"HOLLERING" FOR JESUS

I had to write devotions for our youth group last week and God brought to my memory something my son had said 2 years ago. Yes...I do have a memory, it's just very select!


Psalm 98:4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

Psalm 100:1 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

Psalm 95:1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

A few years ago Charlie started to come into “Big Church” on Sunday nights. The first year he slept through most of the sermons but on occasion he would stay awake. One evening we were especially excited about the evening service because Ric was preaching. I told Charlie that he was going to get to hear his daddy preach for the first time that night. Charlie had a puzzled look on his face and asked me really seriously, “Mommy, does Daddy "holler" for Jesus?” I kinda giggled and said “What?” He asked me again “Does Daddy "holler" for Jesus?” I once again giggled and said “Charlie, what do you mean?” He said “you know, like Bro Mike(our former pastor)…does he "HOLLER" (imagine him raising his voice really loud) for Jesus?” Well I about fell out. It was so funny. He knew Bro. Mike liked to get loud and he wanted to know if his daddy did that too. “I looked at Charlie and told him, “Yes son, your Daddy "hollers" for Jesus, but in a different way.” Well it got me thinking.. do I "holler" for Jesus? The scripture shows us that we are to SHOUT for Him. "Holler" is southern for shout right? I looked at my life and wondered if my son could ask me if I "hollered" for Jesus. I pray that my life would be one that did shout and sing praises. One that was unashamed at my allegiance to Christ. One of my favorite songs talks about Shouting, a.k.a. "Hollering"…

Shout to the Lord
All the Earth
Let us sing
Power and Majesty
Praise to the King
Mountains bow down
The sea will roar
At the sound of Your NAME

May our lives "Holler" for JESUS!!!!

What hurts the most...

So, being a mom has it's perks! I love my kids. They are so cute and do the funniest things. I love to see them smile, hear them laugh, and watch them play...but I so hate when they disobey!

Tonight at church they decided that the back row where we were sitting with their two friends, was going to be some kind of fun house. They weren't listening to anything, to A N Y T H I N G, that I said. I wanted to wring their necks and at one point snapped and told Charlie's little friend that I was going to crush him if he didn't hush. This was of course after he told me to quit crushing the airplanes that he and Charlie had constructed for their back pew runway. Yes, I later apologized to the little boy for being so harsh...okay, I lied...I later tapped him on the shoulder and made a crushing motion with my hands and than pointed at him. He got a chuckle out of that so I think we are all good now.

On the way home I told Ric about their carrying on up in the church house and he was a little upset with the kiddo's for not respecting number 1, God, and number 2, their Momma! We talked with both of them at length about their behavior and saw both of them genuinely(key word) broken by their bad behavior. Both of them begged me for my forgiveness and this time it wasn't to get out of a spanking. They knew that the hammer was gonna drop..no doubt!

My heart hurt so for them. I was so mad at them at church for acting up that I wanted to crush them...but then seeing their broken hearts(and bottoms)...it was tragic. I realized that my embarrassment will pass(they are preachers kids anyways), that I will get over it, but what hurts the most...seeing my sweet kiddo's broken to the point of tears and me, not wanting them to get a spanking. My mercy kicked in and I wished for once that they would have got off...scott free without a spanking. They were crying, I was crying, Shelby was even crying and she wasn't in trouble...don't worry she will be tomorrow. God showed me tonight that even when there is genuine repentance...there are still consequences. I pray that my children will know this and if it takes a night like tonight to teach them about the consequences of sin...I'll take it!

Who is Jericha?

So, every night that we are all home together we have one of the kids "preach" to us about a bible story they have learned and what it means to them. Charlie and Addie are really getting it and have delivered some great 3 point sermons. Shelby on the other hand...not so much. She likes to stand up there and have everyone look at her, she smiles real cute, and then begins to ramble about God and Jesus(remember she is not yet 3). When I say ramble, I mean ramble. It went on for a good 6 minutes last night and at one point I thought she was speaking in tongues...so could not understand her. She may not be able to preach but boy can she pray. She prayed for everyone that she knew, SEVERAL times and then she prayed for "our whole church", followed quickly by a peeking eye and the question, "Who else Mom?" She went so long that Charlie and Addie were like "okay Shelby, wrap it up!" Sometimes she prays for people that she doesn't even know ....like last night she prayed for Jericha and then asked me in her prayer "Mommy, who is Jericha?" Charlie proceeded to role his eyes and sigh "Shelby it's Jericho, not Jericha...Jericho is a city!" Shelby didn't care what he thought...she was going to pray for Jericha, so Jericha if you are out there girl, there were some prayers sent up for you last night! Shelby...you gotta love her heart! Such a special girl and such a ray of light! I truly believe that God has a great plan for her...she sees things most people don't(and I don't mean dead people, although she did she Jesus in our backyard wearing Ric's Crocs, but that is another story), and she has such a spiritual mind. I pray that this crazy world never stifles her passion for prayer!