3 Days and 2 Miracles Later...

Early wednesday morning, at about 1 am we pulled into our sleeping destination, in Virginia. After 2 days of intense packing and a 16-17 hour drive with 6 adults, 2 kids under 5, a uhaul and 2 other vehicles, SLEEP was the only logical choice! We got some sleep and got up wednesday morning, went to look at 2 houses, unpacked the 26ft uhaul at the storage facility, unpacked the stuff in the top of my parents garage...and then we were ready for a NAP. It has been great to see everyone again and have felt extremely welcomed back:) Jesus is just so incredible.

I will preface this story by saying that no words can do justice to what we experienced wednesday evening. I'll try though:) Wednesday, before we ate dinner, my brother runs into my parents house and gets his pistol. I ask, "What are you doing?!?" He says, "Coconut (my parents chocolate lab) jumped off the top step of the porch and broke her neck. I've gotta shoot her." So- my first instict is to go after him out to the yard. In the yard in coconut laying on the grass, breathing extremely labored, eyes fixed and stiff as a board. My mom is visibly shaken and crying-- very upset by what shes seeing this dog go through, unable to help. Without a second thought I go straight down the steps and sit on the grass in front of the dog and begin praying for her. THere were no words that I could pray in English, but I started just praying in the Spirit. Coconuts tail was stuck straight out like a board and her back legs and torso were paralyzed. Her eyes were fixed and she was not moving. You could only hear her labored breathing and my family crying. Eric came out and we continued to pray that if it be Gods will that He would heal this dog. We prayed for about 5 minutes and coconut started to move eventually getting all the way up, with weak back legs. Within seconds- she was up, completely recovered chasing a ball across the yard. She is absolutely fine. Healed. God does love dogs-- He created them...but He loves us so much more. Seeing this dog get up from paralysis was incredible. Jesus is incredible.

Yesterday (thursday) we spent a good part of the day visiting some close friends who just had a baby. They have cats and a dog, and karis' allergies kicked in big time. She was up all night coughing and sneezing. This morning, she woke up throwing up-- every 5 to 10 minutes, 3 or 4 times. Im thinking-- she cannot have the flu!!We just started praying over her, and praying and praying. After the 3rd time she threw up she closed her eyes and laid down like she was going to sleep. I continued to pray for her outloud-- she turned over, opened her eyes and said, "I'm better mommy. Its gone.". She didn't throw up anymore and has been eating like a horse all day!

It can be so easy when God does something miraculous, for us as humans to try and rationalize it and explain it away. For example, I could say, "well, the dog would've been fine"," its neck must not have been broke"...or "Karis never had the flu". I know the truth though. The Lord wants us to see signs wonders and miracles confirming His power and love to the world. I am so excited to see whats next. I am believing for sick to be healed, addicts to be set free, wombs to be opened, relationships to be restored and dead to be raised. It will happen-- oh that I could live in such a way that no flesh would remain and He could do whatever He wills with me. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice that we may live.

What an incredible God we serve. I am in awe. Until next time-

Bittersweet Steps

The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. Psalm 37:23

Have you ever tasted bittersweet chocolate? It tastes just as it is described. Both bitter and sweet at the same time. In life, some steps the Lord asks you to take are what could be considered bittersweet: both pleasant and painful.

When we moved to Hamilton last November, the transition was one that I would consider bittersweet. If you have followed the blog at all, you have heard the pleasant and the painful. The ups and the downs. Again recently, the Lord has brought us to another one of those bittersweet moments. When you are seeking direction He will give it. The answers won't always be what you are expecting, but He will speak.

At the end of April Eric and I went on an extended fast seeking more of the Lord. We were approaching our 6 month mark here in Hamilton and just wanted to press in deeper to Jesus...to be able to see Him better and hear Him clearly. During the fast, around the second week of May, the Lord began to stir in Erics heart a desire to go back to Virginia.

**Just as some sort of preface to this stirring from the Lord: Since being in Hamilton we have had no desire to go back home. No homesickness. No plans of ever returning there permanently. We did go back and visit in December, and while it was a nice visit and it was good to see family and friends, our hearts were in Hamilton. We talked often of spending many years here. **

Eric never spoke to me about this stirring from the Lord, as He wasnt really sure if it was the Lord, or just his own mind. About three days after Eric had this initial feeling, I woke up one morning and wanted to go back to Virginia.For the first time since being in Hamilton I just wanted to go back. I expressed this to Eric, but going home to visit wasn't an option. He had just started a job at Lowe's and could not take any time off. Strangely, I felt crushed at the thought that we couldn't go. Over the next few days I just couldn't shake this feeling of wanting to go home. In a conversation on our way home from Tupelo, Eric shared the stirring that he has also been getting from the Lord to go home. Needless to say after some seeking and praying we felt like God was saying go to Virginia and be a part of Crossroads (which is the church that Eric's brother pastor's). He has asked us to go there and do two things: Fast and Pray. We have no other direction but that.

During the time we were praying and seeking confirmation that this was the word of the Lord to us, we recieved 2 confirmations from two different people that cofirmed the direction of the Lord to fast and pray in Virginia. As you can see from the next step asked of us by the Lord, this transition too will be a bittersweet one for our family. Hamilton has now become home and we have gained a family here. We will be sent ones from here in Hamilton to Virginia. We are looking forward with great expectation to what the Lord has in store.

Kevin and Christa (Erics brother and his wife) and another couple, will be coming down on August 2nd to pack us up and we will be leaving Hamilton on the 3rd. Eric has not gotten a job yet in Virginia, so please remain in prayer for us in this transition.

To all of you that are a part of the Ramp Community: You are all such incredible people! We feel so honored to have been sent here by the Lord to get connected here and to have run with you pursuing Jesus. We will always consider this place home and you our family. We love you all so very much!!

Until Next Time-

P90X of Spiritual Life

Hello again friend. I know it has been quite a few days since my last post. In the meantime, we all celebrated a holiday, Independance Day (unless of course you are reading this and you aren't american-lol). We made a trip to Tupelo on the 3rd and had our $12 Olan Mills pictures made.

They turned out pretty cute I think...although I really loathe most studio portraits. They usually seem to lack some element of real life...but karis definately brought life to the studio! After we got our pictures taken we went to a place called Ballard Park in Tupelo where they were having a big family day for the 4th. It was so beautiful there. It was a huge park with trees, a lake, a huge permanent stage, ducks, a huge track with really soft grass in the middle lol, and sidewalk trails. It was a nice day in the park, and then they had fireworks. Karis was very excited when she saw the moon finally in the sky because," The fireworks were comin'"...She loved it:) the soft grass:)

Mr Duck

So-- because we celebrated the 4th on the 3rd...we didn't really do anything on the 4th. It was so nice though:)

On to another topic--the P90X of spiritual life. Some of you are saying, "What the heck is P90X?" Well, my friend, here's a link where you can read about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/p90x ... Go ahead...read the 2 paragraphs from wikipedia if you don't know what it is.

Ok-- so we're on this journey with Jesus. Exiting. Hard. Happy. Thrilling. Steady. Never the same. Constant. Frustrating. Peaceful.Glorious. Those are just a few words that could describe it. There is also a new way I have started to descibe it... Jesus is to my spiritual body what P90X would be to my physical body. (In this statement, I am going on the word of others who have used P90x--I'm not tough enough...lol)

This relationship with Him is challenging our every thought. Every desire. Every action. Every motivation. Each day Eric and I read Matthew 5, 6 and/or 7. (I usually read all 3 chapters every day and Eric reads them like one a day or something). That to say- the Sermon on the Mount is an integral component of our everyday lives. We have made it a point to read and become extremely familiar with this incredible life changing three chapters. The thing is-- when it starts getting written on your heart, and you really have to start applying this stuff to your life, therein comes the "P90X" of christianity.

Aside from the obvious fact, that this program is extremely intense, one of the major components of P90X, that is different from the majority of other exercise programs, is the implementing of certain exercises to create "muscle confusion". This muscle confusion is what creates such great physical results in your body. Muscle confusion "Prevents the body from adapting to exercises over time, resulting in continual improvement without plateaus". Lately we have felt this "muscle confusion" idea at work in our spiritual lives...You get some revelation of something that needs to be cut away in your life, and once you cut that away there's another something that needs to be cut away. In this pursuit, God is continually adapting our process in order that we have continual improvement, with no flat plateaus.

"But we all, with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the glory of the Lord." 2 Cor. 3:18

He takes us from glory to glory...from one place to another in Him. This process is is set up to work for us, if we can walk in it. And so the Sermon on the Mount is definately confusing my muscles. Eric and I are also reading 2 books by Leonard Ravenhill...who, by the way, I think is a must read for any Christian. One of the books is called 'Why Revival Tarries' and the other is called 'America is Too Young to Die'. He definately was a prophet of our day calling the church back to Jesus. Again though, for us, it is a tough pill to swallow. It's easy to read Matthew 5,6, and 7 and agree. Its easy to read Ravenhill and say yes and Amen. It is something completely different to walk out what you are saying you believe. Read Matt 5,6 and 7 for a taste of what Jesus says our lives should look like. Here's a small taste of Ravenhill ...

" No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. The pulpit can be a shop window to display ones talents; the prayer closet allows no showing off." ... ..."Can any deny that in the modern church setup the main cause of anxiety is money? Yet, that which tries the modern churches most, troubled the New Testament church the least. Our accent is on paying, theres was on praying. When we have paid, the place is taken; when they had prayed, the place was shaken...For this kind of prayer there is no substitute. We do it- or die!"

I am looking forward to the results of this spiritual P90X...keep pressing into Jesus.

Until next time-

The Simple Challenge

Simple: not elaborate. not ornate or luxurious. not complicated. not complex. common or ordinary. not grand or sophisticated. humble or lowly.

What does a simple [insert above definition here] life look like?
According to the Bible, did Jesus ask us to live a simple [insert above definition here] life?
Does the American Dream facilitate a simple [insert above definition here] life?


Over the past several weeks our hearts have been stirred by Holy Spirit to examine what our lives are really supposed to look like. In a nation where your value is placed in degrees, jobs, income, cars and houses, living a simple life would look somewhat contrary to the normal pursuit of the American Dream.

[The American Dream: "Whereas the America Dream was once equated with certain principles of freedom it is now equated with things. The American Dream has undergone a metamorphosis from principles to materialism... When people are more concerned with the attainment of things than with the maintenance of principles, it is a sign of moral decay. And it is through such decay that loss of freedom occurs." - John E. Nestler, The American Dream]

The American Dream, although affording us many nice things on earth, seems to have left us in a whirlwind. We are always working, with not enough hours in the day. Our money is spent, almost before it is made. Our family relationships are even somewhat superficial, at the cost of getting more, more, more. Our spare time is filled with cell phone calls, internet, emails, TV, Ipods and vacations. For all that we have gained, are our lives really better off in the long run? We spend our lives going to college, moving up in the company, saving for retirement, retiring and then using the money we saved to have someone take care of us until we die. Is this American Dream really bringing freedom?

After considering the Ameican Dream concept in America, we began to look at the Bible and to examine some of the things that Jesus said about living life for Him. Since our goal is to live a life completely laid down, its important to know what Jesus said. In our search, we found a pretty straight forward Jesus. Let's take a look at some of Jesus' quotes from the Gospels and see if His design for life looks simple or like the American Dream.

"And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away"..."If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other too"..."Pray for those who persecute you"..."Don't store up treasures here on earth"..."Don't worry about everyday life"..."Let me go bury my father...{no}Let the dead bury the dead"..."If you love your father and mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine"..."Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor"..."Beware! Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own"..."A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God"..."Sell what you have and give to those in need"..."So, noone can become my disciple without giving up everything for me"

Eric and I have aimed to live a simple life since we got married, but recently we have have been stirred to seek out what that really looks like on a practical level. When we look at the early church and how they lived, we can't help but ask ourselves, have we gotten offtrack somewhere? It's so easy to get pulled into "needing" money or "needing" a big house. But what do we really need? Please don't think that I am against houses, school, cars, jobs, promotions or vacation. I think those things can be from the Lord and are somewhat necessities of life. What we are finding though, is not that the stuff is all bad, but alot of the time our pursuit and use of the stuff is keeping us from a real realationship with Jesus. Instead, we are pursuing our jobs in order to pay our bills so that we can take care of our families with THINGS. Things that maybe God never intended us to have. In turn, our relationship with Jesus becomes a negotiable duty: prayer before meals, wednesday night church, sunday morning 10am pep talk.

After looking at the median American yearly income, we found that the average across America is between $44,000 and $50,000. We want to live our lives based on that average--and everything else will be given away. God is just showing us, the less we have, the less money we need. The less stuff we have, the lower our bills can be. And that is a freeing thought. It doesn't mean we can't make more than that, but what it does mean is that we will be free to give away whatever else God blesses us with. We want to see a church free from the cares of this life. A church free to give to those in need, because we aren't strapped to our bills for our "stuff". Acts 2:44-47 is such an encouraging picture of what we could see if we could simplify.

"And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the preoceeds with those in need. They worshipped together at the temple each day, met in homes for the Lords Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity- all the while praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved."

We want to challenge you to live a simple life. One that isn't tied down to the things on this earth. All of us, regardless of our income can make adjustments to make more room for Jesus. We're so excited to see what the Lord will do with the body of Christ on earth whose lives are really laid down before Him. Then He will be able to pour out more than we could ever ask or think on us!

Until next time-

Home from Home

Its so strange when you move away from somewhere that has always been "home" and then call a new place "home". We spent the last week in Virgina visiting family and friends, still trying to figure out if we should say we're going home, to VA or we're coming home to hamilton. Either way- I guess although Virginia is where Eric and I were both raised and have called home, hamilton has also become home. Its an awesome feeling to know that wherever He is, it is home...Whether God leaves us here in Hamilton for a season, sends us back to va, or sends us somewhere else. When you make your dwelling, your home in Him, you're always there. And that is a comforting thought.

We got to see our families and spend several late nights catching up with family and friends. Food was everywhere! I think all three of a us gained a couple pounds while we were there! Karis did EXCEPTIONALLY well on the car ride. She was a trooper, thats for sure. 13 straight hours in a car for a two year old is not that fun--but she hung in there and only had a few tearful moments. As always, leaving is difficult...especially now that Karis realizes whats going on. Hopefully we'll see everyone again soon. Erics parents and sister are coming in for a visit in July--we'll all enjoy that since his sister lives in Las Vegas. It will be a treat!

God has continued to keep the fire of His presence burning in our home. He has astounded us with his unending love. What an honor to know the creator of heaven and earth. What a concept to think that He wants to know me! He is showing us more of who He is and who we are to Him. He is teaching us to live our lives daily true to the gospel. We are learning to live our lives layed down. To fast and pray. To love Him because we want to--not because we have to. I look forward to sharing more with you in the days ahead. He has revealed some great things to us...more to come next time.

Love you all so much. Thank you again for your faithful giving to us. Without you--our time here in Hamilton would be impossible. Keep the fire burning in the secret place.

Until next time...

PICTURES :)

bowling with daddy

at the park

pretty little lady

in the woods

bowling

chalk

karis and her friend justice

karis and daddy

trying on the bathing suit

Virginia, Bangs and Love

Its been a great week so far...although, now that I am thinking about it, it didn't start out so great. Sunday morning I woke up with the feeling of the flu coming upon me. Needless to say I spent all of sunday feeling miserable, laid out on the bathroom floor. It must have been just a 24-hour flu, because monday I felt 99% better. Noone else in the house got it, thank the Lord. We are making a trip to Virginia next week for a summer visit. We'll be in from the 5th until the 11th. It will be good to see everybody-- we are finding that our schedule while we're going to be there is pretty full--hopefully we'll see YOU! So--we're gettting ready for the drive and a two year old trapped in the car for a day! We'll be armed with lots of snacks and DVD's.

I recently got the urge to chop off all my hair. You ever get that feeling? Like you just need a change? Well- i decided against chopping it ALL off, and decided to get some bangs. It's a brave change for me-- I've had about the same hairstyle since I was in 7th grade...so it was time to take a risk...live a little. Luckily, I really like them! Now, how I'll feel about them in the humid Alabama summer, I'm not sure...but I'm sure I'll make it:) Here they are.

Karis is growing like a weed---She's talking in sentences and developing a little personality. She seems to be loosing her "baby" look... Its crazy how fast she's growing. Here's some pics of us and karis the last couple months.(can't get them all to load...I'll try and put them on another post:)
easter @ ms. karens

The past several weeks God has just been speaking so many things to us...it would be impossible for me to describe it all in one post. But, He has really encountered us with his love in a way that has set us ablaze on the inside. His love is just so unbelievable. I just think about Jesus, who before the world was created, chose death on a cross for me. If I was the only one here, He would have still done it. Without Him, I can not love. It takes God to love God. I have realized how incredibly small I am in this big picture called eternity. I have come to the realization that God does not need me. It's not going to put Him in a pinch if I don't do what He says. He LOVES me and wants me to be involved but He doesn't NEED me. He's pretty self sufficient. Yet He wants me. He loves that I choose to love him. It is an amazing thought to consider being loved by the creator of all that is and all that will ever be. Much more to come on this in the days to come.

We are all doing really well and about to start the super busy summer season at the Ramp.We are believing for hundreds of hearts to be set on fire by the Holy Spirit. We're excited to see what Gods gonna do!! Thank you again a thousand times for all of your support--if it wasn't for your prayer, love and generous hearts, we wouldn't be able to do this. Look forward to seeing you all in Virginia soon!! Keep burning!