HIS G.R.I.T.S.!

                                        Lovin' my grits!

 Murphy+my MAC+my Bible+hazelnut coffee+12"of snow!  Priceless!!!

Hey Ya'll!

Today has been one of those quiet days of deep prayerful contemplation for me.  One of those times when you sense the Holy Spirit's leading to slow down and spend time with Him.  Northern Arizona arose this morning to a winter storm front blowing through with snow, wind and frigid temps and staying snuggled up with my Bible and a cup of hazelnut coffee sounded glorious!  As I stood peering into my pantry like a cow at a new gate I was overjoyed to find a packet of instant grits for breakfast!!! You'd thought I'd found buried treasure - forget the carbs and bring on the grits!! Whooo! Hooo!..... Honestly, I didn't even remember it was there!  Ahhh, grits (with butter of course)......the comfort food of choice for every Southern gal, ya'll!

While savoring every spoonful of heavenly grits my thoughts began to amble down memory lane with precious stops along the way reminding me of my upbringing and Godly heritage. I was so moved by this Divine moseying that praise and prayers of gratitude and thanks poured from my heart thanking Him for how gracious and wonderful He has been to me.  As far back as I can remember He has been in the forefront of my life.  His Word and principles have echoed within this Georgia girls heart and mind from my early beginnings and are the Divine mettle that has formed and shaped my life.  He is sooo real to me!

As I'm writing this post, I'm mulling over what sparked my journey today...... a wonderful journey I might add of memories filled with sticky Georgia humidity, kudzu, tall pines, southern drawls, sweet  tea, church services and camp meetings and wooden alters!  Just yesterday as I was awakening, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper the word "new".  I meditated upon "new" all day yesterday and oh, how a simple three letter word can be so powerful (another post, another time).  So, as you can imagine, when today my thoughts were turned back to former days and seasons I was perplexed a bit but enjoyed them none the less because those were times when He graciously and wonderfully laid within my heart and life a foundation that can never be removed or shaken ~ Glory to God!

My life's journey hasn't been without disappointments and heartbreak, BUT through it all I've always found Him Faithful and True ~ my wonderful Savior Jesus!

My sister and I were raised by the most wonderful Godly mom.  My parents divorced when I was pre-school age and let me tell you growing up in the Bible Belt in my generation, coming from a "broken home" was akin to being the black sheep or ugly duckling in the neighborhood, school and church. I'm sad to say that a child from a "broken" Christian home was heaped with condemnation and rejection from even the Church.  Thus I grew up with tremendous rejection and fear of rejection and a skewed understanding of Father God.  It wasn't until later in life that I became REALLY acquainted with our loving Heavenly Father and realized that He wasn't going to condemn or reject me.  He is Love to the core and He loves and longs to pour His love and acceptance upon each and every one of His children.   Jesus healed and delivered me from all of the fear of rejection and self loathing and condemnation many years ago and I am so eternally grateful to Him for setting this girls heart free!  Hallelujah!!

One of my journeying stops today was a place that is still so real to me I can still smell the sawdust and hear the choir singing "I Surrender All" as the preacher gives the alter call.  This wonderful place was where I spent about 10 days of every muggy Georgia July from the time I could crawl.  It is called "Indian Springs Holiness Camp Meeting" in Flovilla, Georgia and to this day is still ablaze with the Spirit of God!!  I can still see the open air tabernacle and the banner above the speakers podium with these words "Holiness Unto the Lord" and smell the freshly hewn sawdust strewn throughout the grounds of this glorious place.  Small rustic cottages and sprawling two story wooden "hotel" buildings with Southern wrap around verandas and open air sleeping porches are scattered across the landscape amid tall Georgia pines and hardwoods draped with moss.  The dining hall overflowing with the fragrant smells of fresh farmers market vegetables and platters of golden fried chicken and biscuits and pitchers of sweet tea.  Long banquet size oak tables surrounded with mis-matched oak chairs awaiting hungry camp-meeting attendees to gather for Grace and a wonderful noon meal.  As a teenager I worked in the dining hall to off-set my Camp Meeting tuition and board.  I remember it like it was yesterday......the Presence of the Holy Spirit flowing freely those ten glorious days.  The times around the alters, lives changed, hearts ignited with His Presence.  Evening prayer meetings were held out on the open air porches or verandas and even as a very young child I remember the Holy Hush as I sat with my Mama....listening and watching as people testified to the goodness of the Lord and entered into deep prayer and intercession or burst into singing!  Those Holy happenings marked my life and forever imprinted upon my heart the Holy "things" of God.

The old hotel where we had evening prayers on the porch.

"Holiness"...... a word we don't hear very often in our churches these days.  I heard sermon, after sermon over those many years at Indian Springs about being set apart or "sanctified" for the Masters use and Holiness unto the Lord.  Not simply in the sense of outward appearance but submitting fully to a true inner work of the Holy Spirit which transforms an ordinary person like you and me into a vessel of honor unto the Lord...a vessel consumed by His Love and Power and a reverential fear of our Mighty God.  It is my humble opinion that the former days of that teaching as led by the Holy Spirit needs to be preached again today.  Honestly, I believe that it's in that "place" of fully submitting every area of our lives unto the Holy Spirit that true freedom resides.  No longer allowing little corners of our heart and life to remain reserved for compromise of any kind!  As believers we must be fully surrendered, fully committed and transformed into a vessel more intensely attune to Him and His leading more than ever

before!  The days ahead are perilous but a life fully ignited by the Holy Spirit and daily following hard after Him is a life of true peace, joy and power!  Hallelujah!

"Stand in the ways and see,

and ask for the old paths,

where the good way is, 

and walk in it;

Then you will find rest for your souls"...

Jeremiah 6:16

So, I guess you could say that I journeyed back with Him today and He reminded me of the "old paths where the good way is"and while being reminded I once again choose to walk in "it"......More fully committed and surrendered to Him than ever before!

I'm going for all I can be in and through Him!  Won't you join me?

HIS Girl Raised in the South! (His G.R.I.T.S.),

 Jackie