Sun, Apr 30th - 10:54PM

Message for me?

What a crazy day. As I have mentioned before, we are building a house. Now that the weather is nice we are spending more time at the site. We had a few people gung ho to help us in the beginning but they have fallen to the side as the work as started. So I need my sons on site as much as possible. This is not something they are really happy about sometimes. Anyway, today we were supposed to be on site for a few hours. Sunday is a bad day for us because of our church commitments, the puppet ministry and one of my sons works for my sister on Sunday afternoons.As I do want to be in the house before the snow flies, I made the plan for my other son and myself to be there today. Best laid plans and all that... one of the folks on our building co op is handicapped and she required some help today on her yard. Sean went to help her so that left me.

When I got to the site I found about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water on the main floor of the house. We received a great deal of rain last night. I spent 2 hours vaccuming the water up. It was a good time for God to talk to me it seems.

Let me digress for a minute. I spent most of the weekend in prayer. Our youth group had a lock in at the church this weekend and I had friends away at a retreat so I spent a great deal of time praying for both groups. I had also just finished the book "Waking the Dead" again with prayer and study. So I have been busy praying and studying, not listening.

The water was sitting on my unfinished floor, warping my subflooring and possibly seeping into the crawl space and setting up problems with mold. Break out the shop vac and get to it!  I was by myself with only the silence of the construction site to keep me company (and the sllluuuurrppppp of the shop vac). I found myself praying and humming hymns as i worked. I worked at it for a time and I didnt feel I was getting anywhere. Every time I move the hose, water would slowly seep back into the areas I had jus finished. I need a roof, some protection.

I watched the water cover a spot I had just cleared and it occured to me that this is the way the enemy works. We clean up an area in our lives and he seeps in again to side track us. To frustrate us, to make us lose hope. We can put up a fight, put a board over that spot, tarp it, what ever, its only temporary. Soon the enemy whips up a wind that tears the tarp away, or someone pushes the board aside and forgets to put it back. We have to have a roof, a solid roof. One that protects from the wind and the storms that rage outside. We have to be covered. As a christian body we know that there is a war waging for our souls, for our lives. We need that covering, we need that roof. God is that covering for us. If we don't have our roof, our God, the storm will come and flood our house. The enemy will come and overwhelm your life. You will find yourself always cleaning up the mess and never building up new.

There is a fire sweeping the body, waking the body. I am hearing is from all corners of the world. I have been a christian for 33 years and never have I seen the body so stirred. There is an awakening. The message that keeps coming to me is that time is short, for what I dont know, but it is short.

There is a song sung by Casting Crowns that says "If we are the body, why aren't His arms reaching, His hands healing, His words teaching? If we are the body, why aren't His feet going, His love showing?" We are the body, what are we doing? Just sucking up water? Stand and be still in the storm. Pray and listen. God has a message for you. Yep, you! You are a precious treasure that God has been seeking. He wants your heart and he has already given you His. Your relationship with God is the most intimate relationship you will ever have. He knows you like know one else. And you are still his treasure!

In conclusion, the water in my house is mostly gone. My Father sent a good strong wind to aid me in my clean up. As our youth group likes to yell.... "GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME!" "ALL THE TIME..... GOD IS GOOD!"

Amen brothers and sisters.

If you have the enemy attacking your life, drop me a note @ babs_2000@msn.com. Let me offer an ear and a listening heart. I will be praying for you, the body!

Be strong, our army is bigger!

Barb

Sat, Apr 22nd - 12:08AM

Unity

When I first started blogging, I wrote how God had placed the theme Unity on my heart. This theme was actually put there last September, reiterated in October and thought about over the last few months. Tonight we listened to a speaker who spoke on unity. Gee, do you think God is trying to get something across?

Last weekend we rented Narnia, the new one. At one point in the movie I felt the urge to shout out that evil will not prevail. Where did that come from?

This week I started reading a book called Waking the Dead by John Eldridge. If you haven't read it, get it! If you have read it, Wow, huh????!!!!

Ok, so the message I think I am receiving is this.... We as christian are in the middle of a war. This war has been going on since Adam and Eve. The more we step out in faith the bigger target we are. Chances are, at some point, we are going to take a hit. So what do we do? Just share our faith with other believers? Hide in our churches? Pray in closets? Let unbelievers fend for themselves, hope someone else will share the good news with them?

I know what I am going to do. Finally :) After 40 years I am finally getting a glimpse of what God has for me and my family. I will arm myself for this war. I will stand in the gap. I will pray without ceasing. I will speak my faith to any and all who will listen. I will help all who come for help. I will stand in the face of evil and declare "YOU CANNOT HAVE ME OR MINE! YOU CANNOT HAVE THESE THAT I WILL WIN FOR CHRIST!"

I think I have just painted a big bullseye on myself. :) My challenge for our community, our church, our unified body, is this. Will you step up and arm yourself? Will you fight with me? Will you step out in boldness, in faith? Can you say to evil, "Bring it on!"? Can you say to a perfect stranger, "Hi I am..... Have you got God?" :)

As the speaker said tonight, "Stop looking for the church to feed you, get out there and ask who can I feed?!" Blessing my brothers and sisters. Love you all more that you know.

Fri, Apr 14th - 12:22AM

Time

I spent last night watching my sons climb the walls. Literally!

Our church youth group went to a rock climbing place and they spent the night climbing up man made rock walls. I sat and watched my boys with their friends and wondered where the time had gone. It seems such a short time ago that I was having to pull them off the things they were climbing for fear they would kill themselves.  Last night I was yelling, "Higher! Higher!" :D

They have turned out to be such amazing young men. Thank you God! One of the boys has decided to do some teen mission trips and the other is busy recruiting from his high school. I would never have had the courage to do that at their age. Sometimes I dont have the courage now to do that! They teach me daily to step out in faith. I am in awe of these two. Not that I dont have moment of thinking we should eat our young. Trust me, they are far from perfect! But they do catch me by surprise at times.

We have been discussing going into the mission field when our house is done. I cant think of anything more amazing than doing mission work with my sons. Sean wants to be a carpenter and build churches and schools in 3rd world countries. He claims that if carpentry was good enough for our savior, its good enough for him. :) Its a good trade, there is always building that needs to be done. He has my blessing. My other son sings and other than that, he doesnt know what he wants to be. Thats just fine, he has time and he has moms blessing as well.

I know there are others parents out there who have amazing kids, kudos to those parents! Its a tough time to be raising kids. Maybe it was just as rough for my parents, I dont know. I think all parents worry and fuss about doing what right and having the kids turn out to be good kids. Regardless of generation. For myself, I give all the credit to God. Things could have certainly turned out differently for the boys and I. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my boys will be with the Father when there time comes. Amen! Excuse the ramblings of a parent who loves her boys. :)

Christ bore the nails for my sons, that they would have a place in His mansion. He bore the nails for me so that I can be there with them. He bore the nails for you so you can be there too! Happy Easter.

Barb

Sun, Apr 9th - 11:32PM

Thank you!

Thanks to those of you who posted comments about my last blog. I am well aware of the ideas you put forth. I am just having a problem putting them into action. I know all the ways to discipline myself. That is the key word, discipline.

I certainly appreciate your advice and your prayers. There is no "mind your own business" about it. Please, bring it on along with your prayers.

God has done some incredible work on me and my family in the last 9 months or so. So very amazing. God is so Good!!!!!

I will update whats going on tomorrow.

I am praying for you here at Christians Unite.

Barb

Fri, Apr 7th - 11:17AM

Will I ever learn?

I went to bed last night, praying that I wouldn't bounce any checks today. I woke up this morning praying the same thing. I am so bad with money. I can't seem to stick to a budget and when I stress about money I tend to spend more. I dont want to be chained to this problem anymore. I want God to deliver me.

Funny thing is, I dont gamble, drink, smoke or compulsively shop. Little things add up, the latte in the morning, doctor bills, power bills, rent, movie rentals. Minor things but still enough to cause a problem.

I know that if God can trust me with my finances, he can trust me with other things. I want that, I want to be a good steward. It is my desire for my children, that they never have to go thru this. That they will manage their money better than I have.

I am no spring chicken, and the stress of living this way is going to give me a heart attack! : )

Why am I blogging something so personal? Because God says to come clean with other believers. Also, I am asking for your prayers that I may become a better steward.

Bless you all

Barb

Thu, Apr 6th - 10:48AM

Spring?

You gotta love April, at least April in the Rockies! :)

I was so very excited last week when it looked like we could get going on our house. Our foundation was poured last fall, they got the floor joists down in early winter and there it sat. Finally we started work on the sub flooring and getting the foundation prepped for a radon system and insulation. It was a good week. Our contractor said to get the floor done and they would be up to put up walls by the end of this week... Hello snow!!!   snow, snow, snow.... 8 inches on Saturday and Sunday, rain on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, snow on Thursday. Come on God, give us a break would ya? We are 3 months behind schedule!

Guess what? I am not frustrated or anxious at all. God has a plan. I am smiling and singing his praises this snowy morning because, as I have said before, God is good! The moisture will be so great for our new yard. And hopefully for some fishing when the house is complete.

My most beloved Savior has taught me what it is to have patience. That has never been a strong suit of mine. So Thank You Father! for teaching me patience.  (Lets not push it too far however!) :P

Gods Blessings on you all!

Barb