I feel like I have neglected so much in the last few months, I am really not even sure where to start. Over the course of the last 2 months, Jason and I have really put the "fear of Jesus" in Satan! I can tell that our family has him running scared and he has been frantically and persistantly pulling out all the stops in his pursuit of our lives. Our new commitments to bible study, the children's church, the music minstry, the arena ministry, our new found reliance and confidence God's provisions, and Jason's decision to follow Christ in baptism have really got that no good devil on the ropes and so he has met us with every attempt to make us doubt our one TRUE Father. Now make no mistake, there has not been a shortage in Gods blessing, mercy, or provisions...of course not GOD always make sure those are abundant, but as it says in John 8:44 the Devil is the "father of lies" and he has a way of spinning, weaving, and decieving us into thinking the World is just fine and we can just live in it, for it, and explain away whatever feels good to us. Several Wednesdays ago, CR said that if you ever let the devil know your weakness then he will fully attack that spot and I see that he is fighting for our minds and hearts in the way you fight when you are just hanging on and reaching for some thing that is slipping from your grasp.
Focus gets lost in the shuffle of fullfilling duties. True value gets lost in the world of personal emotions and feelings. When the world gets busy, even those of us who know better will allow ourselves to get hung up in the race and we forget that God doesn't expect us to be all things to all people...WE expect us to be all things to all people! He just wants us to be his child. We are the ones who take on more than we can really handle, we take on more than we must and in the undertaking, We sacrifice our time WITH him for times of "service" to him, or maybe that is just what we call it. Last night at Wednesday night service, CR talked about the importance of getting in God's word every night and falling in love with the best love story ever written. It closes the gap that can be created by the fast pace of the world. Its hard not be strong and confident in his love for you when you are reading about it from those who saw it and experienced it first hand. Consider me REFOCUSED!
Having said all this, God is so blatant in his love for us and he can be just as blatant in his instruction for our lives. Jason and I have struggles and challenges which is not a surprise because lets face it...we all do! New to blind faith, when something comes up that seems to be impossible for us, we continually fall victim to the old habits of trying to "figure something out" so that "we" can fix it, get it, or make it happen. We are slow to learn that its not OURS to "fix, get, or make happen". That's God's department. What seems to be "earthly" impossible is simply solved by God and devine intervention. Enter "THE HORSE DILEMA". Blake has moved in with us and is in love with a lariat rope (we are screaming inside with joy at this fact)! He went to the roping school at church and David Key was amazing. Blake appears to have a natural talent for heeling, and suddenly we are in need a horse for him. Of course, a heel horse costs money and while Best Choice Fencing is being blessed and staying busy, we are not currently building up a massive discretionary fund that can be spent on toys and fun stuff like heel horses. We talked to Blake after the school and told him that if he would be patient, we would find something that would be a good fit for him, but it could be a few months. Immediately Jason and I began to pray that a horse would be put in our path that would work for Blake as well as the funds to purchase said horse. 4 days later....that's right, I said 4 days later JY sent me a text that said I got Blake a horse. I thought, I guess you found a money tree too! No Money Tree, the horse belongs to a guy that JY and Glen have done some work for, who also happened to be at the roping school. The horse is in his pasture, he is decidedly cheaper than what we were expecting to have to spend and the payment arrangement is very very condusive to what we are able to do!Praise God he has delivered what we needed once again. BLATANT LOVE!
Blatant INSTRUCTION: JY had a hard day yesterday dealing with financial concerns and pressures of providing for our family. He was at home and I was at school so he was alone. Typically I take on the reassuring role when he begins to panic and he does the same for me, but yesterday I was busy at school and he, for some reason (devil in his ear), was not able to shake the anxiety. When I got home I could tell that something big had happened because he was acting sort of funny. So when he said, "Let me tell you about what happened to me today", I got a little bit nervous. He said "I had a bad morning. I had to pay several bills, I checked my bank account (both of these phrases never mix well and always mean he's in a bad mood) and I just got upset so I prayed and I felt a little better. All afternoon I would feel myself getting upset, I think I was about to hyperventilate and I would stop and pray. I prayed about 3 times today about our finances. It was time to pick Blake up from school, so I got in the car and I was listening to 104.1. When I got to the school to pick him up I turned the music down and we talked for a little bit. Once we were on the road again, I turned up the radio and my radio was on a totally different station. It was on a totally different radio band! It was on 90.7 (not a station he has programmed) and there was a guy talking and I heard him say something about financial freedom. I listened for a second and he said that everyone should strive be finanically free to serve God, but the only way anyone would achieve finanical freedom is by desiring freedom for the right reasons. He said that focusing on God and his ministry and having a desire to serve would allow you to become and remain free from finanical burdens and debt. He said Erin, It was so clear to me that God wanted me to hear that." Now please know that I am sure I got some of the words and phrasing wrong from the man on the radio, but I know I did not misunderstand God message to Jason and neither did he! Get your heart and mind on serving me and I will give you all the tools you need to bring me glory!
From my reading today:
Acts 2:25 "For David says concerning Him: I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
