My Sanctuary

God has been urging me to declutter my bedroom (please notice mom- I still like to impress my mom with a clean room) and make a place of sanctuary to spend time with him! This weekend I cleaned and bought a BIG chair! It arrived yesterday and I had my quiet time in my sanctuary this morning! It was wonderful! "Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies." Psalm 103:2-4

Please keep my dad, who just went into the hospital, and other family who are battling health issues in your prayers. Thank you and have a glorious week!

(P.S. Thank you for leaving me the skirt Wendy, I love it!! And it looks great in my chair!)

Now Now

In Swaziland if you say you will do it "now" it usually means today, tomorrow or maybe next week, whenever you get around to it. If it is to be done immediately you say “now now”. Sounds so funny but how true it is with how I often respond to God.
Have you ever felt the urge to pray, acknowledge it and let it wait until you “get around to it”. I have. God has been working on me regarding this intensely, not just in prayer. I feel God is preparing me in some way. I don’t know if it is on a personal level or a CarePoint level (The Oasis Church team arrives here Friday), or with Children’s Cup (opportunities to reach and do more have been opening up), or with my family back home. I do know God has awakened me to pray several nights recently with no specific direction but "pray". He has revealed I am not “clothed enough” in knowing and claiming scripture. He has been impressing me to create a place of “sanctuary” (not clutter) in my bedroom to spend more intimate time with Him. And He is doing it with a sense of "do it now now".
So often those back home put me on such a pedestal for leaving America and coming to Africa. I’m just an ordinary person that obeyed what God said (that time). God probably won't put moving to Africa on your heart. Sometimes it is obeying writing a note of encouragement, signing up in a ministry at church or giving beyond your tithe to a ministry. When you obey, it makes you want to do it over and over because there is such a peace and joy and a sense it was what you were supposed to do (even if you don't know why). The problem is we (I) let the enemy whisper the world’s view of “you don’t have time”, “it’s too hard”, “let someone else do it” and we start not doing it “now now” until we never get around to it.
I hope this makes sense. But regardless, I felt God telling me to write this “now now” when I’m supposed to be getting ready for church. I encourage all who read this to go to The Oasis Church website and listen to Pastor Troy’s Wednesday night services 8/27 and 9/3 (this one cuts off before it fully finishes). If you were there, listen again if you haven’t taken your spiritual life to the next level. There is no time like “now now”. Have a glorious Sunday praising God!

JOY!

I just got back from a weekend women's retreat in Nelsbreit, South Africa. Thank you Julie and Julia for doing such a great job!!!
One of the things God impressed on me is to Dance with Joy!!! Now I love to dance (to the amazement of all my 20 year olds here), but I tend to be "on task" and not show excitement. I was impressed by God to start dwelling on my blessings to the point I can't help but Jump & Jive Overtly for Yahweh (for You Lord)!!! I even bought me a mug to remind me (I'm getting old and forgetful you know).

Out of the fun and JOY of it (and because I saw it on Christy's blog) please add yourself to my "Tuned In" section in the left column of my blog! (Followers sounded too vain).

Have a joyous day in all the blessings the Lord brings your way! Because even in the "bad days" there are blessings. If we focus on them, we find the day is actually not as bad as originally thought. In fact the trials usually bless us with a new found peace and joy in our God who loves us more than we can fathom.

"Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope." Ephesians 3:20

Isn't that worth dancing with joy!!!

Life is Busy

Those of you who know me, know at times I can be "driven". God has been dealing with me in this area. (They say the first year as a missionary isn't so much what the missionary does as to what God does with the missionary!! Eish!! )
I led a devotion this week and God brought me past the verse Colossians 3:23 "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." No problem, I do this. But as I said, God brought me past this verse and has been having me focus on Proverbs 16:1-3 "We can gather our thoughts, but the Lord gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed." I can't do any of the jobs I do as missionary, office manager, CarePoint overseer, planner for teams coming to Swaziland in my own strength. I am great at problem solving but if I don't seek God it might not be the right answer for that situation. If I do any of this for my own desires or pat on the back, it is in vain. If my work is to look good or be successful, I will fail. God is teaching me to "let go" of some things I try to organize or control and let Him take care of it. I'll try to share more on this on a different day. For now pray I continue to process these verses.

Check out the Oasis @ Swaziland Blog

Check out http://theoasischurch.wordpress.com/ !

We have a new link @ The Oasis @ Swaziland section of The Oasis Church!!! Check out and keep up with an overview of what is happening here and the efforts in Loganville to support our work here!!
Have a glorious weekend!!

Victoria's Obituary

On Sunday the 31st of August, I am sorry to inform all my readers that Victoria was found deceased.

I was out of the country and am relaying the message second hand.

Sunday I was told there were very high winds in Mbabane.

One theory is that high winds caught her and slammed her into a concrete wall to which she had internal injury.

Another theory is that she had a bowel impaction that ruptured her colon.
I was informed that they had a simple service for her and buried her in the garden.

Victoria is survived by the members of the two households:
Sandra, Natalie, Sarah and Jessie

Patrick, Jordon, Karl and Daniel (and Rick in the states who bought her with Patrick)

Goodbye Victoria.

Thank you Lord for the fun I had chatting with her, feeding her and having her supply me with eggs.

May we all continue to take joy in silly things and enjoy all that life brings our way!!