Well, spring has sprung and Donnie and I have traveled near and far to my speaking engagements around the country.  Each one was special and amazing in it’s own way and what I love the most about the Lord is that He can always top the thing He did last…HE NEVER TOPS OUT!  Now would be a good time to remind you of the “Retreat Memoirs” link on this website.  There you will find my reflections from each of the events and in most cases there is a link that will take you to photos from that specific event if they were taken.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

As I mentioned in my March Newsletter I have a new message “Do Not Engage! A Message on Forgiveness.” I have spoken this message recently and afterward the Lord reminded me of something a very wise woman of God once told me…

Many years ago after I had first started speaking, my mentor, Shirley Barber, admonished me to always take at least a day and rest in the Lord’s Presence after a speaking engagement.  She told me as much as I prayerfully prepare and guard myself against the enemy prior to an event, it is even more important to do this afterwards, because often times after a move of God we tend to relax and let our armor down. It is then that we become most vulnerable to an attack.  I have never forgotten this important piece of advice, but there have been times I have not adhered to it.  This recently was the case.  Each time I delivered this new message, I found myself wiped out, physically, spiritually and emotionally.  This happened twice, before I recalled Shirley’s words  to me, and on both occasions I had made commitments in the following days that I could not cancel. 

SO, due to the Scriptural depth of this message, the responses I have received and recognizing the attacks that follow it, I realize that this is a vital issue to the walk of every Believer and have decided to make this new message into a Bible study.  My goal is to have it available at my table and on my e-store by September, 2008.    As I just shared with you about teaching and writing this Bible study, a Scripture came to mind:

                Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers (or sister), because you know that we who
                teach will be judged more strictly.                                                                                             James 3:1

Therefore, I would ask for your prayers as I embark on this new and exciting adventure in writing my first Bible study!

   It’s May and the old saying “April showers brings May flowers” is ringing true around my house! Me, My Donnie, Tiger and Missy are spending lots of time out in the yard and that is where we all love to be.  The weather has been…well…very Texas-like. Hot, warm, cold, cloudy, sunny, tornadic, straight winds over 60 miles an hour, thunder, BIG THUNDER and lightening that lights up the night sky bright as day!  My Donnie rigged our house, so that when the power goes out we can run the generator and keep the lights on.  Have I mentioned lately that I love that man?  When the rest of Celina goes dark it’s light at my house and for this I am so very thankful!

Speaking of my Donnie, God taught him something this month and I believe it is worth sharing with you.  As most of you know, last fall Donnie and I took a leap of faith and Donnie made the decision to stop working for Women of Faith to travel with me full time.  It has proven to be the best decision for us, but not without it’s financial struggles along the way.  Donnie still works for Land Rover North America when I don’t have bookings and I still love my job as administrator to Sheila Walsh.  However, there have been times this year where I had only a few bookings and there was no Land Rover work, and as a result, we struggled financially.  It is during these slow travel times that Donnie and I are really able to get involved at our church, which is extremely important to us.  Donnie has gotten very involved with the men’s group and with the men’s retreat right around the corner, he was signed up and ready to go!  For weeks leading up to this retreat Donnie had been praying hard about our finances and specifically asking the Lord to provide Land Rover work for him. 

Well, My Donnie got exactly what he prayed for and Land Rover called with work during the week of the men’s retreat.  As hard as that decision was, Donnie missed the men’s retreat and went to work for Land Rover only to find himself as sick as a dog, unable to work and laid up in his hotel room.  Of course, many things went through this wife’s mind, but with the help of Jesus I kept my thoughts to myself as best I could.  I did ask him at one point, “Do you think you missed God on this and weren't supposed to go to work and miss the men’s retreat?” And here is what he said to me and what God taught us both that day,  “Babe, I didn’t miss God!  I prayed about this and I believe I did the right thing by coming here to work, but this is what the Lord ministered to me this morning:  Leading up to this week, in my mind there was only one way for God to provide income on short notice and that was through Land Rover.  So that is how I prayed and I got what I asked for. What God showed me was that in my prayers for provision I was “man minded” and not “God minded.” It was okay for me to be specific in my prayers, but I left no room in them for God to do it His way.” 

WOW!  How often are we unintentionally “man minded” asking God to help us in the only way we think He can!  God can do anything and answer any prayer however He so chooses, but there are times where He gives us exactly what we pray for to teach us that His ways are higher than ours and that His plan is PERFECT though we may not always see it or understand it. 

The place in His Word that comes to mind is when the Israelites cried out for an earthly king, when God Himself was already their King, but He gave them what they asked for (1 Samuel 8). But, this Scripture in Ephesians says it all:

                 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power
                 that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
                 for ever and ever! Amen.      Ephesians 3:20-21