Southern Siestas Weekend

What can I say about this weekend? It was SPECTACULAR!

I met so many wonderful women. These are women I have met by blogging and on Facebook. These are women who love God with a passion. These are women who are used of God in their ministry and in their everyday life. I am privileged to know them. Now, I feel they are a part of my life.

All day Saturday I was jumping all around the house. I was so excited for the Siesta Weekend. This was my first.

Saturday evening we met at Ippolitos.

Sunday morning we WORSHIPPED! I have to tell you I was up on my feet most of the time during the music. God was so evident to me. I was in HIS presence as we sang. Then, Pastor Johnny Hunt preached on forgiveness from Matthew 18. I wrote notes all in my Bible. His sermon was so good I went to the next service too with the Siestas and got a double dose of forgiveness. HALLELUJAH!

After the WORSHIP, we all gathered in the Fireside Room. So beautifully decorated. We ate and talked and laughed. It was a great time.



I made some new friends.

These pictures don't show all of my new friends. What a great bunch of gals!

Then, I got the surprise of my life...BETH. MOORE.

Beth Moore is in the house!

Then we all gathered around Beth and got our picture taken with her!

Then it was time to wait for the concert!

Will they ever open the doors?

I didn't get to sit will all the Siestas but I did sit with Sherry and met her husband. We had a great time worshipping together.

Travis was wonderful...and Angela Cruz sang Mercy Seat. It was incredible. I thought the heavens would open at any moment and we would hear that trumpet!

It was a great weekend. I can't wait 'til the next gathering of Siestas.

Before closing, I must say and BIG thank you to Tammy for getting us all together. What a blessing this weekend was for me. Thank you so much, Tammy for doing this. GREAT JOB!

SOUTHERN SIESTAS!

I am so excited! Tonight I am going to meet with about 30 ladies who are coming for our Southern Siesta Get-together in Atlanta. We are all coming together to fellowship and, more importantly, worship our great GOD with Travis Cottrell at First Baptist Church, Woodstock.

I'm taking my camera tonight and Sunday so there will be lots of pictures on this blog in the near future.

God is SO good to me!

SIESTA SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSE

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I have been sick since Christmas Eve and haven’t been able to really keep up with the Bible readings as I should. No excuse, just fact. Even today I am still sick…but trying to return to work.

As I read through the Scripture, here are some thoughts and questions that came to my mind…

Genesis 2

Did Adam know of his need for a help meet?

Adam didn’t come to God asking for a mate. God said “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a suitable helper, completing him.”

It makes me wonder if God paraded all the animals in front of Adam to show him his need.

Genesis 3

They knew they were naked.

My pastor spoke about this recently. He suggests that their nakedness was a spiritual one. They had always been covered by the holiness of God. After they both chose to sin, that covering was no longer on them. How many times do I try to remove God’s covering on my life to pursue what I think is what I need?

In verse 8 I see something that had been very familiar to Adam and Eve; something they always looked forward to—“In the cool of the day they head the sound of the LORD God taking a walk in the garden…” Now, they hid themselves. They had to have known HE knew what had happened. How many times do I try to hide my sin from God?

God wants me to confess my sin before Him. That’s why He questioned Adam so that he could tell God his sin and repent.

Genesis 4

Do you ever serve God the way YOU want to rather than the way God requires?

Verses 6-7 God reminds Cain, “If you do right, will there not be a lifting up? But if you misbehave, sin is crouching at the door; its intention is toward you, and you must master it.”

Cain had brought an offering to the LORD. But, in some way the offering was unacceptable. All Cain had to do was to bring the right offering; with the right motive.

I Samuel 15:22

Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Verse 16 is so sad…”Cain went out from the presence of the LORD…” I am so glad we cannot do that. We are always in His presence.

Verse 26 really opened my eyes. “To Seth in turn a son was born who he named Enosh, in whose time people began to call on the name of the LORD.”

From the time Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden…did they not call on the name of their LORD and CREATOR?

Genesis 6

Relationships became unequal.

The sons of God—those who followed and worshipped the LORD God—look at the daughters of men—some think these are Cain’s descendents—and they liked what they saw and married them. This mingling caused a rapid downfall of mankind.

In Verse 5, “God saw that human wickedness was growing out of bounds on earth; that the intention of all human thinking produced nothing but evil all day.”

Genesis 8

The first altar made.

After leaving the ark, Noah built an altar to the LORD. This is the first time the word altar is used in the Bible.

Genesis 9

A flood will not take out sin.

In the beginning of chapter 9, God blesses Noah and his sons. He makes covenant with Noah. But, at the end of chapter 9 we find one of Noah’s sons is already getting into trouble.

SIESTA SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSE

Psalm 18:16-19

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

2009

I am so glad that 2008 is over. It was a very difficult year for me and my family. Some of the difficulties have already seeped into 2009. But, I'm believing God that He is in control. He knows where we are and He IS the light to bring us out of the darkness of this year-long trial.

I am going to be joining in the Scripture memory for the year. I'm looking forward to it.