As we got packed to leave this past weekend for Ridgecrest, NC, I pulled out my black velvet coat to pack for the cool weather. I noticed that the button was loose but figured it would be okay. As Dale and I got ready for the Friday night opening session, I could tell that the button on my black coat was literally hanging on by a thread,  but I thought it would make it through me speaking and went on to the auditorium. Well, all I could think of was the button....it consumed me! I was afraid in the middle of me speaking that it would pop off and there I would be speaking with my coat all a gaping!!! Well, before I knew it, I was hugging someone and "POP" went the button.....off and to the ground. Now what am I to do? I am about to go on stage and speak! So immediately, I began asking for help....."anybody got a safety pin?".... "anybody got a sewing kit?". Well, before I knew it, I had several friends walking throughout the place searching for something to hold my button on! With little time to spare, a friend rushes up and says "to the bathroom, I have found a needle and thread!". I fly inot the bathroom and we quickly sew the button back on, just in time for the night to begin! Whew!

Now how does that apply to our spiritual life? Two things:

1) When temptation or sinful struggles or satan attacks you, don't let it go and think that it will take care of itself. Deal with it. Pluck it from you. Root it out. Face it (this is the temptation, sin or attack of satan of ________).  Trace it ("what is this about, Lord?" , "where is this temptation coming from?",  "what lie is trying to wedge in my mind and heart?"). Erase it (walk away from the sin, ask the Lord for His help, find the truth about it in the Word of God and meditate on it as truth) .
 ¹⁵What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! ¹⁶Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. ¹⁸You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.  ¹³Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

So, next time your button gets popped off, don't let it go, and ask for help! It will save you from a lot of heartache and struggle. Oh, and you may want to carry your spiritual sewing kit (the Word) with you at all times for when these emergencies pop up!!! or should I say pop off?!!!

Jena

Dale and I have been overwhelmed and reeling from the incredible weekend we had in Ridgecrest, NC. Not only did God show up in amazing ways, but all of our lives were changed and transformed in ways that we will never forget.

For you who do not know, during one of our small group sessions, someone asked how they could pray for us. In the 7 years that we have had the honor to be a part of FOM, we had never been asked that! So we shared about a possible DVD Bible Study Series being looked at by NavPress, and our venture with Focus on the Family. We also asked everyone to pray for us a MAC computer. In order for us to continue what we are doing in ministry and add some DVD clips, audio messages, etc to further our message, we needed a new computer. Now honestly, this was hard for us to ask God for as we felt it a bit selfish; and yet, to multiply our message and ministry, we really were in desperate need, as our old laptop was falling apart and friends had tried to salvage a little more operating length before it absolutely died. We were challenged by a dear friend to ask God for a MAC and trust Him. Thus, we asked everyone to pray for us a MAC.

On the day that followed, God's people came together at that conference and placed money in a bucket to help with the purchasing of us a MAC. It totaled close to $1,400.00. We were blown away! Dale and I have not had a home church in 4 years now as we travel all of the time. To have these precious brothers and sisters in Christ be the body of Christ to us and love us and pray for us meant more to Dale and I than any of them will ever know. Being on the road in ministry can be extremely lonely sometimes, but that day, we felt like we really had a faith family who loved us! It left me speechless.....and most of you know, that is a feat in itself!

Monday, after Dale and I arrived home, we shared the news with the kids and all got dressed up and headed together to the Apple Store, praying for God to show us the right MAC computer.....our MAC-Daddy computer.....one straight from our Daddy, Abba Father. When we arrived, the store was closed to renovate the store and would not reopen until this Friday or Saturday. We were bummed. We wanted to post a picture of it and everything! So we wondered what God was up to, but trusted.

Tuesday, Dale walked into his office and his employer and dear friend asked how the weekend went. Dale shared all that the Lord had done, and he also chose to make a donation. Again, completely blown away. We thought, "No wonder the store was closed! We didn't quite have enough for our needs!"

Wednesday came and with it, an email from Dale saying another donation had been made. Now we were COMPLETELY blown away! We've never had a donation that big come through! We even sent the sweet couple an email to make sure that they didn't put the decimal in the wrong place! Fleshly-unbelievable....God-believable!

It is now Thursday and we are cleaning up our office to get ourselves organized and ready for our new addition that we will use completely to further the Kingdom of God in the hearts and lives of others. We promise to be good stewards of what God has given us through His people. We  promise to use it to multiply His message through this precious gift.


Two things I have to share: 
1. If you have a need, ask God who gives to His children as they walk closely with Him in obedience. 
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Eph. 3:20)
 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matt. 7:9-11)

2. If you took the love of all the best mothers and fathers who have lived in the course of human history - all their goodness, kindness, patience, wisdom, tenderness, strength, and love - and united all those qualities in a single person, that person's love would still be only a faint shadow of the furious love in the heart of God the Father addressed to you.(by Brennan Manning)

 He said to them, "When you pray, say: " 'Father, hallowed be your name (Luke 11:2) [This was the first time God had been referred to as Father to the disciples]
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba,Father." (Romans 8:15)
["Abba" means "Daddy", the first words most of us say at birth]

This MAC is our Daddy's gift, given straight from His hands through His children.


May you know that your Daddy has a furious (passionate, aching longing) love for you. Run to Him and let Him take care of your every need.


Jena
(below are slides from FOM.....send me more if you have any!!! AND, when we get our MAC-Daddy, we will definitely post a picture!!!)