All Kinds of People

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Do you ever wonder how God made us different?  Many people have brown hair and yet no two people are the same.  What about the color of our skin?  Our hobbies, interests or the types of animals we love?  I personally love cattle (all of ours are Beefmaster except for Miss Annabelle I can’t let go of), beagle and golden retriever dogs and pretty little kitties that we can’t keep for long.  That is another story in itself.

Two days ago Kenzie and I went to our land to check on our cousins who were using our pedal boat (SS Minnow as James calls it) in our tank to catch mud catfish.  James wants them gone because they make the water murky and he is a bass man.  Well….while driving to our land on a peaceful country road we round a curve and immediately have to come to a stop because of two pretty gray-haired ladies in the middle of the road.  Slowly we pull up to get a closer look and see the problem.  A four-foot long brown, fat, scary snake.  Ew.  I very sweetly tell the ladies, “If you will move back I will run over it and kill it.”  One lady gasped as her hand flew up and began patting her mouth.  She said, “Oh no!  We plan to save this precious snake.  It is hurt.”  Ma’am?  I look ahead and the other lady has a long stick (not long enough in my book) trying to coax it to the side of the road.  What?  The first lady says, “It has a right to live.  The poor thing is hurt.  Please go all the way around and do not hurt it.”  Ma’am?  If I had the choice I would run it over, back up and run it over three more times!

Needless to say, I drove all the way around and did not hurt the snake.  Now I ask.  Who likes snakes?  Cows, kitties, dogs and donkeys yes.  But snakes?  LOL.  God makes all kinds of people.

Books and Africa

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Are you a book nerd?  I am.  I love the smell of books.  I love the feel of books.  I have not graduated from books to a Nook or an Ipad.  One of my life long dreams is to have my own library with two overstuffed chairs and a floor lamp where I can slip away from the real world and get lost in books and adventures; my very own library where I can smell the old books and the leather chairs.  A library to gaze out and watch the raindrops trickling down the windows.  A wise person once said, “If you are not reading you are not learning.”  I truly believe that.  Last night our daughter Sarah asked me what were the last five books I have read and my answer was 1) the Bible (I can’t make it a day without it); 2) Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges; 3) All Over But the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg; 4) Crazy Love by Francis Chan; and I am currently reading The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey and Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis.  I usually have a couple of books going at once.

All of these books are great reads, but I must say Kisses from Katie has stolen my heart.  It is a must read.  I think it hits home so much because, like Katie, our daughter Sarah has a heart for missions and dreams of going to Africa.  She has had this dream since she was in the 8th grade.  She is almost 20 years old.  I thought it would pass, but the desire grows in her heart more and more each day.  So, what do you do when a little petite blonde haired daughter tells you she believes God is sending her to a foreign land?  You get on your knees more each day and pray for God’s will in her life.  You pray for her safety and direction and that she accomplishes everything He has called her to.

Do you remember in the Bible where Mary was told things about Jesus and she tucked them away in her heart and kept silent?  I tucked a prayer in my heart and didn’t share it with anyone.  Not even James.  I prayed,  “Lord if it is your will for Sarah to go to Africa can it be with a particular family?” and I named the family.  A family who has such a heart for Africa and missions they are adopting a beautiful little boy from Uganda.  Sarah called me from college one day informing me the wife of this family contacted her saying she thinks Sarah is supposed to travel to Africa with them.  God heard my prayer.

Please pray for Sarah and the plans God has for her life and I encourage you to read this book.  You will never be the same.

A New Thing

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Hello.  I’ve missed you my friends.  The past several months have been a hum of activity and I am excited about what God is doing in our lives.  Have you ever prayed for something for a long time but didn’t really think about how your life would be when it actually happened?  Well I now know.  It happened.  A big change has come in our lives.

I am going to share this with you and I hope you do not think less of me.  I once heard a person say, “Show me your heart and I will give you mine.”  I have tried to live by this.  About 15 years ago James, my husband, felt like he was supposed to own his own business.  We discussed it, prayed about it, but I did not agree because I was afraid of such a big responsibility.  Faith is easy to talk about, but sometimes very hard to walk out.  Through the years he has mentioned it several times, but I would say, “Let’s keep praying about it.”  Among other excuses.  About nine months ago (Isn’t it strange it was the same amount of time a woman goes through a pregnancy?) James asked me if I was ever going to believe in him enough to agree to this business venture.  Ouch!  That hurt.  Definitely no wife award in this situation.  I had been so wrapped up in the “what ifs” I did not realize what it was doing to him.  I felt very small.

We prayed about the business venture, met with our pastor and accountant, began researching, and seeking more advice.  Please keep in mind James has been in the air conditioning field for about 27 years.  He is not a novice in this area and he also owned a mechanical contracting company with two of his brothers for the past several years.  He ran the air conditioning side of the company.  While he has enjoyed being in business with his brothers, he felt like he was supposed to step out and start his own company.  Well…about 1-1/2 months ago we began a new company, ACHS, Inc. (Air Conditioning and Heating Services), and God is showing us so much favor I am in awe.

Two years ago I would have been afraid to take this step, but I am learning God’s timing is everything.  I believe God will cause us to be discontent and even restless to help nudge us down the path He would like us to go.  This is what He did to me and I am so thankful.  He knows what is best for all of us.  I pray you trust God in the changes in your life.

Mamaw

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We recently took Mamaw, my 96 year old grandma, with us to feed the livestock.  She grew up in the country and although she is frail and her eyesight is quickly fading she still gets around quite well.  She is becoming more and more forgetful these days, but her sense of smell is keen and she knew immediately when we got close to the animals.  Even though her mind is slipping it amazes me how sharp her memory can be with childhood memories.  While we were feeding she noticed a very large pecan tree and said, “Oh James that is a good tree!  Do you know why it is a good tree?  Because when I was a little girl my papa used a tree like that to string up hogs when it was time for butchering.”  I never grow tired of Mamaw’s stories.  I distinctly remember a story about an ole tomcat that would not quit meowing, but I think some stories are better left untold.  I assure you she didn’t string it up in a tree.  This is Mamaw telling James about the pecan tree.


As the day went on Mamaw shared how she missed Papaw (my grandpa) more and more.  He was a big burly man who passed away 33 years ago, but she vividly remembers him in the hospital as his life was coming to an end looking at her and saying, “Mama who is going to keep my baby warm?  Who is going to hug you tight like I do?”  They both cried.  She said she misses those bear hugs more than anything.  Her day could have gone awry, but the minute Papaw wrapped her in his arms she felt peace.  Maybe Papaw’s hugs are the reason I love James’ hugs.  What about you?  What do you love the most about your spouse or a loved one?  Cherish it and take time for it because in a blink of an eye it could be gone.

Moonstruck and Diamond

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Today was hazy as a mist of sleet came down.  We could hear it as we stood silently watching the cattle feed.  Moonstruck is our newest bull calf.  Moonshine is his dad.  James named Moonstruck and I think it is the cutest name.  Just look at Moonstruck’s long eyelashes.  Am I the only person who notices eyelashes on cattle?

Diamond is one of our heifers.  She is calm, gentle and will be still long enough for me to take pictures.  I am still learning about photography.  Her momma is Daisy.  If I had one wish I think it would be to live on the land where we have our cattle, horses, and donkeys.

Surrender

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Sometimes God sends an interruption in our lives that may be unnerving, scary, unwanted or totally unplanned.  Today’s sermon was incredible!  It taught us when God brings an interruption we should surrender to it.  His plan is bigger than what we can imagine and even if it appears in a job loss, change in job, sickness, change in leadership, etc. we must remember He has our best interest at heart.  He sees the big picture and not just what we see in front of us.  We are to surrender and trust Him.  I am not saying God places an illness on us, but He can make what the enemy intended for evil turn to good.  He can use an illness to impact others.

Moses didn’t know what to think when God called him to lead.  He stuttered.  Joseph was the youngest and his brothers threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery.  David was anointed to be king when he was young and Saul chased him and tried to kill him.  Ruth lost her husband and stayed with Naomi her mother-in-law and was blessed beyond measure.  Abraham was told he must leave his family and everything familiar to become a great nation.  When he departed he did not know where God was sending him.  Noah built an ark when the earth had never experienced rain before.  He was building it because God instructed Him; not because he had seen a boat before.  Mary became the mother of our Lord and Savior accepting the ridicule of others.  Joseph obeyed God and took Mary to be his wife.  I could list others but I think you get the point.  We are going to experience interruptions or times when our plans seem to be changing, things feel out of control or maybe even our world is falling apart.  Trust God.  He has our best interest at heart.  Our trust will determine whether we are happy or miserable during this time.

Genesis 12:1 “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives and your father’s family and go to the land that I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Proverbs 19:21 “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.”

Trust God, surrender, and enjoy the journey!

Opportunities

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I was visiting with a friend yesterday who said she feels stagnant inside.  She is a wife, mother, loves the Lord with all of her heart, but feels like life is passing her by.  She shared a story of a person who worked for years, retired, then had a heart attack and passed away.  This person did not enjoy their profession, but did it for the income.  The person never reached their full potential.  She then shared her father-in-law’s story.  He is a man who believes in spending your days where your passion lies.  Let me be clear, your passions need to be God-given passions and not lusts, but I believe we should follow them.  His motto is “Love your job and you won’t wish to retire.”  You will want to go to work every day.  He is 80+ years old and STILL ropes calves and rides.  He is happy and the lines on his face aren’t as severe as others because he has lived a contented life.

I woke this morning thinking of the word OPPORTUNITIES.  New OPPORTUNITIES and those we have let pass by.  Do you have any?

OPPORTUNITY – favorable juncture (connection, relationship) or circumstances; a good chance for advancement or progress

OPPORTUNIST – one that takes advantage of opportunities as they arise; one who seizes the moment of opportunity.

Our book club has been reading Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer and she teaches the importance of not REASONING our way out of God’s will.  Insecurities, doubt, fear, being too busy, and selfishness can cause us to give up or overlook OPPORTUNITIES.

I believe 2012 is the year for OPPORTUNITIES; a year where we look forward to what God has for us and is trying to bring to pass in our lives.  James, my husband, received a call this week from someone who offered us an OPPORTUNITY.  I initially said, “We can’t do that.  We don’t have the means.”  I felt like the Lord said, “Pam I put the dream in your heart.  Don’t you think I will provide for the OPPORTUNITY?  Be an OPPORTUNIST and take advantage of what I am sending your way.   Do not reason your way out of it.  I will make a way where there seems to be no way.  I am the creator of the universe.  Trust me.”

My friend and I are praying we recognize the God-given OPPORTUNITIES and also those we allowed to pass by.  We are praying He brings back those we missed if it is His will.  God promises man can’t take what He has for us.  We just need to live according to the Word of God and we will receive all that He has for us.  Martin Luther King had a dream, acted on it and helped change the world.  Corrie ten Boom trusted God and saved many lives.

“If God be for us who can be against us.” Romans 8:31