Thankful

We have had a wonderful Thanksgiving visit with my mother-in-law. We have spent the week in the absolutely beautiful north Georgia mountains. 

Pictures from the front porch!

Stephen has three very young half-siblings (Noah 9, Leah 6, and Samuel 5). 

We were so blessed to get to spend time with them this week. We even got to go to Samuel and Leah’s basketball game on Tuesday night.  However, I am pretty sure the kids were more excited to see Oscar than us....

Samuel and Oscar

Noah and Oscar

I know my husband hates that we live so far away from them. He wishes he could be more involved in their lives.

Stephen and Leah enjoying some pumpkin pie.

As I have watched my husband interact with them this week, it makes my heart swell. He has been so intentional about sharing the Gospel with them. I have watched him explain sin and its penalty, the holiness of God, and the provision made in Christ. Even though they have not been receptive, it was beautiful. In addition, he led us in a time of family worship on Thanksgiving day. 

So, as I count my blessings this Thanksgiving, I am so thankful for my husband and my marriage. It is awesome to see my husband passionate about the gospel and worship leading off of the stage. As I watched him this week, I can’t help but think of this as a preview of what is to come when we have children. I know he will strive to make the gospel the center of his parenting. I absolutley cannot wait to raise children with this man. 

The whole gang.

Worship Prep

I am seeking a heart of worship.

Tomorrow is Sunday.  Sunday means corporate worship.

Since I am married to the Pastor of Worship, I believe I have a special responsibility to prepare my heart for worship. I am a far cry from an A+ in this subject, but  it is a very strong conviction of mine. How can my hubby lead anyone if he is not leading his wife?  I Timothy requires that an elder manage his own household; therefore, my responsibility is to be manageable and lead-able! 

I can’t do anything about anyone else’s heart, but I can get on my knees before God, reflect on scripture and repent of my sin so that God will cleanse and prepare my heart for worship.

I pray you will do the same, prepare your heart to worship your maker corporately  with your body of believers. Tomorrow, I want to forget about everything and everyone else and devote everything I am to the praise of my Father.  

Meditate with me:

Psalm 84

¹How lovely is your dwelling place, 
       O LORD Almighty!

² My soul yearns, even faints, 
       for the courts of the LORD; 
       my heart and my flesh cry out 
       for the living God.

³ Even the sparrow has found a home, 
       and the swallow a nest for herself, 
       where she may have her young— 
       a place near your altar, 
       O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house; 
       they are ever praising you. 
       Selah

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you, 
       who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baca, 
       they make it a place of springs; 
       the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

⁷ They go from strength to strength, 
       till each appears before God in Zion.

⁸ Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; 
       listen to me, O God of Jacob. 
       Selah

⁹ Look upon our shield,  O God; 
       look with favor on your anointed one.

¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts 
       than a thousand elsewhere; 
       I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God 
       than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield; 
       the LORD bestows favor and honor; 
       no good thing does he withhold 
       from those whose walk is blameless.

¹² O LORD Almighty, 
       blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Worth It

Ministry life is not always easy. Yet, there are special moments in ministry that I am both blessed and humbled to get to witness. These special moments make any difficult times worth it. Today, I would like to share with you ten things I love about being in ministry.

1)      Seeing people “take up” their "cross" and follow Jesus.

2)      Hearing testimonies of God’s power and provision in people’s lives.

3)      Being able to pray for individuals' hurts, struggles, and healing.

4)      Seeing people grow hungry for the Word of God.

5)      Having spiritual and theological conversations.

6)      Seeing people experience authentic worship.

7)      Talking with people about what they are reading in the Bible.

8)      Seeing people change the music they listen to and the books they read.

9)      Watching people realize and answer the calling God has placed in their lives.

10)   Developing precious friendships that will last for life.

Because of these things (and many others), I am beyond thankful to God for my life as a minister’s wife.

The Water is Rising.

Over the past few days I have almost gotten used to seeing people with moving trucks parked in their front yards. As I complete my afternoon runs, I see people throwing laundry, furniture and other belongings in the back of vehicles. I know many of the houses in my neighborhood are empty or being emptied. Preparations are being made for worst case scenarios.



On May 22, the Mississippi is projected to crest at 64 feet (it was originally 65 feet, and has dropped Praise the Lord!). This is six feet above the highest crest in recorded history, which was during the Great Flood of 1927. At 64 feet, the river will be about 21 feet higher than the elevation of our house, and will be 4 feet from the top of the levee. We live about 6 blocks away from this levee.  The levees are expected to hold strong, and it is expected that there will be no flooding in our town. Still, the list of things that could go wrong is scary, and has set many into panic mode. Some people are moving everything out of their houses and across the river to Natchez which is at a much higher elevation (about 190 feet higher than Vidalia).




The river at 53 feet. It will crest at 64 feet on May 22nd.

 

The whole thing became very real to me on Wednesday, when there was an unplanned after-school meeting for the teachers. In this meeting, we were told of the evacuation procedures in the case that an evacuation happened during school hours. Also, we were told that school would end two days early. I was advised to move my textbooks and important supplies to the top shelves in my classroom. As I moved my textbooks to the very top shelf, it hit me.....Wow, this is real.

 

So, I began precautionary measures.......I have packed up my pictures, keepsakes, and non-replaceable items. The laundry basket that they are in will be sent with some sweet friends to their home in Natchez on Sunday along with some of Stephen’s guitars.  We will take a couple pieces of furniture to another location. We have a place to stay across the river, should there be an evacuation. I plan to stack the remaining furniture in the house as high as possible should we have to leave. So, there’s the plan.




My basket of photos, keepsakes and important documents.

 

During all this planning I have realized much. In the past, I have been quick to say I would leave everything and go to the mission field should God call me. But, the prospect of losing everything to flood waters revealed that I was more materialistic than I thought. Maybe materialistic is the wrong word, and it is more like idolizing comfort. Losing my stuff did not bother me as much as the hassle it would be to replace it. I was concerned with comfort and convience.

It is interesting to think about how your actions reveal your beliefs.  I don’t want to be someone who is anxious about “stuff” as I believe that stems from a lack of faith. I don’t want to claim that I know God will spare us, because I don’t know his plan. But, I do know that I want to trust in Him. I want my actions to reflect my trust. I want to trust that He will reveal himself through the outcome, no matter what happens.  A song by Laura Story says it best:

"Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?"

Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer, and our city had a gathering at the city hall. As you can imagine, the attendance was high and the flooding was the main topic of the prayers. I did not get to attend, because of work. However, today I read a quote in the Natchez Democrat taken from my husband's prayer at the event.

 “Even if we are under 15 feet of water, you are the same God,” he said. “You are the same God in the sunshine and the rain.”

I don't know what will happen. But I do know this: God is still good, holy and just. Not because the levees hold, but because He is God.

As I type, the water is rising. I pray our faith rises too. Not “faith” that God will give us what we want, but faith that He is good and will provide for us what we need, no matter what happens.

An Awesome Sunday Night.

Last night, we had the iMiTATORS, our church’s high school drama team, over to hang out. It was such an awesome time. Stephen led us to do something called the “encouragement seat.” We all sat around in our living room, with one chair in the middle. Randomly, people took turns sitting in the middle seat. While they sat there, it was everyone else’s time to offer encouragement to that person. This was an absolutely beautiful thing. We laughed, cried, and shared. The neatest part was the fact that it was a bigger blessing to offer encouragement to someone than to receive it yourself.

I shared with the entire group last night that they were one of the “perks” of our ministry here.  I thanked them for letting me be a part of their lives. I have watched several of these high schoolers take their faith to the next level over the past year.  I have seen God bring some of them though incredibly devastating circumstances, but seen their faith strengthened as a result. The best part of ministry is seeing God change people’s lives.  I am so humbled to be able to see that happen.  Nothing compares to seeing God’s power radically change someone.  I am so blessed.  

Biggest Insecurity

I can’t sing, and I am married to a worship pastor.  While it is easy to say that a music minister’s wife is not expected to be “musical,” the zillions of times I have been asked, “Do you sing?” or “Do you play the piano?” reveal that there is at least a small expectation that I, as the wife of “the music guy,” must also have a talent for making melody. But, I don’t. And this is my biggest insecurity.

Now, you may be thinking, don’t you sing in the choir? You are correct, but believe me if it were an auditioned group I would be the first to be “cut.” I only sometimes hit correct notes and I sing a little of every part. Don’t believe me? Well, just ask the poor souls who have to sit by me each week.

Sarcastic joking aside, this is an area of insecurity and envy that I have fought for a long while. Even though I am not musically talented, I love music. I love to sing. But, no matter how hard I try, I am just not good at it. I took guitar for a semester in college. I just couldn’t get it.  Even as a little girl, I remember my mom trying to teach me a few things on the piano, but it never clicked.

When we were first married, I said things to Stephen like, “I bet you which you had a wife that you could sing duets with.” He looked at me like I had three heads, as if that idea never crossed his mind. But, the enemy sure had me convinced otherwise.

All of this insecurity reached a peak a few months ago when I got “that question” once again.  A well-meaning individual approached me after church and asked, “When are you and Stephen going to sing a special together?” As I am used to doing, I smiled and told her I didn’t sing very well.  But she continued, “Oh I bet you do! I really want to see you two sing together.” Once again, I tried to convince her that I was not blessed with that gift. She would not let up. Stephen had walked up during this discussion, so she turned to him and said, “I bet she sings beautifully, doesn’t she?”  I felt the blood rush to my face and my eyes start to burn with tears.  Stephen paused awkwardly for a moment, and I think the woman realized her mistake.  He responded, “My wife sings from her heart.”

I went home and cried. I listened to the enemy tell me I wasn’t good enough and that I was an embarrassment to my husband. I vented a lot of anger towards God, asking things like, “Why did you make me this way?”, or “Why can’t I sing like so-and-so?”  I pleaded with God to just give me some sort of musical talent, and I promised that if he did I would use it to bring him glory!

God really used the story of Moses to grow me out of this funk.  When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, Moses offered up a list of excuses why he couldn’t do the task. Moses’ last excuse was, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue." Moses was telling God that there was something wrong with the way he talked, much as I had complained about my singing.  God responded, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” 

I was humbled. I realized that my attitude was totally sinful. I was saying that God did not know what he was doing creating me the way I am. Repentance was in order. So I confessed my sinful attitude and asked God to transform my mind in this matter.

God revealed to me that our singing is less about how we sound and more about who HE is. I know now that God is not concerned with how our sacrifices appear to men, but is concerned with the condition of our heart when we give our offering. I know now that my husband never had a duet-partner on his “What I want in a Wife List.” I know now that God has a place and a plan for me, and my voice!

So, here I am, saying so-long to this insecurity. I will sing anyway. My security is not in what my voice sounds like; my security is in the Grace, Mercy and Awesomeness of our God. HE is the reason that I sing.

Blessed by Special People

God has more than blessed us with so many friends here in Vidalia. We have grown to love and care for so many families. It is not easy living so far from our loved ones, but those of you who treat us like family make the burden a bit easier to bear.  If you have ever shared or provided a meal for us, bought us a gift for a birthday or Christmas, or even just spent time with us (think Dominoes, Settlers, or Quelf), please know that you have been an immense blessing to us. 

Making and keeping close friends is not something at which I am skilled. Several experiences have “taught” me to keep my heart guarded. However, it is something I am trying, with God’s help, to improve.  I know that relationships are important to God, and they can be the framework for spectacular ministry. Lord, please help me be a better friend!

I just wanted to take a moment to share about some of these special people. I know none of them want the “spotlight” but I am so overwhelmingly grateful that I had to write about a few of them.

The Knapps  - Where to begin? Settlers, awesome meals, trip to Texas, hauling our IKEA office furniture, hunting, and hand-me-downs are all so appreciated!  Una, I will never forget that conversation we had in the church office when you encouraged me to pursue teaching. I needed it! Thanks so much for all the love you have showed “Stephen Powell” and me!

The Randalls-  We love y’all dearly. Thanks for gumbo, fried fish, fun times at the lake and sharing your Christmas “family time” with us.  Kassi, you are my little sister away from my sisters and I am so thankful for you.  I am going to miss you so much next year.

The Welchs – Your generosity has never ceased to amaze me! Whether it was taking Stephen hunting, inviting us over for delicious food, or letting me use the workout room, you have shown us so much love. Thanks for all you have done for us; you are one very special family. Taylor, we are so proud of you and love you so much! We will miss you next year.

God has recently brought a new “group” of people into our lives. These are some folks that have just recently began attending our church. These people have been like a fresh breath of air to our ministry, and we have loved getting to know them.

Teressa Renolds – Teresa I love your heart for worship. I know this a direct result of your love for Jesus. I admire you for unashamedly worshiping God. Also, you have a mighty, mighty gift of encouragement. People like you are so appreciated by ministers and their wives.  Thank you.

Alethia Lawrence – Girl, you rock. Thank you for the invites to your house for get-togethers (we still have to have a firework party).  I am inspired by you.  You remain positive, and devoted to the Lord despite the many recent trials you have faced. Your friendship means so much to me.

The Pettys– Ok, the list could go on and on, but, in short, thank you for caring about us.  I am overwhelmed at your generosity. Encouragement, afternoon chats, meal, music, hunting, Zumba, guitar, prayer, and love. Thanks!

And this, my friends, is just the tip of the iceberg. I could have wrote on and on about the people who have touched our lives. We are so blessed to be a part of FBCVidalia. We love all of you so much!