Misunderstandings

I must say that it has come down to this: most people will listen to what they want to hear out of a sermon and then twist it to their liking instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to open their ears and take in what is intended. This is how wars are started. This is how churches are split. This is how great men's reputations are ruined....lies, rumors, accusations, etc. You don't like what the man of God is saying? You take what he says and USE it AGAINST him! How dirty! How wrong! How sinful! I grew up as a pastor's daughter. This is nothing new. People have been doing this for years. They listen to what they want, and then, BOOM, the church is now splitting, the pastor is resigning because he can't convince the people that what he said is not what they are taking in....it's sickening. It's nauseating...I can't take it because this isn't what Christianity is! I can't find a person who is perfect here on Earth, and I don't expect to find a person who will say the right thing all of the time, 100% of the time. So, why are we fighting amongst ourselves? This is foolishness, and not only is it wrong to rebuke a pastor across the nation so everyone can read your "disagreement," you are not realizing that you are stepping on hallowed ground! To attack a man of God is very dangerous! People have come against my dad and the end result was not pretty! I have to say that God will defend His man. So, put down your sword, and go about doing what you know to do in your own church and your own people. Stand for what you BELIEVE....stop fighting and bickering. Stop throwing out accusations that are not only untrue, they are damaging. I can't stomach a person who thinks they are right and won't stop and ask God if they really are right. I look to my God for the ANSWER...HE IS THE ANSWER....HE IS THE TRUTH! HE IS THE DEFENDER OF HIS WORD....LET HIM FIGHT THESE BATTLES, not us! Stop confusing people and trying to destroy a man of God. We need to wake up, Christians! Where is the "LOVE WALK?" Where did we fall of the track? I say we fell off when we decided to fight a war that is unnecessary. Our battle is NOT with man...it is with SATAN and his forces of evil....our war is to stand against him with the WORD of God and fight against his lies and deceptions. We should not fight people....EVER. For our battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against the rulers of darkness.

I Love My Kids!

Charity, my oldest, is 4 and 3 months old. She reminds me every day of my life, that life is fun...I have to say that she just doesn't know how to sit still unless she is "reading a book." I think I have passed down my love for books to her because she will sit still for hours with a book open "reading!" She has proven to be such a big helper, and as each day passes, she is growing up SO fast! I am not sure if she will going to kindergarten this fall or not, but all that matters is that she continue to learn. When she does something wrong, she comes to me or Josh and says, "I'm so sorry! I can't get a spankin'!" Boy, she has a soft spot in my heart! Her ever-loving smile is like looking in the mirror! She knows no tears of sorrow or sadness...the saddest she gets is when she has to sit down and privileges get taken away, but that doesn't last for long. She knows no stranger. Everyone is a friend to that girl. I can sure learn a lot from her! :-)
Joseph William Darrell, whom we affectionately call JW, is my baby boy! He just turned two, and it seemed that very day, the feet stomping and the screams of, "NO!" went into affect! I couldn't believe my cuddly little baby had already started the "terrible 2s!" Actually, it's not as bad as it sounds! Oh, it happens once or twice a day, but he soon forgets, says sorry after being punished and gives me a HUGE bear hug. That boy has taught me to love. He has so much love to give away. He is a little more reserved than my Charity Joy, and he will stand and stare at you if he is unsure of who you are. He inherited Josh's looks, and his big eyes always melt my heart. Yesterday, he was singing, "Jesus Loves Me" at the top of his lungs as we drove home from the spaghetti dinner put on by our cheerleaders! It was too cute! He is very organized as a little man...I'll look at his toys, and he'll have all of his cars lined up in a neat row, or he'll line every-one's shoes up just as neat as he can...it's too cute! One thing I have to say, he really adores his "Carity." I love watching them play together....oh yeah, they fight, but they love each other immensely!
All of this to say, I am blessed! I have two wonderful children, and by the grace of God, I will raise them to serve Him. They aren't perfect, and neither am I! We are "growing up" together!

By Your Side

Dear God,
Preacher spoke to us Sunday morning, and just now, I am beginning to remember exactly what he said to us. He passionately told us with tears in his eyes that we need You when everything is going right, not just when everything falls apart. So, dear God, I come before You right now to make some things right, and I want this to be a re-dedication of my Christian life and walk with You. I don't need to confess my sins in a public forum, but I want the world to know that today, I am taking Your out-stretched hand. I am allowing You to cover me in Your love and flow Your love through me to those around me in my day by day walk in this life down here. God, I know You have always been by my side...those were Your footprints in the sand, right next to mine all of these years....when I looked down and saw only one set of footprints, I know it was You that was carrying me. I could never have made it this far without Your love and help. I realize more and more as the years go by, that without You, I am nothing. I humbly bow in Your presence, oh great Jehovah, and thank You for sending Your only Son to come to this God-forsaken earth and dying so that I could have the hope of eternity with You. Without that hope, life would have no meaning. We would just be wasting our time down here, but instead we have this hope that dwells within our hearts, and it spills out to everyone around us as a testimony of Your promise, Your gift to mankind. I love You, Heavenly Father, with all of my heart just as I know that You love me more than the human mind can comprehend. I could never love You as much because I am in a sin-filled body, but one day, I have that hope to have a new, glorified body which will be sin-less, and then can love you back the way it was meant to be.

All My Love,
Elizabeth

Broken Hearts

I think that I was made to really hurt for people when they hurt. I have always been that way....a deep kind of a person, as you probably would call it. This accident with the Vignere girl really shook me up along with the accident Christmas Eve with two college students who had just graduated and were newly married and expecting. Now, another friend of the Hamm family, Bro. Frank Pitman, has only about a week to live. I know that Josh's parents are really close friends with them, and Josh and Jason grew up with their kids. I met them maybe once or twice. Anyway, these are people I either barely know or people that I don't know at all, and yet my heart breaks for them and their family and loved ones. If you think about it, none of these people woke up that morning and thought to themselves that "today was their last day." They went about living their daily lives with no thought of anything like that. Now, I know that Bro. Frank kinda knows, but I wonder if it really matters if you know or not? I mean, I think it would be harder knowing than not knowing at all. Because to know, would be a dread to leave your family and friends behind. I know you may know you are going to a better place, but our minds can't begin to comprehend what Heaven is really like. We really won't know until we get there, and then, we will never want to come back. I remember when my cousin was killed. It was a few weeks before my graduation from high school. I remember how that devastated me and my family. She was murdered on the edge of town on our church's new 40 acre property! I remember my sister and I had a paper route, and I no longer felt safe even though the guy was behind bars. I think that year, death became very real to me for the first time in my life. I had gone to funerals before, but this one kinda hit very close to home. Plus, she was a little 10 year old girl that was so innocent and beautiful and radiant. I remember questioning God, and held bitterness in my heart until Christmas of that year, when a wise woman told me that I had no right to blame God. I thought to myself at the time, how would you even know? I wanted to rebel against the idea, and I wanted someone to blame, but I couldn't anymore. I realized things like this happen...we can't avoid death, it's a part of life. I can't go to Ohio without going past the cross on the side of the road and also going past her grave. I feel her very presence even though I know she is in a better place. So, that was my introduction into the pain of others. Now, I just hurt for those who are hurting. I cry and pray that the Holy Spirit will comfort their hearts because no other person can do so. "Broken pieces, broken hearts, Who can number all the parts, Pain and sadness, Tears abound, The Holy Spirit comfort, Truly safe and sound."

A First for Everything

I am about to branch out into unfamiliar territory. This year, I will begin my first biography of a man who currently is on his death bed. He was a man that greatly touch the life of Josh and Jason. Josh said that his story is one worth reading, one worth being put in print for all to read. I met this man about 5 years ago, and he is a great man, as is his wife. I have never done this. I write more poetry and blogs than anything. I don't know where to begin, but this is something I was meant to do. I always wanted to write truth, and a biography is truth. So, think of me as I start research. Josh is going to be the co-author as he is going to be interviewing for me. If you have any tips, I'd love to hear them! Thanks!