A Time to Dance

Isn't is exciting when you can feel the words of God go into your spirit. Isn't is exciting when something in you awakens to a change that you know could only come from Lord's special love for you. Last night, at 4 in the morning, I was wide awake. I felt promted to read Isaiah 40.The words from verse 3-5: "A voice of one calling: In the desert prepare the way for the Lord, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;the rough ground shall become level, the rugged place a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it." I believe the Lord is proclaiming what many of us know that a change is coming where all will see His Glory. While that strikes fear in some, we must be ready to shout His goodness and mercy. The good news of our salvation and deliverance has been accomplished and we have victory. I also read Psalm 30;11-12 " You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." You will be blessed as you speak, sing, shout and dance about the Goodness and Faithfulness of God. He is doing VERY GOOD THINGS for us now and forever. As you proclaim His words to you, your eyes and heart will be opened to how He is turning you from crying to dancing. Worship and Dance today. Love you, Jennifer

Get Ready

This is just a note to tell everyone that the Blessing book is on its way. Maybe - 6 weeks. I am so excited. Billy wrote our family blessings every week for 3 years. this book is titled " Monday Morning Blessings - Your Dad wants to Bless You " Please pray with me that everyone who was never given a Father's Blessing will read this book as receive what our Heavenly Father wanted for us. He gave us earthly fathers to represent Him while we were on this earth. Billy Crain did an amazing job of blessing his family so that we would know how special we were to God our Heavenly Daddy. I will let you know when it comes. Bless you all. Love ya, Jennifer

Pride vs. Humility

Pride is so easy to spot in someone else; even when they are acting humble. Why can't I see it in myself? Over and over Jesus reminds us to love others, prefer others, speak and act with love and peace in our hearts. If Jesus is my Lord and Savior, I will want to do everything that he tells me to do, trusting that His guidance is perfect for every situation. So here is the "rub": I am my sweet wonderful self and suddenly a very rude person enters my space. This person delivers false accusations and threats. "Wow,I say to myself, I don't deserve this treatment." Doesn't matter that I know exactly how to respond or walk away. What matters is that,in my heart, I am saying ,"this person is a jerk ........" Matt. 7:1-2 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measure to you. You might be saying that this is unfair. I was just treated unfairly. Yes, you were and so was Jesus. He died so that you and I could become like Him and have a life above our circumstances forever. Humility is the character of Jesus that allows Him to live in that place of love and not justice. It is the way of the cross. It is also the way of the resurrection. Think about it. I love you, Jennifer

Back to the Future

Vacations/spring break/retreats....All are meant to give us new motivation to live in our daily tasks. I had a week of rest, fun, and friendship with long time friends George and Leslie. I went to Alabama to see their new home and was completely spoiled and pampered. Leslie and I went on an adventure to find my father's and grandmother's family home in Meridian,Mississippi. The trip in itself was filled with beautiful country side with spring proclaiming its arrival. We were able to make a 2 1/2 hours trip into 4 hours with only having to ask for directions once.We found the house with only my memory guiding me. I spent so many summers in this house with a grandmother whose loving care and sense of humor couldn't be matched. The church was across the street where she sang in" the choir and the cemetary next door where she and the entire family is buried reminded me that again life and family are but a breath but that one day all will be together again in our heavenly home. I was also able to connect to a cousin who has joined me in this jouney to the past. He and I have had some time via email and phone calls to recall people and stories of this amazing family. I asked the Lord what His purposes for this trip was in my life. The obvious already has been explained . He loves every generation and He wants to remind us of how faithful He has been to us all. He has given us an inheritance that we must build on.
An exclamation mark came with my flight home. My plane trip was routed from Pensacola to Atlanta to Houston. I had to travel 3 hours east (by plane) to arrive 1 1/2 hours west of my starting point. Thus my title." Back to the Future" Sometimes we must all travel back to recognize His hand in our present and future. God bless you,Jennifer

I Stand In Awe

If you read the Houston Chronicle today, February 25,2011, you saw that the Church of the Redeemer in Houston, Texas will be closing its doors this weekend. This blog does not have the space to describe the amazing things that the Lord did in the 40 years that God has been knitting lives together and showing His amazing grace,power, and love to people who attended that church. I went to the last Friday night service that will ever be held. I saw many faces of people that I have loved over those years. They continue to be a large part of my extended family. But, as much as we have loved the music and the mural that radiates a presence, the body of believers gathered still holds their gaze on the beauty of the living Christ. We worshipped God tonight afresh. He alone is worthy of all of our worship. He is not a building. He lives in the heart of every believer and I believe He was blessed by the outpouring of love that we gave to Him and to each other tonight. We all long for that great outpouring that is promised in the last days.I must repeat a prayer from Habakkuk 3:2 that I prayed in that same building 3 weeks before Billy went to be with Jesus........" Lord, I have heard of your fame;I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day and in our time make them known" I proclaim my excitement for the outpouring of His Spirit that He is getting ready the send to us. Thank you, Father. I love you, Jennifer

Count It All Nothing

I must tell you that the last few weeks have been amazing. I have experienced the presence of the Lord in worship like never before. It has been a gift from God that I am determined never to live without. Mind you, I have experienced many wonderful times with Him in the past and I have been very thankful for all the blessings, but these times have taken me to a place where I am getting a glimpse of what Paul was talking about in Phillipians 3:7-10 "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him ....I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." When we worship Him with everything we have and when we give ourselves to loving and serving and praying for others with the focus off of ourselves----that is when He reveals this amazing and glorious presence to us. Come on friends, don't settle any more for the things of this world. Count it all Nothing....Problems, things, money, pride.....ALL NOTHING
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I Hear You, Lord

Did you know that the Lord loves to tell His children what He is going to do? We need to be available to hear Him in any circumstance and then we will be positioned for amazing things. Jeremiah was in prison when he heard the Lord --" While Jeremiah was still locked up in jail,a second Message from God was given to him. This is God's message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God. 'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own. ( Message Bible) As I sat in my small group at Jester 3 prison last night, I heard men, who by most appraisals have nothing to have hope for, spoke about the things that God had spoken to them. They all expressed their understanding of how much God loves them and uses them for others. They talked about miracle restorations in their families. Please remember that Jeremiah and my friends in prison heard God WHILE they were in prison. You and I need to focus on the presence and voice of God in the difficult times as well as the good times. What has He said to you today? Bless you, Jennifer

No Distractions

When God speaks to me, it seems like He takes me to visions of things that seem so far away that my initial reaction is to doubt that I really heard Him. This morning in my prayer and fasting time He said that Measuring lines have fallen on pleasant places and fair to me indeed is my inheritance. These words are out of Psalm 16. The struggles that presented themselves to me today didn't present themselves as "pleasant places" but God spoke again later in the day and said that as I love others all fear would leave because His perfect love will drive out all fear. My fear causes me to be distracted from the assignment that He has given me. He told me to stay faithful to the disciplines that will bring order - prayer,fasting, generosity, kindness and peace. Will you recommit with me today to repent and release all distractions from Loving Him and depending on Him for everything? He truly is our All In All.