Reaching Forward: Things I Learned at General Conference

I have spent the past week in humid Hot Springs, Arkansas listening to preaching from the greatest pastors/preachers/teachers I know, testimonies from the most inspiring missionaries, and the laughter of my sisters and best friends. Weeks like the one I have just experienced are the kind that change one's life, that spur one on to good works, and inspire one to make changes. Here are just a few things I learned at the Associated Brotherhood of Christians General Conference:

1. You can't reach forward with your hands behind your back.
2. "The real mother never divides the body (1 Kings 3:16-28) As the church we should all be more kingdom minded and work together!" Pastor DJ Shoulders
3. Anointing flows when your ego goes! Get over yourself and God can use you.
4. If people would get busy rowing the boat, they wouldn't have time to rock the boat.
5. "If you don't have God in your temple, you have the devil in your temple" Bishop Billy Shoulders
6. Evidently my sister Christina can speak Japanese... that's a lie. She can't, but there was a twelve year old girl at the conference who could speak Japanese... kind of.
7. There were two questions asked in the beginning: 1. Adam, where are you? 2. Cain, where is your brother? The two questions are the same today: 1. Where are you in your relationship with the Lord? 2. Where is your brother? We have to look out for each other. -Bro. Bobby Lowery
8. Change is the only thing in life that is certain. SO STINKING TRUE.
9. According to the main speaker of the week, Rev. Bobby McCool, there are two attitudes we must always have: 1. A thumbs-up attitude and 2. An "It-might-as-well-be-me" attitude.
10. When its really quiet you might hear a rat licking ice. (This is the actual context of this statement: Bro. McCool was preaching and said, "You guys just got so quiet I think I heard a rat licking ice!" Christina laughed for a good ten minutes... during his sermon....)
11. We should make it as easy as possible for sinners to get into Heaven. I mean, we shouldn't give up on salvation, but all that extra stuff. Does it really matter? No.
12. Your butt might also be called "the backside of your lap"
13. We are under obligation to feed God's sheep.
14. If you have been redeemed, you ought to inform your face.
15. God is not worried about his position, he is worried about yours.
16. Jesus had the first night vision goggles.
17. When Jesus steps into you boat it will SHOCK you how fast he gets you to shore.

This isn't all... I can't even begin to describe the amazing things God did during this conference and everything I did learn. Well, I could, but once I start I might not be able to stop. Anyways, conference was so fun. The services were fantastic, but it was great to just be in fellowship with so many brothers and sisters in the Lord. I made so many new friends and grew in so many friendships I already had made. There was such a great spirit of unity throughout the whole week.

Just one more thing I want to share: Number eight on my list states, "Change is the only thing in life that is certain." My life is about to change drastically. Actually, change is on the horizon for my entire family. First of all, summer is over and my sisters go back to school on Monday. My baby sister Jessica is starting high school... she's the last one. My sister's boyfriend JJ is moving from Michigan here to Kentucky. That's huge. And one of my best friends in the whole world is most likely moving... into my house. Talk about exciting! I will be starting school in four weeks, which throws me from staying up late and sleeping late and going to church into staying up late, going to class, working, studying, and going to church, along with other random responsibilities. I hope my blogging is not affected, but it may be. Anyways, that's not the point. There's more: my family has just gotten the opportunity to open our own business, my dad's dream come true, but it will be a ton of work. Finally, and most importantly, change is coming to our church. Revival is about to start. Its the greatest thing ever, I am so excited, but its going to take a lot of dedication and commitment. But hey, that's what "Reaching Forward" is all about, right?

Oh How I Love Tichina- A Picture

Just so you know what she looks like :)

With my sister Christna

"I can't go back to yesterday--I was a different person then." -Lewis Carroll

Oh How I Love Tichina

This summer we brought home a guest from Camp Mulberry, she has been living with us for the past month and my my my it has been an adventure. Our house guest's name is Tichina Wheeler and she is from Arkansas. She is the same age as my sister Christina. Here are just a few "quotes" from the fun times we have had thus far:

After Christina fixed Tichina's hair last night:

"Girl your hair looks like Ruby Bridges right now." -Christina

"Now your hair looks like Halle Berry's when she ain't got no weave!" -Christina

After Christina and Tichina took surveys in a teen magazine to figure out why they can't get boyfriends:

" I told you before! Only dogs like bones, real men like curves. Fat is back!" -Tichina

"Snitches end up in ditches with stitches" -Tichina to Jessica after she told on her for trying to choke Christina

At the movie theatre:

"What did these people order that's taking so long?" -Christina "Jesus, and they ain't got none!" -Tichina

"WOULD YOU PLEASE KEEP THE NOISE LEVEL DOWN?" -Tichina to woman with two kids that wouldn't shut up

Lets see, there are so many other things I could write. Tichina is hilarious, and she is a close match for my sister Christina. The two of them together is ridiculous. Tichina found out very quickly what it means to watch movies with my family, that we eat all the time and rarely sleep, and when we do sleep, we do it wherever we can find a free bed. The first Sunday she was with us, we left church service and went straight to another... still not sure what she thought about that. Tichina has a crazy contagious laugh that she is trying to tame, I hope she isn't able to do it much longer, cause I miss it. She's also brutally honest, but I guess we all need a little of that sometimes, though it mostly just causes she and Christina to have to "fake" fight all the time. 

All in all, I love that girl, and though she named this post herself, I'd have to say I agree.

I am Blessed!

So things are definitely looking up! Here are the reasons I am blessed today (and always :))

1. The Bowling Family concert on Friday was so fun and sooooo good! I posted some of their songs yesterday. Growing up, I didn't want to accept the fact that all my family listened to was Southern Gospel, but now I appreciate it so much. It just sounds like home to me, and the words of the songs are so good. I don't know, check out the videos. I hope you enjoy them.
2. The outdoor worship service yesterday was totally awesome. Just more confirmation that even when I think I'm in control (and when I know that I'm not) God is always in control. ALWAYS. He blows my mind. So, on Saturday, all day I was freaking out, thinking that it was going to rain and that the kids weren't going to have fun and that they would think "outdoor worship" was corny... blah blah blah. Then a couple of things happened: 1. Joseph totally called me out on my attitude, which was amazing because it was what I needed and 2. I realized that I was really not in control and God totally was. So the kids all get there and they are hanging out and eating and then we all sang and several kids gave their testimonies and it was so awesome. My sister Rebekah shared her story about how she was a victim of bullying (kind of) in middle school, and my friend Kiara gave her testimony, talking about everything from fitting in at school to her parents' divorce. It was so good and so appropriate for the students who were there. Worship totally broke out after Kiara's testimony and students were just crying out to the Lord right there in my front yard. Amazing!!!
3. Another reason last night blessed me so much was because I realized how great it is to have friends who love the Lord as much as I do. There is just nothing like being in fellowship with people of like faith. 
4. Today I was in church services ALL day long. I went to our church this morning and then my friend Kait and I went to Joseph's church this afternoon and then I went back to our church tonight. And I tell you what, when I walked into church tonight I was so tired, I could barely stand. I just didn't even want to try. But I tell you what, the Holy Ghost totally broke out during praise and worship. God really did a major work in my heart tonight (I will have to write about that later). Then Bro. Josh's message about freedom was phenomenal. It was exactly what we needed to hear as a church and I think everyone was really blessed. People were on their face in the altars. Musicians were stepping down from their instruments to pray through and freedom really did fall in the sanctuary. It was great.
5. I have been really worried about a lot of things lately. You probably know that if you have read my past few posts. I am still worried, but the peace of God has really taken over today. Its a good feeling.
6. Next Sunday I am going to Arkansas for a week for a church conference. Its kind of like a vacation. I can't wait!!!

The Bowling Family "I Still Glory In The Cross"

The Bowling Family "Tell Them That I Love Them"

Perseverance

I tweeted earlier that this has been the most ridiculous week ever. It was the truth. I don't even know where to start. I have so many thoughts right now and I want to vent, but I don't know how appropriate that is for this blog. I think I'll do the bulleted-list thing.

~The week started out... oh goodness. All day Monday I was worried about the rest of my life. I know that sounds so vague and so dramatic, but its the only way I know how to put it without going into details. Seriously, I have been praying for direction for several weeks now and I really have felt at peace with where I am and what I am doing, but then things started happening to make me question it, and I didn't like it. I still haven't figured it all out yet, but its not really my job to worry about tomorrow. Monday night at prayer meeting, I just went up to the altar and laid all my worries there at the feet of Jesus. I don't plan on picking them up, though I have been tempted to do so all week.

~That was kind of heavy, so here's something a little better: I went shopping today (I am such a girl) I got a really cute shirt/cover/vesty thing that I don't know how to describe for six dollars. SCORE! I love getting a bargain. Its like my absolute favorite thing in the world. Plus, I think all girls can concur that buying ourselves something makes everything better.

~I have been slacking on the consecration thing. I am so ashamed of myself. When I was preparing for the first week I started the Monday before because I was so excited, last week to prepare I started on the Thursday before. Today is Friday and I have not started. Yesterday I had enough of a fleeting thought about preparing to make myself feel guilty about it, but not enough to do anything. But I did start today, so that's better than Saturday at midnight I suppose. 

~One of my best friends in the whole world, Kaitlyn, is here from Arkansas and Rebekah and I met up with her yesterday to have lunch and hang out. It was amazing getting to have much-needed girl talk and all of that good stuff. We stayed up entirely too late last night finishing up the giggling and fun stuff as well.

~Our kitten, Tom Tommy, is about two months old and he loves water. Its weird. Sometimes when we're in the pool we put him on a float and he just floats around, then jumps in. But its okay because we are there to rescue him. Well today, we were in the pool and he was just sitting on the deck watching us, and out of nowhere jumps right in the pool! And couldn't get out! I was so scared he was going to drown, but Rebekah got to him in time. I hope he doesn't jump in when we're not there... that would be bad.

~I have a serious issue. I cannot cry. I haven't cried in a really long time. Its not good because I am stressed a lot of the time and I think its due to my no-crying problem. There are times in my life when I just think, "This is when a normal person would cry" but I can't. My eyes get watery... sometimes, but never are there any tears. Monday I cried for the first time since... well, probably since Amanda died. And it was only like three tears, I consider that crying like a baby. How horrible is that? I've actually prayed about it because I really want to cry. I feel like I am a rock. Emotionless. Except I feel it inside and I want to cry... I don't know.

~We watched the movie "Tangled" this week, the one about Rapunzel. It was such a cute movie. I loved it. 

~I really want to get married. But it really scares me too. I guess that's normal, but it may have been a little much to tell the whole world. Oh well. 

~I just read this verse and it really encouraged me: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because the trying of your faith produces perseverance and perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-3 Wow.

Katrina

I love this girl! She's one of the pastor's daughters in BG, and this is a great pic!

"How beautiful to learn that grace isn't fragile, and that in the family of God we can fail and not be a failure." -Gloria Gaither

The WILL of GOD

I have this theory, but you might think I'm crazy. Recently I listened to a sermon by Francis Chan in which he talks about the "WILL of GOD." To some people the will of God is scary, and I guess in some ways it is scary. I mean, what if God doesn't want for our lives what we want? What if He wanted us to give up everything we love and call our own and go live in African jungles or in the middle of a trailer park or a cardboard box in Mexico? Ha. I don't think that's what really scares people about the will of God. It's definitely not what scares me. What is scary about the will of God is the little things: what if I don't make as much money as I could because God doesn't want me in the posh office job? What if I have to move a couple of states away from all of my family and friends? What if I have to give up my dreams for God's dreams? What if I don't get the house, the car, and the 2.5 kids in the American dream? Now that, to some people, is scary.

Then there are people who are on the totally other end of the spectrum when it comes to the will of God. These are the people who cannot even decide what restaurant to eat dinner at because they want to be "in the will of God." That example is a bit drastic, but seriously, there are those of us who really do that. I say "those of us" because I am guilty. I have gotten in the mindset that if I want to be used by God I have to be in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. I have broken up with boyfriends because of the "will of God" (which I do think was the right thing to do haha) but I have also missed out on great opportunities because I was too busy looking for the will of God to realize that he could use me right where I was. My uncle Greg is a great Sunday school teacher and he once said, "Sometimes we miss wonderful opportunities from God because we are too busy waiting for what we think He should give us." Greg's lesson that Sunday was about being less of a "reactionary," someone who just moves when God moves, and to be more willing to take action.

This is where my theory comes in. And don't take me the wrong way, I'm not trying to step on the toes of anyone's doctrines or dogmas, I just really believe that whatever we do, "in word or in deed" as long as we do it in the name of Jesus, we are going to be blessed, God is going to use us. The word tells us that God uses willing vessels. I think this means that he uses people in every walk of life, no matter what they might be doing. I don't think its a matter of "God show me where you want me to go" but rather, "God, here I am, use me." That's my prayer. I know that God made me who I am for a reason. Here I am, a twenty-year-old college student. I go to a small country church. I want to be a teacher, a wife, and a mom someday. I think God placed me here and gave me these desires because that's the way he wanted me. So why would I question what He is going to do with my life? I think too many times we believe, like the first person I described, that being in God's will requires sacrifice, and maybe sometimes it does, if we are hanging onto things for selfish gain, but often times I think we forget that God loves us and wants to bless us. 

I just imagine, as God's child, how much I love him and how much I desire to please him and do good things for him, but moreover, I realize that his Word tells me that he loves me so much more, so wouldn't that mean that he wants me to be happy? One of my favorite psalms says "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Whoa. Does that sound like anything anyone has ever told you about the will of God? Probably not. But its true, because if you are delighting yourself in the Lord, chances are, your desires are the same as his. And he will give them to you. 

Sunflowers are my favorite

Taken in my Grandmama's garden

True Worship

Today begins week two of consecration. This week I am focusing on practicing truth, knowing the Word of God, and acting on it. When I went to share this with my Sunday school class today, something totally different came to me. The whole thing with "practicing truth" is the verb: practicing. All week we read the scripture, we pray, we fast... but for what? Everyday consecration means nothing if we're not building up to something. The whole purpose of my doing this, personally, was to see revival in my own life. I wanted my Sunday school class to do it because I want them to see revival in their lives. I want us all to do it together because I want to see revival in the church.

So I thought this morning about Moses. The book of Exodus is all about Moses leading the children of Israel out of the hands of Pharaoh and slavery in Egypt. He does that in chapter twelve of Exodus, but the book has forty chapters! What's going on? All 28 chapters following the delivery of the Israelis are what get to me every time I try to read through the Bible. Its all about preparation; its all about getting the tent of meeting, the tabernacle just right. I mean even the little headings above each section tell us: the table, the lampstand, the altar, the candles. There is so much detail, so much that had to be done... for what? The last few verses of Exodus tell us that after all of that preparing, after every little measurement, every nit-picky detail, the glory of God was so thick in the tabernacle that Moses could not even enter in.

That's the whole point! Why do we pray, fast, read our Bibles? Because that's what God rewards, that's what he wants for us. Because after we spend so much time preparing, we should be so encompassed by the glory of God that we cannot stand it! And its not just about the church. Yeah, it would be really cool if the presence of God was so thick in the church building that people couldn't even walk in the door, but his presence, his glory should be that intense in our lives, in our bodies, which are the temple of the Holy Ghost. We should constantly feel his presence, people should feel Jesus when they talk to us, when they walk by us. Good grief, after Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost his shadow healed people! How awesome! And we have that potential!

Something my grandad said this morning in church that really struck me is this: there are different types of people in the world. There are people who are active. They are involved, they have energy, they constantly do things. And there are people who are spiritual. They are mindful of the presence of God, they seek his face, they worship him. But what we should strive to be is a third type of person: someone who is spiritual, but active as well. In John 4:24, Jesus said there would come a time when true worshipers would arise. People who would worship in Spirit and in truth. If the Word is God-breathed, then it is Spirit and obedience to the Word would be worship. And the word tells us that today is the day of salvation, today is the day of God's favor. So rise up and bless the Lord!

Its 1 a.m.

Why in the world am I still awake?!?!?!

I cannot answer this question. Surely I am not "caught up on sleep" or something crazy like that. I'm dog tired. I bet if I were to lay my head down right now I would fall fast asleep... nope, didn't work. I have tried everything. I facebook stalked several people. I pinned wedding decorations and funny quotes on my pinterest board until the site failed, I read the college problems blog until I realized I was laughing too loud and other people are asleep, and I even tried just staring at the ceiling. HA. The problem is my body is tired but my mind won't shut up. So here I am, blogging. I'm going to try to make this an intelligible post. Here are a few random things I have been thinking about lately:

1. Revival

I think about it all the time. In fact, I dream about revival. Seriously, last night I dreamed I was singing on the praise team at my church while people just poured into the church. I know its going to happen.

2. High School

I don't know why I have been thinking about high school today. It is my least favorite thing to think about. It started when we went to BG and passed by my high school. My sister Christina's friend from Arkansas is staying with us for the summer so we drove around the school to show her Christina's stomping grounds. This reminded me of all the horrible things I hate about the worst four years of my life. Haha, it wasn't that bad, but seriously. It was.

3. That guy at Walmart

Okay, seriously, this deserves a post all to itself. There is a guy who my sisters and I met about a year ago at walmart. I think he may be mentally retarded, but its hard to tell. We saw him several times then he disappeared. He reappeared last week. I don't know his name or anything but I really need to see whats up with him because he remembers us I am pretty sure. This is really bugging me. 

4. WKU

I have to go back in just a little over a month. I don't want to think about it, but I have been today. Especially the past hour or so. I keep thinking about my new job, but mostly all my friends who I haven't seen since school has been out. Gotta fix that. I think I have been thinking about it because I was in BG today.

5. Vacation

No such thing exists in my life. But I wish it did. I'm dreaming of cabins in the mountains and beach houses. I don't care where I go at this point. I just want to go.

What I'm Reading

Who reads Lamentations to get encouraged???

Usually, not me... but I have been lately and God's been using it! Check this out:

3:21Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

22Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

23They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

24I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

25The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

26it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

27It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.

28Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.

29Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.

30Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

31For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.

32Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.

Just because I love this picture and he's soooo cute and I miss him right now :)

Oh, and to keep you updated!

Consecration

Consecration is such a big, scary, church-y word.

And I haven't been able to get it out of my head since Camp Mulberry. Its been pounded into my head like a nail with a hammer and it will not come loose. But it's okay, because "consecration," as scary as it may sound, is changing my life.

So what is it? When I got home from camp I looked up every place in the NIV Bible where the word consecration was used. It was mentioned in several different contexts, but I came to find that most often to "consecrate" is to dedicate or to commit. In Leviticus 20:7, the Bible says "Consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy." In Exodus, when Aaron and his sons were made priests, the tent of meeting, or the sanctuary of God, as we might call it today, was consecrated by the glory of God through sacrifice and through worship. Paul tells Timothy to consecrate himself by the word.... so here I am looking through all of these scriptures and what does it tell me??? Something very simple: Consecration is just a "big, scary, church-y" word for "PULL IT TOGETHER AND DO YOUR BEST TO BE LIKE JESUS!!!!"

God said, "Consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy." Be holy because I am holy. Do it through worship, through reading the word, through prayer. Consecration is a lifestyle. Its a way to be on fire for God and not be luke-warm. Its so easy to get caught up in just living like a Christian and not really striving to be more like Christ. We say we want to see revival in our churches, but we do not experience revival in our own lives.

I was so convicted about this that I have started to make changes in my life. I think I mentioned this a couple of entries earlier, but after I decided to make these changes, I included my Sunday School class in on it. We have a calendar of things to pray for, fast from, and scriptures to read every single day. And I may not have seen souls won to the kingdom, or people healed just yet, but I can feel the waters of revival being stirred. I feel the Holy Ghost in my own personal walk with the Lord more than I have in months. I think we totally and completely underestimate what simply doing something will accomplish. Just read your Bible. Just pray, really pray everyday. Its not that hard and it is life changing.

Toe Art

It's summer, we were bored, and Jessica is an artist :)