My Cup runneth over

In February 2018, my home church, in the Atlanta area (I now live in Fl) invited me to speak at the Women’s Prayer Breakfast. I was humbled by their request and of course a little nervous. I had led a creative ministry team for almost 15 years. The team name was PUSH, Power Using Serving Hands. For most of my time with PUSH, I rarely spoke at any of our performances, as it is something that does not come easily for me. But as always with God, he seeks to grow, mature and strengthens us to do what he calls us to do. So, I welcomed this opportunity to grow in faith!!

I would like to share with you what I shared with them. God is good and even since February God is continuing to overflow my cup. I hope to share more about that later, but for now here is what I shared at the prayer breakfast.

I have chosen Psalm 23 because it is a scripture that God has put on my heart over this past year, during my recent move to Florida. I believe in this one Psalm, God gives us so many promises. Promises that our Cups Runneth Over!

Song

I would like to open our time with a worship song. The reason I am choosing to do this, is because when I traveled to Nepal last March, they always opened their bible studies or prayer times with worship music. I loved this! What a fantastic way to remove any distractions and to prepare our hearts and allow God to speak to us. After the song I will open us with a prayer.

Today I have Chosen the Song Jesus by Chris Tomlin

https://youtu.be/cEbQswNB6Wc

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father

Thank you for this time together. We worship and praise you. There is power in your name, Jesus.

Thank you for Scripture and your Word. May we receive your words today with open hearts. May we be reminded of your goodness and your great love for us. We thank for our blessings and this time together.

Read Psalm 23

So as most of you know, my husband and I moved to FL a year ago in September. As new empty nesters, we were looking to try something new. He has a client in the Tampa area and would often travel there for work. I of course LOVE the beach!

The decision to move was a “God-thing”. Beforehand we were mulling over if we should move, if so where? Maybe Tampa. If we just packed up and moved to FL what would we do if we decided, we didn’t like living there? One day I noticed on social media, a family was looking to rent a home in our high school district. They were renting a home in the area, but the owner was not able to renew their lease. Their son was going to be a junior and was very involved in the high school. He played football, was a scholarship candidate. The family did not want to uproot him during this critical time. Now they were frantically trying to find a new place to rent and keep their son in the high school with minimal disruption. My husband and I decided to give them a call and talk to them. The family came over, we met and discussed a few key items. As I spoke with the wife, I really felt like God wanted us to rent them our house. My husband and I agreed to rent them our house. The family was overjoyed, and the wife commented how this was an answer to her prayers. Pretty cool that God used us to answer someone’s prayers! In a matter of weeks, I had to sort through 16 years of stuff in our home and move. I admit it was exciting and emotional all at the same time. For me, I love the way God always seems to give me a scripture or a verse that speaks to me and provides assurance of his guiding. At my church going away party from PUSH and our Children’s Ministry, one of my gifts was an anchor with Hebrews 6:19 inscribed. This scripture was perfect for my new adventures.

I proudly display this in my home and it has reminded me so often of how God is our anchor and that I can trust and depend on him.

This scripture was an anchor as we had difficulty finding a house to rent because we had two dogs, or when on our Move-in-Day our area was hit with a Hurricane, our street was closed due to flooding, and our movers were unable to deliver our furniture.

It was also an anchor for me as I tried to build a new life and routine.

As hectic as it was, God was faithful. We found a house that I know was a “God-thing” it is better than I could have imagined.

I have loved living at the beach, morning walks, amazing sunsets, quiet and peaceful. I had very few distractions in my new daily routine and my devotion time with God became longer. I found bible studies to participate in and a Church to attend. As I was settling in to my new home and new life, God kept putting the 23rd Psalm on my heart. He leads me besides quiet waters. He has guided and provided for us in our move and blessed us with a beautiful home. He led me to quiet waters.

Here is a picture of my backyard and another picture of sunset at the beach.

One day while attending my new church I was chatting with the youth director and mentioned how I had led a puppet and creative ministry team in Atlanta. Well God is amazing! because the youth director said to me, “I don’t think it is a coincidence you are here, because I am wanting to start a puppet ministry.” The youth director had spent time in Ireland on a puppet ministry team and he wants to start one at this church. Hallelujah, I think that is another “God-thing.” To date, we have not done anything, but I know “the when and how” is up to God.

As mentioned, I just felt God giving me this scripture, Psalm 23. We would have visitors and I would mention how I believe God intended for us to move here. I don’t really know His Plans but for now I know I am where he wants me to be. I seem to have a lot of conversations with God and I might be sitting on the deck saying Thank You God, it is so peaceful and beautiful here. I never really thought I needed rest, but I guess you thought I did. I must say I have never really been a napper, but it is so peaceful here I have occasionally taken a nap. I have experienced such a calm, restful peace that I have never known before. At times when thinking about this passage, I would question God and ask so God not sure how this scripture applies to me, I mean I get you led me to still waters, you have given me rest, but what about the green pastures. I really don’t see any green pastures and I don’t know what they mean for me. Well little did I know God had an answer……..

It was in Nepal!!

My time in Nepal was amazing! How did I go from Atlanta to Florida and then to Nepal? Well, again I have to say it was a “God-thing”. A few years ago, Nepal suffered a significant earthquake, there was loss of lives and destruction. I remember watching on the news and seeing the posts on social media. My heart really hurt for the tragic situation and I included the country on my prayer list. A few months passed and my youngest went off to college. I started trying to figure out what to do with my life and I started exploring jobs and new career paths. One day I saw a job post for a project manager with Habitat for Humanity International. They were seeking a manager for 3 months to organize the Jimmy Carter annual home build in Nepal. I thought, perfect, I could go for 3 months and be back home in time for when my daughters came home for Thanksgiving. I applied but did not get the job. I was disappointed but new it was up to God and if that door closed then it wasn’t for me. As it turns out, the whole project was canceled due to unrest in the country. As time went on, I continued to pray for Nepal. Now a year after applying for that job, Steve and I move to Florida. One of the things I love about living in FL are the outdoor markets. The very first market I went to, which is around the corner from my home, had a booth with jewelry and handmade items from a company Nepal! I talked with the Vendor and she is the mom of the company director in Nepal. I took their handouts and literature home with me. At some point, I looked at their website and read their story. This Christian organization employs women at risk for human trafficking.

Their website lists the bible verse Isaiah 61:3

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

Their story and this scripture spoke to me. This scripture was one that I had used when I was facing a challenging time previously in my life. As I read their website and looked at their products, I saw they needed volunteers. They needed volunteers for as short as one-month or even one-year internships. I was pretty sure my husband wasn’t going to be on board with a year, but maybe he would be ok with a month. He seemed to be ok with 3 months, when I applied for the job with Habitat International. Now, I must admit, when you are volunteering you are covering your own expenses, unlike the job I applied for, where they would have covered my expenses. I wasn’t sure how my husband would feel about spending money for me to go to Nepal to volunteer.

Of course, when I brought it up, his first question was, how much is this going to cost? I did some inquiry about expenses and found out Nepal itself is not expensive. I would need minimal funds to live for the month. My biggest expense would be the airfare. I prayed about Nepal and asked God if it is his will and I could be of service to him there, then I know he will provide the way.

Guess what? On our family ski trip to Colorado last winter, our flight from Colorado to Tampa was overbooked. The airline was taking volunteers to reroute to the Denver airport and fly on a later flight. They were offering Delta Dollars. I added our name to the list. The agent told me, they probably would not use us as we have 4 people traveling together and she doesn’t think they need 4 people. I returned to join my family. Within a few minutes I hear our name, party of 4, please see the gate agent. We hurry to the gate and they let us know, if we are willing, they will reroute us to Denver, book us on a flight from there to Tampa and pay us $1,000 Delta Dollars per person. Are we willing? Yes, absolutely we were willing.

Guess what? God just gave me Delta Dollars to cover my flight to Nepal! Thank you, God!

This was early January when we got our Delta Dollars and by March 1, I was in Nepal.

In Nepal

I worshiped and prayed with people from all over the world.

The women that work at the organization were joyful, kind and growing in their faith. In the office our days started with devotions, (I led two devotions while I was there), worship songs and prayer time. What a blessing to be there and experience the work of the Holy Spirit. My main duty was to work on inventory and quality control. Quality Control is important because they want to be sure the product they are producing is what the customer is told they will receive. Since I was working on setting standards in production at work. I shared in my devotion how "God is our Standard" and "His Word is our Standard in our Life."

As a group, the staff and I went to pray over a new training facility center that was opening in the area. The team opening the center wanted to consecrate the facility and have a prayer vigil before it opened. Putting the training facility and all who would enter there in to God’s Hands. We read scripture and sang songs. We meditate on the words of God. As we read and prayed. God kept reminding me of Psalm 23 and then I was oh yes, God, Psalm 23, here I am in the middle of Green Pastures.

WoW God you are always amazing!!

As we prayed, we were encouraged to share any thoughts or scripture that we felt God was putting on our hearts for the Team opening the facility. And as our women were sharing their thoughts and how they felt God would use the facility as a place of rest and comfort, and he would provide for those who come there; I realized God was reminding me of Psalm 23 not only for me but also for the team. I let them know God had placed this scripture on my heart for them too. So, we read the scripture together. I left the room shortly after that to take a break and as I was walking past a shelf, I found a Nepali person puppet. I just had to laugh and smile and say God you are just too funny.

I returned to our prayer room with the puppet and shared that God is leading me to say that the facility will also be a place of fun and immense joy.

Recently, on Pinterest I found the following copy of Psalm 23. It lists the versus, but it adds one word out to the side to remind us of God’s promises to us. I have been moved by the simplicity of this post and all the promises it encapsulates. When I was asked to share a devotional for the prayer breakfast and they mentioned how they love hearing about my travels,I figured this scripture is close to my heart I would love to share it with you.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, =Relationship

I lack nothing. =Supply 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, =Rest

he leads me beside quiet waters, =Refreshment

3 he restores my soul. =Healing

He guides me in paths of righteousness =Guidance

for his name’s sake. =Purpose

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, =Testing

I will fear no evil, =Protection for you are with me; =Faithfulness your rod and your staff, they comfort me. =Discipline

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. =Hope You anoint my head with oil; =Consecration my cup overflows. =Abundance 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, =Blessing and I will dwell in the house of the Lord =Security forever. =Eternity

As I read through this Psalm, I see how God used my move to Florida to deepen my relationship with him. Without having so many commitments and distractions, I was able to expand my devotion time and started to write. I lack nothing, He supplied my needs and blessed us with a beautiful home. He provided the plane ticket I needed to go to Nepal. As I made the long trip to Nepal by myself, God even provided people along the way to provide comfort. I love to share and recount the many ways God has blessed me and how My Cup Overflows. It is all God’s goodness and abundance.

As mentioned, I tend to have a lot of conversations with God. I returned from my trip to Nepal and Dubai, my husband decided to use his Delta Dollars and met me in Dubai to share a vacation after my time in Nepal, and once home I start settling back in to a routine. I would continue to thank God for my travels, I am so blessed with the opportunities you have given me. I have been blessed to travel to Israel, India, spent time in Nepal and even Dubai. These are amazing places and I am blessed and grateful. Is there anything that I can do to honor you with these travel experiences? How do they relate to one another? Now as I previously mentioned, In Florida God has given me rest…. Rest I didn’t know I needed, but in this rest time my devotion time grew longer and my prayer time deeper. After Nepal, I would look at my pictures and scriptures would come to mind. I started to write my thoughts and scriptures God gave me during my prayer and devotion time. I started to ask God are you wanting me to write? Hmmm I can’t see that I am a writer, but God I am open if that is what you want me to do. Several weeks passed and God just kept flooding me with ideas and scripture to go with pictures of my travels. So, then I started to think Blog, God do you want me to do a blog? So, the funny thing is…… at my new church in FL, I joined a women’s bible study before I went to Nepal.

We were studying the Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer. Great study and I highly recommend it. Well I missed almost half of the study when I went to Nepal and they allowed me to check out the videos to watch and finish the study on my own. I began watching the video and behold, Priscilla says…. So, if God is telling you to Start that Blog… then Start that Blog. I am in shock. If I had watched this video before I went to Nepal, her statement would have meant nothing to me. God timed it, so I would hear it after he already put it in my thoughts to start a blog. Next, I met a woman in my Zumba class I attend and it turns out she is in the bible study. She wanted to hear about my Nepal trip and so we met for lunch. I shared how I felt God was leading me to start a blog. I showed her some of my notes and she said absolutely! She felt God’s hand all over it. I know, she also was a “God-sent” to encourage me. I really hadn’t made any new friends yet and she was the first person I went to lunch with. And, she doesn’t live in FL full-time. She lives in Chicago but comes here a few times a year. She was there to confirm what God was leading me to do. Sooooo, I began learning to create a website, learning how to blog and post pictures. I am not sure if this is for a season, or another reason but for now, I am being obedient to God and giving him praise. I invite you to check out my Website/blog and my FB page Heart and Joy

Website: http://www.sbmjmm.wixsite.com/heartandjoy

Facebook: Heart and Joy

Enjoy a few more pictures from my trip to Nepal