.....The Call........

People have asked me in the past, how did you get started working as a Billy Graham Rapid Response Chaplain.  Well, here is our story:

My husband had just retired from 32 years of law enforcement and I had just retired from 37 years of banking.  During the 37 years of banking, I also taught classes for the Dept of Criminal Justice at the police academy on financial fraud. 

During our careers, we both had taught bible classes and traveled on mission trips.  His job moved us to a different state several times. However, we were involved with our local church, no matter where we lived…they became our family. 

 After feeling the nudge to retire, even though we both loved our jobs, we put a ‘for sale’ sign in front of our KY farm.  We knew that we must sell it to have the funds to retire early.  You may say we put out ‘the fleece’ to see if this was really what we were to do.  Within three days the farm was sold and then....we were moving into a small apartment within 60 days! We had not even finished our notices for our jobs, which we had planned on working until the end of that year! God was definitely on the move!

Shortly after, I was online one day, doing a devotion on the Billy Graham website.  When I opened the site, across the top of the page read “Billy Graham Rapid Response Chaplains needed with law enforcement or first responder experience." Thinking this would be only a week or two a year, we talked about it and filled out the application online. The next morning we received a phone call from their office.

We attended classes at The Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, NC.  God blessed us with another ‘family’…our brothers and sisters that work there and are deployed with us in the field. 

We know the urgency of prayer and all of us are prayer warriors for each other when a disaster call goes out, whether it be a tornado, flood, hurricane, or shooting.  When we receive a call, sometimes it is “How quickly can you leave?” other times it is “Can you be prepared to leave in two days or so?”  We really never know when this call may come, we just know that we all must stay in a close relationship with the Lord.  This call may not come directly to us, it could be to another Chaplain Coordinator and they will need our prayers. 

This is the way life is…as the commercial says, “Life can come at you hard.” We need to stay in a close relationship with the Lord, be prayed up.  Not be a stranger to Him.  We also have our church family and our children to put the call out for prayer.  We know when we go out our door, that prayers are already going up. 

We have seen God’s hand working before we have even gotten to the disaster site. One of those times was when we were in Tom’s River, NJ and received the call “We need you to head to Sandy Hook, there has been a mass shooting at the elementary school.” We put out a call to our prayer warriors as we were leaving. 

We were in NJ, where toll roads are abundant. We were in the Billy Graham van and costs would average $10-13 dollars to pay.  Most of the tollbooths were unmanned and exact change only.  We were not prepared for this. We prayed as we drove, for the people we were going to…not thinking of the tolls. 

The first sign ‘Toll Booth ahead, exact change only’ leered at us.  We knew we did not have the exact change.  We pulled up to the tollbooth, the automatic sign in front of it said, “Out of order, Proceed.” What?  We just looked at each other!  The next one we came to had a cashier in it.  As we pulled up, he said to us, “Sorry, but I am counting my cash drawer down, just go ahead.”  It was then we knew, God was already working. 

Some of you may think this is just coincidence, but we know our God and He knows our needs and hears our prayers.  Prayers and needs are not always met as quickly and boldly as these tollbooths, but it is in His time…not ours.

God has a plan for everyone. It may not be to serve with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, write a book, share a story, but He does have a plan for you.  He has called us from the time of our salvation to serve Him, to honor Him, someway in our lives.  That service may change during the course of our lives, but it will not change Whom we serve. 

What is God calling you to do?  What is tugging on your heart? Let go of yourself and let God lead and guide your life.  Life is much easier lived if you live it for Him and not yourself. 

As the scripture say in Psalm 100:2  (KJV)

^“Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing”  .

Let Him put a song in your heart……

Blessings,

gs                

The Fields are White Unto Harvest

So Jesus sends His disciples out to the mission field. Luke 10:2 tells us that ‘He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’

After being out of town last week, we drove down the country road coming to our home late Sunday night.  The truck lights sat high and spread out across the road and that is when we noticed it!  The cotton had opened up and it was as white snow along our path!  Oh, it is good to be home!

But then, the thought came to me....the light shining on the fields....it is like God showing us the fields are white unto harvest.  In reality it is like the love of Christ shining out to the ones that need to know Him, they are ready to receive Him!

In just a few days, Nov 7, 2013, it will be Billy Graham's 95th birthday.  He has had the burden of our country on his heart for several years now.  He will be preaching 'My Hope' across our nation for his birthday, sharing the gift of Christ's salvation.  He will be giving our country the hope and a chance to turn back to God.  People have been working and praying on this event for sometime now....and the time has arrived.

If you already know Christ as your Lord and Savior, we ask you to pray.  Pray for individual people you know, invite them into your home to watch this 30 minute television show.  Pray for a new awakening in the heart of our nation.  Pray that the Spirit of God will once again 'hoover' over America.
If you do not know Christ, you do not have to wait until Nov 7 to pray and ask forgiveness and ask Him to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior.  Do that now before it is too late.

Look around your neighborhood, your workplace, your family...pray for them to believe in the one true God.  The fields are white, people are searching...help them find their way to Him.

Blessings,
gs

Proverbs 31 ...Seriously?

Proverbs 31 Woman... Seriously?    

Show of hands... who's ever read the Proverbs 31 description of a virtuous woman and thought, "I can never live up to that"? I had to stop typing for a moment... because I raised both of my hands!
Some of you men would hopefully hold her hands down!! :)

Let's take a quick look at the woman in verses 10-31. By the way, my comments are identified by red italics.

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
(So far, so good. I can be trustworthy and not evil and we know we  can do this!)
She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands.
(Um... I can buy yarn. And I can do stuff with my hands. But I'm not sure the two go together)
She is like the merchant ships,
(I do like ships, cruise ships especially!)
She brings her food from afar.
(All the way from the super market but prefer carry out)
She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household,
(Nope... that never happens in my house, well, unless grandchildren are visiting)
And a portion for her maidservants.
(Hold it right there... this woman has a maid! And not just one. She has maidservants... plural. This explains a lot)
She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.
(Yes, she buys, plants and invests..well I do pay the bills)
She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms.
(See, even in Bible times women were concerned about exercise and keeping up their bodies. Some things are eternal awg! do I really have to do this?)
She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night.
(yep, I paid the electric bill too)
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
(She is like an octopus!)
She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
(That way, she can find them if they wander out in the snow)
She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
(This may be how the Red Hats started)
Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
(Men still do this today. Super Bowl Sunday comes to mind or the liars table at Jacks every morning!)
She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants.
(Back to sewing again... I can sew on buttons. That's about it)

I admit, I've had some fun with the Proverbs 31 woman. But seriously, everything about her is admirable. And while most of us won't live out the specifics of this virtuous woman (there are no maidservants or vineyards in my future) the spirit of the woman is what's important. Let's finish off the chapter, and you'll see what I mean.

Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:
“ Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.”
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

It's really all summed up in this phrase: "But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." When we fear the Lord, when we seek Him and His will for our lives, we are headed in the right direction. Yes, we will still make mistakes. But when our hearts are set toward God, He will carry us through and make us the virtuous women He intended us to be.


I just felt this needed to be said this week.  Sometimes, we need to share what we as women need to strive for..and for you men, you need to be supportive to them.  Lift each other up in prayers, encouraging each other, for it is only in Him we can be better than we are. 

Amen and God bless you!

The "Comma"

The "Comma"



Several years ago, I was reading John 10:10 and it bounced right off the page at me!  It hit me as never before...it was like I was reading it for the first time in my life!  Sure I had heard it said and even preached before:

^" The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly,"

but had never really grasped what it meant.

Satan will steal, kill and destroy all the joy, peace and hope you have within you.  But Jesus came that they may have life......eternal life.  That is what He promised, so that those of us who are born again believers will have the joy, peace and hope that only He can give.   

But, He did not stop there...he put a comma in and then He said.. that they may have it (life) abundantly!!! That is what I am talking about!!! The part after we have accepted Him as our Savior, we are to make Him Lord..so He give us the ABUNDANT life!! 

Some Christians are satisfied, accepting Him as their Savior and having the security of heaven, but then they settle down in that hammock of life, the comma, and miss the abundant life here on earth!!

Now, I will admit, things happen in our lives....like having a motorcycle wreck, that put us in the hammock, but that is only short term...and even then, the hammock is swinging...being pushed by the love, prayers and encouragement of our friends and loved ones.  

My husband and I have discussed this many times before, that if there was no promise of eternal life or heaven, having the abundant life that He gives us and knowing Jesus is walking with us everyday, would be worth knowing Him.  I truly don't know how anyone can get through the heartaches this world throws at them, without Jesus.  Satan does seek to kill, steal, and destroy, but once you get to the hammock, it is like being in the arms of Jesus.  He folds up around you and holds your whole body, cradling you, being supported by the 'Tree of Life'.  He loves us so much, He wants even more for us, beyond the hammock...as good as it is...it gets better.  For He walks down every path we trod on this earth.

Where are you in your life with Him?  Do you know for sure you have the promise heaven?  Are you stuck before the comma?  Are you swinging in the comma of life, not reaching beyond to the abundant?  Look around you.....He is waiting to surround you, to give you His love, more than you can possibly comprehend.  

Hugging you all in my heart, 
gs

Looking for the "Good"

This past week seems like I have been in a whirlwind of life.  We usually are on the "other side" of praying and comforting those in need.  But, things happened and for whatever reason, here we are....receiving the blessings of encouragement and prayers from those we hold dear to our heart. 

Last night, a friend visited us and asked the question, "Have you thanked God for the motorcycle wreck?" Yes, he was serious, because the next thing out of his mouth was, "Wonder what 'good' God is going to get out of this?"  Well, today as my husband was praying with his swollen, purple, still full of stitches mouth, he thanked God for the wreck that almost took his life. 

Then, we started to ponder and think of all that has happened this past week, looking for the good.  Nurses had come into the room and stood as prayer had been offered up, we were told it certainly made people pray a lot this week (including us!), neighbors have called, sent cards, brought food....on and on.  But, the 'good' that really came to me, was when people just stopped by, briefly, to say they cared and wanted to let us know.  It reminded me of old times, when people took time out of their days to 'stop by' to check on someone or just visit for a spell.  There was no phone calls and planning, just the caring hearts. 

We have a friend that says: Men will say "hey, you want to go to get something to eat?"  "Sure let's go!" and they are off.  Women will say: "Hey, you want to go to get something to eat?"  "Sure, what time and what are you going to wear?  Are we going for Italian or Mexican?"  Yes, he is being funny, but it is so true.  We are so full of details, we don't pay attention to what really counts. 

People that we have met at church, but didn't have 'time' to get to know them, have sat in our living room this week and prayed.  What a blessing to get to know our brothers and sisters in Christ!  Wouldn't it be awful to get to heaven and someone walks up to you and say, "I have seen you before, you went to the same church I did on earth".  Sad! 

Let me stop here to say 'Thank you' to all who have cared, whether it be a note on Facebook, mail, email and text, phone call or visit.  We have been overwhelmed with kindness and love.  We have not had to look far to see 'the good', for you all are it!! God is glorified through each word.....we are so touched. 

If the wreck had not happened, yes we would have known we were loved, but you all have blessed us beyond measure!! We are not used to being on the receiving side of this, so we are greatly humbled. 

We do thank you and Praise Him for being the Healer, The Great Physician, and The Great I Am that heard and answered prayers before they were even out of all our mouths.  We thank Him for the motorcycle wreck....and being with Denny, but most of all....for the 'good', that He may be glorified even more.

Romans 8:28 (HCSB)

²⁸ We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

Hugging you all in my heart......
gs

Time is Now.....

Time.....
   
Time is one of our most valuable resources of life.  It is the moment we have right now...or what is in the future.  And only He knows how long our future will be....today, tomorrow, next week...years?   

The saying is "like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives."  This is truth.  The mystery of time cannot be figured out.  But, we can be sure, we all have a choice of how to use our time.  

With all the electronics, computers and smart phones, time seems to fly by.  We have all the 'fast', 'high speed' resources, but we have less time.  What is wrong with us?  

I remember as a little girl, the long Sunday afternoons when we either went to visit family or friends, or some folks 'dropped' by our house.  The sitting on the porch and making homemade ice cream or enjoying watermelon was good, but the time spent together was wonderful.  Time seemed to be slower and the joy of a being together was well spent. 

I long for those times again.  When people visit each other without checking their computers or phones.  I must admit, I am guilty as well!  But, whose time in life are we missing out on?  Ours? Theirs?

Paul wrote to the Ephesians " see that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but rather understand what the will of the Lord is. "  (Ehp 5:15-17)

Let us be mindful of the devil and how he uses technology to tempt us.  How he steals time from us. How he takes those precious moments with loved ones from us.  

Let us celebrate time by sharing the love for one another!  Live, laugh and enjoy each one of those moments that is given to you.  Be wise....take the time God has given you to listen to the children, listen to the elderly, hold hands, enjoy the blessing of friends and family He has given you.   

I hope you think about this blog, put down the tech machine, and in the coming days and weeks you enjoy your family, friends, and neighbors.  Visit, let them know you care.  Tell someone you love them, give a hug, smile, life is good......and time is short...  

Love you all and feel free to share my blog...let you friends online know you care..
gs

Yesterday's Tomorrow........??

Time has a beginning, but God operates outside of time. On the other hand, humans are confined to time.

• Psalm 139 "Where can I go from your Spirit?... All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

God knew yesterday what your tomorrow would be like.  Therefore, pause and think, what are you doing for His glory today?  Have you been too busy to think on Him and seek His face?  Some of you have contacted me today for prayers...you had your hearts set on Him...seeking His answers.  Then, we have peace and remember..He is in control..but He does not want us to sit idle.  He wants us to pray, read His word...look for Him.  

•  Ephesians 5:15-16
  Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
  Matthew 6:33
  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well
   

Sometime there may be someone put into your path to encourage, as others encourage you.  

• Colossians 4:5-6
  Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
  Proverbs 16:3
  Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. 
  
  Sometime, we rush around so much...we forget where and why we are going.  The older we get, we realize time is fleeting.  Make your life worth someone's memories!! 
  
  1 Corinthians 9:26-27
  Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
  Psalm 39:4-5
  "Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. 
  
  Live life to the fullest...so when your life is over, you will hear Him say, "Well, done my good and faithful servant."  
  
  God bless each of you and I love seeing your comments on here of how you saw God this week!! Continue to post and share my blogs and posts!
  ginger