Shhhh. Since He's Already Read..

Since I know Brother G has already read today.... I can get away with sharing this.

Shhhhhhhhh....




He uses more hair products on his really short hair than I do on my really long hair.

What's up with that?

Celebrating 19 years of marriage today!

It's the little things that add up. Like goatee hairs in the bathroom sink. (I'll take those over nose hairs any day!)

A vital part of our marriage? Laughter.

That man can make me snort.

Aren't ya glad you read this now? ;)

And you thought I was going to be all mushy.....

"You're Not Finished Here Yet."

Remember: You were warned.

Do you ever get hurt so badly that you want to leave? You want to go anywhere else, but stay where you are at? That was me/us at the beginning of the summer. And yet, Brother G and I kept hearing, "You're not finished here yet. You're not released to leave this town." We were even told by another church in another place - "You're not finished there yet." Confirmation yet again... This is definitely where having a praying life and not a prayer time is crucial.

As God so often does.... He is using the hurt and the pain and is continuing the work here in G-town in ways that there is no denying it's Him. How do I know? It is totally beyond me/us...

One of the things that Brother G and I have the privilege of doing is teaching the late teens and twenty-somethings Bible study group on Sunday mornings. At first we said yes to doing it because there was an immediate need for teachers/leaders. We thought maybe we'd be "the substitutes" for a couple of weeks and then be gone. Little did we really know.....

I was walking up the stairs after having been moved greatly by the Holy Spirit... and I saw him.. and he saw me. And he walked into the room I was going to.... Then came the..."Camey? You're just going to have to trust me on this. You're going to be uncomfortable as hell, but I know what I'm doing even if you don't." Brother G was not going to be with us for today's group either.

We sit in a circle.. We were discussing "Spiritual Maps"... I had asked the question, "So? Where are you on your Spiritual Map this moment?" We were going around the room. When it came time for Tommy.... he said, "Well, this is my first time in a church in about a year. I live in Ft. Worth now. I came today because I knew I was supposed to. I used to live here and worked at ______ before changing jobs and moving." Then, Tommy and I looked at each other in the eyes. That's where we knew each other from. And he remembered... and so did I.

Brother G and I were on a double date with Smithee and his wife when we first met Tommy. He was our server that night. He already knew Ry and so the conversation flowed more as individuals who knew each other and not as that of complete strangers. As Brother G and I do... I asked Tommy how we could pray for him... he responded... and then Brother G prayed... He was treated with kindness our whole time there. God's kindness.... and received a generous tip. We had Tommy as our server several more times... whether Brother G and I together on a date or my being with others that I was meeting to minister to in a neutral place. Each time offering to pray, treating with God's kindness, and leaving a generous tip. At that time in his life - Tommy really didn't want any thing really to do with a place known as a church. Remember - Brother G and I (nor our sons) consider the church to be a building.... that is how we live life as lifestyle missionaries. That is where life in the moments come from... it's not just about those couple of hours on Sunday morning or whenever one might "do" church...

Had we treated Tommy like dirt - he would not have been as open to listening to the Holy Spirit talking to him about coming or through me and the others in the group. He also said he was in a cave right now and the light peeking in was really bright. Then he brought up "Hell" and we discussed it. It included me throwing my Bible down in the middle of the room. Talk about uncomfortable.... Talk about totally relying on the Holy Spirit...... I'll leave the rest of what was said between those there for now... except this part..

As they were walking out of the room - one by one - we hugged and "I love you" was said, meant and known. I almost did not hug Tommy. "I" had to get out of the way again... He hugged me hard and told me he was glad we were still here and that he came. He really hadn't wanted to but knew he wasn't finished here yet. That even though he didn't think there had been any way to reach him.... God was.

I'm quoted now as saying, "Included moving to a town I said I would never live in." That's because I knew I would truly have to die by living here...

There were other things going on this particular weekend that I will not write about here... except to say this... I would rather look like a fool and follow the Holy Spirit even when it does not make sense than to leave in an effort to become comfortable again and lick my wounds.

Where are you not finished yet?

Are you willing to die to self and let Him use you as HE wants?

It's not just about Sunday.

Warning! Don't Read If You Can't Be Moved.

This post is merely to warn you about the next post from me.

Don't say I didn't warn you.....

Don't read the next post if you can't be moved. Or don't want to be....

I'm just sayin'....

And you are being prayed for!

More Than A Free Lunch.

It's Thursday now... my mind keeps going back to Monday. To the Monday family.

Five days a week during the summer, our local church body feeds children free lunches. We take the sack lunches to four locations throughout our town. Designated spots where the children know they can come and get something to eat... The boys and I go out on Mondays with our Student Ministry... Sometimes the boys and I go to the same spot.. other times we split up. Just depends upon the Monday.

This Monday was different. It was cooler outside. Last Monday it was 105 degrees. This time there were even little sprinkles happening. This time - there was a man and his little granddaughter.... Her name is Tori. A beautiful little blond who loves to play in the park.

The grandfather and I spent a good amount of time talking while sitting at a picnic table while Tori went up and down the slide. He showed me picture after picture of his family..... a family that knows much heartache. And Tori kept playing.

Tori's mother is in jail. She is expected to get out in October. While there is no doubt that he loves his daughter - he is nervous about what is going to happen when she is no longer behind bars. When she comes to live with him, his wife (her mother), and Tori. Drugs... Oh, those drugs. He prays this time is different - especially for Tori's sake.

I walked over to Tori as she got on a swing. She started singing "Jesus Loves Me"... and I sung along with her while pushing her higher and higher. There is no doubt she held my attention... and took a piece of my heart. So did her grandfather.

When it looked as if the bottom was about the fall out of the sky.... Tori and her grandfather decided it was time to go. The three of us, Smithee, Austin, and the Michaels (there's two guys named Michael) all held hands and prayed for their family. And hugs were given. Tori whispered in my ear, "Camey? Thank you for being here today."

Five days a week during the summer free lunches are provided.

It's all in the name of Love..... God's Love.

For there is no love like His....

Please join us in praying for the Monday family. Thank you.

What ways can you share God's Love today.... this moment?

(And yes, Austin shared with her that her name "Tori" means bird in Japanese. She thought that was cool.)

Hearing and Responding: Public School (by Austin)

Ohayo..."Good Morning" in Japanese...to the peeps of da' blog.

S0 the last few days have been rather interesting to say the least. Thursday evening I was working and I got this burden about the High School. As my momma-in-Christ Camey said, I had a major conviction about going to the High School of Granbury to be a lifestyle missionary. If you want the full story you can read a few posts back.

I'll get to the point.

GHS or LBA? *Drum roll please*



LBA

And now I explain.

At the wonderful Mission Arlington complex, there is a faithful volunteer named Matt. One of the points he repeatedly bashed into our heads during the Middle School Mission Trip earlier this summer was "We can get a group of students excited about going to a country like China, thinking 'Yeah lets go! We can get shot and killed, but who cares?', when we can't even get excited about going across the lunchroom table.". The high from Philly is still in my spiritual bloodstream, so being reckless...yeah. But that's not what God has in mind.

You see, I have only been spiritually sane since April, during the first time I did the devotional A Call to Die. April was the closing of the school year. Even though last year was a living soap opera episode, I grew close to several of my friends there that either aren't Christians or aren't plugged into church. I don't recall inviting any of them to any church events this year...well how can I go to a high school, and get risked getting shot for my faith, when I haven't even done that at my small, little Christian academy. Yes, it may be "Christian", but several of my friends there aren't or aren't in Church. As my Pastor Mark says, 'We get so caught up in hitting a home run that we forget how to do a routine ground ball'.

So there you have it...If several of you were thinking "Austin is going to the High School" - nope, I have my instructions from God- Step up in your own little school, before you tackle the big world.

Sayonara peeps! And thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Precious Resources

*Note from Camey: Please watch the name of the author at the bottom of each post before commenting.

Last night, we had just sat down to dinner, when there was a knock at the front door. It was a guy from our local water company who was driving through the neighborhood looking for green grass...you heard right...green grass. And anywhere he saw green grass, he pulled up, stopped, and went up to the front door of that home and knocked. Which was why he was now knocking on our door...because we have green grass.

The man from our water company proceeded to explain to me that the reason he had stopped and interrupted my highly nutritious Pizza Hut dinner, was because he saw our green grass. Not trying to be a Mr. Smarty Pants, I said to the man, "thank you, I'm glad you like it." Unfortunately, the man was not there to bestow an award for the greenest lawn in our neighborhood. To the contrary, he launched into this somewhat probing interrogation relative to my watering habits...which I must confess caught me just a little off guard.

"How many days a week do you water? What days of the week do you water? Do you water on even numbered days or do you water on odd numbered days? Do you water between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM on any day of the week regardless of whether it's an odd or even numbered day?

Now the Paul Harvey as to why this young man was now standing on my front door step has to do with more than the fact that I have some green grass in my front lawn. Several weeks ago the water company had sent out a letter telling all the residents of the neighborhood that the water well that provided water to our quaint little village was running dangerously low because of the hot temperatures and high demand for water. The letter had specifically instructed all residents not to water between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. Furthermore (now I'm sounding like a lawyer, right?), according to the instructions contained in this letter, if your address ended in an even number, like mine, you could only water on even numbered days of the week...but only before 8:00 AM or after 8:00 PM. The letter contained a similar admonishment for those water mongering odd numbered residents.

Well it seems that the water level in the water well has not recovered, and in fact, has now reached a critical stage. If drastic conservation measures are not initiated immediately the neighborhood could temporarily be without water in a matter of days and until such time as the water company can drill an additional well. Which brings us back to my dinner time visit from the water company representative. The water company has apparently decided that if you have any green grass in your yard, you must somehow be in violation of the aforementioned water edict. So the pointed questioning as to the true nature of my aquatic habits continued unabated.

I must admit that at this point I was beginning to feel like I was back in the fifth grade at North Euless Elementary School being lectured by Ms. Morrison, my fifth grade teacher after someone ratted me out for stuffing papertowels in the drain of one of the sinks in the boy's bathroom and turning on the water. She kept me after school that day for what seemed like at least six hours...which I think it was only an hour, but to a ten year old wanting to get home and play, it was an eternity. Ms. Morrison went into great detail with me about why we should respect God's creation and the precious resources He gave to us to sustain life on this little blue planet. She read to me the Genesis account of creation from the big ol' family Bible she had on her bookshelf, and she told me horrifying stories of kids my same age in other parts of the world who were dying because they lacked enough clean water to drink. Then, she made me write on the blackboard 100 times that "I will respect God's creation and not waste water ever again." That's a long sentence for a 10 year old...especially when you're having to write it 100 times!

But you know what? I can promise you that after the lecture I received from Ms. Morrison that day some 36 years ago, I have never, ever, ever, knowingly wasted water. What's more, I have always been keenly aware of God's incredible creation and of the awesome responibility we all been charged with by God to care for it. Whether it's the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, or other resources he has blessed us with, we are God's stewards and caretakers of His creation. How sad that we so often take for granted the gifts we have have been given...many times until it's too late. One day, we are going to run out of something that God has given us, like water...and we won't be able to just drill another well...like they are planning to do in our neighborhood.

Oh yes, the nice young man at my door - where did I leave off? Oh yeah, I explained to the fellow that the reason I had greener grass than both my even and odd neighbors, was because I happened to have an anaerobic septic system. The kind that cleans the water to the point where its cleaner than our lake water, and then waters the yard with it. Our's is the newest house in our neighborhood, and by the time we built it seven years ago, all the building codes had changed and traditional septic systems were no longer allowed. No one else had a septic system like ours. Obviously this nice young man wasn't aware of that fact. After several minutes of explaining the finer nuiances of our septic system to the guy...while my highly nutritious yet somewhat cold pizza dinner awaited...he went away - I think still somewhat skeptical.

However, I appreciated the reminder of just how precious the things God has given us are. And that includes a lot more than just water!

Hearing and Responding. Public School.

Thank you to those whom have commented on Austin's post below whether through here, via email or in-person. He has been beyond busy at the little store since he posted it. He will respond himself when time permits. In the meantime...

I ask that you continue to pray for Austin. He has a big decision to make that only he can. The ball, as they say, is in his court.

Austin has been home schooled/academy since the middle of seventh grade. His decision involves responding to how God is speaking to him these days. There's no doubt he is hearing from God because it would truly mean dying to self even more so than he already does. Austin so enjoys the way he has been doing school the last few years. For him - the most important person ever to walk the face of the earth was Jesus. Curriculum based off that is right up his alley. The academy also meets in our physical church building.

That's where the rub is..... He went to Philly.... the inner-city streets to follow God's call. What about the public high school here in G-town? It's ranked one of the worst in the nation? One reason being drugs. I know it's ugly... but it is the truth.

Brother G and I have never lived or believed that our children's education is totally up to the public school system and the government. If we had - Austin would not be a junior this year. He would be a sophomore. Austin took a test a couple of months ago at a college not far away from here..... he more than qualifies to take dual credit courses for a couple of subjects. (dual credit means they count for high school and college)

There's a lot of talk in certain circles about Christ-followers needing to home school their children these days. That, we believe, is for each individual family to decide after much prayer and seeking God's face... not His hand and not a way to separate ourselves from the world. Strong? Perhaps. We also believe in doing what is best for each child.. not what is easiest necessarily.

If you've spent any amount of time reading this blog - you'll know we see Austin as our brother-in-Christ first.... then our son. That's why I said...

He has a big decision to make that only he can. The ball truly is in his court. We'll support him either way. And for the record... he currently helps pay for his schooling... So, he really does have more than a vested interest in it.

As a note here: I never had any intentions for any of our children to attend public schools. Austin being enrolled in kindergarten at the public school was a response to being obedient to what Brother G heard clearly six weeks before school started. We had Parker - our third child that spring. Parker's story has been shared here before (okay: here's some about him written this year Dream. Prayers. Nineveh. Note.) Austin's first grade year was when I became ill. God clearly was protecting our family. Yes, even in public school.

Hearing and responding.....

Are you hearing God these days?

And what is it going to require of you?

Are you willing to look crazy?

(and you thought this was just about praying for Austin...)

Philadelphia '08!

Hey everyone! This is Austin, Camey and Brother G's eldest son, coming to give you a hint of the Mission: Philadelphia trip!

So every now and then something comes along that just seems to make you say 'Wow'. That 'Wow' was Philadelphia. To quote my good mentor Lincoln, 'there's something about [Philadelphia] that brings me to my knees.' Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!

I must get the first two days out of the way. Let me rack my brain to see if there is an appropriate adjective that describes the first two days of the trip... other than the fragment 'Never Again'... I can't think of anything else to say about it. 48 hours, 4 of them asleep. Everyone. By air, land, train, and sea...all in one day. I never want to go back to NYC again...aaahhh!!! 3 minutes to catch trains....lost subway rides....3 hours in a train station...yeah...I could go on.

Before we finally got to our hotel, which was actually in New Jersey, we had experienced an incredible worship service at Open Door Baptist Church. That was my first time in an African-American church, and I gotta say, how they worship makes us white boys look bored. Dancing, Clapping, Shouting...man, it was contagious! We all caught 'Praise the Lord!' syndrome, and Pastor Mark, who was only gonna preach 20 minutes he said at first, turned into an hour of pure Word-reading. Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!

3 Churches, 2 Vacation Bible Schools, 1 Mission: To bring the love of Jesus to a community thirsting for one. The street I was on happened to be Cocaine Alley, where the most cocaine is dealt in the United States. I saw quite a few drug deals go down...thankfully we weren't approached by any dealers. My street was one of the most dangerous of all Philadelphia, but I never felt intimidated. We received quite a few death threats (one of them I will tell later in this post), but God defiantly put a hedge of protection around us this week. Our Vacation Bible School was interesting. The first day, only 2 kids showed up. We know why though : when we were starting, kids were getting out of bed. So we pushed it back an hour later, and guess what? The next day, we saw like 14-15 kids, and they kept coming every day later in the week. We saw 2 of the kids accept Christ, a major blessing. This all happened in the morning.

The afternoon dawned pretty fast every day that week. We each had our own project to help. Several rebuilt a basement, picked up trash in a neighborhood, painted rooms...I had me and 3 other guys working on computers. I was going to wait until the end to talk about what God taught me, but in order to continue with this story, I must say now: God will reward you for saying 'Yes' to wherever He puts you. I now have a very keen concept of the term 'Flexibility' now. Our "plan" wasn't what God had in mind for us. I was so excited about working on rebuilding the basement, but God had a different plan for me. I got the chance to try to get some computers set up. The pastor of the church gives me 4 computers to work with, and he wants Office 2007 Professional installed on each of them. At first I was okay with that, but It wasn't until I plugged one in and turned it on did I realize the true scope of the situation. These computers were 20 years old. Each of them were different in specifications. Each had a different hard drive. One of them had Windows XP installed already - on a 2 gig hard drive. Yes, I said 2 gig. And it was an internal hard drive. We didn't get to use much CD-ROM; we got to see countless Floppy disks - including all 28 floppies for Windows 95'. I can't tell you how horribly messed up these poor computers were. One other thing that I learned is this: Whenever you can do a project, when it comes to computers, never, ever say 'I can do it, no problem' without looking under the hood. We worked with MS-DOS pretty much the whole week, and thank God Ryan S. knew his server commands, because none of us had a clue what to do. By the end of the week, we had officially deemed one of the computers 'Dead', and even though we couldn't get a single computer working enough, we got the one with Windows XP cleaned up...and it had easily the worse disk defragmentation report I've ever seen. I can't describe the frustration and annoyance the 4 of us had working with these old pieces of technological archeology (Seriously, we saw a HP Vectra!), but at the same time, the rewards I got for getting several days of hands-on training with old computers was definitely invaluable. So when you say "Yes" to God, He will reward you. I firmly believe that now, as it has happened to me. On a side note: One of the funniest things we saw was when we were driving down the road one day, in front of us was a van that said : Cyberhood: Bringing the Cyber to the Hood. Priceless.

Now for the story of a death threat. We were passing out fliers for Vacation Bible School, and this guy walks up to me and asks for a flier. I hand him one, and he starts asking about why we're here, what we're doing, when my friend Caidon comes and joins the conversation. We couldn't tell what his mood was at first, but we thought he was interested. Ah...no. This guy then starts yelling and cussing at Caidon, who is 5 feet away from me, and I seriously thought something bad was going to happen. I thought he was going to hurt her, when he just shoves the flier back at her. He starts walking away, and in the corner of my eye, I saw these 3 big guys coming our way, thinking 'Not good...This could get bad'. Before I could say a prayer , these 3 guys start shouting at this guy "Hey fool, leave the girl alone. What she do to you?" Then they start shouting back in forth, between us, and we thought a fight was going to break out. Then the amazing John comes and peacefully breaks the fight up. Me and Caidon were shaken, but we then thought, 'We must be doing something right for Satan to attack us like this". That experience also taught me to rely on God in times of trouble and not human strength. My backpack weighed probably 25 lbs, and was the pretty big. When I saw the guy getting aggressive to Caidon, I un-slung one of the straps, with the full intention of using it to protect, a sign of my pride saying 'I can handle this', when my response should have been, 'God, protect her'. I have yet to learn the difference from being brave to protect someone and being an idiot. I was the latter.

I must tell you about a lady named Mrs. Yates. She worked at the church we did Vacation Bible School at. She has the incredible ability to call people out of their sins when they walk down the street. It was incredible. She got that way by studying the word. When she was telling us this, after we had saw in action, God slapped me and said "You pour your time into these other books, but not into my Word". For the trip I brought my Bible, a 400 page book I was about halfway finished with, another 400 page book I hadn't even started yet, and on top of all that, the massive Lord of the Rings. A little overkill, huh? As a result, I am going though the devotional A Call to Die for the second time this year, fasting from all books except the Bible and books for school. I've found that if you say something on a spiritual high, when you get to the trenches, if you don't do it right away, chances are you wont do it. So I did it right away. For me, what will make this trip a success or not is found months afterwards, how we are doing applying the things God taught us in our spiritual high. We can remember the trip for the great memories, but I'd rather remember the trip knowing it was the trip that led me on the start of a greater relationship with God in my everyday life. That is my hope and prayer for my fellow students who went on this trip, that we don't grow out of the way we lived that week, we grow into it.
Several of us told in front of others what God was teaching us, so now is the test. This was round one.

I could talk all day long about the trip, but I would probably kill the bandwidth of blogger. In all this, God really worked in our lives, and in the lives of others this week, both in our church and in the community. I would go back there in a heartbeat. I hope we go back next year, because the construction project couldn't finish the whole basement, and I would come up with a credit card and get whatever we need for those computers. By the way, I want to organize a fundraiser for the church I worked for, money where we could purchase computers and supplies they would need to have a computer lab. If any of you are interested in donating, please contact us. I want to leave you with an exert from my journal.

"I hope that [the trip] is the chapter that begins a story that doesn't end, one that continues for our lives...Like from camp, we are on a mountaintop, and on the mountain things do not grow. They grow at the bottom, in the trenches of life...We took the fight to Satan - but in the fog of war we can't see the damage done to his dominion. We may not in this life. I am about to get off the plane and head from Atlanta for DFW - and for home. You're the God of that city, you're the King of those people..."

The River. Undeniable Encounters.

The River:

Saturday evening, Austin, Travis, Parker and I headed down to the river. This was the first time that Austin had been back from Philly since we started going to the river again. Actually, it dawned me on while we were there.... I never had gone down to this particular river with the boys until a week plus ago - my dad had always been the one. Most of the time it was because the boys were staying with my parents because I was in the hospital. As I sat there watching the boys throw rocks - I thanked God for the pain of illnesses. For even though I would have preferred for none of us to have gone down that path - I wouldn't trade that time they spent with their grandpa. And even after being healed... and all that took place with daddy before his passing... again... wouldn't trade one single moment.

The boys skipped rocks and we were laughing ourselves silly. All the sudden we heard airplanes above us. In the midst of the gentle sway of the water - we had forgotten how close we were to the private airfield in the highly secure gated community. Up above us were two small private planes. One I'm sure was coming in for a landing... the other - it kept circling above us as if it were keeping watch of the river and those in it. As the sun continued to set - the plane would get harder to see - and yet we could still hear it. It's presence was clearly known.

At one point - Travis got a little mad at Parker. He walked off for a bit..... Parker followed him. Then, Austin..... then me.... After a bit - he came back to where we had been in the river. This time was different. They didn't just get a little wet.... they actually swam in the river. I think it is more than safe to say - had Travis not gotten mad - they would have been content with only being in the water up to their knees. Funny how that works like that..... Their smiles were simply contagious and their laughter was even more infectious. And I thanked God yet again for three boys who the world said I would never have. Yes, that's another part of my/our story..

As we were starting to talk about how dark it was getting outside... we all stood in the river and held hands and Austin prayed out loud. For even though I am their mother - it is not always necessary for me to do so. The music could be heard as we were linked together hand and hand... age to age... 40, 16, 13, and 10. I must confess - it was hard to leave the river. I wanted to capture the moment and savour it. I did take pictures and video. They will stay as just ours for now.

Parker took my hand as we started back to the van. He kept looking at me and smiling deeply with that red hair of his looking more like an apple than a pumpkin pie like it does at times. He'd tell you it's auburn.... We sang as we headed back to where I am now. We worshipped our Real Father. And even after I had pulled in to the garage...... we sat in the van and kept worshipping. Austin and I had tears in our eyes. A moment even Kodak could not capture fully and no Visa card could carry an amount so great.

Undeniable Encounters:

Without question, there have been numerous undeniable encounters the last few months. Some if I were to share with you..... you'd call me absolutely crazy. And that would be more than okay with me. For one thing my Real Father has shown me time and time again.... all I have to do is be available to be used. Sharing His love is easier than baking cookies or giving away free water. It also can include how one answers a phone or greets that visitor walking in to the door of a place they never thought they would venture. Or the person standing in line behind them getting coffee or a Happy Meal. I pray, you, dear reader, hear that with an open heart.

Tonight was the sharing time for those who went on the trip to Philly at our physical church building. That's why I've been waiting to post testimonies here since their return....

So, first up is Austin. Warning... he can be long-winded like his dad and mother. But I pray you'll see our Real Father in his every word.

And you have been prayed for wherever you are found this very moment.

What Are You Willing To Risk?

"You shouldn't be here. You could get shot." This was said to our son, Austin, in the inner-city of Philly this week.

Are you willing to get shot?

How safe are you this moment?

What are you willing to risk?


Note: When asked about going back to either New York and/or Philly.... he said he'd go back to Philly in a heartbeat.

More to come!

What's Happening?

There is something in the air.... well, soon any way...

Peeps are coming back to G-town, Texas from Philly tonight!

Watch for testimonies from those in the know about what all has happened there this week. Seeds that were planted through Servant Evangelism... Sharing God's love through acts of kindness. Being the Word Alive... the hands and feet....

Keep praying! It's not over because the trip is ending.

Question:

Why do you have Serve! with Steve Sjogren on your new blog list? (still working on blogs to put on blog list.... lol)

Answer:

Yes, it is true that I do have an article in the current edition of Serve!

Question:

Why is your article not linked on your blog?

Answer:

It is.... Check out Serve! with Steve Sjogren

Just read the rest while you're there!

May you be inspired, encouraged, and challenged to SERVE! We are praying for you..

Question:

Did you really say that your son Austin could stay in Philly?

Answer:

Why, yes. Yes, I did... Note: I did not mean he would not have to finish high school. He's a junior this year. He is totally surrendered to God. He is 'in the ministry' just as much - if not more so than his dad, younger bros and I. Who are we to say "Don't follow Your Real Father?" Remember... we also see him as our brother-in-Christ. We are lifestyle missionaries.. not just in vocational ministry.

Ohhh.... but last I heard he is coming back to G-town. Who knows for how long though?

Question:

When are you going to post the story about you being ill and then healed? Or is it already linked on your blog?

Answer:

It's all over the blog in various posts. That will change... Thank you, Bill (cycleguy).

Question:

Let me get this straight? You were ill and then healed. Your dad was ill and then died?

Answer:

Yep. He got the ultimate healing. Physical healing is only temporary!

Question:

Why do you call it "the physical church building" and not "the church"???????

Answer:

Individuals are the church... not the building.

So where are YOU this moment? Who can you share God's kindness to/with this moment?

Something is in the air! It's moving... It's growing...

And may we never be the same today as we were yesterday and will be tomorrow!

Oh... and by "we" - I'm not just talking about local peeps.

Pain. Free. The River.

Pain:

A good amount of the day was spent listening to other's pain. Pain so thick you could squeeze it out like toothpaste and not reach the end of the tube. They needed my ears, shoulders, and for me to just listen. So, I did. And prayed.... prayed...... prayed.....

One thing that kept coming back time and time again with the individuals whom I've known for some time now, "Camey? You know this pain. I don't have to tell you how I feel." And while I have known and do know pain beyond deep.... there is much to be said for getting it all out. For saying, "This is how I feel." For how one handles pain, sorrow, grief, and etc..... is not necessarily the same as others... although the stages may be similar.

As I hugged one particular individual goodbye.... he said to me, "You would have to be here today. I didn't stand a chance of acting like I wasn't hurting with you looking me in the eyes." And we laughed. It was appropriate at that moment.

Free:

While I was talking with various individuals who had come into the physical church building by way of walking or phone.... Parker and Travis were with some good friends of ours giving out free water all over G-town... at the jail, the admin building, at construction sites.... all over. Sure, it was 100 degrees today. All the more reason to show God's love in such a refreshing way. Ice cold free water..... It does more than the body good.

The River:

RQM's (really quiet moments) were on tap for the evening. So, Parker and I headed down to the river... just the two of us.... We took a towel with us and sat on the edge of the water with more than just our toes in the water.... We would dig around in the water and pick up rocks. Parker would say, "Time to go deeper with the digging." And we did. Gorgeous rocks that had been hidden under the surface. He would look over at me and smile deeply. I would look over at him and think about how thankful I am to be his sister-in-Christ and his mom.

At one point he decided to get up and venture in more. With his back turned toward me - I started throwing rocks to purposefully splash him. He turned around and followed suit... And you could hear it..... the echoes of laughter in unison. We were not alone. Make no mistake about it. From the little fishes nipping at our toes.... to the sun setting on the moments of the day and night... worship was taking place just like it is now.

On the way back to where I am at this moment - it struck me.... it was just last week when Parker and I headed down to the river after I can not tell you how long ago. Funny how that happens..... All this time we've been here - it's been less than a couple of miles away tops! We can get there by car, foot, bike, golf cart, and etc....

And it is free.

Thank You, Lord.... Thank You.

The River. People in Life.

The River:

Last night Brother G, Trav, Park, and I headed down to the river. Off came the shoes and in the water we ventured. The water was crisp... It was cool. It was refreshing. It was the ticket for a great hangout amongst individuals who are nutty about each other.

After awhile of being in the water, I sat down on the bank. I smiled deeply watching Brother G teaching the boys how to skip rocks. Apparently there is a real technique to it. And pretty soon - they were making the rocks skip across to the other side. They kept watching him. He kept watching them. And I could not help but give thanks yet again for the guys in my life.

We danced and prayed..... We got wet. Then we went to the park and swung on swings. As I was laying back in the swing - looking up in the sky through the trees...... we giggled at how incredibly silly I looked. Life is so precious. Each moment to be taken in... Worship is breathing. It is inhaling God and exhaling Him back out. The song that was playing had a rhythm that only Holy Spirit can orchestrate. And it was Holy indeed especially with how bad we smelled.

People in Life:

I never know what to expect on Wednesdays. I arrive at the physical church building at 8:30 a.m. and do not leave again until 8:30 p.m. What a glorious day it turned out to be!

As I sit here thinking about how prayers were so clearly answered..... I am beyond thankful.

Cases in point:

1) There was concern that a dear friend had breast cancer. She does not!

2) A co-worker decided today to not leave. We have so much fun talking trash. She still has a hard time letting me empty my own can even after all this time. Tonight, she hugged me like never before. When I told her I love her like I always do when leaving for the night - she said, "Camey? I have never doubted your love for me. Never. Not once. You make me see God in ways that I would have never thought possible." Funny enough? I was thinking the same exact thing about her.... and without question she is just as much a dear friend as the woman without cancer. I'm thankful she decided to stay at the physical church building instead of coming here to the highly secure gated community. She is as much a part of the church as any one else. I challenge any one who thinks she is just a custodian.

3) As I was closing down the computer at the main desk in the foyer.... there he came.... running through the halls. Laughing.... and running..... and I could not for the life of me tell him to stop.

His running was a sight to see.... Literally. For not long ago - he had to use a cane to help guide him. His eyes would not. And when he realized I had tears streaming down my face from watching him - he said to me, "You understand this freedom."

And I was taken back to the river.... and to the swing...

Thank You, Lord. May I always come back to say....... thank you.

And as much as I value the physical health I have now....

It in no way compares to Jesus and to Spiritual Health....

Talk about The Real Healing.

Thank You, Lord..... Thank You.

Real Transformation.

For those who are looking for updates from Philly......

They can be found on the church's website.

They can also be found through Micky's personal blog - click on his name.

Lives are being touched. Individuals are coming to Jesus.

And while this is all great and worthy of dancing.....

Join with me in praying that real transformation will take place.

Not just fire insurance.

Not just we went on a mission trip and all we got was this lousy t-shirt and worked our tails off.

Real Transformation....

Where are you today?

Are you being transformed?

Or are you simply stuck?

As always, you've been prayed for wherever you are this moment.

On a mountaintop.. or in the ditch face down.

Wherever......

Where are you this moment?

Changes Coming..

Changes are coming to Life in the Moments blog.

Just wanted to give a heads up!

I've been challenged to stretch even more and will accept it.

So, when you least expect it....

Don't say I did not warn you.

And as always... you've been prayed for wherever you are this very moment.

On Prayer. Those Lifeguards.

On Prayer:

Last night we had a prayer gathering. What an incredibly powerful time of blending hearts/minds for the Kingdom. It is safe to say that we worshipped. Young, old, in-between - what a beautiful sight!

Heard from our oldest missionary earlier today. He is enjoying his first airplane flight. He called from Hotlanta during a stop. Must confess - for a brief moment I was jealous as all get out. And it got out soon enough.... thank you very much. Talk about someone on fire... He is one passionate young man. Frankly? I would venture to say it has to do with his prayer life - not prayer time.

Please continue to pray for our missionaries as they serve this week in Philly. Updates to come.

Those Lifeguards:

This is another one of those ways we're said to live a funky life. The younger boys and I went to the pool here inside the highly secure gated community at the clubhouse this morning. As soon as we walked in - the Youngest Lifeguard waved to get my attention. Funny enough? I've known his older brother since we first moved here back in 2005. Don't tell the Older Lifeguard, but the Younger one is growing on me big time. I'm trying hard not to play favorites.

The water was simply fabulous. It's been quite awhile since I've gone in. It wasn't too hot. It wasn't too cold. It was right for napping even. The younger boys and I enjoyed just hanging out, talking, catching some rays, and being. Simply being...... All the while... that Younger Lifeguard keeping watch over us.

One of the Lifeguards was missing today. Well, at least from the pool scene. He is on the plane with our oldest missionary heading to Philly. And while he was missed by the younger boys and I - we would not want him to be any where other than where he is at. So totally cool watching how passionate he is about serving others.

We decided to eat lunch while at the pool. As I was walking past the Youngest Lifeguard who had since changed places - I asked if he wanted a french fry. Of course, he took one... or two.. or three... lol I asked the female Lifeguard next to him if she wanted one... and with those puppy dog eyes of hers said no while thanking me for even asking. It wrecks me up how they are treated by club members. My heart truly goes out to them.

As I was sitting reading The Word and writing as I so often do while at the pool, the Youngest Lifeguard kept looking over to check on me. He would smile big when he realized I was looking back at him. Funny enough? We actually know his whole family. Just took us all awhile to figure that part out. We've already had some great in-depth conversations. Who says that teens do not want adults to ask questions and hold them accountable? To take a vested interest in their lives?

One thing about those Lifeguards - while they are trained to save lives.... they know who really does the saving. But they still keep watch anyway - ready to dive in at a moment's notice. And it is our privilege to know them.

A move is coming soon although we know not to where just yet.

And only the Real Lifeguard knows what it is going to cost.

We'd rather trust Him than the world.

"THAT'S IT!!! NOW!"

Today is taking a cake (note: not the cake, but a cake) on wild conversations/days. The following I share with permission.

Austin is roaming the house - the entire house. He is climbing the walls. He is smiling from ear to ear. He is pacing..... Going into his room, checking his stuff, checking it twice, and even has a game plan for making said cake tomorrow.

"THAT'S IT!!! NOW!" - Austin G.

He is having a hard time with patience. He's been this way since 5:30 p.m. tonight. He said, "At this time tomorrow night, people will be gathering for prayer. I'm SO EXCITED!"

WHAT? Prayer gathering and being that excited? Yep. That's Austin. And really? It is an understatement.

That's what he knew he was suppose to do from a few posts ago now.

Call peeps to prayer.

The cake is being baked for the individuals who are helping pay his way to Philly... which includes his youngest brother Parker. (That story is coming another time/way.)

And is it any wonder that the Spiritual Warfare has totally kicked up?

Nope. Nada. Zipola.

I'm often asked about being lifestyle missionaries. That question crops even more when trips are involved.

And while there is much to be said for going to another place far from where one is normally found to be the Gospel Alive and Living to those they come in contact with and serve.....

If we are not guilty of a living a lifestyle that speaks the same....

Then, it's like have frosting without a cake.

Are you still sitting on a shelf in a box collecting dust just waiting to be put together?

"THAT'S IT!!!! NOW!"

Time to RISE....

There's hungry people in the moments of life wherever you or I may be found....

Near or far.... in-between - even on the plane. (Wal-Mart, restaurant, mall, movies, etc.)

There's Only One who truly satisfies the real hunger, need, and desire.

Now.

The moments have been rather intense lately. The Spiritual Warfare has picked back up again. And while I am not at liberty to share fully.... I can share this:

It does not happen often, but last night - I was in a sour mood. I'm not talking a little sour. Spit it out of your mouth because it tastes so gross - sour. As Austin and I were sitting in the car talking - he said to me, "Mom? Do you really want to have that attitude?" Ouch. He was right. I was wanting to be sour. Sting.........

After examining my attitude - it was clear - the problem was not the other individuals involved or even the situations themselves. It was me. Serious OUCH!

This morning, Brother G's car had a flat. Much to my surprise, he wanted me to drive instead of him to the physical church building. His motive? He wanted to read to me. And as I drove - he read aloud to his bride. It was Alive. It breathed. Talk about just what I needed to hear. He was convinced that my sour attitude from last night was still there to some degree this morning. And dang it, he was right.

As I got out of the car and started walking up to the building... Scriptures started flooding my mind.... and heart. I just had to laugh when asked if I had a word... from The Word.. I could share for our Wednesday staff meeting. Tears came down my face as I shared just a bit of what's been going on lately. And as usual when I let Holy Spirit have free reign - I do not remember one word I said other than Scriptures I read aloud. The very same ones that had come flooding my mind and heart earlier. (And yes, to those who have asked - I miss teaching the Tuesday class. Some of the most freeing times. Still cracks me up there's a teacher inside. Oh, that's soooo God! Those poor college/career students now on Sunday mornings.)

Ministry can be a beast at times as can just life in general. One thing I've found time and time again - you can choose to let it be hairy and run wild... or you can tame it... even if you might have a few split ends like my hair does now. And given how long it is.... what should I expect? Haven't decided yet on the shoulder length or just a couple of inches. The jury is still out.

The testing has been two fold:

1) To see if I could hold my tongue.

2) If I could hold firm and not be moved.

Brother G did have to buy a new tire. And.......

Funny enough? The Spiritual Warfare is still thick and yet, the joy totally outweighs it.

Still....

Testing...

Testing. Testing. Testing.

The Gift of Quietness

Quiet is definitely a gift from God. Sometimes when we speak of the state of something, we put the adverb "perfectly" in front of it...as in "perfectly" beautiful, or "perfectly" delicious...or "perfectly" quiet. It's perfectly quiet in our home for the moment...and it is perfect. Oddity of oddities that I somehow find myself at home alone this beautiful Saturday afternoon, and it's quiet - it's perfectly quiet.

There's not a TV going, no stereos or IPod's playing, and none of the phones have rang for at least an hour. The only sound that breaks the nearly total silence is the quiet hum of the ceiling fan over my head. It's so quiet that even the pressing of the keys on my laptop seem to be almost intrusive. Cooper the very spoiled dog is sound asleep in the chair, and Alli the supreme ruler of any space she's occupying at the moment cat, is in a near comatose state on the couch. It is q-u-i-e-t, and it is perfect.

It's never like this around the Shearon mothership. There's always something going on around here that creates noise of some type. I'm sure it's like that in your abode as well. We just live in a very loud, busy, world. Not saying that's right or wrong - bad or good - but quiet is definitely good.

But this day has brought about some sort of great harmonic convergence in the solar system...and there is not a soul at home save me...and it is quiet. It's amazing how easy it is to think once your brain has been exposed to quietness for just a little while...when there's nothing else audibly competing for your attention. And your hearing? Wow! Your hearing is so keen when it's this quiet. Every little sound makes itself known. It's been a long time since I've heard things this loud and clear! All because it's quiet...perfectly quiet.

Makes me think - no wonder I sometimes feel like I have a hard time hearing God. By way of confession, sometimes...okay, okay...often times, it's because I'm just not listening like I should. But often times, even when I'm trying to listen, God's voice gets drowned out by the cornucopia of sounds and noise that bombard me almost every moment of every day. God's spirit is always a gentleman, and He never screams, so it's up to me to listen...even if it means I have to do some very intentional noise reduction in my life to hear Him. It brings to mind that I have spent so much time preaching to my kids over the years about their "quiet-time" with God - all the while acting like because I'm an adult, and I'm busy, and I have a lot of "stuff" to do, it's somehow okay that I often times neglect that spiritual discipline myself.

God re-teach me the importance of being still and getting quiet before you every single day. Help me purposely tune out all the other "noise" of my day, if only for a few minutes, so that I can hear you speak.

Yes indeed, this has been nice...this quietness...this perfect quietness.

But hey, gotta run, someone just knocked on the door and the phone is ringing!

A Date - Time Well Spent.

One of my favorite guys and I went on a date tonight before my hubby came home. The vehicle we were in does not go real fast - about 20 mph - give or take. The wind was blowing ever so right and the sun was shining. Familiar faces kept passing us by and waving.

There's a particular path this guy and I enjoy going on when spending time together. I could probably drive it with my eyes closed.... perhaps maybe I actually have, but I am not saying and the guy ain't telling. Kinda like a Bush's baked beans family secret recipe.

This guy and I laugh ourselves silly as we go around the bends and curves. Some times we go as fast as we can. Others we go real slow or somewhere in-between depending upon how much public access there really is to that stretch of the road.

As we came to a fork in the road, we decided to venture somewhere the wheels have not gone in a long time. We pulled into the parking lot, got out and started to walk. Underneath our feet the rocks were wiggling as we took each step. He even teased me about going over the railing to keep on our adventure.

Slowly, but surely, the rocks started having sand mixed in as we inched nearer and nearer. The water looking rather inviting - off went the sandals.... and in went the toes.... then feet. Soon enough - I was standing in the river almost up to my knees. The guy kept telling me to watch what I was doing - thinking I was determined to get all wet.

Then, it happened. We both were absolutely silent and listened to the sounds of nature in some of her finest. At times in the craziness of life's moments - we forget the river even exist and that it is so close by. We forget the beauty that waits to be held in our eyes, heart, and is meant to be taken in.... absorbed through our very skin and breath.

The guy and I crinkled up rocks in-between our toes and swayed back and forth as the river flowed gently to the tune we were helping to create with our very movement. The breeze blowing like whispers through the strings of pure oxygen. How peaceful and relaxing the moments were. Time seemed to tick by more slowly. The rhythm like a new song.

As we ventured back, we held hands and shared our thoughts on the whole experience. Before arriving back to the parking lot, we realized that a grassy spot is a place normally filled with bluebonnets at certain times of the year. Once upon a time we sat amongst them and had our picture taken. Sweet memories that had been stowed away until just the right time to pop out.

The drive back to where we had started off was filled with stops and starts and rich laughter along each roll of the tires. The sun setting as a backdrop on time well spent. As we pulled into the driveway - hubby's car was there.... The guy could not wait to get inside to see him and tell him all about the time we had spent together.

One of these days, this guy is going to be taller than me just like his older brothers.

But for today, he is my favorite ten-year-old. And I am beyond blessed to be his mommy.

In Walks Brenda...

I've written about Brenda numerous times before. Last time it was in reference to her being a prostitute.... or at least that was the rumor.

Brenda came into the physical church building this afternoon. She is looking for a job and saw our ad currently running in the local paper.

Brenda has been in CA.... not in jail.

Now, I've not only got that straightened out, but also had the privilege of sharing with Brenda that we've missed her. The highways of G-town have not been the same without Brenda walking up and down them wherever she needs/wants to go. While she was here - I made it a point to introduce her to those around.. Of course, she already knows Austin, Travis and Parker from having rode with us several times before.

I also had the privilege of meeting Brenda's mom who drove her to the physical church building today. Brenda is in her mid-40's.

I'm often questioned about why I pick up hitchhikers.....

Her name is Brenda.

Churches Sharing Resources!

VBS is officially over here at this physical church building.

It's sheer nuts! Individuals working together from various churches/groups/wherever sharing resources.

Clearly God is not found inside any one building alone.

How can you serve another today? This moment?

In the Midst of VBS

Melissa - it is not a coincidence she is working at the physical church building this week as a temp custodian. Her pain is deep. Real... real deep. As she was sharing with me her pain - I told her I'd ask for individuals to pray... So, I'm asking... please pray.

There are numerous others who have been walking past this desk... You can see it in their eyes, the way they carry themselves..... pain, heartache, despair, hopelessness...

In the midst of VBS.... may God be found here at the physical church building.

VBS - 40 Make Life Changing Decisions!!!

Talk about dancing time!!!!!!!

Totals for week in attendance as reported thus far:

Monday - 506

Tuesday - 531

Keep praying!!!!!

God Must Be From Missouri

Don't you just love it when, out of frustration or maybe even desperation, you blurt out a prayer at God that goes a little something like this: "God I know you're there, and I know you love me, and I know you are able to take care of me...but frankly, right now, I just don't see your hand...show me how you're going to get me through this!" Then, as if God just wants to prove the point that He is always good and always faithful, He spends the next several days showing you by throwing neon flashing billboards of His goodness directly into your path.

Let me confess to you that things have been a little tight financially around the Shearon mothership lately. The sluggish real estate market (my wife is one of the hardest working real estate agents in town) coupled with the soaring cost of everything from gas to granola bars, has definitely put the squeeze on this family's budget. The economic downturn has been prolonged enough that lately we've been playing the "tyranny of the urgent" game with our monthly bills...as in, okay, what do we need to pay this month to keep it from getting cut-off. Of course, the real fun starts when your next paycheck is already gone several days before you even get it. Then your left wondering what in the world you're going to do until the next paycheck. For those who've been there, you know the unbridled fun I'm describing here.

At times like this, I must confess to you, even as a Believer, I often find myself stuck somewhere between faint-hearted trust and all-out panic. However, no sooner than I had whispered the words "show me", God commenced showing me how He takes care of my family...all the time, not just when things seem to be financially tight. So here's how all this started. The phone rings at my office and it's a freind of mine from church saying he's been thinking about me lately, and he wants to buy my lunch. Hmmm...could that just be a coincidence? Probably so, I thought.

But then, later that evening I get to church to find out that another friend of mine has just sponsored me for a major portion of my upcoming mission trip expense. Okay God, are you trying to tell me something here? Then after church, the wife and I get invited to dinner by some friends - their treat. By George, I do believe He is trying to tell me something!

If that wasn't enough, the next morning, I get a call from my wife saying that she's just won a $50.00 gas card at her weekly Realtor luncheon. Okay God, maybe I was a little hasty with that whole questioning your hand of provision thing. By this time it's lunch time again, and for the second day in a row, a friend calls and says he wants to buy my lunch. Okay God, now you're just showing off. But it doesn't even stop there though. The next day, we get a check in the mail for $50.00 from some friends who said they had just felt "led" to send us a check. By this time, even someone with as thick a spiritual head as mine is getting the message.

But just in case I had fallen into a coma and missed His point, God sent me one more for good measure. Sometime back, we had paid for something for my mom and she had intended to pay us back, but never did. She had forgotten it until the other day she just "remembered it out of the blue". So when I was over visiting her the next day, she hands me $40.00 and tells me she's finally paying me back. Well by now, I'm speechless...which if you know me, you know is a miracle of sorts in itself!

But in all seriousness - all of this happened in the span of four days. Truth be known, if I really paid attention to what was going on around me all the time like I do when some little crisis is going on in my life, I believe I would find that things like this happen on a daily basis. Unfortunately, so many times it's not until I'm in a difficult spot that I really begin to get in tune with what God's up to in my life...or, as a friend of mine likes to say...God has to shake me to wake me. How true. My pastor announces from the pulpit all the time that we really don't have to learn all of life's lessons face down in a ditch somewhere. Man, I hate being face down in a ditch!

So what did I learn last week? Well, aside from being reminded of the obvious lesson that God is always in control and He is always taking care of us, I also got a refresher in how God's economy works. God doesn't want our worries and concerns - whether they be finances, family issues, physical health, etc - to become an obstacle that stands between us and doing what God wants us to do...which is to love and serve others in His name and for His sake. You see, when we allow ourselves to be consumed by our problems, we unwittingly become self-centered and unaware of the needs of other people around us.

That's why God goes to such great lengths in scripture to assure us that He will always take care of us in every area of our lives. It may not always be according to our time table (it seldom is), and it may not always happen the way we would draw it up, but we are never out of His care and He never fails to provide what we need. Armed with that security, God's desire is for us to always live above our day-to-day circumstances, and be outward focused - looking for every opportunity to be Jesus to those we come in contact with.

But God knows our frame, so says the Psalmist, and He knows that sometimes we need a little extra "showing". I know I did last week...and God went out of His way at every turn to show me His hand. I wonder what part of Missouri God is from!

Thoughts in the Night.

It's funny really. How one can be awake this time of night.... And yet, not surprising. This happens from time to time.

Tomorrow is Wednesday... and so far this week has looked like nothing I had planned. For those who thought you'd be seeing me in person - be thankful I've not been around.. not a pretty sight! Silly stomach bug. And yet, I am so incredibly grateful. WHAT?

As Brother G was preparing to leave this afternoon for another meeting in another city..... it struck me as we were holding hands to pray, "Thank You, Lord, for this stomach bug!" For had I not been sick - I would not have been here right then. Priceless time between Brother G and I as we continue on this part of the journey together especially.

And while the blogging has been quiet since Micky last posted here (thank you Micky)..... I have spent some quality time with The Father. Again... priceless. Really - no words at this moment to describe it.

As the comments continue to roll in about the article - I remain dumbfounded. As plans for the future are continued to be prayed about and discussed - I am found even dumber still. And as always am willing to risk looking like a complete fool.

Last night Austin came into our room and said, "Mom... I've been listening and here's what I'm supposed to do." Not what he might need to do.... not what he may need to do... What he is supposed to do. That totally Rocks! And rolls....

I've been questioned about why I said in the article, "It also included moving to a town I said I would never live in." Simple....

Ahhhhh.....more of that to come!

The Privilege of Service

Can I just go on record as saying that I love our student ministers at our church? Now, I really, genuinely love both Shelley and Ryan because I just really like them as people and as a brother and sister in Christ. But what I truly love about the two of them are the high expectations of Christian discipleship they have of our students. Case in point - in order to go on the summer mission trips each year, each student is required to complete ten hours of service in some area of church ministry. It can be volunteering to work during the Parent's Night Out activities, or during Vacation Bible School, or for the monthly Love Granbury service project, but everyone is expected to complete the ten hours before they can go on mission trip. It's a little different with summer church camp, which is open to any and all who want to go. But Shelley and Ryan have been teaching our students that mission trip...going to serve others in some other location outside our own community...is a privilege, and as such, carries with it a higher degree of personal commitment. I love that! I love it because it's teaching our students the essence of their calling as Christ followers...to love and serve God by loving and serving others for His sake. And guess what - our students are responding. Yesterday and today, we had another opportunity for some of our students to come and complete their mission trip service hours by working on our church's children's playground. The old bark mulch in the entire playground area had to be turned so that it could dry, then there were 200 bags of new bark mulch that had to be spread. This isn't shrinking violet work by any means. It's hot, sweaty, physical work. But yet, there those students were, guys and girls, giving up two mornings of their summer, serving for the privilege to go and serve the children and families of inner-city Philadelphia in two weeks. And there were even a number of younger students who came to work who aren't even going on the high school mission trip...they just came to serve. To me, there is no more valuable lesson of Christian discipleship that our students can learn than this - that people are much more willing to lend you their ears, after you have given them a piece of your heart. Or, as one of my heroes of faith, Steve Sjogren, puts it...being the Good News before we tell the Good News.

The Onion and the Puppy.

The Onion:

"Can I step into your office?" - this is usually followed by heartache and sheer pain... and at times wells of tears pooling not sure if they can be released to flood every available space. Today's moments have included such conversations.... yet they were revolving. The individual would come and talk.... leave..... come and talk.... leave.... and so on. The layers of this onion are vast. It is a rather large onion even in the package it is wrapped in. And in the midst of the chaos that was today at the physical church building.... that did not stop the smell of each piece that was being diced up trying to decide what it was going to create.

At times an onion just needs someone to listen. Not necessarily have all the answers.. I consider it a privilege that this individual knows I am there for them. Yet, that is only a known factor because of the time invested in their life. It is like money that has been taken to the bank, deposited and growing interest. And yet, it is active as change jiggling in a pocket loose - not just merely sitting waiting for the day it will be withdrawn.

The Puppy:

It cracks me up at how often I explain this one. "The puppy" is not a small dog.... not a young dog..... normally when I say it. It can refer to a blog... but just as easily to a laptop or an article. And yes, the puppy was born yesterday. Thanks to all who have prayed about it being birthed! And have read it and sent your thoughts to me or told me in person.

More than that... it goes to show how prayers can be answered in such unexpected ways.... Who knew except The Father that the man who would ask me to consider writing with him would use the puppy too...... and funny enough..... the onion as well. I think it goes to show that The Father has a sense of humor too. I know my dear friend Steve Sjo. agrees and I am thrilled that he came knocking at my email door and invited me on another part of this continuing journey of sharing God's kindness and love with others.

In the post below I talked about being hit between the eyes. More of that is to come... as this puppy is going to show more layers of the onion and help peel them apart to create dishes that one can hopefully sink their teeth into. Maybe you'll even say, "Hey! If she can make it... any one can!"

It's okay to laugh people in the midst of being serious.

Wherever you are at this moment - you were just prayed for! And it is a sheer privilege!

Notice others. It really is as easy as pie. But please don't be square about it.

Bull's Eye Conversations.

This morning I am taking an inventory of sort. Yesterday I had the privilege of spending some time with a few individuals. And are they ever making me think.

For weeks Brother G and I have been hearing about this man. We met him this past Sunday for the first time - immediate connection. Yesterday, he was at the physical church building again. As I came out into the hallway, I saw him... and it was if seeing an old friend. We hugged and hugged... and hugged some more. And then he did it - he started challenging the heck out of me. Oh, how he had me laughing. How we were laughing together.... That conversation still has me thinking.

Ishmael had a few others with him. I introduced myself to them and we talked some more about why they were there. I continued to talk with one of the men as we walked. Again, was challenged and spurred on. Hopefully, he received some encouragement from our talk as well. And yes, that conversation still has me thinking.

I came back to the highly secure gated community earlier than normal for a Wednesday. I was in need of some RQM (really quiet moments). I had spent a good amount of the day training the volunteer I have written about before. Brother G and I believe in training others to learn.... to do.... to teach... to give away... (Yes, I know that's why some think we need to be church planters!)

I wrote about the editor last week... in an email last night he told me to speak up. And I laughed and laughed. He also gave me some items to consider for the future. Again, that conversation still has me thinking.

Bull's eye conversations... It is necessary to take inventory.

To ask yourself those questions... and then actually do something with the answers.

More to come! I've been hit between the eyes. Have you?

Waiting in the Dark. Glorious Light.

Austin had a meeting tonight for the mission trip he is going on to Philly. I finally received a call saying he'd meet me in the front circle of the highly secure gated community. So, I headed out...

There are a couple of streets that go on and on for what seems like forever. Where we lay our heads down at night can be found on such a street. As I made a turn here, a turn there, went straight - I finally arrived in the place we said we'd meet. And I waited in the dark.

Funny enough..... the headlights were just bright enough to give light to some of the activity going on around me. A mother and her fawn were walking across the street as if they had no care in the world. And yet, after living here for a few years now - I know better. Cars and deer make for strange neighbors at times. And if you hit a deer - you get a ticket and an ambulance is sent out to pick it up. I kid you not.... weird.....

As I sat there watching them - I could not help but think about the parent/child relationship. It is no secret that we have very strong bonds with our sons. The last few months we've been going through some of the wildest times ever in our lives as a family. And yet, we've only become stronger. It has only strengthened us as Parker said it would.....

Austin finally arrived in the circle and got in to the vehicle I was in. As we were driving back - he could not help but go on and on about the upcoming trip. And in a very real sense - Austin is waiting in the dark. He has never been on an airplane before. He has never been that far away without his dad being on the trip also. Philly is totally different from Kentucky where he went last summer. Is that teenager ever excited..... even with not knowing fully what to expect.

There are real lessons that can be learned while waiting in the dark... in some ways it is like learning to walk after being paralyzed. I can still remember the looks on faces as I had to look straight ahead..... I can remember the doctor and nurses saying, "Keep your head up Camey.... Don't look down. If you do - you're going to lose your footing." I was like sheer jello..... all wobbly..... And yet, I was ever so excited.... even with not knowing fully what to expect. Even with the years that followed of on/off again paralysis and the gloom and doom diagnosis that was given. There was just as much light there even when being healed completely and all these years later. And yes, in being in the best health of my forty years of life.

I'm often asked how can I look at life in the moments like I do.... simple. The Father has shown me time and time that I do not wait in the dark alone. He provides enough light.... in His Love... through His Son..... and with Spirit. Holy.... Holy.... Spirit.

The glory in this life is Him.... in Him... through Him..... and it Glorious Light!

And there is more than enough to dance with even if a toe gets stepped on in the movements or even when held in His arms.

The Opportunities in Life

This morning I've been going over the G family's calendar for the next few weeks. And I cannot help but laugh again. For as much as we can make our own plans...... a lesson we've learned time and time again in life and living.

At 9:00 a.m. this morning, a man named Earl is coming to get Austin and Travis. They will be spending some quality time doing manual labor for him. Apparently there is a barn that needs cleaned out and some hay that needs to be bailed. This is definitely a new adventure for the boys. Until coming to G-town - they've been strictly city boys. We're thankful that Earl loves our family in such ways as to invest time in our sons' education and to be a man they know they can trust and look up to.

One thing that Brother G and I believe is that the moments of life are just as much as a classroom and provide opportunities for learning and development. School for our family is not some thing found on a calendar from August to May alone. It is life..... 24/7. It is noticing God... noticing others... and seizing the moments to serve.

For those who continue to ask me about the writing opportunity thingy.... I have submitted my first article after doing a complete rewrite. And while I still remain dumbfounded.... I am beyond grateful. As long as we have an Internet connection - I can write from anywhere... I'm often asked why I do not have a stat counter on this blog. It's not the number of hits that matter to me. It's being found faithful in serving The Father in the ways He provides. A part of the ministry I've been called to is encouraging others through the written word. For taking the moments of life and unwrapping them as the gifts that they are.... even cleaning toilets. Life is precious.... even the moments with pain. If one person gets encouragement..... if one person takes a step out of their comfort zone.... Priceless!

Brother G has given up some opportunities as of late. At first we thought they were due to a particular reason or two. Now, we're finding out there is more to the picture than we could have realized at the time. What all opportunities lie ahead? That remains to be seen. As his wife I am beyond grateful for how he is seizing the new ones coming his way. How he is willing to risk..... And yes, we're beyond excited to see how The Father is going to stretch us yet again.

Parker and I took some more free lunches to one of our sites yesterday afternoon. Upon getting out of the vehicle, I saw a familiar face walking up to me. Her name is Lori. She was one of the participants at a ministry I used to be on staff at a couple of years ago now. Lori hugged me and said, "Camey! I was going to call you. I passed the test!" What all else she said - I let stay between us. As we were walking up to where the food was to go... Parker said to me, "Mom? I'm glad you were one of ones that helped Lori. She used to look so sad." Talk about teachable moments. I was the education coordinator for that ministry. And yet, I can tell you without hesitation, I learned even more from the students than they did me. Seeds planted that are now growing trees that have roots. Praise God!

So, today... this moment.... I encourage you to look around your moments at the opportunities in life that The Father has presented to you.....

Are you going to keep them in the box because they look so pretty?

Or are you going to rip that bow off and discover what is inside just waiting to pop out?

On Marriage.... in Ministry..

Brother G has left for the day.... He is in a meeting this morning in another city. As he was preparing to walk out the door..... we held hands and prayed. And we both got misty..... yes, that is safe to say.

I'm often asked how does it work when both the spouses have been called to ministry... are surrendered to God. For us, we cannot imagine it any other way. I think at times the one thing that most do not understand is that we truly are a team. I will follow that man of mine any where..... even if it were to mean giving up parts of what has been ministry for me thus far.... For like Brother G flat out told a church back a few months ago.... For us... it's God first... our marriage second... and then our sons... Any other order - he is not the man for that church...

As Brother G prayed this morning.... he talked about being broken vessels in The Father's hands. He also talked about how thankful we are for how our marriage continues to grow and strengthen over time. As we stood there holding hands - I had my head leaned up against his chest..... and I could hear his heartbeat. And I know without question whom it truly beats for.... I would not want to be first any moment of the day. Nor would he for me....

For you see.... one thing Brother G and I believe 100% - the most important relationship any one can ever have is with The Father..... with Jesus.... I do not complete Brother G... nor does Brother G complete me... nor do our sons... or any other thing we possibly ever do.

If marriage is to not only to survive the pressures of ministry but truly thrive..... The Father as the head of the triangle is a necessity.... not a luxury.

"How Do We Pray?"

This question has been asked of me over and over the last few days...

I've debated with myself over answering it here or not.... Then, I received a comment on the post below this afternoon. About the time I was going to respond to it..... Travis came and asked me if we could go see if the pool was open. So, I shut this puppy down and grabbed Trav and Park and off we went. (Note to Kevin: That means I signed out of blogger.)

As I watched them together in the deep end....... I just listened....

As I watched them dive off the board time and time again..... I listened....

As I noticed how they swim now compared to days gone by...... I listened even more....

Brother G and I are incredibly grateful for all the prayers and for the love they represent.

As for an answer....

We want to be found faithful. Wherever... however..... Doors closing. Doors opening.

As tomorrow comes..... That's especially how you can pray for us.

For now.... it's time for some moments with the man I will go any where with.

Signed,
Walking by Faith