Jesus Christ

He’s Done Enough

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Today I feel exceptionally full. God has blessed me beyond my expectations.  And (like the song says) if He doesn’t do anything else, He’s done enough.

He has clothed me in my right mind. (Because many of you are not).

He has given me health and strength. He has helped me lose weight and lower my blood pressure.

He has given me the funniest family a girl could have. There is always laughter when these folks get together.

He has pruned the branches from my life that were not bearing fruit.

He has given me a heart for Himself. I love studying His Word.

Let me tell you something, this morning I was scrolling through Facebook and I saw the story of a woman who was testifying to eternity in her discussion group while at the same time, her husband was entering it. The words of her testimony speak louder than anything to me. She believes God.

One day God will ask you what you believe and your testimony will tell what you really think. What you say in those moments will tell us what you believe.

I like social media, because it tell lets me know what people really think. It gives me their true testimony. Do they complain about the gifts they have been given? Do they squander it and take it for granted? Are they full of hate and deceitfulness always talking about other people?  Are they mean spirited?

Their social media testifies for them.

In Revelation, John testifies to Jesus Christ. As Beverly Crawford will remind you, I am talking about Mary’s baby, Jesus, who saved us through the shedding of his blood on a cross. As my pastor pointed out Sunday, the beating and torture was bad, but carrying our sin was far worse.

He has done enough. Thank you Jesus.

Because I am grateful, this week you get Beverly Crawford for the old school and Fantasia for the new school. Either way,  it is time to get your praise on.

Old School

New School

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4TYiRvgIDA://

Revealing

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I got so wrapped up in the tasks for the past week, I forgot to blog. I am working on three books right now and preparing for the Queens photo shoot. Some times you can be so busy in God’s work, you miss the moments.

This week I got to join with thousands of people around the world starting the study of Revelation. In Bible Study Fellowship classes are packed with people wanting to know what God is doing through prophecy. I love it when people pursue God because that is when great things happen. From my Facebook page, I watched as groups around the country posted photos of their packed sanctuaries. Praise God!

In addition to studying the book of Revelation, I believe the study will be revealing in many ways. Not only will I get more book knowledge, but I know the experience will reveal the Lord in a way I have not met Him before. It is kinda like watching a new TV series, as you meet all the characters and get into their situations.

Last Monday evening I got a glimpse of what heaven will be like. I ran into many old, good friends who I have studied God’s word with in the past. There will be an eternity for people and their stories to be revealed and how we impacted each other’s lives.  There are women who prayed for me and I can’t wait to hug and thank them.

Monday, I am sure I only got to see a few people. Because there were more than 800 women there, I know each week is going to reveal more and more.  I am excited to see what He does next.

This is the first year for the study of Revelation in BSF, so I was not sure what to expect. The questions have been very enlightening. I have studied prophecy before, but this study really is making it much more clear. 2 Peter 1:19-21 helped me understand that prophecy shines a light in a dark place. That passage walked a long way with me this week.

My pastor, who is also teaching on prophecy, said Revelation is about praise and worship. Walking into these chapters with this in mind will definitely change my perspective. I am a praise and worship girl.

Like all new studies, I expect the Lord to reveal Himself to me in a new way. I know it will be life changing.  Lord give me a revelation.

Enjoying the Journey Like It Is Meant To Be

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This week’s journey has been amusing. I got to spend time with some older women from a Baptist Church. Remember the story of those sisters getting put off the wine train because they were too loud? I met some sisters who make them look like children playing. These sisters were rowdy and fun. They wore beautiful outfits to be photographed in. They sat and shared their lives and testimonies with each other. I appreciate being able to eavesdrop into their world.

One of my favorites was a little woman who had had several bouts with cancer. I had never heard of sinus cancer until this woman began to testify to God’s goodness in her life.  She said it was nothing short of a miracle that she was still alive. Not only did I listen to her testimony but I watched her live her life. She volunteered and lived the life she had fought cancer for. (Sometimes we get so defeated by the battle, we stop living)

It reminded me of the testimony of a man from another Baptist church who told me of his heart transplant and how God kept him going through those trials. At one point, he said he had a pigs heart to keep him alive. Afterwards he was determined to live his life.

It is hard to fight your way through when you don’t have something major coming at you like cancer or heart disease. We tend to discount the little discouragements and disappointments. We like putting a big name to our struggles. But what I learned from these folks is keep on living. Keep moving forward. The life you live is your real testimony.

These people weren’t just living their lives. They were enjoying their lives which was evident by the laughter. When times are hard you have to find a way to enjoy what God has given you. It may not be what you want, but it is what He has given. Live.

Half Way Through 50

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I knew my 50th year of life would be monumental, I just had no idea of what God had planned. He did right by not telling me His plan because I would have tried to help Him.

This year He has taught me about love and loss. He has taught me how fragile our hearts and lives are.  He showed me good friends will hold your hand at your death bed and pray you into heaven. He showed me strength in the Godly women I worship with. He has shown me Himself in a new and brilliant way that I have never seen before.

I have finished projects that I did not think were possible. I have written stories, I didn’t know where in me. I have honed my craft as a photographer by the sheer numbers of portraits I have taken this year.

When life got crazy, I always remembered my passion. When it has not reflected my dream, I remember His promise. My greatest reward is in heaven. My number one passion is Jesus Christ. He is my source, everything else is a resource.  When I didn’t have the strength, He had the strength. When I didn’t have the inspiration, He was the inspiration.

Here is what I have for you:

The other night in bible study (I am attending a group that is studying Beth Moore’s Daniel) the story was told of the Israelite building the temple. Because they could not cut the stone onsite, it was done somewhere else and sent to the site of the new temple to be put into place. One stone arrived that was too big and did not fit. They rejected it and put this stone to the side.

When they were finishing the building and needed the capstone, they sent word to the stone cutters that they needed the capstone to finish the building.  They sent word back that they had already had it. It was the stone that they had rejected earlier.  It was now the stone that was needed to hold the whole thing together.

Even though some of the things in your life don’t fit right now, rest assured that it will all come together just as He has planned. Remind yourself of your true passion and hold on to it. Jesus is my center.

Share Night

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I used to kick “Share Night” to the curb. I had made it through another year of bible study, so I was gonna sit at home and relax. Skip listening to other folks talk about what God had done during their year. I had collected all my points all year by going to class, doing my lesson and even sharing on the personal questions. That was good enough. I was in my 30s and didn’t get it.

Share night is the last night of the study. The whole group meets to hear what others have learned and experienced during the study. There are questions designed to prompt this sharing.

Needless to say, I did not do the last lesson which caused you to reflect on all that you had been through that year. I was so stupid, but God didn’t tell me that. He just continued to nudge me forward. I did not stay stuck on stupid. I did start to attend “share nights” and discovered the Living God working in the lives around me. When you are wrapped up in the media, you can miss what God is doing right in front of your face.

Share night puts God in your face.

One of my favorite share night memories comes from the South Fort Worth class. A majority of the women who got up to tell what God had done in their lives, first thanked Judy Brewington who invited them to join the BSF class. Judy takes the study of God’s word serious an shares it will all who comes into contact with her. She is an incredible woman of God.

Through the years of Share Nights, I have laughed and cried with many woman. Through this journey God prepared me.

What I have learned this year in Bible Study Fellowship through the study of Moses’ life is that taking time to reflect on your journey is a good thing. Whether you know it or not, you are on a journey. And all of the people who are travelling with you are not experiencing the same things as you, but you can still journey together. God will entrust you with a vision that not everyone will understand or comply with. Moses had to bury all but Joshua and Caleb in the desert because they did not understand God’s plan.

During the study of Moses I experienced the most loss I have experience in my life at one time: my mom, my job, some good friends and more. As God revealed the mortality of things on earth, he revealed the immortality of heaven.  The joy is that God does not get old and frail. He does not become forgetful or weak. He can be all of the things we have lost. He has taught me He is the one thing I cannot do without.

My overall principle was He was with me. The Third Day song Spirit hit the nail on the head. When all else failed, His presence was always with me. He would always be my guide.

This year I prayed show me what He wants me to know and protect me from what He doesn’t. I choose to know Jesus Christ and him crucified. That is enough for me.