Sunday, September 19, 2010

Quiet and Solitude..."A Sabbath Time"

(Gracie and Isabella watching the water on the path in front of Miss Jenny's house in New Bern, NC)

Quiet and Solitude...

What does that look like for each of us?

This past week I was given the GIFT of 3 days ALONE in New Bern to just BE
...to have a "Sabbath Time" as my dear pastor Mark referred to it.


 
The children and I enjoyed 4 days together with Daddy and the Healing Grace Church Family before I took my Sabbath Time. 

We enjoyed the Trent River and walks downtown Historic New Bern.

We enjoyed the sun and the cannons! And lots of GAME playing at 
Miss Jenny's Apartment
where Daddy has been living.


(Gracie, Liliana, and Daniel on the Cannon in Historic New Bern)

 
We spent time hanging out with each other in Miss Jenny's apartment...

Getting ice cream at the "Cow Cafe"

Taking a LONG boat ride
with our dear friends,

Margaret and Doug Brewbacker.
Bill and I got a ride to 
lunch with Pastor Mark and Miss Jane 
on the Brewbacker Shuttle!

SO FUN!!! 
Drove us right to the Restraunt steps! 

It was great to be able to have 
GOOD visits with members
of our church family
while we were there 
together.


 (Miss Jane and Pastor Mark enjoying lunch together with their new Team Members!)

 Sunday morning at Healing Grace was a HUGE shocker for me! 

The Spirit of God just OVERWHELMED me and I spent the majority of the service
in TEARS! = ) I wanted to break out DANCING in the aisles!!! 

But I ended up doing that in my car on the 5 hour drive back to VA! = ) 
Don't worry...I kept my eyes on the road. = )

It was SUCH a GIFT to see and EXPERIENCE what the Lord is doing at Healing Grace! 
To experience the worship, led by Bill, and the Word spoken by Pastor Mark. 

I spoke with a new member, after the service, and he shared that 
they had been searching for 2 years for a church in New Bern
and when they visited Healing Grace for the first time they 
could tell God was moving in this place and that Worship was happening. 

CAN'T WAIT to get there!

(Members of the HGC Leadership Team, Beth and Hank Corcoran with their grandchildren, 
Pastor Mark and some of our Tribe)

After Bill and the children left on Tuesday I enjoyed this...


 











A three hour nap and a hot bath! 

And the Beauty of Miss Jenny's WONDERFUL Apt.

 
(Miss Jenny and Daniel...Daniel LOVES Miss Jenny so much! THANK YOU, Miss Jenny, for your incredible kindness to our family!)

For the next 3 days I spent many hours in places like this...

  My camera was a bit testy so all the other LOVELY places didn't turn out. = ( 

Each hour I just felt myself unravelling. I likened it to a chain of little scared mice all holding on to eachother's tails...gripping each other with eyes squeezed shut. With each passing hour it was as if they were realizing that "It was ok" and began to open their eyes and RELAX their grip. = ) Sadly, I had reached a point of "Being Anxious"...and really didn't realize how much until I had this time alone.
By Friday morning I was SO LAID BACK!!! I'm sure Pastor Mark and Miss Jane thought I'd turned into another person! = ) I spent two nights at their lovely home and many hours outside in my fold up rocking chair enjoying the water..my little friend turtle and my other friend, Blue Heron. I had some wonderful chats and dinners with Mark and Jane ...it was just GOOD to be there.

Jesus met me in such sweet and deep ways. 
He spoke to my heart..."Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you 
the desires of your heart."

I could feel myself firming up...able to stand...like a little plant that had finally been given water after a long drought.

Bill left yesterday to return to New Bern. It's so nice to be able to visualize him there now. Today, the children and I visited a new church...New Horizon's in Radford, VA. 

The pastor is Rich Palmer, Caela's DCA Bible teacher. She has been attending their youth group for about a year now. 

The pastor that spoke, Phil Pendergrass, spoke on "From the Stirring (of the Holy Spirit) to the Steps"...UNBELIEVABLE! I drank in all he had to share. The Lord used him to speak into our lives... my life... as we embark on this new season to New Bern. 

After the service I asked him to pray for us. 

He heard the words, "Don't miss it." ...he talked about not focusing on the Call or the Future, but what God was ABOUT in and through us NOW. It was a hard word, to be sure, but comforting. It makes me want to be in prayer and in His word and with Him at every moment I am able....just so I can keep in tune with what that looks like for us right now. 

We continue to wait and to listen...and we LOOK FORWARD to 
being HOME...


in New Bern. = )

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