From the Heart of a Soldier's Mom

In the spring of 2009, I got the news that my precious son Dude, was going to be deployed. Over the last 10 months or so, I dealt with so many emotions. I knew that my son had made the best decision of his adult life, by joining the 278th of the Tennessee National Guard, but knew that this was not only a test of strength and endurance for him, but a time for me to rely on the strength of the Lord's arms to hold me.

I spent a lot of time on my knees asking the Lord for His peace....that which "passes all understanding", and He was and is so faithful to lovingly grant that on me.

As time drew closer to prepare for the trip to Camp Shelby, Mississippi - just outside Hattiesburg, I contemplated calling my doctor to get a prescription for a tranquilizer, for that moment when I would have to say that last good-bye before his deployment.
The Spirit of God spoke to my heart and said, "I can handle that". Being the sometimes stubborn child, I said, "OK Lord - I'll just ask for a couple in case I need them". Again He said, "Trust me....I can handle that for you". Well let me tell you - He was faithful to his promise!

Of COURSE I cried!

And yes, I sobbed as I saw my son walking back to his barracks as we were leaving, but by the time we got to the back gate of the Camp, I was once again flooded with that sense of peace, and the tears were no more.

To totally trust God with your only son.....

Scary.....YES, but I'm also reaping the blessings of His Peace, in just trusting Him.

As Mary said in Luke 2: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. The Mighty One has done great things for me – Holy is His Name.”

My son, along with over 3000 other troops were given four "Family Days" and then honored at a send off ceremony on Friday, February 5.
Below are photos of my time with him....memories I'll cherish every day of my life!

Fun times at the Hard Rock in Biloxi

Cutting up together - trying to pull out the wrinkles, like they did to Robin Williams as Peter Pan in "Hook"....lol

Hanging out at our hotel, after getting back from The Hard Rock

Enjoying steak at Outback on our last night together, thanks to my endodontist Dr. Sinopoli, who gave me $100 to take Dude out

One Nation Under God

The Army Band - who even played "Rocky Top" for all the people of TN!

Over 3000 troops in the 278th, and over 9000 family and friends to honor them at the send off ceremony

The barracks where Dude lived for 6 weeks at Camp Shelby

Kissing my soldier after the send off ceremony

As a dear friend said..."This looks like Mommy Heaven".....yes indeed!

My sweatshirt says it all.....

Ok......just one more hug before I have to go....

My last goodbye - laying hands on my precious son as I said a prayer for him

U.S. Army MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected)- what Dude will be driving in Iraq. I am so thankful that these were the last thing I saw as we were leaving the back gate - I needed to see for myself, the size of them, and how well armored and protected my son will be.

I LOVE YOU "ALL THE NUMBERS" DUDE....see you when you get home!

The Never-Failing God

"For He has said, ' I will never leave you or forsake you'". Hebrews 13:5

From the book, "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, he says:
What line does my thought take? Does it turn to what God says, or to what I fear? Am I learning to say not what God says, but to say something after I have heard what He says?
He has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man will do to me".

Have I really let God say to me that He will never fail me? If I have listened to this say-so of God's, then let me listen again.

Sometimes it isn't difficulty that makes me think God will forsake me, but drudgery. There is no Hill Difficulty to climb, no vision given, nothing wonderful or beautiful, just the commonplace day in and day out - can I hear God say-so in these things?
We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing, that He is preparing and fitting us for some extraordinary thing by and by, but as we go on in grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, in the present minute. If we have God's say-so behind us, the most amazing strength comes, and we learn to sing in the ordinary days and ways.

Today I pray that I will really allow God to prove his faithfulness to me.....that I will know without a shadow of doubt, that He is here and is orchestrating circumstances for the good.
My life verse has always been Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose".

He has shown his faithfulness to that promise many times in my life......I need to trust
he will do so once again.

Psalm 71

In thumbing through my Bible in search of something to share today, I came across Psalm 71, and it says exactly what I know someone needs to hear right now.

Psalm 71: 17 - 21

"Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God,

till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things.

Who, O God, is like you?

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

You will increase my honor and comfort me once again."



I know that this psalm rings true in my life, and our Lord has been faithful to bring me up "from the depths of the earth" many times.

I pray today, that if you are in a place of sadness, sorrow, loneliness or heartache, you will turn your heart towards the Lord, letting him bring you up to where he is - a place of love, comfort and healing.



Blessings,

Janelle

Giving Our Firstfruits

In these tough financial times, many are cutting back on things - even believers in their giving to the church.

Jesus says in Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you".

This past Sunday when I was preparing to write out a check to put in the offering plate, I asked the Lord what did he want me to give. The amount he spoke to me was going to be a stretch for us this week, but I willingly did what he asked, knowing that he would be faithful in his promise of being Jehovah Jireh - my provider. What I wasn't expecting though, was how soon he would show himself in that way!
When I got home from church and finished with brunch, I decided to lay down for a nap, and when I woke up, I came to check my email, and there were two orders in my inbox! After sending an invoice to one, I got an immediate payment. I wrote an email of thanks to this customer, and at the bottom of each of my sent emails, I have a signature that includes links to my website, Etsy, and the TDIPT Mercantile. Within minutes, this same customer that had gotten my email of thanks, had gone to the link to my items on Etsy, and had purchased yet another of of my pieces!

All I could do was say, "Thank you Jesus" over and over again. The total amount that I received just from that one person, was the amount I'd given in church and an overage of the very same amount!

And it just gets better! I sold two items on Ebay yesterday, and again, just kept thanking the Lord for his goodness and faithfulness.

I then listed another item on Etsy, and within minutes of listing it, I received another email saying that I had an order from there that included not only the just listed item, but another one along with it as well!

I'm not telling you any of this to brag, but to encourage you to be faithful to the Lord in your giving - He will prove to you, his faithfulness in his promises from his Word.

I'll close with this passage from Malachi 3:10: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. "TEST ME IN THIS", says the Lord Almighty "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit", says the Lord Almighty.

Trust in the Lord, and especially when you are tempted to cut back on your giving to the church. He will honor you for your obedience, and will reveal himself as Jehovah Jireh - our wonderful and faithful provider.

Have a blessed Tuesday!



Janelle

I Waited

This Psalm is special to me, because it takes me back to when Sarah and Dude were toddlers - about 4 yrs. and 2 yrs. old.
I had checked out an album (remember those?) from the library at First Baptist, Orlando, and it was called, "Psalms Alive", done by the choir at Chuck Smith's church out in California. Being raised in a Baptist church where mostly old hymns were sung, I'd never heard any of the Psalms put to music, and I fell in love with them!
I was making Christmas presents for my extended family; the kids playing in the living room beside me. I can't recall how many times I played this album over and over again, and I didn't realize how much of it my kids had memorized until I was putting them to bed one night.
After saying prayers, Dude says, "Mommy, sing 'I Waited'". I wasn't sure what song he was talking about and asked him how did the song go.
That precious little 2 year old boy starting singing this Psalm 40, and even did the sounds of the guitars and drum beats. My heart lit up and it was hard to fight back the tears as I started singing the "I Waited" song with my child.
Today I'd like to share this special Psalm with you.
Psalm 40, written by David (which happens to be my son's given name too)
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me up out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet upon a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us, no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
Then I said, "Here I am, I have come - it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.
I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know O Lord.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.
Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me.
For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to save me; O Lord come quickly to help me.
May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
May those who say to me, ' Aha! aha!' be appalled at their own shame.
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The Lord be exalted!"
Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer; O my God do not delay.

Take No Thought for Your Life

Today I'm posting from my devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest", by Oswald Chambers.

He says, "A warning which needs to be reiterated is that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, will choke all that God puts in. We are never free from the recurring tides of this encroachment. If it does not come on the line of clothes and food, it will come on the line of money or lack of money; of friends or lack of friends; or on the line of difficult circumstances. It is one steady encroachment all the time, and unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the standard against it, these things will come in like a flood.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, "Take no thought for your life". "Be careful about one thing only", says our Lord, "your relationship to Me". Common sense shouts loud and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing the thought that this statement is made by One Who does not understand our particular circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things so as to make them the one concern of our life. Whenever there is competition, be sure that you put your relationship to God first.

"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." How much evil has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little imps have been looking in and saying - Now what are you going to do next month - this summer? "Be anxious for nothing", Jesus says. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father.



This all goes along so well with the series of teachings our pastor has started off the new year with - "In God We Trust".

This past Sunday's notes said:

1. Do not put your trust in yourself - Proverbs 28:26

2. Do not put your trust in your own wisdom and understanding - Proverbs 3: 5 - 7

3. Do not put your trust in money - Proverbs 11:28, 18:11

4. Do not put your trust in your own planning - Proverbs 21:30, 16:9

5. Do not put your trust in man's approval - Proverbs 29:25



This sermon really hit home with me, as well as the devotional today, as I am guilty of all the above at times. My prayer is that my faith in God's faithfulness will be strengthened, and I will look to Him more each day, to fulfill the promises He makes about meeting all our needs.



Have a blessed Tuesday...

Janelle

The Prodigal Son Has Come Home!

My afternoon was spent enjoying a phone call with my beautiful son, Dude. I cry almost every time I talk to either of my kids, but today it was like the floodgates were opened, and they were the tears of one VERY happy mama!

I got the most wonderful news - my "boy" got to the place in his life to where he realized that he couldn't do it on his own anymore - he knew that he needed a Savior to lead him, and has given his heart back to Jesus!

I quote from Luke 1:46- 48 - it was Mary giving her thanks to the Lord for what he had done in her life,
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant".

Thank you Jesus, for hearing the prayer of this mama's heart and bringing me the answer in such an unexpected way today!

Thank you Father, that you are always there with open arms to welcome us back "home". Thank you for the blessing of this son that you spoke of to me while I was carrying him and said to me, "he will be more of a blessing than you can ever imagine", for he is - and I give all the glory to YOU, Jesus.

The Gift of Restoration

Today was such a great day! In emailing back and forth between my long lost friend that found me this week on Facebook, we planned to have a phone chat today, and anyone that really knows me, knows I LOVE to talk....a LOT!
Our phone "chat" turned into a marathon call, which I anticipated it in being, and we just picked up right where we left off the last time we spoke, which was in 1980.

I am so grateful to our Lord for the gift of restoration and the gift of such a true friend, as I have in my dear, precious Angie!

That's TWICE in the last two years that the Lord has done this very same thing for me.....on my 48th birthday, I had an email from my sister Angie, who I had not seen or heard from since February 1972. She too, had found me via the internet - I'd been doing a lot of genealogy on my daddy's family and would always post things with my maiden and married name, and that's where she had seen how to contact me through email.

Two Angies that were vital parts of my life and I thought I'd lost forever - one a sister, and one who was as close as a sister, are now back in my life once again, and it's one of the greatest gifts that my precious Jesus has bestowed upon me.

Thank you Lord, for your neverending love and promises of hope!

Altering Our Hearing

Today I want to share from my devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. I love this little book, because it leaves room to journal in the margins, and with each year, I see the different things I've written down that I want the Lord to do or change in my life.
Today's entry is about "The Voice of the Nature of God". In his opening statement, Chambers says, " When we speak of the call of God, we are apt to forget the most important feature, viz., the nature of The One who calls. The call is the expression of the nature from which it comes, and we can only record the call if the same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God's nature, not of our nature. As long as I consider my personal temperament and think about what I am fitted for, I shall never hear the call of God. The majority of us have no ear for anything but ourselves, we cannot hear a thing God says. To be brought into the zone of the call of God is to be profoundly altered".
Throughout the years that I've been journaling in the side margins of this book, there is a constant thread of thought I've written down - "help me to hear you better Lord, and to be obedient to whatever you ask of me".
Well, that's easy to say, but I know there have been times when I've not followed through as I should have. Then comes the feelings of guilt and failure. The Lord doesn't want us walking around like that though, and he is always willing to give us yet another chance to fine tune our hearing of his voice, and gives us more opportunities to act on his call.
Remember, the nature of God is love, mercy, compassion, grace, generosity, patience......and if I (we) allow ourselves to really focus on who God is, all his holy attributes, and that he knows what is best for any situation, it will enable us to be more easily receptive to follow him in anything he asks of us.
I know that when I go out to do my running around today, that there will be some kind of opportunity for me to exhibit the Lord and all his goodness, to someone. My prayer is that my hearing him speak to me about that opportunity, will be fine tuned and productive.
Have a blessed Friday, and a great weekend ahead!

Janelle

For Such a Time as This

Today is my second week to go to the Bible study on Esther, and one of the passages from chapter 4 is: "And who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this".

Esther had been appointed queen, and her people (the Jews) were under the threat of total annihilation by an evil man named Haman. It was her cousin Mordecai who said these famous words to her, as he was pleading with her to go to King Xerxes to beg him to deliver the Jews from this holocaust.

Had Esther not gone to the King for mercy towards her people, God would have found another means to accomplish this, but she was faithful to God and to her people, and deliverance came to them.

We can apply this verse to our own lives as well - the Bible says that as believers, we are a part of God's royal family. We are called to stand up for those who are being persecuted, for those who are oppressed and lost, and the blessings we recieve from the Lord in our obedience to that call are without end.

If God asks us to do something, and we fail to obey him in it - whether it's for fear of looking silly, or any other reason, then we rob ourselves of a blessing. He will find someone else to carry out His will, but when he asks us to do something - it's because He knows that he's arranged everything and prepared us in every way to carry out the task, or He wouldn't have asked us in the first place!

Don't rob yourself of the blessings of obedience - what might seem silly or makes you feel like you're not capable of doing what the Lord has asked, is actually a lie from hell, in an effort to thwart God's purpose. That will never happen - God's will is always done - no matter who He uses. Let him use you today!



Janelle

He Has Shown Me

Today I'm reading in the book of Micah, which can be found near the end of the Old Testament. Micah was a prophet, and his name meant, "Who is like Yahweh"? Yahweh meaning: the sacred name of God; the self-existent one.
Micah answers the question of "what does God want or expect from me"? He says in Chapter 6: 8, " He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require from you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God".
What does it mean to act justly? Isaiah tells us in chapter 1:17 : "Learn to do right. Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow".
Jeremiah also tells us in chapter 22:3: "This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor, the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place".
The last part of Micah's answer to us says that we are to walk humbly with our God. Back to the book of Isaiah, chapter 57:15, God himself tells us through Isaiah, how he lives right here with us, exactly where we are, if we choose to let him be Lord of our lives: "For this is what the high and lofty One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ' I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite'.
Again we see a reference to the holy and sacred God, Yahweh. And to think that He wants to be a part of our life - to have daily communion with us and walk through our lives here with us - it is astounding if you just sit back and think about it! He will teach us to act justly; he will give us mercy and show us how to give mercy to others; and he will walk with us, guiding our way.
I pray that I become more merciful - to extend to others, mercy instead of judgement - to make a difference in the life of someone who is oppressed and alone.
As we begin another week, I pray too, that you will ask Yahweh - the holy God - to walk with you and teach you to be a humble servant.
Blessings - Janelle

Stand Still...Me, Lord?

Today when asking the Lord what to show me to post, I was led to I Samuel 12:16. Obviously, He is trying to tell me something that I need to hear for myself, and not just blog about for others' benefit.

"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes"!



I don't know about you, but for me to be still is a very hard thing to do! Patience has never been one of my best qualities - I'm high strung and like things done quickly, and usually want them done my way.

Several times in my life, the Lord has told me this very thing - "stand still". I have learned that when it seems like the Lord is quiet and not doing anything while I pace around in some kind of fret mode, that is when he is at work behind the scenes, organizing His plan to happen.

In my journal, "My Utmost for His Highest", by Oswald Chambers, there is a devotion called "Vision and Reality", where I had previously taken notes and journaled about standing still.

It says, "We always have visions before a thing is made real. God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. God has to take us into the valley, and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the place where He can trust us with the veritable reality.

The vision is not a castle in the air, but a vision of what God wants you to be. Let him put you on His wheel and whirl you as He likes, and as sure as God is God and you are you, you will turn out exactly in accordance with the vision. Don't lose heart in the process!

Some reference scriptures are: Isaiah 58:11 - "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame".

Isaiah 46: 3 - 4 - "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you".



Is there something in your life that has got you into what I call a "fret mode"? Does it seem like you're in things all alone? If so, then now is the time to get before God and ask him to calm you and make real to you, those scriptures I just shared.

I am seeking Him as to what area in my life is He trying to speak to me about. What am I doing, that I need to stop doing, and let Him work? I need to get out of the way and let Him move and orchestrate things and circumstances in order for His will to be done in my life.

Have a great Thursday and let the Peace of God rule in your heart..

Janelle

Renewed Strength

Are you worn out and just plain ole tired from all the Christmas festivities? Do you sometimes suffer from an emptiness that you just can't explain? Even believers go through times like this, and God has a thing or two to say about this, and I pray this passage will encourage and strengthen you.
Today's passage comes from Isaiah 41: 28 - 31
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and will not faint".

We all have those times when we run out of steam, and it always happens when we try to get through the day on our own instead of relying on God's strength to carry us. I've found that if I give him the first part of my morning, He is faithful to walk right beside me through the day and make it a day of purpose.
With this coming new year, I pray that you and I both will put God as our first priority, and that we'll seek a deeper relationship with Him.
Blessings,
Janelle

How Great is the Love

Today I want to share a passage from I John 3, which is found near the end of the Old Testament.
"How GREAT is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of the Most High God! And that is what are are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Dear Friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure".

As a mother, I know the unspeakable joy in having a child - the love I have for each of mine is unconditional and everlasting, yet my minute little brain cannot even wrap around the truth of the boundless love that God Almighty has for those of us who have chosen for him to not be just our Creator, but our Father.
When we cross over to the other side - when we enter Heaven and are greeted by our Savior, it is then that we will finally understand the things that are too great for us while we are here on Earth. It says that we will be like him, and we will see him as he is - WOW, WOW, WOW and WOW!
My resolution for the new year is for my love and worship of our Lord Jesus, to increase and that I will hear him more clearly with each day - that my relationship will reach new heights.
Have a blessed Monday...

Janelle

The Lord's Great Delight

I woke up today with dread and anxiety, as I think about calling the endodontist to see how soon they can get me in for a root canal - not exactly what I was wanting for Christmas!
I called my oldest sister to see if she would go with me, as I am terrified of dentists, and especially when it's one I've never been to before; she being the wonderful sister she is, said she'd be glad to go down there with me as a support system. Now, I just have to wait for their office to open, so I can schedule an appointment. As much as I do NOT want to go, I just can't go much longer with this horrific pain.
In my anxiety, I asked the Lord to show me a passage of scripture that would bring me comfort, and He led me to Zephaniah 3: 17 - 18 - " The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing".
How awesome is that? He takes great delight in me, and says he will quiet me with his love.
I have to allow these words of the Lord to be my strength today - as I know how fear will be standing there ready to invade my peace.
Have a blessed Monday!

The Soldier I Carried

I don't even know where to begin about what I experienced over the last few days, in seeing my son graduate from his Basic Training at Fort Benning, GA.

I guess I'll start by posting The Infantryman's Creed - as I saw my son recite this creed at his Turning Blue Ceremony on Thursday, I saw that it was more than just something he'd memorized - it was coming straight from his heart. My heart was so overwhelmed with pride not only as a citizen of this great United States of America, but moreso as the BLESSED Mom of this soldier, that I once carried in my womb.

"The Infantryman's Creed"

I am the Infantry.

I am my country's strength in war, her deterrent in peace.

I am the heart of the fight - wherever, whenever.

I carry America's faith and honor against her enemies.

I am the Queen of Battle.

I am what my country expects me to be -

the best trained Soldier in the world.

In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous,

armed with a fierce will to win.

Never will I fail my country's trust.

Always I fight on - through the foe, to the objective,

to triumph over all.

If necessary, I fight to my death.

By my steadfast courage, I have won 200 years of freedom.

I yield not - to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue,

to superior odds, for I am mentally tough, physically strong,

and morally straight.

I forsake not - my country, my mission, my comrades,

my sacred duty.

I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever.

I AM THE INFANTRY!

FOLLOW ME!

When I was carrying this baby, I heard the Lord speak to me saying, "He will be more of a blessing to you than you can ever imagine or hope for". All throughout my son's life, I have seen this promise fulfilled over and over again; this past week, I saw it fulfilled in ways that I cannot express in words.

My emotions right now are at an all time high. I keep reliving these moments of seeing my little boy become a strong man of integrity, honor and courage - ready and willing to serve this great country in whatever call is given to him. I have shed many tears over the past few days; tears that only a mama can understand.

Here are a few photos of our time at Ft. Benning - some are a little blurry, but are clear as a bell in my mind.

This is at the Turning Blue Ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008. This was the first time I'd seen my son or held him in almost a year.

This is his father pinning on his blue cord - a sign that he is now qualified to be an infantryman in the U.S. Army. As I touched his face, it took me back to the moment they brought him to me after his birth, and the first thing I did was to touch his face.

Dude's father, Dude, Bill(my hubby) and Gina, his stepmom, as they were bringing out all his gear, to go home.
Dude's little brother, Harry - we were at Red Lobster, and he was posing "like a soldier".

Gina, Dude, David and Harry

"The Guys" - Bill, Dude, David and Harry

Me, Dude, Gina and Harry

Dude and his little brother Harry, who wasn't real fond of getting his picture taken.

Kennel Field, Fort Benning, GA. This is the emblem of the Infantry, and all the flags represent where the soliders have come from to train here.

Dude's unit, as they marched past us at Graduation - December 12, 2008. I of course, had to be front row, and yelled out "I LOVE YOU DUDE" as he marched past me. After the ceremony, I asked him if he'd heard me, and he said, "Yes Mama, I heard you".

Bill, Dude and me after the Graduation Ceremony. I look like the Michelin Man! :) We had on about 3 layers of clothes, and wrapped an Army blanket around our legs and were STILL freezing!

This is the Soldier I carried - David Thomas White, Jr. - a promise fulfilled by God.

The Lord is faithful, and He has been so very good to me!

The Covenant of Salvation

Today I start into the 11th Chapter of Jeremiah - The Lord is laying down the facts of Judah's breaking of the covenant he made with the forefathers of the children of Israel.
11:1-5 - "This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 'Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: "Cursed is the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant - the terms I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace. I said, 'Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey - the land you possess today." I answered, 'Amen, Lord.'"
We are all born with the curse of sin that was passed down from Adam. Romans 3: 23 says, "For all have sinned, and fall short of the gory of God and are justified by freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. So you see, we all have been offered the choice of blessing or cursing.
The blessing - The Lord has made a way for us to be his children, by accepting his gift of salvation, found in Jesus. In doing so, we have all the priveleges of being his child, and have all the promises of the covenant with a loving Father to guide us through our daily lives; when we go from this earth, we will forever be with him in Heaven - none of the sorrows or pain we know here on earth will ever be present again. All his promises to us are Yea and Amen.
The curse - Should one choose not to accept God's gift of salvation, then that person remains under the curse of sin and will face an eternity of torment and total separation from God.
What will your choice be? God has probably been tugging at your heart for some time now, and is patiently waiting for you to open your heart to him. Don't put off today what you think you might do tomorrow or the next day - the time is now - we are never guaranteed tomorrow.
I pray that today you will reach out to God and ask him to be Lord of your life - giving over your heart, mind and soul to his loving grace.
If you have accepted the gift of salvation in Jesus, but haven't nourished that relationship in a long time and have fallen away - He is just like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15, and he is waiting with open arms and a joyful heart at the sight of your return to him.

Staying Humble Before the Lord

I'm going to finish up chapter 10 of Jeremiah today. It covers quite a few verses, and it's the reaction of Jeremiah to the destruction of Judea and Jerusalem, and is spoken in the language of the Nomads.
10: 19 - 25 - "Woe to me because of my injury! My would is incurable! Yes, I said to myself, 'This is my sickness, and I must endure it. My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My sons are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter. The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered.
Listen! The report is coming - a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals.
I know Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Correct me Lord, but only with justice - not in your anger, lest your reduce me to nothing. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland'".
The reference to the shepherds is to the leaders of the nation, who were responsible for the calamity. We commonly refer to pastors in our day as "shepherds", and the church's congregations to the "flock". We too, have seen how some in this position in recent years have misled many people. Look back to the late 1970's, at how Jim Jones deceived so many people into believing the misguided teachings that brought them all to their death. He had put himself over these people as a false messiah, and although he used scripture in his teachings, he took them out of context and used them for his advantage and hunger for power and control over them.
We have seen others since, who were well known in the religious arena, who let greed enter their hearts and brought them down, as well as their ministries. This brought a lot of spiritual dysfunction and emotional hurt to those who had so faithfully given to their ministries, only to find out they too had been duped.
We need to pray for our pastors, evangelists and missionaries. They are held in high accountability to the Lord for the calling on their lives to reach out to the lost. I believe that Satan throws more temptations at them, so he can destroy not only them and their ministry, but cause it to have an adverse affect on the lost who these people are trying to reach, causing them to stay lost and without the desire to come to know the Lord as their savior.
We have seen in Jeremiah, where pride, selfishness and greed were the downfall of the nations, and look around - you can see it in our world today as well.
We need to re-read verse verse 23 where Jeremiah says, "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps". That's what each of us needs to remember; that we need to turn to God daily, for his direction for our life. He has the perfect plan for us, and when we go about our day without taking the time to talk to him and read his word to find what his will for us is; trying to walk through life on our own, that's when we find ourselves in the midst of trials and upheavals that we've gotten ourselves into by our own pride and stubborness.
I close with this passage from James 4 that gives us the cure for sin: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Greive and mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up".

Have a blessed Wednesday................Janelle

Direction

Amy Grant has both written and sung some beautiful songs, and this was one of her first "hits" as a Contemporary Christian artist.
It comes from Psalm 119:105: "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path".
We all know what it's like when we've had to get up in the middle of the night and stumble in the darkness, only to run into something that caused pain. Had we of put a light on before getting up, we would have prevented that from happening, but for one reason or another, we decide that we can do this without the light, perhaps many times before learning the lesson of "don't do that again".
That's what this passage is trying to teach us. The world can be a dark place, full of what I call "roadblocks" or "rocks in the road", and without the light of God's Word for direction, we're going to endure some kind of injury, whether it is physical, spiritual, or emotional.
God cares about every little detail of our lives, and wants us to ENJOY the life he's given us. He simply asks us to come to him as a child does a parent, and ask for his wisdom and direction in our daily comings and goings. He is all knowing, and can see what's ahead of us, and wants to give us the light on our path of life so we make the right choices.
Just like getting up and trying to find our way in the dark time after time before we learn that there are sometimes painful consequences of that, we all have the tendency to go about our daily business with the same mindset.
The Lord Jesus said, "I am the light of the world". Ask him today to light your path and walk beside you, so he can move those "rocks in the road" out of the way for you. You'll be amazed at how differently things look when His light shines on them.

Have a great Wednesday!
Janelle

Confidence in God

Today, I'm taking a passage from the New Testament in the book of Philippians, Chapter 1:2-6.

I have a very dear friend, who I consider family, who has been going through a very rough time lately, and when I asked the Lord today what to share on here, this is what he showed me. This is my prayer not only for him, but for all those who I have had the pleasure of crossing paths with throughout my life.

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I think my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers, for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being CONFIDENT of this, that He who began a good work in you, is faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ".

True grace and peace can only come from above. Paul is telling us in this letter to the Philippians that they need to remember that God doesn't start something that he doesn't finish; and we should be at peace because of that.

In our lives, we all face difficult times. Sometimes it makes us question our salvation, sometimes it allows satan to throw our pasts up and bind us in fear and torment. THIS is when you really need to have this verse buried in your heart and mind, and when the voices of torment come your way, speak out this verse with CONFIDENCE - God gave me a new life, and he will see me through until the day I am reunited with Jesus face to face.

Like Paul, I thank God every time I remember ALL of you.

Have a very blessed week, and remember that Jesus promised us that he will never leave us or forsake us - he's just a breath away, and is waiting for you to call out to Him.

Janelle