We will be held

In the wake of Kiley Marten's tragic death, I wanted to express how deeply sorry I am for those who knew and loved her. After attending her funeral yesterday there is no doubt in my mind that she was one special woman. Her fingerprints (as Pastor Tony so eloquently expressed) were left on many people, and I couldn't help but marvel at the legacy she left. She will be missed.

After the funeral I had to look inward at how I am living my life. If people attended my funeral would they really think I was a person who lived life to the fullest and was the best friend a person could have? Would they remember me as a prayer warrior who always took the time to ask "how are you" and really mean it? Would I have been the wife who really had fun with her husband, or the mom who took time to play ball with her son rather than fret over the cleanliness (or uncleanliness) of our home? I really don't know, but I do know that I can start to become the person God wants me to be (and created me to be) today. I do know that my attitude can change even if my circumstances don't. I do know that I serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. I do know that I can take time to call a friend, and laugh at the fact that it's 5:30 p.m. and I still haven't brushed my teeth that day b/c I've been chasing a 1 year old. I do know that my God understands everything even when I don't. I do know that my God reigns even in the darkest of times. I do know that I can leave the kind of legacy I was created to leave.

I want to share a song that many of you probably recognize by Natalie Grant called "Held". She wrote this after her friends son died of SIDS. Her friend and her husband had prayed for this child for 10 years, and then this tragic event happened. The words to the song are real but comforting. Even when we don't know why things happen....God is still in control.

Two months is too little. They let him go. They had no sudden healing. To think that providence would take a child from his mother while she prays is appalling. Who told us we’d be rescued? What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares? We’re asking why this happens to us who have died to live? It’s unfair.

(Chorus) This is what it means to be held. How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life and you survive. This is what it is to be loved. And to know that the promise was when everything fell we’d be held.

This hand is bitterness. We want to taste it, let the hatred numb our sorrow. The wise hands opens slowly to lillys of the valley and tomorrow.

If hope is born of suffering. If this is only the beginning. Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

(Chorus) This is what it means to be held. How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life and you survive. This is what it is to be loved. And to know that the promise was when everything fell we’d be held.

Let us remember and learn from the kind of life Kiley lived and not the circumstances in which she died. God loves all of us like there were only one of us. We have a specific calling on our lives, purposely ordained by God, so let's not miss it. Life will be hard, and tragedies will come, but let us not forget we will always be held.

I love you.
Robin

I'm Believing God....

For my quiet time, I'm going through a study titled "Believing God". The study captured my eye, because I thought "duh, who needs help believing God"? Well, I do my friend.....I was confusing believing in God with believing God. Can I get an amen from anyone out there? What a difference! How often I have read God's word believing that He is the God who told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, or met Moses on the top of the mountain to give him the 10 Commandents, or was with David while he fought Goliath but never put it together that He can and wants to do things as spectacular in my little ol' life if I'll just believe Him to do it by faith?

Sisters, for 2008, I challenge all of us to not only believe in God (that's the easy part), but actually believe God for what He wants to do in all our lives. We can change relationships in our families, workplaces, churches, and even people we see in Wal-Mart if we just start living by faith that God can do what He says He can do. What a revelation!

I want to leave you with one profound question that this study has posed: Do we see little because we believe little, or is it that we believe little so we see little?? I pray this year is full of us seeing and believing!!!! Our God is an awesome God so let's start living like we mean it!!!

I love you.
Robin

Merry Christmas to you....

"God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith;
the warmth of Christmas, which is love;
the radiance of Christmas, which is purity;
the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;
the belief in Christmas, which is truth;
the all of Christmas, which is Christ."

--Wilda English


CLC sisters,

I pray this season does not pass without all of us thanking God for sending his Son - the true meaning of Christmas. He is our everything - past, present and future - and he loves each of us so much.

Thank you for your prayers, and for being a part of the CLC body of Christ. The church body needs strong women of faith like yourselves. You are so precious!!!

Have a very blessed Christmas, and don't forget to do something for someone else. Giving is so much better than getting!!!

Love,
Robin

Urgent Prayer Request!!!

Sisters,
We need to all agree in prayer for the quick healing of Harper Zelinski, Tammy Zelinski's son. He accidentally poured boiling water on his face and has 2nd degree burns. He is now at Children's Hospital in Little Rock, and they don't think there will be scarring, but he is on a respirator due to the swelling in his face.
We need that sweet family to know God's peace, even in a very anxious time. We also need to pray for minimal pain for Parker, and complete recovery.

Thank you for being prayer warriors!!!
I love you.
Robin

Rest? What is that?

Rest. What a powerful and foreign word to most of us. What do you think of when you hear it? Maybe taking a nap, curling up with a good book and cup of tea, having a one hour break from taking care of an ailing loved one, shopping with your girlfriend, or even your little one sleeping through the night so you can, too. We all know we need to rest, but it seems like a very lofty, unattainable goal.

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I love how the Message translates it, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Sweet sisters, in order to obtain the perfect rest in this hectic thing we call life, we must reach for Jesus. He is waiting for us with outstretched arms saying, "My beloved, come and sit in my lap and just breathe." We must find our hope and rest in Jesus in order to be the very best friend, wife, sister, mother, daughter we can be. Jesus didn't say life would be easy, but he did say he came so that we might have it to the fullest. He wants us to "keep company with him to learn how to live lightly and freely." How wonderful is that???!!!!! Can you think of a better teacher than the risen Messiah?

Sisters, I pray that during this hectic holiday season we find quiet times in our schedules to just sit and listen to God (even if you have to lock yourself in your bathroom to do it!). You might be surprised at what He wants to say.

I love you all so much.
Robin

W

Welcome!!!!

Welcome to the W blog! I wish I had words to explain to you what a labor of love this is for me. I'm very technologically challenged, and this is putting me way out of my comfort zone. Praise God, I'm figuring it out, though!!!

As I'm writing this, my eyes are starting to water. I want you all to know how blessed I am to have this opportunity to serve you. It's been my dream to lead a women's group for a while, but to see it come to fruition this soon is truly a God thing. I want you to know I am praying for you everyday, and I look forward to getting to know each of you better.

Now, let me tell you how I see this blog working. I would like it to serve 2 purposes: 1) Communication from me to you. I want this to be a place you can visit to see upcoming events, bible verses, and what I'm thinking about for our group. 2) Communication from you all to the women of our church. I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to post your comments on what you are thinking about (i.e. prayer requests, answered prayers, ideas for groups, sharing of recipes, etc.).

Thank you for taking the time to read this. You are so precious to me, and more importantly, to God. Now, let's get into the 21st century together and start blogging!!!!

Hope in Him,
Robin