This is Your Time
by Michael W. Smith

It was a test we could all hope to pass
But none of us would want to take.
Faced with the choice to deny God to live,
For her, there was one choice to make.

This was her time. this was her dance.
She lived every moment; left nothing to chance.
She swam in the sea; drank of the deep;
Embraced the mystery of all she could be.

This was her time...

Though you are mourning and grieving with us,
Death died a long time ago;
Swallowed in life so that life carries on.
Still its so hard to let go.

This was her time. this was her dance.
She lived every moment; left nothing to chance.
She swam in the sea; drank of the deep;
Embraced the mystery of all she could be.

What if tomorrow, and what if today,
Faced with the question,
Oh what would you say?

This is your time. this is your dance.
Live every moment. leave nothing to chance.
Swim in the sea. drink of the deep.
Follow the mercy and hear yourself praying.

Wont you save me?
Wont you save me?

This is your time. this is your dance.
Live every moment. leave nothing to chance.
Swim in the sea. drink of the deep.
Embrace the mystery of all you can be.

This is your time. this is your dance.

Live every moment. leave nothing to chance.

Swim in the sea. drink of the deep.

Embrace the mystery of all you can be.

This is Your time.

A Woman of Action

I watched Second Chance (with Michael W. Smith) the other day and it ignited a fire within me that had been smoldering for quite a while. All my life I've wanted to be a WOMAN OF ACTION. Actually, for the longest time I couldn't verbalize my thoughts, then I read Sister Freaks (by Rebecca St. James) and read a story about a woman who was sold out for God. The book referred to her as a woman of ACTION. I was intrigued. More than intrigued, I was set on fire. Finally, a title for who I want to become. After a few moments of excitement and desire for sold-out-ness for Christ, I realized that I wasn't exactly sure what a woman of action was. I had an idea, a feeling of who she was. So I grabbed my journal and pen and set out to write down, for later reference, encouragement and reminder, exactly what a woman of action was.

So - here it goes. (coming straight from my journal...you should feel special ;-) )

What is a Woman of Action?

- A servant. Practically this could mean doing things around the house, helping out at church etc. Servants are RARELY out in the middle being the center of attention, they hide in the back room doing random acts of kindness for others: emptying the trash, cleaning up after a meal, making a family member's bed, etc.

- A Woman of Action reaches out to others. I'm so often stuck in my own world and littl group of friends that I miss out on everyone else around me. Littler girls who could use a hug, a peice of encouragement or, even better, a listening ear. The elderly who could use someone to talk to or simply someone to care about them. The woman of action just looks around, and opens her eyes to the people around her. (I fail at this miserably, but I'm going to try to do better)

- She loves. I've seen young women like this. They just absolutely shine with the love of Jesus. They show love to all, not just those who are easy to love. Lord, please help me to love. TRULY love. Not simply outward actions but deep within my heart. A woman o faction is usually surrounded by people because of this very trait. People hunger for love. It's the Christian's job to show them true love, the love of Jesus.

- The Woman of Action sees a need then fulfills it. Actually seeing a need is almost half the battle. It means taking our eyes off of ourself and looking outward and upward. Fulfilling that need is the tougher of the two (for me, at least). Sure, I can recognize needs pretty easily. But figuring out how to fulfill it, then actually doing it is extremely difficult. Fulfilling needs of others is a strange thing in this world. You will be deemed "different" because of it. But don't let that stop you. Go ahead, change the world.

- A Woman of Action is head-over-heels, in love with, crazy-about, completely, 100% obsessed about JESUS. She realizes that without HIM, she is nothing. He is the whole reason she is a woman of action. It's because of Jesus that she sacrifices spending time with friends to talk to the new quiet girl or help in the kitchen. It's because of HIM that she sacrifices that new outfit she's been wanting to give her $ to an important ministry. The woman of action is NOT perfect and she knows it. You can't fake her kind of spirit and love. If you try to forge them from inside yourself people will see right through you. It only comes form Christ. It is Him, the woman of action is trying to please. She gives all honor and glory to Jesus and HIM ALONE! Because, as I said before, without Him, she is nothing.

- She is set apart. Holy. Different (in a good and godly way, not pink hair and peircings kinda way). She's not afraid to be shunned by her friends, family, pop-culture or guys. Frankly, all she cares about is pleasing her Savior. If we make that TRULY our focus, then its almost impossible not to be holy and set apart. She loves to love and spend time with people (as we've previously seen), but her focus isn't on social events or making sure she has a party or get-together every weekend. She thinks and lives for eternity.

- She embraces her god-given role as a woman. She embraces her femininity with all of her heart. She delights in being a woman of God. She doesn't wish she was a man able to do masculine things. I personally LOVE this kind of thing. I love when men are men and women are women. There's a reason we were created differently. Just as an example, take a glance at a woman's hands and a man's hands. Men's hands are big, rough and calloused. They are used to work, however, if needed, they can be gentle too. Women's hands are soft and lovely. They are used mainly to nurture and care for, but if need be, they can work HARD too. I once heard the difference between men and women put this way: Men are PROTECTERS of life. And women are the NURTURERS of life. What a beautiful picture.

"Be with me, Jesus and change me into a woman of action for YOU." Amen.

God's Providence

"The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the Lord, will answer them myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them. I will open the rivers on the bare heights and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land fountains of water."

Isaiah 41:17-18

This morning I had planned to read Isaiah 40 (an amazing chapter) but, by God's grace, I glanced over to the next page and read this passage. I've read this chapter several times, but this time, it jumped out at me. I love that.

This verse can be applied to most anything. Young women, such as myself, are thirsty for a beloved. A good and godly young man who loves the Lord as much as they do. So sometimes, we desire that, and look around to see that there is none. Just as the needy in this passage look around for water and see that there is none. But, because He can do anything, God CREATES the water where there was never water before! He opens rivers on the bare heights. Where people thought water would NEVER be, it was.

HE WILL PROVIDE!

Of course, there are many other applications to this section, but I chose this one because I've seen with my own eyes it come to pass.

My sister Erin has had a desire to be married her entire life. However, growing up in Utah where there were few Christians to be found and then moving to the middle of nowhere, where there were few people to be found, she had slim pickins'. If you want to hear her entire testimony, I'm sure she'd be glad to tell you herself. But in a nutshell, she took a ride on the wild side and came home with a souveneir, her son, Ethan. ;-)
Through much prayer, my dear sister came back to Jesus, her first love. She got her life back together and became a WONDERFUL example of Christ. I am so blessed to have her as a sister!

This didn't change the fact that she still wasn't married, and there weren't young men around who were her age and interested in starting a family. From a human's perspective, there was no beloved in sight.

God's perspective, of course, is much larger (thankfully!). Last fall my mom felt called to pray that Erin would be married by the summer of 2009. She asked me to pray also. Here's where things get complicated and SO God filled.
We have some friends, the Davis family, who had moved to Georgia in early 2008. Mrs. Davis has always keeping an eye out for any good catches for Erin, called around July or August telling Erin that she had a man for her. (I'm not sure of all the dates and details so you'd have to ask Erin for sure) She gave the guy Erin's email address and the two (Erin and Dylan) started emailing each other back and forth. This man lived in Georgia and went to the same church as the Davis'. He had a 14 year old daughter and was a very strong Christian and godly man. As the two continued their contacts they realized how much they had in common and how exact their core beliefs were. Dylan asked Erin if he could give her a call. Then they started their phone call stage. OH was it a stage! haha. My family had a running joke, "Hey, where'd Erin go?" "Oh, she's on the PHONE?! what a surprise!" (note the sarcasm).
I think it was November or December that Dylan came up for his first visit. And it just went from there!

So to make a long story short, last Saturday, March 7, 2009, Erin and Dylan joined their hearts together in marriage!!! <3

God provided for Erin in His mysterious ways. And He can most definitely provide for you. Where Erin thought there was only dry and parched land, God opened the rivers and the waters of God's goodness flowed. PTL.

The Tuggle Family :)