when you know the Lord has called you to do something? I DO!
Several people have called me to speak at events in the next couple of months (after I said I was not going to do ANY events in the near future). Good thing God orders my steps even when my plans (flesh) attempt to get in the way.
I asked my hubby to pray about all these opportunities because I want to be careful and do only those things that I know the Lord has planned and not because it is "good for business" or "advertising". My business is a business second and a ministry FIRST and it is easy to lose sight of that if I am not "checking in" with the Lord about every opportunity that comes my way.
Of all the calls I have gotten I am only speaking at one event at a local church as a fundraiser for their bridal department. I will be speaking about tea of course, but my main focus will be hospitality and our biblical call to be hospitable. It is one of my favorite topics. I will encourage the women to extend hospitality using tea because it is a simple and elegant way to fellowship with lots of women at one time. Tea tends to open up conversation as we must slow to make and drink it and the Lord does the rest. Opening our homes is more about preparing our hearts for those coming than preparing our homes.
I am extremely excited about this opportunity because I know the Lord has called me to do it. He has already begun preparing me, I know He will show up big as He always does. When I speak at churches or wherever He calls me I am always blown away by His Mighty presence and blessing. It is not for another two months and I know He will have a lot to teach me until then...
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
Seems like this verse keeps popping up...He must be trying to tell me something!
These picture were taken two weeks from the first day we discovered the bunny nest. Amazing how fast they grow. When the white blaze disappears from their head they are old enough to be outside on their own.
These bunnies were tiny and furless two weeks ago (see picture here) and they are already out of the nest and ready "to be on their own" - I am so grateful God gave me "a little more than a couple of weeks" for mine to stay in the "nest".
This season with lots of little ones in my nest is difficult at times, but it is so short. With each child I am learning to rest in this season and enjoy each precious moment because they do not last long enough.
So chic, so fashion forward, SO KAIRA! This girl brings cool to our house. Never a dull moment with her around. She picked the frog boots to go with her frog outfit AND it works for her!
Our house is in the shape of an "H" and in between the top of the "H" is our wild kingdom...we get all kinds of animals in there, but nothing tops this:
A BUNNY NEST!
My hubby found it (thankfully) while he was cutting grass. The momma bunny built her nest inside our Little Tikes play set and did an awesome job building. It has been raining here, so we put up our beach umbrella to keep them dry! As tight as she weaves the nest when she leaves they probably could have stayed dry on their own.
Reading about wild baby bunnies was fascinating and I am amazed once again at the Lord's thoughtfulness, creativity and thoroughness in His creation. Hmmm, it just dawned on me all that applies to me, well off to ponder and pray about that. Sounds like He is working on me again! When I finally get into this next season I won't recognize myself...Praise God!
I have not forgotten to post about my revelation about seasons, there is just a lot to it and I'm waiting on Him for the words He would have me share.
For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Romans 1:20
For WE are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
I have always loved this song by Nicole Nordeman, but it takes on an even greater significance in light of my recent revelations about seasons - here, here and here. This song ministers to the deep recesses of my heart in this “season”.
Read the lyrics (below all at once or follow in the video), they are powerful!
Every evening sky, an invitation To trace the patterned stars And early in July, a celebration For freedom that is ours And I notice You In children’s games In those who watch them from the shade Every drop of sun is full of fun and wonder You are summer
And even when the trees have just surrendered To the harvest time Forfeiting their leaves in late September And sending us inside Still I notice You when change begins And I am braced for colder winds I will offer thanks for what has been and was to come You are autumn
And everything in time and under heaven Finally falls asleep Wrapped in blankets white, all creation Shivers underneath And still I notice you When branches crack And in my breath on frosted glass Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter You are winter
And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced Teaching us to breathe What was frozen through is newly purposed Turning all things green So it is with You And how You make me new With every season’s change And so it will be As You are re-creating me Summer, autumn, winter, spring
The Lord is so gracious to be gently leading me on this journey of discovery to expose the lies and bring me to His truth and closer to Him and His will for my life.
Ironically I wrote this 14 years ago when I first moved to Delaware and saw my first fall and was overwhelmed by the beauty. It was a time of great struggle for me as I was at the height of my battle against depression. Praise God by His love and mercy I was Gloriously healed and no longer have to live in bondage in that area.
After all the revelation I have been having in the area of “seasons” I thought this fitting to share. Keep in mind that I was not following the Lord when I wrote this. Now I know that I do not lose my way because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and the lifter of my head.
FALL COMES FULL CIRCLE
Leaves fall from the tress around me Symbols of life
People will admire the magnificent sight Wonders of nature
Leaves of radiant colors…reds, greens and golds Brittle and broken
Leaves fall as they must I have fallen too
Winter is dark and dreary I have lost my way
Tress before me naked and bare I am feeling helpless and unprotected
The sun hangs lower I cannot hold up my head
Spring is here and with it an abundance of new life The cloudiness I felt is gone
Amazing the sight before me I pick myself up
Brilliant new flowers…leaves sprouting on the trees I smile
Sunshine on the trees stimulating its growth I have grown
The leaves are green…the trees are full I feel whole again
Leaves fall from the trees around me Symbols of life
There are costs associated with being in the wrong season - for example - last year during an extremely difficult time I went back to a season God called me out of and the results were devastating. I was deeply wounded as a result of MY disobedience. I went to someone in authority over me (in the previous season) and asked for help, when the help did not come I was hurt, confused and angry. I had to repent and ask for forgiveness a lot over that situation. Do you see the problem? I got angry at someone for NOT doing what I thought they should do when I was the one who was sinning against God. Wow, that is a startling revelation!
If I simply would have trusted God in the new season and used the resources He had already provided I could have avoided all that. Not being sensitive to the season that God has us in opens us up for sin.
God is revealing to me the root of my disobedience and I am excited to share all He is teaching me in that area…soon.
It is possible to be at the right place at the wrong time and I am learning the benefits of obeying God and being sensitive to His timing for my life. It comes down to Faith!
Growing up in Miami, Florida I did not see seasons change much. It just went from hot, to hotter, to warm, to chilly. There were no majestic colors of fall or dreariness of winter and maybe that is where my problem started. I seemed to always want to stay in the same season. Normally I am not resistant to change, I love change and sometimes thrive on it, but not when it comes to seasons in a spiritual sense.
Seasons have been on my mind A LOT lately! I read a post by a friend who has been in a difficult season with a son recovering from a car accident for almost a year now. She talked about a “different season”. I ordered a stamp set at stamp club last month and it was a bare tree with many stamps to embellish the tree for the different seasons. I have been reading Eccelesiates 3 and really meditating on it. Have you ever read just a little further and seen this:
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
And there I stay.
This weekend I was talking with my brother about meditating on scripture and I often move on if I have been somewhere a while, but why? I move on because I think I have to or to get to that next “season.” So what if I stay in Eccelesiates 3 for 25 years? If that is where the Lord has me that is where I SHOULD stay until He says to move on.
Anyway I digress…
A couple of weeks ago I took Isabella to camp at our previous church and on Monday when I left her there I was not so sure she was supposed to be there. I did not pray about it, I just signed her up because she had fun last year and she wanted to go. I had an uneasiness, not worry or concern, it just did not feel right. She finished the week out and Friday I went to her show. When I got into the elevator I got stuck and I just had to laugh because it was so symbolic – I WAS STUCK – in the last season. Holding on, sometimes tightly, sometimes tearfully, sometimes not even knowing why, but doing it anyway. As I drove away from the church the Lord asked me a question, “Why do you keep going back to the seasons I have called you out of?” Hmmmmm, it was a loaded question and I was surprised, but not really…it was time to address the issue. My reply to Him was, “I do not know, but I would like you to show me because I have done it my whole life.” I cried because this has caused me problems and I often end up in situations I should not be in because I am in the wrong season. Many times the resources God has made available to me are in the seasons that I do not want to be in. Beth Moore talks about the enemy always taking us back to the places that God has called us out of. I do not want him to be in the driver seat of my life anymore!
You see I always want to be in spring. I hate winter, but it is necessary for my growth and freedom. I am always trying to get back to last spring or next spring and not enjoying the winter. Can you enjoy the winter? The bible says to praise Him in all things, so YES I can. If it were not for this winter I would not have this revelation that will carry me to my next season.
As I mentioned before we have open mic at church and Sunday was the first time I knew I was to share something. The pastor began the service talking about “marvelous light” and someone else got up and gave an exhortation about “marvelous light”. God has been ministering to me through the song “Marvelous Light” for weeks now and I had the CD in the car. I shared the song with one of the pastors during the service and he loved it and asked if I was going to say something, ugh, I don’t know I replied and he said he had to know. Okay, I said very unsure of myself, but I knew this was a critical moment for me…decision time. I got up and shared the story about going back to past seasons and they played Marvelous Light. Three people came up to me after church and shared how my testimony or song ministered to them and that is no kudos to me, but all Glory to God. It showed me, once again, the importance of obedience. He had something to share with others using my mouth and my experience and if I had disobeyed (yes, He could have and probably would have used somebody else) I would not have had the Blessing of obeying Him.
On Monday a friend from church wrote this on her blog, it ministered deep into my Spirit and gave me much to pray about:
This week I listened to Mary Pat's CD, Biblical Insights to Food and Related Issues. In it she says, Pastor Henry teaches that we are neither black nor white, but pilgrims in progress moving from black to white. So we are all in vary shades of gray. Then she nailed me with the following, "We hate the gray. We hate where we are. We say, 'I don’t like where I am. I should be thinner or healthier or stronger or different. I don’t like this gray. I want to be more white. So I am going to try to get more white. I am going to try to get more white.' "How many of us have tried to get more white? It is ugly. It is not pure. It’s not white.We are all a shade of gray. And if we hate it, if you hate what you are doing, where you are and who you are, that is a door point for accusation for self-hatred and for drivenness and performance to get you whiter. So the moral of the story is love the gray and trust God. That if your heart is open to Him, He will change you. You don’t have to do a thing. God will change you. When we try to do it ourselves, it gets ugly. So be content in your gray where you are. Love yourself where you are."
So, it boils down to hating myself in the seasons and not the seasons themselves and that is sin because I am disagreeing with who God says I am and with where He says I am to be!
My husband just came and shared this scripture with me, which is HUGE!!!! How timely is our God:
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62
Thank you Lord for revealing your truth to me and for your Goodness. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Romans 2:4
I will leave you with Marvelous Light – get on your dancing shoes – your Daddy is calling you out of darkness into His marvelous light…
OUT OF DEEP WATERS is my journey of becoming mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ and growing up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Many posts are based on what the Lord is doing or has done in my life in an effort to:
I'm a daughter of the Most High God, wife to Michael and mom to five awesome kids. I love transforming anything I can get my hands on. Your trash is my treasure. I love the hunt, the find and the transformation process.
It is a blessing to have a space at a local antique store to share my creations and sell them too. What you see here will end up there (if I don't keep it). I'm grateful for the opportunity to do what I love.
Through this process I am learning so much about me and who I was created to be.
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