Thinking on Thursday!

So I am thinking about my need to love as Christ loves.  I am thinking about what it cost Christ to love people who hated him and would continue in that hatred by their actions all their natural born lives.  The ones that say,  "I am on your team Christ and I love you" will abuse, neglect, disrespect, turn away from and disobey the very Christ they claim to be on the same side as.  

What makes it hard for us to LOVE like Christ?  I will be the first to say (not gladly though), that if I know you hate me or are going to abuse me I am not going to go out of my way to love or serve you.  But what does that say about what Christ did for me?  What does that say about my love for others?  What does God want from His children in this regard? 

Friend in the faith, how I long to release all of my cares, worries and fears aside and love.  I mean really, truly LOVE without fear of the imperfect individual.   I think that is what Paul means when he said "count it all as loss".  We need to count everything in this life as loss "for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."  Phillipians 3:8

My prayer this day is that I will truly count my life and everything I have as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.  This my friend is a hard saying!  I don't think we realize what this means.....I am only beginning to understand the gravity of this statement!  Lord help me to walk this out in spirit and in truth!

WALKING THROUGH OPEN DOORS AND THANKFUL FOR THE CLOSED DOOR!

Hey all! Last night we had dinner with Mr. Hustler, his momma boo, and his two children. It was a wonderful time. We listened and learned. We taught and educated! We encouraged in Christ and opened our home. The kids all played together very well. I was concerned about the dinner (as shallow as that seems). This a family who normally eats soul food. I don't cook soul food very often. My plan was for my mother to cook it but she was unavailable. So we had normal Fletcher food which they all enjoyed. The silly things we get stuck on?

We talked a lot about the depth of hurt each one has felt and is presently feeling. Boy oh, boy was it deep. Would you pray for salvation and deliverance for this family. That God would radically transform their lives into His image! Mr. Hustler is very intelligent and would be a mighty warrior for the Kingdom of Christ! Again please pray.


Also the other family that actually asked for us to counsel them. Has moved away! I talked to them on Friday of last week and they had moved out of the park to some city far away. I am happy to report they received what they were really looking for. I pray that the Lord would bring another to proclaim the good news of Christ to them right where they are.

Blessings!

Another Homemaker Moment!

This homemaker moment is less about what a great job I have done and more about how wonderful my husband is. On Wednesday I received a phone call from a laboring client. Now, Wednesday evenings is our official date night. Not much ever interrupts that time! Back to the phone call on Wednesday night! I thought seriously...your not due until March! I know, I know I can't predict or plan such things.

Phil and I continued with our date (kind of). I was on the phone with the woman in labor, my doula partner, and the Birth Works Director (Nurse Midwife). WHAT A DATE NIGHT!? My husband was clearly bothered by the whole situation. He understood my obligation, but again this has not happened on one of our date nights EVER!

Long story short. We wrapped our date up pretty quickly, picked up our kids from AWANA, and off I was to be with the laboring momma. It turned out to be a false alarm but good we went to the hospital the baby's heart rate was high and the momma was dehydrated. So at around 1:30A.M I arrived home from a thirty minute drive from the hospital.

As I walked in the door, much to my surprise all the laundry was neatly folded and organized by person and or location. The dishes were clean and put away and my whole house was sound asleep. That was a homemaker moment!

My moment is to simply say thank you to my husband (PUBLICLY)! The time spent cleaning and organizing the house during a difficult situation was greatly appreciated! I will build my home by using the word thank you more often!

I learned this from the experience. Our service to one another speaks to the glory of God. In my husbands service to me I was able to see how Christ serves and loves His bride even when her attention is divided. Christ will pursue His bride even when other things (even good things) distract her. That pursuit will always bring her back to Him! Thank you Lord for making yourself known to me in this way through my husband!

I Love You....My King


Queen

HOMEMAKER MOMENT!

My Homemaker Moment! I love what Angie is doing on her blog to encourage women to examine their life and see how the Lord is using us as wives and mothers in a huge way for His Glory. What an awesome and exciting adventure. So I have chosen to take the ride. Every Friday we are encouraged to post something that took place during that week that was a fulfillment of our God given roles as wife, mother, woman, and or believer! So here are my few stories, I couldn’t just do one! 

The first was on Monday night. A few women gathered at my home for pray (specifically for our husbands (Wifes in Touch)). During the prayer time Phil (my husband) was home hanging out and entertaining our children. After the prayer time the women come out to find Phil making bracelets for the girls. It was a wonderful site, mostly because my husband is NOT a big fan of the artsy craftsy world. So that night at bed time as I tucked in the girls, “I asked them what they thought about daddy making those bracelets?” I saw both of the girls eyes light up, “It was really cool that dad would make bracelets because he doesn’t really do that kind of stuff!” So no beans about it we all understand how amazing it was for dad to do that. Here was the fulfilling of the role. I shared with the girls about their Heavenly Father. “It was wonderful, cool, and amazing to see dad make those bracelets for you because he loves you and cares for you. But did you know that your Heavenly Father is a million times more wonderful, cool and amazing then dad. The love of your Heavenly Father is greater than all the love dad could ever think or imagine. That love, is the coolest love ever and none can compare!” They were so excited and truly grasped the concept of a love greater than the amazing natural dad…God the Father! SO how was my role fulfilled? In Titus 2:4 love their children, 1 Corinthians 8:6 yet there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, though whom are all things and through whom we exist, Deut. 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise. That was my opportunity to bring Glory to Christ and teaching my daughters the truth that dad will fail as much as he loves you, Your Heavenly Father is better! It also releases Phil from unreasonable expectations from our daughters.

The second was Tuesday night. I was able to give something to my husband that he truly delights in and doesn’t come very often. This was role fulfilling because God’s word teaches us to love our husbands again Titus 2:4 love their husband.
The third was on Tuesday as well. I was scheduled to teach a women’s bible study but my husband was going to be running late. If you don’t already know we next door to my parents. Phil and I had planned for his late schedule by having the kids go next door until he arrived. However one of my girls was really struggling with me leaving and wanting me to wait until dad came home. So I weighed it out and chose to stay home because it was more loving and more impactful for me to stay home then to teach women who know the bible more about it. Phil came home in enough time and I was still able to teach and my daughter saw love in action.

MAMA BEAR CLAWS!

There was a small incident in the moblie home park on Sunday. A young girl stole money from my daughters wallet that was inside my van. The amount of money was very little ($6), yet it was the principle that mattered more to me. Then a young boy threw a cookie at my daughter (cookies that my children and I made together for the people of Oakwood). While working for the Lord my daughters were abused and taken advantage of. Hummmmmmmm what do we say about these things?

My first instinct was to unleash the claws! I have had a few times of wanting to unleash my momma wrath, but the Lord held me appropriately. So I prayed and the Lord gave me insight. I drove to the mobile home park to find the mother. She wasn't there so the Lord gave me an opportunity to minister to another lady. Who said "the Lord knew I needed to talk to you". She felt encouraged and was given insight on her situation. Then the mother of the children pulled up. So I told her what took place and how that affected my children.

On Sunday this mother was upset at another child because he was throwing a frisbee and it hit her car. She went wild and profaned the child and told the mother she needed to do something with her child (implying the child was out of control and needed discipline).

I reminded her of that statement and informed her to apply that same expression with her own two children. Titus came to mind....older women teach the younger to love (philio= delight in, friendship, relational love) their husbands and children. So I proceeded to explain that her children need her to delight in them. More than anything this world can offer, they need her and ultimately Christ. They need her to care and be interested in them. So the conversation went really well.

I praise God that He allowed this opportunity so I could further build relationships and address the day to day lives of these women. The Lord allowed me to instruct younger women in righteousness (only found in Christ) and help my children to see how truly blessed they are to have parents who love and care for them. But more importantly their Heavenly Father is abundant in blessings, love, and righteousness. The $6 can be replaced and the cookie was soft! But they saw their mother address sin in a loving, caring way. So I pray that the next time the mama bear claws show, that Christ would again show Himself stronger and greater!

PRAY for your man!

The Lord opened my eyes to a truth on Tuesday and completed it on Wednesday. I need to be faithfully praying for my husband. Why haven't I been faithful in that area? I just felt like he has it together (with the Lord).

Well after the Lord revealed to me that I pray faithfully for my children and not so much for my husband... I had to do something about it. Then I realized I am not the only woman who seems to neglect to pray for her husband. It seems we expect them (our hubands) to know how to love, care for, and nurture us. When in fact it is as difficult for them as it is for us to submit or be respectful.

So, as the Lord would have it I will be opening my home on Monday nights from 6:30-7:30 for the specific purpose of women coming together to pray for their husbands and marriages. This will not be hang out time but very specific and purposeful prayer. I know many of you would not be able to attend based on location. I would encourage you to open your home to a few ladies to faithfully pray for your husbands as well. If you need more info. holla at me.

Song Of Songs

I have been listening to Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church preach through the Song of Songs. This message addressed some very familiar concerns within our Christian community. So I posted the full sermon that you may hear and view this message. Feel free to comment and create a dialogue about what was spoken.

ADAM WHERE ARE YOU?

This past Sunday, my husband preached a sermon about Adam. He very specifically stated that the intent of this message was for the male. It's not very often that men are truly called to the carpet. Well, I must say the Lord used him to really bring light to the subject of men in our Christian culture. He dealt with the first Adam and finished with the second Adam our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He pulled no punches in regard to Adam's lack of leadership in his home (the Garden of Eden). God gave man the responsibility to work the ground, manage his home and not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God saw fit to create a helper for Adam, in Eve. All wonderful things, yet Adam was unwilling to love his wife by teaching and instructing her. He basically left her to manage and handle the serpent while he watched. How many men today are simply watching their wives be responsible to work the ground, manage the home, and fight the serpent? I'd have to say far too many.

Praise God that what was lacking in the first Adam was brought to completion in the second Adam. Phil (husband) made this awesome comparison one I hadn't heard before. God gave the first Adam a wife, by putting him to sleep and pulling her from his side! God gave the second Adam a bride, by putting Him to death (sleep). I just thought that was the coolest thing. God gave Christ a bride (the church) like Adam. However the Lord will not leave his bride to content with life or the serpent alone. In fact He deals with the serpent and encourages His bride the trust in Him, walk with Him, believe in Him.. and He will deliver. Now that was just a micro version of what was shared on Sunday.

Often there is an imbalance between men and women. More often then not men want to rule and dominate without being servants themselves. I hear a lot of man say "don't the Bible say the woman needs to obey the husband". Yes it does sir, but did you also read that the husband is to sacrifice even to his very life for the wife? Or that the husband is to love the wife as his own flesh? What man hates his own flesh or is unwilling to give the best to himself? Maybe not, that doesn't sound so cool! Christ demonstrated this perfectly. As a result man has no excuse! He laid out the example. So I would encourage the men of Faith to serve their families in loving leadership. Please do not call yourself a man of God and leave your wife and children to deal with the concerns and cares of the this life alone. Or worse, the man like the first Adam who does not lead, but follows into sin and then points a finger at the woman when called to account. Now that is a shame!

So I post this blog to say WHERE ARE YOU ADAM? Men have the responsibility to lead as a servant. I want to encourage men born like the first Adam to be born again and look like the Second ADAM!