Portion of 3 Months

It has been a while since I wrote down anything for the blog.....That was not such a shock because I write a ton in my thoughts but they never make it to paper or computer. So I guess I'll just pick a place to start writing and try to highlight some major areas in life since November 2012.

We sold our house in Conway and moved over Thanksgiving to Greenbrier to stay in my in loves house till we found land or a house. They actually put their house for sale so we could show it for them thinking ti might take a while in this market. So we showed the house a couple days before Darrell and I went on our 20th Anniversary Sailing Trip which we took exactly a month early on Dec 2 2012. While we cruised around the BVI the house sold and our kids began frantically looking for us a place to stay. We have awesome kids, family and friends. On Dec 26th we moved to an apartment back in Conway......while it iced/snowed and officially everything but a few toys and clothes went to storage. You see we started the "things in storage about 2 years ago preparing to move quickly. Funny I heard God right I just didn't have the right time frame or number of quick moves in a row right : )

We are currently waiting to close on a house in the spot that Darrell and I looked at when Kimber was 2 and didn't have enough wisdom or faith to buy land up on the Mountain. Funny side note our pastor actually lives on a portion of that original land we stood and prayed, dreamed, and desired but walk away asking God to let us come back later when Kimber was healthy.  It took 16 years and just down the street a little but we are closer now to that dream spot!

Our 20th Anniversary Trip was so amazing. God gave us rest, began redeeming time in our hearts, minds, and marriage. I wasn't sure I would enjoy the being a working crew while on our anniversary but it was perfect! We made new friends, got reacquainted with our love for each other and the water, and I fell absolutely in love with the BVI and sailing to explore all the places that you could only get to by sailboat or dingy.

Our family has been preparing for a new adventure to start for a while. God has been encouraging us to simplify so we can go to where he sends us. I was able to soak up the refreshing winds that are blowing me toward a new role in life. While I wait for God to open the doors I am able to reflect on the beauty of that trip. I know that our new adventure has begun and what an amazing time it will be with the Lord!

As we left to return home I told Darrell " let's do this trip again with friends at least 1 time a year if not 2"
So if you are looking for a different vacation that is so unique look into a Sailing Adventure Cruise with David Colborn at 4theheart.org

There really is so much I could write about spiritually from Nov until now but I am not really sure what is relevant to you and just for me so I will just ponder those in my heart for now.  

I did however enjoy praying for an event that came to UCA not that long ago, Dutch Sheets and Clay Nash did minister and teach. It was very powerful and God has big plans for His Kingdom. I have never been to anything like that before and so I enjoyed the learning parts that the Lord allowed for me and I have many things to search out now. I really do enjoy seeking the Father and all he has to show and teach me. 

I am currently working on getting Kimberlyn's graduation celebration in order for May 2013. It is so surreal that our daughter who I laid down at Jesus feet and said she is yours live or die tomorrow is about to graduate and go off to college. This weekend she is in Miss Teen Arkansas International while her grandparents move their stuff to Texas. Such a busy time but yet we are peaceful, resting and waiting on the Lord for our everything.

For those wondering about the Everyday Edison top 10 has not been announced yet and we are prayerfully hopeful it will be soon. NLC Family Camp will be in June again in Gore, OK. I guess that should give a ton to think about so I am going to go try to sleep. Oh yeah and it snowed today in Arkansas on the first full day of spring. How crazy is that?

Have a lovely weekend!

Sonya

NLC Pastor Appreciation Lunch

  Would you like to show the NLC Campus Pastors how much you Appreciate them?
Then sign up at the with the link below to help on December 13th. 

(You can drop off your item or stay and serve.)

Sign UP now for NLC Pastor Appreciation

Today, I give up

I give up.
I have finally come to that place of empty of myself and totally completely dependent on Jesus. 

I know that most of my life I have thought of those 3 words as negative fighting words. I have been seeking, resting, soaking up the Lord for a few solid years now. But last night in middle of the restless night I truly surrendered. As I laid there the sweetest tone whispered Thank You for giving up. 

I love how one of the things I have been seeking is learning how to rest in the finished work of Christ. I know that the journey is different for each of us. How cool is that? I think really cool.. You see we are each uniquely created and so it stands to reason that we will each be unique in the way we find rest, comfort, and the love of Jesus!

Okay, so the thoughts I have today as I type is that I am going to Trust the sitting stage with Jesus. I will sit here and learn to accept WHO I am. I am seated with Christ, I am a daughter of the King, I am redeemed, whole, forgiven, justified, healed, and strong....but ONLY because of Jesus being crucified and raised from the dead to bring Everlasting LIFE to me and others who choose Him. (I pray and hope that is you too)

My journey is still in the beginning stages of learning to be with Jesus. That makes me giggle because actually it has been many years of me learning to just be the girl He the Creator created. I know that once I truly love just sitting with Him and never forget that I am completely dependent upon Him for everything at ALL times. As I just wait and let that become my life then He will call me forth to WALK this out. 

The "this" is the Who I am in Jesus Christ. As I walk along I am positive I will still be learning and building upon the Firm foundation of Christ that I let Him dig, pour, and cure when I was in the sitting stage. Then there will come a day that I will be asked to stand for Him. 

I don't build houses or anything but my natural mind sees this spiritual truth like a building being built. It has stages. We built a house once 16 yrs ago. The first things that happened was the removing of debris getting the sight even and ready to put in the water pipes before the foundation was poured. Then after the concrete was poured it had to be smoothed. 

Again, you had to wait before any other work could be done. It seemed like forever and it still ended up not perfect in size or without cracks. 
(Kinda like me while I have been sitting, waiting ;) But the builder said it had cured enough to begin the rest of the structure.

That was when so many different people walked around putting everything in its proper place to hold up the weight of the roof, brick, sheet rock, cabinets etc... The things that protect, cover, give shelter from the weather, hold the things that you need and are precious. Then when a house is finished and you move in all your precious things, Gifts come as a house warming. After all that, you may still find out, Like I did, in the natural and spiritual that the foundation is still sitting waiting to be completely firm and cured. Fun Fact for concrete to dry all the way it can take an enormous amount of time; it depends on how deep and thick. 

I know that God intends on us to have a very thick firm foundation built in Jesus finished work. So I can only think this may take some time to be a firm enough foundation for Him to start adding the weighty things. 

Don't misunderstand I know that the Holy Spirit is given to us the moment we call upon Jesus as Savior. That isn't weight because that person of the trinity lifts us, encourages, comforts, guides, directs. I in my personal opinion don't think the Holy Spirit becomes weight until the gifts are brought to the house structure.

The words I give up are such deeply positive words to me and are so refreshing and filled with Hope and Life. I pray that you understand these words I just wrote are my thoughts about what this means spiritually for me.

I don't intend them to mean anything to anyone else. If they do great, I am glad that they aren't useless to you. But for one of the rare times I am okay if others think they are useless and meaningless. They mean everything to me today!

I have called out to the sovereign Lord to recuse me, to uphold me with His right hand, and to wash over me a true, just, right, and pure rest. So that,I may Stand as a pillar of Jesus strength on the day He says to do so.

Apart from Jesus...I am nothing...In Jesus Christ...He is MY everything...I am His everything!
 

Sonya

"For The Honor"

I sit here today, reflecting on memories of childhood. 

What wonderful memories of tons of Aunts and Uncles. Who actually are my Great Aunts and Uncles.  Who are an amazing display of the kindness and greatness of Jesus love in the flesh form of humans.  Yesterday Jesus welcomed my Aunt Peggy Hines into His loving arms and I am positive he said “well done my good and faithful servant”.   

She had a graciousness about her that she cared deeply and kept anything that had to do with her family. She would pull out the books and show them to anyone who visited her. 

My Uncle Sam her husband has the best laugh. I can hear it as I sit here writing. It is filled with such Joy.

It has often been a comfort over the years remembering my pap and all his siblings laughing and carrying on at family times. When my pap died I was nine and I can still feel the hug Uncle Sam and Aunt Peggy gave that was so full of love. Everyone in the Hines and Matthew families seem to have this in common a deep affection that brings with it unspeakable Joy and love wrapped in graciousness. 

Our family has even 2 Peggy Hines’ one was my Father’s Aunt Peggy, the other is my mom! The most important things in life really are whatever the Father is doing.  I am looking to Jesus to whisper what God the Father wants me to do in this time. He already gave a way for ministry here in AR for this weekend. Over the years with each death of a relative, friend, or life threatening illness or accident I take the time to feel and respond to the nudge. 

The nudge is ever so gentle but there with a strong firm love…asking me….Are you about My Father’s business….Are you giving ALL the Joy, Love, peace, patience , gentleness, kindness, self-control that you have been given?.....Are you willing to sacrifice to love deeply and well…. Are you willing to give what can last a lifetime…. As I am thinking about these things….I was given each of these by a family that is not blood but a bond found in Jesus through adoption. 

God’s goodness and mercies are abounding in our everyday lives. Why is it; it takes the life is but a vapor to get our attention? Jesus has been using the Holy Spirit to impart this all along. Why must it take an abrupt halt to our lives for us to listen to the whispers?  Father, I am so sorry for all the times I have not listened well or followed through on this nudge. I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of those whom I have not left a lasting love and deep remembrance of Jesus and The Father.  I ask The Holy Spirit of Truth to rest upon me and speak so much firmer and with a resounding in my deepest innermost to love well, to love deeper, to forgive more, to forgive deeper, and to give away the most precious parts of my love you Father. Let me love without regrets. Please Father Let my children, family, friends, and future family, future grandchild, future son-loves, future daughter in love know this deeply for an eternity that I loved not only Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit deeply but that it reflects onto them as a love for them. Let it be a source that carries them back to the Father in a time of need or grief. Let this be just like it has been impart and freely given over to me. This is such an enormous legacy of loving deeply not just here on earth but from the throne room of Heaven.

I am so Thankful for Aunt Peggy and Uncle Sam. I am more thankful for each person in our large family that loves the Father and in turn loves each of us with more than enough. I know we don’t have the big family get-togethers like we did when I was a kid. I am not sure why but it is a shame that we aren’t loving as deeply as we once did. I think this may need to change. I want this type of love to last and bring us back to heaven in our times of grief, tragedy, or loss. 

I see heaven invading this place. All of the Glory is for you God. I Praise your name Jesus! God I look to you I won’t’ be overwhelmed. Give me wisdom, you are where my help come from!  Give vision to see like you do. I will love you Lord my strength, I will love you Lord my shield, I will love you my Rock, I will love you for all my days!

I leave you to listen and soak in The Honor of the Father! Jesus lives and I will Honor Him forever!!!