love must be sincere

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evel; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourself. Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in afflication, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecut you; bless and do not curse." Romans 12: 9-14

Don't you just love it when God slaps you in the face. After studying Galatians 1 in Wednesday night bible study I was slapped once across the face, then I came home and was slapped again.

Lord help me to love sincerely.

Something Heavenly

Chris and I just made the hardest decision of our lives....to leave Martin's Mill trusting God and his plans for our family at Yantis ISD. Chris will be the head boys basketball and baseball coach and I will teach middle school reading.
My heart is so heavy and it is with tear filled eyes that I am writing this. Martin's Mill has been so good to me, but mostly my family. They have embraced me through the lowest point in my life and celebrated with me through all of the triumphs that have come our way the past 7..yes SEVEN years!
We made a shirt one year entitled The Top Ten Reason I Love Martin's Mill, here is my list (however I did them in reverse order, I started with my #1)
1. My sister, Katie, and her family, Matthew and Nathan - I can hardly bare to think about not being 1 minute from them, not be able to call Katie and say I'm going to Wal-Mart you coming...not be able to cook dinner and call for them (Matthew - he enjoys cooking as much as me) to come eat...not being able to see the smile of the sweetest little boy on the planet. Katie and Matthew are our best friends..we value them and their opinions on life. I love you so much, but I know I am not losing you. You will probably be telling me to go back to Yantis. I hope you know what you mean to us...you are the greatest things!
Katie, Matthew, and Nathan - even though we are going to be 45 minutes apart you are all only 1 second away in my heart. (I smile as I write this because I know some of you are thinking...45 minutes, I would kill to be that close to my family...and yes it isn't that far, but it is going to be very different for me...I hope I can survive)
2.Women's Ministry of Martin's Mill Baptist Church (Judy, Annette, Bonnie, Gwen, Sarah, Suzzette, Pam, Debbie, Jan, Debra)- these women have blessed me any so many ways...I wish I could have done something for each of them to repay the blessing they have given to me and my family. I sure pray they will allow me to keep coming to play Bunco and all of the other fun stuff that is happening. I love these women so much, I look up to all of you and hope that I can take at least some of what you have given to me and spread it in Yantis, Tx. They will be a better place for getting 1/4 of what you all have given. I better get an invite to the next trip to the Soda Jerk!
Our church: man, we love the people of our church..Todd and Jan Schneider have taught us so much. I don't even think they have any idea the impact they had on us. I will miss the support that they have given us spiritually, emotionally, and even professionally. Jan - you gave Reese your heart and he will never be the same, you are the most patient person I have ever met, thank you for always loving my child, and always being there for me. We learned so much from our Sunday School class, it has given us the courage and faith to make this move. I am thankful for the foundation the church has given to Reese.
3. MMHS - the staff, administration, and the students. I have so many relationships with so many great people. I have grown professionally but most importantly spiritually because of this school. I have never been so accepted and respected, this is absolutely the best place to work. I feel so honored to have been apart of the magic of Maritn's Mill ISD.
4. The Daniel Family: Jeff, Missy, Tay, Jo, Maddie, and Mollie - these guys are great people, they are always willing to help no questions asked. I will miss my Maddie hugs every morning at school. I will miss watching Jo play basketball this year and just all of those senior moments. I will miss Mollie telling Chris like it really is...and playing with Reese. I will miss Jeff and Missy's voice of reason. Taylor, I've gotten used to not seeing her a lot, but I know things will say the same as they are now, but I will miss how she stops by when she comes home so we can catch up on life. I hope this family knows how much we love and appreciate them.
5. The Yellow Chickens - I will not expand, if you are a part of this club...you get it...I love you all!
6. One Act Play - the talented students of MMHS, I will miss getting to be a part of the great things you will accomplish. I will miss seeing you use the talents God gave you to bless the hearts of others. I will miss things like "lights...music" I will miss the laughs we all share. I will also miss the tears we all have shared. Emily Nicole - I love you and will miss your hugs and crazy faces, you just make me smile. Matt, the template must stay...and geez just pick a play already! I can't wait to come watch the show you will put on this year. I will still pray for each of you daily, I am always here for you.
7. Cheer and the Sophomore Junior car - I have so much fun with the cheerleaders, I laugh more with you girls than any other moment in my day...maybe because it was at 7:00AM...no I just love you and you all make me smile. Frieda it's okay to be mean..LOL...it will be so hard to watch you guys next year and not be a part of you (you know I will be coming to watch, you can't keep me away). I love Mustang Cheer! Reese as already talked about those blue cheerleaders..he remember...LOL!
8. TaTa's - Tiffany, you have been a great part of our lives for the past 5 years. We love you and your family, Reese would not be Reese if it wasn't for you (tear) thank you for developing his personality and loving his heart.
9. My life - let's face my life is here, my heart is here, but I am trusting that God is just going to make my heart bigger and allow room for the people of Yantis. I have already seen the possibilities God is giving us to just love kids.
10. THE STORE - I went every morning for a drink to last all day...most days during my conference time...and most days after school. Those Wednesday specials and Sunday lunches.
This song by Sanctus Real has had me on my knees in tears three times in past week and I wanted to share it with you all. It does feel like chaos but I know the peace I have is because it is something heavenly.

Please pray for my family as we take a big step in our lives. Prayer that I will be the support wife that Chris needs as his stress load increases. If you are from Martin's Mill...I love you deeply and would be there for you in a heartbeat if you needed me.

Love

You would think that love would be easy to define, easy to see; it is on the surface, but the deeper I dig I am discovering how complicated and hard love really can be.

God is love. Yes, I know that, I’ve heard that my entire life. “For God so LOVED the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 – I’m sure the most quoted verse of the Bible. This is where I started. John 3:16 seemed easy enough. However, how often do I really see this and even worse how often do I really exhibit this quality? … my answer was pretty much silence.

After facing the brutal fact that I really do not show much of Christ’s love I continued with another famous passage. The “love chapter” I’m sure you all know where I went next, 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 :

“…and now I will show you the most excellent way…love is patient, love is kind. It does no envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails… and now these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I spent some time breaking this down a little and began to find these things all around me. I have seen incredible patience and kindness. I am generally as a person not easily angered (unless of course you are in 7th grade and in my class in the month of May or June). I am not around people who delight in evil. My earthly father has always protected and provided for me just has his father does for us and they both have painted the picture of my real Father so perfectly that I have no trouble comprehended that or seeing that around me. My Chris, always trusts he never doubts for our future when I tend to worry. Chris is incredibly faithful in his trust in Christ; I know that comes from love and Chris gives that love to Reese and me. I got stuck on the last part – “the greatest of these is love” this LOVE like God shows is powerful, so powerful it is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible. If I want to “bear fruit” it has to start with love. Where do I fail at love?

Unfortunately I was brought to 2 Peter 1: 4-9 in Peter’s letter of warning to all Christians. Peter really hit me hard from the beginning. In verse 4 it states “ … so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness (this one is pretty easy, I feel pretty good about the amount of goodness in my life – keep reading) and to goodness, knowledge (okay, I’m not the smartest person but I am seeking to grow in the knowledge of the Word..hey I’m feeling pretty good here – keep reading) and to knowledge, self-control (sweet, another easy thing for me..I am pretty controlled, I don’t struggle with this…- keep reading) and to self-control, perseverance (okay – I’m getting stuck, I do have a hard time sticking things out, not trusting my favorite verse that one hanging above my couch, Romans 8:28 if you didn’t know – but that is not daily – keep reading) and to perseverance, godliness ( I’m not sure I even know exactly what godliness looks like, but I know I strive daily to be like Christ to do things that honor Him and show others His love – just keep reading Stacy) and to godliness, brotherly kindness (wait does that mean the whole love your enemy thing? Does that mean I am to love my neighbor – all of them – as myself? Even those that slander us? Oh, that would by my enemy….crap! That’s hard!! They are so self-seeking, they only do what they want, what is good for them, they don’t think of others there has to be a loop hole..surely…) and to brotherly kindness love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” There isn’t a loop hole, if I want to love, if I want to bear fruit I have to get this “brotherly kindness” stuff. I do not want to be found blind, “for all have sinned.” So my goal this week is to work on brotherly kindness so that I can become productive in the attempt to bear fruit and to start with the fruit of love. I am going to make a point to do good for those who aren’t my biggest fan, or those who aren’t the biggest fan of a member of my family. I have done this before, and I will say that God doesn’t lie, it does work. I’ll keep you posted with how it works out this week.

Please pray for my attempts at brotherly love; please pray that love will begin to bloom in my life.

Thanks for “listening” it helps to write.

Fruit

So far this summer Reese has really been into growing vegetables and fruit. We planted two plants and lots of flowers. It has been fun watching how excited he gets each time something blooms. He picked out everything, and as you can tell his favorite color is yellow. He has watered everything, every day...which is surprising I thought this would only last a few days, but Reese has proven to be faithful in what he does...I think it is I who always fizzles out and loses the battle of good intentions.

All of this "growing" has caused my brain to spin..as usual. So many times I have started a journey to deepen my faith and fizzled out...not made it to the end, even though my intentions were pure and real. I think of Reese watering those plants each day...loving to do it, waiting to see them bloom and I think about how Christ is waiting for me to bloom, giving me the chance to be watered each day...but more often than not I sit withering in the sun...when I should be producing fruit from the Son.

I have been stuck on Galatians 5:22, we all know the verse, we all have sung the song, but I can't get it out of my head. I am going to devote a little series to each aspect of the fruits of the Spirit. I am hoping to be watered and begin to see the blooms in my life.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self control." Galatians 5:22

"For the fruit of the Spirit is in all righteousness, goodness, and truth." Ephesians 5:9

Before I can begin to water each area in my life I feel it is important to note that the word Spirit is capitalized, it is a proper noun. Meaning it is referring to a specific person, place, thing, or idea. Both verses are specifically speaking about the Spirit, meaning God's love, God's peace, God's patience...these come from Him, and can only come from Him. I have to be sure that I am letting the Spirit lead in my life, I cannot control the amount of goodness that I give. I have to be willing to surrender to the Spirit. In order to be able to hear the Spirit I have to be in the word, growing in Christ daily.
I am going to spend the next few days camped out on Galatians 5:22 and Ephesians 5:9 I will seek to find these things in everything around me. I'll keep this updated not that anyone wants to read it really, but it helps me to write it.
However, if you see these verses feel free to share with me. My goal is by the end of the summer to start blooming the fruit of the Spirit in my life and the lives of those around me.