Theme Verse for 2014

Romans 12:9-12

 Let love (an intense feeling of deep affection) be genuine (authentic, actual, true), abhor (regard with disgust and hatred, detesting) what is evil (wicked, immoral, bad, sinful, wrong, corrupt).  Hold fast (remain tightly secure) to what is good (that which is morally right; righteousness).  LOVE (an intense feeling of deep affection) one another (person other than self, undiscriminating) with brotherly affections.  Out-do (to do MORE or better than) one another in showing honor (high respect; esteem; regard with great reverence).  Do not be slothful (lazy, sluggish, lethargic) in zeal (intense enthusiasm for), be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice (feel and show great joy or delight) in hope (expectation), be patient (accept and tolerate without annoyance) in tribulation (great trouble or suffering), be constant (occurring continuously over period of time, around the clock) in prayer (a request; a reverent petition to God).

Grow Deep...

Psalm 57:7 meets Psalm 1:3 Dip your heart in the stream of LIVING water, and let it's roots grow deep in it!

CHRISTMAS...

This is the precious little face that just found out Aunt Becky sent a present for him, and it is under the tree!!!  Oh, this is the face of one of the many JOYS of the season!  I just wish I could be THREE places at once!  My baby sister, neice and nephews...all so precious to me...i can't describe the love I have for them!!
Merry Christmas family!!!

Lord Change me!

Oh how the Lord is good!  I was in a mood to stay to myself today.  Which can be a good thing for others at times too, but the Lord was working on me all the way to church! “Today, I need you, my child, to reach out.  Look beyond your selfish self and bless someone.  Keep your eyes open, and be ready.”  I heard what the Lord said to me, but I was not yet in agreement.  I talked with a friend on the phone all the way to church and was still in the mind set to be a monk.  A loner.  By myself. Alone. Un-social. Well, I walk into church and sure enough, the Lord started!  I dear friend of mine said, “Oh what it must be like to be Becky and be able to bless so many just by walking in a room.”  I responded to her.  ‘Oh, if only you knew this heart of mine!  It is ugly and I really just want to be all by myself, but the Lord won’t let me, and I have to get over it!’  She gave me a hug and we both plodded on, to get over ourselves.  However, I kept fighting the Lord! I delivered some goodies to the sound booth workers, and as I stood there, alone I figured I would sit right there, alone, in the balcony!  I can worship the Lord right there.  Ahh, no, I forgot a bulletin.  I need that for the sermon to take notes.  And as I thought to myself go get one and come back up…the Lord said it again, “Go, and get over yourself…NOW!”  So, I grabbed my purse and bible and headed back down the stairs.  I was greeted by one of my favorite ushers, received my bulletin and headed in the sanctuary!  I found a seat near the back, and soon my second ‘parents’ joined me.  It was a blessing to sit with ‘family’, it was what I needed.  The worship was honoring to the Lord, and I still didn’t know what was about to hit me!  The sermon was great, and a convicting message on DOING for the Lord!  My faith does.  Which is NOT: alone, by myself, solitude, selfish.  It is for others.  WOW!  Ya, convicting.  Well, after the service as I was chatting with friends, a co-worker, whom I have been praying for was walking in the center aisle!  I excused myself and hurried after him.  PRAISE the Lord he was at service!!  GO God!!  Then…after saying hello to him, I chatted with another girlfriend.  Well, as the Lord’s timing would have it…this girlfriend asked if I knew Brittany.  I said yes, and she continued on sharing with me that Brittany had spoken with some key people regarding baptism, and it sounded like today was the day!!  (Oh the Lord was beginning to get through this hard heart!)  I hurried around looking for the right people to ask and get in touch with; I wanted to be there for Brittany!!  She has talked about baptism for a few weeks now!  Finally after here and there, I headed back stage!  Just as they were walking onto stage, I dropped my purse right there and rushed after her!  Just in time…she was climbing into the tank!  Oh, down she went and up again!  PRAISE the Lord!!  She came out; dripping wet and I hugged her as we headed to the changing room. Virginia and I prayed with her and she changed out of her wet clothing.  She was overwhelmed.  Tears of nervousness with tears of joy!  She said to me, teary eyed, “I didn’t even go all the way under.”  I said, “Brittany, that doesn’t matter!  YOU obeyed the Lord!  You did what HE asked you to do!”  To which she replied, “Yes, I have been wanting to, but in the right timing, today I just felt was right.  I did it because the Lord said to, not because anyone MADE me, or that I had to, but because the Lord asked me to!  I asked the Lord to become my Savior when I was little, but this is what I needed to do, to proclaim to everyone I am a follower!  And, there were three million people out there!”  Oh, Brittany!  She is a gem, a treasure, obeying what the Lord is asking of her, her heart is growing and it is SO beautiful!  We chatted some more, before saying goodbye.

Lord, this is what you NEEDED me for today!  YOU had a plan!  And I was selfish, I almost missed the blessings!!  To see Randy AT church, to be able to pray with and encourage Brittany as she just proclaimed the best decision in her life…YOU AMAZE me Lord!  I am sorry for the heart, the ugliness that I possess!  Thank you for working out the details, and HUMBLING me to be able to experience the blessings YOU had in store all along!  And as the sermon questioned: ‘Am I in the center of God’s will?’ Father, the answer to that is YES, but the deeper question for me is…am I living IN it to the fullest ability?  The answer to that…was NO!  I need to grasp, embrace, to take hold of ALL You have handed me! It is an honor and a privilege to do what YOU ask!  Why am I so selfish?!  Continue to mold this heart.  Refine it to PURE gold.  Remove the ugly ‘Becky’ parts.  Make me to reflect more of YOU! 

Thank you for the reminder today, and the blessings that came from it!!  YOU are worth more than I can be or give, but thank YOU for never giving up on me!!  I LOVE YOU LORD, with ALL of me!

It's NOT about me...

           Sunday morning.  A favorite morning of mine. No rush to get ready for the day, just leisurely get physically and spiritually ready, preparing my heart and soul for what the Lord will teach me through the service.  I look forward to a time to worship with a body of believers, singing praises to the King of kings.

Well, my morning started normal, and I head out the door, right on time.  I take my normal route that includes the freeway.  I merge onto the freeway, but something quickly catches my attention as I look to see if it is clear to merge.  Ahead, in the east bound lane, there are red and blue flashing lights. I can see there are more than one set of these lights.  Upon seeing the lights, the prayers start.  First, praising the Lord I am on the west bound side, and then quickly the prayers turn to requesting protection and guidance for whatever is ahead. There are so many lights…wow, my heart quickly falls, there are SO many lights, SO many vehicles, cops and sheriffs both.  This has got to be serious, my mind and heart are hurting for what is ahead.  Lord, oh Lord! The cars line the side of the freeway, fourteen vehicles, FOURTEEN.  I have never seen something to dramatic.  My heart has sunk and hurting for whatever this is.  I get closer and try to see what is going on without causing an accident of my own.  I can’t see but there are SO many cars with lights flashing.  What is going on?  Then I see it, as I pass by, I can see the group of men and women circled round, all in uniform.  Hands clasped in front of them, and a very solemn sense about each of them.  They have gathered at the sight to which the cop was killed at a few years back.  Today is the day that family lost a loved one, a dear, precious, special person.  I didn’t know him, and I don’t have to know him to feel the longing, the missing of him that his wife and family feel.  I imagine my own family weeping and mourning the loss of a loved one.  I don’t want to go there. 

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I shut the radio off. It was serious prayer time.  I lifted my shaky voice to the Lord, and prayed for the family.  I thanked the Lord for the blessing of my family, and being able to speak with my mom and dad just that morning!  For sparing Sarah from a nasty car accident and protecting the rest of us from accidents we might have not even known we missed! Oh Father, I hurt for the hurting.  As if that wasn’t enough, the Lord took this as an opportunity to teach me yet another lesson!  I feel like I have been in a valley, I have been choosing the hard way, I have been very selfish lately.  Anyway, the Lord turned my attention to the unsaved people in my life.  If I came up to those cars with their flashing lights, and there was an accident and it happened to be one of those people I care so deeply for, but they have not yet made the decision to follow Christ, how would I respond?  I can only imagine my response, but what the Lord asked of me was to really think about those people that ARE in my life.  I have the opportunity RIGHT now to impact them for the kingdom, for THEIR eternity!  Even those believers in my life that I have been avoiding or neglecting, God was asking me to stop being self centered.  I need to use my time wisely, it is so precious and when it is gone, there will be no more.  So, get over myself and start living as Christ is asking me to live.  I was humbled, broken inside.  Yes, Lord, I am sorry for not living more like Christ.  He didn’t have it easy either, and yet, He still took the time to invest in lives.  He went away, for a time, not for forever.  He refilled with the Holy Spirit and then went at it again.  So, Father, I am sorry for this valley.  Thank You for Your patience with me.  Help me to get back up, to be faithful, and obedient.  Lord, I am sorry!  Thank you for the lesson!  May I not stay in the valley so long next time.  For it is NOT about me, not one tiny little bit.  All for You!

       Luke 9:23 & 24  Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 
        Lord, I choose to deny myself, to take up my cross to follow You, wholly!  That I may lose my life for YOU, to save those around me...grow me up in Christ.

What is ONE THING in this life that makes you keep going?
What is ONE THING that you get up day after day for?
What is ONE THING you would share with someone above all else?
What is ONE THING that is worth all of you?
What is it?
My ONE THING is Jesus Christ!  He is the life of me.  He is what keeps me going when I want to give up.  He is what I get up for day after day, to know Him better, and to make Him known.  He is what I want to share with YOU.  He desires to know YOU.  He is seeking YOU out!  He is worth all of me and more! He satisfies me.  Completes me. Sustains me. Compels me.  Forgives me.  Loves me for me.  I love Jesus with ALL that I am.
HE is the ONE THING I want to share with you!  Will you accept Him?