We were praying for a member and the CRAZIEST thing ever happened… I felt a nudging and gentleness come over me to place my hand on her elbow.

I think lack of understanding, lack of ever experiencing something like that before and lack of fully and wholly recognizing the prompting and voice led me to dismiss it- though the urge was there a few times.

Immediately after we were all done laying hands on and praying for her she commented to the entire group how her elbow had been hurting and she had been praying about that.

I have no idea what God intended when I was urged to move my hand from her shoulder to elbow, but I know next time I won’t hesitate. That simple move could have been a sign to her that He was hearing and listening.

To say I was horrified and devastated is an understatement. And I’m so embarassed I never even got the courage to tell her how I ignored and dismissed what was apparently a divine prompting. :(
Janet´s last blog ..OB News & Sonogram Appointment

The Lord has been busy asking in my life this week!!! Whew – Sunday, being Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, I did my comfortable little presentation and sat down to leave the rest to my husband…all was well until I felt that little stirring and I know immediately that the Lord was telling me I wasn’t done…He wanted me to confess my past abortion before our congregation which is not so easy being the pastor’s wife! I knew He was telling me not to ask anything of our women I was not willing to do myself, which was to speak up about my past and testify about His healing. I’m feelin’ ya on the “spiritual blackmail” issue as my thoughts ranged from worry about embarrassing my husband to the fact that I hadn’t yet told my son, who wasn’t even in the room. Lots of reasons why I should not share were flooding my mind. Yet, I know all too well when the “stirring” is from the Holy Spirit. I can’t say that it was a very had decision or one that I had very much time to make. I just chose to obey and the end result was compassion from my church members, connection with many of our women, and a peace in my heart that only comes from obedience. Some women have already come to me, confessing sins from the past and seeking healing.

As for what the Lord is asking of me now…it’s hard, doesn’t make sense, and the spiritual blackmail is in full force, but I will CHOOSE to obey. It’s my choice. Doubts will come…i.e., “was that really God’s voice I heard or was it just me?” (Am I the only one that struggles with that?)

But I am choosing not to doubt in the dark what God has shown me in the light!

This was not an easy decision for us especially since we have nothing lined up. So now we are looking for him a ‘tent-making’ job and starting the church planting journey.

For me this is taking a lot of faith. Most of the time more faith than I feel like I have. I don’t know anything about church planting and I really struggle with feeling inadequate. Is God really sure that he wants to me to be a part of this? Doesn’t he know me and all my imperfections?

I’m really having to cling to the fact that He is who He says He is. And that doesn’t come easy for me. But His plan is not about me, it’s about Him. And luckily I don’t have to find my worth in people. I can only find my worth in the Lord.

My prayer is that these attitudes of my heart will become the attitudes of my life because currently there is a disconnect. I’m living in fear and allowing other’s perceptions of me (my looks, my hobbies, my ‘christian-ness’, my talents) to guide my actions. My favorite verse is Psalm 27. It’s time I start believing it.
Alyson´s last blog ..Week 3

And then I thought, what COULDN’T I say?

I feel like God is and has been shaking me up in every which way for several months now, and something tells me he isn’t stopping. And I don’t want him to. But I am being asked to change almost everything about my life. And I can’t start because it is almost midnight.

But what I really wanted to say is that this weekend someone asked Beth what her next study was going to be and guess what she said? James.

I KNOW.
missy @ it’s almost naptime´s last blog ..America’s Next Top Siestas

It almost makes me feel guilty for struggling with my own circumstances. Almost. I cannot give into guilt and add it to the list of things to deal with, but It “does” put my problems into perspective.

I suppose my struggle hasn’t necessarily been with a “big” decision, but rather my daily attitude. A lot has changed over the past year. My oldest daughter became pregnant, got married, then waved goodbye to her new husband as he left for basic training for the LA National Guard. She, too, is in the Guard.

My first grandchild–Gavin–was born in November. The plan is for them to stay here with us as Trey–my new son-in-law–deploys to Iraq. Plans have changed almost daily about whether or not he would leave for Iraq training, then deploy. Paper work, red tape slowed the process leaving us all in limbo.

Finances have been strained for them due to the changes as they anticipated higher pay right away this month when he was supposed to leave for more training. As it turns out, he will probably go straight to Iraq the first of March. That has me scratching my head wondering ‘why’ it’s ‘okay’ for him to skip the two months training originally planned.

Our own finances are strained due to a recent cut in my husband’s income. A sign of the times. So many are struggling. I had prayed at length about my place during all of this. Taking on new roles in such a short time can be overwhelming. And then I remember doing the exact same thing and I realize what sacrifices my parents made.

Sigh.

I planned to keep Gavin once my daughter found a job and eventually when she starts college in the fall. I have a three-year-old daughter (yes, because I’m crazy and started all over and had my tubes untied) and a 17-year-old daughter. I often feel like someone is constantly upset with me. Staying on top of everything can be overwhelming. But I’m sure most of you go through that as well.

Trey’s time here has meant more time for him with Gavin and Cammie. I imagine it sounds almost petty that I would struggle with all of this. But we have all been in limbo. I hate being in limbo. But, God is still on the throne during the season of “limbo”.

So I have been praying and fasting and seeking God for wisdom for my husband for a job change, direction for all of us. More of Him, really. And I have sensed so strong that He is telling His people we must, we MUST take Him at His Word. His Word hasn’t changed. He IS faithful.

And of course all hell broke loose since then. BUT! BUT–HE IS FAITHFUL!

My struggle has been not teeter-tottering back and forth with my faith. It has been in the little things–those stinkin’ little foxes that spoil the vine–that I have struggled. Blowing it with my mouth. And you know what? It’s NEVER worth it.

So I will keep praying and hopefully surrender my struggles and just obey. And ask for you to pray for me as well.
Rena´s last blog ..Seventeen

We hoped. That was the problem. What was God wanting? Our Faith. Faith in Him, that He would bless our life, no matter the vocation, location, style, and size. I look back and remember telling my husband one day “We should desire 100 solid members than 800 lukewarm members.” So we embraced that mindset, and decided to literally giving up the search. We decided maybe we should go back to Seminary and finish those last few classes of the MDiv then go and start a church in NE. We gave up all our hopes and it was the hardest decision to make. Stop looking for a church? Yes. Stop looking. Go back to seminary with 3 little kids? Absolutely. We had faith that He would provide. So we registered, found a place to live, and looked for jobs in Louisville KY. And the funny thing, we were at peace. Not giddy exactly, but at peace with what God wanted.

We were 2 weeks from going (POD packed) when our son made Allstars for baseball. So we had to wait a couple more weeks. During those 2 weeks, we received a call from a small church in Waco TX (we never sent resume’s to Texas). Three weeks after that call we found ourselves sending the same POD but with a different location. We have been in Waco since August and the Lord has been nothing but awesome here. We needed this church to love and affirm just as much as they needed a leader like my husband. And you know what? We were running 130 when we came and now are at 160. They ARE the solid members I told my husband I wanted to have. So God taught us a big lesson in faith and hope. Was it hard? Ya. You bet! But here we are. Blessed by our Father. He was just waiting for us to put Him in the lead as we trusted the path. Faith.
Mariah´s last blog ..Fix It Friday: Making the Most

I am crazy busy right now with many things that I am trying to accomplish and get done before the end of April, and am struggling to keep it together. God recently stopped me in my tracks and reminded me that He is the only one who matters, and that I must strive to please only Him.

As a pw, I have always worried about what the people in our church would think of me or what they might say about me thus, making me a very ineffective pw. They, of course, have no idea what I do with my time or what I do behind the scenes for them or the church. I wouldn’t want them to know, anyway. When God stopped me, I realized that what others in the church think of me is not really relevant to my mission, only what He thinks. I must do the things that I know are right for God’s purpose in my life. It has truly been a freeing experience for me, because it relieves the pressure that I put on myself to be what everyone else expects. I can begin (after 15 years in ministry) to fully enjoy what God has called me to do.

I also struggle with making a separate time for just God and me to get together. I spend too much time watching tv or on the internet. I know God is dealing with me on this, but I constantly find myself coming up short. As I get older, I get so much wiser about what’s important, and am finding that there is nothing more important to ME, not to God, that I make this time available to Him. I also find as I get older that I don’t have nearly as many excuses as I use to (like when my kids were younger) to disobey.
Patty´s last blog ..proud mama