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?