In Memory of Mrs.Vera Power

A little over a decade ago, I wandered into the Student Lounge at East Texas Baptist University for a little break. I was a newly engaged college student and my upcoming new season of life was constantly on my mind. I began to read over the bulletin board, filled with papers and announcements, when a white sheet with black lettering caught my eye.

HOUSE FOR RENT

With excitement I grabbed the sheet before anyone else had the chance to steal this deal! (You know people get married a lot at ETBU)!  Married housing was an option, but not one we were very excited about. We really wanted a dog and a yard, and they didn’t allow pets.

I showed the paper to Jeremy, discussed with him if the price would fit our very small budget, and he said let’s check it out!

I don’t know what I was expecting, but the kind, gentle voice of an elderly woman on the other end of the phone surprised me. Her name was Mrs. Vera Power and she was 86 years old.

I explained that I was an ETBU college student, newly engaged, and we were looking to secure a house for when we were married and she said she wanted to meet us.

Jeremy and I nervously went to meet Mrs. Power at her house. I’m not sure why we were nervous, but as soon as we saw her our nerves flew out the window. We instantly fell in love with her. Imagine the cutest, most beautiful grey haired woman walking up to greet you with a big smile. She was lively, witty, kind, graceful and to the point. She welcomed us with a firm handshake and a heart that beamed the light of Jesus.  I’ll never forget her United States flag rhinestone pen she wore on her shirt collar.

She was warm, friendly and almost immediately began to talk about God. She loved Jesus and while she needed renters she also loved to support the university and use her rent houses as a form of ministry. 

If she only knew we would become a ministry that never left!

We rented the house for a whopping $325 a month. The Lord was so faithful because we were seriously living off of love. Not only did we receive a house for $325 a month, we received the friendship and mentor-ship of a godly lady who faithfully served her Lord. She sat down with us and talked about how a cord of two strands is easily broken, but three strands- husband, wife, and the Lord, cannot be broken. She encouraged us to never let go of our call, she praised my husband and challenged him to go after whatever God called him to do. She helped me plant flowers and gave me wisdom, love, advice, and care. She was our new precious friend. 

We lived in her little rent house behind Lowes for two years before moving. But she has remained a presence in our life ever since. We have now been married eleven years and Mrs. Power is 97 years old. Around noon today she went to be with Jesus and my heart already longs to see her again one day. I wouldn’t dare selfishly keep her here on earth one extra second. She was ready to see Jesus and her late husband who she affectionately told us about. I hugged her neck about  two weeks ago, kissed her cheek, told her we loved her and how much she meant to us. She responded with love and tears, telling me how much she loved us, even asked about our children. I told her that day I would see her again, knowing the next time I saw her would be in heaven.

She was beautiful and brave! Unselfish, loving, and kind. She was an adopted grandmother you might say, and friend I will never forget. Every Christmas we received a card from her, and I received one this past December. Knowing that is the last card breaks my heart, but also fills me with joy knowing she will spend the next Christmas celebrating with her Savior.

You never know who God is going to weave into your life forever. I never would have guessed that our landlord would have become someone we loved so dearly and claimed as family. I pray to always be kind, open, and a light for Jesus like Mrs. Power, because she knew we were more than just renters, we were her ministry.

In Memory of Mrs. Vera Power 

The Middle of the Night

It’s the middle of the night, but I’m not asleep.

I lie next to my husband who is now sound asleep. 

One sweet little girl, dreams next to my head,

And the other two babes are tucked in their beds. 

The youngest she came with a tiny bit of fear

The night can be scary when your parents aren't near.

And now she sleeps soundly and kicks with her feet,

But I savor the giggles I get to hear in her sleep.

I can hardly contain it, my heart is so full. 

I lie here amazed, completely enthralled.

God gave me so much, these loved ones so near,

I feel honored, and privileged, and blessed to be here.

My cup runneth over, with the love that I feel,

Gratitude is stretching for my God to hear. 

These treasures, these people, which you gave to me,

How beautiful, how perfect, how precious are Thee.

I love these dear ones, with all of my heart,

And the love that I have you first gave its start.

It’s not without you Lord, that I could love at all,

But you loved me first and gave me your all. 

I walk through their rooms, and kiss their sweet heads

My prayers are raised high as I tiptoe close by.

I gently caress their sweet little backs,

And thank Jesus for providing in all that I lack.

I don’t want to leave; I want to keep watching,

Their soft little chest rise up and then falling,

But I know that God will sit by them all night

And morning will rise to awaken their light

I wander back down the cool, dark hall;

Knowing that one day they’ll all be gone. 

A tear falls to my cheek, and I thank God again,

For the gift of today and the moment I’ve spent.

I crawl back into bed, with prayers of renewal,

To slow down and take time to play while their little.

I scoot near my husband and hold him real tight

So thankful and grateful for his warmth each night

I take a deep breath, and quietly pray

Our Father who Art in Heaven this day,

Thank you for lessons in the middle of the night

May we rise to shine and tell of your might.

 ~Katy Roberts, December 30, 2011(revised)

Love at the Lake

In the eleven years that my husband and I have been married we have attended three separate marriage retreats. Not because we were on the brink of divorce, but because we believe our marriage is worth the investment. This past weekend we along with 33 other couples from our church came together and spent time learning, growing, and investing in our marriages.

Every time we leave a marriage retreat we walk away grateful, encouraged, and stronger.

I hope to encourage you today to make an effort to invest in your marriage. If you want an amazing retreat check out Weekend to Remember hosted by Family Life or ask your church if they offer marriage retreats. It does not matter your age or how many years you have been married. We can always learn something new.

When we invest and build strong marriages, we invest in the family and the church. I have three children and one of the best gifts I can offer to them is to love their Daddy.  I hope you seek out a way to invest in your marriage too. For the sake of your family, the legacy you will leave, and the kingdom of God.

God can redeem and restore the broken. God can transform and reignite your marriage if you open your hearts to Him.  If you have a spouse that will not participate pray daily that God will work a miracle in them.  I can’t imagine how difficult that would be, but I know many women who can testify that after years of prayers their spouse became open to receiving help and God worked a miracle in their marriage. I am praying that for you today.

Don't Abandon Love

It’s that time of year again when pink and red start to flood every store. Valentine’s Day candy, cards, gifts, and galore deck the shelf's with reminders to express your love to one another. 

I start to think about my own husband and our early years. We met in college and one smile from across the quad could take my breath away. I thought about him often, doodled love notes in class, and dreamed of our life together. It was a fun and beautiful season of life together. I wouldn’t exchange it for anything. However, I wouldn’t want to stay in that season forever.  As you know, the longer you live together, experience life together, and grow together, centered on Christ, the deeper your love for each other grows. 

2004~~(Eleven Years Later)~~2015

I do, however, see the benefits of looking back and remembering how you fell in love.  Days when life becomes hectic, crazy, stressful, and overwhelming, it’s nice to think about and be reminded. To take a few minutes to rekindle love that can often get pushed aside.

Let’s take this a little deeper.

Revelation 2:4-5 says, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent, and do the works you did at first.”

Sometimes in our walks with Jesus we have our salvation experience where we first meet Jesus. We fall head over heels in love with him. We commit to surrender and give our whole lives over to him. We mean well, but sadly, as soon as life starts charging us, we shrink away and forget our love.

So what can you and I do to rekindle our love for the Lord? First let’s remind ourselves of what God did for us.

Galatians 4:4 says, “God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son then an heir through God.” 

We were once slaves to sin and the law. We were in a yoke of slavery that led to death. But guess what! “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

“For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” Galatians 5:6-7

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14

When I am reminded of what life was like before a Savior I am brought to my knees in gratitude. His power is made perfect in our weakness! What we could never accomplish He accomplished. He satisfied our sin debt forever. And it is with great love, honor, and joy, we have the privilege to live this life full of love for one another. Jesus died, and gave his life, on the cross. Because of that we are a new creation! Gal. 6:15! That right there rekindles my love for Jesus.  Don’t let this world lead you away from the cross.  What Jesus conquered for us let know one take away from you!!

Non-Negotiable

33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. Luke 17:33 (ESV)

I love to work. I believe God designed us to work and do it to his glory. However, I am also a Mother and I have the honor and privilege to be a Mother for a very short season of life. I have decided I will "go to work" later and focus on my work as a Mother today. Being a stay at home wife and mom has become something people look down on. It has become something that sends the signal that you sit at home and do nothing. Any stay at home mom can tell you that is not true.   

I have been a working mom outside of the home where I taught at a public school. I have been a full time stay at home mom with toddlers, and I have been a mom that stayed at home and worked in and out of the home as a photographer.  All have their unique advantages and dis-advantages. What is right for you? What is right for me? I believe that's between you, Christ and your husband. Only Jesus can lead you to the answer that is right for you.

Currently, in this season of life, I believe I am suppose to stay at home. There are so many things I believe God desires from me that I cannot do while working full time away from the home or in and out of the home. But to leave a job and do something new is scary. With my husbands blessing I am taking a leap of faith. I am trusting God and excited to follow him in yet another season. I don't know what that will bring, but I know obedience to God= Life. Abundant Life. And when we walk where God tells us to walk and we keep Jesus Christ as our focus we will experience his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Obedience to Jesus is NEVER negotiable. 

Maybe you are in a different season of life than me and are struggling with another kind of decision. Just remember, Jesus is our focus and all decisions need to be in obedience to the word of God.

Praying as you seek to obey Jesus in every area of your life.

Entitlement

If you live in America, watch the news or read the paper the word “entitlement” is a common word in our society. As a parent of young children I hear a lot about kids believing they are entitled to have anything they want; a new car, cell phone, spending money, etc. The list is endless.  In fact, a whole generation is being referred to as the “Entitlement Generation”.

en-ti-tle-ment

the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. 

I got to thinking about myself and the human race and wondered if we sometimes struggle with entitlement when it comes to God. Do we believe that we are deserving of certain privileges?  Certain blessings? Even life itself? If we do a certain thing, God better come through? Are we a bit entitled too?

I think as believers we all agree that every breath we take is a gift from our Creator. Every moment on this earth is in his hands. We are not in control of our health or our length of days. Even Isaac in Genesis 27: 2 says, “I do not know the day of my death”.   Then, in James we are reminded of the brevity of life.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15

I think if we are not mindful of the giver of life, humble, and grateful for every single breath we take, we risk living life as if it’s our own. We become the gods and we worship self. We do what we want to do because we think we deserve it. Life is not a privilege, it is a gift from God.

“For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for

“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

as even some of your own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’~ Acts 17:23-28 (ESV)

We are not entitled to life. 

We are not guaranteed one single breath. 

Each day is a gift. Every breath you take is an act of grace and love from our God. 

Treasure today! Don't waste your gift. It may not be available for you to open tomorrow. We have to keep our minds focused on Jesus. He is our life. I pray that we never take for granted the gift of life. And since we do not know how long our life will last, we humbly and gratefully thank God for each day, and do our best to live for his glory and honor.

 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Dig Deep

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

One of the purposes for starting this blog was to provide myself with accountability. Accountability to stay in God’s word consistently.  I love the word of God, I love studying his word, but I found myself in the busyness of life getting distracted and in need of some extra accountability. 

There is nothing more important than seeking Christ. The bible says “you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord…” Jeremiah 29-12-14 (ESV)

Have you ever heard someone say “Let’s dig into the word of God” or “let’s dig deeper”? I love that mental picture of digging into God’s holy word. The study of God’s word is what makes our roots grow deeper and deeper. The deeper our roots, the firmer we stand in the Lord. If we don’t toil and dig our roots remain shallow. We must be established in the word of God so that the elementary principles of the world do not sway us. We have to put on our overalls, grab our shovels, and start digging into God's word. We will sweat and our backs will ache, but oh, the reward will be so great!

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Colossians 2:6-8(ESV)

We focus too much on what’s above the ground. God desires for us to put to death what is earthly IN us. (Colossians 3:5) We have to dig. We can’t stay on top, above ground, surface level. We have to look past today and into eternity and start observing our roots. If we want our fruit to be nutritious and plentiful we have to stretch our roots. And God’s word is what makes that happen.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

I want to bear fruit, but more importantly I want the private relationship between me and my Lord to be first and foremost the most important thing in my life. When that relationship is priority, and I seek to know him more and more each day, everything else in my life that I love and adore will reap the harvest of my root work. I dig deeper, and deeper, I drink, and grow. Marriage problems, Parenting problems, life problems start to fade and his word jumps off the page and into my heart. Let’s commit to abide in God’s word.

He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8(ESV)

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth.” Ephesians 3:16-18 (ESV)

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved." Philippians 3:20-4:1(ESV)