A Child of God

As I reflect back on the past few months and our new adventure in homeschooling, I find myself so blessed by the time (challenging as it has been at times). What do I love the most? I LOVE the opportunity to incorporate the study of God's word into Ella's daily school experience.

Our primary goal as parents is to inspire in our children a deep love for their heavenly Father. I have to admit, as a first time Mom, this task initially seemed quite daunting. I wondered how I would possibly teach her what it means to be a Child of God. I knew this challenge required me to live the example, but: What words would I use? How could I (the logical, direct Mom who even in the midst of her greatest excitement is not the "bubbly" type) truly express the depth of love I have for Christ? All the whens, hows, and what if's I could come up with raced through my mind.

If we process what it is that solidifies our love for God, we find that it is the understanding of His great love for us. So Keith and I set out to raise this beautiful life we call Ella, with a clear understanding of her creator's love for her...how he chose her before she was born, how he desired relationship with her so much that he was willing to sacrifice the life of His son, and how he views His children.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come."

In Christ we have a new identity we can be assured that no matter what has happened in our lives, we are loved, valued, and accepted. That's it! Love, value, and acceptance are the key. We can teach our children best by loving them, valuing them, and making sure they know they are FULLY accepted, NO MATTER WHAT!

Six years in to her sweet little life, I am having a blast watching her learn more about God's word and build on the foundation we worked to lay early on. It is such a joy to see Ella's excitement about and love for her God. Here I was worried about our ability to inspire in her a deep love for her heavenly father and now, her simple, yet amazing, understanding is inspiring me everyday! Excited to see where 2012 takes us!!

Celebrating An Amazing Woman

Today is the birthday of one of my dearest friends. If you look up the word friend in the dictionary, there it will be - a picture of Renee Lewis! Renee and I met in 2000 - she was at home on bed rest and Mark (her husband) had come to church that Sunday morning. It was a HUGE morning in our world as Keith was being ordained as a Pastor and was sharing our vision for planting a church in Mooresville, NC. Following the service, Mark approached Keith and said he and Renee would love to talk to us more about being a part of our core team (little did he know the journey they were about to embark on). We later went to their home to meet with them and came away knowing that the Lewis family was a gift from God. Renee agreed to become our Children's Ministry Director - a completely volunteer position, I might add. They soon moved their family to the Mooresville area to position themselves to pour into ministry.

I have learned so much about Renee since that time!

1 - She's ALL HEART.

2 - She LOVES children far more than I could have imagined.

3 - She is COMMITTED to family - hers, mine, & yours!

4 - You don't mess with her family! (& the Devines are part of her family... so, don't you forget it!!)

5 - She will run herself ragged SERVING anyone she feels has a need.

6 - She is the most LOYAL person I have ever met.

7 - She shares the love of Christ with everyone she connects with - and she CONNECTS with everyone she meets.

8 - She is an amazing WOMAN OF GOD, a living stone being built up as a spiritual house.

It is difficult to express just how much I love this woman and just how amazing I believe she is. She has poured into my life with so much love, spiritual insight, and dedication. She has stayed up with me until all hours of the night - talking, encouraging, and even decorating. She has walked with me through the good times and the difficult times. She has been my accountability partner - the one who speaks truth when it's hard and love when it's needed - not to mention my ministry partner & business partner. She has been there by my side when no one else even recognized the need. All I can say is...I am soooooo blessed to call her FRIEND!!

So, Happy Birthday my dear friend! I love and honor you today!! Thank you for who you are in my life!!!

My Resurrected Life

The new outfits are purchased, the Easter Egg Hunts done, and we are looking forward to some wonderful time with our family tomorrow. Right now, I am at home relaxing before heading out to get a much needed manicure and pedicure.

While eating lunch, I looked out into my backyard and noticed that my dogwoods have their first blooms today. How appropriate for Easter weekend! These blossoms are said to represent the crucifixion of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yet as I look at them, I do not see death. What I see is life - fresh and new. I am reminded and overwhelmed by His promise for NEW LIFE. The resurrected life of Jesus Christ, IN ME! MY RESURRECTED LIFE!! Something I have so graciously been given. A life I can live TODAY, not something I have to wait for, not something I have to earn, not something I have to live up to some set of rules to receive. NEW LIFE TODAY - an abundant life, a life that overflows with His blessings, a life that is full of peace and joy, a life that is meant to breathe life and hope into others. LIFE worth living - LIFE that makes me shout - LIFE that makes me dance - LIFE that fills me with a love that has to be shared!!

I am so thankful today, not simply because my Savior died for me, but because he arose FOR ME! His life fuels my life with a power that is greater than any other. A power that allows me to fulfill my resurrected purpose and mission - to share this incredible opportunity for new life and to love others with all I have.

My prayer for you and your family is that you have a wonderful Easter weekend, taking time to look past the festivities and soak in the magnitude of this incredible gift of LIFE!

New Beginnings

Been a while since I've written here, or anywhere for that matter. Just been dry, unable to formulate my thoughts enough to get them out in writing. I've started a few times to end up staring at the screen thinking how in the world do I put what I'm feeling into words. So today I attempt to move forward and process some of the MANY thoughts swirling around in this head.

This has been an extremely difficult time for me. There are times I feel as if I can't move, can't think, can't breathe. Like a brick is sitting on my chest and the weight becomes more and more unbearable. Our circumstances are stressful at best. The decisions we have had to make due to these circumstances and the timing of them (life changing in the sense that we may now never be able to have more children) have rocked me to the core. The hurt that led us to this place doesn't seem to dissapate. It lingers...I think I'm moving past it and then it grabs on with a strangle hold on my heart. The hurt, the loss, the mourning, the deep sadness I feel is hard to express. The fear and uncertainty regarding our future can be difficult to push aside. I feel as though I am lacking in so many areas...emotionally (many days I lack the ability to look past my emotions), physically (most days I lack the energy to face this time with the drive and determination with which I would typically respond), financially (in another month we are facing a time of complete and total lack of income), spiritually (I often feel like I can't focus or receive with a right heart the truth of the Lord).

Ahhh, but yet in all my lack Lord, you pour out an abundance of your love on me. You work through the amazing people in our lives to meet our needs in so many ways!

I have to look at things like yesterday. Yesterday was a good day. Spent time with Mom and Ella. Our quest - to find the perfect Easter dress for our little princess. Mission accomplished and then some! My parents are so incredible. They have always been there to support and encourage my sisters and I ( and our families). When we hit tough times, they are always there standing in the gap and ready to help out in any way they can. This certainly isn't the first time in our lives we've needed that support, but I believe this may prove to be the most pivotable time. Beyond the incredible spiritual support and wisdom they pour out, they blessed us yesterday not only with an Easter dress, but also with a huge chunk of Ella's spring/summer wardrobe.

Then I process the love of God we've been shown by so many dear friends not just now during these tough times, but regularly for so many years. Just a few...car repairs by an incredible mechanic at low, low prices, hair care by a dear friend at rates that can't be beat, lawn care by friends that simply want to help us out at the cost of materials, child care whenever we need it with friends we trust with our lives (have never had to pay for a babysitter...EVER!), and now, women in my life I view as mentors that are committed to spending time with me regularly and pouring into my soul (women that will keep close watch over my heart). Wow! These are simply ways our daily needs are being met.

Then there's the past...His faithfulness, His provision...it's undeniable!

Lord, you have said to me, you will supply ALL my needs. You have said, through your faithful servant, that you have something for us in this. You have said, do not be anxious. You have said, you know the plans you have for us, to give us a hope and a future. You have said, you will bless the womb of the barren one.

Oh Lord how I want to be like Abraham! Who beyond all hope, never waivered through unbelief regarding your promise, but was strengthened in his faith being fully persuaded that you have the power to do what you have promised. I desire to be fully persuaded! Not simply giving "spiritual" lip service.

Thank you that beyond the way I feel is the reality of who you are! Thank you that I do not have to strive to be in unity with you...that you love me beyond measure, you delight in me, you are enthralled with my beauty, even in the days of my seeming faithlessness. Because of you I AM faithful, I am righteous, I am able to choose to walk strenghtened in my faith. Oh, what would I do without this identity you have given me, this grace you have bestowed upon me?

Leaving a Legacy - Devine Family Mission

I distinctly remember it. It was 1998, Keith's 2nd semester at Southeastern University, when God decided to introduce us to our life mission. CRAZY! You see, we had been married 4 1/2 years. The first 3 years could best be described as HELL...seriously. Year 4 got a little better as we began to come together with one focus (finding the right college for Keith to pursue his call to ministry). The problem - we were on opposite schedules, depended on our own families for everything and never built our relationship beyond the I Love You, Let's Get Married stage. We did however both love the Lord with all our hearts and agreed theologically in all the important areas. Basically, we agreed spiritually, financially, and politically. Reducing a huge amount of the stress many young married couples face. We also agreed that "Divorce" was not an option and not even in our vocabulary. Our marriage was not a contract, but a covenant with God and each other - it was fully binding and unbreakable. That was the glue that kept us together. It was that understanding alone that allowed us to reach the point in our marriage that God could begin to reveal his plan to us. A plan we knew, from the day we met, he had for us. "'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.'" (Jeremiah 29:11)

So, back to 1998 (I'll fill in the blanks another time with a blog about the rest of our story). Keith would come home from classes and we would sit down to talk about his day. Yes, for the record, I deserve an honorary degree : ) We were learning so much and loved to talk things through. Our paradigms were challenged on a daily basis and we, being in such agreement theologically, chose to challenge a great deal of the information being presented. One of Keith's professors required him to read a book called Victory Over the Darkness, by Neil Anderson. It is a book about discovering your identity in Christ and the freedom that results. We decided to read the book together and it challenged us to the core. We were sure the book was wrong...life in Christ couldn't possibly be that simple. We began to challenge the book point for point directly with scripture. Wow! It was truth. We were amazed. We began to adopt that truth into our lives and walk out what we had learned. OUR LIVES WERE TRANSFORMED!

Questions began to swirl around in our heads...How could it be that we were raised in the church (Preacher's kid and church Elder's kid) and had somehow missed, even among great teachings on the Grace of God, this life changing truth? How many other's were struggling through their Christian existance with no idea about the freedom they have in Christ or what that statement even means? What could we do about it? Could we change the world around us? Would others experience the same life change we had?

Our response - Yes, we can make a difference. We can make sure that everyone God allows our lives to touch, hears this good news of the gospel. This Vision took hold in our hearts and our family mission was solidified. We set out to introduce others to their identity in Christ and the incredible freedom that accompanies this understanding. "...to testify to the Gospel of God's Grace." (Acts 20:24b) This mission has become more and more ingrained in our lives over the years.

A Weekend to Remember

Last weekend, Keith & I took off to Greenville, SC for a Family Life "Weekend to Remember" Conference. We've been to a number of marriage conferences in the past, however this was our first in approximately 7 years. We spend so much time together with pre-married couples, counseling them and praying that God will use us to prepare them for the best marriage possible. Knowing it's important to refuel and take time to assess and work on our own relationship in order to be most effective in counseling others, we were excited to have been blessed with the opportunity to attend the conference. Great conference - great information - highly recommended. It challenged us to look at and work through some important areas of our relationship. It was great to have some time alone with my hubby (uninterrupted by toddler or blackberry : ), a little extra rest, and time to talk through some personal thoughts without distraction.

What did I take away from the weekend? My husband is a gift from God! I love him with all my heart and wouldn't want to do life with any one else. This life is short and God brought us together to accomplish His purpose, not just to live "happily ever after" making babies in marital bliss. [Bliss - defined by The Free Dictionary online - extreme happiness, ecstasy]

The cool thing - understanding our mission as a couple/family, staying focused on Christ and remaining centered around this purpose, we CAN live in marital bliss! Will we argue, fight, and struggle at times? Absolutely! It's important to note, however, bliss is also defined by The Free Dictionary online as spiritual joy. The joy of fulfilling our purpose as a family and leaving a Godly legacy will far outweigh the struggles we may face - that, my friends, is marital bliss!

As for the Devine's...our mission is clear! I am so thankful to have such a wonderful husband at my side.

What God Says About Me...and You! Part 2

These scriptures are reminders to me of the beautiful identity I have in Christ. Writing them down is simply one way I am choosing to renew my mind and immerse myself in these truths.

The awesome part...What is true of me, is true of you!

All who have accepted the wondrous, good news of Christ, share in His inheritance. What is true of Christ is now true of us, because we are in Christ. It's part of our identity.

Truth for today:

I am the light of the world (Matt.5:14)

and in Christ, by God's grace,

I died with Christ and died to the power of sin's rule over my life

(Rom. 6:1-6)

If you'd like to grow in the understanding of your Identity in Christ, I highly recommend you take the time to read "Victory Over the Darkness" by Neil T. Andersen. Understanding these truths has revolutionized my life. I believe wholeheartedly...FREEDOM in it's truest form can only come from a clear understanding of who one is in Christ.