Are You Setting Fires?

If you know me well, you know that I like to keep a relative schedule of events....nothing too strict, but a good guideline.  You will also know that I typically have so many fires in the iron that I am scattered brained and often running from one thing to the other...then back again because I have missed or forgotten something (Praise the Lord never a child though!)

Well, tomorrow morning for this wonderful July 4th holiday weekend, the kids and I are going to visit my sister-in-law in Alabama.  We have all been very excited about this trip, and for some reason the devil has not wanted it to happen!  There have been bumps all along the 'getting ready' time!  I have gotten rather used to his tactics, though, and simply dismiss them for his purpose and use them as a reason to praise my Lord!

Today was going to be a day full of getting ready, a trip to Wal-Mart, packing, taking care of storage building and church treasury issues, and of course, cleaning the house up so that it is somewhat tidy when we return, and then a little time by the pool so the boys could get some energy out (the girls are away at their Great-Aunt Patricia's)....yeah, right!

We made it to Wal-Mart...the kids ate food...and I have gotten most of the stuff packed...that's it!!!!  The truck immediately ran hot as we were leaving Wal-Mart this afternoon, thank the Lord my brother-in-law and father-in-law were still at work, so they tended to it for us, but by the time we got home, it was already 5pm!!!  (Did I mention we got off to a late start!)

As I just crawled into bed, I prayed to Him, thanking Him for keeping us safe, for Stephen not getting burned when he twisted the cap and the coolant spewed out like a geyser, for showing me the areas I lost my cool and promptly got to me so I could correct it, the precious time He is giving my girls to spend with a very special lady...then I began reading in my book again (in case you forgot or are new: Ablaze with His Glory by Del Fehsenfeld, Jr.).

Chapter six began with whose church are we building?  Are we promoting ourselves or Christ?  When we speak for Him are we dull and boring because we haven't been faithful to live out our daily walk with Him as our truest best friend, or are we vibrantly alive with seeing Him throughout our day and telling people about it, in turn witnessing their vibrancy's with Him?!  I had been starting to get a bit discouraged, wondering if I were blogging for the right reasons, but as soon as I read that, He spoke to me and affirmed what I am doing, like I said in my last post, Put Your Cards on the Table, I don't care if people like me, I strive to put what God lays on my heart on here.  It is ALL about Him, the only part I have is living it out and reporting about it!  What good is an incident that glorifies my Lord, if it isn't told?!  Anyway, after I read that, it got me so excited, I knew He wanted me to get back up out of bed and come share how incredibly excited I have been lately to see a special friend, Becca on her journey with Christ recently.

God has really renewed His Spirit within her, and she is busting all out of her comfort zone to show her love to Him when He calls her to do so!  I have been so amazed, and incredibly humbled to be able to be a part of it and to be close enough to see Him working in and through her!  She recently started a blog and talks about a lot of this (http://rbrhall-amazingrace.blogspot.com).

Be encouraged, when you are on fire for the Lord, you have absolutely NO IDEA who you are impacting for Him.  Do not hide it, do not be ashamed of Him!  Let your little light shine, when we get a good blow, fire catches and spreads!!!!  Don't quench it!! 

So, Are YOU on Fire?

Willing...But Now What?

(This is a follow-up to yesterday's blog: Are You Willing?.  So, if you have not read yesterdays, you may want to back track, just to make sure you fully get what I'm saying here!  Click here to get to yesterday's blog.) 

I pray that many of you could affirm, yes, you are willing to go and do as God calls...but there's a catch...being willing isn't enough.  You must be obedient.

I have attended many Christian Conferences, Sunday School classes, and church services...but if I am not obedient to what I hear God call on my life, then it is all for nothing.  I can sit under a teacher telling me (with my agreement) that I need to be paying my children positive attention, reading to them, playing games with them...talking to them.  As I said, I know those things are important, but if I chose to not do those things, then that knowledge is doing no good.

The same goes for any schooling you have done.  You can sit in class and agree with the teacher that they know what they are talking about, but it is up to you what you will do with that knowledge...change your life or make no impact at all.

I must be obedient to follow in the teaching my Lord has given me.  Did you know there is a verse in the Bible that actually talks about that?  It goes a little something like this:

"It is sin to know what you ought to do,

but then not do it."  James 4:17  (emphasis mine)

Think about that after the next sermon your hear at church or the next teaching you hear on the radio (under a good Biblical teacher).  You and I are responsible for our obedience to what we hear Him tell us to do.

Have a blessed Sunday!