tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86209687444502761452024-03-14T06:26:57.780-07:00Chicks and ChocolateChicks craving a deeper, richer, fuller life in Christ....and chocolateCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-91371061783540585302013-11-14T10:07:00.000-08:002013-11-14T10:07:00.866-08:00What does it mean to follow Jesus? One of my most favorite parts of being a mother is reading aloud to my children. It is something I have done since they were fresh from the womb and I have done it almost every day since. We have read all kinds of books, from fiction to biographys. Serious books. Books of christian martyrs. You name it we have read it or something like it. Today we just started the old book In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon. Upon reading the first chapter with them this morning I was startled by the timeliness of it. If you haven't read it let me share a little with you. I will try to be short;) A tramp comes into the congregation of First Church and flips everyones world upside down with a question. The question was "What does it mean when you say you follow Jesus?". Last night as I couldn't sleep..again...I had one thought in my mind. The thought was can we hear Jesus. If Jesus speaks to us, and the Bible says He does, can we hear Him over the noise of our lives? Or does our wants, needs, thoughts, desires drown Him out? We have our own agendas for our lives. And being good Christians we include Jesus...in a box...marked Sunday or Wednesday. Please don't think I am pointing fingers cause I am not! To be terribly honest one of my own ongoing thoughts is how very much I loathe the carpet in my kitchen and the fact that I want desperately a new living room suit! I am ashamed to confess to you that I have thought on these two things so very very much that I don't think I have heard very much from Jesus lately. Or maybe I have I just have tried to turn up the volume of other things so I wouldn't have to let go of my pursuit of my southern living dream. Oh sure you can make any pursuit seem holy. I mean after all I AM adopting and I NEED a nice comfortable home for my family. Please hear me I am not saying having nice things is wrong. Simply the focus of having them and letting that or what ever fills the blank for you, consume us. Jesus has snapped me to attention this month with statistics that I have shared with you and others like every 2.2 seconds an orphan ages out with no family to belong to and no place to call home. You read that right EVERY 2.2 SECONDS! Every day. What does it mean to follow Jesus? We sing about it. We talk, alot, about it. To follow means to copy after, to imitate. Does that hurt anyone else?? Do our lives copy, do we imitate the words of our Jesus? Something to think about. Something to consider as we get ready to observe our first Orphan Sunday this weekend. What is Jesus saying to us? How do we need to adjust our lives accordingly? How will these adjustments change the world for Him? Or how will they not if we don't? Again I hope you hear my heart and don't misunderstand my words. I am, as I shared, a sinner, too. I will leave you with the words from the book. The tramp is in the middle of his speech and shares he had sat outside on the steps of a church and could over hear the words coming from those inside "...but what I feel puzzled about is what is meant by following Jesus....Do you mean that you are suffering and denying yourselves and trying to save lost, suffering humanity just as I understand Jesus did? What do you meam by it?" What DO we mean?<br />
Pressing On<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-91670908153825540552013-11-12T09:10:00.003-08:002013-11-12T09:10:33.158-08:005,760 Did you know that every day 5,760 more children become orphans. "That just can't be right", I know is what you're thinking, but it is! Somebody should DO something.....right??? RIGHT! Pray for those orphans who desire a family. Ask God how you can you be used. The numbers seem so overwhelming. But as I read this quote this week "Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.", I was reminded we all have certain talents and skills and gifts that God placed in each of us to be used for His glory. Some adopt. Some fund adoptions. Some go. We ALL can do something. So much jockeys for our attention today, but how much is of eternal value? It is really easy to get discouraged in the wait time of our adoption. It can feel down right impossible. When I am at my weariest I imagine Caleb, Grace-Ann and Jacob in a dirty jail cell. Needing me. Needing their daddy to come to them. I am instantly reminded to press on. May we not grow weary in well doing friends! <br />
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Pressing On<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-49433308686538869872013-11-11T07:22:00.000-08:002013-11-11T07:22:04.626-08:002.1 billionGood Monday morning all!!!<br />
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The countdown has begun to our get together on Sunday! I hope you have all made plans to be there. Our, speaker Gwen and later in the evening service her husband Scott promise to be encouraging and inspiring. In November christians around the world place special emphasis on the plight of the orphaned and the blessing of family. I want to give you one statistic to think on today, it is startling. There are 2.1 billion people on this earth who proclaim to be christians...if only 8% of these 2.1 billion christians would care for just 1 child there would be no orphan statistics left. Let that settle in. Hope to bring you statistics like this all week to set our focus as we look forward to Sunday at 4! I pray our time together will be life changing in the most non cliche way possible. In the way Jesus and His words transform our lives. Transformed mine. Don't forget bring a friend and a chocolate dessert!<br />
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Pressing On,<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-49213297762339541392013-10-24T08:34:00.002-07:002013-10-24T08:35:43.018-07:00Something NewMorning all!<br />
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Hope you are working it all for Jesus this Thursday morning! The great news is we are sliding downhill right into our weekend! I am really excited to share with you some special news. I want to invite you to our next Chicks and Chocolate, Sunday, November 17 at 4 o'clock! I have struggled to word this email all morning. Now sure some of it has been the fact that three children kept begging for breakfast and the phone rang and a fire had to be made cause I was freezing but the other part is that this is so close to my heart that I can't get my emotions together to put words down for you. On November 17 Grove Level will kick off its very first Orphan Sunday. I am overwhelmed with excitement as the fruition of so many prayers and emails and research come together. To kick off this ministry we have invited a very special family to come share their journey with us. Scott and Gwen Oatsvall have six children, two biological, two from China and two from Uganda. I became familiar with their family and their ministry when I first sensed God's calling on Terry and I to adopt. I would lay awake and read all I could get my hands on about orphans and countries and families and all that God says in His word. I stumbled upon their blog one night and it has been a constant sense of encouragement as we have pressed on through this long difficult journey. Their family takes very seriously God's word and living out their faith. God using ordinary people to do extraordinary things are the words Scott uses to describe their story in his book "And 1..." and I can't wait for you to hear it in person. Gwen will share with us at our Chicks and Chocolate and Scott will speak in our Sunday night service. I hope you will make every effort to be apart of these two special events, you will not be disappointed! I pray that your heart will be stirred as mine always is. Please be careful not to dismiss this due to you thinking your aren't called to adopt because there are so many ways you can become involved in orphan care not to mention hearing a story of God doing some really awesome things in a family's life and getting glory for His amazing love. We were once orphans until He pursued us! Isn't that just so wonderful. <br />
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Also in the coming weeks we will be unveiling our GLBC Orphan Care ministry t-shirt. The best thing about this t-shirt is all the profits go to the Queens for the King ministry. <br />
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Please spread the news about all the special happenings we have coming up. Invite friends and family! Pray over these events with me. Show up at 4 on November 17 with your special chocolate goody and then hang around for the evening service. Lets continue to push back the darkness and shine God's light on those who live as though they have no hope. Be apart of something bigger than ourselves! Love you and shoot me an email to let me know you are in! Hopefully below (if I did it right) there is a picture of the Oatsvall family and you can check out their blog at oatsvallteam.blogspot.com<br />
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Pressing On,<br />
Carrie SmithCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-87815315697085151122013-06-20T10:48:00.000-07:002013-06-20T10:48:54.293-07:00Borrowing from another blog...Hey girls this was so good and so spot on that I wanted to share. I don't know if any of you ever struggle with comparing yourself to others and their work but I know I sure do. This if from the blog that I have mentioned several times before in my emails. Girltalkhome.com by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters. I am so grateful for the work of the Holy Spirit and the way he constantly pricks my heart and stirs my mind at just the right moment. <br />
<br /><em>In our frenetic society we are already so busy with homework, jobs, and families, that the five good works in 1 Timothy 5:9-10 may feel overwhelming.</em><br />
<em>But we must remember that Paul was talking about what these widows had accomplished throughout their lifetime, not all at once. Giving themselves wholeheartedly to good works no doubt looked different at various times in their lives.</em><br />
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<em>For moms of small children, you are applying this verse every day, all day. As my husband often says “no one has a harder job than a mom with young kids.” This statement felt true to me when I had little ones, and now that I am watching my daughters mother their children, it rings more true than ever.</em><br />
<em>You may not be the first to show up in a crisis or do the most hospitality, but you are washing little feet all day as you humbly serve your family. I pray you know God’s pleasure in your faithful service. It is pleasing to him, and even though no one else may see, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt. 6:4).</em><br />
<em>I also know women who are eager to do good works, but despair because of limitations such as sickness, aging, a disability or a crisis. If you feel, “put on the shelf” as Charles Spurgeon vividly described it, then take his advice and pray for others. For there is “no greater kindness” you can do for someone. You may not be able to serve others in physically demanding ways, but you can still bring honor to the Savior through good works.</em><br />
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<em>We all have different capacities and gifts, and so we must resist the temptation to compare. This is not a competition. Every woman who sincerely serves the Savior gives glory to God. It all comes down to one question: Do I strive for a reputation of good works in order to reflect the Savior’s Good Work?</em><br />
<em>And remember this: When all is said and done, after we have spent and been spent doing good works, we must, as one wise man once said, make a heap of all our good works and all our bad works and flee them</em> <em>both to Christ</em>.<br />
Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-49448235098290370152013-06-13T10:57:00.002-07:002013-06-13T10:57:36.190-07:00Can You Do Me A Favor???Hey gang hope your summer is going great. <br />
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I had every intention of sending out an email about Father's Day and detail all the wonderful things I love about Terry Eugene Smith. And while he IS wonderful and I AM grateful I am now sending out an email to beg you to please lift our adoption to the Father. I am asking you to pray for us at 11:11 of every day. A.M. and P.M.! A long time ago I heard a man ask for prayer for the Jews to come to Christ at 11:11 of every day. I don't remember the reason only that it has been over 20 years ago that I heard it and it has STUCK still to this day. At 11:11, if I notice the time, I think to myself "pray for the Jews". My kids even know the story and will announce "11:11 pray for the Jews". Ok I am stealing the prayers meant for the Jews but are you really praying for the Jews and can't you, if you are praying, add us to the prayer? Any who....I covet your prayers in these specific areas<br />
1) Pray that God will be with our child/ children's safety. May they know we are coming. That they would be protected from predators, human trafficking, enslavement, and sex trade.<br />
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2) That God would be in the midst of the family connected to this child/ children. That they would know God is real and loves them because a family so moved by God's love and His rescuing redeeming power wants to show love to an orphan on the other side of the world.....And I'm crying now. I cry every.single.time.I.think.this.thought.<br />
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3) Pray for Ethiopia. The orphanages. The precious people. The government. <br />
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4) Pray....and this is bold....Pray God would get us to them. ASAP. That our papers (dossier) would get in the right hands....quickly. The governments offices there shut down from around July/August to October!!!!! Meaning our paperwork will be sitting there!!!! Our children too! This part grieves me so. Seemingly dead time is hard to swallow! If you have ever missed someone so much and longed to be with them again this is how we feel. Special moments come and we all feel as if someone is missing. The kids every birthday or occasion say maybe this is the last time we do this without them mom.<br />
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5) Pray that we will make the most of the waiting. That we will be excellent students of His word. That all 5 of us would grow where we need to grow and change what needs to be changed. That God would deepen our love for each other as we prepare to make room for more. OH HOW PRECIOUS!!!<br />
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6) And finally please ask God to open your heart. How does He want to use you in the cause for the orphan. Over and over in His word, Old Testament to New, He instructs His people to care for the orphan, the widow and the sojourner. Is He asking you to open up your heart, your extra bedroom, your extra bed? Is He asking you to give to another family who is called to adopt like He moved so graciously on others for us?<br />
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We covet your prayers. I beg you to pray. I pray that God would cause you to notice 11:11 like never before. Pray big for us. Pray we would hear news, see their faces. Hold them. Pray that as a lost world searches for real Christianity that our little, loud, crazy, imperfect family would show Christ. Thank you in advance, and as the psalmist says "I pray and then watch for you to move" I love you all. Happy Fathers Day. Hug your dad and tell him all the things he did right. And tell your Heavenly Father how you love Him and all the things He has done on your behalf.<br />
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Pressing On,<br />Carrie SmithCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-38315028556652729992013-03-28T09:44:00.001-07:002013-03-28T09:44:44.516-07:00Summit 9 blogger giveawayI am writing this post as part of the Summit 9 Blogger Giveaway to answer the question of<br />
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"Why I want to attend the Summit 9?"<br />
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In no particular order of importance....<br />
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1) Dennis Rainey is our hero and best friend.....(only he doesn't know it yet!)<br />
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2) Being in the same room with people who all have a heart for adoption and for orphan care would be... well, a little taste of heaven. This means no weird looks or questions like "Why do you want to adopt when you already have three children of your own?" Once your eyes have been opened to the orphan crisis it is so hard to go about your day normally ever again. A new normal day begins with opening your eyes and praying for your child(ren) that are not with you and your night ends with desperate supplications for those who are in such agonizing situations that they are faced with being unable to take care of their own children and the pain that accompanies the joy of adoption. Wrestling, wrestling, wrestling. Only those who have been on this journey understand all these emotions and tears. I long to be in a room full of people ahead of me, beside me, or behind me on this same road.<br />
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3) When God called us to adopt we became aware of such great need. We felt overwhelmed with numbers and statistics. We began to read every book and blog that we could set our eyes to. This led us to see that every church needs to be involved and mobilized, taking part in what is so important to our Heavenly Father. But we feel ill-equipped on the Hows. We know this conference is the answer to the Hows. For such a time as this has God raised up a people who will take His word seriously and bring Him glory and make Him known. We want to be apart of that.<br />
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Pressing On<br />
Carrie<br />
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-51495431579424949322013-03-18T07:55:00.001-07:002013-03-18T07:55:28.096-07:00You need only be still...I have always hated to hear a christian use the phrase "I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps." A) what are bootstraps any way and how do you pull yourself up by them? B) The theology behind pulling yourself up is all wrong for people who are followers of Christ. Now I realize it is just a saying and few people give any thought to the implications behind these words. But to me, to say this means there was something in our human nature that was able to rescue ourselves, or pull us out of a pit. As believers we know there is no good thing in us. No strength apart from the Father. Scripture says "He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the garbage pile..." Psalm 113:7. There is no power of positive thinking, no psychology to unwarp our sin warped minds. A couple of weeks ago I found myself in the mud. Or maybe a dark cloud. I could list a number of reasons of why I think I found myself there but the truth of the matter is it doesn't matter. I was just there. Stuck. I couldn't pray my way out, I couldn't read my Bible out of it. I was depressed and worn. I knew the truth but my mere knowledge did nothing for my state. Like a person trapped in quick sand the harder I fought the lower I sank. I could not pull myself up by my bootstraps. Thankfully Terry recognizing where I was, decided to take me away for the weekend. What Christ did through him I will never forget. Christ reminded me I only needed to be still. Terry began to read God's word over me. I sat very still and listened as the words of Philippians washed over my ears, my mind and my soul. Words like "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion....that love may abound more and more....do all things without grumbling or complaining...(OUCH) that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world holding fast to the word of life...our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a Savior who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body...let your reasonableness be known to everyone...do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I could go on and on. And as crazy as this sounds Terry read The Heidelberg Catechism. Now before you hit delete, hang with me. I realize lots of people shy away from catechisms. What began as a way for parents to teach their children the foundations of their faith somehow got twisted into that salvation can be attained by memorizing the catchism. But don't throw the baby out with the dishwater.... There is some wonderful truths taught in a simple way that for a mind troubled with thinking things through clearly, it can offer much hope. The Heidleberg is a warm-hearted series of questions and answers that remind us of what and why we believe what we do. I will not list all the questions but I do want to mention one that God used to clear my head. Question 1. What is your only comfort in life and death? A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.<br />
Seriously good stuff, right? I hope this rambling made sense to you. God taught me so much that weekend. We also went on a hike. A short but steep one. God spoke to my heart there too. Life is so much like a hike. One in deep woods. One where you have this goal at the end. One where there will be a beautiful view or a massive in your face waterfall. But on the way up you can't see a thing. And it is so hard that all you can do is look down. The trail is steep and covered in roots and limbs and pine cones and all sorts of hazards. So we just keep looking down. We look down so long that we get tired and want to stop it is so long we want to go back down. But your husband urges you on. The spirit urges you to press on. Then finally you make it to the top. And you look up and there is this beautiful waterfall and it is so close you get wet and you are so glad you didn't quit. That is life. Life is a long hard hike with mountains and vistas and waterfalls along the way between valleys and gulches. But and this is a big but the lifter of our heads is there with us. There are no bootstraps on this trail. Just Him. At times He trains our hands and fingers and feet for the battle and other times He declares He will fight for us, walk for us while He carries us, we need only to be still and silent. Whatever you are needing this morning, may you know Him, the lifter of our heads. <br />
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Pressing On,<br />Carrie SmithCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-73849177307226611582013-02-10T13:01:00.000-08:002013-02-10T13:01:11.423-08:00No Pain, No Gain....This world is not our home. Death is not our end, for those that belong to Him. Today, I am reminded that pain has a point, when we are His children. The words that cut deep. The wounds that seem to never heal, or worse, heal ever so slightly only to be stabbed at again. All serves to draw us closer to our Heavenly Father. Lifting our wounds to Him instead of licking them alone in the darkness of our soul. Darkness reminds us of our need for Light. No one likes to fumble around in the dark looking, looking for answers or hope. As daughters of the Light He shines to us, beckoning to not lay down in the dark, to keep straining ever forth His truth that brightens our hearts, minds and even our faces. Today in the midst of all these clouds that seem to be so constant lately Jesus shined His face on me and spoke to my heart. Pain has a point. Pain gets my attention. Pain makes me cry. I hate it, still. As long as I have been walking this narrow road, I still don't love pain. I don't guess I ever will. But today, the stinging began and I wanted to wallow in my pit. But then, after the tears came the familiar blanket of His love, the warmth of His grace. A warm glow from within that said "Pain has a point. It is never for no reason dear one. Never once have I let your tears fall unnoticed. Come closer to me. Learn of true forgiveness from me. Remember all I have forgiven you of. Oh, remember? Remember where I found you? Let me have this ugly pain and turn it into something beautiful for my glory....that's it....let me have it....go on....give it to me....there, there precious. I have you. I have this. Trust Me. I will never leave you or forsake you." Oh my soul how tears stream down my cheeks. This time not from the pain but from the healing. His most wonderful healing. This poor girl called and He answered me, again. Praise Him. Jesus I love you. Help me to love like you. Help me to take your light into darkness. Help me not to shrink back, because never once have you shrunk back from me. And I have been dirty and oh so stinky. Oh Jesus. My Jesus. Oh to stand before you and sing to you always. No this world is not our home and death is not our end.<br />
Press On <br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-73679029038773485642013-01-22T20:30:00.003-08:002013-01-22T20:30:40.514-08:00Parenting All WrongIt hit me like a ton of bricks just a few minutes ago....I am a parental failure! I have come to realize I have been parenting all wrong the whole time and I only hope God's grace will cover all my mistakes and fill in the gaps. I am ashamed to admit but feel compelled to share at the same time. Go ahead and call me "Crazy". Maybe in my confession I can prevent any of you who are behind me from making the same mistakes.<br />
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I am just going to say it real fast. <br />
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I have tried to prevent my kids from suffering.<br />
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It all started at the moment of conception. When I started backing off of caffeine and artificial sweeteners during pregnancy. Not wanting to hurt their developing brains and cause ADD or something. (which obviously didn't work) Those things were smart. But then came advice like "don't raise your arms over your head or you could wrap the umbilical cord around the baby's neck". What??? Now while I did not follow that little nugget I have found my self from infant to teen, trying to buffer, what the world outside my four walls could hurl at my 3, soon to be 4 little offspring. Obviously trying to prevent physical harm is right along with what my Heavenly Father would ask but as far as suffering period I think I have done them an injustice. News Flash kids: people are going to be mean to you. They are going to hit, lie, judge, spit, push, gossip and all other horrible things to you. Just as they did to our Jesus. All of this started out of a very pure motivation. I love them. And not to uncover all the stuff that I asked Jesus to toss, but my own growing up had a little more pain in it than I wanted for my own children. But now as I wade through these new waters called "gulp" puberty I think I have neglected the pure prize of suffering. A follower of Christ can not deny that never are we closer to the heart of God than when we are hurting. Over and over again God declares "I am close to the broken hearted". Please don't misunderstand what I am saying. I am definitely not endorsing chasing after pain or risks in order to draw near to God. I have simply discovered the joy in the pain that comes at a believer on this journey. And I do not want to over protect and deny my children of the shaping that takes place through the bumpy and sometimes harsh moments of life. At the ripe old age of 35 I can shout "I am grateful for the God-ordained suffering". For example, watching my parents divorce caused me to search for and treasure a Godly husband. Call me mushy but yes I still dang near swoon every day of my life with Terry Eugene Smith. (Get.Over.It. and go swoon over your man and quit making fun of me.) Trying not to sound cliche here but those gut-wrenching days made me who I am today. Broken. Redeemed. Healed. Yes, healed. He rescued me. He healed me. Tears flow from grateful eyes and a humble heart. Do I really want to pull my kids out of those moments? Only putting them around people just like them? Only putting them in situations where they will succeed? If so, where is their need for Christ? Even now Satan whispers this will be misunderstood. What kind of parent wishes pain on their children's lives? That is not what I pray for. I pray for Christ to heal their hurts. I pray for Christ to be their best friend when there is no one, not one. I pray for God to show through them His glory in the midst of victories, yes, but more often their humility. I pray that their testimony be potent to a hurting world. <br />
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Isaiah 61:1 is a prayer of my heart. That as my wounds have been bound and as I have been set free, that I may in turn be used to do the same. That is where the beauty of the suffering shines. Caleb, Grace-Ann, Jacob.....May the Spirit of the Lord God be upon you, may you bring good news to the poor; may you bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. .Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-40537032268914151132012-09-27T07:57:00.003-07:002012-09-27T07:57:16.643-07:00Hope is......Hope.<br />
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I have learned the last couple of months that "hope" is not something that can be conjured up in ones heart and mind. It is not something that comes from enough positive thinking or good ol honest effort. It isn't something that you just wake up feeling on a good day. That is not real hope. There is nothing in and of this world that can produce or bring real hope to a soul that is in a dark and lonely place. Sure there are a lot of things here that can bring comfort. Things like a hot cup of black coffee and a really, really good doughnut. A warm hug from my husband or my children. But the comfort that those things bring is fleeting and ends with the last bite or as soon as the embrace is over. I have learned and I mean really, really learned that the only place that real hope can be found is from our Father. Our God's Holy Spirit is the only voice that can speak and coax a soul determined on withering away within itself to come out and live. Sometimes I can get overwhelmed with the pain behind me and around me that I just want to crawl in a hole, retreat, isolate. Hopeless. I neglect His words, refusing to find comfort, I forget there has ever been any hope and surely none will come. Like someone who enjoys picking a scab and not wanting to be healed. But from that deep and dark place comes a whisper from my Lord. The only true lover of my soul surveys the rubble around me and beckons me to once again place my eyes on Him, that He promises to do a new thing, of which I have never seen. My past does not determine my future when my future is banked on Him. And just like that my soul begins to feel hope again. Not fake shallow hope. But real hope. Hope that is still there despite circumstances and hurtful words. And how did it come? Straight from His own mouth. Words that He has spoken and had written down seemingly just for me. You know I always write to you where I am. So if this seemed heavy I apologize but I have been heavy. I often have ideas for emails, ways to encourage you or inspire you, but always He is very clear about what I am to share. His message of hope has been burning in my mind like a hot coal that I can't find anywhere to put down. I feel I have been brought low, so low these last several months and found myself questioning where did my "hope" go? Is my hope real? True? Lasting? Afraid at times that this feeling may be permanent. But I have found Him more real and true than the situations I am in. So I guess through this email I want to offer if I can a little encouragement, for I can not offer you "hope" I can only tell you to go to The Word. There and only there will you find the hope you are looking for. We can sing about it. We can read inspiring books about feeling good. We can hire our own squad of cheerleaders. We can get a spiritual guru for crying out loud. But real hope is found in only one place. His Holy Scriptures. <br />
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“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.<br />Psalm 39:6-8<br />
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Please don't forget our Chicks and Chocolate is next Thursday, October 4 at the home of Lynn Bridges. It is going to be a special time as we learn about Muslim women and intercede for them in prayer. Bring a chocolate dessert and a scarf for your head and a towel to pray on. We are going to have a special speaker. You don't want to miss it, I promise!<br />
Pressing On,<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-71486001657938825432012-08-22T10:36:00.003-07:002012-08-22T10:36:23.565-07:00phones, mirrors and swordsTerry and I were just having a conversation on the phone that involved me saying " I would rather God continue showing me my sin, as painful as it is, then to leave me alone". These past two years of my life God has allowed His words to be a mirror. The kind that I had as a teenager. You know the mirror that on one side you look normal but on the other side every flaw is magnified. For several months God has highlighted all my sin. Sometimes it has felt like more than my soul could bear. But always the pain has been followed with grace and mercy and forgiveness. We have also seen Him move in really big ways. It seems that the Christian life is one of pain and blessing working hand in hand. Today I fight deep grief over an area of pride and cynicism that He has revealed that did not belong in one of His childrens life. Oh how it turned my stomach. Then the gratefulness of Him protecting me from myself. Protecting me from marring His name. With all my heart, soul, and mind I want to live for Him and bring Him glory, to make His name renown. But how much my flesh gets in the way. Several months ago I received an old book that likened this flesh and spirit tug of war to weapons. Our spirit being like a sword that needs to be sharpened everyday. Sharpening the spirit comes from time with Christ in prayer and the Scriptures. This sharpening of the spirit will result in a mouth that speaks kindly, sparingly, affirmatively and respectfully. I have wrote these words on my hand, on post it notes around the house, I may even get a tatoo of it! (Just kidding) So many of my sins fall into sins of the mouth. I just can't seem to shut myself up! These sins show up like big ugly zits in my magnifying mirror. I would bet it is safe to say some of you or women you know have this struggle. I would even say that there is an epidemic among Christian women not controlling their mouths. Never giving a thought to the words that stab at our children, our neighbors, or our friends. As women of God we are to be growing, changing and leaving our wretched sin habits behind. Sadly, too many of us sit on our salvation. Missing the blessing of watching Him truly change our hearts and minds. There has yet to be a more greater miracle than a changed life for Christ. This change is not complete until we take our first breath in heaven. May we all take our sin seriously. As seriously as Christ took it, all the way to the cross. There, He took our sins, nailing them to that cross. And daily that is where we are to take them, allowing Him to crucify them, and just as He was resurrected, so are we as we leave the flesh there. Painful, yes, very. Worth it, yes, oh so much.<br />
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As for our adoption we are attempting to send off the dossier this week. Dossier is just a fancy word for a big stack of complicated and costly paperwork. This dossier has been a thorn in my side for too, too many months. I had hoped and prayed that it would leave my hands in June, but God has His own time table. And for that I can honestly say I am grateful. He has Smith #6 already in mind and I must wait for Him to bring it about in His timing. Please continue to pray for us as we have shed many tears from the frustrating process. It is very hard to explain to a 9 year old why exactly we just can't go get this child who needs us, NOW!! Please continue that there will be no more hold ups with the dossier. Please pray for us to live intentionally as we wait for more of His plan to unfold.<br />
Pressing On,<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-88623888584709679292012-06-27T06:39:00.000-07:002012-06-27T06:39:19.340-07:00I'm learning to be the light....Morning girls! Hope you are all finding ways to stay cool!!<br />
Lots of reading, studying and discussing going on around my house lately about serving others. We have been using Christ's sermon on the mount as our example. Ouch! I must confess that I have always thought I was a pretty good servant. I really do enjoy taking care and serving my children and Terry. But yesterday Christ and His word put me firmly in my place about just how truly rotten I am. He showed me a picture of my motives for serving. I hate to admit I am fairly choosy to whom I serve. If it comes to serving someone difficult, I am not the first to sign up for that. Sadly, Christ does not give us an escape clause. He does not say serve the ones you love, like or appreciate. He does not say to love the ones who are like you. He doesn't even say serve all unless they hurt you then you can be excused. Nope! Christ commands love to all, serve all, be gracious to all, forgive all and judge none! I had a moment in the car where I was really giving Him a piece of my mind about these difficult people I was having to love and serve. Then, as only the Holy Spirit can do He showed me a picture of a missionary. A missionary who loved God and wanted to serve Him by serving others in Africa. This missionary gets to Africa and finds a group of people in desperate need of love and mercy and food. Only there are too many. So the missionary calls the group of people together and begins to divide them up. She first separates them into the clean and unclean. She dismisses the unclean. From the clean she divides them into pretty and not so pretty. She sends the not so pretty home. From there she continues to set apart those who have shown her gratefulness and those who seem apathetic. The apathetic are sent away. She is left with a tiny group of people to serve. But she can serve them cause they are easy and lovely and grateful and love her back. Sounds crazy right?? But that is a picture of what I do. SINFUL!! Christ showed me that when He offered me salvation I was ugly, ungrateful and dirty. I still am. In Hebrews 5, the Bible speaks of a priest being able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. There. I have been firmly and squarely dealt with. I have been convicted and set straight. God has spoken! To not repent, to not bend my knee and my will is not only rebellious and selfish but treacherous to those around me who follow after me, mainly my children. They are watching me serve those difficult ones. Am I serving with a right heart before them? Or do I feel I have been slighted and that I am entitled to better? What I must continually remind myself is I am entitled to hell, and nothing more, ever! I have been shown such kindness in the midst of my selfishness, how dare I not give that same grace to others. Who am I to declare who is worthy of "my grace"? I am building a city on a hill with a candle in it that is constantly being battered and blown by the enemy who wants me to come down off this hill and build a home all for myself in the dark. It is a fight against the flesh daily and we must never stop allowing our flesh to meet up against God's words. It is the only way we can move up that hill, to draw others to Him. Praise Him that He never leaves us to ourselves. Praise Him that He disciplines us before we make a mess out of every relationship within our reach. I share so personally with you because I want you to grow with me, to keep walking this way with me. So that we may all be a city on a hill.........<br />
Pressing On<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-50611072640095558752012-06-01T07:39:00.001-07:002012-06-01T07:39:41.268-07:00With tissue in hand I write...<br />
I have attempted several times to sit down and write of the recent events<br />pertaining to our adoption. Every single time I have been overcome with<br />emotion and unable to get my thoughts together. I feel like John when he<br />wrote in his gospel "And there are also many other things that Jesus did,<br />which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself<br />could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. "(John 21:25)<br /> But here I go again, in an effort to try to share with you the great way<br />God has moved.<br />Many of you may already know. You may have even been in the service two<br />weeks ago at GLBC. But for those of you who are unaware....<br /><br />Terry and I are blessed beyond measure to be a part of an adoption group<br />called Levi Circle. These people have a hot heart for anything that Jesus<br />had a hot heart about involving the orphan. When we meet, we leave feeling <br />renewed and energized to keep moving forward in this long process. This<br />precious group donated $1,000 to our expenses and challenged our church to <br />match this grant. What God did through GLBC is mind blowing. Grove Level<br />Baptist Church not only matched it but went beyond it, delivering an amount<br />of more than $11,400! I wish I could tell you that when our Pastor<br />presented us with the amount that I was able to hold my self together in a <br />> respectable manner....But that is not true. I was overcome with emotion of <br />> which I have never known. I still am. I cried and cried and cried. I <br />> sweated and then cried some more. We were hoping for $3,000. It was such <br />> a huge confirmation that indeed Terry and I had heard right from our <br />> Savior, that somewhere there is Smith child #4 or 5 in Ethiopia, waiting <br />> for us. Again I struggle here for words. Trying to convey the weight of <br />> His glory I felt that night and continue to feel when I wake and when I lay <br />> down every night since..there just aren't enough words in my vocabulary. <br />> The Westminster Catechism says that our Scripture says "Mans primary <br />> purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." That is what every day <br />> of our lives boils down to. Every movement, every relationship, every <br />> decision is to bring Him glory and there is inexpressable joy in it. Trust <br />> me, I know. I hope this email makes sense. It was a real struggle for me <br />> to get this down. The tears flow at the drop of a hat now. I am <br />> constantly swamped by emotion. How great a God He is. How small am I. I <br />> am going to end this FINALLY with words to a favorite song of the Smiths... <br />> <br />> Could we with ink the ocean fill, <br />> And were the skies of parchment made, <br />> Were every stalk on earth a quill, <br />> And every man a scribe by trade; <br />> To write the love of God above <br />> Would drain the ocean dry; <br />> Nor could the scroll contain the whole, <br />> Though stretched from sky to sky. <br />> <br />> <br />> Pressing On <br />> Carrie <br />>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-81491114720964334722012-05-19T14:18:00.000-07:002012-05-19T14:18:01.779-07:00They are weak but He is strong...Happy Saturday!!<br />
I find myself home alone....Yep alone on a Saturday. Unheard of around here. So I did what any respectful mother would do when she finds herself alone...I plopped down in the recliner (which I never get to sit in) and watched a movie. Or I tried to watch it. Half way through I stopped and decided to try a new recipe but it went too fast so then I had to clean the kitchen....and still no one home. In the midst of all this silence I wanted to share my morning with you. Lately, Terry and I have been described as "transparent". We have laughed, not really knowing if this was a complement or what. Is it good to share your weaknesses? Is it good to share with the world your many faults? Well good or bad, here I go again. <br />
This morning, as I stood in the kitchen making my family waffles...one.at.a.time...Terry and I had a moment of...um..intense disagreement...To say the least I was a little angry. We did this,spat, in front of the kids. Now, we do not argue much, really hardly ever, honestly. So that made the whole scene rather comical to the children, which Terry seemed to enjoy WHICH only added heat to my anger. In the midst of the battle I get a phone call from a dear out-of-town friend. I did not answer it at first but then realize I can escape the kitchen if I announce I needed to call her back. So I did. Only to find out her and her precious family are in my driveway!! Now I don't know how you live but as for me I was still in pajamas and my house needed more than a quick pick me up...but we all hurried outside to greet them. As we talked, they revealed needing to meet with our Pastor and "would it be alright if he stopped by??" Now? Here? Now? Sure! Why not? I mean we are transparent right! A few minutes later in walks the Reverend, himself, I think tripping over a pair of shoes and a toy snake! The Lord dearly loves keeping me humble. After they left, the argument was forgotten and we went on with normal stuff. Mowing, scrubbing, etc. As I moved about my house I couldn't help but laugh at how God orchestrates events in our lives. How very imperfect I am and yet He still involves Himself in my family's lives. These thoughts led me to praying for God to give me wisdom as I parent a child about to turn 13. YIKES! Strength to keep up with a son who is in constant motion. And more love for a little girl developing into a young lady. Can I do it Lord? What am I thinking, adopting?? Am I even raising these 3 right? Then the mail ran....Grace-Ann leaps through the front door announcing we had an envelope from Show Hope. We had been waiting on this letter for a really really long time. (Show Hope is a organization started by Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife to aid families in the adoption process) We had applied for a grant several months ago. Today of all days, the letter came. I collapsed in a chair and the family gathered round. Nervously I fumbled to open it and read the words "We are pleased to inform you that you have been awarded an adoption assistance grant..." I cried. I am still. Just like that God intervened in my life again. Why? I don't know. As I cried and kept crying Terry asked me what was making me cry so much. My reply was this "We have no idea what we are doing and yet He gives us more" How humbling. How amazing. We live in a world where the best get rewarded. The prettiest get showcased. The strongest, quickest, smartest get spotlighted. And yet God says let me find the most inept people possible and bless them. Love them. Sing over them. So that I may get all the glory. Our weaknesses reveal our need for Him. O how I need Him. If it suits Him for His pleasure to continually remind me and those around me (including wonderful friends and my Pastor) that I am incompetent...then so be it. For I have seen things never thought imaginable. I have smelled Him in my home over the dirty dishes and the stained carpet. I have felt His overwhelming, sweet presence be thick and real on a Saturday afternoon when I was home all alone. So I will chase Him all the more. As I type and cry at the same time I beckon you to chase Him too. If you are discouraged, keep going. If you are tired, collapse in His arms. May you see your limits, weaknesses, setbacks as Christ setting the stage for His presence in your life.<br />
Press on<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-83321771273141733822012-05-11T08:12:00.001-07:002012-05-11T08:12:30.161-07:00A quote for you superheroes..a.k.a THE MOM!Zippa-Dee-Do-Dah It's Friday and I have absolutely NO plans tomorrow! Isn't that great? I hope you have an equally exciting weekend as I do!<br />
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Our week was crammed full and I am so very pumped about having some downtime with my brood. Also, with the anticipation of Mother's day this weekend I can feel myself already getting teary eyed. Sunday night Terry and I get to share about our adoption journey and I can't help but find God's timing perfect...Mother's day. Along with that thought here is a great quote I found from one of my heroes, Elisabeth Elliot<br />
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“Mothers are always on call, expected to have all the answers and limitless energies. They’re supposed to do everything; it’s taken for granted. How can you be and do everything expected of you? What you need is a habitual sense of the presence of God. Think that Almighty God, who created the stars and keeps the seasons revolving in perfect rhythm, is there in your kitchen, in your bathroom, in the laundry room, in the grocery store. Mothers, be prepared for an arduous struggle. Your calling is impossible without prayer, the comfort and instruction of the Scriptures and fellowship in your church.”<br />
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And this is a truth that carries over into any season of life, any job, any role that is required of us. We can not expect success or blessing or greater power or more influence without His words and His people. God bless you my sisters. I pray you would feel His presence about your most tedious task today. May you have a wonderful weekend full of rest and refreshment, family and fun. And some really good food too!<br />
Press on<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-6070259369297937142012-04-27T06:54:00.000-07:002012-04-27T06:54:39.725-07:00Ramblings of George Jones, Friday and MeDo any of you recall the song by...um...George Jones..."Finally Friday"? No? Okay well it goes a little something like this..."It's finally Friday, free again, got my motor running for a wild weekend!!" That is how I feel. Well not that I am going to have a wild weekend, but I am really glad it is Friday. How about you?I hope you all are doing well and are looking forward to a great weekend with your family. <br />
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We have had a pretty eventful week around here as we got to mail off our i600A form. In adoption language that is a request to file for immigration and fingerprinting in Atlanta. That simple form was sent with a check for $890. I know there are those of you that would think that an insignificant amount. But for us it was a matter of faith and trust and God's provision. Several weeks ago I was very discouraged about that $890. I knew we would save up for it, but how long would it take? We continued to trust Christ and His heart for the orphan. Weeks went by and we had to continue to trust His words and that He would do as He promised. Well as I have already shared we mailed it this week. I am continually amazed at the ways God provides for my family. We are going to get to share in detail our story on May 13, in the Sunday night service. I tell you this just to remind you to stay in His word. His word is where we find our instructions on living this life, where we read what is important to God, and where we find our encouragement and comfort. I am convinced you can't live this life without it. Without our commitment to His word Terry and I would have more than likely quit this adoption journey, maybe even have quit each other. It has hemmed us in on more than one occasion. O how gracious He is! So, there, that is your ramblings from this chick, now go eat some chocolate and say YAY FRIDAY!!!! <br />
Pressing On,<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-84491116636831726432012-04-17T09:19:00.002-07:002012-04-17T09:19:43.265-07:00October BabyHey ladies, I just wanted to put an idea out and see what the interest would be. I don't know if many of you have seen or even heard of the movie October Baby but it tells the story of someone who was adopted and in her adult life researches her background. You can see the clip here<br /><a href="http://octoberbabymovie.net/">http://octoberbabymovie.net/</a>. <br />Anyway it is an amazing story and the people in charge of Bible studies have come up with one that I think is worth looking into. I am thinking this would be one that would meet in my home and be high school girls and ladies. You can research a chapter from the Bible study...here..<br /><a href="http://www.octoberbabymovie.net/ministryresources/octoberbabyresources">http://www.octoberbabymovie.net/ministryresources/octoberbabyresources</a><br />
Let me know what you think, if you are interested, train wreck of an idea, cool-but won't come... <br />
Hope you are having a great day....BTW have you been in the WORD lately??<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-28579934033569092522012-03-19T06:03:00.001-07:002012-03-19T06:03:03.550-07:00Good Monday Morning Girls,<br />
Below is a post from John Piper's Website desiringgod.com. It is a blog post from Piper. It describes exactly where I am walking lately which is fragile, tired and overwhelmed. I read this this morning and it was exactly the prod I needed to press into God and His words, a little deeper and a little longer. How blessed we all are to have His words that are there in times of victory and times of defeat. I hope this helps and encourages you also. Love you.<br />
Pressing On<br />Carrie<br />
John Piper- <br />There are mornings when I wake up feeling fragile. Vulnerable. It’s often vague. No single threat. No one weakness. Just an amorphous sense that something is going to go wrong and I will be responsible. It’s usually after a lot of criticism. Lots of expectations that have deadlines and that seem too big and too many.<br />
As I look back over about 50 years of such periodic mornings, I am amazed how the Lord Jesus has preserved my life. And my ministry. The temptation to run away from the stress has never won out — not yet anyway. This is amazing. I worship him for it.<br />
How has he done this? By desperate prayer and particular promises. I agree with Spurgeon: I love the “I wills” and the “I shalls” of God. <br />
Instead of letting me sink into a paralysis of fear, or run to a mirage of greener grass, he has awakened a cry for help and then answered with a concrete promise.<br />
Here’s an example. This is recent. I woke up feeling emotionally fragile. Weak. Vulnerable. I prayed: “Lord help me. I’m not even sure how to pray.”<br />
An hour later I was reading in Zechariah, seeking the help I had cried out for. It came. The prophet heard great news from an angel about Jerusalem:<br />
Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst. (Zechariah 2:4–5)<br />
There will be such prosperity and growth for the people of God that Jerusalem will not be able to be walled in any more. “The multitude of people and livestock” will be so many that Jerusalem will be like many villages spreading out across the land without walls.<br />
But walls are necessary! They are the security against lawless hordes and enemy armies. Villages are fragile, weak, vulnerable. Prosperity is nice, but what about protection?<br />
To which God says in Zechariah 2:5, “I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord.” Yes. That’s it. That is the promise. The “I will” of God. That is what I need. And if it is true for the vulnerable villages of Jerusalem, it is true for me a child of God. God will be a “wall of fire all around me.” Yes. He will. He has been. And he will be.<br />
And it gets better. Inside that fiery wall of protection he says, “And I will be the glory in her midst.” God is never content to give us the protection of his fire; he will give us pleasure of his presence. <br />
This was sweet to me. This carried me for days. I took this with me to the pulpit. I took it with me to family gatherings. I took it to staff meetings. I took it to phone calls and emails. <br />
This has been my deliverance every time since I was first marking my King James Bible at age 15. God has rescued me with cries for help and concrete promises. This time he said: “I will be to her a wall of fire all around, and I will be the glory in her midst.”<br />
Cry out to him. Then ransack the Bible for his appointed promise. We are fragile. But he is not.<br />
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Recent posts from John Piper —<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-3247798927312423082012-03-07T12:27:00.001-08:002012-03-07T12:27:44.533-08:00Happy Hump Day, All!!<br />
I am gonna jump right to the point today with something that first God convicted Terry and I about and since has burned in my soul. I just had to share my thoughts. The sin of grumbling. Grumbling. Big deal, right? Very big deal. Especially to a Holy God. The Old Testament records the "grumbling of the Israelites" and God's response to them. He sent Moses, manna, quail, and dry land. Yet, still they muttered in discontent. It was too hot, too cold. It was too lonely, too many people, not my kind of people. It was too hard, too boring. On and on they bellyached, griped, grouched, groused, growled and grumped. "Oh get it together you babies", we scream at our Bibles on our laps. Flipping the pages, but not before we roll our eyes at their lack of trust, faith and love in a caring Father, a huge God, an awesome Provider. We want to go to something more relevant. Something more now. Something that God would want to say to the "church" to "me". But wait, over and over Christ and the New Testament speak of instructions against not murmuring. Jesus calls out His disciples in John 6:16 for grumbling. Can you imagine being reprimanded by Jesus? Then in Phil 2:14 Paul says to "do all things without grumbling or disputing" Another verse even goes so far to say to "Show hospitality to one another with out grumbling" 1 Peter 4:9. Could Christ be telling US not to grumble?? "I don't grumble Lord" "Besides, if you had given me manna from Heaven I never would have grumbled" "If you had parted the Red Sea right in front of me, I would never have grumbled" "All you gave me was.....eternal life, pardon from sins....Besides Lord you don't know my mother in law, my mom, my co-workers, my friends, my husband, my kids, my church......you would grumble too Lord." Ooops, girls dare I say we have a grumbling problem. So what is a chick to do?? I have come up with only one solution and it is to SHUT UP! This week I was so tempted to blast off on some different things in the media that had ruffled my feathers, offended my convictions and just really ticked me off. I thought about several ways and places I could go about letting my feelings be heard. I wanted to complain of unfairness to my faith. A while ago I was privy to a conversation where someone blasted someone for having lots of kids. I wanted to shout that it was none of their business. I also had the blessing of being around some "dear Christian ladies" who belittled in a nice way what I do everyday. I wanted to spit back that what I was doing was indeed important! Thankfully, and O so gratefully my Jesus held my tongue. To my soul He spoke "will these people be won by your tongue lashings?" The answer was a resounding "No, Father" How then will a scandalous media, carnal Christians, and a lost world be won? Jesus says by our love, by our actions. Yes I suppose there is a time when a holy anger spurs us to say what needs to be said. That was certainly the point of the prophet of Old Testament days. But I couldn't help but wonder could my community, my world be changed by them watching me show Christ's love. What does this look like? Well for me it is staying home on one income, it is taking my kids to the grocery store with me and not grumbling. It is adopting 1, 2, or however many children from another race. It is working to stay head over heels in love with my husband. It is cooking meals for a couple in need of encouragement. It is loving the hard to love. It is giving till I am spent physically and spiritually. That is weird. That will get the "church" noticed. Not our programs, not our rules. Not our standards and convictions shouted at them. But faith fleshed out right before there very eyes!! I just want to encourage you girls the way Christ has shown me to SHUT-UP! :) To live Christ-like loudly. Like real loud. Like let your life scream...I LOVE JESUS!!!! From the words of Ron Hutchraft to face the hypocrisy between our spiritual image and our private (or public) trash talk. This way is so much harder. It is easier to talk. To yammer. But Christ calls for hard. Do hard with me. Go on, Shut up!<br />Pressing on,<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-58457381229258154242011-12-29T06:50:00.000-08:002011-12-29T06:50:26.611-08:00I am stained...Good Morning!! <br />
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I hope all of you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you were able to find some time to truly contemplate the wonder and miracle of Christ taking on flesh to save a lost world. <br />
If you have read my emails for any length of time you should know that after Christmas, Terry and I do our state of the family meeting. For the past several years we have set a night aside to devote to talking about our family's strengths, our weaknesses, our successes and failures of the past year and our goals for the next one. We haven't yet planned the night the official talk will happen but we have already started discussing what all the Lord has done this year. If I was to write a book about all the ways the Lord has worked, delivered, provided for our family, I am not sure anyone would believe me. It seems He delights in displaying His glory for the Smiths. I can honestly say we have done nothing special to deserve His favor. But yet His favor has been with us. The most awesome thing about that is He desires and delights in doing the very same thing for your family. I would love love to hear the ways He has worked in your family this year and any other year. You can go to the chicks and chocolate blog and add a comment for all to see what works the Lord has wrought. Chicksandchocolateblogspot.com is the address.<br />
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One verse that the Lord keeps bringing to my heart over and over lately is one I have shared before. James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Now, as you know we are in the process of adoption so this verse is very familiar to me. However, for some reason I have never contemplated the second part...to keep oneself unstained from the world. It hit me hard this week. How do I do that O Lord? One version says unspotted and another says polluted. It is so hard to not be stained by this world. It isn't something we can stay on the defense with. We have to be on the offense, moving forward against it. If we only combat this world when it hits us we will be caught off guard and maybe knocked down. Sometimes these stains are so subtle, so sneaky, so nice looking that we don't even remember being tainted. One of my children very recently said to Terry and me "Why does doing bad seem so fun or feel so good?" Gulp! Glad Terry was there for that one! The Holy Spirit has shed some light on some areas where I have been polluted. And it sickens me. As a matter of fact it kept me up last night. I got up this morning weary of trying to remove the stains. So spent that I longed for Heaven. As a parent I weary of keeping myself free of the trappings of this world but seeing my children become entangled can be more than I can bear. Oh how I wish I could be my kids Holy Spirit, I think. Doesn't it stink that they have a will of their own! But then there are those moments when you see them choose right, even when it is hard. Or when they come to you after reading "Search my heart, O Lord" and they feel they need to repent before the Lord and you. Could this be just a glimpse of what our Heavenly Father feels? The pain of watching us immerse ourselves in the garbage of this world and then the gut-wrenching, heart breaking confession followed by the joy of being clean, truly clean. Spotless, unstained, white as snow before our Holy God. I realize this has been an awful lot of rambling. Forgive me. But for some reason the start of a New Year and this verse of keeping myself unstained by this world are going together. Not sure if this will be our focus as a family this year or not, but it will definitely be something, I pray, work towards. More Him, less spots.<br />
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Pressing On,<br />CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-59464498898990155652011-11-25T07:43:00.000-08:002011-11-25T07:43:10.895-08:00chicks_christmas_flyer2.pdf<a href="http://webmail-classic.windstream.net/do/mail/message/download?msgId=INBOXDELIM42492&part=3&l=en-US&v=windstream">chicks_christmas_flyer2.pdf</a>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-5347276020606271652011-11-04T07:15:00.001-07:002011-11-04T07:16:48.188-07:002 Marks of a true follower of ChristRescue those who are being taken away to death;<br />
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.<br />
12If you say, "Behold, we did not know this,"<br />
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?<br />
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,<br />
and will he not repay man according to his work?<br />
Proverbs 24:11-12<br />
Everyday before I start school with the kids I read the Proverb for the day. I realize that while they eat that bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats or eggs and toast that they may not be tuned in keenly to what I am reading. But my prayer is that they will pick up on truths that will be planted deep, deep down in the well of their soul. Every new month we start over, reading the same ones over and over. But last month on the 24th those two verses struck something deep in my own soul. So I did a study on them. Turns out that what those verses are referring to are two-fold. <br />
First, it is directing that as true followers of God we are to care for those who are suffering. When God reveals a need to us, when He lets us in on a plight of some form we are to do what we can to relieve that person. The orphans of course come to my mind since that is where we are walking. But of course it is for the widows, the poor and homeless, the tired and weary, the hurting. There is no need to pray God should I help, the prayer is HOW can I help. Does He want me to provide food? A hug and encouraging words? Money? My home? My time? We are His people bearing His name. We can not sit by and say "But we did not know". God perceives our hearts, He holds us accountable. We are to lead the way to bandage the broken and hurting, "to hold back those being taken away to death, those stumbling to the slaughter". Never have I seen such hurting world-wide, never have I seen so many chances to be God's hands and feet. It can be overwhelming. God help us to be focused on where You are at work and give us a discerning heart to MOVE and DO!<br />
Second, the verses point to rescuing those being taken away to death through a life of sin. If we see someone stumbling to the slaughter, taking a path that will lead to their demise, we are to ACT. Again we can not say "Behold we did not know this." People are all around in droves marching to their graves in need of a Savior. How dare us not invest in their lives. We must. God says. The times in which we live demands us to measure every activity against His word. True followers of Christ must de tangle themselves from the world and pursue people. Now, am I saying we are to quit all extra curricular activities and do a mass evangelism door to door every day all day?? No of course not! We must though change the reason we do them. If you take your kids to ball use this as an activity to reach out to your community for Christ. Meaning get involved in their lives. Build relationships. Don't just invite them to church, even though that is great. Do Not just give them a tract even though that is good too. Learn their hurts, their background, go to dinner with them. Speak truth into their lives. If you work, that is no longer just a job, a way of providing for your family. It is now a battlefield where you seek out the ones the enemy has injured and lied to and you are escorting them to the path of life. This includes our Christian brothers and sisters. We all have stumbled onto the wrong path and need help and encouragement coming back.<br />
I feel like God has shown me that this is a true mark of a true follower. We can not simply declare His name, or accept His salvation. We must do, obey what He says. And clearly He has spoken.<br />
I hope I didn't bore you with rambling. God has convicted me about all this lately. It is where I am walking. May God change our hearts. I pray He speaks to you clearly too. May He stir us to ACT and SIT NO MORE!<br />
Pressing On,<br />
CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-20550239998352154642011-10-14T07:02:00.001-07:002011-10-14T07:02:48.907-07:00Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore and MeSo....have you heard? Apparently Ashton Kutcher cheated on Demi Moore!!! Demi Moore?! Who in their right mind would cheat on Demi Moore? One would think there is no hope for us all if Demi Moore couldn't keep her man happy right?? Wrong! This news supports mine and Terry's theory that affairs are never about the sex or the looks. Oh sure that aids the process, but really it reveals an affliction of the heart. A longing to be filled that is rarely ever just physical. I have experienced despair of the soul. A longing for things to be made right. For peace. For love. For justification. Every time a situation occurs that hurts or wounds me or someone I love, I question "Lord, how do I handle this? How do You want me to respond?" Oh sure I experience anger, frustration, sorrow, the want of revenge. But the Lord has taught me in the midst of these emotions to seek His voice otherwise I make a bigger mess. Just now I was alone doing laundry. Ahh, alone. Rare moments of a home schooling moms life. Anyway, I was thinking. Have you ever noticed the way us women can think of two things at one time? This was one of those moments. I was mulling over a situation my family is dealing with and questioning God with the whys. At the same time I had praise music going and I was grateful that I had spent time in His word this morning and how it comforted me. Then I had one of those times when God shouts over my thoughts and the noise. He said "See, Carrie. All of these trials, all of these tear filled days of the past and present have created in you a longing for Me and My Word." Yes. Yes it has. We all have longings. We can let them be filled by Him and through Him or we can turn to the world for fulfillment. The problem with the world, as we all know, doesn't fill. It doesn't last. It creates a bigger longing. More darker and deeper than before. Remember Jesus at the well with the woman. I am the woman at the well. You are the woman at the well. You may not be an adulteress, or Ashton Kutcher, but you have longings, troubles, unmet desires. He offers the water, the truth, His Spirit. What will we choose?<br />
Dear Father help us not to miss the grand point of this life. To know you, glorify you and enjoy You forever. My heart aches God. My sisters may ache. May we bring our empty jars to You and no one else. We may never know the whys of this problem or that but we know the Who. Amen.<br />
Pressing On,<br />
CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620968744450276145.post-10633166508102462452011-10-05T06:53:00.000-07:002011-10-05T06:53:35.681-07:00God give me strength to give something from nothing....This morning Terry and I had what you may call "intense fellowship" Not big, not loud, but disagreement. Now God has really been working on my heart lately, especially my anger. I just heard some of you gasp.."Carrie struggle with anger"??? I know you all thought I was perfect!:) But I do. Big ugly bad temper. I would love to blame this on my dad but God took that excuse and smashed it. I struggle with anger cause I am a big rotten sinner who likes everything to go my way all the time. I say when, I say who, I say how! You get the picture??? Anyway, this morning after we had "had words" I had a decision I had to make....Was I going to make this husband of mine breakfast like I always do or was I going to toss a cereal bar at his face on the way out the door? God whispered...and I knew I had to let Him have control of me and this pot that was boiling. I decided I was going to cook him a BIG breakfast! Your right God lets KILL him with kindness. Then God whispered again...but it was hard to hear over the slamming of pots and pans and cabinet doors. Eventually He got through. Was I going to cook this breakfast in the right spirit so my kids could see Christ working through me, so they could see a love for their daddy that goes deeper than any spat, so they could see commitment to a covenant that God ordained. Well I am not sure they saw any of that but I felt an overwhelming blanket of peace cover me from head to toe as I gave in to Christ's prompting. The issue between Terry and I was not resolved, but I had not sinned in my anger. Christ working in me provided that big beefy husband of mine with grits, eggs and toast for his day. And He had slayed the anger beast in me! This led me to start pondering all of life's inconveniences and all the excuses we make about falling short. I have been guilty of losing my temper with my kids and blaming it on them when really it was my poor time management, home organizing skills or the fact that I had slept too late for a quiet time with the Lord, that stressed me that made me lash out. We say we don't have the time, strength, energy to do the tasks that He has clearly set before us. And we don't. But with all my heart I believe that if our priorities are in line with His and we come up short of time, strength, energy, resources, patience, love, faith, forgiveness that is where He wants us. Beyond ourselves so He gets the glory. He fills in the gaps and stretches us farther than we ever thought we could. It was not Carrie who got the praise or glory. Not I who did it right. Not I who got the credit as I handed that shocked man of mine his plate. But Christ. O sweet Christ working in me. Me, a busted, broken clay pot. As I type, I am moved to tears that someone so perfect didn't give up on me. Didn't wash His hands of me. Didn't say to God "we have convicted her of her temper for the last time. She just doesn't get it". No, He stayed till I got it and is teaching me a new song. Oh, how I love Jesus. I want to urge you to give beyond your means today with me. If there is someone God has told you to love, forgive, spend time with and encourage and you have put it off, don't any longer. Give out of your shortcoming. Give out of your fatigue and your empty bank account. (Use wisdom, of course) And watch Christ use you for His glory.<br />
By the way....we made up! (Terry wants to aggravate me more often!)<br />
Have a great day!<br />
Pressing On,<br />
CarrieCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157991513313996485noreply@blogger.com1