Wedding Story

I have so much to be thankful for...I now have a new daughter. Her name is Lydia Poore. I am so thankful to my Father for adding a new addition to our family. He is so good to us. Joshua and Lydia were married in a precious wedding ceremony on Saturday, May 30, 2009 at Colonial Heights Baptist Church. Craig Brown married them and the day could not have been more perfect. God has blessed us richly and them richly. We were blessed because of so many things and reasons...I cannot list them all. Utmost in my mind is the fact that these two have accepted JESUS CHRIST as their personal Lord and Savior and plan to serve HIM in Birmingham, Alabama. I know that we all serve the Lord in some capacity in our jobs here or there, but, I must say, that I am very excited about the ministry that these two young folks have set before them. Who knows what God has up his sleeve for them? But I cannot wait to find out...I just pray that their hearts will stay close to the Father first and then together as a couple so that God will continue to speak to them as He has been doing. That is why we were and are so blessed. I can only thank my Lord for this. This wedding story is precious...and I am so thankful. I love you, Lord. Please cause Joshua and Lydia to love YOU more and more each day.

Experiencing Road Rage

Today, I experienced the worst kind of road rage I had ever encountered. Now, I will say this: I know I have probably in my life been the perpetrator of road rage. But, not like what I experienced today. Surely this person had had a really bad day. I was coming onto the Madison interchange from Highland Colony going towards the town of Madison ( I really don't know my directions...I am not very good with North, South, East and West...really frustrates my Ted)...when this SUV was making a U-turn right in the middle of the road...the person literally screamed at me and I could hear them with my windows rolled up and theirs also...so I kept going...they came up beside me on my right to go ahead and get on the interstate -- going extremely fast, mind you, and then held the left hand up to me with a very obscene gesture.
I was flabbergasted!! In fact, I cried. I was so hurt because I am such a tender-hearted person and I thought to myself, "I am just driving. What did I do?"
You know, I got to thinking. There are so many hurting people in our world. But there are also so many hurting people right around us and we really don't realize it...I ache for this person who felt so compelled to be so mad while driving. Obviously, there is a deep need. As I read tonight in Hebrews 1:9, there is the oil of joy that is available for us and I just pray that somehow, this person could experience the oil of God's anointing joy in someway in their life. And I pray that for whoever reads this...God will anoint each of us with His oil of joy--gladness and inner joy at knowing Him and at allowing Him to cause us to love Him more and more each day.

Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy -- He is my God and Father...the one God who gives me life and reason to live. He ordained me before the beginning of time and HE WAS....

Holy -- He is the Helper God sent to me -- the Spirit of God... the Holy Spirit...who prompts me, speaks to me, and guides me into all truth. HE IS....

Holy --He is my Redeemer...Jesus Christ, the Father's own Son whom He sent to redeem anyone who would receive Him. Because God gave Jesus to die for our sins and Jesus rose again on the third day, we are assured of eternal life when we accept by faith a relationship with Him...He will come again...HE IS TO COME!!!

HOLY!! HOLY!! HOLY!! LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!!

My Hair

I know I should not complain about something as trivial as "hair" when there are so many other things going on in this world...but let me say this...my hair drives me crazy at times. The biggest problem I have is just not knowing how to fix it -- it never does the same each day. I am not one of these people who can fix her hair and it look the same way each morning no matter what. I never know what my hair is going to look like from one day to the next. This past week, I have gotten pretty brave with my hair. I have decided to just cut off the pieces that did not do what I wanted them to do. I did that after the day that I had to wear a bobby pin thing in the front because my bangs would not stay out of my eyes. I am way too old to be pinning my hair back with a clippy. So, my question is this? How do I know how to fix my hair? Should I just parade in to some expensive salon and say, "here I am....your worst nightmare!!" Or, does it matter?
I have decided while writing this....no big deal. Hair is hair (as long as it is clean!!) I get too bent out of shape about such trivial things -- like hair and end up spending quality time messing with my outside self instead of working on my inside self. There is so much more work to be done on my heart. As God is prompting me right now to quit worrying about my hair, He is gently reminding me that He made me -- hair and all -- and that he cares about me -- hair and all. For that, I am eternally grateful to Him. I am so thankful that God cares so much that He will gently remind me that He cares more about my heart. That is just how much He loves each one of us. And that is what is so precious a gift it is to be His child.

Growing Older

It is really not too big of a deal to grow another year older...especially when the years begin to run together like they have for me. In fact, I am very thankful for each new birthday I am given because I only get the chance to stop and reflect on the past year and all that God has done to continue His faithfulness to me in spite of my seasons of unfaithfulness to Him. He truly is my best friend. He truly is a a very present help in times of need. He is my shepherd. He is my rock. He is my anchor in the darkest times. He is my Jehovah Jireh...the God who provides. He is Jehovah Rapha...the God who heals. He is Adonai...my lord. I am so thankful to be His child and to grow old as His child is the greatest gift I have ever received in my life. Thank you Father for your free gift of eternal life...given to me through your son, Jesus...who lives in my heart and life.

I hope and pray that anyone who reads this knows Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior...and as you celebrate your special birthday each year, you are able to reflect on the past year and all that you are thankful for because of God's faithfulness in your life. Join me on this journey each year. It is so worth it...the eternal rewards are worth looking forward to...Amen~~!!

Spiritual Warfare

My prayer, Father, today, and always for my children is that you not take them out of this world, but that you protect them from the evil one (John 17:15). Oh, may John, Joshua, and Kate each have minds controlled by your Spirit for He brings life and peace according to Romans 8:6b. Thank you, Father, that You made Your own Son who had no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God (II Corinthians 5:21). Specifically, for my John, Lord I claim: Galatians 5:1 -- It is for freedom Christ set us (will set John) free. Stand firm (help him to stand firm, Lord), then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again (Lord, I believe he is burdened again with some unwholesome friends with bad habits) by a yoke of slavery (please remove this yoke of slavery -- wanting to be accepted) from around him. Set John free, Lord!!

Thank you, Jesus that Never will you leave us, never will you forsake us (Hebrew 13:5b). What a comfort that You give each of us in your word and we know that your word will not return void.

I claim boldly for each of us, Lord, that "We, as your dear children, are from God, and have overcome them because the ONE who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world". 1John 4:4. And Father, cause us to love YOU more and more each day. You be glorified!

My Megillah

My Megillah
As I finished my Bible study today on Esther, I was taught that one day, "The Divine Narrator will tell the story of my life just as he penned the story of Esther on the pages of the Bible. You see, Esther's story is called Esther's Megillah and during Purim, the Megillah (or story of Esther) is read aloud to help remind the Jewish people of the way that Esther helped to save their people from Haman's wicked plot to kill them all. And while my Megillah may not be as dramatic a story or one that saves a whole nation of people, it will have a purpose and a plan to it as God has promised in Jeremiah 29:11 (for I KNOW the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you, not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.)What really gives me hope and chillbumps is that my name right now is Carol Ann but in the Megillah that my Savior reads to me, I will recognize from Him a new name that He has chosen just for me. Just like He did with Esther: she was Hadassah and then called Esther.Finally, I cannot help but notice that I have learned so deeply that my Father loves me so much that He grips me in His hands of protection so closely that I am actually etched on His palms because He holds me so tight. Isn't that amazing? To be held that way...Look at the insides of your hands -- have you ever wondered why the etchings on the insides of your hands come from or why they are there? I believe they are there to remind us of just how tight God holds us and how he never will let us go. Amazing. And all parts of our Megillahs.