It's Hot in the Box

Recently one of my closest friends opened a crossfit gym, oops I mean crossfit box LOL!  I so know the lingo now. Its not a gym.  Its a box.  For those of you who aren't familiar, there is no air conditioning in a box. I live in Texas just F.Y.I.  Its hot as ... Well nuff said - it is HOT here.  

In crossfit, the trainer will notify you each day what the "WOD" or workout of the day is. Workouts vary significantly from day to day. One thing dependable and true is me questioning why on earth I am paying for any of it. 

During burpees or wall balls, I think of excuses I can give to get out of this commitment I signed up for. Seriously, I get so exhausted, the ball actually hits me in the face during wall balls. I wonder if my nose is bleeding as I'm preparing my story of why I have to quit in my head.  I about spread eagle and just stay laying down during burpees.

 I definitely lie in crossfit. I never count honestly - never. My trainer has some sort of superman hearing because he always corrects my counts, and he isn't even looking so I have no idea what his problem is policing me.  GAH! 

 But then I get home. 

I see results and I mean fast results . How can my modifications (which no one but me requires how modified I need modified LOL), bring me something I can see and feel? Next I begin realizing that it was so hard of a workout, I cannot fathom wasting it. No way can I grab some chips or cookies after putting my body through something that has made me walk like I was in a car accident. 

- The sweat poured out during the WOD, -the soreness that begins the second I stop, 

-the want to quit moments I know I can't do another, 

And then ...

my trainer all of the sudden comes out and runs with me until I finish, all of it pushing me beyond what I thought I could do.  

Our pain and sufferings are no different. We can waste them in anger, bitterness, pity, or even give up on the only thing that heals, comforts and matters and that's Jesus Christ. 

Jesus allowed things in my life that hurt so bad some days I couldn't help but give up (so I thought). I was forsaken by someone who should not have been able to give up on me. But- and it is a strong "but" here.... after years of seeking something from Jesus to stop my pain and suffering and soften my heart of stone, I can testify as a witness that my pain is in the past - but make no mistake, it will not be wasted. 

It hurt so bad and caused so many moments of wanting to quit in life. Do you hear me on this?  Just like crossfit and wanting to say "I can't" when the suffering and pain we go through ourselves or witness in others leaves us feeling so weak and thinking of excuses to check out entirely on life.  We cannot waste these moments of hardships. The battle was worth it.  I have guns to show, I am stronger than I thought. I can conquer things emotionally because God did pull me out of the anger, and hatred I was filled with. He even worked out my distrust of people and the church. He worked out so many things in my heart that I remember far more good things in my life than bad any day. 

The Lord took longer than I would have liked, but He was faithful with my commitment to not quit and He did heal me, soften me, and utterly change every part of my mind, body, and spirit.

I pray no pain you have faced or witnessed is wasted. You were trusted to use your pain and weakness to cling to The Holy Spirit for the best part of you to come out a blazin'!  YOU HAVE BEEN TRUSTED with this pain  to comfort someone. You survived so you could step out and push someone else ahead to flourish. You were made new and alive in the suffering to tell of the work Christ had to  have done in you because no medicine out there can explain it. 

You have strength, perseverance, faith, and muscle built that you cannot possibly think of quitting.

  Can you?

1 Corinthians 1:4. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others when they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us

Comfort usually doesn't come in the form of a lecture and it isn't well received from a proud person.

 Comfort is usually in meeting a need and in love showing up as a supporter and encourager. I'm speaking from experience. Things like "get over it" do not comfort me.  It will not comfort anyone. 

The  fact is, we have to get in the box with them. They, like me will not get over anything. They must go through it to come out fierce.  

We see they are losing ground and we know their sweet head is so filled with lies telling them they can't, that we, have to help them not quit or loose site of the hard work to make it.  Just like my trainer who hears me say "I can't.". He takes my bar right where I cannot lift another inch and helps it go up so I finish. He sees I'm jogging no faster than a walk because I am so out of shape (this is obviously almost more than I can take), and without saying a word, he joins me in each lap. No matter how hot and sweaty we get, our trainer high fives or gives a quick hug to celebrate finishing. 

While we take our pain and use it to help others flourish, it takes sweating with them

 The phone calls, the prayers, the showing up more than anything else means running with them. They will finish the day because for God's glory, we comforted them. We helped lift the bar so they could finish when they were about to throw it down.  That's kingdom minded living. That's friendship in Christ Jesus. This is what matters. Most other things won't end up with God. But love and by love I mean doing. I mean showing up. I mean time --will always end up with God in the end. 

Grand grand grand precious of mine

Got THE text of the century yesterday, "Do you want a Brayden day tomorrow".  I was like a kid hearing about Christmas coming tomorrow. Brayden is my grand precious!  I think my response was something like "YESSSS"

The following represents the order of a Brayden day:

-can barely get to sleep I'm so excited the night before

-check milk for freshness 

-get all housework done night before so absolutely NOTHING needs to be done on THE day

-Set my alarm for 5:30 so I can have lots of coffee

-shower at 6:40

-take off at 7:00 am sharp- headed to pick up that angel

At this point, I ride everyone's tail hoping It makes me arrive faster. I play my music real loud and might dance. Once I am on the street they live on, I text that I'm almost there. 

Once I am at their house, I jump out of my car and grab that darling little thing and load him up.  We have so much fun during the day. I make sure nothing takes away from our time. We read books, watch some movies, play with the dogs, go outside, play chase, take a nap and then do it all over again.  

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my marriage at this stage of life. Nothing I used to get mad over and  I literally mean nothing (and I've thought of the biggest things) would have been a big deal had I known this was in our future. 

My grandprecious knows whatever he wants to do- I am in!  I stay on the floor most of the day.  My cell phone is used but only for pictures and videos of everything he says and does I think is adorable. 

Keep your family together is my unasked for advice. The blessings that come later in life just cannot be put Into words. Honor your husband. Love your wife. Don't rush your kid's life. Trust me on this -

Regrets no more

With a past like mine,  I think about what I wish I would have done differently every single day.  Some days the shame goes on and on in my head. I avoid certain people or places where I am known for my shame.   Only because of the Word of God, can I now quickly tell the regrets and shame to hit the road; because I am a new creation or because I have been made new in Christ Jesus.  Sweetness!  Each year as the past gets behind me, the easier it is to tell the devil to get behind me.  My lifestyle is proof that I am not the same person. But the most important reminder is Jesus himself, and the death He took for me, to cover my sin. The fact He has not returned yet gave a girl like me time to make the choice to love Him back. The question cannot be asked “IF He loves us?”, because we would not even be created if He didn'tfirst love us.  The question cannot be, "have I sinned to big or too much?" because He said While we were sinners, He died for us. He knew the magnitude of our sins all along and still loved us and died for us all!  The power and might of God scares me. Who does not tremble at His word?  Yet His love scares me as much- if not more -  than his power and might. I question myself, asking "do I love like He does?"  He tells me love is actually the sign that I am His. Do I ask others to forgive me?  Do I get so caught up in offenses, I become hateful?  Do I care about His most important creation - people?  Do I tremble at His word? Do I notice the hurting on my street?  

After the world vision outing yesterday my head is fixated - spinning on the magnitude of sexual sin.  I'm so tired if not being able to call a sin a sin. Confronting my sexual sin was vital to my needing Christ.  Why or how did we ever find peace in tweaking sin from what God says is sin, to establishing our own definition?  

BUT as much as I want us all as the church to call sin a sin, I don't want to keep on and on and on and on and on with one certain sin.  Let's call sins sin in this world and then get up, cleansed and ready to fight:

Starvation – Children, women and men, dieing every day, which would be equal to 10 planes per day, filled with people, going down.  Yet we seem to care less.  It Isn't even news worthy.

Abortion - anyone care to know how many babies die daily from abortion?  I was once so lost, I believed aborting  a baby was no biggie. That's what the world teaches, and no one - not a single person - loved me enough to show me what this meant. Every single time we let the world educate us - it won't be that The Lord knit that baby together and has plans and a future for him. The world’s teaching will always be that an unborn baby is nothing but a blob of tissue inside. I have a friend who was pregnant at 15. She had the wisdom of the Holy Spirit at that young age to KNOW God would meet her needs. She didn't view God as mean even when people were awful to her. That baby is 17 years old today and his mama- my friend will stand up and tell us all "Jesus met every need"

Slavery –which is more prevelant today than ever, ever, ever in the history of mankind -both labor and sexual slavery.  Yet we focus on slavery of the past.

Orphans - the number of children needing a mama and daddy is staggering. Numbers vary but we can safely say 400,000 need a home.

Porn -which is by far one of the biggest and evilest of the devil's plans.  The number of lives affected by pornography can't even be counted because of the daily increase in the number - like our national deficit.  Our children are becoming little porn stars and addicts, filming each other!

And.....

And this - kindness and love. Where is the worry and concern? The pouring out to the lost, the sick and poor of this world?  The ones who God says matters most to Him,.  Yet society, even some of those who call themselves Christians, followers of Jesus, gag to think of socializing with them, never blaming and fighting satan for the condition of their hearts and lives.

Love has got to be bigger. 

And then this straight from Gods word!

 

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 15-20 NLT)

What was His answer to sin?  Jesus.  Who did He call to love the lost?  Me and you.

He clearly is the only one who has this figured out.  An certainly the only one worthy to make the call.  He says so and I believe him.  We can all relax and know that He will judge. He will take on my sin, your sin,and their sin.  The fact that there is  little respect for Him, and we chose our way over His way verifies our misplaced self reliance. Once we give Him all of us- we are truly His.  The sign?  Love.

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ (Matthew 25:40-45 NLT)

house video

Home sweet, sweet home

Look at what God has done!  His people know what they own-has been given by The Lord and is to be shared. People shared what God has provided which in turn meant a new home for our new friends!

Jesus speaks many times on giving. I 

Have been told giving is mentioned 1500 times in the word of God. Giving can mean many things: 

Prayers

Time

Tears

Celebration

Food

Shoes

Hot water

Trust

Coffee

Shelter

A hug

Encouragement

Babysitting

Movie tickets

Bedding

Socks

Toilet paper

And the list goes on and on. 

Giving turns around and gives you and me a feeling like no other. It may be the antidepressant of all!  It may be the greatest workout of our hearts!  It may soften the hardest heart of stone just like not giving will keep a heart hard and cynical. 

Our friends are still excited and still so grateful. We say THANK YOU to all who gave and to all who cared!  Supporting this with your joy made this even more incredible!  God bless you Big time!

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:30, 31 NLT)

Prison visit

IWhen Jesus asks us to visit those in prison, seems we always receive some sort of weird look.

Today, I went in the Crain unit. This was my 5th prison mission trip. Each time I go I make new friends, get closer to Christ, break for hurts I have never heard before, and leave feeling filled up. 

This time was truly different. As I got to know some "first timer" counselors, I learned almost all had been incarcerated at one time. 

I had complimented a new friend that her teeth were so pretty. She responded by telling me she had just had her bridge put in and thanked me. As we talked more, she revealed her story...years of meth abuse had taken her teeth down to nothing.  She had lost every single thing to meth and eventually was put in prison. She found a true relationship with Christ while incarcerated.   She was so grateful for those who visited her while in prison, that she knew she would one day do the same thing.  Today her marriage and family are fully restored!  She is a licensed drug counselor and a grandmother. This was her first trip back into prison as a free in Christ, messenger of His power, grace, forgiveness and restoration. 

Another first timer told me she felt like she would throw up coming down the street we turn down.  I asked why of course. She told me she had been in this very prison after self medication landed her in prison. She survived thanks to Jesus and the Christ followers who visited her. She was going in for the first time as a free woman to show women they are indeed God's child and can be made new!

One friend drives from Mississippi to love on incarcerated women. She was once in prison and today has a great job, a great marriage and a restored family.  While in prison she found a real relationship witn Jesus. She is a real friend and shows up by writing inmates and sending books from Amazon she knows will offer personal support to each wound. Yes, I did say drives from Mississippi.

I have another great friend made while on a prison mission trip who is now on the board of directors of Girls Given Grace. He was once incarcerated.  He now has an incredible ministry and offers a home for men released from prison or even homeless men who want off the streets and want to follow Christ.

Going inside the prison means the church has left the building. We go in their world with respect knowing we are a visitor. We expect huge things from Jesus and all share what great things we witnessed or hard things we don't understand as we prepare to go to our homes. We all leave equally feeling emotional and uplifted. 

Can you imagine being surrounded by 6 women who were once in prison and because they we're shown love, surrendered to Jesus and now go back to that hard place to say "Jesus saves"

I pray judgement stops and we open our hearts to the reality and responsibility as a believer knowing  These souls need to speak and be shown off for God's glory entirely. Do we believe as we should or do we judge and try and figure out a hidden agenda?  Why do we spend hours discussing the weeds and almost no time showing off the wheat?  I do not get it and never will.  

Unbelief has such a price. Who wants to be hindered?  My husband And I just talked about family who really is not interested in our ministry or the things we see God doing.  But family, friends, man cannot clog our hearts and minds with  unbelief!  I urge us all to rebuke doubt and nay-sayers. 

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. (Mark 6:4-6 NLT)

This is a picture of a few of us going in. You can tell we are so excited. After amazing prayer time with all counselors and Mike Barber leading us - we were filled by Jesus and ready.

A few months ago I noticed something I should have noticed every single day.  I realized there are several camper parks in our small town.  These are not vacation spots - they are literally places to rent so that you can park your camper as your home site.  The locations I was noticing are filled with families.  It became something I could not get out of my mind.  I began to wonder what the kids who wait for their school bus every morning think about someone like me driving right by, maybe even on my way to church (wow) and yet never noticing them there.  It wasn't long before I shared at our weekly Girls Given Grace meeting that I would like to meet these people.  We talked about cooking burgers  and just getting to know our neighbors.  I also mentioned that I notice a man on his bike every day.  I told the group I wanted to know who he is and what he may need.  Christmas happened and we sort of put our ideas on the back burner.

About 6 weeks ago, my husband, son, and I were on our way home from church.  We attend a church serious about mission work and our service covered the book of Luke.  Our Pastor brought me to tears with our Lord's love for the homeless and ill-clad.  Jesus loves them so much and cares too deeply for words.  The sermon was clear  that we must love deeply who Jesus loved.  There is no disputing  the Lord asked us to represent Him and that is all of our calling and purpose.  On our way home, we saw the man I had noticed riding his bike.  I told my husband to pull over.  To be honest, I became nervous.  What if this man was just out getting exercise for goodness sakes?  How embarrassing would that be for me?  My son was asking what on earth we would ask this man as he peddled near.  I got out of the car and waved the stranger on his bike towards us.  I simply asked, "do you need anything"?  We talked for about 10 minutes and learned about our new friend.  We learned his name, where he lived, what he needed and all of our hearts broke. 

Our new friend Lonnie lives in a camper with his wife Harriet.  They were in need of food.  Before we went to their home, we went as fast as possible to the grocery store to get food.  Once we arrived at their home, our hearts were forever changed.  Lonnie and Harriet live in deplorable conditions.  There is no hot water, major infestation of bedbugs, and so much more.  They needed their clothes washed so bad as bed bugs are in what they have. They are covered in bites.   We couldn't take them to do their laundry knowing about the bugs.   We happened to have new Tshirts and socks in my car as we pass these out to the homeless.  More than food, they were blessed by the socks.  This way they could sleep at night without bugs biting their feed.

 The only answer to their life right now is a camper that is safe, secure, clean and in working condition.  We began asking for donations from friends and coworkers to purchase a used camper. People gave.  I mean gave without question.  Makes me cry thinking about this.  The first camper we picked sold before we could purchase it.  We are now inquiring about another camper in hopes and prayer that The Lord provides.  Once we get the new home for Lonnie and Harriet, we can begin caring much more for their needs.  Harriet is crippled and 60 years old.  Lonnie rides his bike every day to seek out work for about $10.00 days wage - not hourly.  He has no birth certificate to get a job.  He also cannot leave his wife for extended time.

Ok, we all want to help everyone and I get that.  Why these people?  There are much worse situations right?  True.  But here is the deal:  God didn't ask me to judge or analyze anyone.  He asked me and you to represent Him and to share everything we have.  Jesus asked us to give to who we knew could not repay us.  This all goes WAY against my thought process and certainly not the American "all mine" mindset.  I get it.  It's radical.  But it's so LITTLE.  This is ONE couple out of so many that need you and me.  WE can actually really help our country that we post so much critical stuff about by sharing, loving and helping those who need us.  No money?  What about time?  Our time is precious.  We cannot fathom dying today and telling Jesus we had no time to do what He created us for. Can we?  We can but let's not!  To fall in love with who Christ loves so much we have to enter His territory.  His people will break your heart as well.  Suddenly things that mattered have no meaning compared to kingdom work. 

Saturday, my husband and I went to visit Lonnie and Harriet.  We try to stop by weekly and provide food and give updates on our search for a camper. We were outside talking when we saw a  woman coming out of her camper.  She looked to be about 30 years old.  Her head tilted and she walked with a walker.  I smiled at her but her face was like a straight line.  She was so broken looking.  The first thing I told my husband is "these people are invisible".  We immediately knew we must start a weekly cookout at this camper site.   We want to know that sweet woman's name, needs, and story.  Don't you?  We want to pray for their needs with them and see God's glory spread like fire.

We now revised our needs from one camper to one camper plus a trailer for Girls Given Grace.  I told my husband find anything because it will be painted CUUUUTE LOL!!!  This way we can load up what we need to begin loving these people every week by feeding them and bringing Christ to them in whatever way we can. 

Girls Given Grace was started simply to study God's word and pray together.  God has a different view of this ministry.  I love Him for trusting us with His name.  I love that He cares so much for what and who we just don't understand.   We want popular, fancy, rich, celebrity blah.  Christ entered this earth in a manger.  He tells us without love, our services are meaningless.  This life you and I have been given was given to give away for Him.  Is that a wildly incorrect sentence or what?  Trust me, I could care less.  Critiquing my grammar is no longer something I have time for.  Well, I have the time, but it doesn't matter.