WHERE MIRACLES HAPPEN...

As a staff member, I had seen miracle after miracle happen at the Home of Grace, a Christian recovery center in Mississippi. But I had never been on "this" side of a miracle.

When April and I embarked on a seven-hour drive to take her mother to the Home of Grace, I found myself a little nervous. I knew her mother wanted help, and I knew the Home of Grace could help her. But I also knew that April's mom, like every Home of Grace client, would have to answer a question....the same question Jesus asked the man He encountered at the Pool of Bethesda, where the sick man had gone to seek healing for a decades-long illness. When Jesus appeared at that place of sickness and suffering, He asked the man, "Do you want to be healed?"

I knew the Home of Grace was like that place in Bethesda...a place where Jesus has appeared to thousands of men and women for more than 35 years who have sought freedom from addictions. And I knew that when April's mom encountered Him, she would have to answer that question for herself.

She answered in the affirmative. Last Friday April's mom celebrated not only her completion of the 90-day program, but her new life in Christ. She was nearly unrecognizable from the woman who had entered only three months before. We are so proud of her and we give thanks to the Lord for pursuing and healing her. His grace truly is amazing and His arm is not too short to save
(Isaiah 59:1 Indeed, the LORD's hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too deaf to hear). Our class has been praying for April's mom, and we will continue to pray that she will follow the Lord with all her heart, all her soul, all her strength and all her might.

FOR MORE PINK...

For a report on our PINK wedding, go to my daughter Jessica's blog at leeandjesshill.blogspot.com.

In a Word...

It was PINK!

Mike and I are finally back from our daughter's beautiful wedding that was the result of a three-month whirlwind! We feel incredibly blessed and are truly amazed at all the Lord has done in the lives of our three daughters. The ceremony was worshipful and perfect, and the reception was fun and very...well...pink! Alyssa and Sam are honeymooning at an incredible resort in Mexico, and Mike and I are trying not to resent the fact that WE are exhausted and THEY are lying on a gorgeous beach!

We are excited about getting back to our wonderful class and catching up with all of you. We have a great year in store and we can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do in each of your lives.

LET'S GET BUSY - WITH THE RIGHT STUFF!

Romans 12:1:

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering...

A few days before Christmas I was feeling the pressure of too much to do in too little time. We would be leaving to spend the holidays in Mississippi, and I still had gifts to wrap and Christmas parties to attend. So, when my adorable seventeen-year-old daughter Lia asked late one night if I could use her help the next day, I was ecstatic. As I made a mental list of all I could accomplish with my daughter’s assistance, I imagined a clean house, wrapped gifts and baked goodies ready for our trip to the "true South."

The next morning I jumped from my bed and listened for noise from my daughter’s room. Nothing. I poured a cup of coffee and retreated to my study to read my Bible. When I finished, there still was not a stir from anywhere else in the house. So, I started wrapping the mountain of gifts on my bedroom floor. Finally, as I tied a huge bow on yet another box, my daughter appeared in her pajamas, rubbing sleep from her eyes. I tried to hide my disappointment as she explained that she had stayed up much too late burning CD’s for a friend, but would jump in the shower right away.

Encouraged by the prospect of a productive afternoon, I started on my Christmas newsletter and waited for my daughter to get dressed. Then the phone rang. It was for Lia. A few minutes later she entered the study and sheepishly admitted that she had forgotten about an invitation to a Christmas lunch with friends. She would need to go, since she had committed to it, and when she returned she would be happy to do whatever I needed.

Today, as I pondered and examined the past year, I realized with sadness that I have resembled my daughter’s well-intended helpfulness far too frequently. To tell the truth, my greatest intentions to serve the Lord are often drained by my own busy-ness. I wonder how many times the Lord has watched me rub spiritual sluggishness from my eyes after I have worn myself out with wordly ambitions and selfish pursuits. And how many times has He waited for me to check my overloaded schedule of the “good” things of life so I can squeeze in a few moments that will make a difference for eternity?

Lia finally came home from her Christmas lunch and jumped in to help with both feet. As I continued to wrap gifts, she ran errands and even cleaned the kitchen. As my daughter worked alongside me, I was grateful for her two hands, her willing heart and, most of all, her fellowship.

As we begin a new year, let’s put our spiritual tennis shoes on. Let’s run this race with gusto, jumping in with both feet and offering God everything. I want to save energy for spiritual pursuits and choose with care the things that make me busy. As we offer God our hands and our hearts, we will, no doubt, be thrilled by His fellowship.