My Blogging Hiatus

To say I have been experiencing a writer's block in recent days and weeks would be an understatement. Every time that I have sat down to post on my blog in recent weeks, God has had other plans for me. I literally have had my fingers on the keyboard, but nothing came!

Prior to the last time that I posted on my blog, God had begun continued convicting me about the amount of time that I had been spending on blogging, emailing, FaceBook, television, etc. Even as I sat down to comment on all of your precious blogs, the words would not come. So, that being said, I have taken some much needed time off from blogging to listen to what God had to say to me. 

It turns out that God has been trying to teach me more about listening to His voice. Being able to discern His voice amid all the "noise" that this world has. This seems to be a recurring theme that God has had with me, because apparently I am a very slow learner.

I wanted to share just a little of what the Lord has been doing in my life in my blogging absence: 

• He has reminded me that I am to come apart from all the noise and confusion of this world and spend time with Him.
  

• He has reminded me that I am to come to Him with anticipation - eager and expecting to hear His still small voice. 
  

• He has reminded me that I need to stretch my spiritual earlobes so that I can hear Him better. He speaks loudly enough and clearly enough for wide open ears to hear!
  

• He has reminded me that even when I do not see Him or I do not hear His voice, He is still working. He is ALWAYS working - even when He is silent!
  

• He has reminded me that I am to sit quietly and wait for Him to speak.
  

• He has reminded me that His ways are higher than my ways and that if I could explain all the "whys", that He wouldn't be God! 
  

• He has reminded me that what I really believe is reflected in my personal conduct.
  

• He has reminded me that his grace empowers me to say "No" to worldly desires and ungodliness.
  

• He has reminded me that my prayers need to be more about Him and less about me.
  

• He has reminded me that He is much more interested in my holiness than my happiness.
  

I want each of you that read my blog and comment on it on a regular basis to know how very much I have missed you.  I have met some wonderful, godly women through my almost one year of blogging and you have become an important part of my life.  

I also want those of you that have blogs that I read and comment on regularly to know that even in my absence I have continued to follow many of your blogs.

Please pray for me that I would be obedient to what the Lord would have me to do in my life.

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." 

James 1: 25

Calling All Prayer Warriors

One of my sweet blogging friends, Laura, sent me an email this week asking me to pray for a very special young man, Reggie, that was involved in a terrible automobile accident earlier in the week. Reggie has a collapsed lung, is in a coma and has severe swelling and pressure in his brain.

I have met so many amazing Christian women through blogging and I believe in the power of prayer. I am calling on all "Prayer Warriors" to go here to read about Reggie and to please pray for him and his family.

Laura posted an update on 05/07/09 with some very specific prayer requests for Reggie's condition. Reggie's mother has been signing on to Laura's blog to read all the encouraging words and prayers for her son. What a great opportunity we have to lift up this young man in prayer and also provide encouragement and strength for his dear mother.

Please add this young man to your prayer list and go here to let his family know that we are praying for Reggie.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. 

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!

Please pray for Harper, daughter of Kelly and Scott Stamps.  She was born Friday evening in AR and they have determined that she has pneumonia. She is in critical condition and has been flown to the NICU of a hospital in OK. 
Please pray for this precious family and go here for updates.
PLEASE DON'T STOP PRAYING!

2009 - Hiding God's Word

I can't believe that 2009 is already here, but I am excited about what God has planned for me and my family this year. 

I had recently been thinking about starting a scripture memorization plan with the new year and then I read this post and decided to commit to do one year of scripture memorization with Beth Moore. I think that the accountability of doing it with other ladies will be an encouragement for me to stick with it for the entire year.

I've gotten my cute little spiral bound index cards and and I am ready to make my first entry for 2009 with these verses:

Proverbs 4:20-27 (The Message)  

Dear friend, listen well to my words;  

tune your ears to my voice. 

Keep my message in plain view at all times.  

Concentrate! Learn it by heart! 

Those who discover these words live, really live;  

body and soul, they're bursting with health.  

Keep vigilant watch over your heart;  

that's where life starts. 

Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;  

avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. 

Keep your eyes straight ahead;  

ignore all sideshow distractions. 

Watch your step,  

and the road will stretch out smooth before you. 

Look neither right nor left;  

leave evil in the dust.

I have enjoyed getting to know so many of you this year and I look forward to getting to know you even better in the coming year.  

My prayer is that God would richly bless each of you as you seek to know Him more this year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Prayer Request

My Mother has had a hiatus hernia for almost as long as I can remember, but it has recently begun to cause her a lot of pain and shortness of breath.  After having some extensive tests and scans done, the doctors have determined that her hiatus hernia is behind her heart and is quite large.  The opening is so large that her entire stomach has moved up into her chest!  The doctor said that he needed to operate ASAP as it is likely that her spleen and colon could also come up into her chest.

She is scheduled to have surgery on Monday morning and the doctor plans to move her stomach back down where it is supposed to be and suture everything in place. He also plans to try to close the opening in the esophagus to make it smaller. She will be in the hospital for approximately 6 days.

The cardiovascular surgeon doing the surgery is Dr. Travis and my mother's name is Jeanne. Please pray that everything will go smoothly with the operation and that Mother will have a speedy and complete recovery.  She is very nervous about the surgery and she is also worried about her husband during her time of recuperation because he can no longer drive due to macular degeneration.

Faith and I plan to leave tomorrow morning to drive to GA to be there for the weekend prior to her surgery and will return home next week.

Thank you in advance for your prayers!