His Timing, not ours

Okay, so I usually don't have time to have two posts in 1 week, especially lately, but I got the following email from my brother Stephen and I wanted to share. As many of you know Stephen was in a terrible accident about a year and a half ago. The Lord continues to use this experience to teach us of his incredible timing and providence.


Here's the e-mail:
Brad just introduced me to a long time friend of his, Dennis Cagwin.  He and Dennis were eating lunch today and got to talking about auto accidents.  Dennis began telling Brad about an accident he witnessed where he was one of the first on the scene.  As he started telling the story, Brad realized the accident was mine.  It turns out, Dennis is one of the two whose names is on the police report.  He was behind me and saw everything transpire.  He said I was in the far left inside lane going around the curve.  Traffic was slowing down in the left and middle lane so I moved across those two lanes to the right hand lane.  However, a semitruck had stalled.  He said I had only about 15 feet to stop before I hit the truck.  He was in the middle lane and came to a stop right beside me.  He said a man got into my car before he did.  Dennis called 911.  He asked the man in the car if I was alive so he could tell 911.  That man got out of my car and left, and Dennis went and got in my back seat and talked to me until the fire truck arrived.  He said he just told me it was going to be okay and tried to keep me awake.  He said the firetruck got there in like 2.5 minutes.  He said they had me on the way to the hospital in 25 minutes.  He said he was impressed with how well the firemen worked.  He said one time a sawzaw battery went out and another was right there with one to replace it.  He said my seat was upright, and the back of the truck was right in my chest.  He said my face was just flat and my teeth were pushed back.  He said the only way he could tell I was alive was when they put the oxygen mask on my face he saw it fog up and then go away.  He said he texted his wife when he saw that to tell her "He is alive".  His truck was trapped in the traffic and so he sat in his car and watched the firemen cut me out.  He said he asked the firemen how he could find out if I was alright, and they told him there was no way to do so.  He told me he was so glad that I am alive.  He gave me his business card and said he wanted to go to lunch some time.  Brad said Dennis is a big Jesus guy and told him I was too, so he wanted us to meet.  He said they have been friends for 15 years or so.


Brad is Stephen's boss at HICORP.  On Wednesday we will celebrate Stephen's 30th birthday. Tonight we had a surprise birthday party for my brother. This morning my mom and I picked up the cake from a family friend and we told her the story about Stephen's e-mail. Her eyes filled with tears. She said she was just happy to be able to make Stephen's birthday cake. It made all of a little teary eyed. It reminded me of how good God is. I've been talking about new beginnings a lot lately on here. God gave Stephen a new outlook on life after his accident. He enjoys sharing his story and living for God's plans in his life.  I'm so happy that I get to celebrate this birthday with my brother. 

Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears

Philippians 1:3-6 (The Message)

All Things New

As I mentioned in last week's blog I'm driving to Muskogee everyday for my psych rotations. As I've mentioned last week I've been using my mornings to pray and reflect. I've really enjoyed my morning time just me and God driving down the road. It prepares me for the day ahead and the challenges that I may face. Last week in choir I mentioned to the ladies during prayer time that the drive was really getting to me and I was getting worn out by driving to Muskogee everyday. They encouraged me to spend this time in prayer. While I had been using the first few minutes of my drive to pray I had yet to use the entire drive to pray and worship the Lord as I drove. I decided to take their advice. So for the last week I've been praying and worshiping the Lord. 

Again this morning I was watching the sunrise as I drove. It was beautiful this morning. This morning I was listening to Watermark's All Things New. If you've never heard this song, you should listen to it on youtube. In the chorus its says that "because of who You are and who I am in You, You make all things New." Again I was reminded that God is the one that makes everything new. This was so encouraging this morning. It has been a long week on the psych unit. We have had several patients that are really sick and I have worked hard. This was so encouraging to hear this morning that because God is who He is and that He loves us He makes things new. The Bible talks about how God makes us new. We have the promise of not only a new life in Christ on this earth, but new life in Christ when we die. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come The old has gone, the new is here! 

2nd Corinthians 5:17

So many times as Christians, especially as women we forget that we have been created new in Christ. We have new beginnings. As women sometimes, we tend to dwell on our "imperfections," the things in our lives that are unbecoming that we don't take pride in. While it is important to be repentant of our sins we tend to think less of ourselves. We hide who we truly are.  Ladies, you are beautiful on the inside and outside. God has a special plan for your life. He plans to use your flaws, imperfections, and things that you just don't like about yourself. He desires to take the the hurts and bruises from life and turn them into a beautiful masterpiece if we will only will trust Him with out. 

You see stout woman aren't afraid to be made into new beautiful masterpieces. They aren't afraid to be vulnerable before their Lord.  I think of the story of the woman at the well. This Samaritan woman is a perfect example of how Christ makes things new. Let me "sarahpharse" the story. Jesus and his disciples had been out ministering to others and sharing the Good News. They stopped in Samaria. To the Jews, Samaria was where "those people, those sinners" lived. The disciples went into town and Jesus waited at the well. This woman (one of those people) came to draw some water and Jesus asked for some. She knew that Jesus was a Jew and Jews didn't talk with her "kind." Long story short Jesus shared with her how he could change her life. That He and only He could take away her sins and make her new. I believe Jesus was also saying to this woman, "be My daughter, be the daughter of The King, let me make you new, let me take your imperfections, your "beauty flaws" and your hurts and make you into a beautiful masterpiece.  Now I know that not all of our stories are just like hers. But we just like are filled with our own hidden sins, flaws, and hurts and we just liked that woman need to answer Christ's call...to be the daughter of a King. 

For you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;    all the days ordained for me were written in your book    before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them,they would outnumber the grains of sands when I awake, I am still with you.

Psalms 139:13-18

Sunrises and Harvests

This month I'm traveling to Muskogee everyday for my psych rotation. I leave Tulsa about 630 in the morning. I get to watch the sunrise every morning. If you don't know this Oklahoma has some of the most beautiful sunrises. Everyday sunrise is different. I enjoy watching the sunrises every morning. It is a great way to start my day. It is a worshipful and relaxing time to watch the sunrise. It really prepares me for my day. Just as each day begins with a new sunrise, each day is new for us and comes with new opportunities. It reminds me that even if we made mistakes or go through trials the day before we have a new day to try again.

I'm reminded of Ruth. Ruth is my favorite woman in the bible. I know I've mentioned her before. Ruth had moved to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law after her husband died. Both Ruth and Naomi were in mourning over their husbands' death when the arrived. The last verse in the first chapter of Ruth says that they arrived just as the harvest was beginning. The harvest is a sign of new life and new beginnings, just like the sunrises I watch every morning.

We are given new life in Christ when we become Christians. We are given an everlasting life, free from sin and death like I talked about last week. God knows we aren't perfect and that even as Christians we are human and have sinful nature, so in his infinite mercy He gives us new beginnings when we make mistakes.

Sunrises also remind us that a new day is coming. As Christians we are not free from the trials of life. But we do have a heavenly Father that is with us every step of the way. It can be pretty dark in the mornings when I leave. The sunrises usually start with rays of sun coming through the clouds and breaking the darkness. This reminds me that sometimes in our trials we don't think we can see the end but God starts to show us His light at just the right time.

I would like to conclude my writing briefly about two "Stout" women who live their life looking for the sunrises and believing in new life, new beginnings, and new days. My friends Amy and Nancy from church have been great examples of faith to me over the last year. Last August Nancy's 3 year old son was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor. Over the past year Nancy has chosen to trust God for His mercy, she has chosen to praise the Lord and let others know that her son's life is in God's hands. She has inspired me to do the same. Amy has been a mentor and friend for years. Her son was diagnosed with Leukemia in May. She  has chosen to seek the Lords face and trust in Him for her son's care. I'm honored to call these ladies friends and mentors.

So this week look for the Sunrises in your life. Do you have new life in Christ? Do see the ways God gives you new beginnings? Do see the sun breaking through the clouds of your life?

So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning 

Ruth 1:22

Home of the Free because of the Brave Part 2: Freedom is not Free

As I was driving home yesterday from work, I drove through Porter, Oklahoma. It was refreshing to see the American flag flying from porches and in front yards. It reminded me of a time right after 9-11 you would pass through neighborhoods and see the flag flying. It was refreshing to see people be patriotic. Last Friday the American military suffered its greatest lost in the Afghan wars since it began in 2001. 30 members of the military were killed when there helicopter was shot down. These men were headed to help Army rangers in a fight against the Taliban. Across Oklahoma flags fly at half-staff to honor the men Oklahomans' have lost in Afghanistan. Last week we lost 4 Oklahoma soldiers from the 45th Infantry Division.  The events of the last week remind me that freedom is not free. Our freedom as Americans was brought with a price. We are able to say that we live in the land of the free because of the men and women that have fought for our country and because same gave the ultimate sacrifice. As Americans we should remember the 30 lost last week, but let us not forget to remember those who continue to give the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I challenge those that have a flag to fly it in honor of military this week and in memory of those who give the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe.

In the same way that our freedom as Americans is not free we must remember that we are offered freedom in Christ and this freedom is not free. This freedom from sin and death was bought with a price. It was bought with the blood of Christ on the cross. Throughout the old testament they had to offer blood sacrifices to cover the people's sins. With Christ's death on the cross we no longer have to offer blood sacrifices to cover our sins. Christ made the ultimate sacrifice on Calvary so that we could have ultimate freedom. This freedom that is better than the freedom we have as Americans. It is a freedom that can be universal to all who accept. Freedom to have eternal life through Christ.

"It is for Freedom that Christ set us Free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of Slavery" 

Galatians 5:1