Gigi's Blog

Last night during Vision we talked about fighting for Jesus.  My question was, have you done it???  What happened??  Jimmy Harwell talked about an athiest that he'd had a debate with years back.  She'd asked him how he believed in a God he couldn't see.  His reply to her, "Do you feel the wind during a wind storm?  You can't see that, but you know it's there."  He talked about that for a while, and he really gave good examples of how to proclaim Christ to those who just want to detabe about it.  I sort of found it interesting that the discussion had been about a God that she felt you couldn't see.  It's interesting because now Jimmy is living that truth in a very real way.  Jimmy is blind.  His blindness started as an adult.  I'm encouraged to see that after the initial shock, he sorted through the mud of doubt, and felt wind of the spirit even though he could no longer see it.  If you see Jimmy in church you always see Mr. G.  Mr. G is Jimmy's guide dog.  You can't pet Mr. G when he's working, so as tempting as it is, you just can't.  But Mr. G allows Jimmy to be more independent.  Last night as we were leaving class, Jimmy was in front of me.  The were double doors and one side was closed.  I didn't even think to warn Jimmy, but really I didn't have to.  He tapped into the door, and just made his way around, it was no big deal.  I thought about the faith it takes to do that.  But, really there's two choices.  One, stay home, be afraid and do nothing.  Two, prepare to the best of your ability, and live your life.  Jimmy has chosen the latter.

Hebrews 11: 1-2The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.  3By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see. 4By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.  5-6By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. "They looked all over and couldn't find him because God had taken him." We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken "he pleased God." It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.  7By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.8-10By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.  11-12By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. That's how it happened that from one man's dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions.

What kind of life would Jimmy have if he said, "I'm too scared of a guide dog.  It won't work."?  Or what kind of life would Jimmy have if he didn't utilitize Mr. G.  If he just said, I'm only going to use him in case of an emergency"?  This is the life of the majority of Christians I believe.  Including me.   We shake in fear, or at best say "I'll use my faith, but only in case of emergency." 

When's the last time you heard from God and acted on it?  Has it been a while?  My prayer is that we'll hear from Him today and ACT.  Not wait, and think, and ask opinions.  That we'll show Him we believe Him. 

Dear God,

Please intervene in our lives.  Please Holy Spirit offer up the prayer that needs to be prayed that we don't even know how to articulate.  God please show your might when we believe you can, 'cause we know before we believe you won't.

Thank you God.

Amen

I wrote this yesterday

I Am Here by: Regina Pasour (BMI)

Their brother had been sick

But they’d held to the faith

Because they knew the One

That could take it all away

And they kept on believing

Till he drew his final breath

They thought one thing would happen… but instead

Martha went out to meet Him

As she heard Him approach

And told Him how they’d waited

But now they’d lost their hope

Her sister joined them

And both Mary and Martha said

Lord, if you’d been here, he wouldn’t be dead… and he said

I am here. I am now. And you don’t have to wait until the end to see

I am near.  I allow, some things so you’ll know you can count on Me

It hurts at this moment, but I won’t leave your side

Until this passes over, and every tear’s been cried

Until you’re with Me, in eternity, I am here

The sisters knew that Jesus

Could call up to his Dad

And Jesus felt the pain

That everyone that day had

Dad I know you hear us

To take away the doubt

He shouted, “Lazarus come out”

You may have seen death of some sort in your life

And you may be wondering if things will be alright

Close your eyes, and let Him whisper in your ear  

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2011:45-57&version=65

How did the "church people" miss what Jesus had done and who He was??  I said this to my class Sunday, "Jesus greatest adversaries were who?"  That's right those in the church.  We're willing sometimes to miss out on praise as long as we feel proper.  I'm not going to give specifics cause what goes on in Vision, stays in Vsion, but Sunday we had a blue jeans discussion.  A person in class was going to wear blue jeans, but felt it wasn't acceptable so they didn't.  Is it ok?  For alot of people, no.  But I am so totally serious, I don't for a moment think that Jesus would've looked slovenly, or dishoveled, but I'm not so sure he wouldn't have a look that was well.....not in a suit and tie.   Don't know, not claiming to, just wondering.  But even the fact the we're having this discussion shows that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  This sort of thing was a problem then, and it still is.  Well, it is if we allow it to be, and most of us do.  So, go ahead to be looking for me Sunday.  I'm telling ya now, I'm wearing jeans.  Maybe overalls next Sunday, we'll just have to wait and see.

Friday night we had our Valentine's banquet at church and it went really well.  The pictures are on the front of the church's website. www.chapelgrove.com  Each class did a skit in one form or another.  They were all really good and totally different.  Saturday morning my mom and I talked and she asked me about the dinner.  I told her it was great and the funniest skit by far was the one from Joe and Pauline's class.  I told her that Mike Beam was the funniest person from the entire night.  He was.  None of us knew.  Sunday, after morning service I went forward to hug the ladies who'd joined our fellowship.  Kathy (Mike's wife) was beside me and I commented to her that Mike was the funniest person Friday night and that I knew she'd probably already heard that.  None of us knew.  That afternoon I went home to try and gather my songs to give to Gordon Jensen who would be peforming Sunday night.  He's a singer-songwriter with some major cuts that are really beloved classics.  "Your redemption draweth nigh"  "Written in Red"  "God is bigger than any mountain" and many others.  Still none of us knew.  The phone rang and Megan told me that Jennifer Beam had collapsed and had passed away.  I was trying to think of who she was talking about.  Did I know another Jennifer, because obviously she wasn't talking about the young Jennifer who was in her 30s.  We continued to talk and she explained to me that indeed it was Jennifer.  Mike and Kathy's daughter-in-law, Mike and Judy's daughter, Victoria and Abi's mother and Lee's wife was gone.  I made some phone calls to let people know. After we made our calls,  Mark made my cd to give to Gordon(thanks honey).  The concert ministered to a hurting church left questioning the day's events,  and I have to say I was just touched by Gordon's sincerity on  God's call for his life.  I gave him my cd.  Don't know if I'll ever hear anything, but that's ok.

2 John   4-6I can't tell you how happy I am to learn that many members of your congregation are diligent in living out the Truth, exactly as commanded by the Father. But permit me a reminder, friends, and this is not a new commandment but simply a repetition of our original and basic charter: that we love each other. Love means following his commandments, and his unifying commandment is that you conduct your lives in love. This is the first thing you heard, and nothing has changed.

Roger preached Sunday morning on 2 John and something he said really stuck with me.  I'm paraphrasing, but he said that if the greatest commandment is to love, and Christ is love, and Christ is truth, that you can speak the truth and disagree but still love if you're in Him. The truth is that He is Lord and the only way, and for me to say otherwise in not the truth, which is for me antichrist, and I'm not antichrist.  So as this tragedy has occured I am ever mindful of the need to share the love of Christ, and to forge ahead in my calling, whatever that is. Because you see none us knew that one so young would be taken away on Sunday morning, but all of us know that The One will return very soon.  Please let His light shine in you today that other's can see Him in a real way!

Please lift this family up every time you think of them.  

http://www.legacy.com/gastongazette/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=103806079

You may have heard this before, I may have even blogged it before, but please allow me the guilty pleasure of reopening the deepest wound ever created by barbecue.

It was Valentine's day 1998.  Mine and Mark's first Valentine's as a married couple, and we were going out.  The morning is a blur. (I guess I've blocked so much of it out) The kids weren't at home, and my wheels of romance were spinning, and I knew Mark's were too.  We found out later, they were spinning ini different directions.  I remember I had picked up a copy of a monthly publication that had events in the Charlotte/Gastonia area.  I can't remember everything, but I recall things like poetry readings, dinner/play meals, symphony concerts, and things like that.  Perfect!!!  I knew that he probably was thinking the same thing, so we'd just spur of the moment decide on something together and it would be great.  I had made my mom and his parents some brownies and gotten a card, or a candle or something, I can't remember exactly, and took that over.   I went back home to get ready for our date and give Mark his gift.  He was going to LOVE his gift and I knew it.  I couldn't wait.  I had gotten him a massage. I went home, and he giggled and told me he was gonna like what I'd got him.  Huh?  How did he know?  He didn't know.  He was lying.  I just knew there was no way.  I mean, how?  Well, when he told me he in fact did know, 'cause he told me what it was, I couldn't believe it.  His boss went to the same place, and had somehow saw the gift certificate copy and had told him.  I was FURIOUS.  .  This was a preview of things to come.  Well, I simply couldn't be without a surprise for my husband.   I mean, he would die (I thought).  So, I rushed to Belk's and found some pair of jeans, and got them, because now it had become a competition, I had to have a surprise.  So, I gave him his gift, and he gave me mine, and then it happened.  The dinner discussion.  It went something like this. 

Him- "Where do you want to go?" Me- "I don't know, where do you want to go?"eyes batting with a sheepish grin.  Him-Well there's the barbecue place in Hickory. It's like a barn. Dirt floor.  People clog, and you drink out of mason jars." Me-Barbecue?????Barbecue??!!!  BARBECUE!!!!!!!!?

I could not believe him.  I mean, what in the world?  Didn't he know that I wanted to go eat at a place we couldn't afford with rude people and small servings of food!?  Didn't he want the same thing?  Were we that different?  

We ended up going to a place in Bessemer City-MaKel's.  We barely spoke to each other the entire night, and then these people right next to us got engaged and everyone was clapping and cheering.  Mark said "I hate it when people do stuff like that in public."  Figures.  We went home and I said "I'm tired.  I'm going to bed."  and I did. 

That was 10 yeears ago today, and you can't imagine how we laugh at the story now.  Maybe you've experienced something like that in your own relationship. 

You know what part of my problem was?  I had put every need in my life on the shoulders of Mark.  I believed that my husband could be my everything.   But he couldn't then, he can't now and he never will be.  What do I mean?  Mark is not God, and he doesn't want that role, he never did.  This is why relationships between husbands and wives struggle, friends, parents and children, and on and on.  There's a God-shpaed need that is only met by God through a relationship with Him.  Everything could seem right, and yet something still feel wrong when you're not sold out and moving in the direction of Christ.  You've got to be in love with Him for any other love to work.  To really work. 

So, I hope today is the best Valentine's you've ever had as we both realize the love of Christ. 

 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20corinthians%2013;&version=65;

If you're wondering about our gifts this year, Mark gave me some perfume and a gift card to Burger King (which is my favorite place to get coffee).Mark's gift....................I shaved.

On Saturday, Affinia (Mark's place of employment) held it's annual healthcare sreenings.  These are required for individuals who don't want their deductibles to go up $1000.00.  We don't, so we went.  I think Mark and I both knew it wasn't gonna be pretty.  They added your waist measurement to the screeninga this year.  Ya.  Not good.  Well, my stuff basically said that I've gained 15 lb. from two years ago.  My BMI, weight, and cholesterol were in unhealthly levels.  It was comical the way I tried to defend it.  (My cholesterol)  "Well.  I've had surgery."  "That shouldn't effect it."  "Well, I have a thyroid condition."   "Shouldn't effect it."  "Oh, I forgot.  I drank a protein shake this morning."  "Wouldn't effect it."  I have never, ever, ever, ever, had a problem with cholesterol.  I've been able to eat anything I've ever wanted, and still never suffered from high cholesterol.  Oh, my chloesterol-250.  Well, you're probably assuming that Mark's cholesterol was 332, yep that's right.  Not good.  Mark is stressed out, max'd out, pushed, pulled prodded and pooped.  He usually eats 1 meal a day, 1 unhealthly meal a day.  Well, he was extremely discouraged by this news.  Like I said, we both expected this, but for some reason when we actually heard it, it was overwhelming.  We didn't go out and run a marathon or buy a treadmill Saturday night.  In fact we didn't do anything.  And what's worse, last night when we got home from church, I didn't eat any dinner.  Then at about 9:00, I popped some popcorn and added buttery topping.  Oh, that's not all.  I then added about 500 dark hershey kisses and melted it in the microwave.  No.  I'm not kidding.  Well as the butter and chocolate were pouring down my face, the phone rang.  "Hey.  What are you doing."  "Nothing.  What are you doing."  "Uh.  I got a ticket."  "A ticket.  This is not good Meagan.  Not good."  "I know I'm sorry.  Are you mad at me?"  "No.  I'm not mad.  I just hope your insurance doesn't go up double, 'cause that's a problem.  A big problem."  "How fast were you going?' "70 in a 55."  So, as we speak, Mark is making phone calls and seeing what the options are.

You know I was thinking about this cholesterol thing, and the speeding too.  Was I sorry that I've eaten really poorly, or was I sorry that I got caught with a bad health report?  Was Meagan sorry she sped or sorry she got caught with a ticket?  The answer for both is probably sorry that we were caught.  The Bible says that you're sins will find you out, and they will, but you don't have to wait until they do.  It would've been much easier for me to be doing the right thing all along, and for Meagan to have not sped, and not have to deal with a ticket, and me and Mark. 

You know sin separates us from God.  Pure and simple.  God will allow us to suffer the consequences of our choices when He has to.  To get us back on track.  But we can do an about face right now.  We don't have to wait until we get caught.  But I think alot of people are confused about repentance, and sometimes I forget too.  I'm sorry that I've eaten a stick of butter probably every other day for the past 20 years.  I'm sorry that I eat more than most men, including but not limited to my husband.  I'm sorry that I'm this way.  But will that sorrow change things????  No.  I will have to adjust and change my behavior.  That's where alot of us are with sin. We really are sorry.  But not sorry enough to walk away.  And the bottom line is that's not good enough, if you want to get back in a right relationship with Christ.  I think alot of people take their sin to the alter, lay it down, get back up and take it with them.  Tears are shed, because the people are genuinely sorry, but not repentant. 

2 Chronicles 7:14 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

God isn't ok with sin.  He doesn't wink at it.  He doesn't sweep it under a big rug in heaven.  It has to be dealt with.  My sin has to be dealt with.  Your sin has to be dealt with.  How do we deal with it?  Admit it, accept it. Don't tell God the reason that you're sinning is because of another person.  He doesn't want to hear that.  I do believe you can pour out your heart in an open expression of your feelings to God.  And you should.  But when stand before God in heaven we won't be able to blame others, so there's no need to form that habit here now.   Repent.  God's forgiven you, so you need to forgive you.  Does this mean you'll never sin again??  No.  And if you've been living your life based on forgiveness you received 20 years ago, you probably need to search your life a bit.  God is love and he wants to give us every good thing.  But sin, builds that wall between us and Him.  The price has already been paid.  Just accept His forgiveness, and turn your back on ANYTHING that moves you away from God.

Praying for you.

This morning I went downstairs to pour Chloe cereal.  I knew we were out of almost everything but she said she would eat Honey Schmacks (that's what we call 'em"). I pulled out the box- I chunk it and just wait for her.  She comes down and says she'd eat a pop-tart.  Pull out pop-tart box-empty.   I know you're wondering why we have empty boxes of food in the pantry, but we just do- ok.  She starts folding the pop-tart box neatly and says this is how you throw away a box.  MHM.  Wonder who she learned that from???  MP.  She opens the trash can and sees the cereal box thrown in its entirety, not folded at all.  "MOMMY!!!   That's not how you throw away a cereal box."  She attempts to correct my very serious mistake.  I ask her if she'd like a doughnut hole for breakfast.  "For breakfast??!!"  I remind her that she eats cheetos for breakfast.  She opts for butter toast, with a doughnut hole as an appetizer.  Healthy breakfast, right? 

This week's Sunday School lesson is on salvation, the One Way.  All this other junk, false religion, even good works will not save.  Just like Chloe told me "That's not how to throw away the cereal box.", Paul tells ushttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%201:1-12;&version=31 ; that there is One Way.  You know this week I've been sort of dealing with something, and God spoke a truth to my heart that hit upside the head and made me say "Halleluiah!”  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20samuel%2015:22&version=31  Obedience is better than sacrifice.   I think this week I maybe understood that the ultimate sacrifice isn’t needed, it’s already happened.  The reason Jesus sacrificed the way He did is so I could never take credit, and you can’t take credit, it’s all Him.  Sometimes in our sacrificing in the name of us we want credit.  So what He wants is us, willing and ready to follow His instructions. To obey.  Not to sacrifice as a make-up for not doing what He tell us to do.  Sort along this same line are people trying to earn a relationship with Him through works.  But it’s not works to get faith; it’s faith that shows through works.  Faith without works is dead, and what good is dead faith???   But Satan has many in a trap.  Exhausting themselves to get to God, through a tunnel of works that doesn’t exist.  Always saying “do a little more. “  Approaching God, but never arriving.  And for eternity, almost just won’t be enough.If you have mistakenly thought that all the good things that you do, make God love you, and if you don’t them He doesn’t love you, please understand the truth today.  He loved you before you were born.  Nothing can change that.   Walk into the freedom of that truth today.  Obey Him.  Trust Him.  He loves you.

If you read my last blog, you know that I referenced my hatred of stockings.  I contemplated using the other words for stockings.  You know.  The one that rhymes with AuntieRose, or NannyGoes, and start with the letter P.  I just felt sort of funny about using that word, because I didn't know if was Southern Baptist Bloggly correct language.  So, as to not offend I used with word stockings, which still might have offended or, also may have left people under 50 thinking, What is she talking about?"  But I quite often speak, as well as sometimes blog without thinking, and this time I ws trying to think before speaking and blogging.

The master wordsmith was Jesus in every way.  He said important things so cleverly, and told stories that held an audience captive.  I read the story of the Pharisees who brough the adulterer before Jesus. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%208:1-11&version=65  His words caused these hypocrites to leave with nothing to say.  Some people believe he may have written their past sins in the sand, but whatever it was, coupled with his powerfully chosen words, foiled their plan.  

Do you think before you speak?  Do you pray before you confront or debate?  I have a habit of reacting, not praying or thinking before I speak.   Words are powerful in every way.  They can uplift and encourage, and they can kill and destroy. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%203:%205-8;&version=65;

I want to share with you something I came across yesterday.  Some of you may have already seen it.  It is Tom Cruise speaking on Scientology. He's very passionate, very driven. I think you and I as Christians often don't realize what we're up against.  Christ said Matthew 10:34-37"Don't think I've come to make life cozy. I've come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don't deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don't deserve me. Our mistaken feelings that peace is always best have caused prayer to be taken out of school, abortion to be legalized, and you know the list of so many other things. 

WARNING: THERE IS AN EXPLITIVE IN THE LAST PART OF THE VIDEO.  AT THE 8 MINUTE MARK. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFBZ_uAbxS0&feature=related

hthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFBZ_uAbxS0&feature=relatedtp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFBZ_uAbxS0&feature=related

This is a quote from part of the video  "They said: "so, like... have you met an SP?" And I looked at them and... you know... and I thought how a beautiful thing because maybe one day it will be like that. You know what I'm saying? Maybe one day it will be that... "Wow, SPs, like, they'll just read about those in the history books, you know." [...] Thing is I just go through that tech and it's... it's literally... it's not how to run from an SP, it's PTS/SP, how to shatter suppression, confront and shatter suppression, you apply it and it's like "boom!" [...]Because they don't come up to me and do that. They won't do it to me... not in my face, you know, or... or anywhere in my vicinity where they feel they can be... confronted. [...]

What is all this???? http://www.scientologyhandbook.org/SH11_3.HTM

I just got this email this morning. http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/smith-oprah.htm

The battle lines are drawn.

This morning I almost did something stupid.  I almost wore high heels to work.  You've proabably noticed I never have on pretty shoes.  I have lots of problems with my feet and it's just not worth the agony to wear uncomfortable shoes.  I don't wear skirts much at all, because I can't wear the appropriate shoes, and I HATE stockings.  But if I wear a skirt, I have to wear stockings because I always look like an albino because I hate the outside.  I had a skirt cleaned to wear to M&Ms Christmas party, which is still in plastic, because I ended up not wearing it.  I also purchased stockings at that time which were still in the box.  But this morning I thought "I'm going to wear those heels today.  I will look so nice.  Everyone will be so surprised."  So, I put on the stockings, put on the shoes, walked two steps in the shoes, laughed at my foolishness, and took off the shoes, put my ugly black shoes on, and came to work.  I was thinking "Why were stockings invented? What's the point?" Don't know.  Don't really care.  I just sort of wish I didn't have them on right now.

Do you know that much of the unsaved world doesn't know why Christ came, or why we choose to be Christians, or that He died for them.  They don't know the point of their life.  Guess what???  We have to tell them.  Well, we don't have to tell them, we have a free will.  But we should tell them.  I'm praying that doors will open for me as an individual to do so, and our class, and church as a whole.  But, I also think that we need to walk through the doors that are already open. 

Luke 11  

 9"Here's what I'm saying:

   Ask and you'll get;
   Seek and you'll find;
   Knock and the door will open.

 10-13"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing—you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"

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