Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Fresh Manna . . . | Caterpillars |

I'm reading a book called Forgotten God by Francis Chan. If you don't know about this book, it's focus is understanding more about the Holy Spirit. Owen, loves this book and is now repeating it for the 3rd time. (That's a big deal when you know that he doesn't care for reading.) Well, here's my fresh manna for the day...

(excerpt from pages 36 & 37)
Years ago, when a random thought came into my head, I decided to share it with my wife. "Have you ever wondered what caterpillars think about?" I asked. Not surprisingly, she said "No."

(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

I then proceeded to tell her about the confusion I imagined a caterpillar must experience. For all its caterpillar life, it crawls around a small patch of dirt and up and down a few plants. Then one day it takes a nap. A long nap. And then, what in the world must it go through its head when it wakes up to discover it can fly? What happened to its dirty, plump little worm body? What does it think when it sees its tiny new body and gorgeous wings?


(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

As believers, we ought to experience this same kind of astonishment when the Holy Spirit enters our bodies. We should be stunned in disbelief over becoming a "new creation" with the Spirit living in us. As the caterpillar finds its new ability to fly, we should be thrilled over our Spirit-empowered ability to live differently and faithfully. Isn't this what the Scripture speaks of? Isn't this what we've all been longing for?

(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

It really is an astounding truth that the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. He lives in me. I do not know what the Spirit will do or where He'll lead me each time I invite Him to guide me. But I am tired of living in a way that looks exactly like people who do not have the Holy Spirit of God living in them. I want to consistently live with an awareness of His strength. I want to be different today from what I was yesterday as the fruit of the Spirit becomes more manifest in me.


(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

I want to live so that I am truly submitted to the Spirit's leading on a daily basis. Christ said it is better for us that the Spirit came (John 14), and I want to live like I know that is true. I don't want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly.


(image from www.scienceprojectlab.com)

|My Thoughts| Isn't it amazing to stop and think about how much God cares about a plump little worm and that He cares so much more for me! I also thought about how the transformation process probably isn't all that fun to go through. I'm sure the caterpillar didn't really see the point of the transformation before it began. For all he knows is life seems good "as is", it probably comes with discomfort, and this process seriously interrupts life as he knows it. However, if he didn't ever go through the discomfort of transformation, he would never get the chance to soar!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Fresh Manna | The Lord is Near |

At Outback we learned about seeking fresh manna each day. Fresh manna as your daily devotional and bible study which speaks to you personally, helps to teach you, helps you spiritually grow, and bring encouragement from God's heart to you. Here is my fresh manna from today and I hope you too are blessed by His revealing nature....

The Word says in Philippians 4:5-7 that “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. I love the way that this scripture starts off….”The Lord is near”. What a wonderful statement that should powerfully affect the way we live each and every day – He is near – think about that for just a moment and let it soak into your spirit. Whatever your week involves, in all its busyness and crazy pace, the creator of the heavens and the earth is near!! Take comfort and claim that promise today and let that simple statement change the way you live today. Join me and others this week as we invite the King of Kings to move and transform lives.

My Birthday (33 Years of Me!)

Yesterday was a fabulous day! My friends and family lavished love on me through simple acts of kindness. Here were some of my presents...

1. A gazillion birthday wishes through Facebook, email, and calls. (And no, I'm not exaggerating.)

2. My girls picked out and installed a "God Loves You" sticker on my car without me knowing it. Now I get to drive around town with a big smiley face on my car. Ha! :)


3. Chocolate covered strawberries delivered to my door. Yummmmmy!!!! (Which reminded me to go eat one while I type.)



4. A sweet text from a friend reminding me about all the exciting changes that have happened in my life this year.

5. When I picked up the girls from school, I received this card which said "I love you mommy. PS: Please follow Maddie's directions for they will lead you to a birthday surprise!!!" If you've never had a 9 year old read you directions, that in itself is a surprise. The good news is we safely arrived at Maggie Moo's where Owen & better batter ice cream were waiting.


6. Later that night we went and ate "I Love Sushi" for Crunchy Shrimp Rolls (thanks Carrie for introducing me to those), soup, salad, and hot tea. Again, Yummmmmy!!!



7. And the Mardi Gras Birthday party will end with good friends and a grill out on the river this coming weekend. (Well, hopefully the grill and pontoon boat get along.)



Friday, August 13, 2010

We're ready to put our house up for sale! Here is the information, be sure to let your friends know & email with any questions.

Area: Whitesburg Estates (SW Huntsville)
Space: 5 Bedroom, Study, Living Room, Bonus Room, Dining Room, Breakfast Nook, 3 1/2 Baths, Laundry Room, 2 Car Garage
Square Footage: 3,500
School District: Chaffee, Whitesburg, Grissom
Upgrades: Hunter Douglas Shades & Custom Window Treatments Throughout, HD Home Theater Projection System w/88" Screen, 33 ft. of Custom Garage Cabinets, Sprinkler System, Spray Foam Insulation in Attic and Crawlspace.

Front View


Back View


Living Room
| 19'8 x 16' |

(view one)


(view two)

Study
| 15'9 x 15' |


Dining Room
| 12' x 14' |


Breakfast Nook
| 10' x 13' |


Kitchen
| 14' x 15' |


Bonus Room
| 23' x 14' |


Master Bedroom
| 14' x 18' |

Master Bath


2nd Bedroom
| 11' x 11' |

3rd Bedroom
| 11' x 13' |

4th Bedroom
| 13'10 x 14'5 |

Weight Room or 5th Bedroom
| 13'10 x 14' |