ENCOURAGED IN HEART

I’m fighting a little head cold right now. My sinuses are a bit swollen but so is my .

Last night I had the incredible opportunity to speak to a wonderful group of women leaders at their winter retreat. My message was titled “A Bright Light in a Dark Place“.

It was awesome and my heart is still swellin’!

I love being in a room full of women that are not just interested, but invested, in changing the world.

That mission gets accomplished, one family at a time.

And that is exactly what these bright lights are doing.

I have to go get Cal off the bus but before I do, I just have tell you my favorite part of the evening.

No, it wasn’t the part where I ate dinner (though it was super yummy!).

It was at the end, after I finished speaking my message. My very talented friend, Nichole Toms, came up to lead us in worship. So, as we dimmed the light bulbs and lit the candle sticks, we sang as a group of women, on fire for Christ and determined to worship our awesome God.

Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praise of his people. I’m telling you what, God was there, in the hearts and voices of those women, I felt it, and it touched my heat deeply.

When is a time that you experience God in a very deep and moving way?

Today’s blog is rather simple but important.  We’ve spent the past months together praying and talking about our budgets and getting fiscally fit. Today I want to talk about our nation’s budget.

In 2009, the United States will have a debt of over $1 TRILLION dollars (for this year alone). The US is plunging itself into insurmountable amounts of debt. What does this mean? Well, that eventually, the US government is going to scale WAY back on its spending in order to be able to pay for it. Pay now or pay later…and later always comes. We need to develop a balanced budget.

In 1 Timothy 2:1-4, we are instructed to pray for our leaders.  “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

So, I simply ask that today, you stop and not just pray over your finances, but that you take the time to pray for our leaders to make financially wise decisions for this country.  We have never needed it more than now.

You won’t be receiving a post from me next week, so as The Tempos sang in 1959, See you in September.