They said it was impossible but God said otherwise.

  A little over a year ago my husband and I became college pastors at our church.  Our heart long before we had ever moved to Louisiana, became college pastors, or accepted this position was to see a campus won for Jesus.  We fell in love with the campus of Southeastern Louisiana State University the moment we moved to Hammond and knew in our hearts the vision God had given us was for this campus.
  As we began to pray and plan for the launch of our ministry on campus we noticed a recurrence in something.  As we talked about this new season of our lives and the dream God had placed in our hearts, people's response to the situation was always somewhat the same... "It's never worked before". 
  Have you ever been in a place where the dream God has spoken to your heart is more real to you than what you see?  That's exactly where Scott and I were!  Everyone would tell us, with the exception of our Pastors, church and family, that this was an impossible feat, a lost cause and we should just quit... but what God had spoken to us was far greater than anything any person could ever try and convince us of otherwise.  There will be times in life, if you haven't experienced it already, you will find yourself at some point caught between the opinions of man, and the promises of God.  For those of you who aren't already aware, the two seldom sound the same.  The fact may have been that the ministries that had gone before us never succeeded, but the truth is God had already spoken and declared He was giving us this land!  Just as He spoke to Joshua after the death of Moses, God had declared that every place the sole of our foot tread upon He was giving us.  No man would be able to stand before us, and just as He was with Moses so would He be with us.  He would never leave us nor forsake us.
  So many times in life we get a word from God and rather than risking it all and stepping out in faith, we allow the opinions of man to dictate how we respond to the situation.  In so doing we forfeit all that God has for us.  What if the reason they never succeeded before was because they became more familiar and in tune with how they felt rather than the Word God had spoken to their hearts.  What if they listened to the doubt and lies around them which in turn not only caused them to respond in fear, but also give up on the thousands of souls who so desperately needed to encounter Jesus!  We often think that because it didn't work for someone else it wont work for us, but NEVER doubt the promise God has spoken to you.  I would rather trust the Words of a perfect Savior who can not lie than the words of humanity who's nature is to fail.
  I can tell you with an ecstatic heart that God is so very faithful and though we encountered people who said it was impossible, God had spoken otherwise.  In August of 2012 we launched The Mvmnt on the campus of SLU, and in one years time we have watched as our faithful father has done far greater than we could have ever hoped or imagined! Since the start of last year we have out grown three different locations, and this semester have just moved to the largest facility in the Student Union area.  We've not only seen countless salvations, miracles and favor beyond comprehension, but a University that is rising up and taking a stand for Jesus!  Revival has come to SLU and I am so honored and thankful to be apart of watching this generation join together in a movement for Jesus!  Rest assured there is nothing spectacular or special about my husband or myself, we just dared to believe a faithful God no matter the cost and He has taken care of the rest. 
   I want to encourage you that no matter where you've been or where you currently may be, anything is possible!  If God has given you a word step out in faith, even at the risk of looking ridiculous, and watch as God brings your greatest dreams to pass! It's generally in the moments of looking ridiculous that we experience the miraculous.
  
  

Love changes everything...

    Lately I've really been reflecting on the grace of God and all the many blessings in my life.  I have so much to be thankful to God for, but the one thing that stands out the most is my amazing husband.  We've been married almost 9 years and I'm absolutely crazy about him!  He is my rock, my best friend, my constant support, amazing husband, father, and my favorite Preacher! 
    I gave my life to the Lord right before my husband and I got married... I was a work in progress to say the least.  I was a person with a new heart, but had an old mindset.  I had experienced many traumatic things as a child/young adult and all the junk began to come out shortly after we were married.  I knew who God was but never understood His grace until sometime later.  I must say that the first few years of our marriage were not what most newly weds experienced! I was an angry, bitter person who was just trying to figure out who I was and in the process my husband was the one who suffered.  My perception of love was one that was unrealistic and unattainable... not healthy at all.  Regardless of it all that never stopped him.
    You see my husband is a dreamer, a man of great faith.  He isn't moved by what he sees or how he feels, he's a fighter and never quits. He loves with every fiber of his being and believes the best in people no matter the cost.  He's the person that gives all that he has so no one else has to do without. He is the life of the party, the center of attention, and never meets a stranger!  He serves with all his heart and is the most humble man I know. This man saw potential in me before anyone else, and believed in me when no one else did.  To the world I was a lost cause... a girl with too much baggage, but to him I was his whole world... one worth fighting for.  He painted a beautiful picture of what love is... the true kind that never quits.  His example of love began to show me a more accurate picture of not only what love is, but who Jesus is as well.
    I am so thankful to God for the miracle He has blessed me with... he truly saved my life!  I am who I am today by the grace of God and the love of a husband who chose to love no matter the circumstances. I have never been happier, more confident, more sure of my purpose in life or more in love than I am today.  I am challenged everyday to love people regardless of what the world says about them or because of what they have to offer me.  At the end of the day it's LOVE that never fails. (1 Cor. 13:8)  Today i challenge you to LOVE someone... you just might change their lives!
 
   
  

Prayer... our first option!

     Over the Thanksgiving holiday my family and I traveled to Georgia to spend time with our family.  As all trips in the past we had a great time, but this trip was definitely special!  My son, Asher who is 7 has recently taken on his Pops love for hunting.  During this trip Pops surprised Asher with his 1st deer rifle!  Talk about excited!!  He was more eager than ever before to go hunting, but soon found out that getting up at 5:30 in the morning to sit quietly in the freezing cold was a bit of a challenge!  After about two days and still no deer Asher was ready for something new.  Something with less quiet, more movement, and maybe not so early... dove hunting it was!
    This was another first for Asher.  He had never been dove hunting before but was beyond excited to give it a shot!  As they neared their spot in the field Pops noticed that there was absolutely no action.. no dove were to be seen.  Pops said "if this is what we have to look forward to it's going to be a long day!"  Without hesitation Asher immediately responded with "let's pray then!" As they began to pray my father-in-law said he was reminded that we have dominion over all things. (Psalm 8:6-9)  He recalls that moments after they finished praying you could hear the doves coming and they soon found out there was no way possible for them to keep up!  Within a very short time they had killed 19 dove, had two very bruised shoulders, and Asher had shot his very first dove!
    As I heard this I began to think how differently life would be if prayer was our first option and not our last resort.  Instead of being moved by our current circumstances or situation we began to move them with prayer!  Prayer was designed by God as a way of communication with Him.  So many times we allow ourselves to get so overwhelmed by what we see or feel that prayer is the last thing on our minds. We began to focus on "that thing" instead of giving it to God and trusting Him to take care of it.  Philippians 4:6-7 say "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by PRAYER and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
   There may be some of you who feel that because of what you did or did not do God is mad at you.   I want you to know that God is not mad at you, nor has He turned His back on you.  He is a gracious and loving God who is far more anxious to fellowship with you than you can ever imagine.  There isn't anything that you have done or will ever do that will change God's love for you.  Just remember no problem is too big, too small, or too far gone with God!  He has a solution to any and every problem that may arise in your life, but it's your responsibility to come to Him.
    Today I challenge you to set aside 5 minutes a day a to pray with God and watch as things in your life begin to change!

Get out of the boat!

    One thing about me I am a Texas girl.. born and raised there for 31 years!  I am very close to my family and friends, and like most women I am not a fan of change!  Just a few months ago my husband and I were offered a ministry opportunity hundreds of miles away from everything I love.  I was excited at the opportunity for ministry, but to be very honest leaving my family, friends, and church was not appealing at all!  These are the people who have been with me through everything and know me best.  I had invested so much time into these relationships and the thought of not having them close to me and starting over was heart wrenching!  I knew that this position would require me to get out of my comfort zone and do things that were totally over my head!  Being stretched was an understatement!
    As my husband and I headed to meet with our potential employer the thought of leaving was really beginning to set in, and my emotions were really starting to take over!  To make things worse about an hour away from our destination I look up and all I see is SWAMP!!  Did I mention I'm not a fan of long bridges... especially ones forever long over nothing but SWAMP with no exits or turnarounds?!!  At this point the thought of moving is out of the question!  I thought to myself 'leaving all that I've ever known, starting over, and having to face this monstrosity of a bridge just isn't worth it'!
    How many times in life have we made decisions about our future based upon how we feel?  We allow what we see and feel to dictate our decisions instead of relying on the One who has it all figured out.  One of the greatest lessons I've learned is never allowing myself the luxury to do what I feel, or don't feel like doing.  Anytime fear is a factor I never make a decision, but instead get alone with God.  I've found that in moments like these are generally when I hear Him the loudest!
    I will never forget as we were going over that bridge the words He spoke to me!  "You can get out of the boat and walk on water, or stay in the boat and remain the same".   The choice is ours!   Since those words my life has completely changed!  The fear I felt when facing change and a few challenging obstacles along the way was nothing compared to missing out on all that God had for me!  What so many of us fail to see is that we block our dream when we allow fear to grow bigger than our faith.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not yet seen.  We don't always see the end result and how things are going to turn out, but we trust Him and know that if He said it that settles it!  A month into the move we are already ministering to a thousand kids a week, feeding the less fortunate, discipling young men and women, and working with the most loving group of retired people I've met!  To think that I almost missed it all because I was afraid to get out of the boat!!  Never allow fear to be a deciding factor!  Keep walking, keep trusting, never stop believing, and watch as your wildest dreams come to pass!  The choice is yours... choose FAITH!

Unshakable!

    A few days ago my daughter had a really nasty cough.  She had been battling this same cough with no improvement for a week or so.  I had been giving her medicine to treat the problem but nothing seemed to touch it.  She began to run fever and the cough actually seemed to be getting worse, so i figured we would try something else... another medicine was ahead!  As I called for her to come take medicine her response to me was one I was not anticipating!  Rylie said "mom why do I have to take the medicine...  you know only prayer works!"  She continued to tell me that God would heal her and she was going to pray.  My husband and I looked at each other and knew she wasn't kidding around.  This wasn't an attempt not take her medicine.. she was serious!  My husband began to tell Rylie that she didn't have to take her medicine and we were in agreement with her for healing.  She got up the next two days and every morning the first thing she did was thank God she was healed.  Each day we watched as the symptoms decreased and her attitude of "I told you so increased".. her faith was unshakable!
     As a parent/adult I have to be honest.  I was completely challenged by the faith of my daughter.  Never was she moved by the aches or pains she may have felt in her body.  Not one time did she ever say "man I feel terrible.. I think that this cough might be a little too big for God".  How many times in life are we moved by how we feel, what we see, or what we hear people say? Sometimes we go to God with the problem, other times He is our last resort.  Some problems we think are too small, others are way too big!  We say we trust God but when storms come we stick our heads in the sand and wait for the storm to pass.
    As believers we must be consistent!  Just as, Rylie that day we must never allow our problems to speak louder to us than God's promises!   We must always walk by faith knowing that there is nothing impossible for God.  Every time we encounter a problem, no matter our circumstances or situation,  know that we are victorious!  1 John 5:4 says "whatever is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith".  The next time something comes your way, small or large, let God be your first resort.  Remember that with God there is nothing too big, too small, or too far gone!  Hebrews 10: 24 says "let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful".  Find a promise, stand, and watch as Gods word comes to pass in your life!  2 Corinthians 1:20 says "for all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us".  As for, Rylie.. she is completely healed and back to aggravating her brother, but one thing for sure.. she knows her God is able!!