Jacksonville-One Year Later...

Well, we arrived safe and sound! It was a long trip but the twins did awesome! They were very content expect for the last hour and a half...so we have NOTHING to complain about! We did have to stop in Morrilton AR to have the air conditioner repaired on the van but 2 hours later and near as much money as it could have been we hit the road again!

Cassie and the kids met us at the door and they all came to us pretty well! It has been crazy to say the least with 5 kids under the age of 4 around here! On top of all that Cassie and the boys have had a bug and now Heather has it...praying no one else gets it! The visit has still been good. They have moved into a house now and it is very cute!

They have been here over a year now...I find myself wishing I could hate this place...but I don't the people here are amazing. The have loved my kids like their own! They even have some friends who love the boys just like aunts and uncles do. I'm so thankful for these relationships they have made...friendship that I believe will last a lifetime...now matter what!!!

It is late so I will close...will post again after we get home and I can add some photos~

Scott and Michael

In just a few hours it will be their birthday! I love both of these guys so much! God has blessed me with a fantastic husband. He loves me and I can have confidence in this...a gift that is not always true in life...He has worked so hard over the years for our family. He loves his kids and grandkids like nothing that can be explained. I have had the honor to walk beside this man now for 29 years (that counts our dating year). I have watched him go really from boy to man, handling lifes challenges one at a time as they came our way! He has fallen in love with the Savior over the years...with a passion that he refuses to let die! Thank YOU Lord for that. He has allowed the Lord to stretch and grow him until it hurt and there were many times it was a painful process...but he made it thru...a man and his God...and I get to be a part of that...

24 years ago...Scott would tell you he got the best birthday present ever...our son...now that is not to say he loved him more...just to say that a child...our child was born on his birthday...truth be known it's a good thing he liked it because he hasn't gotten much since due to the fact that we've had bicycles and dirt bikes to purchase on this date! I think most people would agree Scott is a good son, brother, grandson, uncle, father, poppy, husband and friend...but I know he loves all those titles...each one carries so much for him in his heart but the ONE thing he desires to do and do well...be a Christ follower...and he does...I love you more than I could ever but into words!

And then there is my son...not a boy any longer but a man...with opinions of his own and bold to share them! Most of the time that is a good trait in him...He knows what be believes and stands firm in it...even if it is offensive...I wish I would be more that way! He has had much to deal with in life...dad being gone alot as he grew up... in a house full of girls...but he has turned out pretty darn good if you ask this momma! I can depend on him when Scott is gone...he likes to torment me alot but when the chips are down he takes care of his mom...I had a lady tell me once, if you want to know how a man will treat his wife...watch how he treats his mom...Michael will be a great husband...I look forward to see just what God has in store for him in the future...he graduates college in December and so the future is wide open for this young man...things I love about Michael....well...I love to watch him play with his nephews and his neice...I love to hear him and Katie laughing and teasing each other, I love the way he loves Cassie, I love the way he stood with broad shoulders for Heather when she needed him, I love the way he looks at maw maw, I love when he makes me stuff in his shop...he takes such joy in surprising me..and others, I love the way he saves and waits (not always patiently but waits just the same) for things he likes but most of all I love to watch him worship the Lord...to follow as he leads us to the throne to worship our King...to my boy...Happy Birthday...I love you...mom

Summer begins 2010...

Well, it's been a while since I've posted and we are in full swing of summer and all that goes with that around the Griffith house! Katie and I are both babysitting this summer...so let's just say some days are CRAZY!!!! But, to know that God has give us the privilege of being part of their lives is cool (most days).

I will be leaving for Jacksonville on June the 24th to once again join our oldest girl and her family for a special birthday...Camden Isaiah will be 1 on the 26th! This time we will be traveling with great grandma's, an aunt and a few cousins! I can't believe they have been gone one year...and the things I've seen God do in their lives and ours during this year are...priceless...there is no other way to describe it!

Revival was an amazing time at the church a few months ago...but since then I've feel like I've been swimming out to sea (sorry to much finding nemo at our house!). But for real that is my way to describe the place I've been in...to be honest am in...but over the years as I've walked with the Lord...I've learned many things...many truths that loving people and a very loving God have poured into me...so during this time...I'm choosing to hang onto truths that I KNOW and not walk in the way that I feel...the TRUTH is if I'll seek the Lord, If I cry out to Him...He will hear me...so though I feel alone...like He is not here I cry out to Him, I will be in His word, I will talk with Him through prayer...and do you know...the most amazing thing...He IS answering me...He hears my cries...I bought a bible study book several months back...for this summer...I got it because I thought I'd might do one alone this summer, it was by an author I knew...Nancy Leigh DeMoss and mostly because it was on the clearance for $6.00 so I could afford it...the name..."Seeking Him"...God knew all those months back that I would need the words and scriptures of this study today! He loves us so much and He can see the big picture...He knows us better than we know ourselves!

So if I could encourage you in anyway...I'd say to you...don't trust your feelings...they WILL lie...they will sell you short...trust the TRUTH of God...He loves you...He desires to be our everything...He truly is all we need...one of my prayers this past two weeks has been for me to return to my first love...but then God revealed to me...have I ever allowed HIM to BE my first love...so do I pray to return to it...or experience it for the first time in my life...Lord, give me a passion for YOU that cannot be quenched!

If you know me at all...you know that I am a terrible worrier. My pastor was teasing me the other day and he said I worry about what to worry about...and boy has God used that simple statement...truly said in fun to open my eyes to the fact that I have got to start trusting Him...but today...this is what the Lord said to me ...worry and anxiety are expressions of pride...Lori in your life...and God cannot use prideful people...ouch! That one hurt...I know worry is a sin but I didn't think of it as pride...what is pride? Setting self over God or His power...so duh...worry...is setting everything up as if God is not in control...He has me engraved in the palm of His hand, He covers me like a momma hen covers her chicks with her wings...under the shelter of His wing...with that HOPE what do I need to worry about or fear!

As you can see...still learning many life lessons...but I wouldn't have it any other way...this is what reminds me of my desperate need for the Lord in my life! I pray He will still teach me things at 90!

What is God teaching you now...I'd love to know

Surrendered

Happy Mother's Day 2010! What a great day it has been around this place. My day started with a "survival style mother's day hunt" The kids all went together and got me a swing to set in the yard and grow old in...rocking my grandbabies in...the twins and I like to set and swing...and let me just say I know 3 special little boys that will getting their own swing time with grammy come july!!! Cassie called this morning...I must confess I really knew she would! So I was waiting for that phone to ring...I miss her like crazy and though we both tried to hide it from the other...today was hard without seeing each other face to face...but hard doesn't mean bad...just different...We've almost had all the "first" behind us know...they've been gone from here 11 months now...WOW...but God...have I already said I love those words??? He is faithful and good! They have seen many things good in their ministry there, lives changed and more importantly eternities changed...that is what life is all about!!!

Surrender...that is the message I heard from the Lord today in church...JD had an amazing message from the Lord...I'm trying so hard to open the palms of my hands and say here it is Lord...take it all...it's really Yours anyway...never has belonged to me...surrender everything and everyone...trust Him to lead my lives, my husbands, my childrens...my friends and family...

The mother/daughter banquet was Friday night and the message was amazing there as well...a reminder that there are times we are to sit and there are times we are to serve...and both seasons are for a purpose...the challenge is to know when to sit and when to serve...

My grandbabies are getting to big! Our Ayden will start preschool in the fall and I can't believe it...I still remember the christmas before we was even conceived...thinking...I just wonder if this is the year that will change our lives... and boy was it!!!! Landon is talking more and more...today when Cassie called I could hear him talking with his daddy and I COULD understand him....oh our little landy...then twins are starting to also talk...mimick and FIGHT with each other...today their parents told us...you won't think is funny in a few more years...but really now it is! and then our little camden...is almost walking according to mom he is taking 4 steps at a time now...not that he means too but he is...I hate missing his firsts...but I WILL be there for his first b=day in a few weeks! Looking forward to precious time with them and travel down with my family...

our next few weeks are very busy...gastao will be going thru graduation and then he will be going home to brazil...he will be greatly missed around here!

this side of revival!!!

Well...it has been an amazing week...a week full of difficult truth to hear, absorbed and begin to apply to my life...We had a fine young man come to share God's truth with us...we would highly recommend this young man. It is obvious that he loves the Lord with a passion we don't get to see nearly as much as we should see...beginning in our own love for the LORD! His name is Richard White.

We began our week with a very special night of prayer...I think that is the last I shared here with you...then the next time we were challenged with the questions...did we REALLY want to be in the Presence of the Lord? Would I call my desire for His presence desperate...a daily reality or a Sunday formality? Very challenging...you know the quick "church" answer is of coarse I want to be in God's presence but the reality is...I see very quickly who I really am in His presence...because I see who I am in light of who He is...

The next night...The cost to Follow our God...the number one truth I go this night is that Jesus is not suppose to be number one in our lives...which is what I always thought it was suppose to be...He is not number one...He is to BE my life...He isn't and add on to our lives...He is to be our lives...Am I willing to crucify my comfort to follow Jesus...everyONE and everything must be surrendered to Him and I must love Him more than it all...again...allow Him to be my life...am I willing....do I REALLY want this??? Something that occurred to me today as I was writing this is...they say sin will take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you ever intended to stay and cost you more than you wanted to pay...could the same be said about your lives sold out to Jesus...am I willing to go as far as He calls, stay as longs as HE desires and give up what He ask me to give up...again...my life and all in it~

How do we approach God??? With clean hands and a pure heart...the hands are the outward things...what other people see and know about us...the heart is the deepest part of me...truth...the hands reflect the heart...Jesus always addressed the heart matters...why....because if we get the inward right it will fix the outward...Does my heart reflect my words and actions...God does NOT exist for me...I exist for HIM...God's ultimate purpose is NOT to save my soul...it IS to bring glory to Himself...I pray thru saving my soul He is glorified~

Last message...but NOT the end of my revival...it is on going...Consider your ways...again we are talking about matters of the heart...personal priorities...worship of one affects worship of all...and the sin of one affects the worshipo of all...worthless working and pointless pursuits...the american dream...we work but we don't purse the presence of God...Jesus can't be number 1 on my life...He must be my life....required repentence...repentence is rooted in the knowledge of what my sin has done to the heart of God...it is not guilt...so what will I do...

Surrendered my whole heart to God...know that He will require a great deal from a surrendered heart...I'm I a little scared...yes but my fear is greater to continue in disobedience...

The beginning of revival...

Just some thoughts...we are beginning our first revival at our church for many, many years. Everyone is so very excited. We have had prayer meetings for the past few weeks and we have already seen revival in hearts begin to breakout. I've been so very surprised at the number of people who have never been part of a revival! We have one gentleman in our church who was saved as a small boy and he just retired and he has never seen a revival...I think my prayer for him, me and our entire church is that we don't see revival but we experience it in a very real and personal way....

Last night be began the services with a special prayer night...our church, Emmanuel will be 20 years old this summer...it was birthed thru some pain, confusion and much prayer! Over the years God has done great things there, taught us great and might lessons...some not easy to learn...but I would say because we prayed...we knew the importance of seeking Him before decisions were made...and then we lost that...we forgot our first love maybe...but we stopped seeking Him in the little things first then even some or several of the big things...I think I can say over the past year we have been returning to the call to prayer...God has been reminding us HE is the one we need to seek...BUT last night I was so very humbled, blessed, amazed as this sweet time of restoration God gave the body of Emmanuel and myself as a member...He is the ONE who needs to be our guide...I believe God began something great last night and I'm so very excited to be a part of this time...

I would ask you to join us in prayer for Michael as he leads us in worship, Richard White as he brings the messages God lays on his heart and for each person that will come each night. I know that satan doesn't want this week to happen so pray that each of us will be able to look at things or people that irritate or just plain make us mad or upset...that our battle is NOT with flesh and blood...the word tells us in Eph. 6:12 "for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms..." We must hang onto this truth and the truth that we do have an enemy who whole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy...it is so easy to be on a spiritual "high" if you will but then the first time we get "bumped" then we fall from that mountain top time...it's so hard to see things this way according to scripture...but it is truth...our battle is not with flesh and blood...our enemy will throw things our way be on the alert...and then we will be able to hear and apply what God has for us this week....my last prayer now is that in 5 days I will have great and mighty things to share on my blog concerning this week...until then...

Oh Glorious Day!

Well, Easter 2010 has come and gone but it was a beautiful day! I prayed the night before that the Lord would wake me up early to see the sunrise...we didn't have a sunrise service this year (which I was so fine with) but for some strange reason I wanted to see it this year...so...He did...He woke me up and I sat on the back porched and watched this amazing sunrise...hope for a new day! That was probably a first for me...to even care enough to get out of bed and see the sun...but I wanted to meet with THE SON!

This was another first for me this year...the first real holiday without all the kids here...but in His graciousness He allowed it to be a holiday that isn't about us anyway....it's about HIM...We had a sweet day in the Lord's house with good worship and a good Word...then off to the in laws for lunch...and home again to hide eggs with the twins...and play a game of cards with good friends and family...in Florida God filled several days of activities for them as well...coloring eggs, a day at the beach (we tease them about suffering for Jesus there!!), egg hunt then yesterday they had church and an afternoon with a sweet family that loves them like their own! To say it wasn't a little sad would not be honest because it was but for the greater glory...you know???

The Lord is teaching me so many things right now...some lessons are still very hard...I have seen the old temper sprout up again...I hate it but He is there convicting me of it...learning to focus on Him and not this life...or my surroundings OR the way I feel in any given circumstance! He is also teaching me that my focus is on way to many things and or people...I've always wanted Scott to be my best friend...the one I could talk to...but God is teaching me that Scott is to be #2...HE wants and deserves the #1 spot...He wants to be the first one I run to and talk to...another thing He is teaching is to pay attention to the details of His word...I read but I miss sooooo much because I dont' take the time to see the small details...the things that at times teach us the greatest lessons...I cheat Him and I cheat myself by not slowing down and paying attention!

We are well into ladies bible study now and God is really doing amazing things thru the study in my life...revival is one week and one day away to offical begin at the church...and I am SOOOO very excited...I believe God is already beginning revival in our hearts...and I cannot wait to see what He has...may we be willing and ready...for me the words of this song say it all...I'm personalizing it for my life...I confess, I've lived in sin....please show Your power once again!

Ayden is still having a hard time being away from here...last Wednesday was really hard for him...BUT Wednesday night a teen in their youth group was saved...so my prayer for him...for all my kids, grandkids and the generations to come that I'll never know...is that we see again, God's greater picture...if Jesse and Cassie had chose to disobey...to stay here...that teen may have never surrendered their life to Christ...we are studying Esther and the words...For such a time as this comes to mind...we must be willing to be uncomfortable...because...who knows...God...enough said...God, the beginning and the end...Love you all...until next time...have a blessed day....