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| Midway Community Church World Changers Jackson MI 6/2011 |
Whew! What a weekend I had at She Speaks. It was exhausting and my brain feels as if it will explode. I found out two things about myself: 1) I am not now, nor will I ever be a speaker and 2) I will not, nor anytime soon will I be writing a book. I found out I need a platform, tagline, brand, social media savvy, 'fresh' ideas, etc. So much to process! I left Charlotte Sunday feeling overwhelmed and lacking in my ability to write for Him. After thinking about what was taught, I realize that it is not about me! My ability is not dependent on what I can do, but what He can do through me.
Tomorrow is finally here. Yes, I know that technically tomorrow is always here, but in this case it's a very special tomorrow. I will be traveling with a friend to Concord, NC for the Proverbs 31 She Speaks Conference. Although, for me, it should be She Writes...as that's what I'm going for! I feel like a 5 year old getting ready to start school...excited, yet nervous and unsure of what to expect.
Imagine if you were born to parents who'd been stranded on a desert island. You've had no contact with the outside world except for what they've told you. They have a few things salvaged when they were stranded, among them a bible. You read about the God of the bible, Jesus, the Church, and have no influence from society about these things. One day, your family is finally rescued and brought back to the States. 
My boys love to watch the new Looney Tunes and that means Mama does too. On one of the most recent episodes, Speedy Gonzales has a new pizza he is wanting Bugs Bunny to market. Poor Porky Pig wants to be in the commercial so bad, but if you'll remember he has a little speech problem. Of course, Speedy only wants the more eloquent Bugs to be the spokesman for the newest Taco pizza. Bugs doesn't want to be in the commercial and so begins the parody of getting it made while making all parties involved happy.
I think of faithful service as a waitress who is waiting on the ultimate customer. He's known to be a big tipper, but he expects devoted service from the waitress when he is in her section. As her biggest customer, he demands that she focus only on Him. In turn, as a reward for her excellent service, he will leave her with an exorbitant tip when he leaves.
This woman keeps showing up everywhere I go. You remember her, the perfect Proverbs 31 woman? I bet she even had great hair all the time! I've read about her on numerous occasions, but have never seen the second part of the verse above: she can laugh at the days to come. I don't think the word laugh here means a giggle, but a full blown belly-busting hooorrraahhh!
It was hot, so hot. The King had just put his own heavy armor onto the little boy's body, but it was to cumbersome and he couldn't even walk. He took it off. He didn't need it. His Lord was with him. He took one smooth, perfect stone from the pouch on his side and placed it in his sling. He pulled it back with practiced ease and let it fly...right into the forehead of the big Goliath standing in front of him. He let out a pent-up breath and ran to the giant's side. The Lord had done it. He had once again saved His people and this time He used a young shepherd boy named David.
Have you ever felt like a hat rack? The kind where everybody and their sister comes by, leaves a hat, and then forgets to come back and get it? Then you end up trying to wear each hat that's been left because they are all so cute? That is exactly where I am at right now. I am driving myself crazy trying to make sure all of the hats left on my rack get worn.
Have you ever had an answered prayer just drop into your lap? Or your mailbox, in my case? I must say that I have not, until today. A few weeks ago, my pastor approached me about doing a Women's Bible Study at our church. My first thought was no, not me. Someone else would be better suited for that than me. Then I remembered that I lead a small group for the local women's fellowship in our area, so why couldn't I lead a study for the ladies at my own church?
As our speaker this past week at World Changers said, in this nation our freedoms can come and go, but in Christ, no one can ever take away the freedom of our faith. This world can dictate to us where and how we can observe our religion, but they have no say in our relationship with our Father. Today as we observe the freedom we experience in this country thanks to those men and women who've given their lives, let us remember the true freedom that we have in our Savior. Let us be zealous about sharing this freedom with others who are searching for the one freedom that can never be taken from us.
