God takes care of details

For those of you who don't know, our church is prone to flooding.  For that reason, a wall was built to keep the water out.  Due to all the rainfall recently, Tate and I drove by the church around 6pm and there wasn't any standing water.  Two hours later after a constant output of rain, Tate and I almost couldn't drive by the church due to the flooding.  When we finally reached the church, a young lady was being pulled out of her car in the church's parking lot by the fire department.  The couches in the youth building were floating around and water was trying to make its way into the sanctuary.  Many who know that Ford Park floods have asked me, "Why didn't ya'll put the walls up?" There was no time.  We found out later that 30 minutes after we drove by to check on the church, someone else had gone by and saw no standing water and made the same assumption that we did...that we were safe.  We both were wrong.  An SOS was sounded and men showed up to put up the wall to stop the water.

The next morning the damage was assessed.  The youth building was a total loss.  Water needed to be sucked up out of several wings, the gym and the sanctuary.

The news came by that morning and interviewed the preacher.  Then God showed up.  He sent people to drop off extension cords, commercial fans, and commercial wet vacs.  He sent people to do the manual labor of cleaning up.  He even sent people to provide lunch for all the workers.

I had to tell you all that to get to the good part of the story...to tell/show you an example of how awesome God is.  Friday morning I couldn't get to work due to flooded streets.  I could however get to the church.  Now I had always been taught to have some money tucked away for emergencies.  That morning before I left the house I felt that God told me to take some of that money with me.  At the time I thought it was odd but did it anyway.  As I see more people show up to help I begin to think about feeding the volunteers.  A friend offers to buy lunch if I make the order.  A head count is taken and I call Domino's Pizza.  We head off to pick up the pizza and my friend hands them his credit card for payment.    "Sorry Sir. Our credit card machine hasn't worked all morning."  (They didn't tell me this when I called in our order.)  In that instant as my friend begins trying to come up with payment plan B, I just smile and say, "No problem" and whip out that money that God told me to put in my pocket earlier that morning.  My friend reimbursed me later and got a story to tell his Sunday school class.

What's amazing about this story is #1: God knew about the situation at Domino's later in the day and He was putting everything in order for it work out that morning.  #2: I never carry that amount of cash on me.  #3: I have had that money stored away for several years never having had to touch it.  #4: This is proof that God is in control at all times and if we'll not only listen to His voice but also obey His instructions, we might get to see His hand at work.

What Faith Can Do

Lately I've been discouraged and in a pit. Let me rephrase that. It seemed like a pit but when I would talk to Tate and Danyelle about it, the pit really was more the size of a dimple. Just the result of my bad habit of making mountains out of molehills. I need to change a lot of my thinking habits and personality traits that have been around since what I call the "dark years". It is a very daunting task if I try to do it BY MYSELF. And if I did change, it wouldn’t last long because my strength is limited. I was reminded that he source of true change comes from God. I had been running these things through my mind when KLOVE played the new Kutless song, “What Faith Can Do”. It was as if God was whispering, “Nothing is impossible for Me. Stand still and let me work.” I posted the lyrics below in case someone else needs to hear God whisper to their heart.

WHAT FAITH CAN DO
By Kutless

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think its more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You do have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can!
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

A little excitement while I was gone

So I go home to DeRidder to pay my respects to Grannie and be there for Danyelle. I get back Saturday around 5:30 pm. I notice that the next door neighbor's fire extinguisher is on their stoop. I open my door and my alarm tells me that someone has had to enter my apartment. Then I am overwhelmed by the smell of smoke. My kitchen floor has black marks from boots scuffed on it. My cabinets are opened. I haven't received any phone calls about a fire. None of my emergency contacts on my list have been contacted. There isn't a note on the cabinet explaining what happened. So I have to wait til this morning to find out what happened. My neighbor had a kitchen fire at 6:30 pm Friday night. The apartment manager lives in Blanchard and she had to call the courtesy officer to get the keys to open my apartment b/c the fire department was about to bust down my door. The complex is sending a machine out today to suck out the smoke smell. Just one more story to add to the Heather's adventure files. And another testimony that God protects His own.

On this Valentine's Day...

On Valentine's Day we rush out to show our love to significant others, family and friends. Some people think it is a waste of money. Others turn it into a competition. Lately I have been thinking about the different ways people have shown their love to me through the years. Some did it with their words, some used gifts, and some didn't say or do anything...they were just there when I needed them the most. That got me to thinking about God's love for me. The list of things He has done for me is longer and wider than anyone I know. Sending His Son to save my life is unfathomable. The song "Written In Red" by Gordon Jenson is a great reminder of God's love to me. I heard Janet Paschal sing it and fell in love with the song. I've included the lyrics below for you to enjoy.

WRITTEN IN RED
VERSE 1
In letters of crimson
God wrote His love
On a hillside so long, long ago
For you and for me Jesus died
And love’s greatest story was told

CHORUS
I love you, I love you
That’s what Calvary said
I love you, I love you
I love you written in red

VERSE 2
Down through the ages God wrote His love
With the same hands that suffered and bled
Giving all that He had to give
A message so easily read

CHORUS
I love you, I love you
That’s what Calvary said I love you…
Oh precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

CHORUS
I love you, I love you
That’s what Calvary said
I love you, I love you
I love you written in red

Be careful little ears what you hear...

One Sunday a preacher and a deacon were walking the grounds of the church. They heard a small child singing and they went to investigate.  They found a 4 year old little girl sitting on the front steps of the church singing at the top of her lungs the Hank Williams, Sr classic, "My bucket has a hole in it, can't buy no beer."  The preacher was appalled.  He started asking questions..."Who does this child belong to?  Why would they allow her to learn a song like this?"  The deacon put his hand on the preacher's shoulder and said, "I know who this child's dad is and he happens to be the biggest Hank Williams fan I have ever met.  I'll take care of it."

The next Sunday the preacher and the deacon were walking the grounds of the church.  Once again they heard a small child's voice.  They looked at each other and headed towards the front steps of the church.  They found the same little girl but this time she was singing at the top of her lungs Hank Williams' song "I saw the light".

This is a true story.  The church was Trinity Heights Baptist Church.  The preacher was Dr. Roger Freeman.  The deacon was the late Mr. Dan Baldwin.  The little girl was of course me.  And the biggest Hank Williams Sr fan I have ever met is my daddy, Jack Tolbert.