To my friends...

As I sat in church this evening I couldn't help to think of each and every one of you.  The pastor wasn't talking about anything specific that would point into the direction of one's neighbors or one's friends...but rather our walk in life.

The journey.

The entire lesson was located and fixed on Psalms 1:1-3.  Thirty minutes on three verses seems a bit much, but it was entirely and amazingly interesting.

"Oh, the joys (peace) of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.  But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night they think about his law.  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail.  Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper."

Oh to delight in the Lord!

The past few years have been a major adjustment for me: finding out I had a daughter and then the week she moved in with us we found out my sister had terminal cancer.  A positive blow and a negative blow.  I was grasping at straws to get out of bed every morning and show my children love and keep balance in a family that had been turned upside down...and keep my emotions in check as the roller coaster of my sisters health kept me always guessing.

Even though I never lost sight of God during the past two years - I held onto him like a buoy in the ocean and he kept me afloat.  I did not, however, have a relationship with him.

Falling away from God is a slow and gradual process that once you find yourself there - you don't really know how it happened?  Only that the fire within you seems quiet and dead.  A part of who you are no longer exists and the only way I can describe it was of being abandoned.  Even as I say that...and when I would think that...I would know that God had not abandoned me - I just stopped searching.


During my struggles I know that you women were the hands and feet of Christ and were praying for me and loving me even when my fortress was built hard and tall around me.  That fortress was impenetrable as I needed to be strong to get through all the changes.  No tears here...tears are for sissies.

For whatever reason my journey has brought me to a new church where I am beginning to feel renewed again in the spirit.  I do not believe that my previous church was anything less than my new church - but rather it was time for me to begin a new walk.  As I take this new walk, this journey, I am watching as several of you are now going to church that were not going to church.  I know that each of you love the Lord and loved the Lord even when you were not going to church...but in my heart I see God is moving.  He is moving within us and among each of us.

The three points from tonight sermon:
1) Attitude - delight and desire God's word.
            1 Peter 2:2-3 "Delight in the word..."
            Pslams 119:24-25  Delight!  Delight!  Delight!

2) Action - Meditation (reflecting on God's word)
            Meditation is a 24 hour awareness of God's principles, presence, and powers

3) Discipline - Keep on meditating and make it your lifestyle
            Col 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..."

We are all going through personal struggles in our families and personal lives.  Although we share many things with each other we all know that for everything one burden we share we have 10 burdens that we don't.  Over a year ago I came to Myrna with a desire to start a bible study.  I let it fall to the side.  A year later (October) Erica wanted to do the same thing.  Again...I set it aside.  How awesome would it be to meditate together?!!!  I do not think that all of us going on this journey of life together as sisters/friends/neighbors is a coincidence.  We are here to love, support, and encourage each other.  I have decided that the only way to start something is to actually START something.  To be able to have a weekly time of prayer and study with you guys would be an amazing thing to have!

Tuesday, February 1st at 1pm.
One hour.
I will have little snacks to munch on.
The little kids will be napping.

For those of you that work and cannot attend, which I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND I would like you to be a part of this group.  In what way you might ask?  Well...tell us what you need us to pray about when we get together.  Share your burdens so that we can pray for you and your family.

So that's it.
Hope I'll see you here!
Love you ALL!

PS ~ RSVP me!  :)