God's Precious Gifts

God has truely blessed me and my family. To outsiders, we may not have what the world thinks is the best, but we have so much more. All because God has given it to us. I have been studying in my Sunday School class about how everything belongs to God, and that we are only managers of it for a little while. This lesson was based on Job 1:20 "....the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Without Him, I would have nothing. And let me tell you, for so long, my husband and I were living a life that was all about "us" and we didn't care about anything else. We wanted, just what we wanted. Life was hard, we struggled from paycheck to paycheck. As hard as we worked, we still didn't have much. Throughout those years, we were taken care of, God still had his hand on us, even though we were not giving Him the attention we should have. I can look back and see times in my life, that the Holy Spirit was trying to get ahold of me, to make me turn from my ways, but I continued wanting my "own" life. Until we moved here to SC, through the sermons from our Godly pastor, Howard Allen, and then an evangelist, Ronnie Owens, and my husband's changed life after becoming saved by Jesus Christ; my eyes hadn't been opened. I thank God for saving my soul, forgiving me of my sins, and guiding me with his precious Bible! God has kept my family safe through so many ins and outs, taught us how to give graciously, and continues to burden my heart daily, teaching me in the way I need to live. I am here to share with you, since turning things over to God, and coming to grips with the fact that "it's" not mine, it's God's, I feel more free and happier than I've been. I mentioned in an earlier post that I have a job now. I feel that this job, is a serious God-thing, because I had been wanting a job so bad, for this past year, but anything I tried, seemed to fall through the cracks no matter how hard I worked on it, until now. This job fell into my lap, and I know that it is only because of God and the way it happened. The things that have come full circle back to us, in unbelievable. I'm sure that the world still sees us as not having it all, but that's okay I have God, and that's all I need! I know that now. As Thanksgiving comes closer, I hope that everyone can look around and see all that God has given to you, and be thankful. I know I am.

Do You Go to Church?

How AWESOME it was to be at church Wednesday night!!! It is always great to go to church and hear the Bible being preached exactly as it's written. Wednesday's service was no less than the best. The Bible reference was out of Proverbs chapter 22:6, Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Preacher Howard Allen was preaching about why young people (ages 18-30, generally speaking) drop out of church. I was taken aback, at how factual and down to earth the results of this survey were. I am in that age bracket, and could totally identify with everything he was saying. Then, he told us some reasons why young adults stay in church, and finally reasons why those that leave, come back to church. It was all plain as day, and touched my heart. I am in the place in my life that I can't seem to get enough of church, can't wait until I can go back to hear God's word, and worship with other Christians! I give ALL of the thanks to God, for saving my soul, and holding me close!! This sermon also pointed out to me, some things that I need to be doing or not doing.

Now, the question is,

• Are you in church?? -first step, is you have to find a church that preaches out of the Bible.
• Are you faithfully attending? Hint: 2 times a month is not nearly enough!
• Are you there for the right reason?

Update on Fall Festival

South Florence Baptist Church, in Florence, SC hosted our annual Fall Festival last Friday. It was a BLAST!! Despite the crazy weather, it rained and rained! Did it stop anyone from having fun? no. Did the church call it off? no. There were

• 2 hay rides, (never stopping for the weather) It wasn't a bit spooky, until you went through muddy puddle, thinking, 'maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go hayriding in the rain!';
• a train for the kiddos
• a big 'ol bouncy slide-super slippery, from the rain, and all those youngins' little feet!! Yep, my daughter got about halfway up, informing all, "It's too slippery, I need help" Here I go, pulling off socks and shoes, make it halfway up Mount Everest, oops, I mean the steps. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but my little girl already sliding down. She didn't need help, I think it was just a ploy to get me up there!! haha! KIDS!

As if the slide wasn't enough, as soon as I wobbled off of there to get my shoes, I rounded the corner and all I felt was the squish, and the splash of stepping in a mud puddle! ---I may have lost that pair of socks to the garbage can, but I gained a whole lot of fun!

• pit crew challenge-where people could race against the other player using tools to change the tires on the car
• cake walk
• other small carnival games
• hot dog dinner

and finally,

• "trick or treating" going from one Sunday School class to the next, getting candy from decorated rooms lit by orange lights and lamps

It was an absolutely wonderful time!! Remember us, if you're in the Florence area next year!!

Lost in Life

I haven't posted in so long, because I have been "lost" in the day to day happenings called life! Let me start by shouting from the rooftop, "I HAVE A JOB!"

Just so you know,

I have a seriously strong conscious and heart, that HAS to believe in the job that I do, and just "know" that I'm in the "right" place. That has been a problem since moving from out of state, a little over a year ago. As, I left a most wonderful position, a 4K preschool teacher at our church. It has been difficult to find "my" spot

I had gone down so many different paths, working so hard, trying to get "the" job to pan out. Do you know that I didn't even have to find this job? It found me! Through a grapevine consisting of several people. It worked out way easier than all of the hoops that I had been jumping through just weeks and months before.

I have been working with young children for the past several years, because that is just where my heart is, and I am happy to say, that this job opportunity that I have, is right on target. It feels like God's target, and that I am right where I am supposed to be for now. (praising God!)