Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant!!

My precious mother in law, Marcella, got to meet her
 Lord and  Savior,
 her King,
 her ALL IN ALL today.
 There is a part of me that is jealous, but then I think of  how many lives she effected to come to know their Savior too, and it inspires me to LIVE this life out and do the same.

  She has lived an amazing life of  LOVE.

 She is standing before her precious Jesus and He is saying to her,

 "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Every talent He ever gave her, she used for Him.

  She has been a servant and faithful, and one of the biggest blessings in my life.
 This woman has taught me more about a life of faith, and love and servant-hood than any other person on this planet.
  She never preached at people, but she lived it and she spoke truth
ALWAYS.

She reflected her LORD. 

We will miss her terribly, but we are happy that she got to meet her sweet Jesus today.
  She left this earth with NO doubt in anyone's mind where she was going, or what she believed.

She lived her faith in Jesus
 EVERYDAY.

  She has lived her entire life waiting for this moment, 
living for this day,
 for meeting Jesus face to face. 

 She has always known what it is truly all about.
  She has had her priorities and her heart right. 

 It's not Jesus first and then family and then........

It's Jesus and Jesus ONLY. 

 Just Him!!! All Him!!!

 That is what her life has been about, and out of that has come some pretty amazing family and friends and talents and joy. 

 She got it right!
 And now she is standing before the Lord with the righteousness of Christ!!!!
A joint heir with Jesus.

 How amazing is that????

I will miss her as will so many.

  Willy Bill, the love of her life on this earth that has been with her

 FAITHFULLY

 for 47 years.

He has loved her well, and taken care of her with the utmost attention and love!!
  

This man has stepped up more than ANY man I have ever known.

 He is patient, and attentive, and faithful and loving, and I could go on for pages, but there is not enough room in bloggy land for all he has done.

  I'm so thankful for him and so proud of him.

These are her 3 kids.
  She loved them, and she taught them EVERYTHING that matters.

JESUS

She would have them memorize CHAPTERS of the Bible.
 They didn't like it much at the time...NOW, they are thankful and grounded in
 His Word!

 She taught them with her life AND with her instruction.

The thing that I would say summed up
 Marcella Grace Brewer
 is her acceptance of others.  
She loved the Lord so much, that she

 LOVED like HIM.  

She did not care who you were or where you were from, what color, what belief, what you looked like or lived like,

she LOVED!!!!!

 She loved like Jesus loves.

Uncomfortable Grace

Recently I was faced with a day that felt like the  "perfect storm", and I have to add...that storm started about 15 minutes after I purchased a ticket for Charlie to go to Uganda.

  Among a few warning winds, I came face to face with a situation that we are 7 years passed.  

7 years ago we had to walk through a situation in our lives that

 "rocked our boat"

 to say the very least. 

 And the hardest part for me to swallow, even all these 7 years later....is why....what?  We felt like we had prayed it through, we do NOT claim to have done everything perfectly, but we absolutely sought the Lord with all we knew how.  

We felt like what we embarked on was exactly what the Lord had for us, and it made so much sense and it went through and every step of the process, was a step a faith, but confirming that we were where the Lord placed us, He confirmed in so many ways.

And shortly after we were in the situation, it was 

 train wreck. 

 An absolute train wreck. 

 I have made peace with it all, but have often asked...

"WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?"

I saw this video last week, even before the day of the

 "perfect storm"

and all I can think is:

UNCOMFORTABLE GRACE.

That is the answer to the question I have asked over and over.

You have to watch this 6 minute video to understand what I'm talking about. 

 Warning:  This video is NOT the prosperity Gospel...it does not claim that life will be roses and smiles if you follow the Lord...it tells the TRUTH of the GOSPEL.

  The real GOOD NEWS!!!

And it is such GOOD NEWS and such wild GRACE!!!!

A Piece of Heaven

I have a couple of confessions:  
We are church junkies
 and
 we crave Uganda like it's a piece of heaven.

Why?  This is what I have been asking the Lord.

"God's Spirit lives in us when we know Him,

 sooooo,

 why not stay home or at least in the same country?"

I have been wondering....what in the world is our problem.  :) 
(please don't answer that..bloggy people)

 Church is wonderful and it's good to go,
 but why do we want to be there every time the doors are open?

  It's not out of guilt or duty....
it's a desire, a draw, a joy.  

I have been in great churches my whole life, I enjoy it I learn from it, I love the people.

You  would think that after 42 years of
 "church going"
 I would be used to it, and make time for it, but not plan the week around it...right?

  WRONG.

It's an addiction. 

 I'm addicted to Jesus!  

I'm addicted to His presence.  
The more I experience Him, the more I want. The
 GOOD NEWS

is, there is plenty MORE where that came from.  

He is the living water.  I can drink it up as fast and as much as I can....and there's always MORE. 

James 4:8

English Standard Version (ESV)

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

When you have felt the sweet presence of Jesus, you want more. 

 When you get to know Him, who He really is, not just a God to say you know or a God to throw a prayer up to when you are in need of something you want, but
 Him, His presence, His power,
you can't get enough...you just want more.  

The thing that makes it extra sweet, for us, is we get to attend church with people who have been some of our dearest friends for years and years, and also some new friends.
 We have loved these old friends, but not necessarily worshiped together....and  we sit and listen, and sing and pray and praise

 TOGETHER. 

 I'm telling you...that is what heaven is going to be like.

It is a piece of heaven on earth!  

Here's a side effect of a Jesus addiction:  We can spend time with Him alone, and get to know Him, so that when we go to church we recognize Him and His Spirit and we can enjoy it with many friends.

  He wants us to experience MORE of Him...He wants us to enjoy being together and lifting His name up together.  He can minister to us when we are alone in our houses and out doing our thing...but when he is present with us in a group and we see the love of Jesus in our friends, it multiplies in crazy  ways.

Matthew 5:14-16

English Standard Version (ESV)

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

It hit me this morning that the "city set on a hill"  is a picture of many 

"lights"

 coming together....

CHURCH!!!

As far as our Uganda thing....well, there are a couple of draws...besides the obvious one that one of our children is Ugandan and we will forever love and be connected to that country.  Also,Uganda is crazy populated and there is more

 visible

 evil and darkness there, but there is also this undeniable

 Spirit

 in the people that know Him. 

 These people live in difficult circumstances, like we have never  known, and when they learn about Jesus, when they trust in Him....they are

 changed and amazed

 and they live for HIM whole heatedly.  

They aren't just a "light"...they are
 BRIGHT LIGHTS.

They cling to Him like they have nothing else to live for.

That's all they have and that's truly ALL  any of us have, but it is easier to  fool ourselves, when we have so much.

 So in the crazy populated, third world darkness...there is a quiet and a slowing down and a 

 LIGHT

 that we can see that is BRIGHT and draws us closer to Him, reminds us of how big He is and how small we are.  God has blessed us with friends that we get to see when we go there, and a connection that only comes from fellow

JESUS ADDICTS.

Following Him to Uganda :)

We have been praying for a while about this....now it's your turn to pray......  :)

Charlie and ???????? 
(men only trip)...hopefully 6-8 guys
  are going to Uganda. 

 Dec. 27- Jan 12.  

 We listened to a pretty awesome sermon by our

 "Priester Jordan"

 (Reece's new name for our pastor)

 this weekend and it was about
 "following God".
We get it backwards so many times and ask God to
 "follow us". 

We have been seeking the Lord and asking Him to lead us and guide us and let us know when and what and who to go to Uganda again.

We have had Uganda on our hearts since the last time we were there, and it is time to 

GO 

again!!!

Yippee!!!!

  

We feel the Lord leading  *CHARLIE* to go and he is going to

"Follow Him"
and hopefully lead a men's team,
 and trust Him for the rest of the details.

Part of the message was how we use or misuse our "filters"

Our family's typical default setting "filter" is so often
the "time and money" filter.

I think this is probably a pretty common filter.

  If He is leading us to go He will always work out the details.
 He is always our provider
 and He is in charge of the sun and the moon and the stars and the calendar, so I'm pretty sure He knows our schedule, and can handle that too.

  Following Him is running all things through the "God filter".....His Word...seeking Him....asking Him.....listening to Him, and following Him.

Above is Simon getting baptized by Charlie on our last trip to Uganda.

We dearly dearly love this kid.
 He trusted in  Jesus as His Savior on Charlie's first trip to Uganda.  The team that Charlie and Lashae were a part of did a Vacation Bible School in the area that Simon and his brother live.
3 years later Charlie had the privilege of baptizing him and now I see posts on Facebook about him and his brother Patrick putting on youth events to spread
 The Gospel!!!

This is Simon the first time Charlie ever met him in 2010.

 Him and his brother, Patrick, are 

"our Ugandan sons".

 We love them and support them and pray for them. 

 Simon called the other night because it was his open house at school and his mom could not come because his brother was in the hospital...so he called Charlie, to visit with him. 

 It just doesn't get any sweeter than that guys...to get a phone call from our son in Uganda in the middle of the night and hear......

"Hey Dad....just thought I'd call to say hi."

 It is time for Charlie to GO and visit many friends, and some we call 

our kids. 

  He is ready to

 build,

 farm, 
visit some sweet orphans at Redeemer House,

and just encourage and love on some of our favorite people on earth.

Whatever God has in store, he is ready to 

"follow Him"!!!!

Is He nudging you to GO too? 

John 12:24-26

English Standard Version (ESV)

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Lashae surrounded by love!

Matthew 28:19

English Standard Version (ESV)

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Charlie leading the kids in the song, "The Lord's Army".

FREEDOM

For those of you who don't know....I played basketball in high school.
 I totally loved it and I totally sucked at it.  

My whole goal was to not do anything "wrong".  I didn't want the referee to blow his big loud whistle at me.  I didn't want to disappoint my coach or my team.  

Here's the thing...when your whole goal is to NOT mess up...you don't do
ANYTHING WORTH A DARN.
 You have to make a move and to DO something to make a difference in the game.

Then, when I would finally make a move...like go in for a lay-up (something real amazing like that :)  )...I wouldn't celebrate and enjoy it at all, I just ran away praying to God I did not just score for the wrong team.

I loved playing and I hated sitting on the bench, but once I got out there I just didn't want to be noticed...by the players or the coach or the refs.
 That's no way to play and have fun or be any kind of  effective player, to the team, or the coach or anybody.

I keep hearing the word FREEDOM in my time with the Lord.  I feel like I have lived my walk with the Lord much the same as I played basketball many times.  I walk it out in fear of doing something wrong, or  worried about disappointing my Lord, or my friends or my family.

 This is WRONG WRONG WRONG. 

He already made me part of His team, He already put me in the game.  He is cheering for me to live this out with joy and passion and
GOING ALL OUT FOR HIM.
  He can not be disappointed by me, He LOVES me no matter how I DO.
 (and you too...for those of you who don't know it yet)

 He just wants me to experience, MORE!

MORE OF HIM, MORE OF HIS BLESSING, MORE OF  HIS POWER,
 and in order to do that....I have to live like
 HE'S a LOVING FATHER, not a big mad coach.
  I'm His kid and I can either live like I'm living for MY FATHER, THE King of Kings,
or I can live like a scaredy cat.  

I have made a couple of exciting, but risky plays before and all I get is lavish LOVE and encouragement and blessing from Him.  He has never blown His whistle and pulled me out of the game, even when I screw up.

I want to live in the freedom and the joy that He has given me.  I want to act like His kid...like my Heavenly Father has my back at all times.  I don't want to live like He's gonna blow His whistle and yell at me, but like He has given me
 "THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT"
*yes HE did already*

 and like there is a
 "CLOUD OF WITNESSES CHEERING FOR ME"
*yes there is already* .

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

English Standard Version (ESV)

17 Now the Lord[a] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,[b] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Hebrews 12:1-2

English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.