Wednesday, February 06, 2008

533 - I just Gotta Know

This morning everything is so calm - not so much last night. Everything seems to be fine around here, but in Jackson, Tn. at Union University things have been turned upside down. Oh Lord as I was looking at their destruction I could not help but tear up. It is awful what the storm has done to the campus, but praise You all are ok at this time!! Our friends, the Neibels, have a daughter there and I have 2 cousins there as well. All are ok at this time. But oh how I wish I could have been there last night during the storm and after. This is a school that loves Jesus - the faculty, the administration, the students - for the most part. This is one of those times Union shines. I would have loved to seen all the kids gathered around for prayer - and I am sure some singing as well. I would have loved to seen all those professors that seem to be so stuffy out in the destruction and helping out. It is just how they are. Wonderful people! I would love to have seen the students helping one another - those that have never talked before for whatever reason. I would have loved to seen those of great faith still praising the Lord for all the world or town to see. I know my Union will rise again. I know things will be even better. I know they will rise up and say they are blessed. Just how they do things and how they raise their people and students!! Love it! I am praying Ps. 91 for them all.

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jer. 33:3

Hope your yesterday went well. I had some huge voctories that I will not bore you with, but know that He is working in me. I do not have it all together - you know that if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time - nor do I pretend to have it together. So I am learning and claiming scripture as we go!! 2 days down - ......lots to go! ha! So how does the scripture above pertain to anything with being healthy and reaching goals? I will try to explain what I hear the Lord saying to me now.

Yesterday we really focused on calling out to one another - spurring on - for encouragment and help. I reminded you at the very end to never neglect Him in your cry for help, but that was not the focus. The neat thing was that I did not know today's verse would be about calling out to Him. God is making sure we never forget Him in our everyday living. He has a Word for us today - I can't wait to see how it ends up as I type... It is almost a mystery for me as I never know what direction He takes me when I am writing!!

I believe I have confessed to you that I am an emotional eater. I was scared last night in the storm and I wanted to chomp. When I am bored I want to chomp down. If i get mad - I want to take it out on some good chips. When I am celebrating nothing is better than hot chocolate chip cookies. Yep - that is me. I can find any reason to eat! But the bottom line is when I have some form of anxiety, stress, unknown - whatever you want to call it - I replace that faith in the Lord with food. Does anyone else do this? Please tell me I am not the only one.

Priscilla Shirer called me yesterday and told me that if "Christ would die for me then why in the world would He not speak to me". (Yes, she is my close friend.) This is it - very plain and simple today - When anxiety hits - when stress mounts - when emotions flare - when the unknown makes itself known with no deatils - when we want to know why we act a certain way or react a certain way - WE ASK HIM!! He is longing for us to search His heart - he seraches ours constantly! He wants to speak to us and tell us the whys and hows and the what to dos about things going on in our lives. He wants to reveal to us the way we should go because His plans are for our good, not to harm us. Jer. 29:11. He wants to be our destressor, our completor, our waymaker, our calmer downer, our peace!!!!!!!!! But we have to ask.

The word "call" in the verse above means to cry out looking for a specific answer. It is not or is rarely just a random cry out or call out with no purpose. It is the same word used when Adam called out the names of the animals. (There had to have been purpose with Hippo. hee hee) And the word "tell" means to give a specific answer when a question has been asked - to reveal - and it can mean to tell things one may not have any way of knowing. Lastly in that verse one of my favorite words - yada - means to really know, perceive, to understand - He will tell us things we do not know!!! Do you get it??? If we cry out, ask, call out to our Lord He will respond in such a way that gives peace with answers. He may not be extremely specific, but He might reveal "you are going to be fine" and that is worth knowing during major stress. He very well might tell you something very specifc for your life - He can and does and will - but we have to pause, take time out, and ask and THEN listen. Listen can be the hard part.

Our Lord wants us to turn to Him for guidance, to Him for solutions, to Him for consolation, to Him for restoration, to Him for refuge, to Him for answers................... not food that I do so often! Can anyone bear witness? Can anyone see this thing through with me? Can anyone hear me now? I need to yada - know!!

PS - is everyone's spell check not working on their blogger?

PSS - For those that don't know, I had a first cousin, his wife, and their 2 young boys killed in a tornado just a few yers ago - hense my fear of storms, etc.

PSSS - and no, Priscilla is not my real close friend - silly girl!


11 comments:

fuzzytop said...

Hi Leigh,

Love this verse.... Oh that we would all cry out to Him!

I'm with you on the emotional eating thing; I tend to eat junk when I am feeling overwhelmed.

Here in Marion County TN we had very heavy rains, winds and were under a tornado warning early this morning, but PTL, no tornadoes. Kimball TN, which is very close to us was hit with a tornado in November, and the 1st Baptist Church there was destroyed.

Hugs,
Adrienne

AbbyLane said...

hahaha...i say stuff like that "oh well beth said..." hahahahaha

i am quite the blessed girl though that priscilla's fabulous brother, Anthony Evans, goes to the same worship service i do on tuesday nights (most weeks he sings with the worship band) and he just happens to be great friends with my boss (melissa greene from avalon) so we sit together every week! (he doesn't know about my hidden obsession with his sister though so we're keeping it on the DL) ;)

and yes these storms had me eating more as well...i'm not used to the tornado craziness coming from lenoir...first time i had to go the basement last night! (which is why our bagel supply is a little low today...)
have a great day!! :)

Anonymous said...

Good morning, friend! I had you on my heart last night and this morning seeing the damage in Jackson. I had no idea you had family devastated by tornadoes! I, too, no longer stay real calm in the middle of storms. I found myself walking around the house last night asking Jesus to whisper, "Peace, be still!" And He did -- not to the storm, but to me.

My friend Sara is also on my mind because she also went to Union and now I'm wondering if the two of you were there at the same time! Her name is Sara Horn -- I have no idea her maiden name. You can go to her blog from mine. It is called "Faith at the Front."

Anyway, thank you for this post. I just haven't been in a blogging mood. I'm hoping to write today. I miss the outlet!

Have a great day! Let's talk soon -- if you can work me in between Priscilla calls! :)

Love ya,
Dori

ThreeGirlyGirls said...

YES OH MY WORD can I relate to the eating when stressed out thing. For some reason I CRAVE McDonalds whenever I get stressed out, it must be the salt!!

My spell check isn't working either AHHH.

Praying for you today!!! We can do this! I just started back running this week, I feel so much better!!

Shonda said...

Leigh,
Checking to see if your family & friends were okay. I'm glad to hear they are.

I confess, I'm also a whatever eater--whether it's stress or whether its as celebration. I can find an excuse to eat those unhealthy foods.

I need this info you're posting. I need HIS word to change my habits. I need the flesh that's covering my willing spirit to yield.

Blessings in Christ--

Anonymous said...

Leigh,
I have to say Thank you for being so open about this whole eating emotionally issue. No one has ever been able to place it in words that are so plain and just the way I feel before. I too am an emotional eater. I am currently reading a book called " Breaking Free of Compulsive Eating" It is really good. You might want to look it up. Along with that I am going through a workbook type book by Sheila Walsh called " Embracing God's Design for your Life" which deals with our worth in God. It ask some really deep hard questions though so be prepared to get honest with yourself and God if you are going to go through this workbook. It has really helped me to answer some questions about why I have a hard time using food and not trusting God at times though. Yes i said it, I'll be honest, I too use food and don't trust God at times. I want to trust Him so much and then all the sudden I have chocolate in my hand saying I'll comfort you tonight. It is hard after years of handling things this same exact way. I hope your family and friends are well and I will be praying for them and you.

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

Abby - slip a note in his (Anthony's) pocket - you know the way we folded them in junior high and just put - 4 your Eyes only - on it. Surely he will know it is for her!! hee hee

Oh this is so great and fun!! I love the body of Christ and YOU!!!!! thanks for stopping by!!

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

Adrienne - you are kidding a whole church destroyed??? What are they doing? How big was it?? Oh goodness - sounds like New Orleans!!

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

Dori - Sara is really cool - I don't know her personally and I think I mgiht vaguely remember the face, but I am not sure. I think she was a freshmans when i was a senior!! And to make it even worse I was married and was avoided like the plague because I was having.................sex.. hee hee - it was hilarious actually - but the truth!!

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

Nicki - i crave McDonalds even when I am not craving anthing. It is by far one of my favorite restaurants - and yes, it is a restaurant to me!! hee hee!! AND we have one in my new town!!
hint hint!! just kidding with you!

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

Shonda and Ahelms - I am with you!!! Let's claim the OWrd and walk in it not towards food!! what a silly thing i do, but i do it!! thanks for your words!!

Fighting with you!! Leigh