What do you expect?

Whispering Pines Ranch.  Can you even believe it?  I woke up the next morning and thought I would have to pinch myself.  And every morning since that day, I've felt like I'm waking up  inside a dream!

I want to share with you about that whole "desires of your heart" thing I've spoken about before.  When I was a little girl we lived on a small farm outside of our little home town.  My parents were young and they raised me and my younger sister, Beth, outside!  We loved being outside and spent hours exploring the trees, the grass, the barns and all the animals.  We had cows, chickens, dogs, of course, and horses.  

Winston Churchill once said, "There's something about the outside of a horse that does something to the inside of a man."  You know, I believe him.

Being raised on a farm, around the horses, is a very big part of what made me who I am.  My parents allowed us to live out truth and consequences on that farm.  Learning to be responsible starts early when you are around animals.  Daddy taught us about making sure that gates always stayed closed... and that lesson was for a reason.  There are safety zones around all horses and they must be respected.

Time passed on, my parents divorced when I was a young teenager, so we all went our separate ways... but the love for those amazing creatures was so deeply imbedded in my spirit that I never fully escaped the pull they've had in my life.  Although I've never really voiced a prayer to God to "please let me have a pony", our God knows us better than even we know ourselves.  So only God would find this place for us and lead my heart right back to my first true love... horses!

I will confess that there are only about a million people in this world who "know" more about horses than me!  You won't see me writing a 'horses for dummies' book anytime soon.  And honestly, the very best horsemen I know are the humble ones who admit that you never truly have them completely figured out.  Because they are thinking, feeling individuals with very distinct personalities there's no set order about the way to "handle" them!  In my very limited experience with these precious treasures, building relationship with each and every one of them seems to be the best method I have for working productively with them.  

So, in relationship is where we are.  A stronger relationship with each other, a stronger relationship with our family, a stronger relationship with our friends, and stronger relationships with our God.  Those were the desires of my heart... some that were close to the surface and that had occupied my prayers, others that were lying deep within me.  Desires that only God remembered. 

Since the night we gave our farm back to God, we've seen Him do the most amazing things with this place.  We've also discovered one miracle after another that had to happen for us to be able to be at Whispering Pines.

We found out after we had moved in that there was another couple that had been leasing the property and keeping it up for Russell.  The 'deal' originally was that they would go ahead and move into the house and then sell their own house before actually buying this property.  They lived here for a couple of years and because of the terrible housing market, they were unable to sell their home.  Russell and the couple finally decided that the original deal they made just wasn't going to work out for them because their house wasn't going to ever sell, so they chose to just move out of the farm and back into their old house.  Exactly two weeks later the couple's house sold!  Russell contacted them and was excited because now that their money was freed up to buy this place, the couple could return and their first deal would kick back in.  Oddly enough, the couple informed Russell that they had changed their mind and were no longer interested in the Slade Road property.  This happened at the end of May 2011!  (Just a week or 2 before Russell ran into Tammy at the gas station.)

Another interesting phone call came from a lady living in Florida.  Over the past few years, while the farm was up for sale, there was another lady who had shown an interest in buying the place.  The lady in Florida had a horse rescue operation there.  Horses who had been mistreated, were left alone or abandoned, horses that could no longer remain with their owners for whatever reason... she would provide a safe place for them to rehabilitate, recover and then help find new owners for them.

She called Sally often and had even come to look over the place.  Her interest in buying it suddenly changed and she called Sally one last time to tell her that for some reason, she really felt like there was another "purpose" for this place, she just didn't know what it was.  This phone call took place during the time Russell and Sally were praying about what they should do about selling the place to Paul and me!

Our work was cut out for us.  We clearly understood that God had made a way and had a plan in place for this Whispering Pines Ranch.  We knew that we were here for a reason but we still really didn't have a very clear understanding of the details.  The really good thing was that because God had already proven Himself faithful to take care of so many details, and because He had gone to so many extravagant lengths to get us to this place, He was a God who could be trusted again!  We would just keep working and waiting on God to show us His plan!

With fences to fix, grass to mow, a swimming pool to repair, and a barn to begin to fill up with people who were interested in boarding their horses again at the farm, we got to work.  Hours of time, gallons of sweat and the sweetest fellowship alongside my husband were how we loved to spend our days!  We haven't spent just a whole lot of time sitting on the tea sipping Juleps!  We are workers and that's just what we do.  We figured that if we're here to be stewards of this place of God's, we just better do the best job we can do.

The fall for the catering business is usually pretty busy, and the fall of 2011 wasn't much different.  On top of catering, we were in the thick of Ryan's senior year at South Jones High School.   We also were in the first couple of months of our son, Caleb's, first deployment to Afghanistan.  Our hearts and our minds were full... trusting God to care for your children is about the greatest exercise of faith a parent can muster. 

Christmas came and we were able to celebrate it this year like the dreams I'd had for my family Christmas' all my life.  We decorated the house and had the best time with the kids.  Catering for other people during the holidays was good and finally it call came to an end.  We were ready to celebrate our first New Year at Whispering Pines.

Soon after 2012 had made its entrance, some more of the puzzle pieces began to show themselves... God was at work again at the farm.  It was Upward Basketball season at church and Sam was playing on a team.  We would get ready on Friday night for our Saturday morning games.  We had made our plans to go to see Sam play basketball and then as soon as he was finished we were going to head up to the monthly horse sale.  

But God needed to talk.  Remember that He knows me even better than I know myself?  So to get a word in edgewise God had to keep me up all night sharing His "plan" with me.  And He made it crystal clear.  Even though I didn't know what in the world He was thinking... I knew that all the pieces were falling into place.

The next morning we hit the ground a' runnin'.  Paul was going to hook up a trailer and found a flat tire.  Sam and I were getting ready for the ball game.  The new and improved plan was that Paul was going to go get the tire fixed and Sam and I were going to head to the church.  If the tire thing worked out for Paul, he'd just meet us there.  If not, we would all just have to meet at the horse sale.  And if you have a flat tire demon at your house, you know already how that worked out!

My head was reeling with all the planning and dreaming that had gone on just a few hours earlier with God.  I was excited and confused.  Scared, a little, and feeling totally ill-equipped to do the job that I felt like He was calling me to do.  But more than anything, just anxious to see how this was all going to play out.

Sam's game was great!  We ran and got in the car and headed to the sale barn.  On the way, I called Paul and told him we'd be right there.  There was a lot of background noise and he told us that the sale was about to start and it was pretty crowded in there.  I started to tell him about the "plan", but he said he couldn't hear me very well... we'd just have to talk about it later.

Sam and I made our way into the sale barn and found that Paul had saved us a couple of seats up near the front.  The sale barn was unusually crowded that day.  I guess it was a little too chilly and wet to do anything else, so everyone that had a pick up truck decided to go look at the horses!  We hadn't been in there for five minutes before Paul elbowed me and told me I just had to see this big horse he'd found.  And no sooner did the punch and whisper take place than he punched me again and said, "there he is".

A young girl rode into the sale barn on this really big sorrel gelding.  He wasn't a draft horse, but I bet you just about anything there's at least one in his pedigree somewhere!  He was a big old boy.  The young lady rode him back and forth, and before I knew it the auctioneer slammed his gavel down and yelled, "Sold!  Number 362."  Paul looked at me with a sheepish grin and showed me his number.  You guessed it, "Number 362"!  Crazy man... just bought us another horse!!!

So after he'd gone crazy and flashed his handy number again to that auctioneer, we had to get out of there!  We weren't going to have any room on that farm for paying customers to board their frazzling horses if he kept buying!  We moved on out to the holding pen outside the sale barn to look at the new additions to our family.  I climbed up on the fence and the big guy came right over to me.  He had a flaxen colored mane and tail and the biggest head ever!  His bottom lip, though, had to be the silliest thing I've ever seen.  When a horse is completely relaxed, sometimes their bottom lip will droop a little bit.  Almost like someone's grandpa who's just fallen asleep sitting up in church!  Well, that was the lower lip of this big red horse.

Paul made his way over to me and started to tell me the 'story' about this horse.  I stopped him, of course, in mid-sentence and told him that God really did have a plan for this place and for us!  He looked at me, curious to hear the rest of the story.  So I told him how God had kept me up the night before, showing me how He wanted to use that farm and some horses to help hurting kids.   He showed me how the intuitive nature of horses was unique and that you could teach kids about body language and communication using them.  He told me about how horses will tend to mirror the emotions of the people around them.  For example, if someone comes to a horse with a spirit of fear, the horse will show that same emotion of fear.  Those who come to a horse and are very shy, will see the horse mirror that emotion and reach out gently to the child.  For those who try to use anger to force a horse to do their bidding, they will be met with fierce resistance from their new four-legged challenger.

As I was telling Paul about the words I'd heard from God there was the sweetest look in his eye.  He never took his gaze off of me while I was explaining God's plan.  And then with a remarkable, deliberate tone, Paul said, "Rhonda.  God really does have a plan for us and for that place."

I said, "Of course He does!  He wants us to use the horses to help people.  Do you think we can do this?"

And with the glisten of a tear in his eye, my sweet husband told me the story about the big sorrel gelding we now call Hank.  He said, "Doll, you are not going to believe what they used this horse for!  They used him in the Special Olympics so that little kids with special needs could ride on him!"

Can I just tell you that we are still amazed at how meticulous our God is with the details of this place we know as home?  When I say over and over again that He has gone to some pretty extravagant lengths to make His will for us known, and that He has accomplished some impossible feats to make all this happen, I'm not just playing!  I guess that's why I'm writing every night, so that we can get caught up to the current events and not ever forget the faithfulness of our amazing God!

Needless to say, Hank came home and we are going to be using him some more to carry out his part of God's plan for kids, for people, that are hurting or afraid, angry or alone, shy or suffering.

This is our Hank back in February when we got him home.  Along with Hank, we have Marshall and Blaze, the two horses that we kept when we got the place from Russell and Sally.  They are pictured below...

Since that time in February we have added more members to our family... our boarding family and our own horse family!  That man and that number-on-a-card thing is dangerous!!!  I'm kidding, I'm as bad as he is about wanting to bring home every beautiful thing I see.

So the plan of God's is really beginning to take shape.  We accepted our marching orders and we are doing as much research as we possibly can to make sure we can pull this off.  We know exactly enough to be dangerous, but we are desperately wanting to learn more than that so that God will be proud of the efforts we give Him.

Then from out of nowhere comes an email.  My precious friend, Marguerite, shoots over an email to me.  Contained within the email is a link to an interview that was held on Focus on the Family radio.  I clicked on the link and discovered that God was at it again, this time through my friend, Marguerite!

The interview was with Troy and Kim Meeder, of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend, Oregon.  I listened to this interview and tears literally flooded my eyes again.  Kim was the story-teller and her husband was the more 'strong, silent type'.  Kim told a story of her tragic childhood and how her relationship with horses began.  She was nine years old when she was called out of her classroom at school and to the principal's office.  Her grandmother was there and picked her up.  Without saying so much as a word, her grandmother drove her all the way out to their home.  Kim recalled looking out of the car window and seeing the entire yard full of other cars. There were people everywhere!  In the yard, on the porch, in the house, and almost everyone was crying.  She remembers wanting to run away, at that point, because she had a terrible sense that something was horribly wrong. 

As she walked beside her grandmother through the house, Kim was met face to face by a strange lady.  She was crying uncontrollably and holding onto Kim with all her might.   Kim recalls that she heard the lady saying over and over, "I'm sorry.  I'm sorry.  I'm so very sorry."  And while her mind really wanted to understand what the lady was so sorry for, Kim's heart knew that something unimaginable was wrong and she wanted to run away.

Finally, the crying lady blurted out, "I'm so sorry that your dad has murdered your mother and then killed himself."

The fear and the shock raced through Kim's body and pushed her out the front door.  Kim began to run away from that house and from the tears and from all those people.  She ran into a pasture and fell onto the ground.  She could hear her own cries but said that she couldn't even recognize her own voice.  As she cried, she called out to God to help her... and He did.  She recalled that at that very moment, although the pain of what she was going through took years to heal, she knew that Jesus was right there with her in the terrible moment, and that He was never, ever going to leave her.

Kim talked with the interviewer about meeting her husband, Troy, and how God had used the terrible tragedy in her life to mold her and give her an extra measure of grace for kids that are hurting.  She told story after story about the horses they rescue at Crystal Peaks and how they allow hurting kids to come to their ranch to just be with people who care about them and to be with horses that have been hurt before, too.

I listened in awe that God had already accomplished His plan using horses to minister to hurting people for the past 15 years in one of  the most liberal states in our country!  I heard about a woman who loved horses and a husband who believed in her and supported her whole-heartedly.  The next natural step for me was to send them an email, explaining our situation and coveting their prayers as we began to explore the options available to us in South Mississippi.

In a few short days, I received an email back from the folks at Crystal Peaks, letting me know that for one week out of the year, in May, they host an informational clinic for those who are interested in starting a Similar Ministry IN THEIR AREA.  Well, duh?!  So, could I even deny that God had already made a way for me to have all my questions answered?  I booked the clinic and then prayed like crazy that my precious husband would understand why I had to go.

I like saving the best for last....

Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!"  Matthew 7:7-11

If you've been around teenagers very much (not counting when you were one yourself) you know what I mean when I say, "they don't know what they don't know".  Does that make sense?  They appear to know absolutely everything about everything.  They are so desperate to have the answers to all of life's problems in a neat little box.  But they, sadly, just don't know what they don't know.  To me, this verse addresses that same pride issue with all of us.  Just ask... you don't have all the answers yet.  Just seek... you haven't come even close to finding all that's out there yet.  Just knock... there's more than the life you see in front of you!  God is standing on the other side of that door with His ear pressed right up against it.  He's listening to see if you know He's there.  God is so very eager to hear you cry out to Him to help you.... just like that little girl who's world crashed down around her in one afternoon.

I'd like to encourage you tonight to try something for me.....

Trust God.  When you ask Him for something, ask Him with your whole heart.  If there's something missing in your life, run after God with everything in you and SEEK!  Don't stop until you are sure that you've found exactly what God had for you to find.  And wake up every morning of your life looking for the next door!  God has doors everywhere!!  But next time you see one, don't look down at your feet and shuffle up the door with doubt in your heart.  Hit the floor at a dead run and slide up to the door.  Don't push on the doorbell or leave a note... bang on that door with everything in you.  You're going to find your God grinning from ear to ear on the other side.  YOU are His child... YOU belong to Him!  

ASK expecting.  SEEK expecting.  KNOCK expecting.  

That's faith.

He called!

Well, after our lunch meeting with Russell on that Wednesday afternoon, time came to a screeching halt!  He told us that they were going to pray about it and see what God would have them do about the place they were really wanting to sell.

Wednesday night came and went and Paul and I were talking over all the 'what if's', praying about God's purpose and plan, and hoping like crazy that this was going to be the beginning of a new life for us.  We couldn't begin to imagine that after all these years of failed attempts at a new life that this 'chance' would turn out any differently than the hundred attempts before... but we had that one thing on our side this time... this plan wasn't ours!  It was God's!

Thursday morning came.  No phone call from Russell.  Thursday at noon, still no call.  Thursday afternoon I called Paul (again) at work, and still no call to let us know about their decision.  So when Paul came home from work that night I had only one question on my mind.  I told Paul, "didn't Russell say they were Methodists?"  He smiled and answered, "yes, he did."  So, in my most Southern Baptist way I replied, "well they can't still be praying about this then!"  (No offense... I promise you I started this life as a Methodist and love them with all my heart!!!  I just tend to use humor in my life as a coping mechanism.)

Thursday night was another one of those 'lay awake and wonder' nights.  So by the crack of dawn I was ready to hit the floor running and praying....

***NOTE:  I would like to add here that it is such an awesome privilege to be waiting on God!  When you have everything you ever dreamed of, you tend to just move forward through your days and take care of all the business at hand.  But I've learned that when you are in the 'waiting room' you (or at least I) spend an extra measure of time with my Father.  I wonder if He loves me so much that He just likes hearing me call out to Him and seek Him with my whole heart?***

Paul dressed and left for work with obvious and specific instructions to call me the second he knew something!  He smiled and carried his coolish, cucumberish self off to the office!

Sam and I took off that morning and had to go to Ellisville... for what I can't seem to remember.  Nevertheless, the one great thing about Ellisville is that it does have a Sonic, and Sonic does possess the Diet Coke fix that tends to keep me motivated!  We pulled into the sacred fountain of the nectar of the gods and placed our order.  And then it happened!  That familiar ringing... my phone!  I looked down and saw the smiling face of my husband's icon.  And with one breath every nerve ending in my entire body exploded!  I was frozen... I couldn't make myself answer the phone... I couldn't keep myself from answering it.  "Hello."

"What cha doing?" he calmly said. 

"I'm at Sonic... what happened?"

"Well.  I just got off the phone with Russell.  Rhonda, we got the house."

I don't really remember much after that... I squealed, I cried.  Sam was in his seat asking a thousand questions about what in the world was wrong with me!  

I explained to him that God had just answered our prayers.  That He had been faithful to us and that He had just orchestrated an absolute miracle in our life!  June 24, 2011.  The day we heard a resounding YES from the Creator of the Universe!!!

My first call was to Ryan.  I told him about what had happened and he was more thrilled than I ever imagined.  Of course our very next thought was "how soon can we move?"

You know how long it usually takes for these things to happen?  30-45 days is a great turn-around time for this house buying thing.  There are so many details to have to deal with and so many people to have to work around.

But not for our God... we moved in on the following Wednesday night!  In just about 10 days from the very first time we laid eyes on this place, we were spending our first night there.

So, guess who was too excited to sleep!?  You guessed it.  That night as Paul and I went to bed in our HOME... our wonderful gift from God... I asked him, "honey, do you think it's possible to die from thankfulness?"  He held my hand and sweetly told me, "no, baby, but just enjoy the blessing."

Paul seemed to fall fast asleep that night.  I'm sure that he was finally truly resting for the first time in his life, too!  It was an amazing thing to watch my sweet husband be blessed and be fully aware of the Giver of this incredible gift.

I, on the other hand, couldn't sleep... so I decided to take a walk outside.  As you can see by the photo, the grass was green and on top of this hill the moon and stars shine down at night and it feels like this is the very first place their light touches.  I walked around the yard with a flood of emotions on the inside and an ocean of tears running down my face.  "Thank you" seemed like it could never be enough!  How do you use words to express this extreme depth of gratitude?  As much as I love to talk... I can't begin to create enough words that would even seem adequate to thank God for His tender loving care over my family.  We didn't deserve this place.  There really was no way under heaven that we could ever have had such a thing happen to us or for us.  So, why?

To this very day I will never understand the answer to that question.  But at that moment, in our yard, on that crystal clear night, on a little farm on Slade Road in Purvis, Mississippi, I knelt down on that green grass and thanked my God the only way I knew how.  I gave Him the farm back.

In my heart I knew that our being here was a blessing, to be certain, but blessing us wasn't the purpose God had intended.  God had designed this particular place to be a blessing to other people, and we were only here to be caretakers of the gift.  So I gave it back to Him and promised Him that as long as He sees fit to have us here, we will keep His place up, run it as He sees fit and point as many people as we possibly can to Him.  

It was in that very moment that the true peace of God that passes all understanding set up a guard over my heart and mind.  I returned to our bedroom and slipped back into bed.  I knew that night that our family was about to begin the journey of a lifetime and that God was about to show Himself in a mighty way.  

Psalm 37: 3-11    Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.  Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.  Cease from anger and forsake wrath;  Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.  For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.  Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.  But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Encouragement for today....

Have you found out yet that our God is a promise keeping God?  Has He proven Himself faithful in your life?  The verses above are the key to the 'secrets' of God and they are the fulfillment of the promises of God.  He's on your side and He wants the very, very best for you and your family.

I've spoken often over the past 10 years about how smart - in knowledge and in wisdom - my Paul is.  We spoke just today about how weak people seem today.  Even Christians, who are armed to the hilt with the promises of God and the power of God!  When we run into hard times, or trials, or temptations, we run to other people for advise or counsel.  We seek out "self-help" books to 'fix' us.  We even depend on other godly people to tell us what we should do and what their opinion is of our situation.  Paul's advise is to be strong!  Don't run out to find help, dig deeper into God's Word and find out what He has to say on the matter. 

Paul and I are learning to take our own advise regarding this matter and we are seeking only the face of God for our family.  Paul has been placed at the head of our family and it's his job to seek out the future plans that God has for the woman and the boys that depend on him.  And I've seen that his decision to be dependent on God, has completely relieved him of all that external pressure that once weighed him down... those chains that had him bound like a prisoner inside his own life.

Paul and I are free today because we have chosen, in our lives, to let God be God.  

If, for some reason, you are still struggling with prison chains in your life, and if you are truly ready to be set free, please seek God's face.  If you don't know how or where to start you are welcome to email me and I will be more than happy to give you a hand up!  

You matter to God more than you will ever know.  My life is not one bit more valuable to God than yours... and I can prove it!

John 3:16  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life."

God bless y'all.

Rhonda Walters

rwalters.ssc@gmail.com

Trial by fire...

Our story continued to amaze and completely astonish us as we literally watched the hand of God unfold the pieces of what appeared to be an ornate tapestry!

Monday morning came after a long night of praying and asking God what in the world He was up to.  Have you ever had one of those nights where you weren't lying awake with worry, but with wonder?  That was our night!  Tossing and turning and dreaming and imagining.  It was almost too much for me to comprehend!

Monday evening was a workday for me, a dinner to cater near Taylorsville, Mississippi, but food was not what captivated my thoughts that day.  I worked furiously that morning to prepare all the food that would be needed for the dinner that evening and then had the most amazing friends/co-workers deliver and serve it for the event that night.  The thoughts that kept sweeping over me were of peace... peace about a land that I knew would soon belong to someone else.  Peace that I couldn't begin to understand and the excitement of it all was so thick I couldn't brush it away from my face.

Our son, Ryan, about to be a senior at his school in Jones County, hadn't seen the place that I'd talked to him about.  I told him that it was about 30 minutes away from his school, but that I really thought he would like to see it.  As we drove southward toward the "land of peace", Ryan was doubtful again about the chances of our being able to move away from the house we'd lived in all this time.  And as we got closer to the turn, he said, "Mama, this is just too far to have to drive to school every day for a whole year."

I told him I understood that this was going to be a challenge, if it even could work out for us, but to just keep an open mind.  I told him I would let him decide if he could stand it or not and for him to reserve his judgement until he saw the place.

Needless to say, as we pulled onto the farm, that now almost familiar peaceful silence fell over the car again.  As we pulled into the drive I felt like I was driving home... for the first time in my entire life I felt like this was the home that I had waited 45 years to see.  And I guess Ryan felt it, too.  That same spark of hope that I had experienced just one day earlier caught hold in my son!  I saw his eyes shift back and forth across the lay of the land, his shoulders relaxing, his smile broadening, his heart almost visibly pounding... peace and hope had finally begun to spring up in my son, too.  And I heard the words I've longed to hear all my life, "Mama.  I may never leave!"

We drove back home and for the very first time, Paul and I sat down and put the excitement and words that had thus far been kept silent out on the table.  We talked together about what we were both thinking and feeling about this place that Tammy and David had shared with us.  Peace was all around us:  peace that rushed through us like a mighty, rolling river!  Everything was moving very quickly but there was never a sense of being out of control.  As a matter of fact, the exact opposite was true.  We both felt like everything was happening and it was literally the hand of God directing it all and there was nothing we could do to change it, control it, speed it up or stop it.

Paul and I had worked for all those years on so many other plans and ideas.  We poured our hearts and our sweat into the plans we had made on our own and without fail, they would crash right in front of our eyes and we would be completely devastated.  We have always both been hard workers and were more than willing to put in more than our fair share of work to get closer to the dreams were dreaming.  But those dreams were always just out of reach, and our plans and good ideas were never quite good enough.  We spoke often about that promise, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4.... but the 'desire of our heart' just seemed too far out of our reach.  That is until we saw this amazing place.

On that Monday evening, we sat in the little house in Jones County, in near silence.  We prayed and we talked a few minutes about what we dreamed about and what we felt.  But this night led us both to the same conclusion;  David and Tammy were looking at buying this place and it was their's to have.  Even though several comments had been made over the course of the past 48 hours, Paul and I were faced with way more questions than answers.  The main question had to do with whether David and Tammy were going to buy the place or not.  If they were still going to buy the farm, none of the other questions in our mind were going to matter.  

The logical thing for us to have done would be to wait patiently for God to send a phone call or another email our way.  But the two little kids had already peeked through the windows at the candy store and we were about to tear the doors down!  Paul picked up the phone and called David then and there.

I listened as Paul spoke to his friend.  Excitement and calm vied for position in my throat.  Peace fell over us in that living room for the first time in all the past nine years.  David explained to Paul that the doors had simply closed for them and that they had prayed at their kitchen table and knew that God had been holding that farm for us.  As Paul relayed the conversation back to me it was almost like an out of body experience in some movie.  At that very moment I felt as though our family had boarded a train, and that only the Engineer of the train had control of the speed, the destination, the layovers and all of the other passengers that would be going along on this ride.  But believe me when I say that I was going to hold on to my ticket with everything in me!

Another night came and went without much sleep being had!  Paul went to work the next morning and I had a play/lunch date with my friends Sarah and Tracie.  Just before I walked into the little lunch/play place I got a phone call, from Tammy.  She began to pour out her heart to me and we cried about the intense feeling we had that none of us were in control of this particular event.  Then she shared with me the most amazing story.

Tammy is a contractor and has worked in that business for several years.  Hattiesburg, Mississippi is just not that big of a place so people who are peers in business run into each other often.  She had pulled into a gas station on the day before she sent out that first email requesting prayer for that "opportunity", and had run into another contractor, Russell, whom she hadn't seen in over a year!  She pulled in headed one direction at the pumps, he pulled in opposite her going the other direction.  They pumped gas for a few minutes and visited about family and business goings on, and then Russell finished pumping his gas and drove away.  But then he stopped and backed up to the pump again and asked Tammy this question, "You don't know anyone that would be interested in buying a farm, do you?"

Tammy said to me then that God told her, "yeah, Rhonda does."  She smiled at Russell and told him that she did, in fact, know of someone looking for a farm.  She explained to him that she would be more than happy to go look at the place and then share the information with her friends from Jones County and see what they thought.

That evening, Tammy and David and their children drove out to the farm on Slade Road and their hearts were captivated by the beauty of that place.  At that point, they knew that the place could really be the answer to their prayers, as well, and that they would be more than interested in buying it.

As the weeks passed and the questions were asked, David and Tammy knew that God had some plan for this farm on Slade Road.  They didn't know the plan but they trusted God to be God, and because they had been seeking Him every step of the way, they were both very excited to see what He was planning to do next.

As I sat there on the phone with my friend, hearing her celebrate handing over an amazing baton of faith, I knew that God's hand was truly at the wheel of this train!  I was completely overwhelmed by His timing, His immeasurable provision, and the use of His own children to accomplish the work He had so clearly designed.  Humility had taken my breath away, because there was nothing about Paul and me that could possibly deserve this blessing or could ever accomplish it on our own.  At the end of our conversation, that sweet Tammy told me that she had already called Russell and told him that they wouldn't be able to buy his place, but that Paul and I were the one's that God had held the farm for.  She said, "Just call him... he has your phone numbers and he's waiting to hear from you."

I immediately called Paul, of course I was in tears and in no shape to talk to anyone else on the phone for the entire day!  I went in to have lunch with my friends... but who could eat?  And then just waited to hear back from Paul.

So there we were.  Tuesday morning... after only seeing the farm just 2 days before on Sunday afternoon... and the baton had been placed in our hands.  Kids playing, friends praying, Rhonda pacing, and Paul having a wonderful conversation with a stranger that God had just placed in our path.

Paul called me back in about an hour and a half to relay to me the conversation.  He spoke to me of the kindest man he'd ever spoken to on the phone.  Russell had shared with him stories about buying the old farmhouse and completely remodeling it.  He spoke about the old barn and how he had added onto it once they had moved.  He told Paul about the hours he had spent creating the pool house from the leftover material he had used at the barn and around the farm.  He shared with him his stories of raising his daughters on that farm and about the love for horses that his youngest daughter had enjoyed.  Russell also shared with Paul the heartache they had experienced during Hurricane Katrina and the devastation that swept over the farm.  The months and months of clean up had worn them down and the upkeep on the farm had become more than they were able to manage, given all the other activities and commitments they shared.

Then Paul told me that Russell wanted to meet us for lunch on Wednesday.  The next day, Wednesday!  Less than 24 hours, Wednesday!  I honestly didn't imagine I would live to see the next 24 hours as my heart would likely not be able to take all the pressure.

Thankfully, I lived through the night and the lunch was set!  We met at Newk's and I was an hour early.  I sat in the parking lot and read my Bible.  It really was the only thing that would help ease the nerves that seemed to be exploding on the inside of me.  And just in time for lunch, Paul strolls over to my car window and asks if I was ready for lunch.  He was as cool as a cucumber!  He looked like he was on his way to watch a paint drying tournament!  He was supposed to be the 'nervous Nellie' in our family and I was the one with nerves of steel!  What in the world had happened?  How could the roles be so backward?

So I gracefully exited the vehicle, took hold of the only arm in town that could steady my steps, and we walked side by side to meet the man with the keys.  And he was wonderful.  We enjoyed our visit and Paul and I both felt like we were at a reunion with an old friend.  They spoke more freely than me, but I so enjoyed the conversation, hearing my Paul share his heart with Russell, and to see this friendship in the making.  The only thing I could share was my feeling that we had all just boarded a train and that none of us were going to be able to change the outcome of the trip.  God had hand selected all these passengers and had long since put together His own plan for this 60 acres in Lamar County, Mississippi.  Russell smile and nodded and agreed that he would consider the offer that Paul had made him, pray with his wife, Sally, and that they would call us as soon as they knew what they were going to do.  We shook hands and left the restaurant...

Then I feasted on God's Word!  What an encourager our God is when we seek Him with all our heart.  Look at the encouragement He was able to pick for me on that day...

1 Peter 1:6  So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

How do those words of God permeate your heart tonight?  I know the details of our story may seem silly to some and like a waste of good world wide web space!  But your story is the one that matters the most to me, personally.  The faith that you've seen pushed around and all the trials that you've faced are the real interest of my heart.  And the reason they matter to me is because I know - beyond a shadow of a doubt - that the Word of God that has been true for my family, is true for you.  The tests of fire that you are going through right now are for a holy purpose.

The only reason that fine metals are put into extreme heat is so that the impurities that hide deep within that metal can be burned away.  As that waste - or dross - comes to the surface it can be easily removed by the Craftsman and all that's left is the steely, molten hot liquid that can be turned into a work of perfection in the hands of that Master Craftsman.

The pride and self-centeredness that consumed our lives was burned out of us.  Frustration and disrespect was imbedded deep within me and it had to go through some pretty intense heat before it would turn loose.  Fear and anger were in left in our hearts from past hurt and the sin of unforgiveness was clinging on for everything in it.  The heat became almost unbearable for us at times.  Honestly, it would have been so much easier to simply escape the fire and live with the impurities.

But please hear me, friend, I will take the fire of God and the tests and the trials every single time to know that He loves me enough to try me so that He can reward that faith.  When my Jesus bursts through those clouds to call His children home, I want Him to see His own fingerprints in me.  I want Him to recognize the sound of my voice, because I've called out to Him so many times before.  I want Him to know the tears of joy that are running down my face, because He knows that it was His own hand that delivered these blessings to me.  

And when He returns, I won't lay gold or silver at His feet, I'll be able to lay before Him the faith that He Himself purified with fire.

The puzzle is starting to take shape!

I'd like to pick up with our "story" and begin to share with you how we've seen God unfold the most amazing plan I've ever (personally) had the pleasure to witness.  Looking back over the past couple of years I can see that God has been moving into place the "puzzle pieces" of our life and the picture is getting more clear to us every day.

In early June of 2011 I received an email from a sweet friend asking for prayer.  Tammy only asked that we "pray that God's will would be done."  She and her husband had an opportunity laid right in their laps and they were seeking the hand of God, and searching the heart of God, to make sure that this was His direction for their lives.  She never gave me any details, but just asked that I pray for them.  And I did.  I told God to make Himself and His will known to David and Tammy and to lead every single step they took.  He is the God of details and I knew He would speak clearly to them... and I knew they would listen.  So for the next couple of weeks, Tammy and I emailed back and forth a few times.  She continued to seek God, I continued to pray, and all the doors seemed to remain open for them to keep moving forward in this unspoken opportunity that had been given to them.

At nearly the same time that June, I met my sweet Mama (Linda, to y'all, Mom to us) in Shreveport.   When Mom and I need some girl time, we try to meet at our halfway point, Shreveport, Louisiana.  There's a great mall there with a hotel at the end of an outdoor/boardwalk mall.  We can safely and securely park our vehicles and then just spend our few days together shopping, walking, eating (cheesecake, praline cheescake, to be exact), and swimming in the hotel pool.  It really is a great way to "get away" and have some one on one (plus Sam) time with Mom.

It was hot as blazes so we spent a huge amount of our time together in the pool.  It was probably the most relaxing time that Mom and I had ever spent together on one of our little outings.  Maybe that's why the ride home on that particular visit was even more difficult.  I drove on southward with one of those burning lumps inside my throat.  Partly because I was missing Mom as soon as we drove out of the parking lot, but partly because of the pain that was sinking deeper into my heart.  "Call me when you get home" Mom said.  That familiar pain of our house not being our home surged to the surface again.  

This time seemed worse than ever before.  Honestly, we had always managed to "kick the ball a little further down the road" for me by painting something, remodeling a room, planting roses in the flower beds, or cleaning the carpets.  But all those things had already been done, and the spirit of oppression that hung so thick inside our house seemed to envelope me when I finally walked through the door.  For the first time in our nine years, I felt hopeless.  If you know me at all, you know that hopeless is the very last word that would ever describe me!  I'm the "glass is running over" girl.  Even during the most difficult times, God is always right there, moving me forward and helping me refocus on the truth.

Sam and I returned on a Saturday morning from our trip to see Mom.  When I walked in the door I checked an email that I had received a little earlier from Tammy.  She had emailed me some details about their opportunity and was wanting me to pray with her about some of them.  She and David had found a place in the country.  She emailed me the description of the "place" and all the possibilities that were involved with it.  Because I own a catering company, she told me that they were considering using this place as a venue for weddings and receptions and wanted me to serve as the caterer if they were able to make this thing happen.  She asked if I would come look at the place and give her my opinion about whether or not the Hattiesburg area would really use something like that. 

She described a huge home with a swimming pool and a pool house that would be a great home on its own!  There were 60 beautiful acres and the most amazing barn she had ever seen.  Tammy had ridden horses and was raised with horses when she was young, and this barn was set up to board horses for other people.

I was blown away by all that Tammy described and told her that her idea about a wedding venue sounded like the most incredible (and much needed) idea I had heard in a long time.  It was beginning to look like God was opening a door for me to work with Tammy and to help her grow her new "opportunity" into a great "job" for me!  

Tammy asked that I take a ride down to this property and look it over with her.  I completely agreed but since I had just returned home from a trip I told her we would just do it the first of the following week.  She agreed and we went on about our weekend.

That Sunday morning we were so blessed to be in our church home with our church family.  No matter how far I've been for all these years away from my relatives and "home", my church family have stepped up to the plate for me!  They have managed to love me despite myself and have been able to lift me up when I felt like I was sinking.  After church was over on that Father's Day Sunday (6-19-11), we started visiting with some of our friends when the services were over.  Paul went one direction and I went the other.  I turned and saw Tammy and David coming directly toward me.  Tammy hugged my neck and told me that she really thought I needed to hurry up and go look at that place.  She told me that some of the open doors they had been seeing over the past couple of weeks were beginning to close for them, but that there were still ways that they could make it work.  She just wanted to make sure I saw the place.

But David leaned in closer to us and said, "Rhonda, we really think that God has this place for you."

Why in the world would he say something like that?  They had run into a couple of little problems, but they had been seeking God and we knew that God was leading them.  Maybe I misunderstood David's comment.  I told them I'd love to go look at their place and that we could probably do it the following day.

On the ride home, Paul asked me what David and Tammy were talking to me about so seriously.  And for the first time I told Paul about the emails I had gotten from Tammy over the past couple of weeks.  I told him all the details and then told him about our conversation after church only a few minutes before.  Paul was nearly silent.  Then he told me, "well after we finish lunch, just change clothes and we'll drive down there and see if we can find this place."

Honestly, if I hadn't been belted in and sitting safely behind a locked door, I would have likely fallen from that moving vehicle!  I will honestly say that at that point, even though I knew we were going to see a place that God had clearly taken David and Tammy directly to, I felt a glimmer of hope spark deep inside me.  God pushed me forward one more time and I was hopeful that Paul was willing to explore this "job" with me.

Needless to say, I cleaned their plates out from under them, changed clothes and we headed back toward Hattiesburg.  Paul called David and asked about the directions to this place we were supposed to be checking out for them.  We program our faithful friend, Lola, and headed south on I-59.  We were directed right to the front gate of Tammy's "find" and below is the picture of the first view I saw of the place....

In complete silence we drove down this long driveway.  We pulled slowly up to the place that Tammy had described as complete perfection and found her estimation to be spot on!

Here is our first view of the back door entrance to the home that Tammy described to us....

We proceeded to peek inside each window like little kids.  The house was completely empty and perfectly clean.  The decks and the pool were in good shape, the pool house really was such a great space!  The barn was absolutely beautiful and the most efficient use of space I had ever seen.  There was another barn at the very top of the hill on the farm that seemed to be used as a workshop/storage building. 

We walked over every step of the farm that Tammy so beautifully described to me in her email.  Time seemed to stand still for us as we thought of all the possibilities a farm like this would really have.  Could I have understood David correctly?  There really was no way that God could ever have something like this for us!  There's nothing that we could ever do to deserve such an amazing place as this!  Paul and I make a good living for ourselves... but this place would never be possible for us!

Sam had spent his entire 7 years at that point in the little house in Moselle.  Our yard wasn't somewhere that he had ever spent much time and he wasn't really too excited about much more than cartoons and playing inside.  But here, as we walked hand in hand across this yard, toward the barn, my little Sam said, "Mommy, I've never been so calm in all my life."

Tears filled my eyes as the little boy who had been labeled with ADHD was able to understand what 'calm' meant and actually felt like.  Looking back now, I can see that Sam had felt what you and I call peace, for the very first time in his life.

It was time for Paul, Sam and I to head back to church for evening worship.  We sat in the truck and took one more look over this dream that had just passed in front of us.  Paul told me, "the description that Tammy gave you for this place really made it sound almost too perfect."  Then he said the most uncharacteristic thing I had ever heard him say, "Rhonda, this place isn't exactly perfect.... but it is perfect for us."

Tears filled my eyes again and the hope that had flickered earlier in the day, took a good deep breath and really started to spark.  I still couldn't wrap my mind around some place like this being "for us", but the fact that Paul's heart was receptive was hope enough for me that doors might soon be opening and that God really was at work in the heart of the man that I loved with all of mine.

As we sat in church that night I was reminded of the prayer that I had prayed for so many years...

"Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!"  And God granted him what he requested.  1 Chronicles 4:10

Are you praying for answers and having trouble believing that they will ever be answered?  Please don't lose hope.  I beg of you to hold on to the promises that God has made to you.  He absolutely will never leave you alone.  He will never abandon you.  If you will seek Him with your whole heart He will hear your prayers and He will answer you.  

Although I haven't gotten close to finishing this story of faith for our family, please know that God is not finished working in my life, and He's certainly not finished what He's started in yours. 

The prisoner is set free...

Greetings all.  Hoping today has found you seeing blessings around every turn.

I mentioned in yesterday's post about crying out to God while I was in the middle of that very difficult time early in our marriage.  During that time I continued to pray and read scripture.  One of the things I prayed is found in 1 Chronicles 4:10.  In this well hidden, beautiful little scripture lies the most incredibly bold prayer of faith!  

1 Chronicles 4:10  "Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!'  And God granted him what he requested."

There's a book, The Prayer of Jabez, in which the author breaks down this amazing prayer.  It's a bold thing to request of God, isn't it?  How could it even be possible for God to 'enlarge my border'?  The prayer of Jabez asking God to give him more territory, that God would guard over him with His hand, and that Jabez would be kept from harm, seemed pretty selfish to me.  Yet when I studied a little further I discovered that Jabez was seeking after more territory and safety and to be kept free from harm so that he might be of more use to God!  He was asking for 'more' so that he could give 'more'.  And at this point I knew that the aim of my heart was really to serve my God more, not just the selfish desire to have my own home.  My heart knew truth, but my eyes never saw the change I so desperately sought.

I prayed that prayer for the next 8 years!  Eight years.  Along with that prayer was the scripture that drove me forward, Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."  I learned, the hard way, that delight yourself in yourself isn't exactly what the verse means.  There's such a fine line between what you think you are and what you really are... at least for me, there is.  I have this incredible ability to cause myself to believe that I'm doing everything exactly like God would have me do it!  But He has a warning for that, too, "don't deceive yourselves"!

Fast forward again to the spring of 2010.  Three sons graduated from high school, two still at home, struggles all around us, but God began to move!

It was during a men's conference at our church that Paul was confronted face to face with Him.  Paul was challenged by God (through the speaker) to "grow up".  The speaker spoke quiet frankly with the men of our church at that conference and my husband responded to the call.  He committed then and there to take God up on His offer to "grow him up".  He made the decision to become involved in a MasterLife study group, led by our Sunday School teacher, Dr. Johnny Mayfield.  As a part of that study and discipleship plan, the key to the "success" of the disciple is accountability.  Being held accountable for lessons studied, concepts learned, Bible verses memorized, and for reaching out to those around you.  The ultimate goal of the MasterLife study is that you become a disciple... Luke 9:23 "If any man wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me."

Paul discovered very quickly that discipleship didn't mean walking down an aisle, have an emotional moment and call it salvation.  He learned that salvation is dying to yourself and your own desires every single day, and allowing God to use you at His good pleasure to accomplish His work.

Since that time, our lives have changed for the better.  I cried out to God to help me, and He answered me.  As I watched Paul grow deeper in his faith, I watched the chains that once held him begin to shatter and fall off!  God was doing a work in my husband and as a result, in our family.  Paul dug deeper into the Word, he learned to reach out to other men who were struggling, he stepped up to the call of God to lead Bible studies and show other men about the freedom of being real men of God in a world that seems to only reward the ungodly.  The disciple had come full circle and had learned to disciple others.

The encouragement from the Word tonight is for anyone who is ready to see their life changed for the better.  

Psalm 1:1-3  "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."

Ladies, if you have been blessed by God to have this Psalm 1 man leading your family, thank him extra today for being a godly husband and father.  If you are still praying for God to lead your husband to this place, don't you ever stop praying this for him.  God loves him more than you do, and He has created him to lead your family.  Love him, respect him and never stop praying for him... you will be so glad you did when you can be there and watch those chains fall of him!  I promise.

After more than 20 years of having my precious mother urge me to write a book, I've decided to take a little less intimidating approach to sharing my thoughts.  So here we are...

For those who know me, brevity has never been one of my "spiritual gifts".  Honestly, I just like telling stories.  To clarify, I like telling stories about my amazing family, my devoted friends, and most of all how God has allowed me to even have them in my life.  And while the verbose gene is just itching to start on June 10, 1966, the moment of my birth, I'll spare you as many monotonous details as I possibly can.  We are, however, going to need to fill in some blanks along the way so the story doesn't get completely off track.

I'd like to start with the most amazing story of all, at least the most meaningful to me.

When I was about 14 years old, living in Wynnewood, Oklahoma **insert HeeHaw-ish "Sallllluuuuuttte**, I met and fell completely in love with Jesus.  I had some reservations about the "religion" thing, but I knew that the relationship I began with Him would be with me for the rest of my life.  I have struggled most of my life with the rules and regulations that encompass being a Christian, but the God who created me and saved me and called me has never once left me.  I tried so hard to "do" the right things and "be" the right person.  I always found myself crying out to God to use me, and never once feared where He would send me.  Little did I know that South Mississippi would wind up with me and that God would actually find a way to use the confused and severely under-equipped woman you see today.

Fast forward way too many years, and in June of 2002, I married Paul.  In a series of miraculous events that spanned a whopping 4 months, I ended up leaving my career as a hospice nurse in Oklahoma and found myself the mother of 4 young boys in the balmy south, married to my (now) best friend, and completely at peace with the totally illogical turn of events.  As it turns out, peace is the exact theme of this entire story.  

I love the lyrics of an old hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul", and the words "peace like a river" are right there in the middle of it.  I guess in my mind I saw "peace like a creek" or "peace like a stream".  You know what I mean?  Water that gently trickles along and meanders its way down a predetermined route with little to no care in the world about when or if it will ever arrive at a destination.   But the song says, "peace like a river".  Rivers move quickly!  There are huge rocks and sharp turns in a river.  There are places in a river that look completely still on the surface of the water, while underneath there's a current so swift that a life can be stolen away in an instant.  So what in the world would "peace like a river" possibly mean to someone like me?

In the beginning of our union we were a "blended family".  Or as I called it for many years, we were a family "in the blender".  Paul came to our marriage with 3 amazing young men, I came with one more amazing young man, and eventually we made Sam... yes, another amazing boy!  One husband, five sons, and me.  Starting to look like a river yet?

As most blended families do, we hit some rocky places and some pretty sharp turns.  (To let you know, no one was lost in the making of this family!)  But there are surely some bumps and bruises from the ride we all were on.  Of course the boys are all nearly grown now, but they have my heart in the palm of their hands.  Hopefully they'll be able to look back on the ride with fond memories and we will have shown them that good marriages are really hard work.. and that they are IMPOSSIBLE without God in the center of them.

My Paul is a lawyer.  But before you throw stones or check out of this reading, please know that he's a good guy!  He has served our federal court system as a law clerk for two Federal Judges for the past 22 years.  He loves God.  He loves the law.  Others in his circle of peers joke that "Paul Walters has forgotten more law than most ever learn."  To those of us on this side of the legal arena, that just means he's really a very smart man.  I tell him often that he's the smartest man I know.  

Paul was also saved as a teenager and has lived a life of loving and wanting to serve God.  But rather than speak for him, I'll likely save some of his story for him to share himself.

What I will share is that we struggled for a while in the beginning of our marriage.  Logistically, we were just not doing too well.  We lived for 9 years in the home that Paul and his first family had shared.  My heart was heavy most all of the time and although we worked together to "fix" and "remodel" the house we lived in, it never was my home.  I tried to keep my disappointment hidden, but failed miserably at that.  These were the very biggest rocks that lay at the bottom of that river, the ones that caused the most turmoil under the surface.

I cried out to God to hear me, but He remained silent during that time.  If you know what it feels like to cry out to God and to feel like you're not being heard, you know the loneliness that my heart was carrying.   I didn't abandon my faith, but I can look back now and understand that the testing of my faith was in progress.  "Peace like a river" still alluded me, and all I seemed to be able to focus my time and attention (and my mouth) on were those frazzling rocks!

I suppose that all of us go through those times with the rocks seem too big to cross over.  Rather than trust God to work out all things for my good, (see Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."), I just wanted God to do it MY WAY!  Well, thank God, He's God and I'm not!  Amen?  I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am today that God didn't bail me out of my "crisis" and give me what I asked of Him.  I am so thankful today that He had other plans for my life and that the testing of my faith has proven to be the very best thing for me and for my family.

I told you brevity wasn't a gift of mine!  But I will close tonight by saying this... be encouraged!  God is not finished with you.  I don't know where you find yourself in the river right now.  You might be kicked back and enjoying the ride.  You may be hanging on for dear life to a limb that seems to have fallen in front of you.  You may be struggling and doubting that "peace like a river" even exists.  But I'm telling you, hold on!  Don't give up.  Our God... the Creator of the Universe... is an absolute master of details.  He knows every single cell in your body, every hair on your head.  He knows in infinite detail the plan that He has set out for you.  And there's no one... no family member, no friend, no husband, no wife, no child, no counselor, no advisor... NO ONE that wants to see you live out that plan more than the One who made it!  He is on YOUR side and He promised not to leave you.

Here's the encouraging word for today... Philippians 1:6 "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

(There's so much more to our story... but I'm hoping you'll come back and hear the rest of it.)

g'night y'all... and God bless.