YOUR Word is Alive!

"For the Word of GOD is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

Dear Friends,
Last Monday, my daughter along with several other children and young people from our church, and the surrounding area, competed at Lindsay Lane Baptist Church in the District Bible Drill. We are so thankful for the Reville family, the Cobbs, and others who have been working with our young people since January to help them hide GOD's Word in their hearts, and prepare them for the past couple of weeks of competition. Usually before an event like this, i would ideally love to have a little "down" time, but this day, it didn't happen. Hannah Beth had committed to delivering some posters for an event coming up soon, and needed some help. Monday afternoon was her only time to do it this week, so it had to be done...so we both missed our "down" time, and i was sleepy:).
Before Hannah Beth's group came out to quote their Scripture verses, and look up the different passages in 8 seconds or less, there was a Children's drill competing. As I sat there with my head against the wall, I got really sleepy and i didn't just nod off, i must have gone into a really deep sleep. I awoke with a start- my husband had gently ( i think, honestly i don't remember) punched me to wake me up...he said i was moaning. I saw him looking at me, and my Mother-in-law was leaned around him with a big smile on her face looking at me, and my friend, Marcia Christian sitting beside me was bouncing up and down in her seat laughing...i could feel her chair moving, i was too embarrassed to look at her. Thankfully, no one else seemed to have heard the moan, at least no one was turned around looking at me, so after we all had a good laugh, quietly, we resumed listening to the children doing their Bible Drills. I didn't get sleepy anymore after my "nap." In fact, I made it through Hannah Beth's Drill without any further incidence. I am so thankful for her and all the other children and youth that GOD has given them the ability to focus and concentrate and recall HIS WORD that they so diligently have been hiding in their hearts these past several months. Later after the Drill, we had a wonderful time at the Calvert's home where they so graciously hosted a "cookout" for the Bible Drillers and their families. Alan, the barbeque you cooked was wonderful and so was all the rest of the food that everyone brought! Thank ya'll, Alan, Tracy and the whole Calvert family for your wonderful hospitality!
As i was looking back on that embarrassing incident, it was really funny, embarrassing, but funny. I'm just glad it wasn't worse than it was...it could have been. But, i started thinking about this season of our lives in our family, and how "busy" life has become. I remember when the kids were little and we were doing the Ezzo's (www.gfi.org) parenting tapes, they talked about this season of life when your kids are teenagers. They explained how we become the "coaches" as we watch them live out what we've been trying to train them to become all these years. It's true, seems like me and Johnny do a lot of "watching" these days, watching our kids participate in life. I thought about how easy it is just because they are older and able to do so much more, to become "sleepy" and perhaps not be as diligent as we once were to "hide GOD's Word in their hearts" or ours, and fall asleep, and let other less important things crowd out the most important-spending time in GOD's WORD.
When the kids were little, we began teaching them GOD's Word from the very beginning, and i am so thankful for all the encouragement we have had along the way to raise our children in CHRIST, and teach them HIS WORD. We have had so many friends who have been tremendous examples to us as you have raised your families in the LORD and we watched you and wanted our family to be like yours. I remember John Mac learning the 23 Psalm when he was two years old, and laying down with him at night listening to him quote it before he went to sleep. I believe we got that idea from "Creative Family Times" book that the Ezzo's recommended in their Growing Kid's God's Way classes. You can still order those off the web and i highly recommend them for ideas in training your children to focus and concentrate, and hide GOD's Word in their heart. Something i remember the Ezzo's sharing those many years ago, was that training a child to be disciplined, to sit still, and learn to focus, will help them learn and do better in school. Since we homeschooled, it was a matter of survival for me that we trained them to focus, and part of that was training them to start their day spending time in the WORD with JESUS by themselves..."In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD." John 1:1. Since they have been old enough to learn to sit still, we have taught them to look at books about JESUS, and read to them the Bible. Then when they got old enough to read on their own, we trained them to have their own quiet time in the WORD before they started the day. I want to share that what the Ezzo's taught us so many years ago has borne itself out in our lives time and time again...recently our son was honored as one of the top 10 students this year at the junior college he has attended the past two years. We are so thankful to the LORD JESUS CHRIST and give HIM all the glory for this honor. We know that it is HIS work in the life of our son, and HIS favor, that has brought about this honor. As my homeschool coordinator, Kathy, shared with me over lunch yesterday, we parents have so many gaps that GOD fills in when it comes to our kids, and when you homeschool them, you are conscious of that even more. I know that HE has used HIS WORD and HIS grace to fill those huge gaps in our family...it doesn't take long to be around me to realize that i am "fruity," "flaky," and have a whole bunch of glaring weaknesses...I have plenty of room for CHRIST's power to rest on me...and i'll take all of HIS power i can get:)! I am so thankful that HIS "grace is sufficient and HIS power is made perfect in my weakness." II Corinthians 12:9
I remember at Elkmont Baptist, where we were going to church when the kids were little, Joe Kress led a Bible Scripture memory program there one year and the kids got prizes for memorizing different verses out of the Bible. The kids and i would make up little tunes to go with the verses, and work on them after breakfast each morning. My kids still can sing some of those little tunes we made up that go with those verses. When John Mac was in the second grade, the LORD led us to start Bible Drill at Elkmont Baptist, and what a blessing that was to work with the children at Elkmont, helping them to hide GOD's word in their hearts. To this day i have a special place in my heart for those kids who were in our Bible Drill there. When we later moved to First Baptist, Lauren Cox and Shelia Knox led the Bible Drillers, and Hannah Beth was old enough to began competing. She had been learning verses right along with her brother at home, but now it was time for her to be able compete with the team and she like her brother learned the verses with the other children and competed at the end of the year in the various drills. After six years, the LORD moved us to New Life Baptist, and the Reville's started Bible Drill there. They have had a team for 3 years and the program has grown leaps and bounds. What a blessing it has been to see so many of our children and young folks from church competing in these drills. Not just to win, but i know that does motivate them, but more importantly, that GOD has hidden HIS living WORD in their hearts, and the HOLY SPIRIT will use it throughout their lives to bear much fruit for HIS glory. Recently, a friend of mine, whose grown son competed in Bible Drill in his church as he was growing up, shared with me that the verses that he hid in his heart when he was younger kept him out of a lot of trouble as GOD continues to bring them to his mind in his adult years.
When the kid's were younger and both at home all day since we homeschooled, we had a much more leisurely time in the mornings and could spend more time in GOD's Word. These days, it's a quick breakfast, we read a quick devotion from John Macarthur's, Truth for Today, have prayer, and John Mac is out the door to go to school. Usually in the evenings, our family gathers before bed to read a longer devotion together from John MacArthur's Drawing Near. Our times in the Word together have definitely changed through the years, but i am so thankful that the habits the kids built when they were younger spending time in the Word before they get out of bed continues. I trust that in the midst of the many, many weaknesses, that my husband and i have as their very sinful and fallen parents, that GOD will continue to use that WORD, that is living and active in my children's hearts, to accomplish the plans and purposes HE has for them and to "bring forth the fruit YOU deserve." "As the rain and the snow come down from the heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is MY Word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11.


This morning, as i was reading Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, he talked about renewing our "dedication to GOD," after any deliverance from troubles and our joys bud forth anew,(and this has definitely happened to me in recent weeks), or in our prosperity. Spurgeon said, "If GOD has honored us, we should honor GOD." GOD has honored our family so very much, and i know that those years of investing in hiding GOD's Word in our children's hearts have borne fruit, are bearing fruit, and will continue to bear fruit for HIS honor and glory. But i also thought of how easy it is to "rest" or "go to sleep" on the past foundation, and not continue to work diligently to read, study, and hide GOD's Word in our hearts. I was challenged by this morning's reading to "Consecrate" myself anew to my commitment to the LORD JESUS first of all and my family to be diligent hiding GOD's Word in our hearts. "Choose you this day whom you will serve, as for me and my house we will serve the LORD," says Joshua 24:15. This verse we hung on our wall as newlyweds and it continues to hang in our kitchen. It's a verse that I desire to be living and active through our lives as our family grows older age wise and in the LORD...I don't want to "nod" off and "fall asleep" just because the kids are older...GOD has been so faithful to our family, and I praise HIM and exalt HIM and lift HIS name up..."Whoever offers praise glorifies ME; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of GOD." Psalm 50:23.

These past few weeks, the LORD has really ministered to me through the group "Casting Crowns", who won a Dove Award this week for Contemporary Christian"Group of the Year." One of the songs that has jumped out at me recently has been their song, "The WORD is Alive." As i am trusting GOD's Word to bring forth fruit in another situation in my life, my friend, whom i have been asking you to pray for, this song has really reminded me and encouraged me that HIS Word is Alive. I love these words..."

And as the rain falls from Heaven, feeds the earth before it returns-
LORD, let YOUR WORD fall on us and bring forth the fruit YOU deserve-
With eyes wide open, let us see-
The WORD is alive-HIS WORD is alive.

I remember when i got saved at 19 that all of the sudden, i didn't just read my Bible anymore so i could say i had done my Bible reading- i couldn't wait to read my Bible, and it was alive and speaking to my heart as it never had before. These past few weeks that i have shared with ya'll about my trials with a friend, GOD's WORD has been so living and precious to me, as HE has comforted me over and over through Scripture. I am so thankful for this time that i have been reminded that HIS WORD is living and active, and how it has ministered to my heart. I want to thank each of you who are praying for "my friend." I ask you to continue diligently praying for her salvation and that GOD will use HIS living WORD i have shared with her the past several months to convict her heart and draw her to HIM. I am amazed at how GOD is continuing to work in our relationship when i thought the relationship was over and i praise HIM, and i thank you so much for your prayers. HIS Word is living, active, and alive..."the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:19-20.
I don't want to get sleepy and forget that GOD's WORD is alive, and let other fading things crowd out GOD's WORD in our lives...LORD JESUS wake me up, and keep me in YOUR WORD. Renew that passion in me to continue to disciple my children in YOUR WORD that lasts forever and then others YOU entrust me with to teach them YOUR living and active WORD that lasts for all eternity..."Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."-The grass withers, the flower fades, but the WORD of GOD will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8.

With all HIS love,
mitzi

THE WORD IS ALIVE by Casting Crowns

Looking out from HIS throne, the FATHER of light and men-
Chose to make HIMself known and show us the way back to HIM-
Speaking wisdom and truth into the hearts of peasants and kings-
HE began to unveil the WORD that would change the course of all things-
With eyes wide open, all would see-

Chorus:
The WORD is alive-And it cuts like a sword through the darkness-
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid-
Breathing life into all who believe-
The WORD is alive-
And the Word and its glories will fade-
But HIS truth, it will not pass away-
It remains yesterday and forever the same-
The WORD is alive-

Simple strokes on a page- Eternity's secrets revealed, carried on from age to age-
It speaks Truth to us even still-
And as the rain falls from Heaven, feeds the earth before it returns-
LORD, let YOUR WORD fall on us and bring forth the fruit YOU deserve-
With eyes wide open, let us see-
The WORD is alive-HIS WORD is alive.


Prayer Request:
Many of you remember Br. Aaron Johnson our dear pastor and friend that was at First Baptist Athens during the time we were there. Br. Aaron, in his early forties at that time, had colon cancer while he was in Athens, and just recently was declared cancer free after 5 years. We received an email earlier this week that Br. Aaron had written that they are waiting for some test results that may indicate the cancer has returned. Please remember Br. Aaron and Denise, and Jordan as they continue this journey. What a great attitude Br. Aaron had as he shared his trust and faith in what HIS loving FATHER is doing in their lives. Thank you for your prayers for their family.



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