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<a href="http://www.lifeway.com/cuteshoes" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Check out my book!" src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u80/thepreacherswife/cuteshoesblogbutton.jpg"/></a>Intercession
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July 29th – August 11th
For the next two weeks let’s get to know some of our missionary sisters serving in different countries!
Be sure to visit these ladies, connect with them, and read more about their hearts, their journeys and their families!
Jen @ Be Thou Exalted
Alida @ Blackpurl’s Knitpickings
Tina @ Girl Meets Globe
Regina @ Greetings from Guatemala
Michele @ My Brazilian Life
This is not a blog contest. This is just a way to put your blog in a more accessible spot to allow more women to find your link, visit your blog and connect with you. The Featured M2M Blogs are listed down the right hand column of The Preacher’s Wife. We will choose five new blogs every two weeks on Fridays. To become a featured blog, all you have to do is be listed on the M2M Blogroll and be an active blogger. Email m2mblogroll[at]apreacherswife[dot]com to request to add your blog to the blogroll.
I have mentioned in brief that my oldest boy Sawyer went to Bolivia a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I have 3/4ths of a blog post written on the subject but I was much too emotionally unstable to complete it. Had it made it past my draft folder you would have read my quoting Chronicles of Narnia when Susan asks Beaver if Aslan is safe. He answers, “Of course he isn’t safe. He’s a lion. But he’s good.” Later is the line even more profound than that, “People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time.”
And then I blabbered on about how handing over to God the thing most precious to you doesn’t feel safe at all but we can entrust Him with our outcomes because His motivation toward us is pure and undefiled unlike the counterfeit lions in our lives who would see us run from God’s best rather than pursue it no matter the potential detriment to life and limb. Sending Sawyer on this trip was good and terrible at the same time. I’ve never grasped the enormity of that paradox until now.
The past two weeks have been the longest in my life but praise God from whom all blessings flow, after a cancelled flight Saturday and finally able to depart on Sunday, my boy returned home shortly after midnight Monday morning. He has a thousand stories to tell and I look forward to hearing every one of them once he has a chance to rest and reacclimate to life in the good ‘ole USA.
He’s not been the only one out of town. Elijah, Sam, and Matthew (friend from church) went to RA Camp at Shocco Springs last week. They were supposed to check in on Monday and since I was out of town in North Carolina teaching a retreat (more on that soon!) I struck a deal with Tammy (Matthew’s mom) that I would pick the boys up if she could take them.
Now, I should prefact what I am about to tell you by saying that our girls had been to World Song GA Camp and their camp was from Monday until Friday. Logically, the boys’ camp should run the same, right? I made all my weekly plans to allow for picking the boys up on Friday. That would have worked out great if the boys camp wasn’t over on Thursday. Do y’all see where this is headed?
I’m in Wal-Mart checking out when I get a frantic call from Luke who informed me the boys are waiting on their ride. 2 hours away. On Thursday, the day before I planned on picking them up. (Thank you Twitter friends who comforted me by asking the obvious question of Who Ends a Camp on Thursday?) I was so distraught I dropped my coupon notebook onto the floor spilling out about 4539 slips of PAPER GOLD and let me tell you it is not easy trying to hold your cell phone with your shouder, pick up scattered newspaper clippings and write a check to the bewildered cashier all at the same time. At present I was there buying a few necessities for a 50+ member missions team our church was hosting so you know, I wasn’t busy or anything. Praise the Lord for wonderfully understanding friends like Clay (Matthew’s Dad) who was already on his way to get them by the time I got the news. By the time I made it to the parking lot the Camp director called and was so gracious to tell me not to worry and that he would take the boys to the post-camp counselor party while they waited on someone to get them. It was during this party that Elijah informed me that Sam announced that his mother was a little nuts sometimes and often had blonde moments.
And we picked him up why exactly?
I don’t know that I’ve ever been more mortified. I cried a lot, apologized a lot, mostly on the phone with Sam before I knew of his traitorous slander. But now, well, I suppose it is a little funny. An epic mom fail if there ever was one. Cindy Day and/or Becky Teems, if you are reading this, I reclaim my presidency over the Loser Mom Club.
So re-entry has been a little rough on all of us. At this point I’m just happy there are 6 McKay’s under one blessed roof. Any day that none are stuck in Bolivia or left at camp is a good day and if I’ve ever taken that for granted before I hereby repent.
Where have your summer travels taken you and yours?
Wading
By Tricia Hodges
I absolutely LOVE the beach! I could spend my life listening to the waves crash against the shore, smelling the salty air with my toes in the sand and the sun shining above. It’s the most relaxing place on earth!
But, while I love the beach, I’m not so thrilled with the ocean. It scares me. It is immense, and powerful, and full of various dangerous creatures. So, when we go to the beach, I am definitely a wader. You will rarely catch me in ocean water that is deeper than knee level. It’s. Just. Not. Happening.
My husband was watching a show on television the other night and they were doing some deep sea diving. They were talking about all of the treasures that are buried deep in the ocean and I thought to myself, “Good thing they make television shows like this, or I would never see these treasures buried in the ocean’s depths.”
A day or so later, my man and I were talking ministry (as we often do), and God brought back to mind that show. I love how the Lord works! And I was convicted about my daily time with the Lord.
I LOVE Him, no doubt about it. We have dedicated our lives to His service and to furthering His gospel. I love to hear the quiet whisper of the Holy Spirit. I love singing praises to Him in worship, I love reading about Him and memorizing and teaching His Word…but, I am just wading.
And I am tired of wading.
I want to deep sea dive! I want to experience the treasures hidden deep in the depths of His Word. I want the FULL experience. I want to be immersed in His goodness, holiness, and love! I want to learn new truths about Him every day, around every corner!!
I long for DEPTH, not shallowness.
How about you? Are you a wading Christian? If so, I encourage you to take the plunge with me. Begin by asking the Lord to reveal more of Himself to you today than He ever has before. Then, don’t keep it to yourself!! Share it with someone else and encourage them to go deeper as well.
Let’s not be shallow, wading Christians that miss out on the lessons and blessings that come from the depths of God’s Word. Let’s go deep sea diving today!
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:9-10
Tricia is a ministry wife and mother of three. She loves to teach and has a great desire to see others come to know and love the Lord. In her spare time, she authors Two Tiaras and a Sword.
*Are you interested in writing an article for Called Out? Do you know someone who might? Be sure to check out our submission guidelines. If you have any questions or are ready to submit your article, please email us at submissions@apreacherswife.com. We’ve loved what we’ve received, so please keep them coming! Look for our next Called Out article on August 5.
