Heard County Adventure

Have you ever wondered what we do in my home town of Heard County for fun? Well today is your lucky day!  It is a Sunday morning in the Hunter household, and we are getting ready for Sunday morning church.  Mom had fixed pancakes for Whitney and me and bacon for Daddy. :) We finished our wonderful breakfast.  I am fresh out of the shower and mom is getting in the shower. Daddy is dressed, ready and waiting on his girls as usual! Whitney is getting ready to leave to go home and get ready for her church.  She decides to load up her car. I hear from upstairs, "Ummm Mr. Richard, Are there supposed to be cows in the yard?."  I run to look out the front window and sure enough there are cows in our front yard. There are about 25 of them to be exact! I think to myself...'Perfect Blog moment'.   Anticipating the blog, I quickly grab my camera and run out the door in my pajamas and flip flops.

Daddy yells out for me to go down to the road and help Whitney.  The last thing he said was, "Block the road so the the cows don't run up the road."  You could tell that Daddy was not too happy about me having my camera in tow.  At that moment my blog was NOT the most vital thing.  

I ran down to to the road and started hooping and hollering like a crazy girl at the cows.  Whitney and I were trying with all our might with our arms flailing and our lungs exercising all their ability! Yaaaaaaa! Suewweeeeeeee! Come on! Yaaaaaaaa! Get out from there! You think Whitney and I are bad?  You should have heard my Dad! He turned into a wild man!

 

Daddy herded the cows down to the road where Whitney and I were standing.  It was our turn. We were supposed to keep the cows from running up the road.  We stood on guard! Yaaaa! Yaaa! Shoo! We stamped our flip flopped feet! We shouted! Apparently our attempt at guarding the road worked a little too well. Before we knew it the cows were scared and started running up the opposite end of the road.  We hollered and ran after the cows! The more we shouted the faster the cows ran in the OPPOSITE direction! 

 

Daddy heard all of the commotion and ran to go get his truck. I chased after the cows to see where they went.  They ventured to our neighbor's yard.  Keep in mind we do not live in the suburbs so our neighbors yard was a little distance away.  I did not exactly have the perfect shoes on to chase cows. The jewels alone on my shoes are enough to make a cow run away.  

When Daddy finally made it to our neighbor's yard the cows had started running through the woods.  Dumb cows. Daddy was really not pleased.  He told me to go back because my shoes were not woods worthy and my jewels might attract a snake. I think he was being sarcastic.  I didn't argue. 

 

Daddy chased them through the woods and around to the house.  By this time my dear mother was now aware of the commotion and came outside to help. Her logic was to get the cows into the closest pasture rather than the pasture where the cows belonged.  She proceeded to open the gate with the cattle crossing.  It may be called a "cattle crossing" but cows sure do not cross over it. For those of you who may need an explanation a cattle crossing is a series of bars or wooden boards over an open hole that a truck can drive over, but cows are scared and will not cross.  It keeps the cows were they are supposed to be.  I shout out to mom, "The cows are not going to go over that cattle crossing! We can't put them in there!" She responds, "Oh, yeah...your right." hahaha

About this time, Daddy is rounding the corner with the cows. Acting like a mad man even more than before.  He has his truck.  I wouldn't have put it past him to run the cows over or even run me over if I had still been taking pictures. He even demanded that Mom go get the shot gun.  Moral Dilemma? Does the wife submit and go get the gun? Ummm in this case she exercised wisdom and responded. "No." 

 

With a little bit of rock battling and yelling we succeeded in the right plan of attack to get each of the cows back to into the pasture.  

 

There is always one dumb cow that is usually the leader of the other dumb cows that causes all of the mischief.  This dumb cow was the last one to enter the gate.  She had a bit of a stubborn attitude that did not please the father at all. The gate is wide open and she chooses to go in the opposite direction.

 

Sometimes I think we are a lot like dumb cows.  We are stubborn. When the gate is wide open and our Father is shouting, "Go this way! Listen to me!" We run the opposite way.  We break out of the pasture and put our selves in danger by being in the road to try to fulfill our own will and desires.  Our stubborn attitudes don't please the Father. 

 

If you ask my Dad why he likes his cows or why he has cows, he will probably respond, "Because I like them, I reckon."  They bring him pleasure.  

We are created for God's pleasure to glorify the Father.  When we are stubborn and set in our own ways this does not bring God glory. Remember we are created for His pleasure. Let us strive to do so! 

Pictures from the day!

Pictures from the trip home....reading on the porch, hanging out with Whitney, mexican with Jenna and Laura, ladies at mom's shop, dinner with the family, Whitney and Bonnie cow chasers, Sadie's tricks, and Gedneys!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

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like mom, 

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Bonnie

Tough Pills to Swallow

Hello Chick-A-Dees! 

Recently my keep-my-daughter-healthy mother sent me some multi-vitamins after I had a bout of the flu and a cold in less than a month.  Mothers tend to worry about their children and my mother is no exception.  So, she sent me some mega multi-vitamins in an effort to help build my immune system.  These are no ordinary Flintstone vitamins. Why can't I be a kid again? Anyways... Where to begin in describing these pills?  They are pills that you would give a horse.  No... They are pills that you would feed an elephant.  They are large and in charge pills.  What do I mean by large and in charge?  Well... THESE pills have the ability to make you choke on cue.  They will make you sick to your stomach if you have not consumed the right amount of food beforehand.  My mouth is dry now just thinking about the vitamin.  

You may be thinking that I am over-exaggerating about the difficulty of swallowing these vitamins.  I have always had a pill complex.  When I was in elementary school, Mrs. Tina our school secretary would dissolve Tylenol in a plastic cup for me.  I would rather taste the awful taste of dissolved Tylenol for a brief second, than gag down a pill.  My mother constantly tried to teach me how to swallow pills, but my whole life I have never been too fond of large pills.  I finally got to a point where I could handle Tylenol and other small pills. On the other hand, larger pills have always been a process for me.

 

This is the process I go through each time I take the MVP (Massive Vitamin Pill). Step 1. Open Bottle. Step 2. Fill a LARGE glass of water.  A small glass will not suffice.  Step 3. Take a deep breath. Step 4. Contemplate whether I want to take this pill or not. Step 5. Decide that I need to take the pill.  Step 6.  Think about where to place the pill in my mouth. Options include: In the front of my mouth. If I place the pill in the front, I run the risk of the pill twisting on its way to my throat and choking its way down my throat.  I could place it in the back of my mouth.  This position almost always ensures that I will choke it down as well. A risk I am not willing to take. You would think otherwise, but NO! MVP is best placed in the middle of my mouth.  Step 6. Take a deep breath. Step 7. Relax and don't think about repercussions of swallowing the pill.  Step 8.  Place pill in mouth. Step 9. Swallow.  Step 10.  Drink water to ensure the pill is not stuck in my throat. Phew.  Task Accomplished.

Recently I have had people come to me for advice or to chat about problems they are encountering in their life.  I find it strange when they tell me that they have "Peace From the Lord" about reacting in a certain way to the situation when their reaction or the situation that they are placed in is completely unbiblical.  I think we must be warned in using the phrase "I have a peace from the Lord."  Do you really have a peace? How do you know? I think sometimes our "peace" is how WE want the situation to play out and not how the Lord desires.

Let me clarify here.

A friend walks up to you and says, "I am going to kill my neighbor.  She is loud. She trespasses on my land. She has curly hair and I don't like curly hair. God has given me a peace about this.  He assured me that it was her time to die.  I have a peace.  I am going to murder my neighbor."  Absurd isn't it? You would probably respond with. "God didn't tell you to do that." You would be correct in your response, because the statement your friend made is completely unbiblical.  God is not going to command us or give us a peace to do something that is not in line with His scripture.  Be warned 2 Timothy 4:3-4 says, "For the time is coming when people will endure sound teaching, but have itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."  I am afraid we might be beginning to have "itching ears".  Our "itching ears" want our Pastors, Sunday School teachers, and friends to tell us that what we are doing is right. Be Warned! 

Make sure the next time you say, "I have a peace from the Lord", that your peace is Biblical and follows scripture. "The end of the matter, all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Tough pill to swallow huh? Our hearts and thoughts are deceitful. Trust and Obey. There is no other way! Pour yourself into scripture to make sure all of your actions align with scripture, "For the end of the matter, all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil."  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (*Repeated for emphasis)

God's working in Mentor, Ohio. :)

Praise Jesus!!! Ohio was amazing! We had 65 children pray to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior! The week was exhausting, but well worth it. Glenloch (my home church) has been sending a team for 4 years now. I have been able to watch a lot of these kids grow up.

I had the pleasure of rooming with two teenage girls, who now have my heart! I love them dearly! We spent many nights laughing (maybe a little too loud :) ) and talking about God, boys, and our girls at camp. I had the pleasure of being a prayer partner for one of the girls. Her name is Meghan. When Glenloch goes on trips of any kind we always like to have secret prayer partners who leave notes of encouragement and small gifts throughout the week. At the end of the week the prayer partners are revealed. It is a whole bunch of fun. So, Meghan was mine. :) Through the week I really got to know both Meghan and her sweet mother Karen. Karen and I had many conversations through the week about what God was doing in her life and in my life. We bonded. Thursday is the day we generally present the gospel in our camp devotions. Karen had pulled me aside asking me to pray for Meghan. She was not sure if Meghan had ever prayed to receive Christ. Karen and I spent a few moments in prayer for Meghan and ask God to work in her life that day. That afternoon I went to our second camp at an apartment complex and Meghan went with me. I had the opportunity to share the gospel that day in devotion. I want to express to you how much the Holy Spirit worked while I was talking to these children. Our one problem we had at this camp was the inability to be able to keep these kids attention during the camp. As I was talking the kids were still and quiet and attentive. Praise Jesus! All of us on the team were amazed. We had several kids pray to receive Christ. The ones who came to know the Lord were asked to go with the children's pastor of the church we partner with in Ohio, and talk to her more. Meghan came up to me and said, "Bonnie, I prayed that prayer. I just didn't want to go over there with the others." "WHAT!?! Wow! That is wonderful Meghan!" Meghan and I were able to sit down and have some girl-to-girl Jesus talk. It was wonderful! God had answered our prayer!!!

I love to see the face of a new believer, don't you? They always have a smile and a glow that nobody can describe. This week I saw many new believer's faces. I am so blessed.

Another thing I love to see is when a believer begins to really fall in love with their savior and start growing in the knowledge of Him and His word. This week I saw a lot of that too!

I am going to leave you with a couple of my favorite quotes from the week, a video of the week, a few pictures.

Favorite Quotes

"Will you show me the evanga-cube and teach me about Jesus?" Said from one child to another. Precious

"Letme teach you-a chea"

The cheer they taught me.... "My back ache, my bra too tight, my booty shake from tha left to tha right. To tha left. To tha right."

"What is a P.O.D.? haha Pastor of Disaster aka World's best Pastor" Love you Neil!

Bumper sticker read "May you get the God you deserve." Trey (a child with us) responded. "I don't want the God I deserve. We don't deserve him." Wise little boy!

To see how the girls have grown over the years....

Camp 2006

Natalie and Bonnie 2006

Natalie and Bonnie 2007

Natalie and Bonnie 2009

Breana and Natalie the first year.

Breana and Natalie this year. My how they have grown!

My oldest girls this year.  Most of the girls I have had every year!

Here is the video of the week.  FYI the second to last picture is all of the kids who prayed to receive Christ at the apartment camp.  The last picture shows me explaining the Gospel to a girl. She accepted Christ as well! 

Funny Video

Okay Ladies I thought you might enjoy this video! We start young! Love you all! I will update soon about Ohio. :)

First Class to a Puddle Jumper

Running through the airport you can hear the click clap of my flip flops clear across the Atlanta Airport.  People were parting the “waters” for me to run past.  Some faces smiled with a knowing grin, they too had been in my shoes once before.  I think back… How did I get here running through this airport like a scene straight out of the movies? I think back to this morning that was so seemingly normal and quite planned out.  I was to arrive in Akron, Ohio around 2:00pm and have a relaxing wait until the rest of my Georgia group joined me.  An exit away from the airport I received an automated phone call giving me the news that my flight had been delayed and I was rebooked on a later connecting flight to Ohio. I closed my cell phone to end the call and looked at my flexible roommate.  A smile came upon her face and said that is okay lets go to church, you can go with me.  I agreed and was thankful to be able to go to morning worship.  It has been a good while since I have been to church with my roommate Candie, today I saw it as a blessing.  Candie then dropped me off at the airport and hugged me goodbye wishing me a safe trip and a good week. 

 Proceeding into the airport, the thought crossed my mind…. “Finally”.  I was going to be on my way in a little less than an hour with one connecting flight; I would only be a tad late.  I arrive at my check in kiosk and pulled out my new handy frequent flyer skymile card.  I pushed the card in the machine so it could quickly find my reservation and I would be on my way.  Card In. doot.doot.doot.doot (machine thinking). Reservation not found. WHAT!?!? The guy this morning promised me I was rescheduled.  I march myself over to the forever long line, which this particular airport never has.  I finally make it to the check in counter and the representative notifies me that my original flight had been cancelled.  I told her that I needed to be in Ohio by tonight and that it did not matter if I went to Cleveland or Akron. And she did this to her computer. ;aieufalkesnf;dshvgaeta nvdsnv sdfnf ;sdtaner sdsodi lksdfjoisdufawen …. Okay you get the point.  I am sure whatever she was typing made complete since.  She looked. Booked. Booked. Booked. Continental. Booked solid. She looked at me and told me that the problem was with my original flight to Atlanta. The Atlanta flight had a mechanical problem, this was throwing off every other flight out.  She told me my best bet was to fly standby on the next leaving flight or fly at midnight tonight. I said okay I would do the standby option.  I proceeded to my gate anticipating a long day ahead.  Indeed it was.

 Stand-by….I do believe is code for you will not get on this plane but I want to give you hope.  I had high hopes because I had flown standby before because my dear cousin Tim has given me buddy passes home.  I generally get on those flights just fine.  I knew from experience that I should ask what number in line I was. The nice man, who became my hero later on, told me that I was number seven in line and he was overbooked by eight.  There was no way I was going to get on this flight.  So guess what he did? A;ljdaklfdf a;lsdfjas;dlkfja asdfjaslfkjas;dfj a;lskdfjsad;fijsad;flkj (typing really fast).  Next thing I know he had me CONFIRMED on a 5:00 flight. He told me to wait to be sure I didn’t get on the flight and then come back to get my ticket.  So I sat with my book in my hand and waited patiently with no such luck.  Thankfully I was confirmed for my next flight. I went back to the desk and my hero printed my ticket. I didn’t even have to tell him my name. J Next thing I know I looked down and I was flying FIRST CLASS! Funny thing, I had just finished telling my roommate this morning that I would like to fly first class just once to experience it.  God knew just what I wanted and he took care of his child. J I was living the life of air luxury. I walked onto my plane and I had a blanket and a pillow awaiting my arrival along with a bottle of water and headphones.  A nice attendant came by and offered me a drink while I waited for the rest of the passengers to load. Ahhh this was nice.  Later in the flight she came back by and brought me a cold coke in a REAL glass, not one of those plastic ones.  My snack consisted of gourmet pretzels that I chose from a basket full of snacks and fruit. 

After relaxing a bit I followed my Aunt Dianne’s advice and asked the attendant about my connection flight.  Let me just say she was sweet as pie but she was not too hopeful on my capabilities of making this next flight.  Our plane was 15 minutes late and my next flight would leave in 30 minutes.  I then knew why the Lord pampered me in first class.  He was preparing me for the run I was about to make to my connection.  Plus I was at the front of the plane and I would get off first.  So my new first class friends cheered me on and said that they believed in me.  I step off the plane and RUN FORREST RUN or more like it was RUN BONNIE RUN. 

People cleared the way for me to make it to the train on the OTHER end of the terminal.  I ran past people on the escalator.  Finally I made it to the train. I picked up the phone out of breath and 10 minutes to spare. I called mom and said pray; in between me gasping for breath she cheered me on.  The next couple of minutes I took to prepare to run for my life.  I took off my earrings. (I don’t know what that had to do with anything).  I strapped my bag on my back and turned to ask the pilot behind me which way to turn when I got off the train.  Okay I had directions in my mind I was ready.  Doors OPEN. RUNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!! Guess what? I was on concourse D1 that just so happened to be the very last gate.  I ran with all my heart, knowing the Lord was going to get me there. After all he had got me thus far. 

I reached my gate out of breath. Uhhhh huuuu uuuhhhhh huuuuu (breathing hard) I was the second to last person to get on the plane.  Everyone else had already boarded. Phew I made it though.  Miracle of all Miracles. I am on the plane.  In fact we are about to land.

I want to leave you with this one last thought. Last night a dear friend of mine gave me a card before I left.  Down at the bottom of the card was the verse Ephesians 3:20 “Now glory be to God, who by His mighty Power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of- infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.”  The card reads… “The Lord knows your thoughts, He hears your prayers, and even now He is answering in ways beyond what you can imagine.”  Today the Lord did just that for me.  Isn’t it funny how the Lord answers prayers in just in time and not moment too soon?  God got me on that plane just in time and not a moment too soon.  God answers our prayers just in time. He might even pamper you to prepare for the run you are about to take.  So ladies allow God to pamper you while you spend time in the word. Then you must RUN LADIES RUN!  Share the good news of Christ. 

Pictures are Worth A Thousand Words!

God is AHHH- MAY- sing! 

Here are a few pictures from our Beach Retreat

(with added commentary) :) 

We stopped along the way for lunch and finished with a reading of Psalm 46.

Ms. Dot had us sandwiches complete with place mats! 

Just a quick pose for the camera on our "driving" break.

Ms. Dot directed us to the most amazing general store I have ever seen! 

Complete with veggies, candy, snacks, candy, boiled peanuts, candy, hardwood floors, candy.

Did I mention there was candy?

Ms. Dot purchasing some veggies for her sister and our weekend allotment of nutrition!

Every chance I could get I posed with Ms. Renee's beach hat! LOVE IT!

MUAH! Must show Ms. Beth how much I love her in the BEACH HAT!

Ms. Carol hanging around the house. Probably laughing at how goofy we all are!

Oh Beth! Must you be frustrated with the paparazzi all around? :) 

Sweet Ms. Lannie!

We made sure Ms. Joyce could breath after her dance session. :) Notice the two in the background watching the dance video on my camera. 

We started Saturday Morning with Psalm 139! 

God's Intimate Knowledge of His People. 1-6

God's Knowledge is Encompassing.7-16

God's Knowledge is Precious. 17-18

God's Knowledge searches out our HEARTS.19-24

Ms. Renee blessed ALL the ladies with Pedicures! 

Who goes on a Ladies Retreat without a little shopping? Not GSBC ladies!

Dot's family invited us over for a cook-out. It was delicious.  The amazing thing about this picture is if you notice in the background at the table where I am sitting, I am talking to Ms. Hazel about the Gospel Message! She is hearing me talk about how Jesus bridged the gap for us to be able to "dwell" with a most HOLY GOD. Notice me holding her hand and Dot's brother in- law holding her other hand. In this picture I represent sin; he represents God; and she represents Jesus bridging that gap! We will finish this story later on in the pictures.

Surprise Bonnie! This just turned into a Happy Birthday Party!

Mrs. Hazel continued below...

God is WONDERFUL! This is Hazel receiving Christ as Lord and SAVIOR at 75!!!

Come on my new sister lets go REJOICE!

The Ladies greeting our new sister!

Pastor of the church talking to Hazel.

Hanging out on Mrs. Hazel's porch, that Dot's family built to begin to share Jesus with her! 

She can't quit smiling!

The best reason for the ladies to go to the beach!! Thank you Lord for sending us so that we may be there to welcome and rejoice with our new sister in Christ! 

*Update: Hazel began to tell her friend who was not a believer what had happened in her life.  They both talked to Bren (Dot's Sister).  The friend said "I want what you and Hazel have got."  Sooo... they have formed a new believers Bible study for these ladies on Monday nights and this past Monday Hazel's friend accepted Christ as Lord!  Praise THE LORD!!!

Reflection of Denise

Good Morning Ladies,

I hope that this blog post finds you well.  This morning I awoke to find out that a dear woman I know had gone be with the Lord early this morning. Denise has battled cancer for a few years now. Denise was quite a special lady to me and many many others.  She was known in our town for loving the Lord and serving him.  She was my very first Sunday School teacher.  I am so grateful for the seed she planted in my life.  Thinking back she was probably one of the first ladies to share the gospel message with me.  I still remember one Sunday she gave the class band-aids with the message attached, "God heals the brokenhearted".  I kept the band-aid for many years.  I imagine that the band-aid might still be in my room at home with my parents.  

Reflecting on her life of service makes me think on the many people who have poured into my life so that I may be where I am today.  I am so thankful that God has placed these people in my life.  Here are just a few....Denise Burson, Randy and Donna Meacham, Keith and Ginger Cornelius, Jim and Kim Martin, Peggy Banks, Terry and Marcia Harper, Bryan and Luanne Owensby, Pastor Chandler, Pastor Neil and Tracy Awbrey, Al and Judy Awbrey and all of my family.  My list could go on forever.  I am sure yours could too! I praise God for all of these faithful servants who poured into my life and shared Christ with me. I love Jesus more because of them.  

My question for you is this: Who are they in your life?  Who shared Christ with you?  Take a moment today and thank God for these people.  Spend a few moments today and lift them up in prayer.

Beach Retreat: What do I bring?

Press the Play Button and Enjoy! 

How Beautiful: A God Sized Love Story

It seemed like another typical Saturday afternoon in the wedding gown industry.  The store was filled with the hustle and bustle of busy consultants tending to blushing brides-to-be.  Families were gathered discussing wedding details and trying to envision their loved ones walking down the isle to say “I do” in the particular dress they were modeling. 

 

As I was tending to a customer, I heard my name called over the intercom.  This was my cue to excuse myself and walk to the front to be introduced to a new bride.  As I walked to the welcoming desk, I wondered what type of Bride I was about to meet. Was she going to be excited? Did she know exactly what she wanted? Was her family with her? Was she a nervous bride? As I arrived at the welcome desk, the customer service representative told me that my Bride was shopping for her sister in Romania. She was the same size as her sister and would need to try on different dresses.  The CSR pointed to a girl sitting on the couch. I took her paper work and began to walk over. 

 

I walked over to the green leather couch in our sitting area and plopped myself down in front of the Romanian sister of the Bride.  I noticed a man sitting beside her, who glanced up from his book to acknowledge my presence; he politely smiled then looked back down at his book.  He seemed to feel somewhat out of place in the room full of women.  Most men do.  Sitting to next to him was the sister-of-the-Romanian Bride. Amelia was petite with dark brown hair accented with golden highlights.  She was quite beautiful. Amelia looked up from the catalog and smiled warmly at me.  The two of us began to chat about her sister’s wedding in Romania.  Amelia spoke with perfect English and a heavy Romanian accent.  I enjoyed hearing her talk. 

 

After I had gotten an idea of what kind of dresses she liked, I left to prepare her room with the proper undergarments for a bridal gown.  After the dressing room was prepared, Amelia walked back to the dressing room and the two of us began the process of finding Amelia’s sister’s dream dress.  It is customary for consultants to ask questions and talk to the brides so that we may first get to know them and second gain an idea of what kind of dress they might like.  This comes natural to me because I love to hear the different stories of how brides meet their fiancés. For Amelia, I wanted to know about her Romanian sister. She told me that her sister was recently engaged and trusted Amelia’s fashion sense.  Choices are limited in Romania.  Amelia told me that she was married to the man sitting on the couch.  Amelia and her husband were wed a couple of years ago and her sister in Romania loved Amelia’s wedding gown.  They had tried to get permission for her sister to leave the country to come to America to shop, but they were not granted approval.  So Amelia had the responsibility of picking her sisters wedding gown.

 

I now had Amelia dressed in her first wedding gown choice.  She took a quick glance in the mirror; her face was glowing with delight.  I couldn’t help but wonder if she had a flashback to her own wedding day.  I asked her if she would like to go show her husband.  She smiled and nodded eagerly.  As we walked around the corner, Dan looked up from the book and watched his Bride as she walked toward him.  His face was filled with delight and awe as he watched his Bride model the wedding gown.  I could tell that he was thinking about the day he wed his bride because he had the same look every groom has on his face when they see their bride for the first time.  The groom’s facial expression the moment he sees his bride is my favorite part of a wedding. Dan looked lovingly at his wife; as Amelia and I discussed the details of the dress.  She was glowing. 

            We then decided to try another gown. As I was helping her dress in the second gown, I took this time to get to know her.  I asked what brought her to America.  She answered, “My husband.” From that moment she had me intrigued.  “Well how did you meet your husband?” She responded.  “I met him when I was only fifteen. Have you ever heard of something called mission trip?” she said in a heavy Romanian accent. I smiled and shared with her that I was also a believer.  She continued, “My husband came over on a mission trip when I was fifteen.  I could not speak English and he could not speak Romanian.  We first spoke through a friend who translated.  My friend did not know much English herself! After he left, we kept in touch over the years and I learned English.  I came to America and worked as an au pair.  After awhile we were married.” As I zipped up the wedding gown, I stood in awe of how God worked in the love story of his children, bringing two people together that lived nations apart.

            What a beautiful love story! We too, are living in the midst of a beautiful love story.  The tapestry of God’s word paints a beautiful picture of marriage.  The scripture in Ephesians 5:21-30 teaches us that a marriage covenant reflects the relationship of Christ and the Church.  The wife is to submit to the husband, as the church is to submit to Christ.  Husbands are to love the wife as “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

We see God’s love for the nations through Christ’s mandate in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Amelia and Dan’s story is a reflection of God’s love for the church and the nations.  Like Dan and Amelia, we too have a translator or in better words one who speaks on our behalf, his name is Christ.  Dan went to Amelia to share the gospel. God sent his son Jesus to be the gospel for us.  Dan and Amelia kept in touch over the years.  God sent his Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2 so that we might have continual communication with the Father.  Amelia learned English.  We study God’s word so that we may know him better. “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words” Proverbs 4:20. Dan and Amelia were joined in marriage.  We are joined with Christ through salvation (1 Corinthians 6:17).  Dan went across an ocean to meet his Bride.  God sends his disciples across the ocean or across the street to share the love of Christ.  How Beautiful!

 

Hebrews 10:15 “As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who share the good news!”

Listen to this song "How Beautiful"

Take a moment. Close your eyes. Listen to the words. Worship.

One of These Things is Not Like the Other!

One of these things is not like the others, 
One of these things just doesn't belong, 
Can you tell which thing is not like the others 
By the time I finish my song? 

Did you guess which thing was not like the others? 
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong? 
If you guessed this one is not like the others, 
Then you're absolutely...right! 

Do you remember Cookie Monster singing this song?

I loved watching Sesame Street when I was growing up.  Every morning it would be on GPTV (Georgia Public Television) at 7:00 am. I would watch the show while Mom and Dad got ready for work and I was waiting to go to pre-school.  I thought of this song today when I ventured outside to find this... See Below.

muhahahhaha!!!! Okay! Breath! I just had to take a moment to laugh.  We had a table and TV set up in our front yard! The table came complete with A1 sauce and Heinz Ketchup. :) Disclaimer: In the defense of the residents of McDowell,  the table was being moved to a storage unit and the condiments were left from last nights cookout.  The TV... well that I can not explain. 

The table, the TV, and the condiments all stick out like a satellite dish mounted to a dump truck. (True Hunter Family Story, I will save for a future blog)

As a Christian do you ever test your faith by asking the question, "Which one of these things is not like the other?" Simply put our actions, our thoughts, and our words should not be like the others. Every one of our actions is to bring glory, honor, and praise to the Father.  Our lives are to be lived as continual worship. 

Our question should be...

Which one of our actions is not like the Father?

This means we put our hearts to the test; to align more closely with the heart of our Father.  In doing this, we begin to live lives that look differently than others around us.  We choose different goals.  We speak to each other differently.  We have different thoughts than what we had before. Why does this occur? This happens because of our obedience to the Lord. The Lord who so graciously saved us from our sinful state.  Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, the helper, to empower us to make these changes in our lives.  We can only live in a manner that reflects the glory of God because of Christ working through us.  

The cookie monster most often eats the cookie on the differing plate to make the plate match the other plates. Recently on Wednesday nights our Pastor has  been taking us through Acts 2.  

In Acts 2:42-45, we read the following, "And they devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common." (emphasis mine) 

We are also called to have unity within the fellowship of believers.  Notice that they all "devoted themselves"  to "teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers".  They were devoting themselves to things that would uplift and edify the body.  The result was they "were together and had all things in common."  If the body of Christ, you and I, decide to devote ourselves to the teaching of the word, dinning together in reflection of the word, and times of prayer together, then the result will bring unity in the body. This brings glory to the Father. 

What are we devoting ourselves too? TV, Internet, relationships that don't bring God honor, work, or our own pleasures and desires.  A good way to find the devotion of your heart is to write out your own daily schedule and see where you are spending your time.  

I once heard this story of a pastor counseling a church member.  The story is as follows...

Pastor: "In light of your problem, how much time have you spent in the word?"

Church Member: "Pastor, I just can't find time.  I work all day, the kids and my husband need me at home, and there is just no time left!."

Pastor: "Oh I see." pause "Hey did you see last nights episode of American Idol? I can't believe Adam got kicked off?"

Church Member: "Oh I am a Chris fan on American Idol. Did you watch Dancing with the stars? And what about Survivor? Oh! Oh! Good Morning America had such a great recipe this morning!"

Pastor: "Hmm..well according to what you just said you probably spent 15 hours or more watching TV. hmmm" silence. "I wonder if Lord might have wanted that time?"

What are you devoted to? Does your devotions closely align with Acts 2? Are you helping bring unity to the body?

We may not be called to look like the world, but we are called to be in unity with other believers, so that honor is brought to our Heavenly Father.  When you wake up in the morning ask yourself this question, "Which one of these things is not like the Father?"

One Hot Mama!

Hello Again Ladies! 

As we approach mother’s day this coming Sunday, I have been reflecting on mothers in the Bible and my very own sweet mother. ☺

Last night I listened to our prayers over lost family members and friends in our lives. We spoke names. Calling them out one-by-one. As we went through those names I couldn’t help but imagine the life that each name represented. Each name = one life = a decision to bow to Christ or unfortunately it may = a decision not to bow to Christ.

I found my heart being so convicted of grouping “the lost” together in prayers and not calling them out individually. Billy. Elizabeth. Hazel. Dennis. Jimmy. Roger. Chris. Audrey. 

Pause. 

Each of the names, a person, a life, a soul… who needs the Father.

So many of these people represent our children, our mothers, our fathers, our sister, our brother, our aunt, our uncle, niece, nephew, cousin, friend, or co-worker. People we love.
One relationship that is resonating most in my heart is that of  a mother and the longing of the salvation of her child. I have watched many-a-woman in our ministry, and others I have met along the way, who have been broken over the wayward lost-ness of her child. As a young lady, who looks forward to one day holding an infant of my very own in my arms, I already ache for the salvation of my children. I long for them to know, love, and serve Christ. Even now as my children are but a glimmer in my eye; I pray for their salvation.

Resting in the peace of God, we know that our children are not our own, but rather they belong to the Lord. I want to take you to a section of scripture where we find a mother who knows that her child belongs not to her, but to the Lord.

Go to 1 Samuel Chapter 1.
Stop! Do not pass Go! Do not collect $200! Read this passage first! I will even help you find it. Go get your Bible. It may be in the car (I hope not). It may be beside your bed, or your favorite chair.
Open It! Go past Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers, skip a few, Judges, Ruth, then you made it

 1 Samuel Chapter 1. Please Read!

Okay! Don’t shoot me! I wanted you to see a mother’s love for her child written in the text. Thanks to the preacher in chapel this morning, I got to see this for myself as well.

Ladies here we met Hannah. Mother of Samuel the priest. The priest who anointed King David. Christ came from the family line of King David. So, Samuel, son of Hannah, must be a pretty important man!

We first see that God caused Hannah to be barren and without child. She was broken over her inability to bear a son. Notice in verse 10 that she “was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly” I believe all mothers can identify with her desperation. She prayed. She gave her son to the service of God all the days of his life. Basically, she was saying “Bless me Lord with a son, and I will give him back to you” Have you ever prayed this prayer? “Lord Bless me with something, and then when you give it to me, I will give it back to you. All I want is for you to be glorified Lord.” What happens when the Lord actually blesses us with that something or in this case a son? Do we give it/him back to the Lord for the Lord’s pleasing? Hannah did.

Read vs. 27 and 28. “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

Hannah gave her only son to the Lord. I believe Hannah’s desire to have a son was out of motivation to better the Kingdom of God.

My mother has always told me that she gave me to the Lord as a baby. I want to pause for a moment with gratitude in my heart for her. I firmly believe that I am the woman I am today because of that decision she made almost 24 years ago. Praise God!

There is nothing like a love of a mother for her child. It can not be described. At this time in my life, I am on the receiving end of this love. I have a memory of my mother that warms my heart; when I was a small girl she used to rock me in this old cricket-y rocking chair. I am not sure from where the rocking chair came. It is all wood with a dark mahogany stain. The rocking chair must have been handed down from one of our family members because it is about to fall apart. You could tell many a baby/child has been rocked in this rocking chair. It would make this distinct creeky noise each time she rocked me back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. She would sometimes sing to me the song, “You are my Sunshine.” Other times she might have read to me; probably our favorite book “Love you Forever” by Robert Munsch. It is a book about a mother’s love for her son. She would sneak into his room at night and rock him. In the book, she would sing "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be." I know as long as I am living I will always be my mothers baby.  I could imagine Hannah rocking her beloved son, maybe even saying these words. "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as your living the Lord's you will be."  

This mothers day, may we be thankful for a mother who gave her son to the Lord. This mother's day, may we give our children born and unborn to the Lord, for His glory and for His honor.  As I said earlier each name given in prayer for salvation represents a life and it also represents a mother who is in desperation over her child's salvation.  More importantly it represents a Heavenly Father who longs for his child to know Him, love Him, and serve Him.

May we never skip over a name.

Dennis

Audrey

Elizabeth

Chris

Hazel

Jimmy

Roger

Matt

Wilson

Joe

Tim

Ron

Frank

John

Lance

James

Russell

Jay

Erin

Erica

Melissa

Heather

Happy Mother's Day!

                                                               

*Thank you to Mr. Palmer today at Southeastern Chapel for this inspiration. 

*Thank you to a mother who, like Hannah, gave me to the Lord.  I love you MOM!

Insomnia Brings You a New Blog!

It is Sunday night or shall I say Monday morning.  I can't sleep. so.... what else is there to do but design a new blog background and header.  I hope you ladies like the new changes.  

I was glad to hear this morning that God was still working in your hearts after the Esther study on Saturday.  A couple of you told me that you did not rest well last night because of the prayer that "we not sleep until we do what God has called us to do".  :) Maybe that is why I am suffering from insomnia tonight.  In all seriousness, this should be our desire.  When I am burdened to do what God has called me to, I usually find that there is not much rest until I listen to His guidance and put it into action.  Esther was called to go speak for God's people Israel.  She prayed. Then she put into action what God had called her to do in chapter 7 of the book of Esther.

God used the insomnia of King Xerxes to have him look at the records to find out that Mordecai had not been honored.  So, sometimes God may use our "lack of sleep" to speak to us about what He wants us to do for Him in the next day or coming days.  We must learn to discern the voice of God and put into action what He has required of us. 

Be challenged this week.  Spend more time in the word.  Pray more. Share more. AND do what you are called to do! All for HIS Glory!

Holy Smokes Ladies!

Holy Smokes! I have found a some great barbeque! Today after Bible study, our pastors introduced me to Holy Smokes just down the way from our church! I am STILL stuffed! It was that kind of place that has southern good ole eaten, written all over it. :) I just wanted to pop in and let you know about the "make your wanna slap ya mama" food I found.  Holy Smokes will definitely gain my presence again! 

Just finished watching Andy Griffith and now I am headed to bed! See you in the morning for worship! Love you all!

Prayer Requests from today: Dot (unspoken), Renee (unspoken), and Joyce's breathing.

Please Excuse our Mess!

I know! Our blog is a complete mess! I am currently trying out new backgrounds and trying to post updates. The new blog will be up and running soon. Our new church website looks wonderful though! Thanks to our Pastor! You can check it out at www.gilbertstreetbapistchurch.com


Love you ALL!

Bonnie

Congrats you have Won a Year of Beauty Treatments

Hellllooooo Ladies! 

I hope that this blog finds you and your family well.  I really enjoyed the last time that we met.  God definitely stretched my brain, I hope that he stretched yours! This week we find our self in the middle of a search for a new queen.  Esther spent a whole year receiving beauty treatments to be presented to the King.  We too are going to be presented to a King one day. In fact HE is the King of all Kings.  What are we doing to prepare to meet this most holy King? 

Esther Trivia

1. Where does the story of Esther take place?

• Babylon
• Persia
• America
• Greece

2.  Who is the King?

• King Darius
• King Asa
• King Xerxes
• King Cyrus

3. How long was the King's party/feast?

• 3 days
• 120 days
• 6 months
• 5 years

4.  What two Kingdom's did we talk about?

• The kingdom of Cyrus and the Kingdom of Darius
• The Kingdom of Xerxes and the Kingdom of the Lord
• The Kingdom of the Lord and the Kingdom of the World

5.   Who most likely was the author of the book of Esther?

• Mordecai 
• Esther
• Xerxes
• A jewish author living in Persia

Hope you did well! See you Saturday at 9:30 am! with coffee! 

Answers to Trivia.  1) b 2) c 3) c 4) b 5) d