Rebuilding the WALL - Chicago

Chicago in February was sooooooo fun! COLD but fun! I got to meet people I had been in weighdown online classes with for the first time! I met Karen ... my dear friend from class who came in for the event from North Carolina!! We had such a wonderful weekend and she got to meet everyone from all over and tell her story about her journey of weightloss and a new relationship with our heavenly father! Much love to you Karen. Having dinner just the two of us and getting to know you better was such sweet fellowship !!!

Of course, the powerful message from Gwen Shamblin and the truth told was as always convicting!!! The music was so wonderful... we are so blessed to hear it all 2x a week during the worship services of Remnant Fellowship church! So blessed indeed to be able to hang out with such pure hearted people! No excuses or kidding yourself into believing you are SAFE here. Just truth that refines you! Praise God for revealing and humble truth!!!! AMEN

Following God's LEAD

Life sure is unpredictable! God made it all that way. Isn't that the coolest thing! We have been praying for God's lead in our life and all our decisions. We have had things pop up on our radar of life that we really never expected. Some have been joyful and overwhelming and some have really humbled us to review our actions and rethink our day and how we are living it. In both, God is the genious and we give Him all the PRAISE and glory for everything!

We have been considering job options that have been coming in. Again, many have been unexpected and some that have not gone through have down right confused and surprised me. That said, we are praying for God's lead and just want to make Him happy - to Please our God of the universe... now there is what brings real joy!! :) To know we are in good with God ... that is what really matters. So many people are hurting right now! They are losing jobs and savings and their financial futures. They are losing homes and cars and some are down to nothing.... We pray for God's hand in their lives and for His mercy! We are so grateful to have a job and home and anything that God provides.

We pray that all of you are following God daily... looking for His lead in everything - giving GOD your TIME and energy and mind, and not spending it on things or concerns that just don't matter. We are praying for all of you... please pray for us too!!! :)

Just DO it

So many times I get bogged down in analyzing every angle about something to the point where I lose my original perspective and don't even remember what I started out looking for or what I was trying to understand in the first place! I know the human mind is a complicated thing, but it is sometimes amazing to me how easy some things are that we make oh so difficult.

Obeying God is the greatest example of this. I spent most of my life not even trying to understand the bible/God's word, and on those rare occasions when I did open it up and peek inside I was often led to believe I really need not try because the bible was really a mystery. I was not meant to understand it.... I was after all only human and God did not expect me to be ... righteous, holy or obedient. He knew we were not capable of it. He sent his son Jesus and that if I believed in Jesus that was all I had to do... nothing more is expected of me. BUNK... read the bible from cover to cover my friends... from Genesis to Revelation and IF you do without excuse (looking for the way you can get out of obeying God) you will see as clearly as so many do that obedience to God is the beginning of real understanding. It leads to the fear of God and FEARING God is the beginning of wisdom!

I praise God for leading me to the Remnant Fellowship Church and the Weigh-Down Workshop that helped me see the greed, pride and self focus in my heart.... and showed me HOW to lay it down and love God wholeheartedly!!!

: )

God's Holy Days!

This time of year really brings the traditional holidays to mind. We are so changed in our approach to live. The things that used to captivate us and hold our attention no longer do. We breezed right through the gift decisions, putting others first and seeking to do for those that really need this year. We love the ability to share what we have with family and friends. We served family a big Thanksgiving dinner at our home. It was a good day filled with good food and fun.

We hosted a worship service in our home for about 25 members of our church in mid December. It was a wonderful time of sharing our faith and our joy in God's Holy days! Our focus on loving and obeying him and knowing that in this path is the real peace and joy. Not lip service here... love converted to action just as my mother always told us when we were kids. If you love me you will obey me.... you will do as I tell you so that I will be pleased. Knowing our great and glorious God expects the same and knows that if we do not lie to ourselves or listen to lies we will admit and acknowledge that we can CHOOSE to live for God and not for ourselves.

We celebrate the glorious birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ! Merry Christmas to all --- We pray for peace and God's spirit in these Holy Days!

A Spirit Led Life

We are amazed at the ease of life lived out as God designed all along. Looking to God for how to live and love have resulted in the sweetest changes in both of us! While the weight loss has been incredible and to some unbelievable, it is merely a result of what is happening on the inside. We live life effortlessly now. We listen to cues to sleep, think, read, talk, serve, and eat. We can actually hear and pay attention to our God given instincts now as we did when we were children! AMAZING peace and joy in that. We feel like little kids... happy go lucky in our approach to life now. Each day is a gift that God gives, and having this joy and tranquility comes from knowing God is pleased and accepts our lives lived out for his glory!

The birth of our first Grandson

Tuesday, October 28th our Grandson was born!

He was born a little early so Mom and Dad are keeping a careful eye on him. He is so sweet and although Gramps has not yet seen him we both love him. GREAT hair don't you think?? His sister is very sweet with her new brother. We are praising God for his safe birth and for his health and for strength and peace for his parents!

We love you!

Feast of Harvest

What an incredible time our trip to Nashville was! We are so blessed to have found the truth that God's word really provides. Jeff and I have had a hard time settling back into the daily grind after such an awesome and full weekend! We just can't believe the hospitality and full out joy we experienced! Thanks to all those who prepared and provided for everyone! We feel like we did when we were little children... child-like!!!! YAHOO !!!