So, the question is...

What did I get out of all this eat pray and love stuff? Confirmation. Confirmation in regards to women's ministry. Through His strength, I am beginning to break up my unplowed ground in many different ways. And I am here to tell you - anyone who reads this - that I am surrendering my life to Christ and to women's ministries. I've had the call for about a year, year and a half now. But I am fully committed now. He keeps slapping it in my face time and time again. He slapped it during this conference, and He did it once again two weeks following this conference at our women's ministry night on campus. Thank You Jesus for Your gentle but firm slaps! We need em' time to time!

So please pray for me as I break up my unplowed ground. It will be painful. I know this. I will be revealing things that no one has ever known about me before. But I must go through these deserts, so that He may use me and that He may be glorified!

Memorize:

EAT #1:

I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit. - Jeremiah 2:7a

EAT #2:

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight. - Jeremiah 15:16

PRAY #1:

You will call upon Me and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. - Jeremiah 29:12

PRAY #2:

Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

-Jeremiah 3:33

LOVE #1:

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. -Jeremiah 31:3

LOVE #2:

Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; His love endures forever. -Jeremiah 33:11

LOVE

Sorry it's taken me so long to get all my notes on here from the Beth Moore conference. So far, we've talked about EAT where the main focus was about entering your desert and allowing God to take you there and walk you through it and to "break up your unplowed ground". The PRAY session focused on being the miracle that God wants to use and not to allow Satan use the bad stuff in your life to bring destruction but to turn it and allow God to use it for something beautiful and glorifying to Him.

Now, let's talk about the LOVE session!

EAT, PRAY, LOVE

But the Greatest of these is Love!

Jeremiah 31:1-6

"At that time," declares the Lord, "I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people." This is what the Lord says: "The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel." The Lord appeared to us in the past saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful. Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.'"

Focus on verse 3 - We have everlasting life because we have everlasting love from Him!! Before mom and dad met, before the creation of the world, HE LOVED ME!! He positioned me right in the generation that He wanted me to serve!!

How do we go from "Hitters" (pushing everyone away) to "Embracers"? WE MUST LOVE!!

1 John 4:16-18 (Focus on verse 18)

And so we know and rely on the love of God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in this world we are like Him. (18) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears in not made perfect in love.

WE HAVE GOT TO SHAKE OFF FEAR!!

Jeremiah 12:5(?)

"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"

***The root of fear is the doubt of everlasting love.

Jeremiah 2:13

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

When we put our faith in ANYONE or ANYTHING besides Jesus, we are trying to fill an empty cup.

In Jeremiah 31:4 - referred to as, "O Virgin Israel." Previously called "Prostitute Israel." True purity restoration!!

Jeremiah 31:31-33

"The time is coming," declares the Lord, "When I will make a new covenant with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people."

"I will write it on their hearts!" The Word is not bondage and rules, but freedom and love! Some will not be freed because they don't want to be free. Some are stubborn, and don't want to let go of control!

*We have a broken "want to". Pray for God's healing of your "want to". The new covenant is that your "want to" CHANGES! THEY ARE WRITTEN ON YOUR HEART!!

Jeremiah 33:6-16

" 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'

" ' This is what the Lord says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord saying,

"Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; His love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the Lord.

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In this place, desolate and without men or animals- in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,' says the Lord.

" 'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

" 'In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.'

***Give thanks to Lord for His love endures forever!!

At the end of the day, His love endures!

After all we've been through, you're gonna let "that little thing" get you? Rather "that little thing" be a harsh word from someone or a bad day at work- don't let it get to you. His love still endures!! WE HAVE BIGGER BATTLES! GET OVER YOURSELF!

TO DO: Log all things good that you're thankful for each night!

Jeremiah 45:5

"Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people." declares the Lord, "but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life."

**You're own self absorption is your biggest problem and the biggest destruction!

BECOME A SERVANT! THIS IS YOUR GREATNESS!

Tornado Touch Down in Middlesboro

With Tuesday's storms, a F1 Tornado touched down in Middlesboro, KY. (About 15 minutes from campus). Here's a view.

SHAME ON ME

For complaining about our water leaking, mildew smelling cottage, when we are not even the ones who have to fix it or worry about it financially (other than the washer). Clear Creek's Maitenance Crew will fix the leaking roof, water heater, and the kitchen floor. Shame on me for complaining when there are people in the world who do not have a home, who are out in the cold or living in shelters. Shame on me for ever complaining and whining.

I guess yesterday was just a bad day, and I apologize for being so ungrateful.

I give thanks to my Lord for providing us a home on campus where we still have plenty of room to grow, we're not too crowded, a home where He has already created many memories for us, a home where we are safe, a home where we are comfortable, and I'm thankful to Him for just giving us, well, a home!

Our Cottage

is falling apart. We have a leaking roof, a broken water heater which backed up beneath the kitchen floor, which now has to be torn up completely and replaced, and now, this morning our washer busted - which made the mildewy kitchen floor all the more worse. Now, Dan is off to the dorms laundry room to finish up the load that was in the washer.

Today is one of those days that I really miss home. :(

EAT PRAY LOVE

PRAY

A couple weeks ago I started posting my notes from the Beth Moore "Living Proof" Conference. I completed the EAT session. Here are my notes from the PRAY session:

Jeremiah 29:10 - 14

This is what the Lord says, "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

* All discipline from God is to bring us closer to Him!

* Nothing is to master us, except for the freedom of Christ!!

(Jeremiah 29:11) For I know the plans I have for you....

Greek word for know is "boule" which means: "I think about the plans I have for you..."!!! He THINKS about everything before it goes into action! Every little moment! HE NEVER MISSES!! ***If you are struggling, there is a greater joy that He has planned for you!!!

He is 100% pure, holy, and righteous! He knows the plans for you! "He knows what He's doin' !"

His plan is beautiful!!!

For instance... abuse. Satan uses it for destruction. God uses it for glory and for something beautiful!! Make Satan sorry for trying to destruct!!

Jeremiah 29:12 You will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

* Instead of instant healing, He wants us to KNOW the Healer. To truly seek Him, and to trust His plans for us. Jeremiah 29:13 Seek Me with all your heart. You cannot and will not be freed unless you seek Him with all your heart! Why with all your heart? Jeremiah 3:10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense, " declares the Lord. She did not learn from what the Northern Kingdom had just gone through.

**11,000 people attended this conference. What if 11,000 people let go of their game?!?!! STOP THE PRETENDING!!! STOP THE DECEPTION! LET GO! Any part of us that is "a show" is the part of us that is in bondage.

Jeremiah 17:7-9 But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heats come; it leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Be careful where your confidence is. Verse 9 is a warning: The heart is deceitful.

Deceitful: Hebrew word: aqab = torturous! The heart is torturous! The word aqab also means "crooked". How many times are we our own worst enemy? God's plan for us is to walk a straight line, but the heart is crooked. Our problem is NOT a knowledge problem, but an OBEDIENCE problem!

*Any part of your heart that is not given to God will lead to oppression and destruction. Give your desert to God!! Let Him in the area that you wouldn't allow Him to go!!

*You know your heart is deceitful by the words that are on your lips. This is a stronghold of deception.

*The heart is gravely ill and dangerously sick. It's what seeds our personality.

Jeremiah 7:9-10 Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, "we are safe" - safe to all these detestable things?

DON'T SAY YOU'RE DELIVERED IF YOU'RE NOT!!! The fastest way to get delivered is to admit that you're not delivered!!

Jeremiah 30:12-13; 30:17 This is what the Lord says: "Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you." ( Verse 17: "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, "declares the Lord, "because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares."

Back up to Verse 14: "All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many."

*The allies are our idols and false peace!!!! "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds!!!!!!" (vs 17) On this day, let Jesus restore you to health and heal your wounds!!

Jeremiah 2:25 Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, "It's no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them."

Jeremiah 18:11 "Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, "This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions."

In both of the above verses, the people have said, "It's no use!" They have accepted their bondage. - Give your desert to God! How comfortable are the words, "It's no use" on your lips?

Jeremiah 32:17 "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."

** NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR HIM!! YOU ARE THE MIRACLE HE WANTS TO USE!! Amen!! Thank You Jesus!!

Tell everyone about the pit that you have been in, so that JESUS CAN BE GLORIFIED AND CAN USE THE MIRACLE HE CREATED!!

God's phone number: Jeremiah 3:33 "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Do you want an adventure? Follow Jesus!

Pic Upload Part Two

We tried out a different trail in Pine Mountain - The Honeymoon Trail! It was a beautiful trail, which led to this waterfall! They say it's best after it rains. When we took the trail, it hadn't rained in a few days.

Took a break on the trail and made a cross from the sticks!!

Major Pic Upload Part One!!

Taking a walk around campus on a beautiful day while Dan is at home working on school work.

September 30, 2010

IS A GREAT DAY!!!!

From the words of Zachary - at 6 years old:

"When you're a Christian you pray, obey your parents, follow Jesus and God, read your Bible and love Jesus. Jesus died for us because of our sin. To go to Heaven you have to give your life to Jesus and He takes away your sin. ALL of your sin. Without Jesus, you go to Hell, where Jesus is not."

This morning, as Dan was getting Nicholas ready for the day and he was being the typical 3 year old and was putting up a fight while getting dressed for the day. Zachary went into our room to pray for Daddy and Nicholas - that God would help Dad get Nicholas' shirt on him. Zachary came to me with the sweetest voice and told me that while he was asking God to help Daddy and Nicholas, he also asked Jesus to come into his life!!!!

But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ~ Mark 10:14

and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. ~ Matthew 18:3

Zachary will be baptized in about a month and Dan has the honor and privilege of baptizing him!! It will be Dan's first baptism!