Church talk

This whole weekend has been a non-ending cycle of awareness for me.  Friday night at Falls Creek, the speaker talked about being a LEADER (SHARK), and not just following the norm, and being a FEEDER FISH.   Just like I don't like to follow semi's in a rainstorm, I can't envision me wanting to be a feeder fish.  But I've been one most of my life.  Following the crowd, making so many stinkin mistakes along the way. 

Then at church today, (and last week), Craig urged us to find our "Voices", and be Bold.  I've been taking baby steps with my boldness.  I've written a book, and have done nothing with it, though hundreds of people have begged me to get it published.  I. Just. Don't. Know. What. To. Do. Now.   So I do nothing.  And no one gets touched.  No one hears her story.  No one looks at their life differently.  And that is the reason God gave her to us. 

TO change us.   TO make us bold.

So last week, after Craig's message on "FINDING YOUR VOICE", and telling your story.... I emailed all of Edmond's lifegroups and offered myself as a "Filler" week.   Laynie's story needs to be told.  The power of God and His hand in our lives is a story that has to be shared and understood.   She changed lives, and never spoke a word....because God gave me the words to share her life.  And just like He didn't take her from us when she was so ill, He left her with us 9 more glorious months to understand the importance of BLOOD DRIVES and sharing her story, and understanding THROUGH GOD ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, and we hadn't reached out in boldness... so He gave her to us 9 more months and we SHARED her life on Facebook, and we had 9 blood drives, and lives. were. changed.   

I had 6 lifegroups immediately email me back and tell me they had followed her from the beginning and when could I come???  (Tears here).   Do you know how humbled that makes me?  Do you know how a grieving family needs to understand that their lovely made a difference?   It continue to make me stand still in shock and awe when I see something God directly puts in front of me.  He NEVER stops giving.  His mercy NEVER ends.  Even when I'm making mistakes, He is there.  Loving me forward and on.

I'm going to share her story.  I have a church in Shawnee inviting me down the end of August (hoo rahh), and 5 lifegroups to talk to.   Do you know how God uses people to share His love?  He uses old grandmas that have made every mistake there is to make, and He changes their hearts and He sets them on fire for Him. 

Craig said it best today.
- God gives ORDINARY people EXTRAORDINARY boldness.   (That's me)

-  Your BOLDNESS will AMAZE the world.   (so will my stuttering as I'm telling the story)

-  Spiritual BOLDNESS comes from KNOWING Christ. (I work on that daily)

It's a circle.... the more TIME you spend in a relationship with God, The more FAITH you have, which gives you BOLDNESS, and in turn, gives you RESULTS.... which gives you more TIME for your relationship with God, and gives you more faith, that gives you boldness and wows you with results....DO YOU SEE THE PATTERN!?

It's also a sad circle....the less time you spend in a relationship with God, the less faith you have, which takes all of your joy and boldness, and gives you No Results, which you blame God, which makes you spend less time.... do you see the pattern?

"We CANNOT STOP telling about everything we have seen and heard."   Acts 4:20

Until everyone knows how God used our miracle to teach us, I will never stop telling her story.  God uses ordinary grandmas, to do extraordinary things.  And I will never ever stop.

God is good, all the time.