You want me to do what???????????

Heavenly Father - Good morning - how does Elleigh know to wake up exactly when i do???? I really wish she would stay asleep. She woke up again with me and is now in my bed watching tv. It just makes me not be able to concentrate as much because i am getting up doing things with her and just frustrated. Could it be warfare - absolutley!

I spoke on Friday at an Assemblies of God church which was very exciting. They were really sweet women and very appreciative of my coming. They were incredibly kind and full of such energy and excitement. Then i flew out to Ohio and spoke on Saturday morning at the church's Advent Brekfsat. It was a small church of around 250 members, but they had almost 300 women in attendance! How cool is that! I love the small church! I stayed with a SWEET family, Les and Mary Jo, that had been through it all: child with cancer, husband and another child with Ricket's and about 30 surgeries between them, marriage issues as we all have, and just the financial strains that come with all that sickness and surgeries! Did they ever complain? Did they ever groan? Did they ever argue? NOOOOOOOOOOO! I know i was the guest and that was a good time to hide all the yuck, but no way - i saw the Lord and felt His presence all over those 2 and their house! They are praising Jesus through the storm that seems to never let up! Awesome people and incredible example for the whole town!

I also met a couple, Jug and Donna, that were so upbeat and just awesome. I don't know how else to describe them. They loved each other and were so silly! They too had been through quite a bit of turmoil, but were still very active and seeking to take the church deep. They were not complaining that their church had only gotten to 250-300 in many years, they wre just excited to see the explosion that is waiting to happen with the call of a new preacher! And it will happen!

Lord, thank you for allowing me to go there. It was awesome. Would you please begin to bring in more requests for speaking opportunites? I would love to be used again in that way or in any way You see fit! Thank you for the sweet 75 year old lady that came to know the Lord! I know You saw her heart and hand raised for You to save her soul! It was so awesome!! And all those rededications and recommitments and "take my life to a new level" responses - do it, Lord - knock their socks off!

This morning i was led to Hosea. What a great word. There have been many times the Lord has led me to do something that many would call crazy or obsurd or just plain nuts! Going to a small college to play tennis, wearing my FCA shirt the first day in my new high school so others would know where i stood with Him, moving to Illinois, quitting the most wonderful job in all the world - HGBC program director, calling a friend to clear the air when this one time i had done nothing wrong, fasting extensively for my child to be healed of asthma - Yep, He healed SJ, leaving a thriving ministry to go out on my own, etc. As weird as those things may be to the outsiders, I was so convinced He had called me to do those things and I had to act in obedience. Do i do that all the time - sadly, no! But He has always taken care of me and blessed immensely. Praise Him!

So we come to chapter one of Hosea and we find that God Almighty has told Hosea to go take a prostitute for a wife. Now we are not sure if she already was a prostitute or if she became one once they married or if she was just wildly unfaithful throughout the marriage. Nevertheless, Hosea knew going into the marriage there would be great unfaithfulness and hardships to say the least. Nope, He has never called me to do that and not even anyhting close. Don't you think Hosea said, "What Lord, you want me to do what? Make a fool of myself? Be disgraced? Go through so much pain? Have the guys laugh at me? My heart ripped out? What, you want me to do what?" But he obeyed!

Lord find me faithful to Your callings that don't seem reasonable or even outlandish! I want you to see me with my hand raised high asking to be used! I want you to feel confident when You call me to a task. I want to be the one You can count on to "get the job done". I love you and am ready to do Your will, now what is it?

Oh yeah - please bless Mrs. Ellis. I met her on the plane on the way back. She prayed twice with me on the plane and just blessed me so much! May we please keep in touch and nuture our new friendship! What a woman of wisdom!