Yes, it’s that time again! Time for Valerie to fall prey to the ever present desire to feel sorry for herself!! “Haven’t you blogged about this before?” you ask? Yes! Yes, I have! But, obviously, I haven’t arrived, so here I go again!
I have been in the “depths of despair” as Anne Shirley once said, and I really hate it when that happens! Things have been so busy and tiring lately and I just keep holding out hope that the Lord will send us some added faithful folks to church, or a huge offering (hey, it could happen!) that when it doesn’t happen, I slip off my comfy plateau and into that bottomless abyss of self-pity. Forgive my transparency here, but why try to hide it? I’m sorry if this shocks or disappoints anyone, I think most of you already know how “full of faults” I am. If you didn’t, well, you do now.

But, you needn’t fear, for the Lord has lined me out…again!
When I need encouragement, He’s there. When I need correction, well, He’s there then too! Today, He helped me out. I didn’t deserve it. He should have scolded me through His Word, but He is so longsuffering. Instead, He encouraged me today.
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
I heard someone say that the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. That’s a perfect analogy! It’s like when you’re running a marathon (not that I’ve ever run one, but I have a good imagination!), and you are just ready to say “Forget it! The finish line is too far! I’ll never make it!!!!” But then, someone runs along ‘side you and gives you a cup of water, or Gatorade, and pats you on the back and says “Good job! You’re doing great! Almost there!” And then, you get a second wind and even speed up a little. That’s how it feels. We’re in Texas, and it’s a great place, but the Devil fights here just like anywhere else! The work is slow but steady, and sometimes, it feels like the finish line is just too far away…we’ll never make it. I’m reminded of Psalm 89:46 where David asks “How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever?” That’s how I feel sometimes. Like it will be forever!
When I feel this way, I have the Bible to help me. Have I told you how I love God’s Word? And I need to love it more.

Here are some ways it helps me:
It Counsels me – Proverbs
It Cheers me – Psalms, Philippians, Hebrews and many others.
It Corrects me – The Whole Thing!
It Comforts me – Psalms and much of the New Testament. Psalm 34:18 has been a particular comfort to me.

So, if you’re feeling that “What’s the use?” kind of feeling about your work for the Lord, like I do sometimes, then take heart! God sees, and He doesn’t forget your work and labor of love. His Word is there to come along ‘side you, pat you on the back and offer you that much needed drink of Gatorade and the encouragement that “You’re doing great. Just keep going…”

Luke 11:40-42
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

We’ve had great times of prayer at our church all week. The last session is tonight, and then revival begins Sunday. The devil has been fighting us tooth and toenail all week. Laci has an ear infection, and Leslie has some terrible fungus on her scalp. (She’ll be on medication for 6 weeks!!) I am going to be cooking for the Evangelist, and therefore I need my house to be clean for company! We’ll need around 12 outfits a day (2 for each of us) for the duration of the meeting. Oh, did I mention I homeschool? Today I need to clean my house, then go down and help the ladies clean the church. I am about to go make my Saturday visits, and I must prep for Super Church.
Already I feel overwhelmed and somewhat defeated…can I survive a revival? I feel worn out from “revival preparation”! If Satan can get me so “cumbered about much serving” as Martha was, then I will miss the “one thing that is needful”- the best part! I suppose you could say “I need what’s needful”. I don’t want to miss out on Revival! If no one else gets anything, I want to.
At every prayer meeting, the Lord helped me get a step closer to seeing a revival in my own heart. The first 2 nights, I couldn’t really even pray for others because God was bringing to light some things I needed to let go of in my own life! He was purifying me, I guess. And I always need that!
Please be in prayer for our church. Yes, we’d love to see souls saved, and folks added to the church. But not for our glory, for God’s!
Because of the “busy-ness” of the forthcoming week, I may not be able to post daily. I will definitely post blessings from the revival meeting when I can. Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for praying for my church! And please…pray for me!

In just a few days, we’ll be heading northeast, toward HOME! Soon we’ll be going to Arkansas for a short visit during the annual camp meeting at Victory Baptist Church. My hometown, Benton, is growing and changing everyday. It is about 20 minutes from Little Rock, and it is fast becoming a suburb of of Little Rock. But no matter how far away from Arkansas I move, when I cross the state line and see the glorious “Welcome to Arkansas The Natural State” sign – well part of me wants to jump out of the car and hug it or something! It makes me so glad to know I’m getting close to my hometown. And no matter how much Benton changes, when I get there, I just feel like I belong. It’s my town. I grew up there. I ate with friends at that Taco Bell! I went to that Wal-Mart too many times to count as a teen. I worked at Landers Auto Sales and at Malvern National Bank!!! I learned to drive on those streets. I visited the bus kids on the not-so-nice part of town. I belong there.
Today I read I Thessalonians 4:16-18
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
This is a very familiar passage. Lots of people can quote it. As I read it, I was reminded that I don’t really belong here. No, not Texas or Arkansas, but in this world. There’s a much better and more permanent home waiting for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love where I live, and you already know that I love Arkansas!!! But, I love Heaven even more.
I like the phrase “Home Sweet Home ” but maybe “Home Sweet Heaven” would be better, and truer. Maybe He’ll come back today and we’ll be “caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Now that makes me want to hug something!
Thank you, Lord, for making a way for me to go to Heaven to be with you
forever!

I remember the sweet spirit in our church. The song services seemed to fill our auditorium with an electricity that could be felt. Everyone singing out in unison, with smiles on their faces and a bounce in their step. I remember one particular night when I was about 14, standing there in our old orange-carpeted auditorium singing next to my Mom and Dad thinking “There isn’t one person in this church that I don’t love with all my heart.” I had no bitterness toward anyone, there was no one that I couldn’t get along with. They were, and are, some of the sweetest people in the world.
There was Mrs. Denise, a practical joker who worked at church with a sweet spirit at whatever was needed – nursery, kitchen, cleaning, teaching – it mattered little. She did whatever was needed without complaining. There was Mrs. Marie, my Mom’s soul winning partner, kindergarten Sun. School teacher, and junior choir director (boy, did she put up with a lot from us!). She too, would do anything that was needed. There was Mrs. Susie, and Bro. Jenceson, my bus captain and driver, respectively. Hard workers, and great attitudes. I could go on and on. Mrs. Cindy, and Audri, her daughter and my friend – faithful, willing, and happy to serve the Lord. My best friend growing up was Dixie. She and her family traveled with a tent evangelist years ago, so she wasn’t there too much. When she was there, she too had a great spirit about doing whatever the Lord wanted her to. We’ve been friends since we were about 11 or 12 years old. Not once did she try to get me to do wrong. Not once. I pray my daughters find friends that are just like she was to me – a godly influence. Most people at my home church were like the ones I listed above. There was a spirit of unity, love and sacrifice in my church.
I hadn’t been a member of my home church for about six years when my Dad went to Heaven, though I had visited quite a lot in those years. When I went home to Benton after losing Dad, and I walked through the doors of Victory Baptist Church, it was like running into the arms of the world’s largest family! Some 100 plus members who were grieving and hurting with me, who wanted to help me, pray for me…love me. What a blessing!
Since leaving that church and seeing other churches I see that what I experienced in my home church is rare. So many Baptist churches do not have that sweet spirit. I am blessed that the church we are in here in Texas has a great spirit. It is small, but everyone loves each other, and is willing to do whatever God wants them to do.
Today I read I Thessalonians 3:12 “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:” That’s how Victory Baptist was, and still is, and that’s how I pray our church here continues to be: everyone abounding in love for each other. The Bible says that “Hatred stirreth up srifes: but love covereth all sins.” Prov. 10:12 . I need love, we all do! Is Victory Baptist Church or Northside Baptist Church perfect? No way. But when we all love each other, we tend to look for the best. And if you look for the best, I guarantee, you’ll find it!