The weekend Irene came to visit! August 26, 2011

Isaiah 25:4

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

I thank you now, My friends who are helping the ones in need. You are the blessed and from you will pour blessings. 

The funniest thing happens when you bless a generation who doesn't deserve it

The generation under them see's the face of God in your actions. 

:) and know that years from now they too will bless a generation who wont deserve it 

But will share the face of God because of you 

Hello Irene 

 

She has all her bags packed and she doesn't want to stay at the Hilton lol

We have gone shopping and gathered all the food for her arrival party.

I will be adding to this blog as the weekend progresses :)

Keep NC in your prayers

This is company you hope changes her mind and cancels on ya lol

8/26/11

Out for just a lil bit

checking off the list :)

Home safe and sound

My list as instructed lol

water

bread

PB&J mixed lol

cereal bars

(homemade- captain crunch and marshmallows)

flashlight

batteries

board games

and family time

Got it all

Thanks love ya!

A quick ride as Irene quietly arrives

This big guy lives across the street

Made us all feel a lil safer

Mr. Gene Lupton:)

I loved this pic. The raindrops looked like you could ride them :)

Raindrop

Before the lights went out

After the lights went out lol 

Irene's here I think the worst will come when she puts her night dress on lol 

We wont sleep

I did upside down

I think I kicked JW out of it a time or two lol 

I do want my kids to climb it, find easter eggs around it

and take naps beneath it 

The dogwood was saved this time. She's leaning a good bit 

I know it seems silly but it was just a seedling when g'pa planted it

With so much gone from our lives we just thought the tree priceless! 

The worst 

Six people died in North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Irene; two in Pitt County and one each in Nash, Onslow, Sampson and Wayne counties. Three were killed in motor vehicle crashes, two were killed by falling trees, and one suffered a heart attack while preparing for the storm. We also had a couple confirmed tornadoes. 

This trailer donated to hold their possessions 

Crazy in the mist of the storm lol 

Grandpa's boots still working on DC's feet :)

Irene did not make her bed and made an incredible mess before she left 

She wont be invited back lol 

Waiting on His best!

Kutless

Kutless LIVE Harvest Festival Anaheim 8/12/11

Awesome This would be my heaven :)

The Response: A Call To Prayer For A Nation In Crisis (montage)

An awesome anointing

Just had to share!


John 14:21

New International Version (NIV)

21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the


 one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved


 by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself


 to them.”

:)

Riding Rain Drops 

Words I love to think about

"stang"

"all stars"

"strawberry wine"

"board games"

"sand"

"sun"

"summer time"

Trusting God in the midst of bad circumstances

Trusting God in the midst of bad circumstances

I had this realization that seems really obvious, but for some reason it took me a while to get it.

I should be just as confident that things are going to work out when they look crazy as when everything looks fine and dandy. The opposite is true as well. Even though things look peaceful and calm, that is not an indication of security. Our security comes from God. It is not at all dependent on what is going on around us. Whether it is the economy, our finances, our children, our marriages, we can (and should) trust God with all of it.

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

It just dawned on me recently after going through a faith test that it really doesn’t matter whether it is easy or difficult to trust God. As my circumstances began to “look” better, I noticed myself trusting a bit less in God and a bit more in myself. After all my circumstances weren’t requiring as much faith. I kind of slapped myself a bit and realized that I am no less dependent on God when things are going good as I am when they are going terrible.

The good circumstances are only an illusion of security. When things look good, it is easy to understand how things will all work out. But isn’t it amazing how quick I can go running back to God with Faith when things look bad again. I quickly realize how insecure “good circumstances” really are.

The great news is that for believers, bad circumstances are only an illusion of a lack of security.

Trust God in the storm

It reminds me of Jesus sleeping on the boat during the middle of the storm. He said, “let us go to the other side.” But yet when things started looking bad enough, they started to doubt that would happen. The truth is, no matter how bad things looked, they really were no more insecure. They had God in the flesh on the boat with them! How could they really think that they wouldn’t make it?

Mark 4:35-41

On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

When they finally were freaking out enough, they woke him up and frustrated with their lack of faith, he told the storm to calm down. They just didn’t get it. They didn’t realize who Jesus was. They didn’t realize that it didn’t matter how bad it got, He was there with them.

It is no different for us today. We have the promise of God that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. It doesn’t matter how bad things look, it is merely an illusion. Don’t be deceived, when your trust is in God, you could not be more secure.

Trusting God brings peace… It just dawned on me recently after going through a faith test that it really doesn’t matter whether it is easy or difficult to trust God. As my circumstances began to “look” better, I noticed myself trusting a bit less in God and a bit more in myself. After all my circumstances weren’t requiring as much faith. I kind of slapped myself a bit and realized that I am no less dependent on God when things are going good as I am when they are going terrible. I choose to stand in His presence :)  

We were hardwired for passion.

Not just momentary emotional highs.

Not short-lived bursts of inspiration.

You and I were created to have overall purpose etched into our lives. That purpose becomes a passion that-whether we always feel it or not-helps to guide our decisions and defines the way we live.