Two things......Before I forget let me announce that we are having another volunteer meeting to plan the agenda for the day of the celebration and finalize plans ..... placing volunteers where they need to be for that day. The meeting will be on Thursday, February 3rd 7pm at Macedonia Baptist Church - 8081 Lenox Ave. on the West side. We are in need of many volunteers so that no one has to work more than a 2 hour shift that day and can also enjoy the festivities. If you think that you will be able to volunteer that day and would like to be a bigger part of Team Alex... please join us this Thursday!
Woweeeeewowowow! What an awesome, uplifting weekend I have had this weekend! I had the pleasure of attending a Women's Church Event at Christ's Church, http://www.ccontheweb.com/
.....AAAAAAMAZING! I tell you what... when God gets a hold of you and lights you on fire... HOLD ON.... You are in for the RIDE OF YOUR LIFE! When I pray to him... I always ask him to let my light shine for him.... and then I wait. And I wait... and I wait... because we all know that he does things His own way, in His own time, according to His plan! The funny thing... I HAVE been shining my light for him... I just didn't realize it, but NOW he has just sparked the flame and maybe added a can of hairspray, lol! There was a great band, Celebrate & Recovery (I think) and Karen - Gabi's mom sang with them and MAN CAN SHE SING! WOW! Fantastic speakers... each "TELLING THEIR STORY" which is part of the message. Soooo many of us don't share our story... we sit quietly in the background... when we could be disciples for him and changing lives with our story. Even though I knew that this happened to Alex for his Glory.... JOHN 11:4 never had so much meaning to me until he opened my eyes and MADE ME SEE and truly understand. You know how I always tell you guys that it could always be worse.... well I'm not downplaying what we have been thru by any means and each person's journey is different and even I as I hear someone tell their story... I sit back and say... " I don't know how she did it... I can't imagine going thru what she has gone thru". But in my heart of hearts... I know how she survived... I know who and what gave her the strength. HE did! One of the speakers, Rachel Faulkner, couldn't have been more than 33 maybe if that.... married her college sweetheart and while playing basketball with his buddies, dropped and passed away from a brain aneurysm only after a couple years of their marriage. Distraught as you can only imagine.... instead of getting bitter... she praised God and thanked Him for all that she had been given and trusted that He had a plan that was bigger than she. She continued to share her story of how after the funeral many many people were at her house and her friend looked at her and said "I just don't know how you are doing it". She then proceeded to tell us how her friend Melody, I think she called her, asked if she could talk to her in another room. Rachel led her friend to know Jesus Christ that day and she firmly believes that had her husband not died that she doesn't know that her friend Melody would have ever discovered Jesus. She like me in many ways, or so I like to think, lol.... try to find the positive and the good in what has happened in our lives. She went on to share her story of how she met another wonderful man years later and it just so happened by the Grace of God that she was able to love that way again. You see, even though she didn't know it... his parents were best friends with her late husbands parents and so God made it possible that she could keep all her families because they were already intertwined and it was a match made in heaven after all she had been thru. They had two beautiful beautiful children and he was a pilot. One day I think she said she was coming home from the grocery store or somewhere and she received a call... yes this is when I looked at Kinlin because I knew what was coming next and I said... "YOU ARE KIDDING ME".... yes... it was a call from the base commander saying that her husband had been on the runway taking off and something happened in the wing as they were taking off and the plane flipped over and he and the other guy were killed instantly. Here she is... two husbands taken from her.... 2 children left to care for on her own... back then I think they were like 2 and 4 months maybe? Now her oldest is 5 I think...anyways... you get the point. Can you imagine losing 1 husband let alone 2 before you reach the age 35? And let me tell you what... she didn't get angry at God... she didn't question why... again she said she just PRAISED HIM for all that she had been given! Sooo many of us complain and belly ache every day over the SMALL STUFF..... we DO have soooo much to be thankful for! We should be doing the same and praising him for what we have been given and not what we haven't. Our many many blessings are right in front of our faces! Today I visited Journey Church in Orange Park. Kinlin and Brandon are looking for a new church and asked if I would like to visit with them. This would be their second time... they liked it but weren't really sure if it was the fit that they are looking for. As a friend... she wanted my opinion. Chad's schedule doesn't allow him to go to church with me on Sunday mornings as he works Sun-Thursday so today was a breath of fresh air for me. Sometimes you gotta throw a little change in your step to get your fire lit again....this why I attended the Womens Event and visited a new church. My HOME is Macedonia Baptist Church... don't get me wrong... they are my peeps and my roots grow deep there. Let me tell you how God works! We walk in Journey Church.... sit down, get ready for the service and as we look up on stage... IT WAS THE BAND FROM THE WOMENS EVENT...coincidence....I say not! I told Kinlin I thought it was a sign for her .....there was her answer that she had been looking for. HOLD FAST FOR THE WORD OF GOD! Today's message at Journey tied my whole weekend experience up together all in one! God sent me there today to finish filling up my cup.... and it's overflowing! Let this sink in and hear me when I say this.... If all prayers were answered as soon as you prayed them, you would start putting your faith in your ability and not the power of JESUS! again... HOLD FAST FOR THE WORD OF GOD. Between the promise and the payoff ....THERE IS A PROCESS. Sit tight and just weather the storm...... this too shall pass. Was God speaking to me today??? You betcha he was! I have stayed positive through this whole process.....focusing on Alex and not the drama of the case and who, where, what, when and why. Focusing on Alex..... He is the LIGHT.... HE is working in and through and ALL AROUND Alex every single day. He kept my eyes focused on HIM! John 11:4.... I GET IT! Hearing the women share their stories this weekend.... I GET IT! He brought me to it....now I understand..... actually understand IT! Like many of you tell me daily how much I inspire you.... thank you.... they have inspired me! God grabbed a hold of me and shook me and said... "CHECK THIS OUT!" "See Lisa.... this is what I have been trying to tell you"! It's one thing to hear it from others... it's another to live it and try to profess it.... but you can't fully get it until you UNDERSTAND it. It is then that God can begin to light that fire under you and send you out into the world so that you can share his message.... the right way! So many of us pray and expect him to say "ok, here you go". He isn't a drive thru.... we can't just pull up and order what we want and get it! Between the promise and the payoff....there is a process my friends. He has a plan. It's His way or the highway and trust me... you don't wanna go down that highway! Alex's story is a GREAT story and I hope that if some of you are lost and aren't going to church that you fix that. Start telling your story today.... PUT HIM FIRST in your life and the rest will all fall into place. Today is a Gift... Tomorrow is not promised.... One phone call can change your life FOREVER! Stop putting off till tomorrow what you can do Today and make that decision to better your life.... Let Go and Let God. Tomorrow may be too late for some and I don't want to let one person go without knowing what it is like to "Walk the Streets of Gold" and stand in the presence of HIM! Whatever you are struggling with.... finances...sickness....relationship..... Ask God to take control. He wants to... so let him. Give your heart and your everything to Him.... aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh the peace that will come over you is like non other! I knew all along that he was standing right beside me.... MY ROCK.... giving me the strength to get thru each day and deal with my little brain injury 24-7 and all the craziness that goes with that. Fill your cup up... spiritually. I have so many things to be thankful for and as I have shared many times.....things could always be so much worse. My life isn't easy by any means..... financially holding on and struggling with the future and what it will or won't bring, when and if I will ever be able to go back to work. Chaos in our every day life where nothing is normal anymore...... I lost a son that I once knew and am heartbroken and miss that Alex terribly especially when I look at old videos and pictures. However.... I am a stronger Christian because of what cards I have been dealt and I will praise him in the midst of my anguish because God got my attention that fateful day and brought me to a screeching halt. He chose us for a purpose... a higher purpose. I need to Glorify His Name and share MY story. Quit sitting in the darkness... share your story.... YOU NEVER KNOW WHOSE LIFE YOU WILL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER! The message today in my visit to Journey Church.... You must make a big deal out of your small beginnings so you can see the payoff in the Promise! Share your story this week....it can make all the difference in the world to someone who is lost!
Have an awesome week! My friends... I know you don't want to be at work but be thankful that you are able to and that you actually have a job! I would LOVE to trade places with you and go back to the way things were. Let's count our blessings and be thankful for what we do have instead of focusing on what we don't have.....by the way.. that comes from Alex :0)
