Odor-ific
This morning I opened my refrigerator to get a sip of something to drink before heading to work….when I caught a rather pungent whiff of something odorous! 
After a careful search (you don’t want to inhale too hard), I pinpointed the perpetrator…Thanksgiving leftovers. Disclaimer: We have not been eating the leftovers, they’ve just been sitting there in the fridge because I’ve been too lazy to throw it away and take it to the dumpster. We’re talking leftover turkey, sweet potatoes, dressing (but the lovely scent was coming from the smoked turkey). GROSS! I was running late so I didn’t have time to take care of it right then, but it’s on my list of things to do on my lunch break.
I realized several rather interesting insights into my morning. First , I often recognize yuck in my spirit. The Lord convicts and I say, “Yea, yeah, I know.” I think about it, I worry over it, but instead of immediately eradicating the smelly crap from my heart, I sorta say, “Yuck, that’s gross, I know….I’ll deal with it later.” Or I make excuses as to why I can’t take care of it right then. Much like this morning. I recognized the source of the disgusting smell and promptly decided that I couldn’t spare the extra 2 minutes it would take to dump it in a trash bag and drop it at the dumpster on the way to work. So, the smelly leftovers are still sitting in my refrigerator. How sad! These realizations shook me to my core. Why wasn’t I willing to dump the junk in my life the first time I noticed something amiss? Why don’t I take steps to keep the junk from getting in in the first place? Why aren’t I willing to do what it takes IMMEDIATELY to make things right in my heart and spirit? The more I dug into these questions, the sorrier I felt. So I asked the Lord to shed light on some “leftover turkey” in my life. There are several things He brought back to my attention (I say back to my attention because these were things the Lord had already been convicting me about). These are things like holding grudges against people who intentionally or unintentionally hurt me, responding with a harsh word when under pressure instead of being slow to speak and slow to anger, not being willing to readily forgive and yet wanting immediate forgiveness from others. Man, I feel low today. I want you guys to check out this lady’s blog post called “An Unexpected Friendship.” Her response epitomized how I want to be.
I am so thankful that my God never ceases to respond to me when I’m feeling low. I know that I am a beloved child of His because when I know I’ve done wrong and come before Him broken and bleeding, He picks me up, holds me close and calls me his Beloved. He wants to create in me a clean, renewed heart, mind, and spirit. He wants me to come before him with my smelly mess and hand it over completely for Him to dispose of. On this day of odor-ific reminders, I commit (yet again) to eradicating the yuck in my life. Not by my own strength or power, but by the Holy Spirit that lives in me and by the grace of my Father in heaven who loves me, and by the renewing power of Jesus’ blood on the cross. Amen.
“Power is perfected in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Your power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
“Lord, what you are commanding me today is not too difficult for me or beyond my reach.” Deuteronomy 30:11
“Lord God, guard my course and protect my way as I pursue a righteous, victorious life in You.” Proverbs 2:8
Thanksgiving Recap
I love Thanksgiving! It is, by far, my favorite holiday. There’s something about spending extended time with your family, talking, laughing, eating, watching silly movies, that just warms you from the inside out. On Thursday we got up and headed for my in-law’s house in Easley. I like Thanksgiving at the Weber house because it’s so laid back and simple. It’s the kind of home you can just kick your shoes off at the front door and veg. Nothing fancy, just good food, relaxing, and talking. I like the fact that the food is different from what my mom makes. Eating the same thing over and over has never really appealed to me. After lunch we all crashed on the couches and chairs and just relaxed. It was so nice to get to just chill…no worries, no nothing. It was so good to spend some quality time with Chuck and Glenda (Hal’s parents) and Rob (Hal’s brother). We left about 3 to take leftovers back to our apartment and to get ready to head to my parent’s house. We got over there around 5:00. I love my parent’s house on Thanksgiving. The house is warm from the ovens, there’s a turkey frying in the backyard, everyone is loudly talking and it’s just wonderful. It’s not at all like the Weber Thanksgiving. It’s a more kicked up affair, more dressed up, definitely more loud, and certainly entertaining. We have this tradition of watching “Chevy Chases’ Christmas Vacation” after Thanksgiving dinner. It’s such a ridiculous movie and I think that’s why the Hill family likes it so much. We always manage to find something new in the movie that we hadn’t noticed before. My brothers have an insane ability to quote the lines of that movie constantly…all throughout the holidays. It’s hysterical.
Thanksgiving is more than just spending time with our families. It’s yet another reminder of how much we need to be thankful for…a home over our heads, families that love us dearly and uniquely, our health, and the reminder that God intends for this much joy to be felt constantly in our lives. He desires for us to recognize all these opportunities he puts before us to praise him for his goodness and graciousness. It shouldn’t take a holiday to do that, and yet, I fail (too often) at not thanking my God enough for all He has done.
I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend with your family and friends. Be thankful. Laugh hard. Talk often. Enjoy this life we’ve been given. God bless!!!
Sorry It’s Been So Long…
Sorry it’s been so long since I last posted. It has been an insane time in the Weber household. Little did I know when I asked you all to pray how much I would need it. Here’s a brief recap of my week.
We signed a lease to move into a new apartment on Pelham Road last Tuesday. My husband, Hal, moved several things over so that it would cut down on the rest of our time in moving things on Thursday. He requested that an exterminator come out by Wednesday because there was a bug “problem”. Boy was that an understatement! So, Hal and I take off work Wednesday to start moving some things. It was my first time seeing the apartment. I literally cried right there in the living room. There were hundreds of those little flying roaches everywhere! Out of desperation we went to the store, bought foggers, and set them off on Wednesday afternoon. On to Thursday. We rented a Penske 16-footer, and the guys from the office came over to help move stuff (aren’t they sweet?!). Before they got there, I headed over to the new apartment about 8 am to vaccuum the, what I hoped to be, dead bugs. Sure enough I walked in the front door and saw hundreds of dead bugs on the ground, what I also noticed were the 50 or so other bugs that had replaced the dead ones! EWWWW!!!!!!! At that point I called the new apartment’s office to demand a new apartment. I then went and picked up Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuits for all the guys since we were now simply….waiting. After not hearing from the office all day, we finally went up there and talked to them. The only other apartment they had open was in the same building….needless to say I chose NOT to stay in a bug-infested building. So by 4:30 on Thursday afternoon Hal and I were packing everything back into the truck and trying to get outta there quickly! Let’s just say that the Lord kept us from saying things we wanted to say and do and really united us that day. We called in reinforcements (our parents ) to help us unpack the truck back at our old apartment. Here we are now “technically” homeless. We truly believe the Lord’s hand has been on this entire situation because on Friday morning we went to our current apartment’s office and basically begged for an apartment. We ended up having to downgrade to a one bedroom, but it’s clean and even better…NO BUGS! So, Saturday morning we started moving stuff from our old apartment to the new. Stopped working around 12:00, and then headed to the disappointing Clemson game. But at least we got to yell out our frustration from the week, got to have some fun tailgating with friends, and just enjoyed our time away from reality. Got back by 1:00 and went straight to bed. We’ve spent the last few days trying to get stuff moved…it seems to be taking forever. And here we are, a week later and I am EXHAUSTED!!! So, does this adequately excuse my absence? I hope so!
Thank you to Rich, Dustin, and Brian who woke up early to help us move! You guys are awesome! To Chuck & Glenda (Hal’s parents) and David & Cheryl (my parents) for bringing food and helping us unpack…ya’ll are amazing! Special thanks to Huntington Downs for taking us in! Ha-ha!
So, I hope to be back to consistently blogging tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers over the last week. Hal and I have felt them and are truly humbled and appreciativ
May I Ask For Prayer?
May I ask you to pray for me and Hal this week? As we’ve evaluated our current situation, we’ve come to a kind of crossroads. Is me working this extra job worth it? I work long hours, come home tired, with aching legs and feet, and feel as though I spend more time away from home than with my family. Am I willing to give up more time with my family? Do I really believe that the Lord will provide for us? Or is this my way of, in my humanness, to be in control over my life?
So, by the end of this week Hal and I have to make a decision. We will have to decide if I am going to continue working at Garden Ridge. In the physical world, working this job makes sense. It means that when Hal starts student teaching in the spring (and not being paid), we will have some excess money built up to hopefully get us through those 3 months. In the spiritual realm, I think we’re giving up more than we’re gaining.
I will ask that you pray for us. That you ask the Lord to grant us wisdom and clarity and a willingness to walk through whatever He asks of us in obedience…despite our own fears and worries. I ask that you would speak words of encouragement and affirmation over us. We appreciate all of you so much, and your prayers are so special to us. Thank you, in advance.
In the next few blogs to come, you can expect some happier moments revealed.
Overloaded and Overflowing
I want to first say thank you to all of you who have emailed or commented to let me know that you’re praying for me. What a tremendous blessing that has been to my heart. Thank you for your encouragement and support and accountability. The Lord has filled my cup to overflowing, and all of you have been part of that process.
As I’ve spent the last few days praying over my physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and family health, the Lord has been reminding me daily of his provision and protection. He sends my thoughts spiraling back to moments in my past where He has stepped in to “save the day” so-to-speak. He has reminded me that He has indeed entrusted me with my current situation:my family life, my work lives, my ministry. And although I, in my humanness, want to complain about overload…He has already gone before and ordained these moments in my life. He knew the reasons for all the jobs, and therefore has already planned for my provision and help for the next few months. I LOVE THAT! I love that I am the servant to a master who just wants to love me and see my needs met. And even longs to bless me abundantly along the way.
The Lord has been reminding me of a book I read several months back called Overcoming Overload: 7 Ways to Find Rest in your Chaotic World. At the end of the book it implies that we must come to a place where we allow ourselves to die to these expectations of “having it all”, “doing it all”, and “deserving it all”. These attitudes can destroy your joy, they can destroy your peace, and can make you become discontent with God over His provision. By choosing to die to the noise of the surrounding world, we begin to build a sanctuary within our lives so that we can actively hear the word of God being spoken into us. And with those words comes refreshing, and peace, and comfort, and joy. In that sanctuary we essentially die to the opinions of other people that would attempt to tell us what we need to be happy or whatnot and we begin to live the life that the Lord has called us to. That even amidst the craziness and chaos of our lives that we would find a place of rest. He has created a haven for us to step into at any time, and we must choose to walk into that “Sabbath” rest. We, in essence, learn to die to ourselves and begin embracing the life our Sovereign God has designed for us.
Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
On A Mission
I’m officially on a mission. What is this mission in which I find myself? It involves stretching myself in ways I have not yet experienced. It involves placing a higher trust in the Lord’s provision, and more love to overflow through my life and onto those around me despite whatever circumstances I face. It means giving up my pity-party and moving forward. I’m in the middle of a balancing act and I’m simply praying that I won’t fall. But if I do, I am trusting my Abba Father to pick me u,p, dust me off, and set me on my way again.
Without going into major specifics, I am claiming VICTORY over my life and my family’s life. I am making a declaration that I will stand firm, in joy, and embrace these moments the Lord has given me…even if I don’t like them. For example, instead of complaining about the fact that I work full time at CRCC, and work part time at Garden Ridge, and Hal works full time at Home Depot, and part time at CRCC and goes to school for his Masters, or that in the midst of all this we are having to move, I will rejoice that the Lord has given us the outlets necessary to stay on top of our bills, to pay our student loans, and to be able stretch the paychecks out. Instead of complaining that Hal and I get to spend very little time together, I will give thanks for the moments the Lord has given us and will embrace that time in anticipation for good conversation and good quality time together. Instead of worrying over every little (and not so little) thing that’s happening in my life, I will surrender it to the Lord who is in control of all things. And more importantly, instead of leaning on myself to handle everything, I will cry out to the Lord to be all that I need. I will live a life of authenticity!!! I want to choose to be transparent before the Lord. I desire to live a life of integrity.Have you noticed that all these things imply a choice that must be made???? I found that pretty fascinating as I’ve poured through these thoughts the last few days.
Might I suggest that you READ THIS BOOK! It has definitely given some thought-provoking insights into the very things I’ve talked about in this post. Definitely a great read!
So, today I am making a covenant before all of you, my blog readers, to help keep me accountable to my choices outlined above. I ask that you pray for me. I ask that you pray for my physical body, that I will be able to stay healthy and find rest despite the long hours I work each week. I ask that you pray for my mind, that I would cut off all lies of the Enemy and would keep my mind focused on the Lord, and that I would be mentally sharp. I ask you to pray for my emotions, when I am tired or stressed I often react with tears and worry and fears and doubts creep in. Pray that I will utilize each moment I am in to radiate the love and honor of the Lord in my life, that I would represent Him in all that I do. I ask that you pray for me spiritually, that I would not allow excuses to creep in to avoid time with the Lord in prayer, in study of His word, or simply listening to Him. I ask that you pray that the Lord would guard my family life, and my home. “Guard my life and rescue me, O Lord. Let me not be put to shame for I take refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in You” Psalm 25:20-21.
Hydromissions
Our church is really stepping up its game when it comes to serving our local communities. When we launched our new vision of ENCOUNTER.CONNECT.SERVE, we knew that service is an incredible part of being “the church”. As such we’ve started taking on some amazing local ministries, and one of them is Hydromissions.
The staff
The church staff: Steve, Rich, Brian, Dustin, Teresa, Cathy, and myself (David was unable to come) took Wednesday afternoon to serve this ministry. Hydromissions makes and sells soap and uses all those profits to go toward 4 things: putting in water purification systems in some of the poorest countries in our world, teaching the people in those countries how to make soap to provide them with a source of income, encourages daily hygiene, and by far the best reason is that Hydromissions use these bars of soap as an evangelical tool to teach people that just as we need soap to remain clean, we need the Holy Spirit to make our mind and heart clean.
I’m pretty sure this is the Oklahoma Oatmeal…SMELLS YUMMY!
So, back to my story. We spent the afternoon with some of us making the actual soap and some of the rest of us were packing the miniature bars of soap which will be sold at the Whole Foods here in Greenville. Let me tell you…it’s tougher than it looks. First you have to take this excelsior stuff (which is basically long wood shavings) and put them in this box. This is no small feat, it’s tough to work with. Then you have to align the 9 soaps just so in the box and in a particular order. Then you have to put the catalog and top on the bottom of the box in a certain way. Then comes putting it in the plastic bag, where it is then sealed and shrink-wrapped. It’s no wonder that Steve and Jennifer Lourch (the operators of the Hydromissions base in Simpsonville) need volunteers. It’s a ton of work with a huge payoff both physically and spiritually. It was so fun to do this project as a staff, and it’s amazing to know that we were able to be a part of the larger picture of not just serving our community in the name of Christ, but also spreading the Good News with others all over our nation and world. Incredible!
The gift boxes prior to shrink-wrapping.
If you want to volunteer some of your time to help, please give me a call at 864-228-9335 and we’ll put you in touch with the Lourch’s. If you can’t go, then please go to Whole Foods in Greenville (on Woodruff Road). You get 9 bars of amazing smelling soap for around $20. It would make an awesome Christmas gift, and it will have the added benefit of making the difference in lives all over our world.
Overwhelmed
That word describes my current frame of mind so well…overwhelmed. I am blown away by the grace and provision of my Abba Father. Many of you know that I recently had to take on another part-time job in order to make our ends meet. Between paying for Hal’s tuition for his Master’s, books, car problems, rent, student loans, and debt…we’re drowning. Living paycheck to paycheck as most young-marrieds do. It has been an absolute battle to trust the Lord to provide for our needs. And when I say battle, I mean battle. I mean there have been countless wars within my own mind and heart and even with my husband over things. We don’t overspend, we rarely get to go out to eat (once a month), we don’t go shopping except groceries…so that anger of having to struggle so much rears it’s ugly head pretty often. On the other hand, we are so thankful that we are able to pay our immediate bills with our paychecks. We may have absolutely nothing left over in the end, but at least we are making it. THANK YOU LORD.
So, it’s days like today that simply remind me of how much He longs to bless us and remind us that He really does want to see us trusting Him. It’s these days that remind me of how thankful I am that the Lord truly does meet our needs. Today, someone anonymously gave us $75. Now to some of you, this doesn’t sound like a lot. To Hal and I this is a goldmine! We are beyond thankful and overjoyed by the generosity and sacrifice this person has made. We are so thankful that this person chose to step out in obedience to bless us financially. I have no words to say that can accurately express how much this means to us. We are so humbled.
So, to whoever you are, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. We are so grateful!
