God's Protection 4 Years Ago Today

I just got the neatest little reminder on my phone. It buzzed/jingled and a reminder popped up. I never set those things so I was wondering what in the world it could be.

"God protected you 4 years ago today..." was all it read. Hmmmm, March 3. Ah, yes. March 3, 2007.

I was 9 months pregnant with Jonah. Our cheerleading friends gave me a sweet shower to celebrate becoming parents. Bear went mountain biking with some friends. At the end of the day, we were all in the emergency room at Eastside Hospital in Snellville and not because of the baby...

Bear broke his neck.

It was the best thing that has ever happened. Isn't that crazy?! But it's so true. God carried, sustained, and rescued us through it all.

“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,
   all the remnant of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,
   and have carried since you were born.
Even to your old age and gray hairs
   I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
   I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
   To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?"

Isaiah 46:3-5, emphasis mine

I'm so thankful that He hasn't stopped. Even in Imbeeyah.



SSMT #5

Can you believe it's been two whole months?! I'm really loving how applicable these verses have become to me through this year. His Word never fails to be relevant to me and I love Him so much for that. Here's my verse for this time around....

"But my servant Caleb thinks differently and follows me completely. So I will bring him into the land he has already seen, and his children will own that land."
Numbers 14:24, NCV

Kindof an odd selection, isn't it? I got a reminder on my phone for an important date this week, which I'll blog about on March 3, and it got me thinking about all God has done for me and Bear in the past. He is SO faithful! I've seen what He can do. I've already seen His Presence in our lives and He's already made Himself so real to us countless times. That's exactly what I want for my children: to inherit the legacy of God's Presence. Can you think of anything sweeter or more satisfying? Hence, my SSMT verse this time. But....

There's always a "but", isn't there? Caleb got to inherit the Promised Land because he thought differently. Some other versions say...

"But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly..." (NIV)
"But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me..." (NLT)
"But my servant Caleb—this is a different story. He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately." (The Message)

Hmmmm- see the theme?

Bear and I talked last night on the phone for 45 minutes about what God was teaching him in India. It's still not specific but I'm pretty sure that it's going to involve a lot of different spirit, different attitude, and it's gonna be a whole different story than what we have been doing! We want to follow God wholeheartedly, passionately, and remain loyal to Him alone. Then, and only then, will my children own. that. land.

If you're praying for us, pray for clarity of what the Lord has in store for our family and lays out the specifics of what He is calling us to do in order to "think differently and follow Him completely". I know He'll let us in on the plan eventually! :)

“...From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you."

"This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."
Isaiah 48:6b, 17



Four More Nights!!!!!

Just look at how short our prayer chain is!!! Woooooo-hoooooooooo! Four more nights 'til Daddy's home and it can't come soon enough!

I got to talk to Bear tonight for about 45 minutes which is crazy long. The past two times I talked to him last week was about 4 minutes a piece so it felt like forever...but in a good kinda forever way. :) We've been tearing off a chain every night & praying for the "Imbeeyan" people. Jonah's prayer stays pretty much consistent:

"Dear God, Please keep my Daddy safe in Imbeeyah. Amen."

Several nights ago, his prayer grew.

"Dear God, Please keep my Daddy safe in Imbeeyah and help them to know the Bible is Your True Word. Amen." (emphasis on True. Word. He was very dramatic emphatic.)

Sunday night, we went to the circus with Tantie, Cobb, and the Squishes. (The Squishes are my sisters unborn twins until we know the genders, which we'll probably keep the name but change any female twin(s) to Squishie(s) to make it more feminine. Yes, we're that weird.) Esther Grace has begun an obsessive love affair with elephants. I'm sure I'll blog more on that later. At least I don't have to worry about getting one as a pet. Annnnnnyways....

As we were walking through the parking lot towards the Gwinnett Arena, the sun was setting and I snapped  a picture with my phone. It doesn't do it any justice.

The light was streaming up into the heavens and it was just beautiful. Breathtaking. It was about 6:30 p.m. and I realized that it was about 5:00 a.m. the next morning in India. I told Jonah, "Do you know that the sun is setting here but in India where Daddy is, it's just coming up? God is sending our sun to light Daddy's morning!" It was such a neat thought. That night, Jonah's prayer grew even more....

"Dear God, Please keep my Daddy safe in Imbeeyah and help him to put light into the Imbeeyan peepul's hearts. Amen."

Tonight, we prayed Proverbs 19:21 from our prayer chain.

"Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails."

In previous nights, we've prayed about God's guidance and leading those from darkness to light. Jonah's prayer?

"Dear God, Please keep my Daddy safe in Imbeeyah....and could You just help him and guide him? Amen."

My heart could not be fuller! I think it might burst on Saturday when I've got my entire family home! :)

"Imbeeyah"

We've made a prayer chain for Daddy while he's in "Imbeeyah". There's a link for each night he's gone with Bible verses that we can pray. When we get to the heart at the top that says "Daddy's Home!", it will be time for him to be back.

Jonah wanted to write "Daddy" all by himself. Not bad for a three-year-old but I'm biased. I know for a fact there are others in his class at preschool that could do way better. They're also girls, but you know....

Last night, while we were praying Ephesians 4 for Daddy (specifically verses 4 and 15) Jonah asked if we could tear off two links.
     "I want Daddy to come home.....now."
I know, Buddy. Me too.

After he went to bed, I was finishing up my lesson for BSF and kept getting hung up on one particular question. The lesson asked me to list promises from anywhere in the Bible that are encouraging me at the current time. There are so many! Where do I even start?! I was thinking about in John 17 when Jesus prays for His disciples and asks God to keep them safe by the Name He gave Christ. I tried to turn there but for some reason my mind kept thinking that "sheep" was in that passage and I know the sheep passage is in John 10 so that's where I ended up. Of course, that's exactly where God wanted me.

"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." John 10:16

Suddenly, my prayer turned from "Keep Bear safe, keep Bear safe!" to "Get those sheep, get those sheep!" Strange how God just turned my perspective around, isn't it? It's not about my fear, worry, and loneliness. It's all about Him and His glory. Always has.

So, Babe- wherever you are in "Imbeeyah"....get those sheep!

SSMT #4

Bear's in India and as I'm typing this he should be landing in Mumbai. They will be spending the night in the airport and then flying out to Hyderabad on Tuesday morning at 6:25 am (their time).... about 8 pm tonight (our time). I've been praying all morning that God provides them with a safe, quiet place to sleep so that they'll be fully rested and protected. I've also been praying Ephesians 6 over them like crazy!

We dropped Bear off at the church Sunday afternoon to meet up with the rest of the team. Jonah has cried several times over the past week in anticipation of Daddy leaving and going to "Imbeeyah" to tell the "Imbeeyan peepul" about Jesus. Sunday, he decided that if he pitched a fit than maybe Daddy would stay. It's been a great opportunity to teach Jonah that sometimes obeying God isn't the most fun thing. Daddy doesn't want to be away from us for two weeks. Daddy isn't looking forward to not seeing us nor is he excited about cuddling up with David at night either. (I know for a fact that he is very excited about what God's going to do in India though.) Regardless of the stuff we don't like, Daddy is being obedient to God and as Bear says, "It's better to be gone and be obedient than to be here and be disobedient. God's Will is the best...and safest...place to be." Amen to that! I can only imagine how much of a grump Bear would be if he were here over the next two weeks. So, it's been good to help Jonah see that we are to obey the Lord regardless of how we feel about it. Obedience is obedience and we're called to do it. No excuses.

As we pulled out of the church parking lot Daddy-less, I was trying to hold back my tears so as not to scare my children. My heart was breaking over the upcoming fourteen nights without Bear. Fourteen nights without someone to talk to before falling asleep. Fourteen nights getting the kids to bed by myself. Fourteen nights not having that security of Bear's back of solid muscle to hide behind when I hear a noise at night. Fourteen nights of restlessness. Fourteen! (I don't even want to calculate how many meals, loading/unloading of the car, diapers, etc. that is without MY MAN!)

Chris Tomlin's song "Our God is Greater" was playing on the radio. Yes, I know this song is way overplayed but it was like hearing it for the first time. He is greater. He is stronger. Greater than India. Stronger than my twisted up feelings in my chest. Higher than any other.

My previous memory verse for SSMT was Zephaniah 3:17:

"For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will sing over you with joyful songs."

(emphasis mine)

He did just that. How faithful is our God?! My next verse that I will be memorizing is a bit different. I personalized it just for me....

"[She] will have no fear of bad news; [her] heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord." Psalm 112:7

The Scripture actually reads "They" and "their". I'm pretty sure the Lord won't mind. I really wanted to memorize it in it's entirity of context but I don't think I could handle the entire 112nd chapter of Psalms! But it's a perfect prayer for "Imbeeyah" and the "Imbeeyan peepul" and the team's families at home.

"Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing." Psalm 112