My God is So Big!!

             Every Sunday our church has a time where they call all children 2 years through 5th grade up on stage to sing a song before the church and then they are escorted out to "children's church" where they get to have a kid-friendly lesson during the adults sermon.  Today was no different.  Our worship leader told the kids to come on stage and like every other sunday some kids ran onto the stage, some walked at a turtle speed and a few were still reaching for their moms and dads as their parents pushed them onto the stage. 


         The worship leader tells the kids what song they will be singing and a second later it begins.  Some kids belting out the words as if they need people in the parking lot to hear, some kids not singing but exaggerating every hand and arm motion that goes with the words while casually punching the kids beside them, and then the kids that are still upset to be up there; the kids that stare off into space and pretend they don't even know a song is being sung.  Parents are looking on at their kids and are either beaming with pride or are shielding their eyes hoping that the song ends soon. 


        Today, May 31, 2015, was different.  Today, everyone in the sanctuary watched the children sing, heard their words and did not want it to end.  The children sang aloud

     "My God is So Big! So Strong & So Mighty! There's Nothing My God Cannot Do!"

              the children flexing their arms to show their muscles as they sang "so strong & so mighty" and giggling as they waved their fingers "there's nothing my God cannot do"

    "The Mountains are His! The Valleys are His! The Trees are His Handiwork too!"

       Today was different because as the carefree children sang their song the adults in our congregation weren't feeling so carefree.  One of the precious little kids in the very group that sings on that stage has just been diagnosed with a brain tumor.  A perfect, innocent little two year old girl now has a brain tumor.  As the children sang the adults hung onto their every word.  As they sang
    "My God is So Big!"
                       the adults were reminded He is bigger than a tumor.  As they sang
    "So Strong & So Mighty!"
                       the adults were reminded He is stronger than any tumor.  As they sang
   "There's Nothing My God Cannot Do!"
                       the adults were reminded that there is NOTHING that God cannot do. 

     A song that has been sung in our congregation a million times before suddenly had new meaning.  Everyone needed that song, that reminder. Little Ivey has some important appointments ahead of her and her family.  There is a lot of fear and anxiety that goes with her diagnosis but today we were all reminded of the Strong, Mighty God we serve.  We were reminded that there is Nothing that our God cannot do. 

     Tonight I ask that you pray for Ivey and her parents.  I ask that you pray for healing and for a calming peace to blanket her family as they wait upcoming appointments.

The Legacy of June

        She is the kind of woman that never has a hair out of place, the kind of woman that always knows just what to say, the kind of woman that exudes class, the kind of woman that could enjoy crumpets and tea with Queen Elizabeth and later that day be digging in the dirt planting herbs and vegetables in her garden.

     "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." Proverbs 31:25

        To see her you might think that surely she has never faced any hardships.  Surely that is why she can look so fabulous and always have a smile on her face.  To know her is to know that it could not be further from the truth.  Many a hardships she has faced...single motherhood, breast cancer, the closing of her beloved University where she taught for many years.  The thing that sets her apart in the midst of such trials is that her hope comes from the Lord.  She has witnessed God's faithfulness over and over in her life.  Through trials she is able to smile because she knows that resting her trials at the feet of the Lord is always the best place to lay them. 

       "When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness." Proverbs 31:26

      She is slow to speak and when she does it is in a manner that honors the Lord and makes those around her feel blessed by hearing her words.  In 2009 she was in New York with my grandmother when they received word that my dad had a stroke.  The prognosis at the time was grim.  June sat at my grandmothers side opened her bible and began reading aloud from Psalms.  My grandmother still speaks of the blessing that moment was to her and the way that June was able to calm her with the reading of God's word. 

        "She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy." Proverbs 31:20

      Countless times she has gone to the jungles of Panama to offer her services on medical mission trips.  If you have been privileged to go with her you have witnessed her hustle and bustle giving of herself in the service of glorifying the kingdom.  At the end of the day when everyone circles up to pray you look around the circle everyone sweaty from the scorching jungle heat, everyone except June.  There she stands in the circle in a perfectly starched white oxford shirt, a bandana tied around her neck and a smile on her face.  All the Panamanians know and love her for her gentle hands, warm smile and giving spirit. 

    She has impacted everyone that has been blessed to know her.  Whether you have known her from Lambuth, Skyline, Master Gardener's, or just from residing in Jackson; I have no doubt that your life has been blessed. She is a believer of the word of God and she lives out the word of God.  Hearing that she would be moving to Missouri to start a new chapter with her daughter and family most were heart broken for selfish reasons but happy for this new phase for her. 

     While we all miss June, madly, we have all been impacted and inspired to be a better version of ourselves.  Thank you June for living a life that serves the Lord and others.  Thank you June for the legacy that has been laid out for all of us that know you.  June, you truly are more precious than rubies to all that know you!!
      

Like A Sheep

        Have you ever seen a sheep in real life? The sheep that I see in paintings are always so clean and white; so perfect.  Recently, our family took a trip to the zoo and when we came up to the sheep I was a little surprised to see how dirty and hairy they were.  The sheep that I saw had blemishes and were in desperate need of a makeover to look like the perfect one's that are portrayed in so many paintings. 

             Recently, I heard a study on sheep.  The study peaked my interest so I took to the internet to further my research on sheep.  I read that sheep see each others faces, they study each others faces and they remember other sheep for years just by their faces.  They see past the blemishes and imperfect hair that they sometimes have and just see the other sheep's faces.  They know that the hair can be cut and the blemishes refined so they don't focus on any of that and instead focus on the face of the sheep around them.  They study the faces and they know the other sheep by the way their eyes slant, the width of their nose and the shape of their mouths.  I also found that sheep travel in herds and they know each sheep's voice in their herd.  They each have a unique voice and when one sheep from the herd has wandered the others are able to find the sheep and recognize that he is from their herd by the sound of his voice. 

           I couldn't help but think of us as Christian's when I read about the sheep.  So many times we paint these pictures of what the Christian should look like; when in reality most Christian's that I know, especially me, are full of blemishes.  It is so easy to look at people who call themselves Christian's and see their needs for improvement.  The way that sheep see each other's faces should be the way that we look at other Christian's hearts.  We should know each other by our hearts and not focus so much on each other's blemishes.  We should be like the sheep and focus on each others hearts knowing that in Christ, the blemishes and imperfections can be refined and transformed. 

          I think we could learn a lot from sheep.  Less focusing and judging of each other's imperfections and more loving and admiring of each other's hearts.  I just want to be a sheep!