Busy as a Bee, Still called to Be...
Friday morning April 22nd at about 1am, I was laying on my newly covered IKEA couch bed breathing a short sigh of relief, Whew!! After a long week at work and every night ending around this time With my small group dinner Monday night for 3 wonderful ladies, Tuesday's unexpected late closing at work until after 8pm, Wednesday night having to drive 35 miles one-way(did I mention in the rain?) to Severna Parks Crisis Pregnancy Center to scout the job for Serve Annapolis May 8th as I am the Project scout and team leader and it was their only late hour evening and I had a Friday dead line. Now Thursday night I finally was able to paint the guest room I was now laying in looking at the final result. I was worn-out and still had a long day at work Friday. Followed by house guests and a day long Ladies Conference at church Saturday, (which by the way I was looking forward to all of this) Not only did I have big deadlines at work where I wanted to do excellently as it is only my second week now in my new office....But past all this I have several more big deadlines coming. There will be 3 big events at work in May with the possibility of more to be announced! But sometime in the midst of all this I need the quiet time to hear from God on what he wants prepared for the ladies to be taught on the August Cuba missions trip! There are letters that have to go out for my support to make the trip, and emails to team members for serve Annapolis......Oh did I mention emails from friends demanding my time and not so understanding when I have no time to give. One even told me I was unreliable, because I did not promptly respond? Any one want to trade lives?? I doubt it! And the truth is if anyone were to list out all they have to do in their busy week, I would shut my mouth and be glad to deal with mine!! Well the truth is, I am already thankful for all that God has given me, and forgive me if this has sounded like ranting and raving! It was never intended that way....I only wanted to capture the emotion that busy lives create so that I could then begin the real reason for my post. As I lay looking around the room I just finished painting and decorating. (nails in the wall, pictures hanging as soon as the paint was no longer tacky, no time to waste!!) Completely exhausted, but absolutely delighted with the outcome telling myself the exhaustion was all worth i, at least until the alarm goes off at 6am!!
My eyes fixed on the shelving and it's decorative pieces I just finished adding, and I read the verse that was before me.....Be still and know that I am God... Psalms 46:10......as tired as I now was be still was not going to be hard at all but before I knew it I was speaking out-loud to God. "How in the world am I going to be still in the midst of all these projects, deadlines, and people YOU put in my life? God did not answer me immediately, I'm sure I heard him burst into laughter at me though! Yes very soon I was answering my own question with the wisdom of his words not my own. I know I was called and placed by him in my new position at work and it's deadlines, the Conference leadership, the Serve Annapolis leadership, and no question about the Cuba trip and all that goes with that. But the painting, and dinners and all the extra I Want Too stuff well, that might be up for discussion. Nevertheless, here I lay it in the midst of it all and God reminded me it was not so much the BUSY BEE syndrome I was in that was wearing me out, it was that the extra-curricular activities were creating extra exertion, which could only be managed by him not me and it was time to give it all over, because the Be Still that I was in need of was on the inside not the outside.......he let me wear myself out so that he could tell me to roll it on him,not so much giving up any of the plans or work but relying on him to work it out so it would stop wearing me out! Don't you just love the way God takes his word and penetrates our lives right where we are and gets right to the point, you know "Crystal-Clear" he clears the junk out and says okay lets resume, fall in behind me and he gently leads the way and definitely saves the day. Friday morning when I woke-up at 6am more deadlines were looming and a whole lot of timing had to converge for it all to turn out right...timing that I could have never controlled anyway!! Needless to say all went well. I was able to end a fantastic work week with a great team of people dedicated to excellence as well, Friday night and Saturday were filled with wonderful fellowship with beautiful ladies. we even stayed up until 1:30 am at our Ladies "Pajama Party" with old and new friends! Saturday was filled with worship, teaching and hope.....today Church was awesome and I turned down a lunch date and even kept from seeing my little Ariana, so that I could BE Still inside and out and just reflect before picking up the new week that starts bright and early tomorrow, By the way thank you for sharing in that reflection, our God is an awesome God, he quiets the Busy Bees and fills their lives with honey that they know not of, he delights in bringing it to them that are STILL and KNOW that HE is GOD!! (emphasis mine)!!
He made us human BEINGS, not human DOINGS!!

Does lightning strike twice in the same place?

They say lightning never strikes twice in the same place!! Let me just say, who are they?? I mean really, now granted odds are very great that it won't strike twice BUT God's Word says nothing, NOTHING is impossible with God!! Whether lightning strikes twice in the same place or not, I thank God that he will work(strike) in the same place over and over again!!

My life is proof, and I am thankful. It was clear 2 years and 1 month ago when I came to BB&T not only was God in it but he was in the details. I left Citibank on February 8, 2008 and had in my heart that I needed 3 weeks to a month off in between jobs, I did not yet have my position when I left but on the 12 of February I signed my offer letter and was told my start date would be March 3, 2008 when I got back from the Dominican Republic. Three weeks of vacation just like I asked for, imagine that!!Not only was I very quickly became aware of some of why GOD put me in that job, in that place. I also have become aware in the last month that I was done, and was increasingly restless in Bowie.
Without warning last Thursday afternoon I saw a position become open in the BB&T branch 2 minutes from my house, I immediately got excited inside and began to pray, " God is it okay for me to go after this position. Is it your will. No matter how close it was to my house if it's wasn't God's will it would not be good! What I would begin to find out within that hour was the position was already filled and had been for over 2 weeks, and I was the one who would fill it. Also it was a mandatory move not optional. God took the decision away from me and I was told this was a good fit for me and a step up.....I had no choice as far as BB&T was concerned but at the same time they knew it was close to my home and it would bear a greater financial opportunity for me and I was told Monday the 5th of April that I would start my new position Monday the 12th of April one week later! WOW now there is God working (striking) in my life and in the details once again as it pertains to my financial life and where I would be placed to do his will. So while I do not know all the ins and outs of it, I do know God orchestrated my move took the decision away and even moved on management to put me there, I have seen a lot of mandatory moves that take people farther from home and put them in not so good of a situation...I am blessed and I know my managers do not determine my outcome God does........ every time. Be anxious for nothing, Let not your heart be troubled...........when you put God first and look to him to make your decisions he will and he will do it lightning fast and will strike in the same place as many times in the same life as it takes to fulfill his purposes in you and in me...All praise to him!!

Full Circle

Happy Easter!
2 years ago I made one of the hardest choices, I have ever made in this life! I waited along time to make the decision for several reasons:
1 I needed to know it was God moving me
2 I needed to know where he would move me
3 And if I could ever know or understand, why was he moving me.....not the reason men were giving me but the reason God was giving.
I believe I know the answers to these questions now, I can say for sure I was stepping out on the limb of faith not knowing any of these answers for sure at the time. But why would I be surprised God clearly says in his word "The just shall live by faith", not by SIGHT.
1 I know God moved me and set me where I am by his sovereign will, without a doubt!
2 I took a little time, prayer, and discernment but he made where "crystal-clear"
3 I was told it was because God was putting me on a shelf, and as I moved I knew I could be moving to a place of no favor, no activity if I was wrong! I am here to tell you that was not true, not even close! God is giving me some amazing service opportunities, that are stretching me beyond my abilities and my comfort zone...back out on that limb of faith!
If you haven't guessed I left the church I was saved in and served in for 20 years, 2 years ago, had that not happened I would not have experienced the growth that God has brought into my life, you know Pruning and growth a normal practice for a branch............ Not pleasant when it is cut but more beautiful when the new growth blossoms. As I study tonight for the small group I have the privilege to facilitate, I know I am where I should be, as I prepare to go to Cuba and look for curiculum for the ladies and pastors wives I will teach I know I am watching a dream and vision be fulfilled and expanded all at the same time! God is faithful. I decided for the first time in those two years to go to church with my daughter and her husband, you guessed it back to my old church for Easters evening service. As we were riding to church I looked over in a field and there on a tree sticking up alone in an empty field was a red winged blackbird!!! To most people that would mean nothing to me it was a confirmation from God that I was doing what I needed to do, to bring it all FULL CIRCLE!! I wasn't sure why or how I just knew it was right to go, and to hear the guest speaker preaching about having a dream , and a vision from God, and that he speaks to us and we(with vision) see BEYOND what others see...............the very thing that I was told I would be set on a shelf for? Go figure!! anyway it was a blessing to close my eyes and sing with people I have worshiped with so many times before. All were loving, open and kind and I felt as if time had healed the pain of the past and I am free from the pain that went with that past....as I have said many times time heals all wounds and I have come full circle in 2 years Thank You Lord for you mercy and grace and your healing HE IS RISEN INDEED!!

BLINDSIDE..................

Everyone can and will be blindsided at some point in life...that is a fact. I love the new release blindside, everything about it actually! When the narrator is talking about the job of the lineman to cover the quarterbacks blindside, that may well be my favorite part.
In life I have one that not only covers my blindside from the enemy, but also every now again blindsides me himself, with an unexpected blessing in the same way he protects me from the devils blindside attempts to destroy me. I sit now in a quandry wondering, is the protection or the blessing a greater show of his love? It doesn't take long to realize they go hand in hand!
One sets up the opportunity for the other. As I write this at the earliest beginnings of Resurrection Day, I know there will never be a bigger display of his love for me then when he allowed himself to be lead up Golgotha's hill and be stretched out on an old rugged, blood stained cross. The biggest display of love and blessing to all of mankind, at the same time protection, safety from the sin that will inevitably take each individual down to utter darkness without hope unless, we first admit it, second realize his payment for our sin is the ONLY acceptable one in God's eyes. Satan failed to see it, even if he knew the ramifications to himself and all those he takes with him, he was certainly blindsided by salvation, Jesus made an open show of him when he went down into hell itself and took the keys to hell and death,therefore saying O death where is thy sting because he removed it. He was victoriously triumphant, Satan was helpless to stop him. He couldn't stop him from rising, or the stone rolling away to release him I am sure as he rose to place the blood on the mercy seat in heaven, try as he may, he could not stop Christ, he was free of death and he was presenting the blood upon the mercy seat to the father in the holy of holies, to secure our freedom as well..................... Yes I would definitely say Satan was blindsided on that day, and in his fury he attempts to blindside many on a regular basis with an array of lies..... from you have plenty of time to a loving God would never send you to hell and every other lie in between whatever your leaning. It is our job to protect our fellow man kinds' blindside..through prayer, telling the good news far and near, living out an honest loving life before them, and always giving an answer of the hope that lieth within us. Paul is right if we have hope only in this life and Jesus did not rise again, we are of all men most miserable......PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME...He is not here He is Risen and I too will rise when he calls my name.....................to be blindsided by the blessings of heaven for all eternity!