Even the small things

Today, we introduce you to Kris Singleton. Kris is on the younger end of this "Titus 2" relationship....and keeps us on our toes! We have enjoyed seeing Kris's love for God and His Word grow. She is excited about Him and the changes He has made in her life. We love her, and know you will too.

Becky and Lisa


PS. We are very proud of her, too!!

Have you ever found yourself thinking something is too small or SILLY to pray about? I sure have, and recently the Lord really showed me how much he cares about every little detail of our life.

 

This year I decided to try something on my “bucket list”. A body building competition…CRAZY, I know…people really do those things?? I had always wanted to do one and realized I wasn’t getting any younger. I researched it, talked to friends who had done them and just got started, figuring things out along the way. I learned the steps I needed to take with the diet and workout and in what time frame, to look like a bodybuilder in six months. Whew, what a process it is. There was a “building” phase which consisted of eating lots of protein and lifting a ton of weights. Then a “shredding” phase which was hours of cardio and an INSANE diet, like tilapia and asparagus five times a day…for six weeks! 

Let’s just say, I went a little crazy, not a little crazy…A LOT CRAZY! I was driving myself crazy, much less everyone around me! Do you get the point….. I was CRAZY? 

I’m not sure about you, but when things get “crazy” in my life, I tend to get anxious and feel like I’m not in control. I usually start to worry and freak out about everything and in this case…cry! For example, when my diet was super strict there were many times that I busted out in tears looking at a plate of spaghetti my husband was eating and wanting to grab the fork out of his hand and inhale the entire plate! There was the time I tried to take a bite of my brother’s BBQ chicken and had a complete meltdown in front of my whole family because he said no!

Sometimes the Lord wants things to get out of control so we will turn to Him instead of trying to handle everything on our own. I realized that I had not prayed about the competition or process at all up until this point, but then thought it would be so small and silly to pray about compared to everything everyone else was going through. Really, was I going to pray “Lord, help me not to inhale the chocolate cake or cry when I see it?” 

I got so anxious at times that I wasn’t sure if I could even walk across the stage to compete even if I was ready. My anxiety was changing who I was as a person and I knew I couldn’t be a blessing or show God’s love when I was only focused on myself. My anxiety put me on my knees, and I decided that my prayers didn’t always have to be eloquent or big, but to come to Him humbly and knowing I needed Him. I prayed and gave it all to the Lord. "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7. WOW, was there a peace. It was fun, I found it not nearly as hard as it was doing it on my own, and it wasn’t controlling me. I was excited about the competition and only because of God, I wasn’t nervous at all on the big day!

Funny thing is, the same week I gave it all over to Him, my husband (who teaches our Sunday School class) had us all share a testimony of how God has been working in our lives recently. Of course he called on me first and I was totally caught off guard, so my friend told me to share about what I have learned through the body building process. Immediately “giving it ALL to God…big and small” came to my mind and I shared the story. After class, someone came up to me and said how much they needed to hear that. I was then reminded that everything we do is to glorify Him and minister to others, even when we can’t put it all together. 

I am grateful that now when people ask what I learned from this whole body building experience, that it isn’t a specific diet or workout plan, but that I learned to give EVERYTHING to the Lord...big and small.

I am definitely not perfect at this, and probably never will be, but I encourage you to give it all to Him! Pray about it FIRST, don’t wait until everything gets CRAZY like I did. It’s a basic principle you most likely already live by, but I am so grateful He reminds us of these things even in the smallest situations.

Too busy not to do Bible study!

Today, you will meet Ashley Tsiukes. She is a lover of God's Word, with a passion for teaching it to others. As you will read, she has a VERY busy life. We usually edit posts to be a little shorter, but have not done too much editing here. You really need to read everything Ashley has to say, I know that I did. Many of you know Ashley from her service in the kitchen on Tuesday evenings. You will recognize her from the picture, as the one that served you drinks or dessert almost every week. She has a servant's heart, which is a highly valued trait in our Ladies Ministry.

Lisa

I, with my children, am learning this "semester" about this universe God has created.   I am struck again at how very much He loves us. He created this finely tuned planet in the middle of a vast and still very mysteries universe just for LIFE! He is the Resurrection and the Life.  He made humankind as His prized creation.  The Earth is so wondrous, so full of order, and precise calculations designed in such a way that miniscule changes would make it non-existent.  Scientist, non-believers, as they discover these truths are finding it hard to deny a Creator. Nothing is made with order without a creator to create the order. 

Becky mistakenly picked up the Beloved Disciple for me instead of Paul, To Live as Christ, but God had a plan as I suspected He would.  He hid treasures for me in the middle of this study, things concerning the universe.   Psalms 8: 3-4, When I consider Your heavens the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars, which You have set in place. What is man that you would think of him?    Why would God go through so much effort to consider man?  God loves us, he has created an entire planet, to sustain life for mankind.  He furnished this beautiful creation to bring glory TO His name and to bring us joy. There are no mistakes when you trust God.  I have been so blessed by Becky's mis-choosing for me. 

I am 35. I am married to the love of my life, whom I met just before I turned 16.  We dated seven years,( so I could grow up, I know you moms were very afraid), then were married.  Two years later God gave me the first of unspeakable joys.  I now have four precious babies, although they span a range of ten years: Mikayla age 10, Gavin age 8, Seanna age 5, and our little Truett who has just reached 15 months.  We have more in our household: four turtles, which my children harvested in May as they made their trek from the woods to the pond,  three dogs (two of which are puppies) Slippers, Winslow, and Dixie, a cat named Dash, a bird named Music, a potbelly pig named Patches, and at last a hermit crab.  So that is in itself a handful , but there's more.  I have an a job somewhere else as well , as an Aesthetician in Charlotte, 2 1/2 days a week.  I homeschool my children too, with a very intense co-op on Mondays that has assignments to be completed before we return the following week. Then of course my Bible study on Tuesdays.

God gives me "manna" from heaven to meet my many obligations. God is I AM, when I am weak. 

I have the privilege of making sure my homework is done each week in time to meet with a few friends on Tuesday evenings at Lee Park. We are able to discuss our answers and give our perspective and insights. Our Bible study is sweet.  I so enjoy my small class because we get the opportunity to share a story or relay something God has spoken into our lives. I love that Christine rushes in trying to get to us ASAP after a rushed day of work, homework in hand, and ready to answer the very question we are discussing nearly before she has sat down.  She always is such a positive energy in the room, filling it up with enthusiasm.  I love how Lorraine has the face of heaven with a smile that always beams, offering a welcome of home and kindness and a love that is hard to miss. She brings such wisdom and depth to our study.   Hannah and Katie I only met once, but I am so thankful to know that these young girls are already pursuing God.  Lindsey is faithful, dedicated, going deeper into Gods word searching out more truth, a doctor like Luke of the Gospel, being careful not to miss small details. She appreciates the challenge of a study, and Beth, as we know, is happy to give it.  Jordan is youthful, excited to pursue God, honest, and yet so insightful. She is alive with anticipation.  She has a clear goal of not TRYING to be anything, but allowing God to use her just the way He has planned, being mindful of not conforming to man's expectations.  Each of these women are a blessing to me.  God has so much to teach me through all people. I love to find God in people, to see what God created in them and gifted them with.

Indeed life is full. God gives richly, and He is my constant help. Even typing out this blog has taken much effort.  Several days, because of time and an old computer that completely erased my first attempt, which might I add was one line from finished. Of course there was the issue of quiet to think also, which is a rare occasion here as you might imagine.

I, however, will tell you that this is important to me, all of it, the Bible Study, the homework, the ladies.  Becky, Lisa, Sharon, and Robin whom I have much respect, and all the fellow leaders, who in their busy lives say, "God, I am willing".  Above all though, God is my greatest reason, I want to know Him more.  I want to know God in the big things and in the small things.  I want a relationship above all else, because that is what He wants. He is there with me when I am standing in the laundry room at the end of a long day.   I am tired, and there is a mountain of dirty clothes on my left and clean on my right.  I want to cry,... sometimes I do.  I can't do this, it never stays DONE!  But at those times, the same God of the Bible, comes near. I say, "Jesus, I need your help. Please come and give me the strength to do more."  He says I AM.... able.   He can do all things even help with laundry.  We as mothers may think that is to small or meaningless a thing to call on Christ for.  But if it is a place where you find the end of yourself, maybe because it requires such effort everyday, then He is there and willing to help YOU, His child who needs Him.  He is the GREAT I AM!  Yes mighty to do powerful, miraculous God-sized things, and also small mundane human things.  These times are the times when Christ is so real, because He doesn't just live at church, He lives with each of us.  He wants to have a relationship, not for you just to know Him from afar, but up close, FOR REAL kind of life.

 P.S.
 He can also help you find your keys.
Ashley Tsiukes

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Every day.......He is faithful......

Hey Everybody!

I hope you all are having a great morning.  Chris and I had some extra quiet time this morning (late nights at the church for "Bon Noel" have made for slow starts by the Justice kids).   Chris made some spectacular over-medium eggs today  and I made some strong coffee.  I love early quiet times this time of the year around the Christmas tree:). Last year...when it wasn't  73 in December..Chris would make a fire for our time, too.  

I pulled out one of my old prayer journals, one my sister Cathy gave me, and read over what I was praying about in 2002..2003 and 2004.  (I'm not much of a faithful journal(er)....so one can last me a few years:)....)  I enjoyed reading it so much.  Life was much different then.  Chris was still at the TV station.  I was pregnant for Ty during that time.  My Daddy was really sick with his Parkinson's, and had made his last trip to Charlotte before he went to be with the Lord.  My sister Karen was facing raising four kids alone...We hadn't experienced..as a family..anything this difficult since the passing of my brother, Tommy.  We all love Karen...Chris was out of sports anchoring and not traveling with Ball teams as much..which allowed us to be home and better church members.  We were at church as much as we could be .  We loved all things Hickory Grove Baptist Church.  Still do.  We had faithful pastors who stayed on us to go deeper and provided us with service opportunities to show we were serious.   It was the best of times...amidst some very hard personal times.

My favorite little finding in my journalwas on April 10th, 2003
"Chris went to speak to the prisoners of "Rowan Corectional".  Greg is a new Christian.". And then I put "Chris's first one:)".  Ohhhhh I love it.

Knowing it is Christ who saves ...of course.. (clarification for all you loonies who always read stuff to correct the writer)....This was the first time Chris had preached and someone had responded to the Word .  God be praised!

Another entry....on January 14th , 2004 I wrote...."Lord, thank you for helping Chris do so well.  He feels like he wants to preach.  Prepare us, Lord.  Help us not waste anymore time.  Help us to understand your Word.  We both love you.  Help our love for each other to keep growing.  He's the best, Lord!  Thank you for him!" ( and then I put a heart next to "him":)

And here we are now ..December 7, 2011.  We are serving the Lord in full-time ministry.  We like each other ...ALOT:).  We love the Lord eternally!  

Side note of personal rejoicing...I'M NOT PREGNANT!

Ohhhhh my goodness ...God is so good!!!

Watching couples now in our church...I ALWAYS wonder how God is preparing them to serve HIM more.....so many right on the cusp of surrendering to full-time ministry:).... 
I love doing that...by the way...one of the great blessings of Pastor's wife....Watching people:)


"Be instant..in season, out of season....."  2 Timothy 4:2 KJV

I love you...I hope you are coming to "Bon Noel".  

We start back our Tuesday "Community Bible Study Day" @LP the third week of January.  Please..prayerfully consider joining us:)

Becky:)