simple. The Kingdom of God is like a great big musical production. We are all an instrument in this Kingdom. Some of us play one thing well and some of us play many things well. Some of us have solos and some of us would rather play along with the others but regardless of what we are or what we choose we all need each other for the musical to sound complete, to sound its best, to have the greatest effect. For example, when she began to play that flute alone, I was just about beside myself but when the others began to play and everyone joined in, well, let's just say I was undone. It was harmony! We all have to play for their to be harmony, and just like there were no big I's and little You's in that symphony, there are none in God's symphony. We need each other. Sure we will sound great by our self, but how much greater we will sound with each other? I need you. You need me. We need each other if we are going to create and atmosphere for people to be affected and turn to God. So, no matter if you are good at one thing or many. No matter if you are the big bass drum or the small piccolo, you are important and you are needed for this thing to be complete, for perfect harmony. We are all instruments of God and we are all wonderful in His sight and we are all needed. Begin to use your instrument well. Let's all dress up and play beautiful music in sweet harmony together for God and make this world a place someone will want to know the great I AM! Let's make it a place that they want to come and play with us too. We need their instrument and they need to know that. Well, that is what I gathered from one of the best days I ever had. I just love and adore symphonies. There is just something about the organization of it all, the sound of all the different instruments, and the gracefulness and elegance of the whole thing. And we must not forget the conductor. She stood up there directing and moving her hands and baton in time with the music. They kept their eyes on her as much as their music and without her they would not have been even close to staying in rhythm or harmony. And so it is with God's big orchestra. We must keep our eyes on Him and His instruction to keep us in the right rhythm. Without Him it would be just chaotic noise, with Him it is beautiful harmonious music...

Pics for Brittnie...

Here is the gang...

Kennedy Elizabeth-13


McKenzie Grace-11

Matthew Christopher-7

Faith is Blind...

God has really been dealing with me on believing just how big He really is. He has been dealing with me on faith. Faith in Him. Faith in His Word and His ability to perform it. His ability to bring forth to pass what He has already established. A treasured friend of mine, Pam Tisdale, who the Lord has been speaking to on the subject of faith for her monthly women's meeting put it like this today. Faith is blind. Faith is believing in something we cannot see. Faith is loving the one who is leading. Faith is trusting the one who is leading. Faith is a seeing eye dog. Let me explain. When a blind person is given a seeing eye dog it is no small process of just saying "here is your dog, now you and it walk". They have to be paired with each other. Their personalities cannot clash. They have to form a bond, an intimate relationship, a trust with each other. Then they have to practice with each other, getting to know each other, knowing each others thoughts before they are ever expressed. Then and only then can they go and walk. The dog must go through extensive training to be a seeing eye helper. By the time he is released from training, he knows more than the blind person, in essence, and now all that is needed is the bond I spoke of before. The dog has got to know the owner trusts him and the owner has got to know that the dog will not let him or her fall and will not lead them into danger. So, they go out into the busy streets and towns working in harmony together like a well oiled machine. The dog leads the blind person around every obstacle and every hindrance that would cause them to stumble and if it is not possible to go a round, the dog will wait until the owner can carefully step over to safety(can we just pause and calmly think of that for a minute, SELAH!). Just like the blind man, we have got to form a relationship of trust with the One leading us that He will not cause us to stumble and He will keep us from falling and will not lead us into danger. And just like the Seeing eye dog, God will lead us around every obstacle in our path, keep us from danger, and get us to our destination. He has been well trained. He is God. He knows more about leading us than we do. The blind person cannot see their dog. They can only feel him. He must trust in something that he cannot see, only feel. We may not be able to see God but we can feel Him. We must trust that He has a job and He knows what He is doing. Now in the beginning is there never a time that the blind man does not stumble or get a little scratched up? No. I'm sure there are a few bumps and bruises but they are all worth it for the freedom that comes with practicing and trusting. They are not confined to one room. They have freedom to live, to explore, to be independent. They still have limitations in that they still must have faith in the dog to lead them, but that is okay because my friend Pam also said that when she was talking with Lord on faith she said "Lord, if we could just see how big You are, to be absolutely confident in who You are and who we are in You, then the enemy would be like an ant to us and we would never have to be bothered by him, we could just step on him and walk on" and the Lord answered her with this "yes, but then there would be no need for faith". Hummmm. What a profound revelation. Just like the blind must still trust in the dog for their freedom, so must we still have to trust in Him for ours. We must trust. We must believe in just how big He really is but we must also remember that without Him, there is no freedom and no need for faith, in essence no need for Him. We must always need Him. Faith is blind but what comes from it is beyond priceless. As my friend Tiffany(teawithtiffany.blogpsot.com) put it and I am paraphrasing, "just because you cannot see the mountain for the snow doesn't mean it isn't there and in the same way, just because you can't see Him doesn't mean He is not there. The mountain will not move and neither will He". He is leading you around every obstacle, steering you from danger, telling you the way you should go, and when you face an obstacle that seems impossible to get around and you must go over instead He is patiently waiting till you get your footing to cross and He will not let you ultimately fall. I know you can hear the horns blowing and the noise of the crowd, but never fear, it doesn't shake Him. He is not shaken or deterred. And He will lead you to your final destination. Trust Him to. Proverbs 3:5-6.... Faith is blind...but He is and forever will be God...and His eyes see what ours cannot...look through His...

More Revelation...

God seems to keep filling me in with the bits and pieces He wanted me to obtain from Deborah and Dorcas. This is what I am discovering. You absolutely cannot be the Deborah He calls you to be without being a Dorcas too. Let me try to explain how my brain sees it. Hitler was a leader, strong leader. Stalin was a leader, also strong. Wicked Kings in the Bible were leaders. Anyone can be a Deborah with enough will, charisma, and support of the people, but whether they are a good and kind leader is their choice. I think He wanted me to see that Deborah was a great leader and warrior. It is said that she was a "bee in peace and a wasp in war" but it was the compassion for her people that led her heart to want to save them. If you are to lead, then you have to be a servant first. A servant that has a heart of compassion for the people you are leading. If you do not have the heart of Dorcas then you are no better than an indifferent boss who is there just to draw a paycheck with no care for the people under him. You are no better than a Hitler who cared nothing for the people, only his own selfish desires. So, God had to open my eyes to see that great leaders are leaders who walk in the authority of Deborah with the heart of Dorcas full of compassion and humility. A leader who will hurt when her people hurt, cry with them, try to understand what they are going through, help them all they can and not stand in a place of judgement over them. A leader who will go the extra mile to feed into the lives of her people without expecting anything in return, just the satisfaction of seeing growth in them. In other words God, it's not about me and it never has been. It's about leading as Jesus lead. With the heart of a humble servant. I get it....help me to lead like You, Lord.

My Man Rocks!!!

My kids hate this picture...lol


A match made in Heaven...aaahhhh....

Is not a fan of the camera...

Real man... and a Clemson Tiger fan to boot!!!

Okay, I haven't bragged on my man in awhile so I thought I would take a few minutes today and tell you just how blessed I am. Every woman at church wants to know if either he has a brother or if he is clonable....lol. Not so much because he is that gorgeous though I have to say he is hitting the gym like never before and is beginning to hulk up pretty good, but because he is such a dream to live with. His Dad taught him and his brother well. If we ever had dinner at his parent's house, his mom would never lift a finger to clean up afterwards. His dad would say "okay boys, let's get to it" and off they would go to take care of the chores. His dad would serve his mom with so much tender care and so much love. He was very attentive to her needs. But his mom didn't do every little thing for them either. She taught them how to take care of themselves and how to cook, clean, and have respect. They are both passed away from cancer now, his mom died first in Sept of 2003 and his dad died in Sept of 2005. I say he grieved himself to death. I have no doubt it was because of those lessons learned from watching his daddy with his mom and his mom's teaching him that helped him become the man he is today and then when Chris added Jesus into the mix...look out!!! He is forever doing things for me. He absolutely is a man's man. A full fledge guy, but yet he loves to cook like nothing else. He does most of the cooking at home and at church but only because he really enjoys cooking very very much. He always has my plate fixed whether it be breakfast, dinner, or supper. He always brings it to me and then when I am done he comes and takes it from me. He helps tremendously with the housework whenever he is needed and insists on taking the tough jobs on himself. I have no idea why he does these things. I have tried to stop him and help him but he insists that he loves to do it for me. A hunk, a servant, cook, house cleaner, awesome daddy....I am very blessed. Not to mention he would give the shirt off of his back to anyone. He is the most selfless person I have ever known. He is known by many as the jack of all trades because he knows how to do such a variety of things. I don't know if there is anything he is not good at but the best part about him is that he is not territorial and if he knows someone can do it better, he backs off and lets them have free reign and if he doesn't know how to do something he is not to proud or stubborn to ask someone to teach him. He is always forever giving to others and helping others in need. I have never been more blessed to have such a wonderful, loving, compassionate(yes, he cries at movies), and strong, and beautifully handsome man that his given his heart and life to God and the service of others not expecting anything in return or any of the glory. If he sounds too good to be true, I can promise you he does have his weak points, he can lose his temper, and he can be very impatient. He can also be a real man or should I say male at times too. But no matter wha,t he is my man and I cannot thank God enough for allowing me the honor of being his wife, the mother of his children, and to serve him is my privilege. I pray we live a long and blessed life together and just get better and better as time goes on... And today I just wanted to give him some flowers of praise while he is still alive and not after he is gone from this world as we should do all those we care about in our lives. We should never wait to pin roses until after they are gone. They need to know we admire them today. Let me hear some things about your man. Brag on him a little bit! I am sure you think your sweetie pie rocks too!!

I GET IT!!

I get it!! Okay, God is the lion and the lamb all at once. He is wild and ferocious and boasts a loud roar but yet meek and compassionate and loving. He is Dorcas and Deborah! He has the nature of a Deborah but the heart of a Dorcas! Okay, I'm good now... Just had to get that out...I'm sure all you guys knew that already but bear with me while I gather myself. It was news to me!

Dorcas or Deborah...

Lord, for so long, probably all my life, I have striven to be a Deborah. A leader. A spokesperson. In the limelight. On the stage. I feel comfortable on the stage. At home. I was probably the only person ever to love Public Speaking in college. And my momma told me I talked so much as a child that she wished on me to have one just like me to talk my ears off(and thank you Momma, I have three, so much so that sometimes I just look at them and ask them can they just give me five minutes please!). As you are shaping me Lord, testing me, trying me, molding me into this new person that doesn't where the cloak of her past anymore, I am finding out who I am more and more. Funny how when the blinders come off and you can feel and see and perceive things correctly, nothing looks familiar at all. I am beginning to not recognize me accept for the things I used to love to do as a child. You are taking me back to the roots of who you first meant for me to be before the world took over and soiled me, soiled my heart, my vision. You are reminding me of the things I used to love to do as a child before the things others wanted me to do were forced on my life. I have written, sang, and drawn since I was very little and those things are the only things that have stuck with me throughout. I love to write because it is my release. I love to sing because I absolutely love to. I had almost forgotten that you put these things in me since I was little for a reason. For so long I have striven to be that Deborah who is a strong leader and everyone looks up to. I wonder now if I have only tried to be her for the wrong reasons. Maybe I felt so unloved and rejected and insecure as a child and even as an adult, that I felt the need to be a somebody. It is a very uncomfortable thing to try to wear someone elses skin and I have tried to all my life thinking that I wasn't good enough in my own for anyone to notice or care. How foolish. How deceptive of the enemy. My skin is the only skin that fits me, the only skin that is comfortable. I heard a quote that said, "don't try to be someone else, they are already taken". I cannot tell you what it meant for me this last Sunday for the Lord to speak to my heart as He has been so faithfully doing lately. Still striving to be a Deborah I whispered up to Him "Oh, God make me a Deborah" and He gently spoke back "but you are not a Deborah, you are a Dorcas to the Deborah". For a moment it was a hard pill to swallow. I wanted to be on the stage. I wanted to do something great for you Lord! A Dorcas! Surely, you can't mean me. Not the strap on your seat belt, cause it's going to be a wild ride person that I am. It's not even my personality God and there is no glory in it!! AAAHHHHH, there we go. For the first time I heard myself say it. There is no glory in it. EXACTLY!!! God isn't looking for anymore Superstars in the world today. There are plenty of those to go around. What He wants is someone to have a compassionate heart for His people and for the lost who are willing to step off the stage and into the highways and byways. Can I tell you I was sick! Pride had overtaken me from a long time of not knowing who I was in Him and the need to be accepted. It was never truly for Him that I wanted to be there. And not to mention, He knew what He had given me to work with and He knew what I was best suited for. You see, Dorcas is special. She was a rare find. She took what God had given her in the ability to sew and she used it daily for Him in touching the lives of so many who were in need, so much so that they grieved her back to life...lol. Not many people are willing to give up the limelight and being seen and heard to work behind the scenes. I can say that, because I have been one of them. So, when He first said Dorcas, I didn't like it. The more He began to show me Dorcas, the more I began to understand His heart, His desire. How often does a woman offer the most meaningful service to God by doing what seems to be the least important to the world? She did. She offered what He gave her back to Him at His feet everydayof her life. Her whole life was worship to Him and she didn't care about any of the glory. She presented Him with it all. He gave me the ability to write. I didn't like it. I have to sit still and be quiet to do that and that goes against my nature. But if I sit and look at what talents I have, I have to use them for Him in the way He desires and not how I desire. So long I have been so selfish keeping back what He has given. I have been told that my gift is of an encourager. I have tried so hard to be so many other things than that. To me the words I give to others to lift them up are just words that He gives me, they come easy and it is hard for me to understand others who cannot say the first encouraging thing because it is hard for them to find the words. Finding the words has never been hard. I just always thought this gift was insignificant. Pastor preached last Sunday that the encourager was a prophet in his own rights and was great in the eyes of the Lord and that the encourager gift was very significant for without encouragement where would hope be? Encouragers spread hope into a hopeless world. One kind word can be make all the difference in someone's life. I am so worn out from trying to be something I was never suited to be. I have never felt so comfortable beginning to wear my own skin made just for me. There is a peace and a rest that comes with the accepting of who you are and a satisfaction of using the gifts that were given to you to help others especially when no one sees but the person that you are ministering to. My biggest desire is to take broken hearts and gently mend them. To take a life that is broken down and hopeless and lift it up until they are walking with a new self-confidence knowing who they are in Christ and watching that life transform into all God meant for it to be before their life was tainted. There are so many Mephibosheths that have been dropped when they were little, wounded, crippled, and they need some Dorcas's to come to their rescue. To make them think that they are worth more than the most precious gem. I was dropped, but someone came by and scooped me up and helped me to believe in myself, and if I can help but just one person the same way, then I will have done more than a million stages could ever have done. If I can hold a grieving mother and let her cry all nightt if she wants to until morning, if I can give clothes to one child who is facing cruelty at school so that they can walk among their friends with their head held high, if I can hold a baby that has no mom or dad and make them feel loved, if I can make Christmas a time of joy instead of a time of discouragement, if I can read to an elderly person at the nursing home that has no visitors day in and day out, if I can be a friend, be a servant, love the unlovable, hold a hand, give a hug, then truly I have fulfilled the call on my life, the call on all our lives. So, who will you choose to be today? A Dorcas or a Deborah? If you have been called to be a Deborah then you have an awesome call on your life and if that skin fits you, then you must wear it. It's what you were meant to do. But if you have been called to be a Dorcas, don't fight it. You are God's heart. You are His voice, His arms, His feet, His hands. Settle into that skin of yours and begin to use the gifts of encouragement and exhortation to give someone hope. They are waiting on you. They need you. Their life could even depend on it. God depends on it. Don't think yourself lesser than Teachers, and Preachers, etc. You my dear, are great in the eyes of the Lord for you are living out daily His word and you have His very heart. You are significant. Thank you Lord for allowing me to see that the skin I was trying to fit in was never mine. Thank you for gently showing me the reasons why I wanted to wear it in the first place. I know that if you desire to use my love of talking and singing and teaching, then when I am ready to handle it and give You all the glory without accepting any of it, You will make a way. Thank you for the gift of encouragement, for a strong love of the written word, for the gift of putting those words down on paper and thank you that You are the one that makes them mean anything to anyone and not me, and for the ability to sing, though I think the most important person I ever need to sing to is You. Thank you for allowing me to serve You. Thank you for changing my heart. Thank you for gently opening my eyes to myself. Thank you for the honor of being Your child. Please forgive me for all the times I went against you and tried to be someone I was never meant to be. Forgive me for thinking that the gift you have given me was insignificant. Thank you for showing me that it is not. Please, touch someone through me as Your vessel. Even if it is just one. I was just one....

There in Hawaii!!!...and they deserve it!

Well, at about 9:00pm eastern standard time my Pastor and his wife will be landing in Hawaii for a 10 day vacation. It was a gift from everyone in the church for them last year at Pastor's Appreciation Day to celebrate the 10th anniversary since the founding of GCM(hence, the "10" day trip). Can I just say "THEY DESERVE IT"!!!!! I have seen them go through so much for so long and take it all in stride, from losing a baby named Noah to the latest trial of Isaac in the hospital not knowing what the diagnosis was. I have watched them under fire from tongues that needed to be tamed for they meant nothing but harm and I have also seen their hearts hurt from the tongues of well-meaning sheep as well which can sometimes be the most painful. I have watched them dodge the enemy's fiery darts and attacks and push through holding God's hand during it all, never complaining, never turning their backs on God. My Pastor's wife said to we ladies the other night how grateful she was for this getaway with Pastor all to herself for 10 glorious days far away from the rest of the world. I know that probably sounds selfish of her but not really in my opinion because she also stated how incredibly tiring and draining it can get on a Pastor and his wife and family's spirit and life, physically as well. She loves us very much. Pastor does too. It shows in every little thing they do, but they deserve a break just like the rest of us. As hard as it is for some to believe, they really are human. Those of us who are not under that kind of pressure can only imagine what it must be like. As she said, "to be a Pastor's wife is a wonderful honor but also and awesome responsibility that shouldn't be taken lightly. It can also be a place where you are constantly under the microscope. Especially the wife being that she is a woman. And when you are constantly under the microscope with some people, it is like they put you in this box that says because of your title you cannot fall, you can only act perfectly, say all the right things, and if you don't then you must not be holy enough. They expect you to be perfect and it is just not possible, so you have to finally make up your mind that you can only try to do the best you can, be happy and content with the woman God made you to be and the woman He is making you to be, and just love with all your heart the best that you can knowing that God is pleased with your efforts". Try that for a decade or two and see if a break would be a welcome. Tough skin would be a good commodity. Now, is she selfish? Well, in a way, I hope she is just a little bit because if she is not, then she will never get the break she deserves. She needs time for God to be able to restore and renew and get her strength and focus back. I hope as soon as she got on that plane this morning at 5:40am she forgot all about church and people and problems at least for the next ten days. I hope the only things they took with them were bathing suits, towels, and flip flops and I hope they leave on the beach of an island every stress and problem and are healthy, refreshed, and ready to go again. I hope they have the time of their lives. And for all you Pastor's wives out their tonight, I have a feeling you can relate to this post. I hope you all get the same break that you so deserve. My hat is off to you! The rest of us can only begin to imagine your daily life... Unless we wear your shoes, I don't think it could be possible to understand... I am glad God graces you to do it all...

Suggestions please!!

Hey guys. Today the Lord really inspired me again to pick up a bible study that He prompted me to begin to write months ago about Ruth and Naomi for the women of our church. I think the reason I put the thought away was because I was so focused on just the friendship aspect due to some issues the Lord had to deal with in my life that until they were resolved and I could begin to see the whole picture, He wouldn't allow any clarity on the subject. So, since my eyes have been opened to a wider spectrum and my thoughts are beginning to clear as I learn to focus on Him and Him alone, I want to try and do this Ruth thing again...lol. So, here is where you come in. I need your thoughts on this story no matter what your thoughts are. I would love to hear some other perspectives from some wonderful women of God who may have had this story played out in their own life and I would love to hear some other thoughts other than mine. I want to know what you think their relationship truly meant spiritually and just in everyday life in general. What lessons were learned and what did they both glean from the relationship. To me it was the relationship between a spiritual mother and daughter. It was a lesson in obedience and submission to God and the spiritual mentors He places specifically in your life(I have a spiritual mother and would not be where I am today without sitting at her feet, all women need one so that they can be pushed beyond their limits and molded and taught). It was these things that led to destiny and eventually a bond of friendship that was rare. I really would like to know what your takes on these two women are...and thank you, thank you, thank you for your input. It is much appreciated....

God Bless America...

I haven't said so much about the election in the months prior to last night but this morning I feel it is my responsibility as an American to at least reflect a few of my views on the outcome. Yes, I voted for McCain and yes I was a supporter of Sarah Palin. My political and moral views were more consistent with theirs in that I do not in any way shape or form agree with abortion(though I need to say that I hate the sin and not the sinner) and I believe that we as Americans need an economic break. God is the only one who has the right to say when the silver cord to a life is cut. Not man. Not law. God., and that America needs a break from the oppression of a hard working class of citizens who daily meet with the grind of low paying jobs and even higher paid taxes. BUT this morning on November 5th 2008 Barack Obama became the President-elect of the United States of America. At the same time this morning I and my family became subject to his leadership. He became our authority. God speaks much in His word about being submissive to the ones who lord over us. He talks much of the respect that we are to give to the ones He has appointed over us and the dangers of not being obedient to this precept. As my children were on the way to school this morning and knowing the landslide of comments and bashing of America's choice they would face today because not everyone will agree, I warned them gently of the consequences of disrespect. I told them not to get into a political or moral argument, just to say that the choice had been made and change the subject. We have to be very careful to remember that the word says that God appoints all men into positions of authority and leadership. All!! He appointed Saul. He appointed Hitler(hang with me here, I'm going somewhere). Neither men were "bad" when they began. They let pride and free will overtake them and they "became" bad. I have read(Elijah List) where it was prophesied that God said that it would in the beginning look one way when it was really another and that He Himself would turn the head of the one whom He appointed into office and change his heart towards Him. Let's take courage in that this morning. God can turn the head of a King in any way He chooses. I think that when God does as He says, He will get much glory from it. God is still in control today just as much as He was yesterday. He is still on His throne and there is no threat of His dethronement, ever. He sees what we cannot. He understands beyond our understanding. He knows the future for He has already been there. Have no fear this morning for God has left no one hanging out to dry. He by no means has. He is teaching us to trust His decisions. He is teaching us to pray for our leaders and our nation more than ever and put our own agenda aside. He saw something in Obama that He knew only he could carry out for this nation and we need to trust His divine wisdom. He knew the outcome of this race before we did and He was not at all caught off guard or surprised. He is not in Heaven running around frantically trying to figure out what He is going to do now to fix the voter's choice. I'm sure He didn't see a need to fix anything. He is calm. He is cool. He is collected. He is God, He is sovereign and He knows what He is doing. Now, today no matter what my opinion is, no matter what I think, feel, or hear, I must believe that God is doing exactly what He needs to do for America. My responsibility is not to bash Obama, not to go around complaining all day because I didn't get my way, and it is not to give my views to everyone I see. I don't know all there is to know about this man, but God does. It is my responsibility as a child of the only true King to lift the man placed in authority up in prayer, lift my nation up in prayer, exalt the decision of the all wise God, rejoice with all African Americans in the nation today because it is a monumental moment in history for them, rejoice in the fact that God has great things in store for America and that He never fails His seed, never. It IS my responsibility though to submit willingly to the authority that has been placed in my life and in my country and to give respect where respect is due to my leadership. United we stand, divided we fall. If we do not stand with him and give him support in the next days, months, years, then he will have a very difficult time doing the job he has been promoted to do. I pray today that God begins to do a work in President Obama and those in leadership in Congress and the White House of wisdom and discernment and compassion that will show His greatness like this nation and its people have never seen before and God will receive all the glory and honor, not man. I will rejoice because we are the red, white, and blue, we are a great nation, we are free, and we are and forever will be one nation under God...May God Bless America...

I Can See!!!

Job said(paraphrased)"I have known of You, but now my eyes can see You!" What a wonderful sentiment of the heart from a wearied soul. He had to go through so much to have so much taken out of him so that he could finally see the God he had been talking of all this time. Can you exalt someone you do not truly know? Can you worship an unknown? Can you speak words of praise about someone whom you don't have a relationship with? Can you sing when you don't even know the song? No, and God knew Job knew of this great God he so faithfully served but yet he did not KNOW the God he served. And so many things were in the way of him truly coming to know Him. Pride, fear, wealth, flesh...sound familiar? Well, it sounds too familiar to me. So many times I have given this great God lip service even though I didn't truly know Him. My heart wanted to. My spirit man has longed to since forever but things just got in the way, people got in the way, selfish ambition got in the way... So, God let me slip. I didn't say fall, I said slip. He had to show this ol' hard head what was what. I can relate in some small way to Job in that it took God moving away to show me I needed to draw near. Sometimes when you think you have nothing to lose, He will show you that you have everything in the world to lose. And now my eyes can see!! I have never seen so clearly. I have never felt so free. I have never felt so in love. And I have never felt so humbled and so strong at the same time. My God, you knew what it would take. You knew. Now I can see You, Lord. Now, we can fall in love again... You were jealous for me and You meant that relenting was not an option until You obtained all of me, my complete devotion, and my entire focus... I have wasted so much time trying to be who I thought I was supposed to be for You, for everyone else. It was all a sly diversion of the enemy. Not now, for I have seen myself through Your eyes, and for the first time, I like, no I love what I see and for the first time no one or nothing can ever take what I have seen away from me. I can now envision what You have had in store for my life all along. My destiny was never remotely what I thought nor what You had in mind. Your purpose for my breathing was always there and who I really was in You was there as well. It was just hidden behind lies and deceptions. What a beautiful God You are! Thank You that now I can see!!! I give You all the glory and I thank You for showing me the truth... Thank You for everything... I love You and I cannot wait to worship You in spirit and in truth...really in spirit and in truth....You never relented, You never will...thank You...