A little Dream (and a little faith) goes a long way...

I have had a pretty emotional couple of weeks and as I sort through my thoughts I wanted to bring you along this crazy little world that I live in.

It started around January of this year.

I was invited to a corporate meeting for the Internet Sales Directors of all of Raycom's TV stations, on January 24-26th. I met a lot of the people responsible for overseeing the budgets for the internet and how the website content helps the actual on-air element at KPLC. It was interesting and of course I never just listen, I talked and shared ideas and got to know a couple of the head dudes at Raycom Media. Never in my wildest imaginations did I think at that time that I was being prepared to take over the Internet Sales Director position... but that's just how God works...

Anyway, when I came back from the seminar my boss told me that I had made a good impression on the corporate guys and that he thought about me as far as a general sales managers' position opening in another market. I was flattered by the suggestion and I hadn't thought of moving out of the market, but then I know how God works and I didn't discount the idea. I took it to the Lord and this is what I want to share with you that has been revealed to me over a period of 7 months.

Dana was doing a lesson for the college department for the 5th Sunday Gathering on the 31st and he was reading out of Hebrews 4... where the word of God is alive and active... it cuts to the quick and speaks to us... I was meditating on those words and as I read a little further down in Hebrews 5:4 these words jumped off the page at me... No one can exalt himself to a position of honor... but it is the Lord who promotes you... (My paraphrase because this is what I interpreted from the Lord) Okay Lord, this is timely I thought. Even though I had not thought of the promotion on my own, I was listening to the still small voice that was guiding me down this path.

The next thing that happened is a meeting of the corporate dudes here in Lake Charles where we discussed the launching of KPLC Connections to some of the very guys that I had met in January. Another divine set up in my mind.

March offered another sign of God's guidance in a breakthrough for me with words from Psalm 109:8 ...May his days be few may another take his place of leadership...This came on a day that was very emotional for one of my managers. I didn't know what this meant at the time and I thought okay God, what are you doing here?

I'm feeling the pull of going into leadership, I just didn't know what direction God was leading me in. Now it's May and my general manager announced that someone else in the station would be the new Director of KPLC Connections, which is basically what I've been responsible for over the last 2 years so needless to say, I was a little shocked... I mean, what does that mean for me? Right?

But less than a hour later, Cecile announced that she and Bert were going to get married and she was going to leave Lake Charles and move to New York... this happened at the same time... Perfect timing... and needless to say... the job details for her job has been worked out with my management and they worked it out with Corporate that I didn't even have to compete for the job. They didn't have to post the position on the Raycom Media site that would allow other Internet Sales Directors to apply if they wanted to... It all worked out in perfect timing for me to be ready to step into this position. A position that would start on August 27th... which is also the same date as the closing on the house... Which is a whole 'nother story and thing that has been going on in my life since January...

Abundant living... not being afraid of change... inviting the unknown into your life to allow a little dreaming to occur... Dreams I didn't even know I was dreaming but God was placing in my heart. He brought it to pass... It just brings the passage back to mind that started me on this path... Hebrews 5:4... No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God...

When God brings you to it, he'll bring you through it...

I'll let you know how it goes with the transition... I'm just living in obedience to the word of God and letting him direct my steps... Hope this offers a little hope to someone today who is a little lost as far as what direction you are going. Just trust and obey...

Loving Life,
Lea Anne

Want to know why your Prayers won't get off the ground?

Isaiah 58

Wonder Why Your Prayers Won't Get Off the Ground?

1-3 "Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell my people what's wrong with their lives,
face my family Jacob with their sins!
They're busy, busy, busy at worship,
and love studying all about me.
To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people—
law-abiding, God-honoring.
They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?'
and love having me on their side.
But they also complain,
'Why do we fast and you don't look our way?
Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?'

The Bottom Line

3-5"Well, here's why:
"The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit.
You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.
You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do
won't get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after:
a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face
and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting,
a fast day that I, God, would like?

This is the kind of fast day I'm after:

6-9 to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,

being available to your own families.
(knock, knock, as I was hit upon the forehead)

Do this and the lights will turn on,

and your lives will turn around at once.

Your righteousness will pave your way.

The God of glory will secure your passage.

Then when you pray, God will answer.

You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

9-12"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.

I will always show you where to go.

I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.

You will rebuild those houses
left in ruins for years;

You'll be known as those who can fix anything,

restore old ruins,

rebuild and renovate,

make the community livable again.

This is straight from scripture and I can't tell you how refreshed I feel as I read these words. I have a word from God after months of seeking his face. Of asking for answered prayer. Months of trusting and waiting and trying to remain faithful to his will. And he answered after I came to a place of brokenness in my life that I cried out to him in earnestness and with full surrender to the things that I had been trying to control in my life. He had the control the whole time and all he wanted was for me to let go of it.

MAN, what a relief to know I don't have to wonder. I have heard from God and now it is just a matter of time that He will bring it to pass. I can boldly proclaim the word I received and speak it as if it were already in existence. We will sell this house and the plans he has for us to renovate and rebuild one that has been in ruins for over 5 years, he will give us... I just have to wait on his perfect timing and for the people he has waiting to buy our house here. God's WILL will prevail. It just so happens to be my will as well because he placed the desire in my heart. I didn't have it before but because I truly wanted to walk in his path for me, I asked him to give me the desire that he wanted for me and that's what it was... Now I just have to move toward that gift...

More to come as this unfolds...

I love when I hear from the Lord and will gladly give him praise for it as long as I live... Thank you, Jesus...

LeaAnne

PS. As a reminder of what happened this day when I wrote this, we had a couple come see our house at 5pm this day, then come back for a second look on Friday, and they contracted our house that weekend. We closed on this Tuesday August 10th 3 weeks after the first look. Amazing Lord what you do in your perfect timing. Help me to always remember that you are always at work behind the scenes.

Be thankful for your spouse...

My heart is so tender right now and I've had such a time of self-reflection over the last few days. Being vulnerable is very uncomfortable. It can be scary because by baring my soul, it may open me up to circumspect. It could cast doubts on my character. It could cause someone to question my walk. But I know that if I don't look deep into myself and view me as God views me, that I will never truly grow. I don't want to stay the same in my Christian life. I want to go deeper and wider with Christ. But that stretching... that pulling at my guts... that growth spurt... It hurts...

Most of my pain has been as a result of major conviction from one sentence in Church on Sunday...

There should be no secrets in a marriage

Doesn't sound threatening... doesn't really seem to be scary at all when you speak it... but was. it. ever! the earthquake of emotion that I didn't see coming. A simple statement, but sometimes the most simplest of statement are the most convicting and life-changing. I have had a little bit of yuck in my past. And there is a limitation of opening up about the yuck that lies under the surface. I'm not needing confession therapy here, but I do have a few secrets in my past. Things that weren't beneficial to talk about. They wouldn't benefit anyone so I kept them to myself... But now I know that going deeper into where my heart is means digging out the yucky parts.

And that statement...

There should be no secrets in a marriage.

It shook me a little to say the least. I don't want to go into detail and maybe one day I will, but right now I'm too tender. I'll just say that we should always be thankful for our spouses. We should always treat them with the respect and honor due them. We shouldn't take them for granted because it could be so easy to lose them. Someone else could come in and steal them away without either one of you realizing it. It could happen so easily...

Breathe...

Pray...

Praise...

Be Thankful...

I am so in love with my husband and just want to shout it to the whole world. I want to encourage you to do the same with your spouse.

Love him... Laugh with him... spend time with him... have fun with him...invest in him... encourage him... dote on him... seduce him... woo him... praise him... cherish him... allow him to lead you... submit to him... don't ever give up on him... tell him how much he means to you and how thankful you are for him.

Only you can do that... that honor and privilege is yours to give... Don't waste the opportunity to share your life with him. Don't just live with him... abide in him... hold him close and never let him go...

Hearing things about ourselves that seem hurtful at the time can really be a good thing if we turn that pain into a self-reflection and learn from it and grow into a better, deeper person. Someone who will encourage those around them and build them up and become the person that we are created to be. But only if we dig a little deeper and unearth some of the yuck and face things about ourselves that aren't pleasant... Then we can truly be free...

I love you, Dana, and I'm thankful for the little reminder that you are my best friend... I look forward to a lifetime of tomorrow's with you.
Love,
your wife...