TEXAS OR BUST....AND A LITTLE HODGE PODGE

Did you miss me???

It has been a while since I've written. As my last post stated....I'm busy. The last few weeks have been crazy. However I'm finishing up some projects and am looking forward to slowing down and getting some rest.

This post is going to be what my Pastor calls...Hodge-Podge. That means you talk about one thing and then put a period there and change directions.

Hold on...here goes.

The 4th of July we were lazy. We slept late, went to the pool, and watched the fireworks sitting in the car on the by-pass.

On the 8th-10th of July, we went on a trip to Texas with 18 other people from our church. We went to a called conference to vote down a change in our EMC denomination. Our Southern District showed up in mass and our votes prevented the changes from being approved. Well...our votes and God's mighty help.

It took us 20 hours to get to Texas on a chartered bus (or coach as Lynn told us) and 18 hours to get back. We talked, laughed, played games, read, watched movies, ate and ate some more, slept (very little), plotted our attack, and whined (just a little). It was fun but also extremely tiring.....let me emphasize the word tiring. We spent two full nights on the bus.... We were mighty warriors for our church and our denomination and our Pastor. I felt really proud of us. Our votes prevented the changes to our denomination and they also provided the way for our Pastor Dewey to be appointed as our District Superintendent. In the end...it was worth all the effort. Just don't ever ask me to go on a bus ride to Texas again...next time I'm catching a plane....


Beth sleeping on the bus


Jo visiting with Jeanne


All smiles


Talking business


Our Leaders - Dewey and Laurens


Dewey and Jo snuggling


Talking Strategy


Leaving for the conference


Our Chariot


Arriving home after an all night bus ride




The 17th-20th of July, I worked at the women's Tres Dias weekend #30. It was an awesome weekend and I saw many lives get completely transformed. I got to work a job that involved prayer...one of my favorite things to do. It was a tiring weekend and I got very little sleep, however, I was humbled to get to be there and God blessed me greatly. Thank you God for once again showing me truth about your grace and the power of your love.

During this month, I've also been attending a bible study with some girls at my church. We are doing Kelly Minter's book "No Other Gods". It has been great. It is about all of the other things (or people) in our lives that we put before our time with God. It has really struck home with all of us. We did a video as part of a memorization tactic and we ended up getting posted on Beth Moores blog. Which was pretty cool. You can check us out at http://www.livingproofministries.blogspot.com/. Just look for the EMC siestas video. It's a riot!!! (Check the July 11th post to see us).

There is one other big thing to come this month. This Sunday, July 27th is our Pastor Dewey's last Sunday as our Pastor. It is not a day that I am looking forward to. However, I do believe God has big changes in store for all of us and I trust him with the future of our church and the future of Dewey and Jo. This is a season of change for all of us. Dewey and Jo have been our leaders for 16 years. Dewey has stepped down as our Pastor to take the District Superintendent job for our Southern District. More about all of later. For now, let me just say, Dewey and Jo....I love you both dearly. You both hold a huge place in my heart. May this Sunday bring you many pleasant memories and a overwhelming sense of how much we all love you.

Oh, one more thing....check out Nipper's new buzz cut.
Isn't he cute?

What did you say ?

They left his tail fluffy...

Now that's what you call a hodge-podge.

Tammy

Do You Feel Busy???

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Do you ever feel really busy? I've been thinking today about how busy I feel lately. A friend recently said "May is the new December" and we all agreed. However, June is pretty busy in itself. I was thinking how easily it is to get caught up in all the things of life and lose control of our time and priorities .

I was telling one of my closest friends last week. I feel spiritually drained. I have a lot going on. All good things. All things that are good Christian things to do. Things that are good for me and things that allow me to help others. Lots of great stuff.... but I feel drained. Do you know why? All of these things compiled together are keeping me from quiet time with my Savior. I get so busy doing "stuff" that when I have time to sit down and rest.... I sit there feeling like I should still be doing something else. I have forgotten how to just be still before my Savior.

Do you ever feel the same way? You are busy doing good things. You work hard, you do things for your church, you do things for your family, you do things for your friends. Maybe, you even do things for others in the community. All good and enjoyable things. Yet you feel tired and drained?

Are any of you like me... you are so busy doing all the right and important things.....that you are missing doing the most important thing? Are you spending enough time alone with your Savior? Are you seeking him more importantly than any of the other stuff you do?

My friends, it is so easy to get so caught up in doing that we quit just "being". We were made to "be" in his presence. We were made to seek him and spend quiet time in his presence. There is nothing wrong with doing things for God, or our families, or our friends. There is even nothing wrong with being busy. However, when it keeps us from spending daily quiet time in the presence of our Lord and Savior....we may need to examine our priorities. We were made for him and by him. He seeks daily alone time with us. We were made for his pleasure. We do not give him pleasure when we give all of our time to other things...no matter how good. We are called to come into his presence daily and seek to know him on a very personal level. He seeks an intimate relationship with us. We need to spend time in the word. We need to spend time talking with him and sharing our heart. We need to spend time just being still before him in worship and adoration. Friends, we also need to just spend time listening to hear what he has to say to us.

If we don't get our time with him we cannot be all he called us to be. We cannot walk in our own strength and try to do all the things we all called to do. If we do can you guess what happens? We end up feeling spiritually drained. We end up weak and easily attacked by our adversary and by the world.

May we all take time this week to get into his presence. He is the renewer of of our hearts, minds and spirits.

I love you guys,

Tammy