Sweet Home Alabama

Most of you have heard the song, and maybe even seen the movie. But for those of you wondering, is it really all they make it out to be. Is it really all small towns? Well, the short answer is "NO". But we do have our fair share. Take Hueytown for example. Although I wasn't raised there, my parents live there so I guess it is what I call "home" now. It's not exactly a thriving metropolis, but there are some fine points.


117 Dabbs Ave


And Grandma's house (if you like to the right you'll notice "our house"-it makes visiting Grandma nice and easy!)

And now for a few neighborhood sights:

Weddings and African Moments

I spent this weekend with someone near and dear to my heart- Miss Stephanie Tisdale. Soon to be Mrs. Hartwell Rice.


It was a great time of catching up with her, giving small gifts to start off their marriage. . .



and meeting her fiancé!

This is totally fitting for their African Wedding Portrait!

Standing Alone

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Herein is solid comfort. Human nature cannot be relied upon; but God can! However unstable I may be, however fickle my friends may prove, God changes not. If He varied as we do, if He willed one thing today and another tomorrow, if He were controlled by caprice, who could confide in Him? But, all is praise to His glorious name, He is ever the same. His purpose is fixed, His will is stable, His word is sure. Here then is a rock on which we may fix our feet, while the mighty torrent is sweeping away everything around us. The permanence of God's character guarantees the fulfillment of His promises: "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee" (Isa. 54.10).
A.W. Pink

A servant of God must stand so very much alone that he never realizes he is alone. In the early stages of the Christian life, disappointments will come— people who used to be lights will flicker out, and those who used to stand with us will turn away. We have to get so used to it that we will not even realize we are standing alone. Paul said, ". . . no one stood with me, but all forsook me . . . . But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me . . ." ( 2 Timothy 4:16-17 ). We must build our faith not on fading lights but on the Light that never fails. When "important" individuals go away we are sad, until we see that they are meant to go, so that only one thing is left for us to do— to look into the face of God for ourselves.
Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest"

The Barbarian Way

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I heard last night that this auther is part of the "Emerging Church Movement". I don't understand what this fully means, but the way it was said means it's not good. So read this book at your own risk!

"To belong to God is to belong to His heart. If we respond to the call of Jesus to leave everything and follow Him, then there is a voice within us crying out. 'Fight for the heart of your King!'"
Yet Christianity over the past two thousand years has moved from a tribe of renegades to a religion of conformists. Those who choose to follow Jesus become participants in an insurrection. To claim we believe is simply not enough. The call of Jesus is one that demands action"
(Erwin Raphael McManus, The Barbarian Way).

Tears of Grief

Psalm 6.6,7
I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.

Psalm 31.2,3,9
Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily!Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.

Psalm 42
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night,while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?" These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of Godwith glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember youfrom the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls;all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: "Why have you forgotten me?Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me,while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?"
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Considered Worthy

Sunday, May 15th is the International Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization. I hope we will all set aside some time that day to pray for the Lost World.

This year's focus is the people of INDIA.

There are some great resources out there to help you know how to pray. Check out the IMB's site specifically for this day--http://ime.imb.org/dayofprayer/ . They have an awesome video that you can download or just watch while you're online.

But the reason I am sharing all this is, the other day as I was checking out the website looking at all the info, I came across this story--

I am Paul!
"Two South Asian believers were put in jail for sharing their faith with Muslims. While in prison they shared the gospel even more. When they were released after 11 days, the younger Christian man came out pumping his fist in the air, shouting happily, “I am Paul! I am Paul!” because he had been given the privilege of being imprisoned for Christ."

. . . and it reminded me of these verses:

". . . they took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. " Acts 5.40-42

Would I respond in the same way? My heart's cry is that I would be faithful to Him, through imprisonment, torture, beating, even to death.

". . . and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy). . . " Hebrews 11:35b-38a

27 YEARS-

OLD!

Well, it's official--my late 20's are here. I'm not so happy about it either.

I mean, today has been a great day-everyone has been great. So other than the fact that I have an "African stomach" today, I'd say it's been a great day. (Thanks to everyone who called or sent a card or email.) I guess I just never figured I'd be this old!

Fresh Starts and Bad Haircuts

So, this week has been full of FRESH STARTS. First, Monday I had my first day at the church! So far, so good. You know, of course with every new job there are new computer programs to learn and all. And of course new names and faces-and this is I think the biggest company I have ever worked for, so there are alot of them.
Then, Tuesday night I had my first "day" at my part time job at Express. It may not work out cause of all the stuff going on this summer with wedding and events at the church, but I'd like to stay there for a while and try to make a little extra money.

In other news--I got a terrible haircut last week. Now, it's one thing to go in for a haircut and not get what you asked for. It's a whole other thing to get something that will destroy your social life! Now, those of you who know me well know I'll basically let anybody cut at my hair, and with no fear (thanks Kari for being my own personal stylist , and doing such a great job, en Afrique). But this was ridiculous. I mean, it was like the guy didn't pass cutting class in kindergarten! Who put a pair of scissors in this guy's hands?

Answered Prayer

. . . for He who promised is FAITHFUL!

Thanks to all of you who have been so faithfully praying for me. The last two weeks have been some of the most stressful of my life, but the Lord has worked in mighty ways.
On Tuesday I had another meeting at my church--and they offered me the job. Starting Monday I am officially the Missions Secretary at Hunter Street Baptist Church. So Excited! I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do in and through me.

Choices

So, only a week ago I was totally stressed because I had no job and no prospects. And now I'm totally stressed because I still don't have a job, but the Lord has given me so many options. I've had several interviews and have more setup. Some of them are just for the sake of interviewing and continuing to search for a job, but there are two options that are both things that I would LOVE to do, maybe even for the rest of my life. But it's scary-what if I make the wrong decision. I don't want to be like Lot and make a decision based on what the land looks like-how prosperous and beautiful it is, but instead on where the Lord wants me and what He wants me doing.

Genesis 13.8-13
Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.