King of Glory…

Tshirts are in!!!! So blessed and I love them.  My mom got her’s and sent me a pic from her deck today.  

 

 

We had a pretty busy weekend.  My parents came in and visited so that was fun.  We were busy trying to get to closets and do things that needed to get done before the school year starts.  It’s amazing how much I have really slowed down this summer compared to my normal self and there was a lot that was on the list to get done this summer.  I have had to solicit help from many people including my parents and Scott’s to get some of it done.  Oh well, it will still be here next summer to accomplish right?  You guys have filled up my card scrapbook that I’ve had to move on to another one!  What a sweet blessing…

FAMILY PHOTO AFTER CHURCH ON SUNDAY

I have also been looking at boxes in the basement – insert crazy lips and eyes – I told Scott we have got to commit to going through one to two boxes a week.  We have not done a good job keeping up with all of our “stuff” from the almost 20 years we’ve been together and from before that our parents so graciously gave us – Help! We also haven’t moved in a long time so, we have boxes and boxes of stuff!  So, I have sent many car trips to Good Will or the garbage bin.  I promise I’m not nesting and I am not pregnant!!!  Some of my most fun stuff to look at has been looking at my high school soccer stuff.  So many great memories.  I tried to look through some slides…not very easy.  Scott and I went through some old VHS tapes from when we worked together in Quincy.  We have newscasts and game broadcasts on tape.  It makes you feel pretty old….ha!

So something really cool.  I have to admit..not a super BIG fan of having no hair.  I’ve learned to live under a hat most days or with a scarf.  Now here’s something…I can’t find the right size scarf anywhere.  I don’t know if I’m not looking at the right spot or what.  IF you know of a good place to buy scarfs, please let me know.  Anyway, back to what matters…. I was looking in the mirror at the back of my head and I noticed I have finger prints on head.  Actually I have fingers on the back of my head!  I thought Lord, you have been holding my head just like we have prayed and here’s the evidence.  Guys, isn’t that just awesome!  I realize God’s hands are waaaaaayyyyyy bigger but, he gave me something tangible I could see.  Amazing…

My head has responded pretty well in the treatment as far as the skin on my head goes.  I am very thankful for that…. Shout out to my girl Sarah Wilson and her Arbonne stuff she gave me!!!!!

 

I had the blessed opportunity to spend time with a dear person in my life Necole Kreie.  I’ve known her and her family for a long time.  Her three kids had been in my student ministry and she and I, along with Scott, all sang and served together on the music ministry team.  We had a fun time catching up, laughing and sharing.  Thank you Necole for the meal and the time invested.  So much fun.

Let me just say that the girls have become pretty good drivers the past week.  They had

my mom and dad going everywhere and have become more confident and so that makes me excited.  Considering that they have to drive me to school in a couple weeks!  Good seeing my parents and thankful they were willing to come down and help around the house and give my in-laws a break!

“O Lord, do not stay far away!  You are my strength; come quickly to my aid…..I will Praise you in the great assembly.  I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you…For Royal Power Belongs to the Lord.  He rules all the nations.”

Psalms 22:19, 25 & 28 

 

In reading about all of these kings in 2 Chronicles it’s amazing to see how each started out so differently.  Even though they were usually raised by the previous king, how they ended up or what they decided wasn’t determined always (usually) by their fathers.  

Uzziah became king of Judah after Amaziah…Amaziah had turned from God and did his own thing.  He started out following the Lord, but it said “not wholeheartedly…” He became very defiant and worshed other idols, even with clear direction that he would be punished.  His heart was so hard, that no amount of pleading and trying to convince him.  He wanted to do things his own way.  He ended up being assassinated.

His son Uzziah was crowned king when he was 16 years old.  At this age and what he saw from his father, you might think he would go his own way.  Yet the Bible tells us twice that he was 16 when he took over and in verse 5 it says…

“⁵ He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear^[b] of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.”

He had people, especially the prophet Zechariah,  pouring into him.  He was humble enough to listen to what Zechariah suggested and because of this – HE SUCCEEDED.  The things he set up to do, the new towns he build – he was given success.  He defeated many armies ……

⁸ The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.

Uzziah was prepared and God had given him everything he needed to succeed…

¹¹ Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. ¹² The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600.¹³ Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. ¹⁴ Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

AHHHH BUT – Dang it!  He decided to do what his father had done.  He had rested for years, had success, life was good and HE DETERMINDED THAT HE WAS THE REASON FOR ALL  OF THE THEIR SUCCESS.

¹⁶ But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.¹⁷ Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. ¹⁸ They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”

¹⁹ Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy^[c]broke out on his forehead. ²⁰ When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.

Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died.  Here Uzziah had started strong, faithful, ready for battle and led his people well.  And then he got proud…of himself.  He forgot where his blessings had come from and how he was able to do the things he was doing.  We see this a lot today don’t we?   Maybe we do this ourselves from time time or more times than we care to admit.  Success occurs and before we know it, WE are taking credit and we start living without including God and then before we know it, we live like He’s not even a part of our lives.  Some of us continue and decide WE will be our own god and we puff out our chests and live like we are important and all that matters.  

Success is a great feeling.  I have experience the “highs of succeeding” in many areas of life.  But, if we aren’t careful, we start to see ourselves as the reason we have succeeded and we blow ourselves up into something that we are not.  And bottom line, God is so good to bring us and draw us back, so we can experience REAL living with HIM!

It’s easy for us to read these passages and think a couple of things:

• Am I going through a bad time because God is punishing me?
• Life is good for me so God must be ok with where I am at!

 

These are hard and almost dangerous questions for us to spend time focusing on.  Because the focus is on US !!!!  As people, this is our problem and downfall.  We are not the focus, GOD IS!  He is working all the time and desires, DESIRES, to use us in many different situations.  If God is our focus, then when our circumstances change, God remains the same – HE NEVER CHANGES.  And I have been so blessed by this Truth this year.  I don’t know what is in my future, but I know who has it!  He has given me everything I have needed and has surrounded me and carried me.  He has been my focus and has been MORE than I could’ve imagined.  No matter our circumstance, our heart should be focused on HIM and Choosing to live for Him no matter what is going on around us….because that can change in an instant.  It did for me.  One of the healthiest people I know, no problems, never had a headache, never had issue… BUT in a moment it changed.  BUT GOD never did.  He is my sun – my focus.  He has given me peace and I have seen Him do too much, that it’s faith strengthening for sure.

Take the time to be with HIM no matter your circumestance.  Ask Him to speak to you, seek Him and He will be found.  Don’t give up…. He is worth it!

As I get ready to go back to school, I am excited to see students, teachers and get away from the treatment cycle.  But, there are still so many unknowns.  I was planning for the state champtionship this time last year and determined to give my all to my teams and my students.  I was blessed by such a great year.  I am thankful to be given the opportunity and the students who will be in my classes.

Please pray for me for the following:

• I have TWO more treatments.  I am praying against tiredness and things that come physically.  I have been so blessed and I am thankful that the Lord has sustained my energy and allowed me to get some of the things around the house organized and ready for school
• Pray that as I prepare for OPEN HOUSE that I have everything I need and I know what I need to share.
• I know many of you have been and are already praying for clear scans.  I do not know when I will be scheduled for my scans and what comes next.  I will be seeing my oncologist Thursday and getting blood drawn.  We are expecting a long day with setting up what’s next.  We are not anticipating a scan for at least 3 weeks and could go a couple months.  
• Pray for this continual on and off sensation in my throat and mouth.  Pray I can continue to be joyful and just BE with the Lord in these short moments.
• Pray for wisdom from my doctors on what to do next.

Thanks Warriors!