Walk to Emmaus

Wow describes this experience in my life! I left for my walk less than 48 hours after I returned from Mardi Gras where I had only had from 3 to 5 hours of sleep a night on a blow up bed in a gym with about 75 other ladies. My friend, Kimmy picked me up on Thursday at 5:00 PM, I had to say goodbye to my watch and my phone until 5:00 PM on Sunday. I had no idea what to expect but I was excited and a little anxious. I had been out of town and was leaving again hoping that I had left nothing undone. So here I go for 3 days not knowing anyone or anything that is going to happen. The first night was hard, I had a hard time going to sleep thinking of all the things I should be doing. Finally I just decided that I had to give it all to God and go with this. As far as I could tell there wasn't anyone that I could bribe to let me use their phone. On Friday morning I jumped all in and I am so glad that I did. God showed me more things about myself that He wanted to change, He brought new friends into my life and overwhelmed me with His love and grace. It was one of the most valuable times that I have had with the Lord. It was youth camp X's 100! Those of you who know how much I love youth camp can understand this.
I cried on and off for what seemed like hours (who knows because I never knew what time it was)I was so taken with God's goodness to me! I would like to reflect right here. What would our devotionals, church services, outreaches, time with friends and family look like if we didn't have a watch? I was very convicted of how I have restricted God's voice in my life by the next thing that I need or want to get on to. I am trying to just chill and enjoy His presence more.
This weekend had tons of surprises. I love surprises!!!
It was full of God changing my thinking to better thinking, His thinking.
I came home with a new gratitude for Jesus and all of the great people He has put in my life. It was overwhelming that I had friends who love me so much that they would make this happen for me and my friends and family who wrote me letters of encouragement. I came home feeling so humbled and loved. I will be doing this for many others!
My next blog will tell of a more specific work that God did in me...don't miss it!

Mardi Gras 2012

I've got 3 blogs on the inside of me right now so I am going to be doing one a day for the next few days.
Mardi Gras was once again an amazing experience. I've lost count of how many times I have been on this mission to take Jesus to the people. The first time I went I was 28 and young!
I felt prepared, we had just come off of a 21 one day fast with our church family and it was amazing all of the things that God did in us as a church. I had grown closer to Him and to the body of Christ.
So off I went to Mardi Gras with a team of about 130 people from accross the states. I sat down on the plane next to a couple about my age who were traveling with their 24 year old twins. Their conversation existed of what drinks they were going to get this partying started with. Ed may be the only one that knows this about me but this is one of my pet peaves in life. People drinking with their children. Maybe it's because I was raised in A.A. (my Dad was an alchoholic) from the time I was 6 years old. I know that alchohol can be a real trap for people.
I just decided to get out a book and read because I was agitated with these people. About 15 minutes before we landed I finished my book and got out my itenerary for the weekend. The lady next to me asked if I was on a group trip and what would we be doing so I told her with some reluctance. I told her that I really have a heart for collage age students who might get in over their heads. I like to be the Mom of the street! She told me that she really admired that and proceeded to tell her children to turn around and look at me. When they did she said "if you find yourself in trouble this weekend, look for this lady". They of course were thinking, yeah right! She was very genuine and kept telling me that she really appreciated me going out there.
I had to be faced with ugliness on the inside of myself once again. I had judged her and here she was being so complimentary of me. I realize that I am so far from who Jesus is and trying to re-present Him to the world is challenging for a person who is far from perfect. I love how He never gives up on me and is continually comforming me to His image even more, He still wants to use me!
I had a great time and if you want to hear some of the stories go to Ed's blog, it's on my page.
I did get to be the Mom of the street to many young people. One guy that stands out was Edwardo. Good looking guy who was dressed in a towel and taking pictures with all the girls. I got in conversation with him and told him that he needed to respect the girls and treat them right. He laughed and told me that they needed to respect him also. God showed me that he had a praying Momma so I just asked him if she was. He was shocked, looked me in the eyes and said, yes she is. I left him with "you better think about that!" It was so fun being the Mom of the street. I believe that maybe some kids made better choices and thought more about the people that love and care for them.
We met a girl named Adrian who I was chit chatting with when Ed interupted and told her that he hoped she didn't think he was weird but God was showing him that she had experienced a lot of pain and rejection. She began to weep and tell us that her Dad had died 2 years earlier and the pain that she was in. We got to pray for her and hug her. What a privilege.
Thank you God that you use imperfect people to show your love.
I am always forever changed when I get out of the church and to the streets!

Awakening 21...Never thought I could do it!

We are almost halfway through our 21 day fast so I felt it was time to share some of the things that God has done in me during this time. Let me get this out there....I AM A HORRIBLE FASTER! God is so good! I began to pray about this fast months ago when Ed first presented it to our church. I wanted to hear what kind of fast He wanted me to do. I felt it was a Daniel fast. Ed shared with me a few days later that God had spoken to him to do that fast also. I was thinking to myself "Thank you Jesus, because it was going to be super hard if he was going to be fasting sports or tv and could eat everything in front of me!"
The week before the fast you would have thought I was on death row. All I could think about were my last meals. I can tell you that I had no focus on God that week! I realized I am a food addict for sure. I guess all of the Weight Watchers meetings I've been to had not revealed that to me yet.
We started the fast on Sunday and left for Colorado that day to visit Ed's family. Side note: last summer while we were there I fasted one day as I was getting ready for a mission trip and had called a one day a week fast until we left for our trip. I had already had to explain to the kids of the family about this. Now we are back and fasting again! I know they must think we are religious nuts, but the fact is I avoid fasting almost at any cost!
Now on to the great part...Ed had explained to our church that fasting was just pushing the reset button on our spiritual lives and it has done that for me big time. The food part has been easy, I am loving getting my focus off of things that don't really matter and putting my focus where it belongs. I don't care that my house doesn't look perfect, that all of my laundry isn't done, that my guests are not having a five course meal when they come or that I havn't been able to sleep late. I havn't missed my tv shows at all or felt the need to just mindlessly crash at the end of the day from exhaustion. I feel exilerated, refreshed, encouraged and I have a great anticipation of what God is doing!
There is a new level of excitement at church, a lightness and I am loving it! It is so fun doing this together with my church family and thousands around the world. There is more info and resources at www.awake21.org
One thing that is standing out to me right now is: When I make room for God He will step into that space. I'm realizing that there are a ton of spaces in my life that need to be filled with Him. I am getting rid of the business of my life and God is removing some for me! For the last 3 years I have been in charge of the yearly auction for the Boy's and Girl's club, this year I had to miss a meeting and they moved me to decorations which will take very little time and is more in my giftings! I can't wait to see what God will do with the space that I open up to him.
There have been challenges for sure, opportunities to get distracted with things that don't really matter, opportunities for fear to come in, like on day 1 when we were flying out in a horrible wind storm! I am not going to be distracted, I am growing and I love seeing others around me grow.
I believe that this is going to be one of the best years of my life to this point. We have 2 new grandbabies on the way, I will be going to Mardi Gras in a month to minister on the streets and then end the month with a walk to Emmaus. That is just the first two months! Wow!
Make a new space for God today, you won't regret it!