A Day to Remember

....and CELEBRATE! This is long so please bear with me. I promise that the Scripture alone will be worth it! Oh, how I love God's Word!

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of my husband, Bob's home going to glory. Some of my family were able to join me at my church today when I shared a brief testimony about Bob and about Who God Is and ALL that God did two years ago in our lives bringing healing of every kind, both physical and spiritual - to Bob - to me - to our marriage - to our children and to the many who God allowed to participate in all that God's agenda held open for us!

JESUS turned Bob's life around in the last 124 days that he breathed on earth and then God took him home - to Glory - to be in the very Presence of His Savior, Jesus Christ! What a day that was and we remember with tears of grief, tears of sadness, tears of victory, and tears of great JOY! Bob's last word spoken was [one of] his grandson's name - JYDEN - which means Jehovah-Jireh = The LORD will PROVIDE!

Today was special in another way. I had the privilege of being commissioned today - being sent off to Mexico. I will be speaking to Pastor's wives about discipleship among women in the church at a Mexican Pastoral Staff Conference in Tamazunchalie, Mexico, in only a few short days. I am going with a missions organization called: For The Fame of His Name.

As I shared today - this is completely out of my "comfort zone"! But God knows that. God spoke to two dear friends [Bible study mates] that told me that God will be my "Security Blanket" - and that I was "going with God alone - as all I need."

We had a special missionary speaker today - Barry Jordan, who is presently in the USA teaching at Nyack College. What a blow away message he had for us. But the bottom line was that "This World - Is all about GOD." HE takes front seat - HE leads - and we follow after we give Him that place in our lives.

I could spend all day writing Scripture after Scripture about God - that have been significant in my life over the past 3 years, especially what I shared as my commissioning verses from:

Isaiah 6: 1-8
Isaiah's Commission
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

This is also a day to remember because 3 years ago this month I heard Beth Moore speak at a Simulcast from Psalm 126. Though I did not understand that entire chapter at the time - God made it clear that I was to memorize every word of it. By Thanksgiving, I knew it and repeated it over and over. God was faithful as He continued to show me more and more about the deep meaning in that Psalm.

I call it my Psalm of JOY and PROMISE!

Psalm 126
A song of ascents.
1 When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed [restored to health].
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
6 He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

When my fears came flooding in last week about stepping into the unknown God reminded me of this passage - the very one that speaks about my earthly Promised Land! Oh, praise God for His Word. It gives us all we need to live a life of godliness.

Joshua 1
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

No matter what we encounter in life - even the death of a spouse or the death of a child or parent or sibling - or financial ruin - or illness - or abuse - no matter WHAT - He is there and will see us through those "impossible" circumstances. He tells me over and over, "keep your eyes on ME - and take them off your circumstances." Just like in the flood I had in my house a few weeks ago. It was hard as I went through it - but just when I called out in desperation to the LORD - He sent forth all the help I needed to turn it all around for good - and for His glory! Only God!

Having most of the church lay hands on me today along with some of my family and many Bible study partners was beyond belief - yet the day of Bob's celebration service I spoke this last Scripture from:

1 Corinthians 2:9-10
9 However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him"—
10 but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. [all Scripture emphasis added]

God faithfully continues to reveal what my mind and heart cannot conceive! This journey of the abundant, victorious life - I'm in it with JOY for the long haul - no matter how hard - because none of it depends on me. God doesn't need me for anything. HE is the one doing all the work - He just allows us the privilege to participate! Awesome God!

Choosing JOY in the new journey ahead and going FEARLESS with God,

Stephanie
[Led Home by the Shepherd]