On time encouragement

Truth be told, these have been some of the darkest days recently. Being in a holding pattern just wears on your soul sometimes, you don’t want to do anything, you’re frustrated, you can’t figure out why God has you in this still place. You question, you wonder “Why God, if I’m trying hard to follow you, are you keeping me here?” Is God really at work? And then you see evidence of it. Evidence like this story. Evidence like people speaking into your life at just the right time. An on-time kind of word.

I can think of several instances recently, even in small ways someone has indirectly or directly given me a word of encouragement.

• Scott Randlett at C3 Church spoke at the weekend service a couple weeks ago that was so relevant to my life and brought a word so strong on victory. Like when Moses is reminding the Israelites of how God has provided in the past and yet they still don’t trust him. We must know that God has given us the land, he has promised to bring us through to the other side, but we can’t be afraid of what might be over there if God has promised to take care of us. But before we can receive the things from the hand of God, we first have to focus on the face of God.
• Martha at C3 Church said something in the middle of a powerful worship moment at April’s First Wednesday (even though I was sick with a cold on my couch at home watching the live feed). As they were singing Hillsong’s “With Everything” she began talking about when you have found yourself in a deep pit, to praise God anyway! To sing anyway! Let go and give everything to him. It can be difficult to sing and praise God in the midst of adversity, even for someone like me who loves to sing. But when you do, when you choose to lift up God’s name even when you don’t feel like it, you will find he will lift you up and sustain you. It honors him.
• @krystalb said on Twitter yesterday about Mom still fighting melanoma cancer and Dad still out of work, but that they are doing wonderful. That God is doing a GREAT work at their very WORST. God IS doing a great work at our very worst of times, even if we can’t see it!

And finally an email from one of my best friends that I keep revisiting every couple of days:

Hi!
I was studying my Bible study, hoping to receive a Word from God about my situation, but I kept thinking of you.  So, I guess that’s the Holy Spirit working on your behalf.
Here’s what I read:
Sometimes God’s silence is because of our sin.  Confess and repent of any known sin.  If you have already done that, there may be another reason for God’s silence.  God’s silence sometimes means He is ready to bring into your life a greater revelation of Himself than you have ever known.  Take the story of Lazarus.  Remember how Jesus waited until Lazarus was dead for four days to come.  He said that he loved Lazarus and Martha and Mary, yet he heard their cry for Him and He was silent.  He let Lazarus die and even let them bury him.  Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  It was as if the Holy Spirit was saying, “Yes, if I had been there, I would have healed Lazarus, but you already know I can do that.  I wanted to share with you that I am the Resurrection and the Life.”
I know you are in a holding pattern, but just wait . . . get ready for your breakthrough.

I love you.

Joi

 

Have JOY, God IS at work, this season is just that- only a season! God’s hand WILL move, but you gotta be seeking his face first. You have to know him. I have so much to be thankful for! I will have an awesome testimony to share with others once I’ve come out on the other side. Do not be afraid, God is with you!

“Dip happens!”

I know, I know, no blog posts since 2/24. Lame.  I’m sure you’re all clamoring to read what’s new.  We got the chance to go to Charlotte a couple weekends ago- after trying last year in Nashville, Chad was contacted and given a VIP pass to by-pass the audition line for Biggest Loser casting.  It was cold and nasty and rainy there, and took us 3 hours just to get out of Charlotte because of traffic, bad weather, wrecks and impending snow. But quickly Chad was asked to come back for Round 2 of auditions- an on camera interview. What can I say? My husband rocks and his personality shines. He has a good look and style, he has a good story, he has a contagious laugh. He’s an all-around good guy that I think America would love to root for. He’s still in the running, so more on that later.

A lot of our time has been spent contemplating, praying, reflecting, struggling with past decisions (and consequences of them) and present decisions of what we were made for and what’s next. Reflecting on past stupidity, bitterness, and deep hurts. Thankfully Christ’s strength is allowing us to move on, to kick Satan in the teeth and refuse to let bitterness drown us in a sea of self-pity, uncertainty, and doubt. To have joy no matter what. To refuse to let a temporary fog cloud our hope, and what is on the other side.

Let’s just say, we have gone through several DIPS in our lives. And I think God allowed us to come to Charlotte for more than Biggest Loser. We got the chance to experience Elevation Church for the first time. They launched about the same time as we were helping plant Lifepoint Church in Wilmington 3 years ago, and have seen God do unexplainable and remarkable things. Pastor Jeff has always tracked with Pastor Steven Furtick’s blog and church, and so did we. So we made a point to check it out while we were there.

Furtick is one intense preacher boy. There is no watering down of the gospel. No health ‘n wealth type feel-good sermon. No dancing around sin and repentence. He is a strong, annointed communicator. As I sat in tears on the fourth row center of this high school auditorium, God was speaking directly to me. Steven’s message was the first of a series called The Dip based on Seth Godin’s book. We’ve all been there. A journey of ups and downs. And boy have we had them.

Basically there are 3 kinds of Dips:

1. Dip of disobedience – direct disobedience to God, Repent

2. Dip of ignorance – acts of stupidity, even unintentional

3. And the divine dip – circumstances that God allows to happen that are beyond our control.

His encouragement was to do this:

1. Receive God’s present activity- be in a posture of humility

2. Remember God’s past faithfulness- what God did for you yesterday, he will do for you tomorrow.

3. Respond to God’s direction

If you are going through any kind of valley or “Dip” in your life right now, whether financial, physical, mental, or spiritual, remember that it is only for a season. Furtick said that Sunday “the lower your Dip, the higher you will rise”. And I believe that. Hold on to hope, examine your heart and life, and think of the 3 R’s. I keep them on my bathroom mirror and on my nightstand.

Check out 1 Kings 17 for yourself and go listen to Pastor Steven Furtick’s podcast  of Week 1 and 2 of The Dip here:

Managing the Mess

This morning’s devo from RBC’s Our Daily Bread…I couldn’t have written this better myself and it’s such an encouragement for me today. God is capable and faithful. So here it is, I’m re-posting this.

Managing The Mess

READ: Ruth 1:15-22 Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me? —Ruth 1:21

When we meet Naomi in the Scriptures, her life is a mess. She and her husband had gone to Moab searching for food during a famine. While in that land, their two sons married Moabite women, and life was good—until her husband and sons died and she was stuck, widowed in a foreign land. Though honest about her pain, Naomi obviously had a sense of who was in control: “The Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me” (Ruth 1:21).

The Hebrew word for “Almighty” (Shaddai) indicates God’s sufficiency for any situation. The word “Lord” (Yahweh) refers to His faithfulness as the loving covenant-keeping God. I love how Naomi put these two names together. In the midst of her complaint, she never lost sight of the fact that her God was a capable and faithful God. And, sure enough, He proved His capability to deliver her and His faithfulness to care for her to the very end. If there seems to be no way out of your despair, remember that Naomi’s God is your God as well. And He specializes in managing our messes to good and glorious outcomes. Thankfully, He is both capable and faithful. So, when your life is a mess, remember who your God is! — Joe Stowell

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake To guide the future as He has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last. —von Schlegel

Stand back and watch the Lord manage your mess into a glorious outcome.

My Valentine

I thought this little survey would be great to post for all those that aren’t caught up to speed on Chad and Rebekah King. I am so thankful God brought him into my life and every year gets better! This is our 5th Valentine’s Day as marrieds!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

College days dating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Married

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Present day

 

 

 

Q: How did you meet your husband and how old were you?  A: Chad and I met at Liberty University. He started playing guitar with a full scholarship group Sounds of Liberty in 2000, and I came on as a freshman in 2001 to sing with the group. The age difference doesn’t seem so big now (32 and 26) but when I was in 7th grade Chad was a freshman in college! (the first time  through college…long story)

Q: Was it love at first sight? A: Not really. We started training camp in July 2001 for the music group we were on at school, and by November we were hanging out non stop “as friends”. Neither of us wanted to call it that, and I think when he would go back to the dorm at night his friends would ask him about it and give him a hard time! After a little drama, we were “officially dating” by February 11, 2002.

Q: How did you know you were supposed to marry him? A: I just knew I could see myself with Chad for a long time, and he was the one I wanted to grow old with.

Q: What was the first date like? A: Define “first date”! The first date I remember, was when we were at the end of the “just friends but somebody might make a move soon” stage. We went to a late movie, Bandits with Bruce Willis. I don’t even remember what it was about, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I did the whole “my hands are so cold in here” thing and he of course ended up holding my hand. Too bad the movie was going to be over past midnight, and at LU our curfew was midnight, so we had to leave. After getting in the car he gave me a hug and said he had a great time, and then came the first kiss pulling out of the hug! We were not even late for curfew.

Q: Where did your first kiss take place? A: See above. In the movies 10 parking lot.

Q: Where did you go on dates? A: We would go to the mall or a restaurant in Roanoke (back then we had to go to Roanoke so Chad could shop at Structure/Express for Men!), we went to the Billy Joe’s Icecream, Sundae Grill & Macado’s in Lynchburg, and Target!

Q: Do you know everything there is to know about your husband? A: I know who he is as a person deep down, his likes/dislikes, fears and insecurities. But I learn something new just about every day. It’s a work in progress.

Q: Were your/his parents supportive of you when you started dating? A: Definitely! His parents couldn’t have been happier and his mom thought any of the girls on Sounds would’ve been a catch, ha. My parents didn’t let the seriousness of it sink in at first, but really liked Chad alot.

Q: Was your wedding what you expected it to be? A: Even more! It was so beautiful and fun. It definitely had our personality in it with the songs we picked, the colors and gerber daisies. And our best friends Joi and JB took us to our hotel in Atlanta in his F-150 after our limo driver showed up NOT in a limo, but in a older sedan with a big dent in the front. We got our money back though, and the ride with our best friends made it sweeter.

Q: How long was it till you got engaged after you started dating? A: Right at about a year if you count the “we’re really dating just not saying it” part. But officially from February 2002 to November.

Q: Long or short engagement? A: Short. 6 months. Engaged over Thanksgiving 2002, married by June 21, 2003.

Q: Did you write your own vows? A: No, but we did find a few versions online and combined the parts we liked that were very meaningful. It was wonderful.

Q: What was one of the things that attracted you to your husband? A: His smile, contagious laughter, humor, and plethora of random knowledge and trivia.

Q: Do you believe he is your soul mate? A: Yes, I believe God had a plan to bring me an amazing man into my life, and for me to be a help-mate to him.

Q: Are you happy that you married him? A: Please see all answers above

Q: Place your husband was born? A: Dunn, North Carolina baby!

Q: Favorite movie? A: Ours together- Moulin Rouge. His- When Harry Met Sally. Mine- While You Were Sleeping. (see he likes chick flicks, I picked a good one!)

Q: Occupation? A: Guitar instructor/office manager/band leader

Q: What does he do for fun on the weekends? A: Spends time with me, hang out with friends, go to Guitar Centre, watch Redbox movies.

Q: What was his first thought of you when you first met? A: He said I have a reddish ring of fire around the iris in my eyes.

Q: Does he snore at night while sleeping? A: Sometimes.

Q: What about farting in his sleep? A: Never noticed during sleep. But I’m a hard sleeper.

Q: If you could go one place with him anywhere in the world where would that be? A: I’d love to go to Vegas, a cruise, Ireland and Italy.

Q: Who married you? A: Kevin Price, my youth pastor from Douglasville, GA. And Chad’s pastor Matt Fry did part of the ceremony too.

Q: Is he the best thing that ever happened to you? A: Absolutely. I couldn’t imagine life without him, and I can’t wait to experience everything God has in store with him by my side.

Worship Workout

I tried to compile a good playlist of all my favorite worship songs in my iPod for my workouts. I ended up with 40 songs in there! Needless to say, I had to cut it down and split up two different playlist for variety. There are just so many great ones, but I wanted to create about an hour and a half journey of songs from warm up to full workout, to cool down. So a good mix of slow, medium-fast, and then slow again.

Here’s my first playlist. Maybe you’ll find some new songs to check out or re-visit some older ones… It’s a good combo of some older school worship choruses, some current stuff, and some beloved hymns:

 

Slow-Medium

1. Center – Charlie Hall/Flying Into Daybreak
2. None But Jesus – Christy Nockels/iWorship 24/7
3. Through the Valley – The Isaacs/Big Sky
4. Worship You Forever – 7:22/7:22 Live
5. True Love – Phil Wickham/ Cannons

 

Medium-Fast

       6.   Rain Down – Liberty University Campus Praise Band/Tremble            

       *originally by Delirous?

       7.   Song of Hope – Robbie Seay Band/Give Yourself Away

       8.   Vertical – Cait Plage/Cait Plage

       9.   One Way – Matt Papa/Worship EP *originally by Hillsong 

      10.  All Because of Jesus – Fee/We Shine

      11.  Chainbreaker – Charlie Hall/The Bright Sadness

      12.  Solution – Hillsong United/All of the Above

      13.  Today Is the Day – Lincoln Brewster/Today Is the Day

      14.  Count Me In – Leeland/Opposite Way

 

Medium – Slow

      15.  Just a Closer Walk With Thee – Bart Milard/Hymned No. 1                 

      *hymn, unknown author

     16.  Fairest Lord Jesus – Christy Nockels/Passion: Hymns Ancient&Modern      *hymn, Gesangbuch/Volkslieder

     17.  Lead Me To the Cross – Hillsong United/All of the Above

     18.  All I Need Is You – Kim Walker/We Cry Out                                                

     *originally by Hillsong United

     19.  There Is Nothing Like – Meredith Andrews, Liberty University Campus Praise Band/Tremble                                                                                                

     *originally by Hillsong United

     20.  Mystery – Charlie Hall/The Bright Sadness

     21.  Knees To the Earth – Christy Nockels, Watermark/A Grateful People (Live)

Christine Caine & the weekend re-cap

This past weekend has been pretty incredible. The band, praise choir and dance team knocked it out of the park with powerful, energetic and reflective songs of worship. I am still trying to wrap my head around all the things Christine Caine said. She not only spoke at 3 weekend services, but also Chick Night at C3 Church. A powerful communicator, leader, coach, visionary, and voice for the broken and hurting. From her home Hillsong Church in Australia, she travels all over the world bringing God’s Word, the hope of Jesus, and raising awareness of the sex slave trade plaguing much of Europe through the A21 Campaign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some highlights of her weekend message:

-Life is uncertain. Everything is schizophrenic all over the world. But this is the greatest hour of the Church of Jesus Christ to be alive and bring hope to the world.

-Count it all joy WHEN (not if) you go through trials. Be of good cheer!

-Joy is the passion or emotion excited by the expectation of good.

-Whatever you’re going through, look beyond that. Because the bible says we’ve already won!

 

Fix your eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 

Jesus will finish what he started in our life- the source of our completion. Phil. 1:6  

Draw near to God. Hebrews 10:22 

Hold fast to the confession of our hope. Hebrews 10:23 

Don’t throw away your confidence in Christ. Hebrews 10:35 

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

Here’s a bit of a re-cap on her Chick Night message:

-Grow up, be responsible, and together be a voice to the broken and captive women and children in the human trafficking industry who have no voice.

Download the prayer guide here. Watch the video, find out more info, and how you can join in here.

-Strengthen your spiritual CORE. We have to do spiritual boot camp to strengthen our core.

-If there is a disparity between your inner world and your outer world, your world will collapse.

-We have to reach a place when reaching a lost and dying world is the outflow of who we are, not something we have to work up to do.

**The main take away: Love God with everything you are. Love your neighbor as you love yourself- which means we have to start by loving OURSELF. Knowing who we are in Christ; how loved and beautiful we are, how we as women have a specific plan in God’s design to shine a light in darkness and to be a change agent in our world.

 

God spoke to me about many things that I’m still processing. If you attended any of the services, leave a comment about how God spoke to you!

Last Minute Hope

Hmm maybe a good band name? I kinda like the ring to it… anyway, I was reading in Luke (23:33-43) today where Jesus is breathing his last breaths on the cross. Two guys were with him. Really bad guys. Who knows what they had done, but they were definitely criminals. Talk about beyond help- in our eyes anyway. Something that stuck out to me was that the one guy acknowledged Jesus as Lord, he knew that Jesus had done nothing to deserve being up there. But he reached out to Jesus anyway. He asked if the Messiah would remember him in his paradise. And woah, Jesus reached back. Talk about really being at the literal end of your road. Waiting till the very last minute. Jesus told him that “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

What is crazy is that Jesus reached out to the people that we would normally think are at the point of no return. Jacked up with diseases and infection. Nearly dead. Too messed up. Beyond help and beyond hope. Jesus went way past what we’d normally expect a “good person” to do. And I’m a good person. I’m relatively young. I have probably a full life ahead of me. Yet so often I neglect to open my bible and read his Word or even talk to him, and still expect him to make everything great for me. I get stuck in a pity party (And trust me, life is a little rough right now for us with our living and surviving situation). I’ve talked back to my husband. I’ve had bitter thoughts about someone else. I’ve envied what someone else has. I’ve done things I shouldn’t have. But there is always forgiveness. There is always help AND hope!

What amazes me is that no matter what you’ve done, no matter how old or weak you are (in mind or body), you are NEVER  beyond help or hope. No matter how you’ve messed up in your journey of this crazy life, Jesus’ love and compassion goes far beyond that. So remember that. Get back up, and get off the pity potty. Reach out for God’s grace and mercy- it’s not too late. And see how YOU can give someone else hope that you think may be at the point of no return.

My 2009: Debt payoff, weight off, and cable off

I got this fun little survey from Rachel Rowell’s blog. Should be interesting. Try it yourself.

1. How many times will you break and/or lose your cell phone in 2009? 
Probably none. I’m usually pretty good about keeping my electronic leash on me or my purse at all times.

2. If for one year (2009) you could choose to be any age, what age would you be and why? 
Probably 27. Because in a year hopefully within a year we will have good jobs, decent income, and making a good dent in our debt payoff process.

3. In past years, what New Year’s resolution did you break the fastest? 
Most of them. I can’t keep from slacking off in the diet and exercise department…and songwriting more. I’m determined to succeed in those in 2009. I need a workout buddy though, that works the best for me!

4. Who do you NOT want to see in 2009? 
Can’t think of anyone that I want to avoid. I get along well with most. Life’s too short to hold grudges.

5. On New Year’s Eve, do you:

a) Fall asleep at 9:00 p.m. (like you do any other night.)

b) Barely make it to midnight with your significant other/family.

c) Hit the town like a party animal until at least 1:00 a.m.

Definitely B. I am usually excited with full steam the early part of the night, but 10:30, 11, 11:30 gets harder to stay awake. This year our festivities include going to look at the Meadow Lights (or “Meder” if you’re from around these parts), dinner at a hole in the wall family fave in Dunn called “Norris’s” and then we’ll watch the newest Indiana Jones movie we haven’t seen before watching the ball drop. I’ll be sure to get a good smooch from the hubby too of course!

6. What word or phrase will you hear your significant other or best friend say most often in 2009?  Can we get cable tv yet? No, you cannot buy that.

7. What 2009 movie or book are you most looking forward to? 
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Gran Torino, Night at the Museum 2: Battle at the Smithsonian. Bride Wars. And I’ve never been a Trekkie fan, but Star Trek looks really cool, plus “Sylar” from Heroes plays Spock.

8. Are you more likely to get fired from a job or get a big promotion in 2009?              Uh hopefully promotion.

9. What new thing would you mix with chocolate in 2009?   Peanut butter of course!

10. How many people will you romantically kiss in 2009? 

One and only one.

Feel free to copy and paste this survey on your own blog is you wish. Just drop me a comment to let me know so I can go check yours out too!

So, what will you be doing when the minute hand pushes over into 2009 tonight?

Going dark in 2009

My hair is already pretty dark, so I’m not talking about that. The first 10 days Chad and I will be praying & fasting from a few things to eliminate some distractions in order to draw nearer to God. (not to mention, some of these distractions can be a real marriage-killer, so this is going to be a time of connecting better with the hubby)

Pastor Jeff talks about his 10-day plan here, and we are encouraged to seek God not only for his provision & direction in our lives for 2009, but to prayerfully and expectantly ask God to do something HUGE this year. It’s going to be  incredible to see how the Holy Spirit moves throughout this time.

It might sound silly to some, but here are some distractions we’ll be eliminating:

No Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Blogs, iPhone (voice calls only), and Internet (with the exception of email and job boards only for employment search & communication).

We are also eliminating hi-fat foods, fast food, meats, caffeine, coffee and soft drinks. Pretty much sticking to healthy foods like fruits, veggies, and whole wheat.

Psalm 119:14-16 (The Message)

 

 9-16 How can a young person live a clean life? 
      By carefully reading the map of your Word. 
   I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; 
      don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. 
   I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart 
      so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. 
   Be blessed, God; 
      train me in your ways of wise living. 
   I’ll transfer to my lips 
      all the counsel that comes from your mouth; 
   I delight far more in what you tell me about living 
      than in gathering a pile of riches. 
   I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, 
      I attentively watch how you’ve done it. 
   I relish everything you’ve told me of life, 
      I won’t forget a word of it.

Christmas Tradition Attempt #2: “Bake-In” Oozy Bread

Last Christmas we spent in Nashville with some friends and their family. Chad and I were watching Rachael Ray on tv one day and she was making the most amazing looking breakfast/brunch dish. It was called “Bake-In” Oozy Bread. This was a glorious layering of lots of bacon, biscuit, butter and syrup! Well, most apartments have cheap appliances in them, or at least that’s our excuse, and the oven just never baked anything evenly that we tried to cook. So, for Christmas Eve brunch we had some friends over, played some Scrabble, made Mimosas, cut up fresh fruit and hashbrowns, and attempted to make the Oozy Bread. It turned out partly right but mostly dough-y on the inside, and rather burned and crunchy on the outside. =(

So this year we’re hoping to try it again for Christmas Eve. Here’s the ingredients and instructions if you want to attempt it yourself. It sounds oh so yummy!

Try it out and let me know how yours ended up- Burned and crunchy, or perfectly oozy!

“Bake-In” Oozy Bread

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 package bacon, chopped

1 jar or bottle maple syrup (8 ounces)

1 stick butter

1 package home-style buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits), such as Pillsbury brand

 

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375°F.

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add bacon. Cook until crisp, about 8-10 minutes, and reserve.

Place a small saucepot over medium heat and add the maple syrup and the butter – do not bring up to a boil. Cook until butter is melted, then turn the heat off and reserve.

Butter or spray a 3-inch x 9-inch loaf pan. Pour a couple tablespoons of the maple/butter sauce in the bottom. Layer three of the biscuits in the bottom of the pan. Tear up one of the biscuits and fill in any open spaces with the pieces. Don’t worry if any still remain, the ooze will fill those in.

Sprinkle half of the reserved bacon onto of the biscuits and top with about 1/2 cup of the butter/syrup mixture. Place the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle the rest of the bacon over them and top with the remaining maple sauce.

Transfer to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove and immediately turn over onto a serving dish.