The Hudgins Family

The Help

2011-08-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Last night, I had the privilege of going to see the movie "The Help" with two good friends of mine. I had seen the previews in another movie I saw earlier in the summer and thought it looked really good. I honestly had no idea that there was a book to accompany the movie (I know, get my head out of a hole, right?). As soon as the movie released, several people I follow on Twitter immediately started posting about how incredible the movie was. So.....I made arrangements to see it on Friday.

Sometimes there are movies that make me laugh. "Dumb and Dumber," "Miss Congeniality," and "The Proposal" are a few of those. Sometimes there are movies that inspire me to never give up. "Mr. Holland's Opus," "Braveheart," and "The Freedom Writers" are a few of those.

And then there are movies that grip your heart, overtake your tear ducts, and burn within you a passion to do something.....now. That's exactly how I felt after watching "The Help" last night.

The overall theme was one of "high society life in days of segregation." I didn't live in this time period but still see the impact of it around me today. Wealthy white families hired black women to care for their children, clean their homes, and make them look good. All the while, many of them were mistreated. Badly mistreated.

As I watched Abilene tell a precious little girl time and time again, "You is smart, you is kind, and you is important," the Holy Spirit just broke my heart. I absolutely love the fact that my relationship with the Lord allows Him to have access to my life no matter where I am....including the Cobb 16 in Tuscaloosa, AL. It broke my heart to see that the little girl's "real mom" made fun of her, called her fat, and embarrassed her in front of whoever because the little girl "made her look bad to her friends." Pathetic, right?

Well, I was extremely heart broken for many reasons. Last week was the first week of school. It has been absolutely chaotic and even if I worked 18 hours a day, I don't think I could be caught up with all that there is to be done. Add on top of that a throbbing headache from a tooth extraction 1 1/2 weeks before, PMS, exhaustion, and balancing the needs of my family. As the line outside of my office never ended, my patience did. Thursday afternoon, a feisty young woman walked into my office and used some choice words with me as we discussed her future plans. I responded in such a jerkish way and was equally as rude back to her (minus the profanity). I knew I was wrong as the words came out of my mouth. The Lord dealt with me all night about it and I sought out the opportunity to ask for her forgiveness on Friday. Thankfully, she accepted my forgiveness. (Side note.....regardless of how old you are, are you willing to ask for the forgiveness of people you know you've wronged? Even if they're younger than you? Are you okay with acknowledging that you blow it at times?)

As I watched the scenes in the movie, it's like I had so many scenarios flash up in my mind when I spoke harshly to people......my husband, my children, some parents of students at my school, co-workers, and students at my school as well. The Lord immediately brought to mind this Scripture:

²⁰ From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.

²¹ The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:20-21

Verse 21 tells us that the tongue (our speech) has the power of life and death.......every day, we have the opportunity to speak life into those around us, or kill them with our words. Which will I choose? The Word of God has much to say about the power of the tongue. How many dreams have been destroyed because of harsh words? How many relationships between husbands/wives, parents/children, teachers/students, pastors/church members, bosses/co-workers have been significantly damaged or destroyed due to our careless and hurtful words? While I can sit here and remind myself of those I have encouraged, I know that there are also those I have discouraged. It's hard to admit all of this because it shows how Spiritually mature I'm not in many ways, but I'm thankful to be broken tonight.

Father, be OUR HELP.

Salt and Pepper

2011-05-19T07:53:00.001-07:00

For you children of the 80's, I know you had the group Salt-N-Pepa come to mind and immediately started thinking of their song, "Push it..." :) I can recall that song being played at least 7,235 times at my 7th grade dance back in the day.

For all of our sakes, Salt-N-Pepa grew up a tad and I'm not writing this blog about any musical performers.

Last week, I was revisiting some notes from the Deeper Still conference I attended back in December. Kay Arthur definitely laid it all on the line and taught her heart out for two full hours. One of the statements she made that I wrote down and hung on to was this: "Jesus Christ is not salt and pepper that we should add to our lives when He "tastes good" or when we need to add a little bit. He is Lord! He is Savior! He is our All in All."

Just as it did in December, it whacked me over the head again. I started to think of times in my own life that Jesus can be just an "addition" when He is convenient or a "deletion" when He is not. The Lord has been working on me and dealing with my self-bending heart for the past two years or so. Reading books like Crazy Love and Radical, watching movies like The Blind Side and Grace Card, digging in to The Word of God, and serving people through a variety of outlets all lead me to question myself in regards to consistency in my life according to The Word.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in "doing the Christian life" to please someone. Notice the "someone" is all lower case because we may be doing this all for a human and not for the Lord....
-We show up for Bible Study and turn on the Christian talk and behavior, then walk out of the room and resort right back to worldly chatter, language, behavior, etc. Salt and Pepper.
-We go to church because someone expects us to or because someone will be mad at us if we're not there, but our desire to be there at all is questionable. Salt and Pepper.
-Someone we view as a Spiritual leader places a huge emphasis on one thing.....giving, service, responding in some way.....and, reluctantly, we respond even though our heart is not in it at all. Salt and Pepper.

Please understand something. I am not saying that any of those things are bad. Studying the Word of God with other believers as well as individually is essential for growing in the Lord. Being a part of the body of Christ through the local church is essential for growing in the Lord. Tithing, serving, and responding are essential for growing in the Lord. However......maybe our motivation to do those things is the main problem. Because we then end up doing these things to please "someone" and not out of our love for and gratitude to Jesus!

Reaching a point of serving, giving, studying, tithing, and gathering because you can't live without it or because you look forward to it or because you realize you need it desperately...........I can't help but feel that Jesus would become more than Salt and Pepper. He would become a part of us. Of every word we speak. Of the words we read. Of the thoughts we think. Of the deeds we do. Of the money we give.

Oh, He deserves to be so much more than Salt and Pepper. I want more than that. As I pray for my focus to remain on Him, I'm praying that yours does, too. Thank you for, in some way, shape, or form, sharpening me and pointing me towards Him.

Richter Scale

2011-03-13T19:18:00.001-07:00

In recent days, we have all had our attention drawn to the term "Richter Scale" due to the monumental earthquake and following tsunami in Japan. As we were sitting in church this morning, the campus pastor was sharing about a special offering to assist the people of Japan in rebuilding as well as an opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them in this gigantic time of need. My mind began to wonder for just a minute and I thought of how the Lord can use "Richter Scale" events to shake up and wake up people all over the world and to give them an opportunity to show up and do what only He can do.

Just in case it's been a while for us, I checked out a scientific definition of "Richter Scale" online, and here is what I found:

The Richter magnitude scale was developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter of the California Institute of Technology as a mathematical device to compare the size of earthquakes. The magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the logarithm of the amplitude of waves recorded by seismographs. Adjustments are included for the variation in the distance between the various seismographs and the epicenter of the earthquakes. On the Richter Scale, magnitude is expressed in whole numbers and decimal fractions. For example, a magnitude 5.3 might be computed for a moderate earthquake, and a strong earthquake might be rated as magnitude 6.3. Because of the logarithmic basis of the scale, each whole number increase in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude; as an estimate of energy, each whole number step in the magnitude scale corresponds to the release of about 31 times more energy than the amount associated with the preceding whole number value.

Courtesy of http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/richter.php.

When we do take the time to reread and refresh our knowledge about this scale, we understand the magnitude of an earthquake that has now been upgraded to a 9.0 on the Richter Scale. Japan.....Chile.....Haiti. All of these are recent examples of huge destruction and chaos. 24 hours before these events happened, life was proceeding as "normal" for most people. Husbands and wives were going to work, children going to school, people were shopping, eating, playing outside, catching an afternoon nap, or watching a movie. Then, all of the sudden.....BOOM.....and life as they once knew it will never be the same again.

I have been impressed with the response of The Church (I mean the collective Body of Christ) to assist in times of tragedy. There have been fund-raising concerts for flood victims in Nashville. There have been hundreds of thousands of dollars sent to Haiti and just as many man-hours donated to help this country rebuild. I know that the same efforts are already being done for Japan.....mission trips are being planned, funds are being collected, food and clothing are being donated, hospitals being established for medical care, and clean up teams packing up and heading over to get to work (if they're not already there). This pulling together is incredible. And it shows the true potential of The Church to come together and work for one common purpose......Jesus.

The reason my mind drifted off today as that announcement was being made today was not because it wasn't captivating to me......but because we probably sit by some people on pews or chairs near us who have, at some time, experienced a Richter Scale event in their personal lives. Maybe it's the people we pass in the hall at our places of work or one of the parents on our child's athletic team. If we don't have an event to tell of ourselves, we can certainly bring to mind (almost instantly) one of someone close to us. I think of a precious little girl named Kate McCrae who, at the age of 7, is fighting brain cancer for the third time. Where would that rate on the Richter Scale for her family? I think of the young man who was set to be the valedictorian of his class but instead sat in a Birmingham Hospital for months waiting to receive a heart and double-lung transplant so that he could live. I think of the couple who was happily married for as long as I've been alive, only to find that a heart had grown cold and moved on to someone else. I think of the woman who waited her whole life to have a baby only to find out that she was infertile, and the precious young man who entered gang life because he had no father in his life and no one that ever told him he was loved. The list could go on and on......

Christians, would we be so bold as to begin looking at those around us through the eyes of Jesus with the same intensity and passion as we do places like Japan when tragedy hits? Again, this is not to take away from the severity of what is going on around the world......but it is to make us think of the impact we can make right here, right where we are, right now, if we would adjust our frame of reference and understand the needs (physical, Spiritual, financial, emotional) of those around us.

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:31-40

Father, open our eyes to the needs of those around us. To the hurting. To the hungry. To the cold and naked. To the lonely. To the imprisoned (physically, financially, Spiritually, emotionally). Let us love them as You loved us. Let us be willing to share what You've given us with a selfless heart and breathe life into these lives that have experienced Richter Scale events. Thank You so much for loving us and using us to be Your hands and feet. Thank You, Lord, that someone else has been willing to be Your hands and feet to us in our times of need as well. Let Your Name and Your Renown be the desire of our hearts.

Survey Says.....

2011-02-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

As a Guidance Counselor, I get the opportunity to be evaluated by my faculty, parents, and students to determine my effectiveness in my job. I have to send out surveys to all of these groups of people.......teachers, parents, and students.....in an anonymous fashion so that they can feel free to "rate me" in whatever way they wish without fear of offending me or damaging relationships. You can imagine what kinds of thoughts go through your mind when you send these things out and get them back.

Depending on the day, you could get a completely positive response or a completely negative response. However, when I send the surveys out, I ask people to be honest based on their interactions with me so that I can refine what I do to tackle areas of weakness while not neglecting areas of strength.

Last week, I sent out the faculty and student surveys. They were due to me by Friday and poured in pretty consistently. This week, I am receiving the parent surveys back. Overall, most of the results have been really positive. However, a few have seemed a little harsh. My immediate response, completely in the flesh, was to jump up to defend myself in my mind and give examples of how I've done this or that, etc. I certainly didn't want "my name" drug through the mud.

Over the weekend, however, the Lord really spoke to me.....almost audibly. I didn't have a burning bush call out to me or anything like that, but I really feel like I heard Him say...."Jackie, you say that you love Me so much, yet you are totally consumed with what people think of YOU right now. Get over yourself." As I lifted my hands to praise the Lord, I was really broken. The Holy Spirit nailed it right on the head. That's exactly where I was! I wasn't focused on representing Him as I should have been because I was too busy representing me. Oh, Lord, please break this prideful heart of mine.

What a God thing that today I ran into a friend who asked me if I had ever done the "David" Bible Study by Beth Moore. I told her that I had - it was actually the first Beth Moore study I did and probably the one that stuck with me the most. Why? Because I can totally identify with David at certain times. In Psalm 139, David cried out:

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive (wicked) way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I, too, need the Lord to regularly search me and bring the junk to the table. I totally want to live a life that is pure in every way....yet I fail miserably in many ways. However, I know that the Lord is working in me and revealing the areas that don't reflect Him! Conviction by the Holy Spirit is truly a blessing. It's not always "fun" to deal with, but it leads to repentance.....which leads to receiving forgiveness.....which leads to being able to walk in His grace and share His mercy.

Lord, help us to make YOUR NAME great. As Isaiah 26:8 says, "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, YOUR NAME and RENOWN are the desire of our hearts." Let that be said of me.

Don't be a Quitter!

2010-09-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, Kyle and I loaded up with four other friends to drive 13 hours to Wichita Falls, TX, for the purpose of riding in the Hotter'n'Hell 100 bike ride. This is the largest one-day bicycling event in the country. We were joined by 14,198 other riders that day. It's quite an amazing experience. The mexican food alone is worth the drive. However....I can't focus on the SHREDDED BEEF ENCHILADAS that I devoured....two days in a row.

Two years ago, I went to Wichita Falls to ride in this ride and my mission was this: to complete my first century (for you non-bikers, that's a 100-mile ride). The weekend before, I rode 65 miles in the Tuscaloosa Hot Hundred. I was ready and excited. Texas is pretty flat, so the course couldn't be nearly as challenging as the hills in Tuscaloosa. About 45 miles into the ride, I started having some significant pain in my right knee. Because I had reconstructive surgery on my left knee when I was in high school, I don't play with knee pain. I stopped and let the medical professionals look at it. I got some Motrin, some pickle juice (gross, btw), and a chance to cool off for a minute. Back on the bike, I kept on riding. The pain got worse. I tried to pedal with one foot because I got to where I could hardly bend my right knee without having pain shoot up my entire leg. At mile 70, I had to throw in the towel and ride the rest of the way in the back of a truck. Good thing I was back there alone, because I was mad as a hornet. I absolutely DESPISE having to quit.

This year's ride was kind of like redemption for me. I had actually ridden two centuries before we headed to TX, so it wasn't for the purpose of reaching that goal. However, it was for the chance to take back something I surrendered two years before. I had ridden a good bit, felt in pretty good shape, and even got a good night of rest prior to riding. Everything was great as we headed to the start line on Saturday morning. We took our place and waited for the cannon to fire off to set us all free. It's an amazing thing to ride off in a sea of cyclists and just be swept up in this swarm of fast-paced, swift-moving folks. Twenty-three miles into the ride, we were smoking it. We felt great, the temperature was only around 67 or so, and we were averaging about 21 or 22 miles per hour. Then.....the turn came. We made the turn to ride the 100 miles. From then on, we were riding into a headwind....sometimes 15 to 20 mph. I don't think I signed up for resistance training!

From that point on, I realized a lot. Many of my friends think I'm crazy in the first place for even riding a bike. Especially for long distances. But I'll say this.........it's one of the few times when I can enjoy quiet and really just hear from the Lord. So here's how He spoke to me that day.

When I began the ride, I KNEW I could finish it. I had the experience on the bike. I was in better shape. The route was flat. I figured out what my knee problem was two years ago and did some strength training and stretching to overcome that. There was not much that could've kept me from the finish line. Until.....the 23 mile turn-off. Then I realized all of these obstacles stood between me and the finish line.

1. CYCLISTS. Yes, all of those thousands of other people wanted to finish, too. But with that many wheels and pedals in a small amount of space at the same time, the likelihood of crashing is pretty high. We did pass one guy who crashed and took a massive hit to the side of his face. He had to be airlifted out. You have to be very alert and watch out for what other people are doing so that you stay up on your bike.

2. WIND. I can't tell you how difficult that wind was. A few miles of it is tolerable. 70 of the last 77 miles is intolerable. It will suck all of the energy out of your body.

3. TERRAIN. Some of the road surfaces out there were chip seal. No big deal when you're driving along in your car. On a bike, it's rough. And it makes you have to pedal more just to get where you're going. That means more energy expended.

4. HEAT. The difference in heat in TX and heat in AL is one word....humidity. Out there, there is none. We were riding in 100 degree weather but not sweating. At one point on the ride, my bike computer registered at 125 degrees coming off of the road. People were laid all over the sides of the road cramping up. Some folks had to get IV fluids at the rest stops. I was using my water bottles to hose off my arms, neck, and head to try to stay cool in the last two hours of the ride.

5. EXHAUSTION. The longer the day got, the longer I had been cranking it, the longer I had been riding against the wind, the hotter the day got.....the closer I came to wanting to quit again.

Needless to say, there seemed to be much more against me than there was for me. I did make it to the finish line. I pedaled all the way. Honestly - there were only two things that kept me from throwing in the towel: (1) I am not a quitter and (2) I had people riding with me that were riding for me and I was riding for them. We didn't want to cause each other to quit.

Spiritual application? Definitely.

In the New Testament, Paul speaks often about "the prize." In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, we read this:

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Philippians 3:14 states this:

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

There is a finish line! And even more relevant to us on a daily basis, there is a REASON we are running this race.

Our culture has made Christianity a joke. It's all about us, right? It's about whatever "style" of worship we like. It's about what makes us feel good. It's about who has the nicest facilities or the most "programs" available to us, our families, and our friends. It's about who meets our needs.

The problem with this mindset? One- it's unbiblical. Two - since it's all about "me," or all about "you," or all about "us," we will certainly get our feelings hurt, get our tails on our shoulders, and drop out of the race. Just quit running all together. Maybe some drop outs are reading this today. JESUS IS BETTER!

We will have endless things come against us to make us want to quit. In our marriage, we'll have disagreements or infidelity that lead to casualties in the race. In our parenting, we'll have struggles with a child that make us want to throw in the towel. In the workplace, we'll want to give up because we're overworked, underappreciated, underpaid, and working for or with less than ethical people. In our churches, we'll just quit going because our "feelings" get hurt or we're simply not getting our way.

Now, more than ever, we need to fix our eyes on the prize, on the Author and Perfecter of our faith, and throw off the things that hinder us so that we can run the race. (Reference Hebrews 12) We need to realize that Jesus invites us to walk with Him so that we can become more like Him and be more of Him to the world. That is going to mean rough terrain, heat, wind, others who may collide with you and try to take you out, and exhaustion. He tells us so in His Word....if you don't believe it, reference John 16:33. His goal is not to make us comfortable or spoiled Christian brats.....but to make us Christ-like both INSIDE and OUT.

Ultimately, the big prize is Heaven. One day, He will take me there. Until then, He wants to use me here. And I refuse to quit. For His glory.

Blast from the Past

2010-09-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had the chance to head over to Lake Lowndes to spend the day hanging out with some friends who had been camping all weekend. After church, we ran home and packed up 76% of the house to head over and enjoy the day and the company.

As we were driving in to Columbus, we exited off of Hwy 82 to make our way through New Hope, MS. I drove by New Hope Elementary School - my fifth grade student teaching placement. My mind immediately flashed back to working with Mrs. Cary Shepherd, 5th grade math teacher. I remember doing "warm ups" with students who showed me their answers to division problems with pipe cleaners. I remember walking across the parking lot to go have lunch in the New Hope High School cafeteria on a daily basis. I remember working with a little boy, Will, who was quite the challenge. A rough homelife of being passed around from person to person caused this little 5th grade boy to adopt some "turd-ish" tendencies. I worked my way into his heart by negotiating with him on the terms of a WWF magazine. I hated wrestling.....but it helped me reach him. I wonder where Will is today?

Then we drove into Lake Lowndes. As we made our way towards the campgrounds, Kyle and I both flashed back.....Lake Lowndes was the place we went on our first date. Kyle didn't have a car at the time, so I drove. We went out with the intention of walking around the lake and just talking. As we were walking on one of the trails, I totally tripped over a huge tree root. What a lovely way to make a great impression, huh? After our trip around the lake, we headed to the Little Dooey (a Columbus BBQ restaurant) and drew each other pictures on our placemats. Kyle's picture for me? Me busting it over the tree root! :) I still have it in my "Kyle" box where I keep every card, letter, etc. that he's ever given me.

As we pulled out last night, we drove through Columbus to try to get to Dunkin Donuts for some coffee before we headed home. We got to point to MUW and show the kids the campus where we met, first said "I love you," kissed, and got engaged (those did not all happen simultaneously, by the way).

Thank You, Lord, for memories.

Layers

2010-08-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today I was working on pressure washing some more of the fence that encompasses our backyard. The hum of the pressure washer just drowned out everything.....and I had some time to think as I sprayed fence panel after fence panel. Scary, isn't it? :)

If you've ever seen the movie Shrek, maybe you'll recall the line when Shrek makes the following statement: "Ogres are like onions. We have layers."

This line came to mind as I "uncovered" what was always there.....a beautiful wood fence. The great outdoors can take their toll on the fence by turning it grey/green. I honestly was surprised after I washed the first section and saw how.....new....it looked. Today, I thought I'd take a picture of the progress I was making and then decided I'd put it out here on the blog and share a few thoughts on "layers."

Don't we all have them? In the beginning, we start out like that new fence panel....shiny, new, beautiful, straight, and solid. Then along the way we get exposed to the "elements" that cover us up and make us look grey, dingy, and mildewed. In the past month or so, a lot of people around me have faced some difficult situations and you can bet a layer was added on to their lives. A layer of hopelessness. A layer of betrayal. A layer of resentment. A layer of frustration. A layer of bitterness. A layer of exhaustion. A layer of health problems. A layer of insecurity. Is it any wonder that few people seem to be able to maintain joy in life when they are covered up with all of this junk?

I thought about Genesis 2:7 when God was busy doing His thing.....creating that "new fence panel." He picked up some dust and breathed LIFE into it.....and it became a LIVING BEING. Yes.....even in the dirt, He breathed life. John 10:10 tells us that "the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy....but I have come so that they might have life....life to the full." LIFE....not layers.

I want to live this life uncovered.....not weighted down by a million things I can't control.....so that I can stand strong, beautiful, and solid.

What layers need to be pressure washed in your life? Let them go and let Him shine.

Vaporized

2010-07-21T20:50:00.001-07:00

The past month or so has been a challenging one both personally and professionally. At least once each week, I've spent some time visiting several friends and their families at various funeral homes or churches due to losses that impacted them. Two students at the school where I work lost their mothers in the same week. One good friend lost his father to cancer; my best friend's husband lost his mother to cancer as well. I also went on a long bike ride with several friends of mine. The night before we left, I found out that (several years ago) a woman had been murdered along the trail we would be riding on.

As I sat at Hopewell Baptist Church this morning for the ceremony for Mrs. Virginia Porter, I was captivated by an elderly woman who sat a few rows in front of me. Her hair was the prettiest color of white. As she turned to look out the stained glass window, her profile was stunning. Although her face was wrinkled and her lips quivered due to age, she was absolutely beautiful. Her make-up was just right; her lipstick distinguished; her bright pink sweater a great contrast to her shiny white hair.

The first song that was played at the funeral was "Beulah Land." For those of you who aren't Southern Gospel fans (or haven't ever been around this type of music in church), it's a pretty classic song. Beulah Land refers to Heaven. One of the lines in the song states this:

"Beulah Land, I'm longing for you. And someday, on thee I'll stand. There my home shall be eternal. Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land."

It's been a while since I've heard that song, but the words just resonated with me today. The lady that captured my attention just soaked it in. At certain points of the song, I noticed that she would pull her little handkerchief up and pat her eyes to wipe away the tears. Who was it that she was longing for? Was it her husband? Had she lost a child? Her best friend? Her father or her mother?

As I watched her and held my two precious children close to me, I was just reminded of how brief life can be. We all know that our lives will come to an end one day. Most of the time, we expect that the "one day" will be a looooooooong time away from now and we take for granted the opportunities God gives us each and every day. Opportunities to let people know that we love them. Opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ. Opportunities to make His glory known. Opportunities to make ourselves less.

The Word of God advises us that "life is a vapor." Seven years ago, at the young age of 33, my sister lost her fight to cancer. I never got to tell her goodbye. I never got to make sure that she knew I loved her. I never got the opportunity to introduce her to my son, Caleb.....who was born a few months after she passed away. Friends, these moments are vapors. I refuse to live in yesterday, but I also refuse to act like my "yesterday" doesn't shape my today.

May we ALL realize how temporary this life is. Even if you live to be 100....in the big scheme of things, that's pretty temporary. Don't lose yourself in the small stuff and forget the big picture. The Lord has challenged me over the past month to make sure the people that are the most important figures in my life know just how much I love them and just how much they mean to me. I don't want to let an opportunity slip away.

Riding in the Rain

2010-07-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, I had a pretty unique experience. When I got home from work, I jumped into my cycling gear and headed out to get in some miles. None of my regular biking friends were available to go with me, so I rode out by myself.

On the way out, the temperature was insane. It had to have been over 100 degrees on the road where I was riding and there was no shade to be found. By the time I made it over the hills of Rose Boulevard, I could just feel sweat dripping off of me and had already consumed one whole bottle of water. When I made it to Sanders Ferry Road, a cloud came over.....there was one rumble of thunder, but no lightning or other signs of a storm, so I rode on. The cloud cover was soooooo nice and I was able to maintain an incredible (for me) level of speed to Hwy 11 and back.

Once I rode over the toll bridge on the way home, I could just smell rain. You know that smell? I can't describe it, but I'm sure you're familiar. Because of the heat of the day, I was not worried about a little rain - thought it actually might cool me off. Little did I know that less than a mile away, I would be riding into a typhoon (not actually, but out in the open and pedaling on a bike, it was to me!). There weren't just little rain drops. It was a flood. I was being PELTED by rain drops. The wind was blowing so hard that I thought I was going to get blown over on my bike. The temptation was for me to quit. The reason I didn't, at that point, was because there was not cover. I was riding in the middle of open roads surrounded by corn fields. So I grabbed on to my handlebars as tight as I could, fixed my eyes on the white line showing the lanes of the road, and rode on.

The wind finally settled down and I was certainly cooled off. Once I crossed HWY 82 and was in the last 7 miles of my ride home, I came around a hill and the ground was completely dry. The sun was totally shining. There was no evidence of rain WHATSOEVER. Dry as a bone. I was soaked, but the ground was dry and the sun was shining. Crazy, huh? I just knew that Kyle was going to call me crazy for telling him I rode in a rain storm because it was beautiful just a few miles away.

Although I missed riding with my friends that day, I really am thankful to have time to ride by myself because I feel like the Lord's voice is so much more audible when I'll be quiet and listen. That bike ride was such a great illustration of life and God's presence in it. It was scorching hot in the beginning and drained me of a lot of energy.....then I got a nice bit of shade and recovered.....then there was the storm that almost blew me over.....and then the sunshine after the storm to dry me off.

All of us can probably find ourselves in one of those situations right now. Maybe it's that we're going through lots of "fires" and they are draining us. Sometimes we'll make it through. Sometimes we'll quit. Maybe we're in a season of "shade" where we're getting some relief from the struggle. Appreciate that time....but know it's not where you're going to stay forever. Maybe we're in a season of "storms" right now and the rain is pelting us from every direction and the wind is trying to knock us down to make us quit. In some situations, we'll push through. In some situations, we'll quit. Maybe you've made it into the sunshine again and you're feeling the "warmth" of His comfort and relief because you're out of the rain. Hang in there. In every one of those situations, HE IS JUST AS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED. HE IS JUST AS PRESENT. In some of those situations, we kick back and rely on ourselves. And in others, we're forced to dig our face into His chest and confess that we can't do it alone.

Psalm 23 is often read at funerals.....but there's so much meat to get from it in every day life.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me....

Matt Redman beautifully morphed this passage into a song called "You Never Let Go." He will NEVER let go of you.....through the calm, through the storm, in every high, in every low. Press on. Keep on riding in the rain.

Poop.

2010-06-27T15:05:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love cutting the grass. The hotter, the better. I love the look of a freshly cut lawn....seeing those lines in the grass really gives me a sense of accomplishment.

I usually start out by weedeating and edging around the driveway and sidewalks. Then I mow the front yard. After cleaning off the driveway, sidewalk, and gutter, I move on to the backyard. But....before I can get too far into my work in the back, I have to pick up poop. Yes, poop. We have a beautiful weimareiner named Samson and the backyard is his domain. I usually walk around a pick up his messes and then get on to the mowing.

IT NEVER FAILS.....let me get about 8 or 10 rows of grass cut, and he's going to walk right over to that freshly cleaned up and mowed grass and.....poop. ALWAYS. Almost as a simple reminder that "this is my yard and I'll go where I want to go." I just shake my head, laugh, and finish up with the grass.

Sometimes, isn't life like my backyard? Beautiful and peaceful, lush and green.....and then there's the poop. We simply can't avoid it. Unfortunately, a lot of people have adopted a distorted mindset that believes that everything in life is supposed to be marvelous and easy.

That would not be the case. I can give you two Scripture references to refute that:

1. John 16:33...Jesus talking....."In this world you WILL have trouble. Take heart; I have overcome the world."

2. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9....But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

In our lives, we are going to have to deal with poop. Things that are "inconveniences" in our lives or things that cause us to be "uncomfortable." Just when we think we've got it all taken care of and addressed, the next load will be dropped. Here are just a few examples of what some people I know have been dealing with recently:

*Marital unfaithfulness

*Major health issues

*Wayward Children

*Getting connected to a church body

*Broken relationships with family

*Stress on the job

*Financial difficulty

Can you relate? Do you feel like you're constantly cleaning your yard only to find the next pile right where you just picked up?

I'm convinced that it's the "poop" that really brings out our true character. That really tests our perseverance. That really defines and refines our faith in God. That really offers proof of authentic friendships.

What will you do with yours?

11 Years and Going Strong....

2010-06-05T15:39:00.001-07:00

Well, today marks year #11 of marriage for me and Kyle. Really? Time flies! We dated four years before we got married - so that makes "us" 15 years old today. I guess we can drive with our parents now. Ha!

Now that I've been married to my best friend for 11 years, here are a few reflection points that I've been thinking on for the past few days:

1. Saying "I do" and "I will" in a beautiful ceremony with all of your friends and family around is incredible.....but living it out on a daily basis when no one else is around is the most important thing.

2. Marriage is something you constantly have to work on to make it good.

3. It is crucial to make time for each other. Not with kids, friends, or anyone else....just with each other.

4. You constantly have to pray for the Lord to give you a servant's heart and consider your spouse's needs above your own.

5. It's important to dig in the Bible to continue to understand God's plan for marriage.

6. If you can afford it, try to go to a marriage conference AT LEAST once a year.

7. Make a consistent effort to resort to the "dating days"......the cards, the dinners out, the "I'm thinking of you" phone calls.....to keep that spark going.

8. Make sure....beyond a shadow of a doubt.....that your spouse knows you love him/her. Tell him/her often.

Just a few random thoughts. Looking forward to year #12!

Thrive

2010-05-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I are leading our college Sunday School class in a book study of Crazy Love. Last week as I read and prepared to teach, the word THRIVE just kept coming to mind. Through several conversations with different people last week, the word THRIVE kept coming to mind. I know that when we have things continually come to mind, we're probably supposed to do something with that. So.....here are my thoughts.

I spent some time with my good friend, Merriam Webster, and asked for her definition of the word THRIVE. She actually gave me three.

1. To grow vigorously; flourish.

2. To gain in wealth or possessions; prosper.

3. To progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances.

Would you take a minute to let those words sink in? And then answer this question....are YOU thriving? I really feel like the Lord let me camp out on that word because so many of us long for that in our life........yet many of us actually pursue it.

Physically - we want to be in shape, lose weight, tone up......but we make no consistent changes in our lives to make that happen. Everything in the world pushes out the time to incorporate exercise and, because we're so busy, we eat on the run all of the time.

Professionally - we want respect, better pay, better hours, pats on the back.....but we have a hard time playing as a team and working together towards a goal, often considering ourselves alone.

Spiritually - we want to experience His presence, know His will, and receive His blessing.....but we harden ourselves to the Spirit, bore ourselves with His Word, distance ourselves from serving others, and find contentment in just sitting and receiving from others all of the time.

Personally - we want depth in our relationships, whether they be in friendship or in marriage, but we often remain selfish and place our own wants and wishes above anyone else.

I truly believe that Jesus wants us to live lives that THRIVE. This means that, in good times and in bad, He desires for us to grow, to deepen our roots, to produce and bear fruit, and begin to look more like Him. John 10:10 tells us that there is a thief out there that wants to kill us, steal from us, and destroy us. Yet, Jesus has come to give us real, abundant, thriving life. It's easy to say that's what we want.....ask Him to give you the strength and purpose to mean it.

2010-03-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

Last week, Kyle went to the Redbox and picked up the movie "Precious" for us to watch (per my request).

***A disclaimer......after watching the movie, you will have to ask for a brain washing due to the graphic language and situations you're exposed to in the movie.

In being a Guidance Counselor at Northridge High School, I interact with students on a daily basis who face some (or all) of the struggles that Precious faced in that movie. Poverty. Abuse. Neglect. Illiteracy. Negative Peer Influence. In the movie, Precious is told by her mother that "she's dumb, she'll never learn how to read, she'll never be anything......." Sounds pretty heartless, doesn't it? There were times I wanted to jump into the TV screen and step between that momma (who would've completely whipped my tail) and Precious. Did she realize how much she devastated her daughter's hopes and dreams? Her self-esteem? Her heart?

In spite of the hardships in the movie, Precious was an overcomer. She REFUSED to let her address in the projects of Harlem define her. She REFUSED to let anyone hold her back from learning. She REFUSED to give up when circumstances were hard. Why? There were a few people who trickled in her life who helped her. Who served as a compass for her to continue to point her north. Who wouldn't accept "I quit" as an option.

There are days (.....like every day!) that my job is demanding and overwhelming. There are days when I question, "Why in the world am I here?" "What else can I do with my life?" In the midst of those moments, however, I feel like the Lord sends me a reminder that I was called to that position to REFUSE to let these kids quit. In turn, I refuse to quit. They're all Precious.

Crazy Love Rocked My World

2009-12-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

While I was laid up on the couch for a couple of weeks following my bunion surgery, I had the chance to finish reading a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan, a pastor in California. Little did I know what I was getting myself into....but I'm so glad I did.

When a teacher of the law came to Jesus (according to Mark 12:28-34), he asked Jesus what the most important commandments was. Jesus replied with "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." We've all heard that often. We probably don't do it very often. Simply put.....love God with all of you. But then He continues: "The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." How many times have I read this before and just moved right on? What about you? So familiar with it that you just read it and overlook what it's commanding you to do?

I feel like I try to be good friend. I try to be thoughtful. I try to be a good wife, mother, and daughter. I try to help other people. Yet, after a confrontation with the Truth that really does set us free, I realized how selfish I can be. How, even though I would never want to admit it, I live to work to get "stuff" or pay for "stuff." Selfish. And all of that "stuff" gets outdated.....the clothes get too big or too small, the fashions change, the home decor changes, the interests and hobbies change.......and we're left with a house full of "stuff."

After I finished reading the book, I got to go see the movie "The Blind Side." If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Again.......a not-so-quiet reminder of what an impact you can make in a person's life when you refuse to be SELFISH and learn to be SELFLESS. You see, it's not even about just our financial resources......it's about sharing our time and our talents for the good of others. It's about learning how to love other people with the same love that you have for yourself.

Crazy Love will cost you less than $10 but will make a lifelong impact on your life if you'll let it. What do you have to lose?

I Feel Your Pain...

2009-05-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

This morning I was on the way to Stillman Heights Educational Center to administer another AP exam. While I was driving down Jack Warner Parkway, I saw some flashing red and blue lights right by the Tuscaloosa News building. A white truck had been pulled over on the opposite side of the road. This poor lady was sitting in the truck, waiting for the police officer to get done with his ticket writing, knowing that every person who drove by was looking to see who it was and what had happened. Maybe she got up and prayed this morning for humility. Maybe not. But being pulled over is a humbling experience.

A few months ago, I was on my way to a work-related meeting at SHEC (same place) and I got tagged around the same area. There was a 35 MPH sign off of the road where some construction was being done. I did not see it and proceeded on, obeying the 50 MPH speed limit. Just as I came around the corner, the lights popped on right behind me and I got pulled over. Not only was I going to be late to my meeting, I also was getting a ticket. BUMMER! I was on the verge of tears nearly the entire time I was at the meeting. I was embarrassed. I was angry. I thought Kyle was going to be mad at me. Everything worked out as far as the ticket goes, but I learned a valuable lesson between that day and today.

It is so easy to be judgemental. It's so easy to drive by and think, "Hmm....wonder what they did? Speeding? Run a red light? Criminal?" Maybe, just maybe, they made a mistake. Can you imagine that? Making a mistake? You see, we are so eager to soak up grace for ourselves, yet so unwilling to give it to others. Forgive me when I mess up, but I won't forgive you. Overlook my mistakes, but I won't overlook yours! This is a little unfair and certainly not in line with Scripture. Forgive as you have been forgiven........

How do we learn to extend grace? When we have been through times when we needed it ourselves. I felt the same sadness for the lady-in-the-white-truck today that I felt when I was in her situation a few months ago. Lord, let me never forget how it feels to mess up and have everyone looking at me. Let me be a giver of grace.

Can You Hear Me Now?

2009-03-17T20:24:00.001-07:00

I'm sure that we're all familiar with the Verizon commercials. Stick the man anywhere and he always wants to know if you can hear him now. Pretty simple concept, but it hangs with us. So let me ask you this.....when the Lord says something to you over and over and over again, in different ways, through different people......do you hear Him? This past Sunday, the Lord completely put together the worship service at Lord of the Harvest. From the rehearsal we had Sunday morning to the prayer time on our faces to the music to the testimonies to the message to the invitation......His fingerprints were all over everything. Amazing that the Lord can put the same message with minor differences on the hearts of three college students who had not communicated with each other about what they would share on Sunday morning. Amazing that the songs the Lord laid on my heart for the worship service would be revealed to me on Saturday through the Beth Moore Bible study I'm doing..........in just the order I had them down. Amazing that He is everything we need. God is speaking. Can we hear Him now?

Praise Him!

2009-03-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know if there's anything that can make a person feel inadequate than being a parent. All of the life lessons you learn along the way certainly have no way of preparing you for the huge responsibility of raising a child right. Not just raising a child - but raising them right. In my profession, I see students on a daily basis who grow up with no boundaries, no teaching of respect, and no work ethic. I want to pour my life into my children because they are extensions of me. As I pour my life into them, I pray that they will pour their lives into the lives of others, too. Last night, the Lord must have known I needed some reassurance from Him. As I was looking at a video of Kari Jobe singing "You are Good" on youtube (check it out if you've never heard it), Caleb came and just sat on my lap to "listen with me." I just cried tears of thankfulness for God's blessing on me as this little boy sat on my lap singing "every day I'll awaken my praise and pour out a song from my heart....." Thank You, Jesus, that You can use anything You create to remind us You're there.

Macy is three!

2009-03-03T18:58:00.000-08:00

I totally can't believe that our little girl just turned three years old. That means two things: (1) She is growing up, and (2) we are getting old! We had a fun time with friends at Chuck E. Cheese and had a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme. Macy racked up - she got some of the most captivating toys that she's had a blast playing with. This is the perfect lead-in to our upcoming trip to Disney World! I will go register Caleb for Kindergarten next week and totally can't believe that he's about to head off to school! I cherish these moments with our children. Thank You, Jesus, for blessing us so much.