journey

Mike asked me to write about the journey. I started thinking about my journey. At the age of 5 my father led me into a loving relationship with Jesus. At age 15 God asked me to follow him with the rest of my life. I said yes. My senior year of high school I was the starting nose tackle for the best football team in the state. 3rd game from the final I broke a bone in my foot and lost all of my scholarship opportunities. A few months later God told me to go to Bible College and study youth ministry. I finished my degree and spent the next 16 years building my dream student ministry. I stepped down to try and rebuild a broken marriage. I took a job as a cashier at a fishing store. In a months time I was promoted to manager. In a years time I was up for a promotion and I went in to accept it and was told that I was being let go from the company. I took a month off trained my dog and started my own part time business. I missed being around people so I went back to being a cashier at the fishing store. After being at the fishing store a month I received a call from another retail store asking me to come be a manager for them. I took the job, I am still with that company now and am up for promotion…
Ha! What a journey. Since the age of 15 even in the midst of change one thing has always remained consistent. God has always allowed me to learn something and be a witness to someone. I have ministered to the thousands. I have ministered to the individual. I have talked with a cashier at the fishing shop, I have been cursed by a witch doctor in Haiti. I have had the greatest career and the worst. I have had times with money and times without. The thing that remained consistent was the spirit of God ministering to people because I was in the location and circumstance that He put me in. I was in that location at that time because that was His plan for me. As I look back it is easy to see Gods hand throughout my life. In the middle of some of those times it was hard to see, hear or feel him. God has taken me to places I would have never gone on my own doing. Even though I can look back and see the impact on me and what He has taught me I might never know what impact was made because I was there. What part of the journey are you in? Are you in a learning stage, teaching stage, or ministry stage? Do you recognize that you are there for a reason and a season? What is the reason, and how long is the season? Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed I think about what the apostle Paul wrote when he was defending himself…

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

Ok so compared to Paul my journey has been pretty swell! I am excited to see what comes next for both you and me let us hear your stories… BTW I am super excited to meet all you eagles soon!

My friend Addie is posting today a thought on lifes journey in the work force and trusting God with it's challenges.

This is so very crazy! Mike asked me to write about life’s journey. Well, I just found out today that I am getting demoted at work for the summer! During the school year I teach preschool, a job I obviously didn't take for the money but because teaching children is my passion. I was told that I would be working with school aged children this summer until I was called in the office this morning and informed that wouldn't be the case. I was given three choices 1) Give everyone breaks and clean up everyone else's mess, 2) Work longer hours, or 3) Quit and hope that my job was still available in August when the kids started back to school. This was not the news I was looking for this morning after I missed my alarm and was late for work! I soon found myself wondering what I was doing, and contemplating if I could make it all summer not working. I am obviously not doing what I love and feel as though God has called me to do anymore! But then I started thinking it through, praying that God would show me what I was going to be embarking on this summer, God showed me this: James 1:2-4 (NLT) “Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.” I have decided to take the demotion. Not an easy thing to do when you go from teaching wonderful 4 year olds to cleaning up the mess they made in the bathroom! This part of my life’s journey is just beginning, but who knows what God is going to do with/through me at work!

Almost two years ago I was in the southwest corner of Louisiana and a little lost! If you have ever been in some remote parts of south Louisiana you might understand how lost I felt. First off, no counties it is parishes. Now I was raised in LA (lower Alabama) so I have a good handle on “remote” but what I encountered was new to me. I pulled into a parking area of a “filling” station. There stood a local who I summarized as “knew his way around these parts”. He did but what he did not have was a good working knowledge on English! He began to describe in a heavy Texas type southern draw coupled with a French/Cajun creation that was unattainable to my ears. I smiled, thanked him and continued my journey? Lost a bit but exposed to a tribe of Americans I didn’t even know existed. I felt almost as if I need to contact National Geographic cuz I had a scoop for their next edition.
Have you ever been in a place where you’re not sure where you are and your surroundings are strange or new? Often life, at least mine presents me some clues to me that I am on a journey spiritual and otherwise! As I meet people here and I ask questions about themselves, their vocation, beliefs, and etc. I am so reminded that we all get so focused on our destination we miss the journey! I look back now and think while I was on that particular course did I get all the good out of it? Or did I blow through a time and season looking at the end only, did I forget to soak up the journey stuff.
This week, a few blogs will be posted by some new friends that Shari and I have gained since living here and they will testify to this journey ideal. Listen up they may not be able to tell you where you are right now but you will know you’re not alone!

Navigation is often a term associated with the means to direct a vessel to a desired position. It’s one thing to have a visual on your desired location and head directly to it; but to have a destination not yet seen and to prescribe a course and set out on it is totally different.

With today’s technology navigators have almost a constant fix on their destination and a clear path throughout their journey. But can you imagine what it must have felt like setting sail with a compass, a map, and boatload of courage. No radar, no satellite and no ship to shore communication; just a desire to set out and trust what you have to get you where you want to be.

Have you ever desired to be somewhere else in life? Have you ever felt there is something in the horizon that will cause you to be a good navigator? Have you ever had to redirect your course because of difficult water?

For us as believers, we are afforded a map, His word, and a compass the Holy Spirit to allow us solid navigational tools. Never before have I felt each day requires constant trust to stay the course. Are you sailing today or are you sitting in the harbor mapping your destination or just a bit too comfortable to cast off yet. I can assure you of one thing; you will get tired of only planning and never setting sail.

It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.
George William Curtis

Peace and Love!