It's almost 2009!

Hey,

I guess I am just not an official blogger! I try....but I am just not good at doing it regularly. I figured I would shout out quickly before 2009. What can I say? Well, God has been amazingly good to the Johnson's in 2008! More than anyone could ever know...I have seen Him heal and bring restoration in our lives.

Yes, it was a trying summer for me...God gave me everything I needed to make it through one of the toughest times in my life. No one can tell me that God can not give us the strength to go through every situation in life.

This year I learned that we must know the character of God. It is hard to trust someone we do not know. So often we tell people to trust God. Yes, it sounds easy but if we do not know Him he we can not trust Him. How do we get to know Him? Well that starts with spending time with Him....how do we spend time with Him? Open up our Bibles! As Pastor Stovall, has said for the past couple months...we have to be self-feeders. I have just discovered over this year that we tell people to trust God when they need provision and we wonder why they struggle......well hello they don't know him as Provider!!!

For 2 years I have been studying the Old Testament. It has really grounded me in knowing God! I have seen God's faithfulness and it has truly blessed my life. I encourage every person to get to know God better in 2009....spend some time getting to know Him. Tell God that you want to know Him better in 2009 and you will be amazed at how differently your life will be!

I promise you if I had not known God this summer...I would have easily gotten "derailed", as I heard a friend say recently. I walked in a place that if I had not known God was Faithful, Just, Trustworthy, Comforter, Forgiving and The One who brings Healing and Restoration I would have fainted. Scripture tells us not to be weary in well doing for in due season we will reap if we faint not! I remember one night just crying out to the Lord and He met with me and comforted me in the most amazing the way. I opened the Word to a scripture that was impressed upon me and I knew God had heard my cry! He spoke to me and my situation from that passage of scripture....everything in there was what I was going through. I could continue to walk in confidence knowing the Lord was with me and had my best interest at heart.

I want to just praise God for who He is! Thank you God that you are faithful, loving, gracious and true. Thank you for Your love, salvation, forgiveness and that You give us Hope! Thank you for every tough situation that you carried me through in 2008 and look forward to the blessings you have for me in 2009.

We survived Back to School Sunday!

In case I have not told you...."I LOVE MY JOB". Willie and I are the Children's Pastors at our Church! I love it! We had our big Back to School Weekend! Our Pastor brought ALL the kids in this weekend and prayed over them! It was amazing time! We did fun stuff in kids...give aways, back to school photos, and and just had fun! Willie gave them a nugget about being a light in school. It was awesome! We have an amazing team that makes it happen each week!

I just wanted to share from my heart about kids! I might be biased but it is the best place to minister! The kids are so tender...and those that get it really LOVE Jesus...it is amazing! You should see them worship! You would really lose it....hands lifted high, eyes closed...it is truly unbelievable. I love the fact that they are learning to worship Him freely at such a young age!

I really would not trade what I do for anything...such a great harvest for God and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve Him in this capacity. I thank God for Pastors that have given us the opportunity. We do not take it for granted! There are some people that look at us funny when we say we work in Children's Ministry...especially when we look happy...but it is where we KNOW God has called us and we both love it!!!

We have the most amazing stories too!!! I might share some occasionally. The funniest part is they are like little adults...and very honest. I was told the other day by a boy that I must have been having a BAD hair day! You must know who you are in Christ or you would be crushed because the are HONEST. I just laughed and said, nope. I thought my hair was actually cute that day! Oh well!!!

Jesus said, Matthew 19:4 But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Proverbs also says, in 22:6, Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

How can I not be excited about what I do? These precious ones are very important to the heart of God.....

Lazy Days!

You would think that I would have gotten something accomplished due to Tropical Storm Fay, but not a think...just a cramp in my neck from resting to much! I did absolutely nothing. I guess you can say it was a bit of rebellion....but who do I hurt myself. I did not one chore...and I could have done a few! I guess I have no reason to complain next week when I am behind. What pathetic beings we can be at times! Isaiah is always telling me to relax and I did just that...I had a hard time at first... a bit grumpy because I needed to get some things done at work and the office was closed....Finally realized God was in control..."imagine that??" Hey, I definitely believe that God was in this storm, I love it when he amazes, those meterologists, with all their snazzy little tracks. Then the stall that totally perplexed them..."hello?????" He is God!!!! Florida obviously needed rain...rain does prepare the ground for seed....is our land not dry and thirsty? Naturally, spiritually???? We have had some issues in Florida...so perhaps it was a cleansing rain??? Just some thoughts....

I love God....we must get to know Him! We must know the Character of God then we will learn how to respond in every situation. There are seasons in our lives we go through circumstances that force us to know His Character. I recently had a season where I have had to know Him as the God who Heals...not just physically. God heals us when we are hurt by others. Also a God or Refuge. Oh my did I learn that He was my safe place. I think about the Cities of Refuge in the Old Testament that men could run to to be safe when they were in trouble. Over the past few months I have had to run to God my place of Refuge. It was there that I found safety. It was not in my husband, kids or friends no matter how much they tried to comfort me it was in the Shadow of the Almighty. He is my place of Refuge. Thank you God for teaching me that you are my city of Refuge!!!!

Haven't been here so long!!!

Well it has been some time since I blogged!!!! I am doing EXCELLENT. It has been 1 year since we started in full-time ministry as the Children's Pastor and it is awesome. God has done such incredible things in our lives. There is nothing better than living for Him!!! Taste and see that he is good!!!! Oh my gosh!!!! Well, we are loving being the Children's Pastors. I love those kids. There are hearts are so pure. You should see them worship...with hands lifted high....it brings me to tears each week!!! I am so thankful that God has entrusted us with those kids and I would not trade it for anything. We love it!!! I could go on and on....they are absolutely adorable. No matter what kind a day I have had when I step into that Kids room, the warm hugs and smiles changes everything!

The boys are fine, Nathan moved into an apartment this year! It's a new season. Hey parents I am loving this season. I have learned to trust God in a whole new way with Nate! He is so independent. I don't even worry about him, I pray for Him, but have completely given Him to the care of Jesus. Oh how precious that I have a Savior I can trust with him...I actually sleep really well at night!

Isaiah, is good. He is the new DJ at church. It is so him...he thinks he is so cool! you know? God did some big stuff with him this summer....helped him through some personal tough times, friend, decisions, peer pressure, teenage stuff you know! It was very transforming for him. It was a time of listening and redirecting for us as parents. We all grew through it!!! Praise God.

You know as a parent, I just want to encourage my friends that parenting is not easy but when you remember that the kids ultimately belong to God it changes everything. We must learn to release our children to God. He loves them and has their best interest at heart!!! Even you would just believe that you will have so much peace. I am so much better now that I have embraced that concept. God is a safe place for our kids, and prayer is our weapon of warfare.

Well, that is it in a nutshell...I will share more about what God has done in me....later...hopefully it won't take a year!! love ya