Prelude to a Post

[photo taken Saturday pm - on an emergency Walgreens run]

Saturday was a long day. As you know I did some serious garage sale-ing in the morning and then we went to a wonderful wedding. After that we swung by the grocery store for some baking supplies, we had a bake sale for the missions trip on Sunday morning and I was asked to bring a baked good to sell. So I got my stuff, dead tired. got home, go the kids to bed and went to bake my famous Butter Cake, which is really Nae from Illinois' famous butter cake. And I had forgotten cream cheese, so I had to run back out. I was seriously annoyed with myself, only because I was so wiped out (we now know I was probably getting sick). So the first gas station didn't have it and I had to run all the way down Garth to Walgreens and I was just grumbling "why did I forget this? what purpose is this for?" blah blah blah. And then I looked up and saw this bow in the sky and I decided it was really worth it. God reminded me of His faithfulness and His overall purpose. I wound up seeing one of Sarah's LGA teachers at Walgreens, and a student whom we had lost contact with. All things work together for His good.

So worship on Sunday was amazing. Rob lead, which is always cool. God has really been moving during our services lately, and using Rob in a major way and it's so awesome to watch it all happen, kwim? (who knew my husband could dance, right?) Anyhoo, I love it when Rob leads because I know how much he enjoys it and the congregation gets way into it. But I struggle personally because I'm usually nervous for him and it's distracting in worship. Anyway, this week was really special because I could focus in - maybe because we've been here a year already - wow! But I was way into it and then we sang "Mighty to Save" which is one of my all-time fave worship songs. The first time we heard this song was at Rob's license recognition service up in Illinois at District Council. It was a strange time in our life, we were in the middle of the interview process with Trinity, still serving in Hartford, and just going through some tough personal stuff. I think we were both struggling with being at District Council because we literally came home from those meetings and left for Texas for our interview. Kind of a foot in each world sort of thing. But it seemed like during that particular service God just slowed time and asked us each to focus on Him instead of all our 'stuff'. The worship team was amazing, so enthused and engaging. Then they sang 'Mighty to Save' and we were reminded once again that our God could provide all our needs. That He was bigger than our situation, or any people or personalities in our situation, that He truely did still have control and we could trust Him with our very lives. I thought about all that we had been through, marrying young and dropping out of bible college, selling our home and going back to school, surviving Ozark, finally graduating (9 years after he started!) and then the first year and half of ministry and I realized that God was more than enough for our lives. It was a pretty big moment in my life, obviously if I still remember it so clearly a year later. So now when I hear that song, it reminds me of God's faithfulness in my own life. How he truly is Mighty to Save - that no situation is bigger than Him and His infinite love.


Back to Sunday morning - we sang this song and I reflected on God's faithfulness again, He gently reminded me to live in the light of where He's brought me from. I can't take for granted what He's brought me out of, how He saved me, changed me, and made me whole again. More than that, I can't be content in just that, I need to share my story with others. I've been trying extremely hard to be more outgoing with people this year, to draw them out and into conversations, especially strangers at the grocery store or in the dr's office, where ever I am. I've been growing a lot in this area, even my hubby has noticed. But God is asking me for the next step. I felt like He specifically dropped the phrase "tell your story" in my mind on Sunday morning and I thought about a venue to do that in. Duh. My blog. I have never shared my full story on my blog. Sure, if you've been reading from the beginning, you may think you have a pretty good grasp of my story, but I know there are things I haven't shared even here. And if you are a new reader, I'm pretty sure you don't want to go back to August of 2005 and start reading now! :) Anyhoo, I mentally made the commitment to blog my story and then we started singing the bridge part - " Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus" and it was such a confirmation of what had just taken place in my heart. I was excited.
So I write all that to tell you to watch for it. My story is coming. And I'm going to link it into my profile, so anyone who accesses ATP could potentially read my story as well. I'm pretty excited.

(i'm pretty sick this morning though, I was up all night with the flu and it's still kicking my can this morning, so it may not be today. Just typing out this much took it out of me. Your prayers would be appreciated)