Taking Inventory for Joplin Families

I spent the afternoon at the storage unit going through items that have been donated for victims of the Joplin Tornado.  I am so thrilled to be a part of the Adopt a Joplin Family organization.  This has been so rewarding for me.  My husband and I feel like we cannot teach our daughter to be a servant of God without setting the example ourselves.  She is witnessing first hand as well as participating in what is to our family, a completely self-less act of what we are commanded to do as Christians.

We are not wealthy by any definition of the word but we have been blessed.  Mainly blessed by having good, Godly friends who have jumped right in to help us locate items that are so desperately needed by these folks! I cannot imagine losing everything you have accumulated over a lifetime!  Especially if you have heirloom items.  How does one emotionally recover from that?  I strongly believe that the only ones who survive are those who lean, steadfast in their faith in God.  This is our temporary home.  Material items are nothing compared to eternal life with the Father!

I am so blessed to be meeting these people and being able to provide them with some peace and help restore their dignity.  Thank you, God for this experience.

RESTORING HONOR

Last Summer, I had the honor of traveling to Washington DC, my very first visit, to witness a remarkable coming together of 1 million plus people (I don't care what the media reported!  I was there and I have great vision!) in the name of Restoring Honor to this great nation of ours.  

The First Train rolling on by!

On August 28, 2010, we made our way from our hotel room to a subway station to be first in line, and we were, at 5:00 am.  As people began to gather to catch a ride to gather at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for this day of celebration, the feeling of excitement was so thick in the air that you could almost taste it!  We thought we had been so clever to arrive so early that we just knew we were going to have a prime, front row seat for the days festivities!  Unbeknownst to us, we were not the first stop of the morning.  We were the second!  We knew just exactly what kind response to the call to come to Washington DC as soon as that train blew into the station!  There was not enough room on that puppy to squeeze a piece of notebook paper!  All we could do was stand there with our jaws on the ground, waving goodbye to the first train!  We finally sucked it in enough to make the second train because we could no longer stand the anticipation of getting down there to witness history!

Me and Mom on the subway!

The subway tunnel packed!

As we merged in the lower tunnel after exiting our train, it was wall to wall people as far as we could see!  You would think that with that many people there would be pushing, shoving, cussing, or the likes.  Oh no! There was not one bit of that!  As a matter of fact, a group started singing "God Bless America" and before you knew it, the entire underground had erupted in song!  It was one of many beautiful moments that we would witness that day!

Our Location looking behind us

We rounded the corner beside the Lincoln Memorial heading to find our spot on the lawn surrounding the reflecting pool and all you could do was gasp in amazement!  There was not a blank piece of grass to sit on  except waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy back by the Washington Monument and even that was filling up fast!  We knew just like on the subway, we had better suck it up and find a small patch of ground to stake our claim on !  We found our spot and settled in between a family who had driven from ALASKA with their 4 children, an artist from San Diego, CA, and grandparents from Tennessee who had brought their children and grandchildren to witness this momentous occasion!  We all sat and talked as if we were all old friends who had come to the greatest reunion on earth!  It truly was!  To know that we were NOT alone in our belief of God, our goals for this nation as set forth by our Founding Fathers, our concern for the well-being of our children and grandchildren and their children to come.  

Me with NO SLEEP!

All of a sudden, none of us were alone any longer.  We had come together for one purpose and that was to work towards restoring this nation to an honorable place again in this world.  To restore Patriotism and remind the citizens of the United States of America that our country was founded on Godly principles and Godly ideals!  We were sick and tired of having to take a back seat to political correctness!  This gathering turned out to be the best prayer and praise service I have ever been to in my entire life!  God was not only there with us but he was US! The Holy Spirit was moving in and around everyone there!  We prayed together, we cheered together, we cried together, and we sang together!  When you've heard 1 million plus people sing "Amazing Grace" together in unison, you have witnessed a small taste of what Heaven will be like! 

My first time to see the Lincoln Memorial!

I was honored to be in the presence of not only my brothers and sisters from across this great nation but to also hear such great people like Alveda King who is the niece of the late, Martin Luther King, Jr., Glenn Beck who was responsible for this massive coming together, Sarah Palin who so many believed was there as a politician but she was there as the mother of a son in the military, The Lone Survivor-Marcus Luttrell,  and so many others! We honored men and women of Faith, Hope, and Charity that day.  We honored men and women who fought for this great nation as well as those who are currently serving or had lost their lives fighting for our freedoms.  We were introduced to the Wounded Warrior Project.   We saw the return of the Black Robe Regiment which is comprised of ministers, pastors, rabbis,  and preachers of all walks of Christian or Godly faiths.  They stood, united together, on one stage holding hands with one another as they prayed for this nation and for each other.  What a beautiful moment!

As the rally drew to a close, everyone was smiling from ear to ear!  They were holding hands, hugging, crying, and just altogether filled with pride to be Americans!  Those of us who were standing there that day will never be the same again!  I am forever changed!  I am blessed to have shared that day with my parents as well.  Whenever we see or hear something about that day, we look at each other, without saying a word, knowing what the other is thinking.  It was more than an experience.  It was a feeling......a changing moment.....an emotion. God Bless America!  My home, sweet home!

REVERENCE

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh. Hebrews 10:19-20

Our generation lacks a sense of wonder and reverence toward God. We want to bring God down to our level, to the commonplace. He is God! Though we have direct access to Him as His children, we ought never to forget that this access was purchased with the precious blood of His only Son.

No one who truly understands this ever enters God’s presence without a sense of holy awe. No one who comprehends the incredible price paid at Calvary ever takes his relationship with God for granted. We will never truly understand God and the way He relates to us unless we first comprehend a true sense of His holiness and His demand for holiness among His people.

If we are in God’s presence, we are on holy ground! We must never act as if it were God’s purpose to make us successful. It would be preposterous for us to become impatient when God does not answer our prayers when and how we think He should! He is God, we are not!

As you meditate on the price Jesus paid to give you access to the Father, you will come to treasure your prayer times with Him. Worship will become a privilege you seize with gratitude. Scripture will be dear to you as you strive to be holy in all that you do (2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Pet. 1:15).

If you have lost your wonder at the incredible gift of salvation that has been given to you, you need to revisit the cross and witness your Savior suffering for you. How priceless God’s gift of salvation is!

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Blackaby Ministries

It's Family Day!

I've got a HUGE brisket cooking in the oven, potato salad is made, and now it is time to slice some strawberries for the angel food cake!  Mom's making baked beans and corn on the cob!  Ahhhh, summer!  Could it get any better than that?

Today we will have 4 generations together to celebrate my dad's recovery following his surgery.  I love being with my family.  It just doesn't happen often enough!!!  I though by us moving up to the lake that we would have a revolving door on our home.  It just seems that everyone is too caught up in the hustle and bustle of their lives to slow down and take time to enjoy those who won't always be around.

Looking forward to the beautiful day of family and fellowship!

Waiting for Daddy

For the first time in my life and in my Mom and Dad's married life, we sitting in the surgery waiting room waiting for my Dad.  He is 66 years old as of Monday and this is the first time he has ever gone "under the knife". 

Having been in a waiting room numerous times following Jamey's electrocution and 15 following surgeries, I know how lonely it feels to be the waiting spouse!  My Mom is so fortunate for them to have been married 47 years and this is her first wait!

The waiting room is filled with lots of families who are waiting too.  Quiet chatter is heard over the sound of the morning news on the television.  Of course, there is that one, obnoxious and loud guy who doesn't know the meaning of "inside voice"! I am hearing about how his job sucks, who wronged him, what his plans are for the weekend, and how drunk he got last weekend!  Fabulous..... And of course, he knows everything and has done it all, ya know!  He is also very creepy and keeps staring at me. Gross!

Mom has gone back in pre-op with Dad while they get him ready.  I'm sure there are prayers being said, I know I have been.  Dad is our family rock.  I pray for the surgeon and his staff as they repair him.  Do they realize that's my Daddy?  Do they realize that's my Mom's husband? Do they realize he is the Grandpa of 3 wonderful children?  Do they think about those things when they take a patient back and start to work on him?

God be with you Dad...See you soon!

For the love of my brother.....

Dear God,

Please hold my brother close tonight.  He is suffering so much as he faces the demons that are pulling at the very core of his being!  Release him from his pain, Lord!  Take the burden away from him and bring him back safely to us!  He has been my best friend since the day he was born and I cannot face this world without him in it!

Tonight, my family and I place him in your arms.  Where else would he be when he, your child is in such anguish, Lord?  Here he is, he is yours.  Hold him close.....

Would you be willing?

I have become involved with a group called Adopt a Joplin Family.  This was started by a woman in California who simply set up a site for people to post their needs following the devastating tornado that just about wiped the town off of the map! Joplin is only 40 minutes northeast of my home.  This is where we did our major shopping and eating out!   The town is simply unrecognizable.  My heart is broken for those who lost so much and it was only by the grace of God that so many lives were spared.

So many lost everything!  The list of needs is great and is growing each and everyday as people start to either relocate or find places to live as many do not have a home left to return to and lost everything they owned.  As I scanned these needs, I was thinking that for those of you who live too far away to physically take items to families in need or just have no way of knowing how to help, I have come up with a solution.  So, would you be willing?

My challenge is this: Would you be willing to run to your local Walmart store and pick up a $5 gift card? a $10 gift card or a $20 gift card?  This way, those who need sheets, towels, utensils, dishes, pots and pans, prescriptions, diabetic supplies, etc. will be able to purchase these items!  So, would you be willing?

Those of you who are my friends know that I am an honest person.  You know me enough to trust that I will make sure that the gift cards would be placed in the hands of someone who has first of all been screened by the Adopt a Joplin Family organization and secondly, have a true and immediate need.

Give up your Starbucks for a couple of days.  Give up that McDonalds drive thru for a day.  Sacrifice the daily Dr. Peppers for a few days.  These are things that we are able to give up so that a family might have diapers for their child, a clean set of sheets to sleep on or a warm blanket to cover with at night.

So, if you are willing , message me and I will pass along my mailing address to you.   You will never know how grateful these people are to have any assistance that they can get!

Blessings to you all my friends and family!

Jennifer

Father's Day

“Behold, children are a gift from the Lord… How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them…” – Psalm 127:3,5 

I believe that I have the best father on this earth!  I'm sure that I am not the only one who feels that way about their father!  I don't ever let a day go by that I don't thank my Lord for allowing me to be the daughter of such a great man.  I do realize that there are many who will not or have not ever had the experiences of having a good father in their life and it breaks my heart knowing this.

My father, first and foremost gave me the gift of knowing Jesus.  I have never known a life without Christ.  Even when there have been times in my life where I have strayed off of the path of righteousness, I always had that tugging at my heart knowing that I could not ever disappoint my father or my Heavenly Father. 

Second, he gave me the gift of loving my mother.  He has always treated my mother as his equal.  He honors her and supports her through all things.  What a wonderful example he showed me of how my spouse should treat me.  One of my best memories was when my father would take me out on "dates".  He would take me to dinner and a movie.  This was he could show me the proper way a date should treat me when I started dating.  These things stuck so well with me and I will always love him for those lessons!

My father taught me the value of hard work, honest work.  If you say you are going to do something for someone, you'd better make good on what you've promised.  Your word is your bond and your reputation speaks volumes!  To this day, my father is respected by so many in his work, his home and by those who have had the honor of knowing him in a leadership capacity in the church.

My father also taught me life-skills.  How to survive if you were to only be able to depend upon yourself for survival. He taught me to hunt and fish.  He not only taught me to use tools, he also taught me the proper name of them! I can work on a car and change a tire.

I know Hallmark picks one day of the calendar year to "honor" our fathers.  However, shouldn't every day be a day to honor our fathers?  God had a reason for putting this commandment in the Big Ten!  Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother.

I am proud to be the daughter of such a great man!  I pray that he feels just as blessed to have children who respect him so much! 

New Bling on the Blog!

New Bling on the Blog!  Okay, so after having this blog for 3 years, I finally have time to sit down and play around a bit with the look of it.  It is still not finished but I was tired of being a BORING BLOG!  I want people to follow me.  I don't talk a lot but sometimes I feel like I have stuff to share and say.  Hopefully the new stuff will draw a new eye or two!

Many things going on this summer!  Tune in to read more.....