Young Girl/ Old Lady

Do you remember this picture? You can look one time and it's a young girl. The next time it's an old lady.
That's how I've been feeling lately.
I think I'm getting old.
Let me explain.
I found something in my hair last night. I don't really know what it is. It's so foreign to me I can't identify it. I found one two Decembers ago. It was short and kinky and shimmery-silvery. Well you know how much I like things that shimmer. I got so excited! I thought I was growing Christmas Tinsel. I plucked it out and hung it on my tree. But now it's February and the tinsel sprouted again. Hmmm...maybe it's not tinsel.
I think I'm getting old.
But then again, two people asked me last week if I was a UNC student when they heard I lived in Chapel Hill. THAT doesn't happen to old people.
But there was that time several years ago I went to a Nickleback concert in a bar with James. I kept thinking "The music is too loud. The air is too smokey. Does the singer really have to drop the F-bomb in every song? Is it really fair that my bottled water is $4 when James's beer is only $2?"
The irony is, in college, I use to seek out the loud music, and the smokey bars. My budget didn't allow the expensive drinks, and I was the one dropping the F-bomb.
I think I'm getting old.
But wait! When I flew to Brazil last summer, the flight attendant wouldn't serve me. She kept saying, "Are you SURE you're at least 21?" I just smiled and reassured I was WELL past 21.
So maybe I'm not.
After all, I can still dance! But I'm starting to wonder,- Does it still count that you "Drop it like it's hot"....even if it takes you a while to pick it back up again?
I think I'm getting old.
No, no wait. A parent just told me that her son said, "Miss Merrill always tells us she's 57. But she only looks about 19."
He's getting straight A's this semester.
That doesn't happen to old people. But that fact that I'm flattered instead of insulted makes me wonder...
I've seriously been considering getting a ruler tattooed vertically on my abdomen. That way I can determine if the "geese are flying south"
I think I'm getting old.
But I'm still a six-year-old at heart..
Well maybe in light of all of this ridiculous reflections, I can concede:
I think I'm getting old...-er.

Have you no shame?

One on my most amusing students, Gabe, made me laugh the other day.
"Hey, Miss Merrill...do you know what's so great about me?"

Oh to be six and have no shame! But that's how I want to be! I want to live shame-free. Not to exhault myself above anyone, but to accept myself perfectly,- just how I was made. There's nothing wrong with me, or how I am!

So here I go! I am releasing my inner six- year- old.

Hey guys, do you know what's so great about me?

I love words that rhyme.
I think kittens are cute.
Sparkle is my favorite color.
Sometimes in the shower I play naked belly-drums.
I often entertain myself in the mirror by making faces, and laughing.
I talk to Jesus daily. Not prayerly- but like we're hanging out. He "gets" me, and doesn't mind my cheesy jokes.
I love cheesy jokes. (What did the fish say when he hit the wall? Damn.) hee hee hee.
I crack myself up with my own cheesy jokes.
Some times I eat peanut butter fingers for a snack (open jar, dip, lick)
I get homesick for Africa, and I haven't even lived there yet.
I cry when others get baptised.
I thought I was immune to sag. Whoda thought age would do that to me?
If I squish all of my belly fat together around my belly button, it looks like a bagel (thanks for showing me that trick HD)

sigh. Releif! Comment on the things that make you so great! Go ahead. Let loose. No shame!

Lost

Last weekend I went to visit my good friend Mary in D.C. We spent a lot of time reminiscing about the old days when she and I were roommates, and we along with Heidi made an eclectic 3 musketeers. As we drove into the city I remembered a time we three went to DC to visit Mary's sister. Somehow we got all turned around and lost. She called Lizzy and was trying to navigate and drive and figure out how to get to her house.

"Well," Mary said, "I think if we keep driving …we'll get somewhere."
Huh huh huh. Profound Mary. Profound.

Now of course, she was trying to tell Lizzy that things look familiar, and she thought eventually we'd get to a place she recognized. But it didn't happen.

See, that's the thing about being lost. You're lost. If you knew where you were, or how to get someplace from there, you wouldn't be lost.
Yet we as Christians often expect the lost to find their way. I was listening to a CD this morning, the man said, "Jesus is calling the lost. He wants them to come to Him."

But they're lost. They don't know their way. That's why they're lost.
I disagree with that CD man.
Remember this winter when the news kept reporting that hikers were getting lost in the mountains of Oregon? What did they do? They sent out rescue missions. They went out to find the lost. Why? Because those lost hikers were important.
Life was valued.

I believe Jesus is sending us out as a seek- and- rescue mission to find the lost for him.
To expect them to find their way is like Mary's humorous statement:" If they keep going, they'll get somewhere."
Of course they will. But where?
Jesus?
Doubtful.

To tell my daughter

Look to the side and find the link to Rachel's blog. Go there and find the poem, To tell my daughter. I love it. I want to light my sparkler now!!!!!!!

Snow Day

I've always said, "The only thing better than a snow day as a kid,...is a snow say as an adult!"
This is the first snow day we've had in years! The funny thing is, here in North Carolina, they cancel school because the weatherman predicted snow was coming. I get a kick out of that every time.
This morning I sat ever so gratefully in my rocking chair, which I pulled close to my side window. Wrapped in a blanket, I looked out towards the woods and watched the fat flakes float ever so gracefully to the ground.
I drank coffee. I read my bible. I prayed. I enjoyed bits of the Today show. I walked up the street on to my mailbox, and on the way home I took a couple of turns sledding with the little girl who lives next door.
Now, I'm sipping hot cocoa, and comtemplating how I'll get those muddy grass stains out of the knees of my jogging pants. I don't remember sledding being that messy in my childhood. But it's all good.
Sigh. What a great day.

The Simple Things in Life

I'm not a fancy gal. I've always prided myself in enjoying the simple things in life. After all, if you are only happy with big events and big ticket items, then you won't be happy all to often, right? I only experience "big" things once in a blue moon. But finding joy in little things,- a sunset, cooking dinner, a hug from a child,- these are things I get to do everyday. I find happiness in all of these things, and count myself blessed.
But last fall, I went through a very difficult time. I was having difficulty finding happiness in anything, big or small. I felt very isolated, and disconnected from people I care about, but when the opportunity came to connect with someone, I really didn't feel like it. I would do the things I love, only to find that there was no satisfaction in them. I would cry on a daily basis.
I was confident it was a spiritual season that I needed to go through, but it didn't make is any easier. It reminded me of one of the Chronicles of Narnia, when Eustice, the unlikable cousin, is turned into a dragon. When he suddenly reappears as a boy, everyone questions how it happened. He discribes a visit from Aslan, who used his sharp claws to tear the dragon flesh from his body, revealing the boy inside. It said is was so painful, but when he was done, Aslan bathed him in the pool to sooth him.
Something was being torn from me as well, and it was painful.
I asked a trusted friend, "Is this depression?" While she agreed it had a lot of symptoms of depression, she assured me that if it was from God, then it wasn't, it was just a tough season would cause me to be blessed when I came out the other side.
I remember having this (unintentionally prideful) pity party for myself as I talked to God in my kitchen.
"You know God, I'm not one of those people who have to find my happiness in things; Big houses, designer clothes, new cars. They're all selfish and superficial. They don't appreciate the important things like family, friends and faith. They think happiness comes from "stuff" and don't realize that joy comes from a relationship with you. I get it. I appreciate the simple things in life. But now I can't even seem to find joy in any of them."
And he responded saying, "All of these things, are mundane. You've only enjoyed them because I put my blessing upon them. That's what makes them enjoyable to you."
I realized that He was right. (Duh) The simple things in life were still just that,- things. And when he removed HIs blessings from them for a season, He showed me that I couldn't find happiness in those things anymore then "selfish, superficial" people could find their happiness in cars, houses, and designer clothes. I had to take a long hard look in the mirror, and practice what I preach. I had to look to Him for my joy, and count the rest as gifts from Him.
He confirmed this for me in His Word today: ...Then I realized that this pleasure is from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from Him? Ecclesiastes 3:24
So I'm blogging this today as I'm watching the snow fall from the window of my very first house. I've waited 2 1/2 years to do this. I'm very excited! And I'm drinking simple Pilao. And I'm in my simple pajamas. And later I will simply read a book.
And I am thanking Him for blessing all of it, so I can enjoy them as much as I am!

Okay what now?

Right after Christmas, Pastor CJ gave a great sermon called "Okay, what now."
I was really impressed. So go to itunes, and get it as a pod cast. You will really enjoy it.

What did you say?

So get this…
My mom had foot surgery last fall. Lots of you know this. Just bunion surgery, but I know it was painful before hand and a slow recovery.
So on Christmas morning I sat in a rocker and she sat next to me on the floor. She looked at my foot and said, "Oh you have a bunion too."
I guess I didn't know what a bunion was. I always thought my foot just stuck out there on the side. No worries. It had never bothered me before.
In all her mommy-ness she started rubbing it and cooing," Oh my poor baby. You got a bunion too. You gonna grow up all stiff like your momma, and someday You're gonna have to have surgery just like your old momma." Rub. Rub. Rub.
I thought to myself. "Psh!.. Don't wish that on me." But I blew it off, and she just kept rubbing my foot (it felt nice) and talking like that.
Well I'll be darned if my bunion didn't start hurting after that! The weeks following my foot HURT! I would wear certain shoes and it would hurt so bad I'd have to wear slippers for a few days.
There were night I woke up and it hurt so bad I couldn't lay it on the mattress I'd have to have rigged up just right so the bunion part could hang off into the air over my bottom foot. Some days I had to change outfits! While getting dressed, I had to consider if my pants were too long, requiring me to wear heeled boots,- because boots or heels would hurt soooo bad!
I didn't know what to do! I'd never had foot problems before!
Then I remembered what had happened at Christmas.
I went to a trusted friend (i.e. one who wouldn't laugh at me) ad asked if it was possible for someone to speak a problem into your life. Then I went to my small group and sheepishly asked, "I know this sounds crazy, but is it possible that my mom unknowingly did this?"
Adam, thought about it, and said, "Can I ask you? Is you mom a Christian?"
"Yes."
"Well, then she holds the keys to the kingdom. And what ever she binds in earth is bound in heaven. And whatever she looses on earth is loosed in heaven." (Some translations say whatever is forbidden, or allowed.)
Hmmmm. I think he's right! The Bible doesn't say what ever we intentionally forbid, or intentionally allow. It says forbid and allow. So I believe that my mom, with her authority as a Christian was unknowingly speaking things into my life!
We prayed that night to reverse all of the problems, and you know I've had not problems since! I've intentionally worn painful shoes just to test it out,- and it's fine. In fact my bunion foot now feels better than my fine foot!
So the lessons learned? While we can't control what others say, we definitely can counter it in "binding " prayer, if someone says something counter to the word of God. And We need to be conscious of what we allow to come out of our mouths as Christians! Like my momma says, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!"

Leggins the new trend for men? I don't think so!

hee hee heee hee! whoa-ho ho ho ho ho ha hah ha ha ha ha ha!!!! Whoo hoo!

We've been duped!!!!!

Remember how in the Wizard of Oz, the Great Oz was seen as big, powerful, mysterious, and awesome? There was smoke, and fire and a big floating head.
But when the curtain was pulled away, well, he was just a pitiful little man. He'd fooled so many people with Hollywood type special effects, smoke and mirrors, loud noises, and a booming voice.

Look at how Isaiah discribes Satan when he is cast down into hell:
"Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, {saying,} 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, Who made the world like a wilderness, And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to {go} home?' Chapter 14:15-17

We've been duped! Satan is strying to fool us in thinking he is this big powerful influence over us. But he's only influencial over us if we don't know he's already been defeated.

In the book I'm reading, What Satan Can and Cannot Do, by Larry Reavis, he offers a great illustration:

When the Gulf War ended in 1991 and Operations Desert Storm was considered a sucess, there was a meeting in Southern Iraq to discuss the peace terms. When General Schwartzkopf and his commanders met with the Iraqi general and his commanders, they were not there to discuss anthing Iraq wanted or decided. Iraq had been defeated. Iraq was told to be at the meeting, to hear what they were going to do to comply with U.N. resolutions. They were told in the meeting, "You will do such and such. You will not cross over this parallel. You will allow this group of people to live here. If you fly over this area, you will be shot down. All of your nuclear weaponry and materials will be destroyed and will be inspected at any time" and so on. Iraq did not dictate the terms of the surrender: they were defeated. Defeated foes to not dictate the terms. The Allied Forces dictated to them. You dictate to the conquered foe...Somehow in my mind's eye I see this meeting in heaven. I listen. It's as if Satan is hauled before the general council in Heaven and God says, "Here are the terms and you will abide by them. If they cast you out in the Name of Jesus, you are cast out. If they bind you in the name of Jesus, you are bound. If they lay hands on the sick in the Name of Jesus, the sick will recover"- my partial paraphrase of Mark 16:17-18.

He's already been defeated!(Luke 10:18-19) He can shout all he wants, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" but it's too late.
We've already seen him.
Pitiful little man.

From the mouth of Babes

Each year my kids crack me up. Here are some classics from the last 8 years of teaching.

At Christmas we were reading a Christmas ABC book. X was eXcelces. Shane asked, "What's that mean?"
Well, wouldn't you know I couldn't for the life of me remember. I was honest. "I don't honestly remember...But I know it's a really old word."
"Why can't you remember? "Asked Gabe. "You're kinda real old."


Gabe also had me rolling last week. "Hey! Miss Merrill, can you guess my middle name? It starts with an S"
"Is it Stephen?"
"Nope." Then he says, to himself, outloud, "Sc-o-tt"
"Is it Scott?" I asked
His eyes were as big as saucers! "How did you guess that?!!!!! I was just sounding it out to myself so I could give you the last sound as a clue."

We're learning about Martin Luther King Jr. Our conversation went like this:
Me:"....And that's called a boycott."
Davis:"Miss Merrill? If that's a boycott, is there a girl-cott?"

During my student teaching our social worker walked through our class during carpet time to collect our attendance folder. LaCarra saw him and shout out, "I know Mr. Williams,- He stays the night with my momma!"

Last December the grocery store was selling some terribly dry oranges and I was getting very frustrated. Before peeling one at lunch, I joked with my kids, "Okay, cross your fingers. Let's hope this one's juicy."
Mason immediately clasped his hands, closed his eyes and prayed. "Dear God. Let this one be juicy. I love Santa. Amen!"
I guess he just wanted to cover all the bases.

Darn that Brazilian coffee!

I love Pilao. I do. I love it. But I should have learned by now, never drink it after 12pm. It's 1:23 am and I'm still awake because I had 2 cups at 4pm. Sigh. About midnight I gave up hope of sleep and got out of bed and finished wall papering my kitchen.
This isn't the first time it's happened either. My house has often had walls painted, furniture rearranged, and the re-rearranged, drawers cleaned, cracks spackled all because of Pilao.
Who would have thought a simple coffee bought in bulk as a friendly brazilian Sam's club would cause so much trouble?
Hope pastor doesn't mind too much if I fall asleep during church tomorrow.

All in how you look at it

My house is in the middle of nowhere. Well, at least it was when I bought it 2 1/2 years ago. Now this area is booming. But up until this summer there was no place to go and hang out, or get something to eat/drink. You'd have to drive all the way into Chapel Hill or Durham.
You can imagine my excitement when a new plaza was developed just a mile from my house. Jennifer and I both prayed for a coffee shop. Anything really,- starbucks, panera, carribou. Just anything!
And then it came. Harris teeter opened, and right inside the doors was a starbucks. Now I'd never go sit at the little tables and drink coffee with friends in the middle of a grocery store, but hey, if you wanted a decent cup of joe, it was right at your finger tips. And the shopping carts all have a little metal cricle to put a cup in so you can drink overpriced carmel, mocha, half caffs, with a shot of skim while you shop.
HOWEVER, as I was shopping the other day I walked out to my car and noticed across the parking lot has now opened a starbucks. Yes another one. Yes, across the parking lot. Yes, just a dozen parking spaces and a grassy knoll away. Yes, just 200 yards. ANOTHER STARBUCKS.
WHY?
I got mad. That's ridiculous.
BUT I tried to get on my little soap box with Jennifer, and she changed my perspective:
"They opened another starbucks! Can you believe it? How stupid is that?!!!!"
Elated she exclaimed, "Another one?!!!! That's awesome? Remember we both prayed for one? And now there's 2."
Hmmmm. I didn't think about it that way. We each prayed. and we got doubly blessed. Blessed beyond reason really.
Hmmmmm. Now imagine if we prayed for something that actually mattered...

Prepare for Battle

Joshua and the Isrealites were finally in. No surprise really. God had promised the land to them. Each tribe was given their portion of land. It was theirs and all they had to do was drive out the inhabitants to claim the land as their own.

But there were problems

"But the tribe of Judah could not drive our the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day." Joshua 15:63

Some tribes asked for a bigger spot because the inhabitants were taking up so much space.

"The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, "Why have you given us only one portion of land when the Lord has given us so many people?"…They said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and the Canaanites in the lowlands around Beth-shan and the valley of Jezreel have iron chariots-they are too strong for us." (Joshua 17:14-16)

Joshua agreed to give them the forest areas to clear out, which pacified them, but in the end they didn't clear that out either. (Judges 1:27)

So many Isrealites chose to live out their days co-mingling with the people they were supposed to run out. Although they would have been victorious by God's promise, they simply thought it was too hard, or too much work. And the book of Judges records lots of problems later on because of this co-habitation.

This makes me think of myself, my friends, my family, my church, and all believers. It makes me wonder.

How many of us are living with the enemy simply because it's "too hard" to drive them out?

No, we don't have Jebusites in our neighborhoods, but we defiantly have hurts that we refuse to forgive, addictions that we haven't kicked, weight that needs to be shed, debt that has to be paid, sin that we put off confessing, relationships that should to be healed, and apologies that need to be made.

Sure we walk around quoting Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" but yet we don't even attempt the hard stuff. Or when we attempt it once, and get defeated by the iron chariots, sigh, and throw our hands up saying, "Well I tried, but they were too strong for me."

We continue to settle for less than what God has promised us. Even though we have the promise of victory, we continue to live with the sin in our lives because it's too hard to conquer it.

Christmas

Well, Christmas has come and gone. I was recovering from the flu but still ate like a champ and had a good time with my family. I fell asleep on Christmas Eve wondering where I'll be next year.
I sometimes long to have a little kiddie at Christmas to experience Christmas through their eyes again. However this year, I got to experience Christmas morning with Gabby, my mom's 3 year old dog. She's more entertaining than any kid. She was so excited to open presents and just played and played. Then she gathered all of her toys together in a pile and slept in the middle of them. Later she longed for desert, but, that was just for people.

Another interesting twist was the double sweater present. I'd bought my step dad a great sweater the day after Thanksgiving. I knew he'd love it! I couldn't wait to give it to him. On Christmas morning he opened it... and then just looked confused. I couldn't understand why he wasn't excited. Then he reached down and opened another present,- the same sweater. He'd found it at the mall a few days before and bought it for himself! Well, at least I know he likes it!

Praise the Lord

"The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm." Isaiah 30:31-32 NKJV

"After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated." 2 Chronicles 20: 21-22

"You have taught children and nursing infants to give you praise. They silence your enemies who were seeking revenge" Psalm 8:2

"I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. My enemies turn away in retreat; They are overthrown and destroyed before you" Psalm 9:2

Verse after verse I'm hearing lately has to do with Praising God. Okay, Okay I get it. There's something in here I really need to get hold of. Through all of the devotionals I've read lately, there is a thread. Our praising God does 2 things here in the natural. It stops the enemy in his tracks and brings about mighty moves of God on our behalf.

And on reflecting on these verses I think I see a case in my own life where this applies, even though I didn't know I was applying this principal.

As many of you know my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1990. Well a couple of summers ago, I went home to visit and returned to North Carolina. While nothing unusual or concerning happened during my visit, a few weeks after my return, I got a very unsettling feeling that I would loose my dad. I remember standing in my kitchen and crying, telling Jennifer, "I don't know why, but I feel like my dad is going to die." The weeks passed on and nothing ever happened, but occasionally that feeling would pop into my head and haunt me.
Then December came and I got the phone call. My brother called and said our dad's cancer had come out of remission and he'd been hiding it from me for a while because he didn't want me to worry.
I sat there numb.
This was it.
This is what the feeling had been all about.
And as strange as it felt at the time, all I felt like doing was praising God. So I did. It was the only thing that felt right, normal, good.
After a while I emailed my small group and pastor with this:

....But this is what I'd ask of you: First: PRAISE GOD!!! My mind tells me praising God at a time like this seems strange, yet my spirit has been singing all morning. I've been playing my cds all and I can't seem to get enough. So please join me in praising our father with all of your sincerity and all of your heart. He is a loving, powerful, awesome God who has placed me in a difficult situation yet not abandoned me. I feel his presence and strength today. And while I'm afraid of the outcome of my dad's battle I know that god's plan is so much bigger than me, my dad, or our family. Thank you Father, and Thank you Jesus.

I'm sure there were lots of people everywhere praying. I tried to get people praisin'.

Of course that was 2 years ago and my dad is still going stong. When the average lung cancer patient dies within 4 months of their diagnosis, my dad is aproaching his 17 year anniversary.
Could I have "heard wrong" that summer? It wouldn't be the first time.
Could Satan have been lying to me. Sure, he's good at that.
But maybe, just maybe, something in the spiritual realm was effected and changed that day when lots and lots of people stoped "asking" and starting celebrating who God is.

Get yo' praise on .

Don't have Time for Friends?

okay maybe you don't have 30 minutes to sit down and watch a 30 minute episode, let alone 10 seasons. I know we're all busy people
So here:

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=e2e02ad6d9d1646cfa12ec8f270ae1ad.1293548&cache=1


This is a 90 second video of the entire series!!

Christmas Bells are Ringing

I've been volunteering as a Salvation Army bell ringer this year. It's been quite an unexpected blessing. It's nice to see how people will go out of their way to give a bit of money. Thursday night was rainy, but people would still stop and dig through their purse or pocket to find some change or a small bill. They wanted to do it, it was important to them.
You know somedays I think everyone is a big stingy scrooge. But this has helped me see that people still go out of their way to help others. :0)

Everything?!!!!!!

I wrote this to my prayer/financial partners in Feb, and felt it on my heart again recently:



I saw this as I was looking up a scripture and God told me "this is for your partners." It comes from
1 Samuel 30. King David and his men return home to find that Amalekites have raided their home carrying off their wives, their children, and all their stuff! Yikes! So what does he do?
First, he gets the green light from God. Then he takes some of his men, and goes to the Amalekite encampment. He finds them partying and having a good time.
"…Eating, drinking, dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah. David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout the night…David got back everything the Amalekites had taken... Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought back everything. His troops rounded up all the flocks and herds and drove them ahead…" (vs.16-20)
Well David and his men return home where some men had been staying behind to guard the home front. Well some of the selfish soldiers don't want to share the rewards.
(vs.22-25) "…But some of the troublemakers among David's men said, 'They didn't go with us, so they can't have any of the plunder. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone.' But David said, 'No, my brothers! Don't be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the enemy. …We share and share alike- those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.' From then on David made this a law for all of Israel, and it is still followed." [All emphasis mine]
Do you see what I saw in these verses? The enemy had raided them. But God gave them permission and empowered them to go and take back what the enemy had stolen. He sent them. And nothing was left unaccounted for. Every child, every wife, every sheep, every George-Forman grill, every cell phone, - everything!!!!!! God kept his eye on every person and every thing stolen by the enemy. He knew where each thing was- and he sent David and his men to get it back!!!
But David didn't just need his soldiers. He left some of the men home to take care of business there and hold down the fort. And they were rewarded just as lavishly as those who did the footwork. They were not forgotten because David realized the value of the job they'd done back home. I mean you can't really make much progress getting your stuff back if another enemy comes and steals your remaining stuff back home. Am I right? So those men back home were just as important and served a crucial role.
This is totally a story of all of you and me together as a group? Do you see that?
Who am I? I'm David and the soldiers, being empowered and sent into Africa to reclaim what the enemy has stolen: The children's hope, their joy, their hearts. He has no right to them, and I'm going to TAKE THEM BACK!!!
Who are you? You are the men back home, making it possible. You allow me to go and do the footwork when you hold down the fort with prayer and support. When I know I' m protected, I can go boldly, confidently.
But which group of us will be rewarded for our efforts? We both will; those who go and those who work behind the scenes. David made that law thousands of years ago, and it is still followed! Hallelujah!!!!

I am a Christian

I AM A CHRISTIAN
By Maya Angelou
>
> When I say... "I am a Christian"
> I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin."
> I'm whispering "I was lost,"
> Now I'm found and forgiven.
>
> When I say..."I am a Christian"
> I don't speak of this with pride.
> I'm confessing that I stumble
> and need CHRIST to be my guide.
>
> When I say... "I am a Christian"
> I'm not trying to be strong.
> I'm professing that I'm weak
> and need HIS strength to carry on.
>
> When I say... "I am a Christian"
> I'm not bragging of success.
> I'm admitting I have failed
> and need God to clean my mess.
>
> When I say... "I am a Christian"
> I'm not claiming to be perfect,
> My flaws are far too visible
> but, God believes I am worth it.
>
> When I say... "I am a Christian"
> I stil! l feel the sting of pain,
> I have my share of heartaches
> So I call upon His name.
>
> When I say... "I am a Christian"
> I'm not holier than thou,
> I'm just a simple sinner
> who received God's good grace, someho