god is love.....

Well it has been one of the most beautiful weekends. We went to New Orleans to visit with Granny Patsy it was her birthday on the 25th. Aunt Eva and Aunt Ebby were in from Alabama so we got to visit with them also. We had a great time and ate an awesome breakfast on Saturday morning. We returned home and Bryan and I went to the LSU game and watched them beat Mississippi State. Not pretty but a win none the less. Church was great as usual, pastor preached the heart of God. We then went on a church picinic and enjoyed some great fellowship. After that we went to see FIREPROOF. What an awesome movie about the love of GOD. I highly recommend this movie to everyone. Take the time to support movies like this. If we do then more will be made. The same church that produced FACING THE GIANTS made this movie. Kirk Cameron, back from our days (Growing Pains) was the lead and this movie is well worth you seeing it. We are home now getting ready for school for tomorrow.

Looking to make some good progress on the book so this week will be very focused. Love y'all.

hey.....

Hey friends and family. The compiling of the book is coming along. I have written the forward and have all of the entries in WORD so I can begin editing. Be rest assured that the editing will be at a minimum. I will only correct misspelled words. It is my heart's desire to leave it as raw and original as possible. Please be praying for me and this whole process, I need divine appointments and the Lord to direct my steps. I am confident He will, I just want it covered in prayer.

Today would have been our 19th anniversary. I guess another year of dealing with these special days and his absence has begun. People always say that time has a way of healing pain, but I would like to say that only the Lord can help us grieve loss. I have realized oh so clearly that we have bought into the worlds idiology about death, loss and grief. There is pain involved but when we think on the death, when we think about the person who's gone on, our hearts can be filled with joy. Joy of the memories shared, joy because they have experienced a promotion, joy in telling all the old stories. If we purpose to, we can continually celebrate that person's life by enjoying what they brought into our lives for however long they were allowed to be here.

We all gained so much in knowing George. I ran into a someone who knew George through another friend of ours. He was unaware that George had been sick and that he had passed away. There was shock on his face and he had me repeat it several times. He said a mouthful at one point when he said, "You know, I had never met anyone like George before, He was a special guy." That is many peoples statements. But George would want us all to know that whatever good you saw in him, received from him, loved about him----It was Jesus in him.

Love, RW

reminded...

I have spent time this week working on getting this blog ready to be published. I have started writting the Forward and thought about how the book is to be formatted. I know that the book will end with the writing I found about George calling forth his destiny. I thought I would repost it for you all to read again. Here it is

This was something George wrote on Monday March 3, 1997:

I have a destiny---that is farther reaching than my own self. I have a destiny that goes beyond my own greed, my own lust, my own wants and my own desires, my own passions. I have a destiny-- that's bigger than racism and bigotry and hate. It is bigger than pride and position, possession, and income and all of those physical and social trappings, we cling to so desperately. Hang on, oh my soul to the one who guides you, the one who made you, to the one who called you. I have a destiny that is not bound by political rule and governmental boundaries or corporate ownership. Even health--good or bad--cannot prevent my destiny. I want my destiny, I need my destiny. I crave my destiny. I have to fulfill my destiny! It is calling to me--I am racing to my destiny--I can see it dimly in the dawn--my heart pounds, my body struggles, my muscles burn and ask for rest-- but I cannot stop nor even slow down, for I must apprehend my destiny. As thirst screams for quenching--my very being thirsts for my destiny--fatigue cannot stop or dissuade me from my destiny. Depression? move to the left, anxiety? move to the right, for my destiny I have in sight. I command inspiration to come and lift me toward my goal. I command passion to come and fuel the long drive towards my destiny. I command persistence to come and assist me in the pursuit of my destiny. I come against any bondage that would prevent the attainment of my destiny--any of the "petty" frivolities that would entangle and hamper the attainment of my most ultimate desire. As minutes turn into hours and hours into days, weeks, months, and years, I seek my destiny. I will not be relegated to the archives of history. Futility, I damn you ---you are a facade. HA!HA! You are uncovered for what you really are! Nothing! Nothing but a deceptive mirage of sorts put in my path by who knows who, to distract me from my destiny. Yes, my love, I will one day embrace you as a child its mother, I am coming for you and no other only you, oh lover of my soul. I hear your whispers in the night, your call in my soul. I see a glimpse of you in the dawn-but only from within the cleft of this rock--when can I come out and gaze fully into your face? Ah yes. I know I must be patient, but please, don't ever let me go, for life itself has no meaning at all, apart from YOU-- may I dream of you every night, and every day let me keep you within my sight. Above and beyond every single thing in life, I must attain my destiny and nothing can stop me, for it is MY DESTINY.

Enough said,
Robin

one year....

As we have come to the one year anniversary of George's homegoing I am quickly reminded of God's faithfulness. It has been a year of much emotion as we have gone through birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas, anniversaries, Lauren's graduation, the birth of our great niece, so many things have happened in this year. In the midst of these events, I have not only experienced the absence of George in our lives but I have also experienced that he would have wanted us rejoicing and not mourning. I have mentioned to many people that lately I have missed the energy that Goerge brought to every situation. I miss the intensity that George brought into a room. I think in the aftermath of the hurricane I really missed what I know he would have been doing. Getting the yard clean at any cost and helping so many others in need. That was George and that was what drove him. So as we remember George, let's think about what he would desire for us. What would he want us to experience in this life, even in his absence. He has experienced the greatest promotion this life has to offer. George is in that great cloud of witnesses cheering us on from the other side. Do you hear him, goodness knows he was loud enough, remember the richness of his voice and the excitement in his laughter. He is hooping and hollering, I can hear him.

His parents, Lauren and Bryan, my brother and his family all went to the cemetary Sunday. It was a time of rememberance for us all. I want to always be in a mode of celebrating George's life and the fact that he loved people with all of his heart. He always saw the best in people, even those difficult to love. George would find a way to love people. I am constantly reminded of his generosity, and heart to want all to feel the love of God.

RW

weathered the storm...

Well Gustav has come and gone but many are still feeling his affects. We have two big oak trees down. Thank God they did not fall on anything. We were without power for three days. We are so blessed because many are still without power and maybe without for weeks. A friend of mine, Scott, and I were talking about the spiritual hurricanes that blow through our lives and blow out a lot of debris. Then it is time for cleanup and new life to emerge. We need to take stock of what God wants us to clean out of our lives. What does the wind of His spirit want to blow out of our lives. What does He desire to change in our lives? I have gotten to the place of surrender again and again where I ask God to continue to have His way in me. If any one needs anything please let us know and I will see if I can get you some help. I love you all and thanks for keeping up with us. RW

hard to believe....

Yes, go ahead and let it be known, Robin has a daughter who is an LSU college student. I refuse to believe that I am old enough to have a child in college. How can it seem as though you just left campus and truly that was 20 years ago. Twenty years, you've got to be kiddin' me. Where has the time gone. I guess that is what happens while we are living life, ----time is passing. I think that is why the Bible tells us to redeem our time because the days are evil. I think part of redeeming our time is acknowledging that, like it or not it is continuing to pass and it will stop for no man. My gray hair is evidence of that.

God continues to amaze me with how He will give us divine appointments if we will keep our eyes open for them. I was in a furniture store with a friend of mine this weekend, and ended up in a conversation with the sales lady about George and the faith journey we have been on. It was awesome watching God come on the scene. She then expressed how she would have loved to have known George and how blessed she was that we came in the store yesterday. WOW God just do what you want to do. She gave us her cell phone and email address so we could stay in touch with her.

Keep the fire burning and let the trials in our lives prove God as faithful and then tell others about our awesome God and how He will see us through.

RW

God continues to do....

God continues to do what only He can do. As we surrender our lives to Him, He promises to lead and direct our paths. However, we must not lean on our own understanding. As I begin this new phase of life, I look forward with great anticipation to what God has in store. As we step out and seek to obey Him, He meets us and gives us light for the next step.

Lauren is officially employed now at Target. She is so excited and will be starting college (LSU) on the 25th. I have a daughter in college. There is nothing ok about that. Where has the time gone. I think I blinked and someone sped the time forward on me.

For those of you that read this blog and go to Hosanna, I want to encourage all of us to get on board with the vision Pastor has for us. We need to all dare to believe God and expect Him to refresh and revive us and speak this to those around us. Life is not about work, school, church and repeating that week after week. Life is about searching for the eternal purpose for the lives we come across on a daily basis. Life is about seeking the Lord and the way He would have us conduct ourselves in the midst of the circumstances we find ourselves in. Press into the things of the Lord and expect Him to answer and show the way. Love ya, RW

faith, hope, and love...

I watched the video of George the other night. He set up the camera and for over 40 minutes he read different scriptures to us. He skipped around the Bible reading out loud. It was great seeing him on the video. Much of what he read had to do with faith and love. The Lord began ministering to me as George was reading. If we settle the issues of faith and love hope will take care of itself. As we live expecting God to honor His word and being faithful to what He has promised and loving those around us then we will live with hope in our lives.

Lauren has gone with Becca, a friend of hers, to move her into her dorm in Cleveland, TN. She will be coming home with Becca's mom on Sunday. She is growing up and it is different working through the releasing her to go and do things without me. It's all part of the process and the passage of time.

I encourage you all to keep your heart open to God. There is constantly things He is trying to teach us. Our hearts need to be pliable in His hands. We need to be quick to obey and the Lord leads us. more later, RW

school started.....,

Well today was the first day of school for Bryan. It was his first day of school in his life that didn't include Lauren and I being there. Real different for me to drop him off and not stick around. God has faithfully shown me some things about myself. It is not always nice seeing things about yourself that God wants to change. He wants to change my way of thinking and looking a things, people and situations. I have seemed to allow myself to be distracted in a couple of areas getting my mind and heart off of HIS purposes and set on my own. However, God in His gentle way can get our attention and redirect and focus us on what is ultimately important. It never fails when we get ourselves on our minds too much God has to get our attention and let us know it is NOT about us.

Today I have officially started the process of making this blog into a book. Please pray for God's direction and that I will have the mind of Christ in all that I do. I want to know what He wants.

I have had to surrender, resurrender, and surrender again. RW

pics..

Here are a couple of pics of Lauren and I, one from prom the other from graduation. I am finally learning how to post pictures. We have been pretty busy trying to get ourselves ready for the new school year. Lauren and Bryan along with Nana's assitance have been rearranging their rooms. So the house is upside down but it will soon be coming together.

I am finding myself in constan surrender mode. Surrendering plans, surrendering emotions, surrendering it all. The process of dying to self is not easy, but quite necessary. I will start working on publishing the blog Monday. Compiling it all together and writing a synopsis of what was happening along the way. I can't wait to get going with this because I feel it is the calling to the Lord to get this done. I go into this next phase of life with mych anticipation of what God wants to do IN and through me.

Oh, while mom was cleaning out a drawer for Lauren to have the chest of drawers she found a video tape left behind by George. It was in the back of his underwear drawer, labeled GEORGE--HIMSELF 1/26/06. I have not watched it yet but will watch tonight. I am sure he will start by saying, "You have just now cleaned out my underwear drawer!!" Can't wait to hear from him. Lately, I have been missing him in a new way. Missing his insightful comments, missing his humor, missing his wisdom, missing the decisions he would be making.

More after church tomorrow, RW

school soon to start...

Well we bought Bryan school uniforms the other day. Trying to get ready for the new school year. Lauren is steady preparing for LSU. I have been helping a friend of mine out at his business four or five hours a day. He owns a printing company and it has been interesting learning how that business works.

You know the Lord is ever wanting to teach us things. I have begun learning more and more about the love of Christ. I Corinthians 13 is such a wonderful passage. I want a more in depth understanding of this love. I want to see myself operating in this love in all of my relationships. As we read this passage we realize how sacrificial this love truly is. It holds no record of wrong, it does not seek its own, it is patient and kind. WOW!!!! Jesus must love like this through us because we are totally incapable of such love. As pastor Ralph preached Wednesday we need to clean our loves out of the dust that collects so that times of refreshing my come. We get so bogged down in the act of living that we forget about the most precious thing around us---people. Lord open our eyes to those around us. Those that are in need of an encouraging word, a smile of peace and joy. Let us realize that if we stay consumed with ourselves we miss opportunities to exhibit the love of God. more later RW

Go God....

Yesterday was an awesome church service. The Lord is letting us know that He desires to be manifest before us. He desires for us to believe Him and hold nothing back. Corporately, He is wanting us to be convinced that in this life there is nothing else that matters but the Kingdom of God. Hosanna, we are on the brink of seeing a move of the Spirit like never before. Press in, don't lose heart, believe, take all the limits off of God. This needs to be our testimony, not only when we are speaking to each other, but while we are out doing our daily things. God is among men desiring to make Himself known. He is desiring to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, so let's dare to believe that this is true. Let's dare to step out and pray with those we come across in our daily lives and watch God move and people see the out stretched hand of God ministering through us. Lord we move through our daily lives with great anticipation of what you want to do in and through us. Make us sensitive to your voice and the move of your Spirit. We submit ourselves to you dying to our own expectations and desires and allowing Your expectations and desires to be made manifest in our lives. Lord move mightily through us as we believe you and put ACTION to our FAITH. RW

colorado

This is a pic of Lauren close to the Continental Divide. You can see tire tracks in the snow behind us that is where Randy got the 4-wheel drive Bronco stuck. Fortunately, 24 ATV riders showed up and helped push him out. It took us 3 hours to drive 13 miles but oh it was a lot of fun.

God is great-God is good

Oh my word if we only understood what we are on the verge of church we would be on our faces. God so desires to manifest His presence in our midst and some seem to be content with things as usual. It is not time for things as usual, it is time to take the gloves off and get down to some spiritual warfare. Our weapons are not carnal but are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds and we must activate those weapons in these end times or we will merely watch the events from a distance. Oh Lord I do not want to watch from a distance I want to be in the heat of the battle seeing you do great and mighty things in and through me. Church let the cry of your heart be come Lord Jesus come. Do in us and through us that which will advance the kingdom. It is time to mobilize. For months the words in my heart from the Lord are, " DO WHAT YOU KNOW TO DO." We keep looking for greater revelation, and more words and God is asking us to get busy doing what He has already entrusted to our care. Let's not be like those who did nothing with their talents and just waited on their lords return, but let's be those working when He returns. Seeking Him is part of that work. Believing Him is part of that work. Extending the love of Jesus is part of that work. Be diligent to be on the cutting edge of what the Spirit is crying out to the BODY.

I love you all. RW

back home....

The kids and I are back home after two glorious weeks in Colorado. There are simply no words that can express the beauty and majesty of the mountains in Colorado. I actually stood on top of the Continental Divide and looked 360 degrees and saw the most awesome snow capped mountains. There was such a sense of God's awesomeness in my heart as I looked over His creation. I stood spellbound knowing that what I was seeing doesn't even compare with the experience George is having in heaven. Seeing Jesus face to face, being able to understand the spirit realm, knowing and talking with the saints of old. What an incredible thought.

God is doing so much in my life. Sometimes I feel as though I am on a launching pad and the preparation is taking place but I have no idea where I am headed. As the summer comes quickly to a close I will soon begin the undertaking of publishing the blog, and finishing the other book George had started. Please pray that I stay very sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I don't want to miss even one whispher the Father is speaking. God is desiring to move in our midst in ways that we have only read about in the book of Acts and books written long ago about great revivals. It is time for the church to dare to actually believe what we read. I think as we stepped out and trusted God for George's healing and even his ressurection it was the first step in our coming to the place of anticipation of what God is wanting to do in and through us. God not answering that prayer has nothing to do with His inability or our lack of faith. Rememeber as the Lord laid on my heart that His reason for not moving in the midst of such great faith is because the greater purpose for the kingdom will be fulfilled through George's death. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that George showed us all how to live graciously and to die with faith trusting and believing God no matter what. I also believe that now that he is with Jesus we must purpose to let the Lord have His way in each of us. Let the power of the Holy Spirit move on our hearts and change us. We need each to purpose to ask God to demonstrate His love, agape love through us. Yes we need to reach out to the unlovable and the sinner, but we must also love our spouses with agape love, love our brothers and sisters in the Lord with agape love, and realize that agape love is sacrificial it does not ever seek its own. It is not about protecting itself, it is about giving and giving even when nothing is returned.

I love each of you. Thanks for keeping up with us and taking the time to read my thoughts. RW

faith and feelings....

Isn't it interesting that sometimes we sense so obviously the presence of the Lord in our lives. It seems as though everything we hear, everything we read, and those we talk to is the leading of the Lord. Then without notice it seems as though the heavens are brass and the Lord is a million miles away. I was talking with a friend about this. It seems as though the Lord wants to make sure we do not depend on what we feel. We must depend on the truth of the Word. We must stake our very lives on what we know to be true. I will never leave you or forsake you. He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. I will always lead you into triumph.

These are truths that we need to know and believe. We must know the word, believe the word and use the word. In order for us to constantly know that the Lord is at work in our lives we must USE the word. We may not feel anything but we can still be convinced because God's word does what it is sent to do. God is so good to us. Believe, believe. RW

July 9th

Yesterday was George's birthday. A day of much reflection and missing him. Another milestone in the year of first that must be endured. We spent the day with family and of course that helped, as well as trusting the Lord to see us through. He is faithful and we talked about many George memories and moments. If any of you want to check out a tribute to George you can go to www.mem.com and type in his name and see some pics and stuff. I want to add more to that page later.

I am seeking the Lord for more direction as I start working on the books that I want to get published. Not going back to teaching this year is going to be different but I know that God is in it. I am just trusting Him to show me each step of the way. Lauren is registered at LSU and Bryan will be starting school August 11. It is a time of new beginnings and that is what the Lord has been ministering to me. Isaiah 43 & 44 are the scriptures I have been pondering and I continue to hang on to what God has in store for me and the kids. Please continue to pray for me that I would be sensitive to what the Lord is wanting me to do. I love you all and thank you for your prayers. RW

enjoying summer

We have really been enjoying our summer. Last week we went to orientation at LSU and Lauren officially has her schedule and is ready to go. She will be looking for a job and settling to her new life as an LSU Tiger. I am just a little excited since I am an alumni. While we were on campus I was telling Lauren how surreal it was knowing that I had walked those halls and sat in many of those classrooms some twenty years before her. I am so thrilled that she is pressing in to what God has for her.

Bryan will be back at Hosanna and starting the 8th grade. I can't believe that he will be finishing up junior high this school year. He is as tall as I am and growing everyday.

God is of course on the move. We as the body of Christ are in store for much of God's presence but we must press in to Him. He wants to be looked for, searched out, and known. Wednesday night at church was absolutely incredible. We had a guest speaker, a pastor from India. It was such an anointed service and God moved on many hearts. There is NOTHING that satisfies like the awesome presence of God. I mean the presence where you can basically feel Him in the room. The Lord has continued to deal with me about obedience and dying to self. I thinks we never arrive in either of these areas it is a constant learning and growing.

Be blessed my friends and know that I love you all. RW

leaning...

Today at a party I was talking to Greg and Craig and we were talking about leaning not to our own understanding. As we were talking it became so apparent that, that is one of the keys to victory. We cannot afford to try to figure out situations in our own understanding. God alone knows why He allows things in our lives that do not make sense. I mean why do we have to have people die young in our lives, why do accidents happen, why do our children turn their backs on what they know is the truth. All of these situations make no sense in the natural. However, in the spirit there may be many reasons. We have a real enemy that is after bringing us to a place of doubt and unbelief. He (the enemy) is trying to make our walks (lives) totally ineffective for the kingdom. The Lord allows these difficulties because He is attempting to create something in us that will last for eternity, and here in the temporal existence is where we learn it. WOW!!!! You mean this is a training ground. I say yes. He says we will rule and reign with Him. There must be things that we are to learn here that we may use in eternity. Our understanding must be deceptive if we are instructed not to lean on it. It is very tempting to look to the natural for answers, but God said there are no true answers in the natural realm. The truth about situations, people, and handling life's adventures must be found in the Spirit. Victory in situations does not come about by our own logic and figuring. The things of the Spirit seem to run contrary to the world's logic. Things in the visible try to mock the unseen. FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT SEEN. Our Lord reigns in the unseen realm. He is Lord of ALL visible and invisible. We must lift our eyes and ask the Lord to help us see with spiritual eyes.

Lord only you can give us clear vision of that which we can't see. Only you can give us wisdom and understanding of that which is out of our grasp to understand. And oh Lord when you shine light and give revelation there is nothing in this world as sweet as knowing that you are speaking to us. RW

Florida....

We just got back from a trip to Pensacola. We had a great time just relaxing and having nothing planned. The weather was great and Bryan definitely got some sun.

The last couple of weeks has been a time of much reflection. Father's Day was a difficult day but the body of Christ at Hosanna stepped up as usual and ministered great love to me and Lauren and Bryan. Russell, Margie, Pat and Charlotte, Rhonda, and Eileen you will never know what it meant to me to have you surrounding us in prayer. There is nothing that can take the place of the church reaching out to those within. Thank you. After church we went to River Ridge and spent time with Granny Patsy, Paw-Paw Mike, Mike, Eva and Carey. It was emotional but oh sooo good to be with family. I love them all so much and they have such a special place in my heart.

God is continuing to make me so aware of His ability to shelter, comfort and protect me. I love you all.

RW