Today is my spiritual birthday!

November 26, 1967, at ten years old, I walked to the front of our church building, in LaMarque, Texas. Bob Johnson (known to me then as "Brother Bob") asked me if I was ready to make Jesus Christ the Lord of my life - I said 'yes'. Did you catch it? I was ten years old! But I could not and I still cannot imagine my life without Him! I was blessed to grow up in a home where both my parents knew the Lord and talked of an active relationship with Him.
The push to walk down the aisle however came when, between Bible class and worship that day, Bunny Bryce firmly told me she was going to 'go forward' that morning. Well, why not today!?!?! (get it, kind of like 'why not tonight?) I knew I loved Jesus; I knew I wanted to wear His name; I knew I wanted to be clean to God; and I knew that on my own, I was stinky. I knew enough to KNOW that I needed a Savior.
After 38 years of walking with Him, I know now that I had no clue how desperate for a Savior I was. I LOVE that God does His cleansing even when we have no clue. I LOVE that I don't have to understand His love, His grace, or His mercy. I LOVE that He simply has called me to rest in them. There is nothing that I have to 'get' except that He is God and that I am not. He gets it and I don't - but I get Him! (a quote from Mike Cope at Stream, 2005) I LOVE that everytime I come to an 'ah-ah' (a time when I learn something new) moment with Him, I don't have to climb back in the water to receive His forgiveness. I LOVE that He continually cleanses me - even though I don't understand Him! My salvation is all wrapped up inHis work - NONE of my own.
I feel so blessed to have been raised in a family that honors 'spiritual' birthdays. This morning, I woke up at my parents' house (we were still there for Thanksgiving). My parents both greeted me with a Happy Birthday. What a blessing! Not only do they honor the day my body breathed its first breath of life, but they honor the day my soul was gifted with the Breath of Heaven! Thank you, Mom and Dad! Thank you for teaching me so much about the real Gift of Life!

I come to the Lord with a heart FULL of thanksgiving!

We are leaving a little after noon today to go to my Mom and Dad's house for the holiday. Malaya spent the night and she is going with us; Jenny and David are coming later.
I love this time of year! We did our first real Christmas shopping trip yesterday. The sales hadn't started yet but who has time to wait?!?!?!!?
As I reflect back on this last year, I am so grateful that the God I serve is moving, is constantly revealing His power and might -- and that He is faithful! That He lovingly blesses His children with His presence!
This has been a year full of His presence! I am thankful!
For my children - all six of them - being such reflections of the Lord's love to us.
For my little granddaughter, Malaya, and the rich joy she brings to my life! I love being her Grammy! and I can't wait to be a Grammy to our new forming little one! (Can't wait until June!)
For my new church family! What a blessing to be part of a church family where we feel so loved and affirmed by the leadership! And so many brand new friends!
For the ministry, Come before Winter, and all the new friends that have come as a result of our travel! I LOVED our team! and made so many new precious friends from Europe! Makes the anticipation for heaven swell!
For God's Word - I love the age-old treasures found in it!
For music to praise Him! I LOVE to sing to Him!
For my wonderful husband! I adore him! He truly completes me! The Lord constantly uses Rick to bless me!
I am grateful that God has called me His own and constantly works in me - that He chooses to use someone like me! He knows all my 'stuff' - and still calls me to shine for Him - using the Light of His love to do it! Amazing!

I'm home and now awake enough to write!

Wow! Thanks so much to those of you who lifted our trip to the throne room of the Lord!!! He was His usual Faithful Self and covered this trip with blessing! He was HUGE for us and totally amazing! I don't know where to start!
This trip was a first for me is so many, many arenas. I have never travelled with a team of women that our only link was that we are all crazy about God. That was an especially rewarding experience. I'm not sure I have ever laughed more and cried more and felt more totally 'at home' in my whole life! I LOVE my new friends! God bound us up tight!
And the missionary women! Oh my! How beautiful are the feet of those that bring good news! These women put a whole new meaning on the word 'sacrifice'! They are amazing instruments on the altar of God! I really wanted to bring several home with me! I loved worshipping with them, praying over and with them, studying God's word with them, reading with them, and, of course, partying with them!
Germany is beautiful! So sharp in color! Lots and lots of flowers! Gorgeous! On the Saturday before we left to come home, we toured Martin Luther's home and the church where he hung his 95 theses. He was buried inside that church. We surrounded his grave and sang - in four part harmony - A Mighty Fortress is Our God. Talk about history coming alive! Sweet moment!
I am delighted to have gone and delighted to be home - home with my brand new Decatur sisters. God has been so sweet to me! (I think I have said that a lot recently.)
Thank you, Father, for the gift of friendship. On the other side of Your world, I now I have brand new friends that I will get to party with in heaven when we all speak the same language! I saw you, Father, in their eyes and in their tears! I can't wait to share moments in life with them again!
And in Decatur, I have brand new friends to share part of this journey! Help us, Father, to step in closer to You each time we hang out!
Oh, Father, what a blessed woman I am to have a family who professes You as the Holy One! Thank you for their faithfulness in prayer over my trip. I am glad to be home and back in my husband's arms! I missed his kisses!
I am blessed, Lord! Thank you for this new chapter opening with such a 'bang'! I love to be 'wowed' by You. Only You can do it this wonderfully! Thank You, Lord! Thank You!

Prayer Warriors Unite!

Well, November 4 is almost here! I leave tomorrow afternoon for a mission trip with a group called Come before Winter. I am delighted to have this opportunity. I will be traveling with 13 'girlfriends' to Germany to facilitate a weeklong renewal for missionary women from several locations in Europe. We each have been asked to have our friends and family lift us up in prayer during the prep time and during the journey. I am reminding those who I have previously asked and soliciting more prayer covering beginning tomorrow. While this trip has been planned for more than a year and a half - I had no idea how it would all unfold. My prayer requests have been turned in long ago but I had no idea what a turn my life would take in the last month: I have sold a house, bought a house, had surgery, and moved - all since October 7! Craziness! (as my son Josh would say). But the Lord has so got my back - He has been soooo sweet to me! Oh, I could go on and on about how at home I have felt today - at home in my new house, with my friends, in my own skin! At home because I KNOW He is in my heart! Wowsie-powsie!
This could get really long - I'll journal tomorrow so I don't forget a thing - maybe a future blog --but for now, my prayer requests:
PLEASE PRAY--
*for Rick while I am gone.
*that my ministry will be a sweet and fragrant aroma to the Lord.
*that the flights to and from Germany will be free of anxiety -- and motion sickness!
*that the Spirit will fill me with wisdom and discernment in all my interactions with the women on my team and the missionaries who attend. I want to be a Proverbs 11:25 kind-of-girl!
*for my mom and dad (my dad is not doing very well - I pray he will not be in pain and that his health will improve asap)
*for my new church family! - Please join me in thanking the Lord for bringing us together!
*that the Lord will just be HUGE for us!
Thank you so much!
Can't wait to write more on November 14 - my first day home!
I love you, my friends!

Happy Birthday, David

Today we celebrate! (We really did on Saturday because of the hustle and bustle of this week.) We are so thankful that David Shawn Bizaillion is part of 'us'! He is amazing! The list would be too long to blog if I attempted to list all the things my son-in-law does for us but -- even with all he does (did I already say it is a LOT) -- nothing compares with his sweet servant heart! David is a joy - he is full of rich wisdom! David, today we praise God for your life! Oh, yeah, I do that every day but today more than ever! Happy, happy 31st!
Thanks for being such a fabulous husband for our precious Jenny! Thanks for being such an awesome daddy to our angel, Malaya! Thanks for your quest to know the Lord better! Thanks for enjoying life! And thanks for sharing ours!