November 7, 2010

• A Weekend for Learning

  I attended a Women of Faith Conference for the first time last year.  I was a bit skeptical because of my very conservative Baptist background.  But I came away refreshed and renewed.   This year, I was planning on going as well.  However, I almost did not attend because of my trip to New Jersey/New York the previous week.  I was so tired from that trip, I just knew that a weekend conference all day Friday and most of Saturday with church on Sunday could wipe me out.  Especially since I already was feeling like I was coming down with a cold. 

  I decided to go!  After all my BPFF was going and I could not ask her to go alone, could I?  As usual I was blessed.  I am amazed at how the right message I needed to hear has been there both years in a row!  Those who read my latest blog could see I have been struggling.  This week there were messages on God being sovereign, messages on looking for the strengths in people and yourself and building upon them, messages that God loves you and is not out to get you, messages on how sometimes we do not always see clearly and things can be distorted.  I was like a big bull's eye and they were shooting spiritual nerf darts right at me!  Needless to say, many of them hit the bull's eye of my heart. 

  I am a controlling, conniving, selfish individual... I am a woman!    I want to have my hand on everything to navigate it to the place I want it to go.   I am a mom, of course, and the last 16 years of my life I have navigated six little souls.  What I often forget is that these souls are on loan from the great Captain of the Universe and that he has an assignment for all of his crew.  OH... God is so in control... he is a much better controller, manipulator and much more concerned for his children than I!   Each of my babies were given to God as soon as I knew I was pregnant.  They are God's and God's alone.  He already knows their whole story.  He already knows what it is going to take to refine my children into gold!  So, what is my job?  To praise them for their strengths, point them out if necessary.  Enjoy my children, they are after all a blessing from the Lord who makes all thing beautiful.  And yes, I am to discipline them and train them in the way they should go... using God's word, prayer and wise counsel.  But I am needing to put more emphasis on the first two.  Sometimes, I allow the third to become so overwhelming that I neglect the others.  Love one another as you love yourselves.  That is a lot of love people! 

  Another thing that I am going to implement in my life is to examine the strengths that my creator has given me.  He is a master craftsman, after all!  He has gifted each one of us with strengths and weaknesses and I am going to chose to use and build mine.  I am going to chose to put my neck out and try even if I get my neck whacked!  I am going to put in all my energy when I do those things... wanting to serve and impact my world for Christ.  We are not weak... we have the power of Christ in us to will and to do the impossible!  
  

  Amazing how God works things!  Today's message at church was from a missionary to Brazil.  His message was not on salvation or missions as their messages usually are.  His message was on the power of the tongue.  The power of your words.  And that we should always use our words to speak love and kindness, mercy and truth.  I can have an impact.  Me... a very busy mom of six kiddos... Me... an almost 40 year old woman... Me... a child of the King!  Me... a Princess of the King of Kings!!!!
  

   

  Blessings to all who read!  May you dare to dive into all that God has prepared for you!   

  Cari
  

  • 3:27 pm
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