Universal Language

Love.

Love is a universal language. 

When you come from different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, states, countries...the one thing that is easily understood between all people is Love. 

In the last month, my family's life was thrown an amazing opportunity to show love to a very incredible little girl. Through circumstances, she was placed in our care from the Department of Family and Children Services. I have learned so much from this last month. 

I have learned I do not have nearly enough patience that I want. 

I have learned that it is only through God's grace and strength that I made it through hard and heartbreaking conversations with her. 

I have learned that I have an amazing church family who opened their arms not only to my family, but to this sweet girl. She looked forward to every Sunday so that she could see her new friends (most were actually adults) and of course, Ms. Vickie. 

I have learned that I end up loving my husband even more when I watch him step out in faith, out of his comfort zone, and show Christ's love to little people. 

I learned that a snuggle and a cuddle is sometimes all any of us really need. 

All we need is LOVE. True LOVE. To know that even when I am not your mother, I can still show my LOVE to you. 

What if we all treated each other the same way? In your group of friends, have you loved their children as if they were your own? Do they feel that love? Do you treat strangers this way? Isn't that what we as Christians are all called to do....to Love As Christ Loved Us???

Love...it is a universal language.

Breath of Life

Hurt.

Despair.

Pain.

Sleepless nights.

Questions running through the mind.

Anger with God.

Why ME? Why NOW?? Why THIS???

My husband like to scuba dive and he dives for work as well as for pleasure. One of the things he does to get ready for his try outs as well as just to scare me, is to see how long he can hold his breath under water. Have you ever done this? Put your face under and push yourself to see how long you can make it. You close your eyes and try to think that you can go longer...you don't need that breath...but then that feeling comes. That feeling that you just may not make it. The worry sets in that if you don't breathe you think you might die. Then you rush to the top of the water to breathe in a nice big breath.

http://www.jbgphotography.com/jbsessions.html

This is how life tends to be. Big things come our way and we think we can handle them on our own. Just a little bit longer...I don't need God's help. Then that feeling happens. Maybe you have felt it before. That feeling that there is nothing else that can help you. That no one else can help you. That is when God is calling you up out of the water to take that breath. The breath of life. Then once you breathe and give it all to Him, it is a feeling like no other. Feeling like you can breathe again.

Whatever it is you are going through, God knows about it. If you are hurting, He is hurting with you. He is a Father looking down on His child. He wants so desperately for you to look up through those waters and take a breath of Him.


Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

So how was the trip??

I love all the questions you get when you come back to the states after a mission trip:

How as the trip?
Were you ready to come back?
Was it just really hot?


The hardest part of trying to describe any trip is trying to explain it to someone that probably just won't understand. Trying to explain to someone that it was harder for me to leave Belize than it was for me to leave the States. Trying to explain that if my daughter was not back in Georgia, I don't know if I would be back.

When people ask, you want to pour your entire heart to them but then most are not ready for the answer. Most just want to hear "it was great!". Many don't want to hear about those children walking 5 hours round trip for water or about the child that had no formula/milk when we arrived. Or about how the shear need to survive day to day takes away the majority of hope in many of their lives.

Looking at the well that is now dry. 

But in all seriousness....how was the trip??

This was such a unique and awesome trip. We only went for a few days to really plan a youth camp in July. What I didn't realize is how much I would get to know about the lives of the people there during this time. From hearing stories at church to finally putting names to faces. It was truly incredible. To be able to worship with them...to pray with them...to pray over them...to just be with them.

Worshiping 

My heart bleeds and aches and honestly...I hope this feeling doesn't go away. I also want so many different people to experience this feeling. You see, I firmly believe that ALL of us are called to missions. God does not only call a few. Now...is He calling everyone to Belize..no. But He is calling your somewhere. God did not bless you so that you could keep it all to yourself, He blessed you so that you can go and be a blessing to others.

The reality that God placed me here in the United States with a job, a family that loves me, a car, running water, free from most dangers, able to hear and learn about Jesus Christ, etc....is absolutely overwhelming to me. He has blessed me so much (not just with material things) so that I might be a blessing.

One of God's precious children 

Nothing Good Comes From Anger

There have only really been a few times when I feel so compelled to read a section of the Bible. I mean, REALLY needing to read only 1 chapter over and over again. This past week, it has been Colossians 3. I want to share with you how I knew I needed to read it:

1. A friend of ours send a text with Colossians 3:23
2. I was upset and feeling myself getting angry so I looked up some Bible Verses. The one that first came up was Colossians 3:
3. My devotion was on Colossians Chapter 3
4. Another friend of mine quoted Colossians Chapter 3

And this was all just in 1 day!! I share this with you because many of us do not think God speaks to us. Or you might believe it but think that He has never spoken to you. What I have found through this past week was that I was sinking and God knew just what I needed - this particular Chapter. He saw my heart hardening and the anger building and instantly He sent people and things to lead me to His word, but even more specifically to this chapter.

Anger is something that sneaks up on all of us. It is a scary thing that makes us do things we regret. It usually arises out of hurt. When people hurt us, we tend to get angry and then we say and do things out of both of those emotions. I can honestly tell you that not a whole lot of good comes from anger. What does usually come from anger is resentment. This makes it harder to forgive and time usually does not heal all wounds but only makes them deeper.

God calls us to love. He calls us to love him and our neighbors just as we love ourselves. This is no small task. Love does not come naturally for many of us. It might to people who look like you or who believe the same things you do. Or maybe it is harder for you to love your family because you are "supposed to" but there is hurt and pain that has been there for years that you are not willing to give up.

So if nothing good comes from anger, but yet it is so easy to express and love is hard....then why does God expect so much from us? Because he knows what is best for us. We become miserable walking around with anger inside of us. Think about a time where you felt the most love...how good did that feel? God wants all of his children to experience that. But it starts with us...not just waiting on others to do it.

What is stopping you from loving today?

Open My Eyes

Homeless man with the sign...

Lady walking with oxygen...

Soldiers wounded protecting me...

Many times we go through life and we just fly by. For me, I feel that this time of the year I do this more than any other time. I know that miss a lot going on but it has hit like me a brick wall today.

I was driving to lead a Bible Study at GAP Ministries several weeks ago. For those of you that do not know what this is, it is a wonderful ministry that provides both spiritual and physical needs for the poor. As I was trying to "get in my Bible Study mood" (you know...the one that isn't frazzled, just yelled at a client, just got into an argument with husband, flustered, agitated - put my happy face that I have it all together look) when I saw a homeless man holding a sign that said "Will Work for Food".

And I instantly turned my head and pretended like I did not see him. Then of course the light turned red and I was stuck at the light. I have heard this happen to so many people but honestly this is the first time it has happened to me in years. Well...it's the first time it has happened since the majority of my day is dedicated to helping people in his situation. As I was having this mix of emotion, the light turned green and I breathed a sigh of relief. But this man has not left my mind. The song "Twenty-First time keeps replaying in my mind - "but what if he's Jesus and I walk away. I say I'm the body and drink of the wine but I pretend not to see him for the twenty-first time".

Then I couldn't help but remember what we are studying in our small group. We have been looking at the Not A Fan book and what has stood out to me is the scripture about Jesus calling people to follow him. One section of verses really hit me. "This man says to Jesus, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' (Luke 9:57) Jesus says, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'" (Luke 9:58). How committed am I? Would I rather be homeless and have Jesus or have a home and not have Jesus? This man said he was ready to follow Jesus but after Jesus pretty much tells him that following him is not going to be easy, the man turns away.

I have always taken the easy way  out when has come to Jesus. Making only the "right"decisions when I wanted to or when it was convenient for me. To truly follow means to sacrifice, to put my relationship with him above EVERYTHING else, to pick up the cross daily and follow him.

It is not an easy journey, but doesn't he deserve it? Open my eyes, my heart, and my mind. Let every day be spent in love with Him and striving to know Him more, and BE LIKE HIM. May I not ever be too busy and miss it.

Thankful for GAP

41. Laughter of Billingsley siblings
42. Hugs from a stranger
43. Unexpected words of encouragement
44. Clean dishes in the sink
45. Hum of the car driving down the road
46. Silence in the car when all I hear are my thoughts
47. Mission team arriving safely home
48. Sitting with family in church
49. Tears of sadness for missing family but tears of joy that we will one day see them again
50. Elizabeth missing her daddy - her love for him shines through
51. $100 needed at just the right time
52. Words of thanksgiving from a man still in pain after multiple surgeries
53. Leadership of the church
54. A husband whose heart is for being there for others
55. Words leaping off the pages of the Bible
56. GAP Ministries


A few Thursday a month, I have the joy and privilege of leading a bible study for GAP Ministries which provides the poor with a food pantry, nursing assistance, birth certificates, and IDs. On Sundays, they provide a meal and worship. But Thursday mornings is what moves me. I remember the first time I can down there to lead the study. I was scared out of my mind! I was scared of the homeless. Yes...I do work with the homeless, but I thought, not "these" homeless. My homeless have background checks and kids, and are not "street" homeless. Looking back on it, I am embarrassed I felt this way. BUT...I realize that my feelings were no different than what many people feel when someone asks them to step out of their comfort zone. The first Thursday, I was scared to death. You see, I can talk in front of people about Interfaith, but not about God. I have NEVER led any type of Bible Study before. I have taught only a few Sunday School Lessons to a small group of my friends, but never to 50 or more people.

I cannot put into words what Thursday mornings has done for me....what God has done in my heart through some incredible people that come to GAP.

I definitely don't fit in. I am a small, white, woman in the midst of larger, mainly African American men. I can be loud and a "firecracker" and most are reserved and weary of strangers. I am sober. Some are drunk or struggling with addiction. I have a clean record. Some have served time in jail. I have a house. Many do not know where they are sleeping tonight. Many look just like you or I. Many are working so many hours of week but still cannot make ends me. I am filled with happiness. Many are filled with anger and resentment.

I have faith - many of them have faith stronger than I have ever seen.

I do not fit in. But I want to fit in. I want my faith to be so strong that even in plenty and in want, my faith in my Lord Jesus Christ is the same! I am thankful for God pushing me into GAP Ministries. If it were up to me, I do not know if I would have done it. I had so many excuses - homeless, fear of standing in front of people and talking about the bible, what if they asked a question I didn't know the answer to, what if....what if...

What if that one person never heard about Jesus Christ?

People need to hear and SEE the love of Christ. I am thankful that I get to do this specifically on Thursdays. I am thankful for each person there that has touched my life. And to think...I could have missed it!


Thankful...Thankful...Thankful...

31 Gifts and Counting

31. Husband that got up in the middle of the night with Carrigan
32. Sweet Elizabeth telling Carrigan "It's okay...I know...I know...your Mommy will be home soon". (tear)
33. Sun peeking through clouds on my drive into work
34. Hymns playing through Pandora at work
35. Quick trips to the Doctor's office
36. Familiar faces when anxiety increases
37. Unexpected meals with the hubby
38. Quiet days at the office
39. Light rain falling and the noise on the roof
40. "I wuv you too Mommy"