Atlanta Summit - Part I

A few weeks back I was asked to speak at a christian women's event in Atlanta, Georgia. I have learned to always give the same response "If the Lord wills, I would love to be a speaker at your event. I will pray about this and get back to you." I do this for three reasons. First, my life is in God's hands. I have surrendered my life to Him to do with me as He pleases. I have removed myself from the equation and it makes it easier to say no if that is the Lord's desire for me. Secondly, my husband is the Lord's covering for me. We have to make decisions together because we are one. Everything I do affects him and vice versa. Plus, we have to think about the boys and what is best for them. My husband is not my father. His role is not to boss me around or make rules for me. He is the leader and protector that the Lord has established in my life. Stuff just works out better and the Lord is pleased, when we are on one accord. Trust me...I've tried to leaving him out of "my" decisions and God convicts me every time!Thirdly, not every good thing is a God-thing. Not every opportunity is for me either, Lord knows that there are a gazillion people that could have been asked to do this event. Who am I?? If God decided to allow me to be chosen as a speaker and my husband is agreed, there must be work there for me to do and I take that VERY seriously. When God sends you on an assignment, you best believe that He will pave the way!

I began to pray and to rehearse the logistics in my head. I also kept telling myself that it would not be the end of the world if I couldn't go. I have been invited to events before that I have declined, but this one already "felt" different to me. I believed that it was God's desire to send me so I acted in faith and sent in all the information that was requested of the speakers. I prayed some more. I informed my husband and I waited for his response. And I waited and waited and then he said.....no. GULP! Ummmm,,,what hun? So what do you do when your husband says no? You pray and pray and cry and pray like I did.

"Lord, pleeeeze touch my husband's heart. If this is truly Your will let him see it and hear Your voice. I don't want to nag. I will not beg. I want to be a picture of grace. Nevertheless...let Your will be done in Jesus name."

I prayed a hard, honest, heartfelt prayer to the King who holds my husband's heart. I even whined to God cuz he can take it. Lol! Then the next morning, I was over it. I refused to pick it back up off of the altar. I treated Maurice with the same amount of love and respect and did not give him the cold shoulder. Then almost 12 hours later, miraculously, he changed his mind!! Glory to God!! I praised as hard as I had prayed. Then doors began to open. Remember that thing I said about being on one accord...yeah! So, I needed to be off of work for an extra day. No problem they said. I needed someone to take the boys while Maurice was busy. The Lord provided a volunteer. My travel arrangements failed and I suddenly needed a last minute roundtrip flight. It was offered to me! I am a living witness that where God guides, He certainly provides!

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Yielded

Are you yielding? What is there to show for your christian life? Watch this quick word about yielded and submission from a different perspective.

Answering My Call to Discipleship

Words like discipline and discipleship have gotten my attention lately.

I long to be Jesus's disciple and to disciple others. My spiritual gifts are varied. I have the gift of mercy, teaching and leadership. I find myself as a nurse instructor and lecturer today. Recently, the Lord has put it on my heart to teach more in the church. Now THAT is out of my comfort zone. However, I am the bondservant of the Lord so I will do as He asks. The Lord reminds me that I am already ministering online (see Maurice, Anita N You - Interactive Bible Study on facebook) and in song (see www.tru-image.org or Tru Image and Tru Image Lifestyle Ministries on facebook). I have taught in front of groups of people before, but teaching the Word of God takes another level of faith. I feel the weight of responssibility to teach with integrity. The Lord had me going to nursing school, then put it to a halt and is sending me to evangelists and teachers who are mentoring me and training me to teach. Woah!

So, I am now in school online to learn how to teach the Word of God. The Lord reminded me that I prayed for instructors and mentors when he told me I would teach. Some interpret this gift as pastor-teacher, but I see it as two different gifts. The bible clearly says that the gifts of the Spirit are varieties and diversities of the operation and administration of gifts (I Corinthians 12:4-7). So there you have it! I also covet the gift of healing. O to have that spiritual gift! Anyway...I digress.

Discipleship is the goal for every christian. How can you say that you are growing in Christ when you still drink milk (Hebrews 5:12) and are not married (ie. committed to Christ (Luke 14:26-33) and multiplying (Matthew 28:19)? To go and teach is the same as making disciples. A disciple is a follower of God. However, my call is to make and to teach disciples to make disciples. God clearly told me to homeschool his children. I interpret that to mean that I am to teach those who are saved and those who will be saved. I am starting with my own chidren.

There is GREAT opposition to those who are disciple-makers. If the devil can steal the seed of the Word of God he has won a battle. He will, however, NEVER win the war! So, I am also learning to battle as a princess warrior in the Kingdom of God. Training is tedious. It basically involves forcing my flesh into submission to the Spirit so that God can use me 100%. I am studying the characters of the likes of Job, Daniel and Stephen. Again....not in the comfort zone. That is one way that I know I am in God's will. This is so NOT my idea!

Please pray for me men and women of the Most High. Pray that I will die daily to my flesh and clearly discern the voice of my Shepard (John 10: 16, 27). My goal is to walk by faith and not by sight.

Today, I rededicate my life to Jesus Christ. My life goal is to go and to teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever He commands me. He will be with me always, even unto the end of the the world.