Shake It Up!!!!

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.  

Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)

 
Well, here it is Friday...and a very blustery one at that.  I havent felt good the last few days due to a nasty head cold and earache.  This afternoon I finally felt like reading some posts from my friends blogs.  I came across this story and I just have to share it with you.  I am sure my good friend wont mind me passing it along.  Thanks so much for posting it Becky!!!

Becky's husband, Jim, is the pastor at a church I attended in Virginia before we moved back to North Carolina.  (by the way, they are two wonderful people I miss very much!!!)  One of Jim's favorite preacher/teachers is Ravi Zacharias...I had never heard of him before Jim mentioned him in service one day.  Since then I hav read/listened to much of his material.  This story is one that  Ravi shared oncce....read and see what YOU think...

There was once a glass saltshaker. And in this saltshaker lived –you guessed it!- thousands and thousands of grains of salt.

Life was great for the salt inside this saltshaker: all the grains of salt were surrounded by other grains of salt, and they all lived happily in the saltshaker – protected from the unknown of the outside.

One day, two of these grains of salt struck up a conversation with each other (as grains of salt tend to do).

One salt said to the other: “Boy, isn’t life GRAND?! We’re here, in this saltshaker on this kitchen table, without a care in the world! Everyone in here looks, thinks and acts just like us! This is SO GREAT!”

To this, the other grain of salt replied: “What are you happy about? Don’t you realize that, every once in a while, a giant hand comes out of the sky, lifts up this saltshaker, and SHAKES it into a giant bowl of soup? Every time that happens, some of us fall out and are never seen again! Who knows what happens to them? They are shaken into that soup and we have NO IDEA where they go from there!”

At this point, a wise old grain of salt came up and interrupted them. “Guys,” he said, “don’t worry about it. That giant hand may one day shake us into a giant bowl of soup, but one thing is certain: that soup will never taste the same again.”

I want to be "salty".  I want to make people thirsty for Jesus.  My prayer is that when I leave a conversation that I can point the person to Jesus in such a way of Truth and encouragement that they will never be the same again.  It is a tall order, however, with the help of The Holy Spirit we can be obedient and "salty".  Do you want to be "salty" too?  Let's be ready.  Never know when it will be time for that "shake, shake, shake!"

Hope you enjoyed the story and that it causes you to stop and think.....Have a great weekend....and remember Jesus Loves You!!!!!

Wendy :)

Mother of 3 small children...

This is kinda of a continuation of my post from yesterday.  Please continue to keep "Carrie" and her family in your prayers.  I received some more information on her earlier today.  The father works out of town alot, and sometimes he is gone for weeks at a time....leaving her to take of 3 small children on her own.  Two of them are in school, but the youngest is home with her all day. She is scheduled to start chemo twice a week on Wednesday and Fridays.  Indications are that she is in the last stages of bone cancer.   Please pray that God will watch over her and give her strength to do the things she needs to as a mother.  And also to endure the harsh effects that come with chemo treatments.  I am not sure of her salvation at this point....please pray that she knows Jesus as her Lord and Savior!!!  My friend is planning on talking to her about it and also to pick them up to go to church with her.  Pray God gives her to boldness to witness to Carrie, if she isn't saved. Once again, as I type I am fighting off tears ...trying to imagine what is going through her mind at this time. It makes me realize how truly blessed I am that I am healthy and my husband and children are too. I will continue to keep you updated on her situation...Thank you in advance for your prayers.

Serving Him,

Wendy

Prayer Request

I received this information today in my email. I was brought to tears reading it. As a mom, I cant even begin to imagine what this woman is going through. As I sit here looking at the screen its all I can do to type this without crying. Instead of trying to type alot of words, I will just let the following email speak for itself. I know it will touch your heart and I hope that after you read it, you will stop and take a moment to pray for her and her children. God is the great physician and healing miracles still happen today!! Praise God!! Thanks so much...Have a blessed day....

Okay this is a tad confusing so I will try to explain the best I can……bear w/me.

I take the two youngest children to school every day. Sometime after the beginning of this school year, I noticed a young woman walking her kids to school . She also has a younger child that isn’t in school so this little one had to walk back home w/her. Shortly after that, I ran into this woman in the grocery store. One morning in November, I think, it was really cold outside so I asked if she and the little one wanted a ride home. She accepted and I found out where they lived, they don’t have a car, they are looking for one. After winter break, I didn’t see her for a while and was beginning to get concerned. I would ride by the house…it still looked like they lived there. Finally I saw her and waited to give them a ride home. He name is Carrie and the little one’s name is Jessica. They were going to church but since they lost their ride, they don’t get to go. I invited them to our church but unless she has a ride, they can’t attend.

This morning, I saw them again on the way to school. I asked if Jessica wanted to sit in the truck w/me while her mom walked the other two (1 boy 1 girl) into school. She did and she just talked up a storm. From what I could gather from her, her brother’s name is Ricardo. Her birthday is this month and she and mommy have fun during the day.

Once Carrie got in the car I found out that this 30 year old woman just found out on Thursday that she has bone cancer. She has had it about 6 months and they immediately started chemo. She is scheduled for chemo two times a week. She went into the school to talk to Mrs. Cox, the principal to advise her that she didn’t know if she could get the kids to school all the time. I am not sure what Mrs. Cox told her but I know Carrie had Mrs. Cox’s name and phone # written down. I told her to call me if she needed the kids picked up. Not to mention she still has Jessica at home w/her all day. I know from my sister’s experience, that’s not easy. To top all of that off, Social Services is now taking note as to whether Carrie will even get to keep her kids, if she isn’t able to care for them.

I let her off at home with the promise of prayer and my phone #’s. Then I literally cried all the way home begging God to heal this young woman and take care of those poor innocent children. Please help me pray for this situation that if it be God’s will, Carrie be miraculously healed by the time her next treatment or soon thereafter and that she get to hang on to her kids.

Thank you.

Father & Daughter Valentines Dinner

Last weekend my ladies group at church held a wonderful dinner for Valentines Day. We decided instead of doing a "traditional couples" event....we wanted to do a date night for all dads and daughters. It turned out to be one of the most special events I have been to in a long time. I realized my youngest daughter, who will always be "my baby" at heart, is not a baby anymore. She will be 11 in a few months. Since we live out in the country, most of the time she's wearing her favorite things....worn out jeans and crocs!!! But, last Saturday, she put on a dress and jewelry to have dinner with her Daddy!!! Brought tears to my eyes...and Travis' too!! As I peeked out from the kitchen, where us moms were preparing the meal and such, I was in awe at the faces sitting around the tables! I cant tell you who was glowing more...the girls or the dads. I hope the memories made that night stay will them for years and years to come...I know mine will......

Good Morning to Everyone!! I am really new at this, but I have been wanting to do it for some time. So often, I just feel like I need to share thoughts and stuff with others. I do alot of reading and when I find a really good "tidbit".....I just wanna share!! Soooo...thats why I am creating this blog....