This past weekend...

Wow, what a roller coaster of a weekend! Actually, a roller coaster of a month. If I stop and think about it, it is really quite overwhelming. In the past week, we have purchased a washer and dryer, traded in our two cars to downgrade to one, closed on our new townhome, traveled to Richmond (the one highlight in my weekend), and moved in pretty much one day. In every day life, any one of these events would typically cause some degree of stress. So, in retrospect, I think it may not have been the brightest thing I have every done to do all of them at once. Oh well ~ at least it is over and we can move forward.

It was such a blessing to travel to Richmond to sing with my husband at a revival and to see so many friends whom we love and miss greatly. Our former pastor and his wife traveled all the way from Texas for him to preach at a revival in his brother's church. Others traveled from PA and NC. It was a short, but sweet reunion. Actually, rather bittersweet for me personally. The message was spiritually filling and the fellowship long-awaited and refreshing. But the time to say goodbye was very hard. I hate saying goodbye to those who are special in my life. No matter how long it has been or how short the visit, it is just not easy. I am glad that God knows His plan better than me because sometimes I just don't understand.

It was exciting, though, because God did speak to me in an unexpected way. DoubleT and I sang one of our long-standing favorites... "I will never be". This song is very meaningful to us because it represents the change that prepared us and made us willing to follow God's leading into the ministry. Between practices, sound checks, and performances, I could never begin to count the number of times we have sung this song. And every time, my mind has always focused on the part of the verse that said "I will never be the same again" because of the changes God made in my life. This time was a little different though. After we sang, I sat down, and got out a pen to take notes on the sermon. As I did, I heard God whisper a question to me ~ WHY will you never be the same again? ~ and something that I had never really taken notice of in the song before jumped out at me. The chorus of the song says "Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff, And let a flame burn to glorify Your name. Quickly, I wrote down at the top of my paper, "I will never be the same again... Why? to Glorify YOUR Name!

***DISCLAIMER*** The next part may be a little bit long. Jon ~ (http://jesus1st.blogspot.com/) forgive me for borrowing your sermon, but it spelled out what God was trying to say to me.

II Chronicles 7:14
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

1. God is looking for a people to be revived

IF...

MY people: we are his people and what we do
affects His name.
Who are called by MY name. God wants the people around me to know I belong to Him.

2. We must look to God to be revived

HOW??

Humble ourselves ~ it is not about me;
it's ALL about HIM!!
(all of us out, all of Him in)
Pray (Isaiah 56:7)
Seek His face ~ Make me content? NO! Make me HOLY!
Turn from your wicked ways.

THEN...

*******************************

So... what then? For me, God confirmed what He told me just before the sermon. I am HIS! I carry HIS NAME! Whatever He has done in my life... However He has changed me... Whatever plans He has for me... They are not for me. They are for HIS GLORY! I am not perfect. Far from it. But, I will never be what I was yesterday. And I pray I will never be what I am today.

Lord, help me to look to You to be revived. Help me to humble myself, remembering that it is never about me, but always about You. Help me to never be content with who I am and the ways things are, but give me the strength to strive to be holy as You are holy. Lord, stretch me. Help me to turn from my wicked ways and to seek Your face! Sweep away the darkness in my life. Burn away the chaff that is useless to Your kingdom until none of me remains and I am filled with ALL of You. May others see only YOUR GLORY burn brightly in my life.

Well, I started this post the day after we came back from the revival in Richmond. Now, 14 days later, I have finally finished it. Seems like the roller coaster hasn't slowed down a bit. So, I guess I'll just strap on my seat belt, enjoy the ride, and see where He takes me!