Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Better Hands

Here's another Natalie Grant song. I just can't get away from her these days. She really has an awesome ability to get right to the heart of the matter! What an incredible testimony! If you are new to the bloggie world, go check out my friend, Amy who thought of this great meme.

Then Sings My Soul Saturdays - I Will Not Be Moved

This song by Natalie Grant has really ministered to me lately with the bold statements that it makes. "I will stumble; I will fall down, but I will not be moved. I will make mistakes; I will face heartaches, but I will not be moved. On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand. I will not be moved!" We all go through periods in our lives where we face things that seem so impossible to conquer at the time. This is my claim --- I WILL NOT BE MOVED!

And, you can't really tell in this clip because of the live performance, but her background vocalist can flat "sang"!! If you don't already have any of Natalie's CD's, go buy one. It will minister to you greatly.

Spring Sports Spectacular!!

This season was hopping around our house! It was the first time that we have experienced the "joy" of having two children involved in sports at the same time. I must say, it was quite hectic!!! But, we have survived the challenge. Georgia has really done well with her first try at soccer. The first game was really funny. She didn't even know what it meant when I told her that her team had won. LOL. Since then, the rules of the game have really clicked with her, and she is becoming a good little soccer player. I hope she wants to play again in the fall. I can't wait to see how she improves!! We have one more game left in the season. Here are some cute pictures of her "in the zone".

Marshall played baseball again, but didn't get on the team that he was hoping for. Needless to say, the season has not been quite as encouraging for him. The style of the coaching is not one that exudes praise and positive enthusiasm - if you can read between the lines here. Michael has gotten involved as one of the assistant coaches to try and make sure Marshall is treated fairly. Marshall is playing a new position, the catcher. But, the head coach has not really given any instructions on how to play the position. So, we have dealt with much frustration. He really is not sure at the point whether he will want to play baseball again in the fall or try something else. He will have to move up to the next level which will be player pitched. It definitely will be a challenge!!! Will he take the challenge??? We will wait and see, but I hope that he will. He is a good little player when he sets his mind to it. Here are some shots of his season.

Blessings for today!!!

Then Sings My Soul Saturdays (A Day Late) - You Know My Name

My friend, Amy, sponsors this meme each Saturday. Check it out even though I'm a day late!

This song just hits home with me in so many ways. I am continually amazed that the God who created the universe and everything in it would care enough about me to want an intimate relationship with me on a daily basis. What an AWESOME GOD we serve. What a priviledge to call Him Father!!!

Blessings!!!

Check It Out!!! A New Button

My friend, Amy, over at Signs, Miracles and Wonders had a new button created that I wanted to share with you all. She is such and incredible lady. God has given her a platform in which to speak for Him through her own real-life, modern-day miracle - her son, Spencer. Spencer was born with many challenges ahead of him one of them being epilepsy. You can read about his story here. God is using this little boy, and he is only eight years old. What a testimony of the power of prayer and a heart that is willing. If you know someone who has a child with epilepsy, I would encourage you to share with them Amy's story.

I Am A : What Are You???

Okay, my friend, Amy, took this personality test. She said it was pretty accurate for her. So, I decided to try it. I am always curious to see if answering "random" questions on some personality test can actually describe me. Well, here are the results. I would say that they are pretty much on the money. What do you think?!

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice. (But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) You excel in: Leadership positions You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

The Waiting Room

The Waiting Room..... That phrase brings all types of emotions to all types of people. There are waiting rooms at the doctor and dentist offices. There are waiting rooms at the hospital. There are waiting rooms in corporate offices. All of them designed just for WAITING. Waiting for an appointment, waiting to hear news regarding a loved one in surgery, waiting to hear that newborn baby cry.....

Sometimes the waiting can be long and hard. Sometimes the waiting can be with much anticipation, and sometimes the waiting can be with great pain. Are you in a waiting room today? I am. I have been here for quite awhile, now. And, I have experienced all of the emotions that come with the waiting - impatience, anticipation, pain, anger, sorrow, anxiety. I will admit that it is not fun; in fact, most of the time it is very discouraging. But, in the midst of all of those emotions, my Father gently reminds me that He knows my name. His ways are not mine. And, if I just wait on Him, I will be able to soar again.

I am reminded of the story of the refiner's fire. He puts his precious metals over the flame and leaves them there to get very hot so that the impurities will rise to the top and be scraped off. He lets it cool just a bit and then will usually put it right back onto the fire to continue the purification process. The refiner does this over and over again until he is satified that the metal is pure enough. There are times in our lives when we are allowed to walk down paths or wait in one position while the Refiner shapes and molds us underneath that fire to be more like Him. So, if you are waiting today, know that I am waiting, too. Waiting for God to shape and mold me into Him image. Waiting for Him to show me His best for me.

Psalm 27:14 (New International Version)
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Another Then Sings My Soul - Little is Much

Okay, I know that I have already posted one for this week, but I just had to post this one also. This is an oldie but goodie that I came across when I led in a conference back in January with a dear lady named Debbie Cannada that serves as a Southern Baptist Missionary in Charleston, WV. She sang this song at the end of her testimony everyday that we led the conference. It STILL rings in my head!!! What a powerful message.... Little is much when God is in it. Labor not for wealth or fame. There's a crown and you can win it if you go in Jesus' name.

Will you go in Jesus' name?

Blessings my friends.

Then Sings My Soul Saturdays - I Wish You Were Here

The song that I chose for this week is one that struck an emotional nerve with me the very first time that I heard it. It was one of those moments that just engulfs and overwhelms you. I have been thinking about heaven quite a bit lately and of all the wonderful things that are in store for us. When I think of the ones that I have loved that are there now, I imagine them saying this very same thing. I wish you were here.....

I Will Be Still

As I was thinking on what to post for this week's song, I was reminded of several comments that I have received lately about this particular song. The name of it is Still. Last year when I went into the studio with By Design to lay this track down I didn't know what a profound impact it would have on so many people's lives. We serve such an amazing God. He has allowed this song to touch people in the midst of whatever storms they are going through in their lives - lost loved ones, business frustrations, family struggles. The list goes on and on. I pray that He will continue to comfort through this song. I know that it has given me hope and strength on my darkest days. I pray that it can for you also. Here are the lyrics of the song:

Hide me now under Your wings

Cover me with Your mighty hands

When the oceans rise and thunders roar

I will soar with You above the storm

Father, You are king over the flood

I will be still and know You are God

Find rest me soul in Christ alone

Know His power in quietness and trust

When the oceans rise and thunders roar

I will soar with you above the storm

Father, You are king over the flood

I will be still and know You are God

If you would like to hear the whole song, you can go to several different sites. CDBaby.com or iTunes are two of them. Once on the site, look for the CD By Design Where Hope Remains.

Blessings!!!

Then Sings My Soul!!!!

My friend, Amy, over at Signs Miracles and Wonders is sponsoring a wonderful new meme!!! Why didn't I think of it?! Anyway, she has opened up the door for bloggers to submit their posts about a song or more than one that has meant something special to them. It is called "Then Sings My Soul Saturdays". Go here to find out more about it. It sounds like it is going to be absolutely GREAT!!!

So, with that great introduction............. here is my song of the week. It is sooooo spiritual!!! LOL! But, I promise that I can bring it back around to be a God thing. It is Hannah Montana's "Make Some Noise". Yes, I do crank HM up in the car when the kids are at school. Anyway, I was driving in the car the other day listening to that song just rocking out. God interrupted and said, "Excuse me..... I have been trying to tell you that very thing myself. Make noise for Me, DeAnna!!! Speak your mind and tell the world I AM has sent you on a mission." It was one of the AH HAH moments. So, if you are feeling like nothing you do matters to anyone, go crank up Hannah Montana's song, "Make Some Noise and go make some noise for Jesus. Oh yeah... I went there. Hee! Hee!

Believing God

Okay, girls, now I have known for years that Beth Moore is one of the very best Bible teachers for women out there today, but I have put off diving head first into one of her studies for many different reasons (excuses). I don't like to start something if I know that I probably won't be able to finish it; so, I have put it off and put it off and put if off. Well, due to several circumstances in my life as of late, I decided that it was TIME no matter what constraints were in my life right now.

I went to the local Christian bookstore and bought two studies. The lady behind the counter looked at both of them, looked back at me and promptly asked, "are you going to be doing both of these at once?" The puzzled look said it all for me. I quickly replied that I was having a hard time trying to decide which one to start first. I mean, I'm not superwoman.

God placed it on my heart to start working on "Believing God". Oh my heavens!!!!!! I am only in the second week, but God is already transforming my thinking about things in my everyday life. I find myself referring back to the daily work time and time again. God is GOOD, girls! God is GOOD!! Basically, what He is teaching me right now is this..... I don't have what I could have (speaking not necessarily about material things) right now because my faith has not consistently been that active faith. You know the kind the Bible described the disciples as having. The kind that can move the mountains. But, He is also telling me to consistently tell him that I believe Him again and again and again. Confess when I have doubts about that belief, and ask for strength to get through to the other side. Can I just tell you that I have been in my shower these past few weeks (that's when my best praying comes) crying before the Lord affirming that I do BELIEVE HIM even though I don't know how He is going to work out the circumstances. I do BELIEVE HIM just because He is God. I do BELIEVE HIM because He is able to do what He says He can do. And, those have been some of the sweetest times. It never ceases to amaze me of the magnitude and depth of His love and compassion. His patience is long suffering. His mercy is beyond my human comprehension.

Beth gave us a Statement of Faith that the Lord gave her in preparation for this study. This is what it says:

• God is who He says that He is
• God is able to do what He says He can do
• I am who God says that I am
• I can do all things through Christ
• God's word is alive and active in my life

There certainly is power in the spoken word. When the enemy comes against you on a daily basis, and you know that he does, hold up your outstretched hand, say "you have no authority here" and quote this Statement of Faith. It is our Shield. Then he has no answer but to flee.

Is That Really Me?!

Is that me? Or maybe it should better be titled - you sound completely different to other people than you do when you listen to yourself. What a morning!!! Have you ever listened to yourself on the radio or TV or even taped yourself with a small recorder? Let's just say that others get to experience a whole different listening pleasure than we think!! What a hoot!!

I've told you before that I have had some awesome opportunities given to me by God through my ministry with By Design. This morning was another one of those times. We had the wonderful opportunity to have a live radio interview with a local station,WIMO AM1300, out of Winder, GA. The radio staff was very gracious to all of us. The Lord blessed the time this morning both for the station staff and us. Now, generally speaking, I have no trouble getting up in front of a group of children to teach or singing in front of a crowd of strangers - if not in close proximity or if I am separated by a great distance and a stage, but anything else is usually a little unnerving. Even though no one listening in to the station could see me, can I just tell you - I was nervous. The more I tried not to sound "southern" with my accent, the more pronounced it was. I guess a career in radio is out of the question!!

This whole thought process of sounding much different than what my interpretation of me is has got me thinking this morning. Is the "me" that I think I am really who others around me see? Or, more importantly than that, do I accurately portray the "me" that God sees? My honest answer would have to be, "no, not always." Sometimes I get so caught up in the everyday "stuff" of my life that it is like I have blinders on and they are caked over with the mud and grime of traveling down the road of daily living. Sometimes I am so busy trying to be mom and be wife and be business owner and be worship leader and whatever else is on my plate that particular day that I forget to just "be". God wants me to just "be" and let Him handle the stuff that is thrown at me ninety miles an hour. If I could just learn the lesson of not just believing in Him but believing Him, WOW, my life would change dramatically! Do you get the difference in those two statements? One is just a passive "yea, I believe that chair is big enough to hold me if I sit down in it" and the other is active present participle belief - my rear is IN the chair, and I am actively sitting in it. The first one is just lip service; the second one is active body movement. The difference is HUGE!!!! God is teaching me so much about this very thing right now! I am seeing Him work in some really neat ways that can only be explained by "it's a God thing". Now, I don't claim to have one ounce of perfection in me (though some closest to me may laugh at that statement); so, it is a constant battle of the mind for me not to get discouraged and have my doubts some days. I go back to the lip service because I think that it might be safer that day than putting my foot on the line and crossing it. But, even my most chickeny days I know that I serve a mighty God! He has promised that if I have the faith (that active belief) - He will move the mountains. He doesn't call me to use my muscles to move those heavy objects in my life. What He does call me to do is use my life lines - my Bible and my prayer time with Him.

This post took a completely different turn than where I originally thought I would take it today, but that's okay. God was writing it as fast as my fingers could type. So, my challenge for you today is this - are you going to just give God lip service with passive belief in Him? Or, will you be active in your belief?

Blessings!

A Call to Prayer

As many of you know, ministry is very much a part of my life. Through By Design, God has opened up some really neat doors for me to walk through. He has given me opportunities that I probably would not have had if not for my ministry with By Design. Each one of us in the group has felt a special calling about hands-on ministry work - not just standing from a distance, but getting our hands and feet dirty in the process. God has blessed us with some incredible working relationships that allow just that. One of them is with StreetWise Ministries.

Earlier this year, Pat and Terry Powell of StreetWise put out a cry for help to many of their contacts asking for sponsorship for a Women's Retreat that they are hosting for some of the ladies that are actively involved with the weekly Bible Study. By Design answered the call and has sponsored five ladies to be able to go on the retreat. I wanted to post a little bit about each of these ladies so that many more prayers could be lifted up for them. Please pray for each one of these ladies by name. Pray that God would touch them in such a way this weekend that they will know Him like they never have before. Each one of them faces huge obstacles on a daily basis many of which I would not wish on my worst enemies. Pray for God's anointing of the conference leaders. Pray that Satan has no authority over anyone or anything there at the conference. Pray a hedge of protection and safety for everyone involved.

Here are the names of the ladies and a little background for each of them.

• Helena Marshall - young mother and prostitute. She has made a commitment to get "clean". She is new to the Bible Study.
• Sandra Dye - Dying of AIDS. She is a Christian and has been committed to the Bible Study for some time. Her son was shot and killed last year. She is very sad and lonely right now.
• Sharon Montgomery - new to the Bible Study. She is probably not saved, but we don't know for sure, yet.
• Jessica Clemmons - mother of 6 kids. She is new to the Bible Study. Her mother brought her. She wasn't able to find childcare to come on the retreat, but her mom committed to stay behind and keep her children so that she could come.
• Keianda Holmes - not sure about her. She could possibly be trouble for the weekend.

Happy Valentines' Day Everyone

Valentine, Valentine, will you be my Valentine? Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Sugar is Sweet and So are You. I can remember as a child looking forward to this particular "holiday" at school because it was my chance to share with my friends those "special" store-bought treasures of friendship. I would carefully select "the one" for each child in my class and then wait anxiously until I got to school to place them in each mailbox. This year was no different. I helped each one of my children select their valentines. It was interesting to watch them select with careful thought just the right valentine for each friend. Shades of yester-years flashed through my mind. And, then the talk on the way to school was all about their mailboxes that they had made to hold all the goodies they would receive from their friends.



Well, I don't send store-bought valentines anymore to all my friends at school, but I did want to take just a moment to say "Happy Valentines' Day" dear friends. You all are the very best!!!! So, I pray that today you will feel the warm, unconditional, everlasting love of Jesus all day long.



Blessings!!!

Catchin' Up

Okay, I know that I have not been faithful to my blog for about 6 weeks now. I basically have not even been on the computer except for work. Between year-end deadline for taxes and a million other things floating around my house I feel like I have been living in a vacuum. So, in an effort to redeem myself and catch up on all that has been going on in my life.......... here it goes.

Christmas was great for our family this year. All of the kids are now old enough to really enjoy the season. Teaching them about the giving part was fun, too. Each child got to "shop" at school for gifts for the family. They all had so much fun picking out things for each member of the family and bringing it home to put under the tree. And, I was really proud of Marshall this year. He actually bought things that his sisters would like instead of buying what he would like to have for himself and trying to say it was for his sisters. We broke down and bought a new video camera for the family (that was my gift) this year. Michael and Marshall really got to break it in good. Everytime I turned around, it was headed to the woods to "film a hunting video". They are quite hilarious!!!! You should have seen Marshall whispering and talking to the camera as if he was on one of those hunting shows on TV. I laughed until I cried!!!!! Well, that in a nutshell was Christmas.

The kids didn't go back to school until January 7th; so, we had quite a lot of time on our hands. By the time the vacation was ending, mama was ready for all of them to head on back to class.

By Design had a few things as well over the Christmas holidays. Between preparing for a state-wide conference and some local engagements, we were hopping. God is really blessing the ministry in ways that we can't even fully see right now. It blows us away when we sit down and think about it. He is so good.

The last week of January, By Design lead worship for the South Carolina State-wide Women's Conference hosted by the Women's Missionary Union of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. What an awesome trip!!!!! We traveled from Greenville to Myrtle Beach and back to Columbia in 3 days!!! Whew!!!!! We were totally exhausted by the time we got back home, but God filled us up with so much stuff. He put together the most awesome team this year to minister along side. The speakers were fantastic, and the music went right along side what each of them had to say.

One of the speakers that really touched my heart was a lady by the name of Debbie Cannada. She and her husband are Southern Baptist Missionaries in the inner city of Charleston, West Virginia. They live and work and minister in one of the roughest parts of downtown Charleston. Her stories of the people she meets and ministers to on a daily basis were incredible. If you ever have the chance to meet her, you will be blessed beyond measure! To look at her she doesn't seem like she would have much to say, but when she speaks.......... you can see Jesus all over her!!! If you know of any churches who would like to hear testimony of how their mission dollars are being spent, Debbie would be a great one to point them to. At the end of her testimony, she sang a song (she sounded like Bett Midler -sp? in her younger days). The chorus went like this....... "Little is much if God is in it. Labor not for wealth or fame. There's a crown and you can win it if you go in Jesus' name." I still can hear her voice singing it and see her arms spread wide open. It brought tears to my eyes every time I heard it.

Okay, now where's my soapbox? Friends, God is waiting for people like you and me to pick up the torch and Go in Jesus' name. He is calling us to move out of our comfort zone (whatever that is for you) and minister. Each one of us is God's chosen one. Just as He called the most unlikely of servants, a little shepherd boy named David to be the king of a great nation, He has called us also. He expects us all to spread His message to everyone that we meet whether they are lovely or unlovely. Little is much if God is in it..... Will you answer His call and go?