Jenileigh's Journey

July 14, 2009

Awesome Revelation Louie Giglio - Laminin

You have got to watch this!
God never ceases to amaze me, and you know what?
He never will!

July 10, 2009

Our 16th Anniversary-Chateau Morrisette

This is one of my most favorite places to go. It's pricey and last year was the first time we actually dined in at the restaurant. Tony and I decided that we would try to do this as our own little date thing each year for our anniversary. This place is absolutely gorgeous. I dream of one day owning land off of the parkway near these places we love to visit.

The Chateau Morrisette Winery

Inside of the winery

Where you do tastings

Inside chandelier

Entrance

Me by the outside waterfall

Again

Walking from the winery to the restaurant

beautiful

place for the kids to play

the sandbox

The restaurant

again

The sign over the doorway entering the restaurant

Tony waiting for us to be seated

Outdoor dining area

again

The view from our table

Tony viewing the menu

I completely forgot to take a picture of the Manhattan style Clam Chowder, fresh sour dough bread and garlic butter. These dishes below are from the appetizers that came after the soup and after we'd eaten them. We had the chef's choice of 3 different scallops, one with a dill sauce, one with fruit salsa and another with a buttery sauce. Then we had the low country jumbo crab fondue that was accented with roasted red peppers, sweet corn and served with grilled pita bread. You can see why we devoured these before thinking to take pictures!

My entree was the slow roasted prime rib of beef, a 13 oz cut of choice rib served with Yukon gold potatoes and a creamy horseradish sauce. It was delicious. I love the horseradish sauce.

Tony's entree was the shrimp and grits with black tiger shrimp sauteed in Cajun spices and served over organic, stone ground grits smothered with Carolina low country gravy with andouilla sausage, tasso ham, bell pepper, scallions, and tomatoes served with grilled country bread. This dish was my favorite. The grits were nothing like we'd ever eaten before and it simply melted in your mouth.

This was after the meal, a nice couple offered to take our picture together for us.

Again.

For dessert we had Jeremy's Coconut Cake served with grilled pineapple and fresh pineapple coulis. The cake part reminded me of an angel food cake, not at all like the southern coconut cakes that we are used to, so this wasn't my favorite. Couple with the delicious whipped topping and pineapple made it delectable. I had never eaten grilled pineapple and this will definitely be something we try at home.

This was leaving the restaurant. I think this walkway is so romantic. There is ivy growing all along the inner walls.

Well, thats it. We had a wonderful time. I believe the next trip we take will be for the Sunday Buffet! I should have gotten more pictures of the flowers too.

July 7, 2009

Mabry's Mill

My cousin JR, came up for a visit before leaving for the Marines a week or so ago. He was in for a few days so I took him and the girls to one of my favorite places on the mountain. Mabry's Mill. Tony and I celebrated our 16th anniversary on July 4th. He took me to another one of my favorite places on the mountain, so look for those pictures very soon!!

Mabry's Mill

Heaven, Meadow, Me and Sky

An old still

Meadow

Look at the trees!

Meadow and Mommy

Again

Heaven and Meadow

JR, my cuz

Heaven

Sky

My favorite picture of the day, Meadow reaching for my camera!

Sweet tiny bridge

View from inside the mill through the water wheel

July 6, 2009

Do you know God's will for you?

The last couple of years I've battled with going back to school many times. It's not a huge thing to look at it. To most people, and I have to admit even to me, it wasn't something that important. I felt like that no matter what I chose to do, either decision would be right. If I were to go back to school it would be to benefit my family and I could still homeschool. The direction was the hangup, which field, what did God want me to do?

In 2001 the Lord called me specifically and boldly to homeschool my girls.

This year marks the beginning of our ninth year.

It's been a journey.

A sweet one, a hard one.

It's been lonely at times and I am in the minority.

Homeschooling itself isn't the problem.

Fighting the feelings that my life is passing me by and that when my girls are grown and gone I'll have nothing to show for it, now that is my battle.

Somedays its money, because living off of one income and no insurance is NOT easy. My faith has faltered a lot over the last 9 years and I've fallen quite short. I've tried to jump ship many, many times. Always reasoning things like, friends and socializing, money, sports, exercise, camps, dances, all the many things that my girls miss out on that all of the other children in public schools get. What about schedules, educational benefits, independence, field trips and lectures?

Then the other end of the pole, me time, freedom, something of my own, a job, a talent, the money, job security, clothes, a savings account, a nicer vehicle, a home on some land, dreams, insurance, the dentist even a pedicure. After all I see so many successful ministers that send their children to public school. It couldn't be a sin for me.

I've contemplated this decision, not neccesarily to stop homeschooling but to go back to school for a long time now but the last year I've contemplated it ALOT. Remember when I sent the girls to a Christian School last year? I asked God, "Speak to me God, tell me what You want me to do? Does it matter if I become a teacher, a nurse, I want to know what You want me to, I need to know which direction to go. I can go, You know for free."

It was at this point doors began to open. I've wanted to be a nurse for a long time and in the past I'll just tell you, the opportunity hasn't been there. Any door that might open for me to go into nursing was several years down the road. This time when I began to seek which direction to go, things were different. I travelled to school about an hour away. I was allowed to take a test to determine if I would qualify to go into the nursing program they offered. I was treated poorly, like a dumb person seeking something that would never happen. I went in to take the test and it was on a computer. Most of it was multiple choice. I had no worries in the English or Reading but the math, well that was another story. I worked for hours on that test. (it wasn't timed) When I entered that ladies office I just knew that I had failed.

To my amazement she said, "These are some of the highest test scores I've seen in a long time." I have 4 positions open for our nursing program and I'm offering one of them to you.

WOW!

Talk about a confidence booster!

I came home so excited. I prayed, I talked to my husband, my best friend. I was ecstatic. I finally had the opportunity to do something I'd always wanted to do. The thing is, I didn't have peace. I had a week or so before having to decide so I sought God for answers but none would come. My head hurt and it felt like a tornado inside of my mind. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't think my way out of this or into it. I was at a deadlock.

This nursing program would require me stop homeschooling immediately, or to allow my girls to be homeschooled in the evenings. This meant they'd be alone all day everyday Monday through Friday. Or I could put them in school.

Why wasn't I hearing from God?

I knew my husband had something but he likes to allow me to make my own decisions. I went to him and told him that I couldn't make this one. I needed him as a child of God, head of our home, my husband and father to our girls to tell me what to do.

He said, "Jennifer, take a few night classes in the fall if you'd like but wait on this nursing program."

I was so relieved. It was NOT what I wanted to hear but I was SO relieved. I had peace and I slept that night.

The next week at church I had the opportunity to speak with my Pastor, Bishop Coleman. As he listened so intently to my dilemma, he shared such wise words with me. He too had been at a crossroads. The Lord had told him that if he really wanted to go one way, the Lord would allow it, but that it wasn't God's perfect will for him. It could be His permissive will. He shared that many times doors of opportunity opened up but that they were not always from God. Often times they were traps. He asked me plainly and simply, "Look at what God has asked you to do and do that. No less, no more, just do what He has asked you to do. Many times when God isn't speaking it is because He has nothing to say. If He has already told you one time He isn't going to keep repeating Himself. Abraham heard God every single time He spoke and in between times he didn't run around in a tizzy wondering what to do until He spoke again. And do not forget that there are consequences to stepping out of God's perfect will. If the Lord says, go ahead, I'll allow this to be My permissive will, you will miss out on many blessings."

I knew then, with the confirmation, what I was suppose to do.

After hearing the sermon below (I Am Not For Sale) the Lord showed so clearly that satan was trying to get me to sell out. He was trying to tempt me to step out of God's will.

You know I've always said that if I could be in God's perfect will I'd be happy and I would never long for anything else. But the testing and trials and battles do NOT stop just because you are where you should be. They continue on sometimes even harder because often times its just ole satan trying to move you.

Being on both sides, I'm not sure which is harder, not listening when God is saying move or trying to move when God says be still. Both are hard battles, especially when you aren't hearing clearly but once you do and submit and relax you can sit back and enjoy what the Lord has in store for you.

I continue to pray that I have a heart after God's own heart, that my desires be as His desires are and that I seek Him more and more as never before.

Thank-you Lord, for making things so clear to me, before it was too late.

July 5, 2009

I AM NOT FOR SALE!!!!

Sometimes you have lessons that you learn after the fact. You make the mistake and are all of a sudden acutely aware that you, as a matter of fact, just made a huge mistake. Sometimes the Lord leads you plainly and you are able to avoid the pit falls and consequences there in.

I have to say I prefer the latter.

Then there are those times that you battle. You find yourself being led slowly in a particular direction and you honestly don't have clear direction on whether it's right or wrong. It isn't a particular sin, its more of a direction you are heading. Should you do this or should you do that, should go here or should you go there. Through your physical eyes neither direction looks wrong, but you have a strong desire in your spirit man to choose the path God wants you to choose. It's just not clear which path He wants you to take. This is a frustrating time.

Sometimes you find yourself slowly slipping. Your thoughts navigate towards the negative, your words begin to follow, your attitude falls in line with your thinking and your words. You didn't mean to do anything wrong but one day you wake up and find yourself in a slump, a mess, a pit.

Satan is always seeking, in every single one of these ways, to get you out of the will of God.

I have been wrestling with the above thoughts over the last few weeks in many different aspects. From the aspect of which way to go, the aspect of recognizing satan and from the aspect of getting out of the pit.

The Lord answered me but not in the way that I thought He would. I'll share that in my next post.

Our service today was powerful. The scripture that Bishop Coleman used was:

Kings 21:1-4 And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.” But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!” So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.

We are living in a time when people give their flesh whatever it desires. People sell out cheap. They sell out to being comfortable, to justifying sin, they sell out to stubborness and not obeing God's word. They sell out to Rock and Roll, they sell out for popularity or to be cool, they sell out for money, they sell out because "it's what everyone is doing". They live beyond their means because their wants overcome their actual need, because it isn't fair to see other people have so much, or other people's children have so many commodities and you feel like your child is always doing without. People sell out to the highest bidder.

It's so easy to sell out, the instant pleasure, the immediate high. It is easy to serve the devil, all you have to do is jump in the boat. You don't have to work for it, have patience, or even think for that matter. No rowing required, you just have to GO.

One of satan's ploys is to devalue your experience with God. He wants to *lessen* our experience and make us forget the powers of darkness that the Lord delivered us out of. He wants to convince us that we were never truly delivered to begin with, he weakens us down and pressures us to try and get us to sell out.

It happens all the time. You even see it happen to people who have walked with God for a long time.

You see people go back into situations time and time again knowing the Lord is TRYING to move them to a place of freedom, victory, deliverance, order, wisdom. Somehow, they don't want to move, they want to suffer, they want to be in bondage, they want to justify the wrong they see and pretend they don't. They just want what they've always had, to be comfortable.

I want to say to you today, "DO NOT SELL OUT!"

God has a divine plan for me. He has a divine plan for you. It is time for Christians today to STAND and SHOUT.

'I AM NOT FOR SALE!'

We are fighting for something that is worth fighting for. We have abundant life, a life that cancels death. Did you hear that? A life that cancels death. We CAN live in victory! Our abundant life produces peace and righteousness. If my inward man is strong then my outward man will be strong. If you believe it you will live it. Re-examine what God has called you to do. Are you in His perfect will? Are you where God wants you to be? Or are you where YOU want to be because leaving is hard and the new place is uncomfortable? Are you really doing what He has called you to do? Or are you doing what YOU want to do for God? Are you doing what God has called you to do with purpose, with a full heart, to the best of your ability or are you slacking? Is it about God? Or is it about you?

DO NOT TURN YOUR HEART AWAY FROM GOD!!!

It is time to stop looking at what everyone has, it is time to stop looking at what everyone else is doing. Look at where you have fallen from and get back into that secret place of the most HIGH and abide under the shadow of the Almighty! Do NOT come out of a high place to answer satan in a low place! God has sewn us into the earth in such a time as this so that we can RISE UP, STAND FIRM, BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, BE THE SALT OF THE EARTH WITH FULL FLAVOR FILLED WITH EXCEEDING GREATNESS. So that we can SHINE JESUS TO A LOST AND DYING WORLD!!!

The cultural world has an appearance of godliness but denies the power there of! The devil is after our inheritance because it changes lives. I once WAS lost but NOW I'm found. Because of Jesus Christ.

Naboth knew.

He didn't have to run and ask the prophet. He didn't need advice or council.

He knew.

He knew that his inheritance was a wealth for generations. He knew that the Lord had forbidden him to sell his inheritance, no matter what the worth, or what the price. He had a relationship with God. He stood on the rock. He took a stand and he said, "I will not sin against my God!" What he had was more important to him than money. It was more important to him than anything. He knew that what he was fighting for was worth fighting for.

I love that he knew, with no second thought.

My testimony is not for sale. Who I am and who you are IS important. People know you by the fruit you bare, not by the words you speak but by the life you live. Your lifestyle. If you don't live the life of your testimony then your words are worthless.

Are you singing His praises from the rooftops in spite of your circumstances?

Don't sell out and stay in a prison of a church that is operating completely out of order because satan is feeding you lies about the very place the Lord is trying to lead you.

Don't stay out of church because you are weak, sick, tired and down trodden. It's the gathering and meeting that strengthens us. We are told in His word in Hebrews 10:25 to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

Don't allow satan to water you down. Do not open the door to him through music, friends, computer, drugs, sex, alcohol, gossip, parties, wrong company, laziness, doubt, faithlessness, adultery, language, pride, money or anything!

Get in the word, make time for God, pray and pray in the spirit. Obey.

Stand up and say!

'I AM NOT FOR SALE!'

(These are my words and notes mixed with pastor's taken from the message titled, "I Am Not For Sale." by Bishop David T. Coleman, pastor at Harvest Worship Center. July 5th, 2009)

July 3, 2009

Matthew 6:33

June 30, 2009

Sharing Wise Words

This is from a bloggy friend of mine. The whole post can be found at Internet Cafe Devotions-All The Things I Can Not Do.

Sometimes I find I can express myself very well, others I feel as though I have so much bottled up inside of me when I start to put it down on paper it doesn't come out right or I use too many words to get the point across. I read this the other day and it really hit home with some of the things the Lord has been revealing to me so I thought I would share this since it was said so well for me.

Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (NIV) My God purposed me for a destiny created just for me. He knew my limitations before I did and that did not change His mind about the things He created me to do. When I let go of my predisposed beliefs about my purpose and I take on the purposes of God then I realize that “I CAN do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Phil 4:13

Now, I spend time listening to the heart of God. Using my gifts, strengths and abilities in alignment with Him allows me to overcome my disability and further the kingdom of God in a way I never could on my own.

Is there a circumstance in your life that has limited to you? Is there something you need to lay at the cross? Let’s take time today to get in touch with the one who created us and find out the purpose He has for each of our lives. In doing so, we can overcome our circumstances and become that which God created us to be.

I just couldn't have said it better myself.