A Glorious SONrise

I can see the evidence of Easter and spring all around me.  Daffodils, caladiums and petunias are bursting open all around my yard with radiant colors of pinks, yellows and lavenders. It’s a beautiful experience watching the green earth erupt with new life, feeling the warmth of the sun and smelling the fragrances of aromatic flowers. The death of winter has once again given way to the new life of spring, just as a spectacular sunrise pierces through the darkness of night to bring forth the radiance of the morning. I love to watch the dazzling show of radiant colors of a sunrise just as it begins to break through the horizon. Think for a moment of the most spectacular sun rise you have ever laid your eyes upon. For me, the most memorable sunrise that stands out in my mind came, like all sunrises, after a period of darkness in my life.  No, it wasn’t while I was vacationing abroad, at the beach or in the mountains but rather in a cold dark hospital room in Baltimore MD. It was during an intense 5 week battle against a life threatening infection, that I undeniably felt God walk through those days with me and reveal Himself to me like never before.  The following is an excerpt from my journal during the period after my kidney/pancreas transplant from the day things first began to turn around for my health:


“This morning I was awakened as usual at 5:30am for my daily lab work. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I decided to open the curtain and look at the skyline. At that moment, I witnessed one of the most spectacular sunrises I have ever seen in my life. The Sun was barely in the horizon and was emitting just enough light for me to be able to see the beautiful morning sky bursting with streaks of lavender, amber and burgundy. I had traveled to many places, the mountains, the country side, the beach but who would have ever believed the most beautiful sunrise I could remember was in downtown Baltimore, a city filled with crime and poverty made up of nothing but concrete and tall buildings. It is a scene that will be forever etched in my memory, a scene that could only be created by God. These past few weeks have served as a turning point in my life. A time that has taught me to appreciate things that for so many years I have taken for granted. As the glare of the sun burst into my room, the light was almost blinding but I distinctly remember how it warmed my entire body. I haven’t been outside in weeks and the warmth was a welcome reminder to life outside the 4 walls of a cold hospital. As I basked in the light, I pictured myself standing in the presence of Jesus with the brilliance of His Glory reflecting and filling me with the warmth of His peace and comfort.  I believe it was God’s reminder to me that He has “RISEN” to give me a new life both physically and spiritually. It was a reminder of His promise that the worst part of the transplant was over with and although the five weeks may have seemed like the darkness of night, to remember Joy always comes in the morning. This was my morning to begin my Joy...”


Perhaps that particular sunrise is so memorable to me is because although it may have been the fall of the year, it was springtime in my life both physically and spiritually. Perhaps it was because it was the first time I truly felt what it was like to have the Risen Son rise up in my heart! The only way I was able to fully appreciate the beauty of the message God gave me that morning through an ordinary, everyday sunrise in Baltimore MD was by first experiencing a period of darkness that had left me desperate for some little glimpse of light.

 Easter is the day we celebrate the most Glorious SONrise in history; the day Our Lord, the SON of God arose from the darkness of death. The Risen Son is the most spectacular gift we have ever been given. But to fully appreciate the beauty of the brilliance of The Risen SON, we have to remember the period of darkness that led up to such a Spectacular SONrise. Spring only comes after winter; sunrises only come after darkness and the resurrection can only come after death. I often speak the phrase “Jesus died on the Cross for our sins”, but this week I have made a conscious effort to sit down and actually reflect on what that dark death entailed. After doing so, I am saddened that I have ever used such an meaningful phrase so loosely. You see the death of our innocent Savior did not involve a lethal injection leading to a humane and quick death. Crucifixion was the most humiliating death sentence during Jesus’ time consisting of hours of torture, suffering and finally being physically nailed to a cross. I would prefer to think Jesus bypassed that part and went straight into eternal life but that is not how it happens; not even for God. Having faith does not equal an avoidance of pain but rather a demonstration that somewhere, somehow and in some unexpected way, the darkness of pain fades into the light of God’s grace and love.

As I reflect on the Passion and Resurrection of Christ I wonder if I will ever fully grasp the significance of what really took place on that day, what it actually means, why it had to happen and how it changed the course of our eternal destiny? The hours before Jesus’ Resurrection were terribly dark not only physically but spiritually. Yes, He could see ahead the suffering He was about to endure and literally began to sweat drops of blood. The Son of God could have easily saved Himself but as He looked ahead He also saw you and me loss in our sin with no way out. He knew He could not save Himself and save us too so He moved forward with His Father’s plan. During the hours leading up to His death, He was betrayed and denied by His disciples whom He loved deeply; by Judas for 30 pieces of silver and the others out of fear.  The Son of God who only spoke the truth was put on trial and falsely accused of blasphemy. The Roman Guards then mocked and beat Him without mercy and beyond recognition with a barbed whip at the pleasure of the boisterous crowd who were crying "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” They shoved a crown of sharp spiked thorns upon His head then repeatedly drove it into His head by striking it over and over again; piercing it deeper and deeper into his flesh.  Weak from the brutal beatings, frail from the loss of blood and dehydration, all bruised black and blue; Jesus started his long trek up Calvary Hill where he was forced to carry a heavy cross while again being whipped, ridiculed, and spat upon. He was later nailed to that same cross with 7 inch iron spikes that were driven though his wrists and feet. While He hung on the cross, the torture and ridicule continued by the Roman Guards, Religious Leaders and unruly crowd who never once realized the reason Jesus  was up there dying was for them.

But despite all of this torture, pain and humiliation Our Savior was experiencing, He still showed compassion and love for others. He had compassion for His followers as they wept for Him. He comforted and warned them saying “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves, and for your children.” His first words from the cross were, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” He saw His mother standing by the cross weeping, and asked His disciple John to take care of her. There were two thieves executed on each side of Jesus and when one of them accepted Him as Lord, Jesus had mercy on him saying, "Today you shall be with me in paradise." That day, the Son of God took the weight of the whole world’s sin; past, present and future upon Him. I can imagine that must have felt like the equivalent of the world’s largest tidal wave surging down on one small human being.  And because of this, for the first time in time in all of eternity, Jesus felt what it was like to be separated from His Father as God had to look away from the sin Jesus had took upon Himself. Darkness came over the land from noon until 3:00pm and at the end of that period, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli Eli lema sabachthani?” (Which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Finally, Jesus expressed his complete surrender to the will of God as He said, "It is finished;"  "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit."  THAT... is what it means when we say “Jesus died on the cross for our sins.”

 Yes, that was a very dark period but if that was the end of the story, if Jesus’ life ended there on the cross, then that would have meant our lives would have ended there as well. We would remain dead in our sins with no hope of eternal peace and stand before God condemned to eternal darkness. No, Jesus dying on the cross was not the end of the story. No, the climax of the greatest story in HIS-story was still yet to come… For very early on Sunday morning, after three days and just as Jesus foretold, there burst forth a brilliant and intense crimson light as red as His blood that was shed for all humanity on the cross. The light pierced through the darkness of death that overshadowed the horizon and the SON began to rise. Inch by glorious inch…the SON victoriously rose that first Easter morning, overcoming darkness and forever removing the sting of death.  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees that all of God’s promises are true. Our sins have been forgiven; we have been set free from the fear of death and the impossible burden of pleasing God by our own works and good deeds. On that morning; night gave way to the day, darkness gave way to the light, and death gave way to life.  “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4:16.

That glorious morning the Son came out to stand atop an empty tomb; and has claimed  victory over death. God’s brilliant light has come to give hope for all people. Yes, Jesus knew what lay ahead of Him on the cross, but because of His great love for mankind, He willingly stretched out His arms to die just as if He was demonstrating to us how far He has removed from us our sins; as far as the east is from the west; all sins past, present and future. He paid a tremendous debt owed by each and every sinner who has lived yesterday, today and tomorrow in order to offer us hope of eternal peace and life. Our debt cost Jesus the ultimate price; it cost Him His life and it was paid in full. The cost for us to enjoy the hope of eternal life is extremely small in comparison.He has given us free will and we must choose to accept His gift of salvation. We must realize we are all sinners and our sins separate us from God.  We must then repent and turn away from those sins. We have to believe that Jesus died for our sins and that his cross is the one and only bridge that connects us back to God. We have to invite Him into our hearts and lives and we have to live for Him alone. That may seem like a high price for some people but just look at what it buys you – a glorious SONrise in your heart that can never set or fade away and the right to live eternally with Jesus and Our Father in paradise.

 The rising of God’s SON marked the start of something new for us all…a chance to be a new creation through the blood of Christ. There may have been a great darkness during the night but there was an even greater joy that came on Sunday morning!  So this beautiful Easter morning, and every morning yet to come for that matter, as we look to the eastern sky to watch for the SON rise in the horizon, let it be a reminder of the most glorious SONrise in history given by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that not only brought forth to us a new day, but a new ETERNITY!

Bless the Lord o my soul, may I never forget all your promises. You forgive me of all my sins, you heal my diseases and you have placed your Glorious SONrise forever in my heart!

All That I’m Cracked Up to Be

               ^"Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 GNT

            “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” Corinthians 2: 8-9 NIV

            The Apostle Paul considers us as fragile pots of clay; ordinary, run of the mill, weak pieces of earthenware susceptible to being chipped, cracked and even shattered at times. If you are living and breathing right now, chances are the sting of adversity has at some point left you feeling like a broken and useless pot of clay.  Perhaps your clay pot came crashing down by the death of a precious loved one or maybe it began during the difficult time of caring for them as they battled a horrible illness.  It could have been when you yourself were diagnosed with a debilitating disease (or maybe even 2 or 3) and realized how many limitations you would endure. Perhaps it was when you lost your job which you were good at, loved and thought you would have forever; taking along with it, your sense of financial security and self worth. Maybe there was a crack that started from a broken relationship, a troubled child, an addiction, a financial hardship, a never ending battle with weight, or even on the day you stepped back to examine your life and realized it looks nothing like the one you had so carefully planned out.

             Dealing with trials, disappointments and challenges sometimes make us feel as if we are simultaneously watching all of our hopes, plans and dreams go crashing onto the floor. The mayhem left behind barely resembles the pot we once envisioned ourselves to be; worthless at best.  A vessel unfit to hold worthless items of a lowly peasant and certainly not the treasure of the Most High King, yet the Bible tells us the opposite.  God chooses to place His most valuable Precious Treasure in a clay pot…hard to comprehend, but the very Presence of the Almighty God is placed inside of US! The King of all Kings is surely worthy of a flawless vessel of gold and silver to hold His Divine treasure yet He chooses us instead; feeble pots of clay that easily crack during the tribulations of life. Why in the world would He do such a thing?  So that He and He alone will receive the glory by making it evident the work being done is by the Power of God and not by the power of the vessel. He wants us to know our container is only made valuable by what it contains.

            You see, when a clay pot gets cracked they begin to pour out their contents. Likewise, when a weak human filled with the light of Christ, is hard pressed; perplexed; persecuted or struck down, they begin to pour out Christ.  On the other hand, if the vessel is never disturbed, the contents inside will just sit there. So that being said, if you have the light of Christ inside of you, being called a “CRACKED POT” is not a bad thing after all. Having cracks doesn’t mean God has forsaken us at all. Rather, it means that has trusted us to pour out His Treasure so that others may experience Him. God used Gideon; the least member of the least tribe of Israel to lead 300 men to triumph over 135,000 Midanites so there would be absolutely no doubt that the victory was God’s alone. However, the victory came to God’s people only after Gideon and his 300 men broke their clay pots allowing the lights held inside to brightly shine forth.  (Judges 7:20)

             As Christians, we shouldn’t be ashamed of our cracks or try to cover them up because doing so, could likewise cover up a ministry that God has planned for our lives. God’s glory is not revealed in spite of our human weaknesses but rather through them! As I live in a culture that is driven by high self esteem that was a hard concept for me to grasp and to be honest, something I still easily seem to forget.  I spent many years of my life trying to hide my illness from people because I didn’t want my weakness to automatically be equated with being damaged, useless or my all time favorite…“a high risk”.  I spent an endless amount of energy trying to prove that I was strong and “had it all together” but the truth is, the charade sucked up every last bit of energy I had; multiplying my cracks and thus making me sicker.  Eventually, my charade came to a screeching halt the day I was found unconscious on the floor at work and woke up in a hospital emergency room. My secret was out but to my surprise, as more people learned of my weaknesses; struggles and challenges they would come to me, not to pity or to belittle me but rather to find hope, support and encouragement with their own illness.

           The day my patch of pride was ripped off was the day that God initiated a new ministry for my life.  Through my exposed cracks, the hope and the light of Jesus was able to shine through on to other people who really needed a testimony that God will strengthen the weak, comfort the brokenhearted and heal the sick; a testimony that human weakness is opportunity for God’s Divine strength. Oh how it saddens me to think of the missed opportunities to be used by God to minister to others because my pride filled patch prevented me from doing so. Now there are people of this world who still look at me and see nothing but my weakness and brokenness but that’s only because they are choosing to look at me and well, if you choose to only look at my vessel, then I can guarantee you will be disappointed.  If you choose however to look beyond my cracks to see what is seeping out, you will understand that everything that I am able to do in this life is by the undeniable Power of Christ and not my own.

             As I watch my uncle battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease struggle and fight for His life, I see a clay pot  with more cracks right now than I can ever begin to count.  Yet God is showing me that every single leaking crack in His vessel has a purpose. They are watering seeds with Living Water and fertilizing them with the light of Christ; glorifying Him in ways we may never know of on this earth. In order to know this, you only have to speak to the people who surround him every day and stay at his bedside every night. The light shining forth from my uncle’s cracks are reflecting off of his family and I see them growing spiritually in a way that only comes from being exposed to the light of Christ.  

            Each of us has our own unique flaws so that God can use us to minister to each other. I need yours and you need mine. We are all “CRACKED POTS” but if we allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to bring Him glory and honor. I am not saying in any way that is an easy thing to do, but I have to believe that God has a purpose and plan for everything; often far beyond what I can see.  I have to believe that in God’s economy, nothing goes to waste as long as we depend on Him and not on ourselves. Not one single tear, not one ounce of pain, not one minute of suffering – NOTHING IS WASTED – that is what helps me plow through. You may look at your life today and say, “I am a ruined mess with too many flaws, too many hurts and way too many cracks.” You must remember that “cracked pots” become great weapons in the hands of God! I want to encourage you to not stay in pieces on the floor.  Allow the God of All Comfort to pick you up, mend you and use you as a portal for light that reveals His power at work to others.

            I pray I can boldly live my life knowing that no matter how severe my cracks may be that God’s grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  I want God to use my imperfect, flawed, “cracked pot“ to become a beacon for His light so that other broken people will see and be drawn to Him.

 …I want to be all that I have been cracked up to be!

Mission Possible

Back from another great adventure in the Blue Ridge mountains where I had the honor of attending the annual Missions Global Impact Celebration at Biltmore Baptist Church in Asheville, NC.

My dear friends Randy and Ronda Corn are Mission Service Corp Missionaries who have hearts for Jesus like none I had ever met before. Over the past year, they have been my spiritual mentors, and the driving force behind my decision to deepen my relationship with the Lord. If I was just to have one friendship like this in my entire life time, I would be tremendously blessed. But as usual, God doesn’t like to stop at just one blessing. No, He went even further by using that rare friendship as a means to introduce me to and bless me with multitudes of great Christian people in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Great Christian people I am honored to now call my friends as well.

During this past year, God has also used our friendship as a means to introduce me to a whole new world that I have never been exposed to before – The world of missions - A world where people not only LIVE their life for the Glory of God but willing to DIE for His Glory as well. One of the greatest spiritual adventures I ever experienced was my most recent trip to Asheville, NC when Randy and Ronda invited me to attend the Biltmore Baptist Church Global Impact Celebration.

This celebration is an annual event where many of the local, national and international missionaries and ministries gather together at their home church in an effort to bring the world to the church; educating and allowing the congregation to experience missions first hand while celebrating how God is using the missionaries to impact people all over the globe. It was truly amazing to hear the many testimonies of God’s work through these missionaries. From a single mother in the local community, to a family in small town Louisiana, to an entire village in the most remote areas of West Africa…eternities are being changed each and every day.

The celebration was kicked off with a Wednesday night service that left me knowing I was right smack in the middle of God’s presence. Imagine if you can, a full brass orchestra filling the entire sanctuary with sweet, soul felt music and the gospel choir belting out the powerful song Mighty to Save; all while hundreds of youth march down the aisles carrying the flags of all the different countries represented in the celebration. Next, the Zambian vocal group took the stage and no orchestra or band was required as the rich; jubilant sounds of this 5 member group poured into our hearts as they harmonized joyful songs of praise and worship to the Lord in their native language. The band, orchestra and Choir returned to end the night with a heart moving song with words that will be forever ingrained in my mind and heart…

Take my hands, Lord
And my feet
Touch my heart, Lord
And speak through me
If You can use anything Lord
You can use me

I tell you I was ready to pack my bags and go wherever God needed me. God’s presence was surely felt throughout the church that night.

There were a variety of different events planned throughout the 5 day celebration for the church congregation to participate in; giving them a unique perspective of what mission work is like. There were luncheons and dinners with seniors, church leaders and staff members, presentations to smaller connect groups, pot luck dinners in people’s homes, a women’s hike and a men’s golf tournament; all of which were opportunities for the church to hear testimonies, ask questions and learn the intimate details of each missionary’s work.

The best way, however, for someone to learn about mission work is to simply roll up their sleeves and get dirty with “hands on” experience. On Saturday, each missionary teamed up with a connect group for their community outreach project “Love Loud”. Nearly 1,000 members of Biltmore Baptist stormed the city of Asheville to love on the people as they served schools, hospitals, nursing homes and families in need. What an awesome demonstration of Jesus’ unconditional love!!

The 5 day Celebration ended on Sunday with a Festival of Cultures where each missionary “dressed the part” in their perspective national costumes or uniforms and had their own booth with pictures, displays, pamphlets and cultural items allowing them one more chance to showcase their ministry and give the congregation a small glimpse of mission life.

I feel tremendously blessed to have had the opportunity spend the week in the company of some pretty amazing people. I got email addresses, phone numbers, invitations to visit in the mission fields and even a few offers to help me start some of the community based ministries right in my own church here in Louisiana. I will never forget the love and hospitality I felt from these people. It was nothing short of amazing.

These dedicated people who serve here in North America, Haiti, Kenya, Liberia and Mexico deeply love the people they are serving. I heard countless stories of missionaries who set out on a mission to bless people in need but in the end, they were the ones who received the biggest blessing of all. All these missionaries believe they need the people they are called to help more than the people need them.

I walked away from this experience feeling deeply encouraged. I have the upmost respect and admiration for these amazing angels in disguise who for their love of the Lord, selflessly leave their family, friends, familiar surroundings and comforts of home and in some case, risking their lives so that others may have the opportunity to know and experience the power of God’s love and grace.

Although God may never call me to plant a Church in Guatemala, care for orphans in Haiti or minister to tribal areas in the African bush, I do feel He is calling me to have that same faithful obedience, compassion and sacrifice as those who are serving in those areas.

I now have a new theme that has been placed on my heart and it’s called Mission Possible (Just look around - the possibility to join in mission with Christ is all around you.) You don’t always have to travel to foreign countries to find people who need to hear the Gospel and experience God’s love and mercy. Many can be found right here in our own country, in our own community and sometimes, they can even be found in our very own family.

-sgd-

Perfect Number SEVEN

The number seven is considered “God’s perfect number”. Starting from the book of Genesis all the way through the book of Revelation, the number seven appears in the Holy Bible more than any other number and in almost all references, symbolizes God’s perfect completion. God uses the number seven not only to reveal the beginning of time as the seventh day marks the completion of His creation but also uses it to reveal the end of times as the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet will mark the completion of the mystery of God. In the Bible, you will find seven days of creation, seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven trumpets, seven seals, seven plagues…well you get the picture – The number seven is a very significant number to God.

The number seven is pretty significant to me as well as it was 7 years ago today that I received a 3 am wake up call that would change my life forever. After living 20 years with diabetes, 4 years with kidney failure and after 13 months on a pancreas transplant waiting list that resulted in 6 calls that were false alarms, the nurse on the phone was notifying me that call number 7 was the “real deal”; I was the best match for a pancreas that had become available and I needed to get to the University of Maryland Medical Center as soon as possible.

By 6am, I was on a plane with my brother Mark bound for Baltimore Maryland. The plan was to receive a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant where I would get a pancreas from a cadaver and a kidney from my brother. I knew my life was about to be dramatically changed physically but I had no idea what was about to happen to me spiritually.

I remember my mom saying she prayed during the entire trip to Baltimore asking God not for one miracle that day but many miracles. Well all I can say is God certainly heard her prayer that day because He kicked started the day with an incredible miracle and has never stopped since. Yes God’s perfect number is seven and in the past seven years, He has given me seven perfect miracles.

Miracle 1:
My brother was prepped to donate the kidney and just as he was taken to surgery, my surgeon received a call that John Hopkin’s Hospital had received the matching kidney for my pancreas; they decided they couldn’t use it and was offering it to me. My surgeon accepted it; I got both organs from the same donor and my brother was spared at the very last moment. (BTW I have nicknamed him Isaac)

Miracle 2:
After the transplant, I developed a staph infection on the pancreas which caused a serious threat to both me and the pancreas. After a 5 week battle and after a tremendous amount of spiritual self-discovery, God healed me; the pancreas survived and I got to take him home with me from the hospital.

Miracle 3:
In 2004 I experienced a serious bout of acute pancreas rejection and once again found myself in an intense battle to save the pancreas. After a week of an aggressive therapy treatment, the rejection was overturned and the pancreas survived.

Miracle 4:
The 20 years of diabetes had caused the nerve endings in my stomach to become paralyzed; I was no longer able to properly digest food and was suffering from malnutrition. In 2005, I was told I would need a feeding tube indefinitely but after only 7 months, I was able to start eating on my own and the tube was removed.

Miracle 5:
In 2007, both my transplanted kidney and pancreas went into chronic rejection and failure. I was told the damage was irreversible and I needed dialysis, would need another kidney transplant and would have to start taking insulin again. Then just after completing a training class for dialysis, both organs began rejuvenating itself and all the levels of my blood work came down. I was able to come off of insulin and didn’t have to undergo dialysis.

Miracle 6:
The many years of diabetes had also caused me to lose most of my vision. In 2008, my vision was restored from 20/200 to 20/25 in my left eye allowing me see more clearly and drive for the first time in 4 years.

Miracle 7:
(And the best miracle of all) I was able to finally find a church to call home, rededicated my life to the Lord and was baptized in the name of JESUS!

The past 7 years has been a roller coaster ride with lots of peaks, steep drops and loops in-between requiring me to hang on with a tight grip and keep my seat belt buckled at all times. God has used the falls in my physical health to cause a rise in my spiritual health as I have learned to seek and trust Him like never before. I have learned that there are times when God will break me down but it is only so He can build me up stronger than before. He allowed me to reach a point where it was absolutely clear to me and everyone around me that no doctor, treatment or drug could help me and then stepped in to “show off” in a way that only He can. I have learned that when I am helpless, I am certainly not hopeless; that when I am at my weakest, He will be at His strongest. God has blessed me with the opportunity to experience Him as my JEHOVAH-ROPHE -"The Lord Who Heals. "

In the Bible, the number seven means perfect, complete; finished. I know these past seven years have been perfectly planned by God allowing me to become more spiritually complete but somehow I get the feeling that God is not finished with me just yet. My prayer is that God will use me seventy times seven to be a testimony of His amazing grace, unconditional love, and miraculous healing power.

SDG

The True Cost of Our Freedom

Today Americans will gather together for parades, fireworks and enjoy picnics of hamburgers, hot dogs and apple pie, all to celebrate something that is truly valuable to us all - our freedom. I thank God for the many freedoms I have while living in this great country. Freedom to worship Our Lord, vote for our government’s leaders, freedom to live and work where I choose and when I need to get away, the freedom to travel from sea to shining sea and visit the purple mountain’s majesty. Freedom, however, is definitely not “free”. We place great value on our freedom and everything that has a value has a cost.

America did not start out as a free country. Over 200 years ago, Our forefather’s paid dearly to purchase this nation’s freedom from the bondage of English oppression and experienced first hand the tremendous value of freedom. However, the battle to protect our rights and freedom did not stop there as our precious freedom is continuously threatened. Ever since the first bullet was fired in the early Revolutionary War to the current war in Afghanistan, countless men and women have paid and are still paying the price for our freedom.

I have many friends and family members who have served in Japan, Europe, Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. My grandfather, Donna Dieu Aymond, was a decorated veteran of World War II, Last year, I had an amazing opportunity to visit France and with the research of my uncle, we where able to track my grandfather’s path from where he landed on D-Day at Utah beach in Normandy down to Paris where he participated in their liberation of the city and where Nazi Germany ultimately surrendered to the Allied Forces. Just like many soldiers who are called to defend our freedom, my grandfather had to leave his bride, baby girl, home, and everything that was constant in his life to fight in a war on foreign soil where everything was unfamiliar and his future was unknown - he didn’t know whether he would live or die, if he would ever see his family again or if they would even win the war making all of their sacrifices in vain.

As a walked the shore line of Utah beach in Normandy, I remember standing in the water and looking up to the bluffs above where the German bunkers still remain to this day. I tried to imagine the terror and fear that must have consumed my grandfather as he was dropped in cold, choppy sea water trying to fight his way up the shore dodging sniper fire and cannon fire while bogged down with wet and heavy military gear. I cant even begin to imagine the horrible living conditions and atrocities he faced and endured as he battled the Germans liberating each town one at a time along the coast of France up to Belgium down to Paris. As I walked the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris and saw the famous Arc de Triumph, I imagined the pride my grandfather must have felt after the liberation of Paris as the American and liberated French soldiers marched together in a victory parade while crowds cheered them on waving flags and banners of thanks.

Like many others, my grandfather served his country with great pride and honor. My grandfather came home to a hero’s welcome but there were many others who didn’t come home at all. I was moved to tears as I visited the American Cemetery located on a bluff overlooking the English Channel where the remains of over 9,000 American soldiers lie in graves all pointing westward to their homeland of the United States. The blood of these brave soldiers was the ultimate sacrifice for their country. To every man and woman who have ever made a selfless sacrifice to help pay the high price of protecting our freedom, our rights and the rights of others, I honor and thank you.

Although I thank God for the freedom we Americans enjoy all over this great land, there is an even greater freedom that I give thanks for today. Over 2000 years ago, our Father in heaven came down to this earth as a man and made the most immense and important sacrifice known to mankind. With his blood, Jesus Christ paid the price in full to purchase our freedom from the bondage of sin. Just as my grandfather and the men who served on D-Day knew the invasion was inevitable, planned and was the only way to defend man’s right to freedom, Jesus Christ knew the crucifixion was an inevitable part of Gods plan and was the only way for His people to have spiritual freedom once and for all. The death of a soldier is usually the result of a mission that went horribly wrong but the death of Jesus Christ was the result of a greater mission that went exactly to plan.

Jesus was in such anguish over what He knew He was to endure that he physically sweat drops of blood out of His pours. Most soldiers knowing they will die if they advance any further may either retreat or surrender. Jesus did neither. Knowing exactly what fate lied ahead, Jesus advanced where He knew the Roman Soldiers were waiting for Him. The soldiers mocked Him and beat Him mercilessly beyond recognition with a barbed whip until His flesh peeled off his body. He was forced to carry a 300lb cross up a mountain and was later nailed to that same cross with 7 inch iron spikes that were driven though his wrists and feet. God’s very own son who was both innocent and sinless died one of the most slow and disgraceful deaths ever known to mankind - all for the sake of our spiritual freedom. Can you imagine any greater love than that? Jesus loved us SO much that He thought our souls were worth all the horrible suffering He would have to endure.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for us to have spiritual freedom and in order for you to enjoy that freedom it will cost you something as well. You will have to realize you are a sinner, know that your sins separate you from God then repent and turn away from those sins. You have to believe that Jesus died for our sins and that his cross is the bridge that connects us back to God. You have to invite Him in to your heart and then live your life for Him. That may seem like a high price for some people but just look at what it buys you - A freedom that can never be taken away, and the right to live eternally with Jesus and Our Father in paradise.

Just as the Statue of Liberty stands tall in New York Harbor and serves as a reminder to all Americans of the sacrifices made for our right to freedom, the cross that stood tall on Calvary Hill serves as a reminder to all Christians of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus Christ made for our right to spiritual freedom. Lady Liberty stands with her right hand stretched out holding a torch to light the way welcoming visitors to a land of freedom where Jesus Christ stretches out BOTH arms and IS the light welcoming all His people to an eternity of freedom. The generations that came before us valued God’s role in achieving our freedom so much that they founded this nation on the great principles of “in God we trust” and “one nation under God.” My hope and prayer is that my generation along with all future generations will also come to know the true value of God in our lives and to always remember that the sacrifices of our forefathers gave us the rights FOR religious freedom and not the rights FROM religious freedom.

Catching A Little Glimpse of Heaven

Blue Ridge Mountains - South Carolina


Looking Glass Falls - North Carolina

Trunk Bay - St. John, USVI


Sapphire Beach - St. Thomas, USVI

It seems like I've been caught in a whirlwind these past couple of weeks, living out of a suitcase, meeting myself coming and going. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I love, love, love to travel and anytime I have the opportunity to venture outside of this little house on the Prairie(ville), I do so. My most recent venture began Memorial Day weekend where I got to spend 5 days in the beautiful Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains for some R&R and quality time with two dear friends. I flew home on Monday and went straight from the airport to visit a sick friend to give my love and final farewell before he went to be with The Lord. I was home for 4 days and for 3 of those days, I managed to book a stay at my favorite Bed and Breakfast AKA Our Lady of the Lake Hospital forcing me to cancel a flight I had scheduled to the Caribbean. (guess my body just felt the need for a bit more R&R at the old B&B). Check out time was 3:00pm on Friday which gave me enough time to go home, reschedule the flight I missed the day before and finish packing for my next big adventure. Mom and I left at 3:00am on Saturday, boarded a plane at 6:00am and flew to St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands where we arrived just in time to witness my handsome cousin and his beautiful bride exchange wedding vows as the sun set over the Caribbean. I then spent 5 incredible days with my family on the Island of St Thomas surrounded by an amazing view of God’s most beautiful artwork. During my stay in St Thomas, I received the call that my oldest nephew became a father to a beautiful baby girl, my first “great” niece, Oakley Rose.

From sitting on a deck gazing at the mountains of the Carolinas to standing on the beaches of St Thomas, the scenery was truly majestic, reminding me of God's infinite creativity. It was amazing to see so many different shades of the brilliant colors God used to paint the earth. It was as if He dipped a paintbrush on every color on the paint palette and splashed it across His earthly canvas. Every day He would take the time to start over and paint a completely different masterpiece for us all to admire. In the evenings, the sky would turn marvelous shades of red, pink, lavender and gold and then the sun would disappear behind the mountains in the Carolinas and would seem to just sink into the ocean in the Caribbean. The beaches of St Thomas were covered with white sand glistening in the sunshine and lush coconut palm trees swaying in the breeze The water, oh my goodness, the water took my breath away as it sparkled with every shade of blue imaginable just depending on how the sunlight hit it. Each morning I would awake to chirping birds as if tiny little angels were singing “wake up and see that God is all around you.” At one point, I remember thinking WOW, I am right smack in the middle of His divinity and just think, all of this is just a mere glimpse of what heaven will be like. I can’t remember the last time I was able to clearly see such brilliant colors. How awesome it is that God has chosen to restore my vision and allow me to see such radiant beauty that only a year ago would not have been possible.

As I sat on a ferry boat crossing the waters from the island of St Thomas to St John, I looked out onto the seemingly endless blue ocean and it immediately became apparent to me just how BIG God really is. I got a reassuring feeling that I am indeed sustained by a mighty God with infinite power greater than I can ever imagine. Our Father, who spoke the entire universe into existence, is much greater than the deepest waters of the Caribbean and the highest mountain peaks of the Carolinas. There is nothing too big or too small that we can bring to our Father. Our circumstances in relation to God are like grains of sand on the beaches that can be washed away by the mighty ocean.

It was rather intriguing to watch the brown pelicans as they would hover overhead then dive straight down into the water like a torpedo, creating a loud splash and coming up with their beaks filled with an assortment of fish. It reminded me of how God provides for my every need. Why do I worry about the stability of my career, my health and my future when I know His hand of protection is always upon me? He is always there besides me, and has never failed me. If He provides the pelicans with an entire ocean filled with fish, how much more would he provide for us if we only trust Him completely to do so? Those pelicans have no worries as they are completely dependant upon God. That is how we should all live our lives. Worrying about our future is like standing on a beach and seeing enormous waves in the far distance. As we trust and remain near God, the waves break down becoming smaller and smaller as they approach us and if they ever do reach the shore, they merely brush over our feet.

These past weeks have not only been a physical journey but also an emotional journey taking me straight up to the mountain peaks then way down to the sandy beaches as I experienced a bunch of amazing waterfalls, incredible sunrises and majestic sunsets in between. I have been awe struck by the beauty of this earth, experienced the joy and love that only family and friends can give, felt the pain of illness, the mercy of healing, the bliss of a wedding, the sorrow of a life ending and the elation of one just beginning. I have cried until I had no more tears left inside and laughed until my side ached in pain. I am thankful for both the physical and emotional journey because in the midst of it all, I got to experience God’s glory, grace and tenderness. He showed me that in a world filled with trials, pain and suffering, there is simultaneously a world filled with God’s beauty that can soothe our souls, calm our fears, and heal our pain.

Whether we are boat riding on a mountain lake with friends, strolling on an island beach with family or simply sitting in our own backyards alone, God’s glory is evident in everything and everyone around us. No matter where you are or what your circumstances, take the time to reflect on the beauty of God's glory. Always look at the scenery around you as if it was for the very first time and spend each moment with your loved ones as if it was the very last…you just may catch a small glimpse of heaven for yourself.

Touched By Angels

Many of you remember the Disaster Relief teams that helped our community after Hurricaine Gustav. Over the past nine months I have grown to be dear friends with a couple of very special angels God sent to Prairieville, La to help our community with the recovery efforts. It is with the highest honor and greatest privilege that I now call these people my family. Here is a story I wrote about how the teams impacted our Church and community. It was published on the North American Mission Board website. Click on the link below to read the article on the NAMB website:
http://www.namb.net/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=9qKILUOzEpH&b=5183849&ct=6994591

A Mother's Love

First of all, to all the mother's reading this blog - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Anybody who knows me, knows that I am very close to my mom. I am very blessed to have such an incredibly loving woman as a mother and today I give my highest honor to her. She is an amazingly unselfish woman with a heart filled of love and kindness that overflows to all the people around her. You can’t help but do anything but smile when you are around my mom, she just has that effect on everyone she meets.

My mom has been the one who has stood by my side to get me through every trial, to wipe every tear and to celebrate every triumph. In order to do that, she has had to make a tremendous amount of sacrifices for me, much more than any mother should ever have to do. After my transplants, she quit her job of 13 years and has been my nurse, when I was sick, my chauffeur when I couldn't see to drive, my maid when I was too weak to clean, my cheerleader when I was down, my narrator when I couldn’t see to read and the list goes on and on.

I would never trade any of the trials in my life because I know that it was only through those trials that I got to know my mother’s heart, to experience her unconditional love and to build an awesome mother and daughter relationship that I might have otherwise took for granted or missed out on. I have learned how short life really is and that I should never let one day go by without telling her how much I love her.

But over all the sacrifices my mom has made for me, the reason I love her most is because of her deep love for our Lord and Savior. For I know that it is only through her love of Our Almighty Father in heaven that she is able to show me the unconditional love of a mother here on earth. She has told me many times that, as painful as it may be for her, she knows that I was God’s child long before I was ever her child. When I have been very sick, she has trusted Him so much that she lovingly placed me in His hands to do His will. Mercifully, He has placed me back in her arms so that I can be with her a little while longer.

It would take writing a book rather than a blog to share just how much my mom means to me but here is my best shot:

My mom is an angel with invisible wings
sent from heaven by the King of all Kings.
In my heart, she has a special place
for I see God’s reflection when I look in her face.
Always willing to go the extra mile,
she never complains and wears a big smile.
She is always there to love and to guide
never once has she left my side.
She holds my hand through the pain and strife,
she is the one true constant in my life.
When I am sick, weak and no longer can stand,
I can always count on her helping hand.
She gives me the strength and courage I need,
She is my rock that helps me succeed.
I can never express what her love means to me
it’s a mirror of God’s love, I know it must be.
We have a special bond that knows no end
she’s not just my mom, she’s my best friend!

Mirror, mirror on the wall, what does God see when He looks at us all?

If there was anything good about being visually impaired for so long was that I was forced to be more in tuned with people's words, their actions and their heart rather than their physical appearance. I look back at that time in my life and see it as a blessing because of all the incredible relationships I was able to make only because God chose to show me their heart rather than their face. God has blessed me by restoring my vision and I pray everyday that as I rock on in this life with my new vision, I can remember to be wise with His precious gift and never use it to obsess over my or anyone else’s physical appearance.

The truth is, no matter how hard we try, we all struggle with physical appearances to some degree. We live in a broken, superficial world where we are continuously bombarded with “pop” culture television shows, advertisements, books and magazines that program our society to put far too much emphasis on outside “physical” beauty rather than our inside “spiritual” beauty. The Bible tells us that God will never judge man based on their outward appearance and neither should we. You see, when God looks at us, He sees straight past our height (or lack of it in my case), past our weight, past all of our physical traits, no matter how appalling or fine we think they are and He looks deep into our heart seeing our spiritual inner beauty.

If physical attractiveness was so important to God, then the Bible would have been written more like a dramatic novel where the main character, Jesus Christ, would have been described as a dashing, tall, dark and handsome hunk. That, however, was not the case. The book of Isaiah describes Jesus saying:

… He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Isaiah 53:2

Think about it. Jesus Christ, Our Creator’s very own son, certainly could have been created to have the most “super buff” body ever seen by mankind. He instead was created with an average "JOE"sph, everyday body and yet He was totally able to overcome the world, changing it forever.

As women, we seem to be naturally wired with the need to feel that we are beautiful both inside and out. I know many of us struggle with this daily asking that famous question: mirror, mirror on the wall, am I beautiful... just a little bit, just a little bit at all?

If you ever find yourself asking that question and well, if mirrors could talk back, I would hope its reply to you would go something like this… My precious friend, take a moment to think of some of the most beautiful things you have ever seen with your own two eyes such as a brilliant sunset, a beautiful flower and a most extraordinary butterfly. Think of all the care God took planning every tiny unique detail to make all of those beautiful creations and then know that He values YOU above all of those marvelous things. My friend, if you think a sunset or a flower looks amazingly beautiful; can you even begin to fathom how beautiful you are to God? So YES! You, my dear, are extravagantly beautiful!

It’s okay to want to look your best and it is certainly okay to appreciate the physical beauty of humans and nature as such beauty reveals to us God’s glorious creative ability. We just need to keep appearance in perspective and not allow it to become our obsession taking our focus off of the Lord. It is important to remember that just as the most brilliant sun “sets” and the darkness of night falls and just as the most beautiful flower comes to full bloom then falls to the ground, our physical beauty is at best temporary and only of this world, whereas, it is our “spiritual” beauty that has an everlasting and eternal dimension.

The look on my doctor’s faces are priceless when they see my road map of scars from my numerous abdominal and leg surgeries. One doctor recently told me, “You know Donna there are cosmetic procedures that can fix all that.” I thought about it for about half a second and told him thanks, but no thanks. You see, each one of these scars on my body represent a lesson learned or a blessing of healing that God wanted me to have…it may have blemished my temporary beauty but in some small way it enhanced my eternal beauty… I wouldn’t erase those scars or blessings for anything in this world.

It is unfortunate that society encourages many people to feel the need to spend some big money on some pretty “extreme” makeovers and painful procedures all for a temporary change to our temporary bodies. The good news is that it is far less painful for every single one of us to make an everlasting change to our “eternal” bodies (souls) and we don’t have to take out a loan or deplete our life savings to do so. You see my dear friends, the most expensive “makeover” available to all of mankind has already been paid for in full with the blood of Jesus Christ. All you have to do in order to accept this spiritual makeover is to invite Him into your heart, ask for His forgiveness, love Him and live for Him. Once you do that you can proudly say: mirror, mirror on the wall, I really don’t care what you think at all. For I have Jesus in my heart and he tells me I am God’s most precious art.

Celebrating My Lagniappe Life

Sunday April 5, 2009 will go down as one of the most memorable days of my life because in the presence of my family, friends and church, and with my dear, sweet Uncle Nelson at my side, I professed my faith and was dunked in the name of Jesus Christ!

Jesus has been doing some amazing things in my life both physically and spiritually. Last weekend was all about celebrating God’s amazing grace and incredible love with my wonderful family and dearest of friends. We all started the day attending Sunday morning worship service together where I was baptized and then spent a great day together in fellowship and feasting on a yummy cochon de lait cooked by my wonderful dad. Of course, being in south Louisiana, everyone brought a side dish or desert and we had a huge Cajun feast fit for Kings.

Many people have asked me why I would choose to be baptized again given the fact that I was baptized when I was a baby. I decided to write this blog to share the story behind my decision:

Last year, I was living what I would describe as an average Christian life and although I had been searching for a new church to get involved in, I honestly don’t think I was seeking a deeper relationship with God. God, on the other hand, was definitely seeking a deeper relationship with me. After years of living with a severe visual impairment and after being told I would need another kidney and pancreas transplant, God stepped in and not only rejuvenated my failing organs but also restored my lost vision opening my eyes to see more clearly both physically and spiritually. He allowed me to see that through my illness, I was able to experience His amazing grace, love and goodness. He also used a disaster like Hurricane Gustav to allow me to meet some of the most wonderful people that would teach me, mentor me in my spiritual walk and get me into a church that I can now call home. A place where I can learn, serve, connect, grow and for the first time in my life, learn what true salvation means. Finding my salvation not only changed my life but also changed my eternity.

In my life, I have had more than my share of unfavorable medical prognosis and from all standpoints, there is no physical explanation of why I am still here on this earth. It is only because God has chosen to keep me here and I know one day He will reveal to me the reason why he has done so. Here in south Louisiana, there is a French term we often use called lagniappe meaning an unexpected gift. This extra time that God has given me to stay on this earth allowing me to build a deeper relationship with Him and to finally understand and accept His free gift of salvation is truly a blessing and undeniably my “lagniappe”. God is the only reason that I have this lagniappe time. He chose for me to stay here and so this life I have now is no longer my own. This lagniappe life I’m living now belongs to Him and He can use it for His will.

After making the decision to live my lagniappe life for Jesus, I felt the next step I needed to take was to profess my decision and my faith publicly. This is done through baptism. 37 years ago, two of the most loving parents and two of the most loving Godparents stood before their church and my family and professed my faith for me as I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Although I have the highest respect for them for doing that on my behalf, I feel that salvation is a personal decision between me and God, and the only way to enter God's kingdom is if I accept it for myself.

What is important to understand here is that after studying God’s Truth, my entire belief system about baptism has changed. I believe that salvation is a prerequisite to being baptized NOT the other way around as I previously thought. My baptism is a symbol of my salvation and a symbol only. Just as a wedding ring symbolizes marriage, a baptism symbolizes salvation. Being baptized does not make me saved any more than wearing a wedding ring would make me married. Being baptized by no means guarantees me a free ticket to heaven. If I had not first accepted God’s free gift of salvation, Pastor Kirk could have dunked me a thousand times and the only thing guaranteed is that I would be soaking wet, extremely exhausted and left gasping for air. Salvation is God’s free gift available to all of us. What I have learned is there is absolutely no amount of great works anyone can possibly do to deserve or earn it. All we have to do is just be willing to accept it. I just keep asking myself why it took me so long to figure that out.

Being baptized during this Easter season was particularly special because water baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You see, Jesus Christ died for you and He died for me. All of our sins were nailed to the cross with Jesus and it was only through His death that all of our sins could be buried. When Pastor Kirk completely submerged me in the water and baptized me in the name of Jesus, all of those incorrect beliefs I had, all of my wrong ways of thinking, and all of my sins were submerged in the water with me. As I rose up out of the water, I was overcome with an amazing feeling of freshness and cleanness knowing that everything wrong in my past life was left submerged and buried in that water - FOREVER. I rose up as a new creation in Christ ready for my new life where I will follow the ways of the Lord as he guides me and teaches me. You see, now I know the TRUTH. Once I accepted God’s free gift of salvation I can no longer fear death. For no matter what prognosis I get and no matter what the outcome, I have a new found immortality. I will have eternal life through Jesus Christ.

So, whoever reads this.... Please read my words carefully. JESUS loves YOU. He loves you more than anyone of this world could possibly love you. More than the most loving parent on earth would love their sweetest child. Believe in Jesus so you can be saved and have eternal life. It’s as easy as ABC - Admit that you are a sinner and repent, Believe that Jesus is God’s son and He paid the penalty for our sins and Confess your faith. Invite Him in your life and receive all the love and blessings He desperately wants to pour upon you. Once all of that is done, please be sure to invite me to be a witness at YOUR water baptism.