Contentment...

Today, I struggle with being content. Why is that wherever I am in life, I never want to be there? When I was in high school, I wanted to be in college. Whenever I was in college, I wanted to be overseas. When I was overseas, I longed to be married. Now that I am married, I long to have children AND live overseas! It seems that I can never be content with where God has placed me. God brings to my mind the verse in Phillipians, be content in whatever circumstances you are in (my version!). Today, I am learning to be happy with where God has me. Knowing that He has placed us in Montgomery for such a time as this. There are people here that God is calling us to be a light to. May He bring me to a place in my life where I am completely content with where He has me but yet longing to be more like Him and changing everyday as He is molding me and making me more like Him.

Father, today I give you my life to do as you will. Please help me to learn to follow you in all circumstances and to trust my husband as he leads our family. Father give me a heart that is discplined in spending time in your Word. Help me to love you with my WHOLE heart, soul and mind.

Our Heartbeat....

A friend of a friend wrote this in her newsletter and I just had to share it with you. This is our heartbeat for the nations, I couldn't have written it any better than what is written:

I had a beautiful opportunity to give glory to God before a small crowd this morning while buying pineapple from the back of a pick-up truck. Faces peered at me expectantly from under bamboo hats while plying me with curious questions. But their questions caught me off guard, and I thought of what to say only after I'd left.
That happens so often.
I'm not particularly good at what I do. I don't have any great skills or abilities that make me an effective missionary. But at night I hear God's heartbeat for children that He longs to embrace. At sunrise, I pray for hurting, hopeless crowds of people who are trapped by fear. At daylight, I'm compelled by His Spirit to be a living message of the mercy and freedom He is offering.
Please pray for missionaries. We are not heroes. We are weak people, speaking and sharing from the simple conviction that God is faithfully drawing nations to Himself. Powerfully. Beautifully. Today. -DT

Enough said...

Pulling Weeds...

Last week, I spent a good part of two days pulling weeds in my backyard (which is really just a patio area, but doesn't it sound much more fun to say backyard?) Anyway...so, I realized that pulling weeds requires more than just pulling them up. It requires digging in the dirt and pulling out not only the weeds but also the root that it comes from!!! And so, I did this for quite a while. It is quite tedious work because there are quite a few weeds in my backyard/patio area. As I was doing this, I started to think of all the spiritual context that this had. Looking at my whole patio area and wondering, is this how God sees my heart? Are there just as many weeds in it? And do I allow him to pull the roots and all out or do I listen long enough for Him to just grab the weeds and then I move on, not working with God long enough to get it all out....does that make sense? It does in my little brain, but not sure if I worded it right.....it was a good thought on that day at least....because wouldn't you know just 2 days later, I came down with a bad sinus infection!! It was horrible, and Clark thinks it was because I pulled weeds!! So...another lesson, sometimes pulling the weeds isn't fun, it can even cause sickness, but oh in the end it is so worth it to see a beatiful flower bed (or in our case a beautiful heart!)
Oh Father, please let me stop long enough for you to pull the weeds out of my heart, roots and all! May you have your way in my heart so that I might be more like you. Father, continue to show me when I am in sin, so that I will turn away from it and turn to you! Thank you for practical applications to life through pulling weeds! I love you!!!

Recap...

So...I guess I should write blog updates if I am actually going to keep a blog for us!!! I am sorry that Clark and I have been out of the loop for the past two weeks....so I thought I would take some time to recap the past two weeks events...
Two weeks ago our water heater burst and that put us out of our house and in with the inlaws for about a week and a half! We thought we had mold problems, but we got that mystery solved and we don't!! But we did get a new water heater and new carpet out of the whole deal, not too bad!!
In between all of that, two weeks ago I spoke at a church in Trussville, just happened to be at the church where the President of the AL Bapt. St. Convention is at. We had a wonderful time and it was amazing to see how God works and all of the churches that are potential for me to be in after having been there. They even put us up in a hotel and gave us a welcome basket with goodies, it was great!!
This past weekend, I taught at a State Girl's conference here in Montgomery. I had a wonderful time but after two days of teaching breakout sessions, I was "peopled out"! (If you can believe that!!!)
And this past Sunday, we went to visit a new church. It was so awesome!!! It was the first time since being in the states, that I truly felt fed from His Word. Clark and I left that service, not even being able to talk, because we were truly overwhelmed with the teaching of His Word. We are going to have the opportunity to go visit again this week, so please pray for us as we go that we would seek God in where He would have us be when I am not speaking in a church.
And so...this week...only half over!! We have many things coming up, pray for us as Clark and I talk with different people this week who need to share their hearts with us. Pray that God will give us wisdom and discernment and know what we are to say and when we are to be quiet so that the Spirit can work not through our words but through Himself. Pray they would have ears to hear Him!!!
Also, continue to pray for us as we are seeking Father for our future and where He would have us serve in China.
We hope you all are having a wonderful week!!! Please let us know how you all are doing!!! Would love to hear from you!!!!! :)
May you strive to be more like Him everyday!!!!!

Wedding Pictures continued....

I have a few more pictures from the wedding for those who wanted to see them! I found the other cd and it had a few different pictures than the ones that I added before. So take a look if you want, but please don't feel like you have to :)

Me, Vanessa and her daughter Emma, the flower girl

Clark and his mom
Rachel and Russ, Clark's niece and nephew
My second family! Kasey (my teammate from China) and her mom, dad and niece
My Judson Girls singing Judson songs ( a tradition from our college)
My sweet Judson friends that came to the wedding
My dad, Blake, Scott and Sean... We missed you Ryan!!!
The Wedding Party
Me and my stepdad, Dennis
My Crazy Brothers!!!
Clark's Family...his Mom, Dad, Sister, her husband, niece and nephew