R&R

Posted: Wednesday, March 3, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: 2k10, 2k7 | Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on R&R

Psalm 23

2 -3      ….He leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul….

In the first few months of the 2007, KK’s mom had passed, the spare car windows were shot out, Marcellous was in the hospital, then the spare car was stolen, one of the kids decided to steal and misuse my credit card, my company announced it was closing the Richmond offices and were moving them ½ way across the country.  It seemed like it was one thing right after the other.

Before KK left for NJ, I had an emergency appendectomy and was in the hospital for a few days.  Poor KK…didn’t understand WHAT was going on.  First his mom was in the hospital…she died.  Then, his dad…a few weeks later…ended up in the hospital, the beginning of one complication after another.  Then, I (the only other “family” he has in Richmond) end up there!  Thankfully, it was only for a few days.  It was yet another one of Satan’s attacks. But, it was a perfect time for God to get my undivided attention.  For several weeks, I spent time reading the Bible, praying, meditating, spending time on the front porch.  God was definitely doing a work in me.  During those weeks, He led me by still waters…and restored my soul.  It was a time of rest after a couple of crazy months.  It was just me…and God.  It was refreshing.

Earlier in the year, I had been restless in my job.  It wasn’t challenging to me anymore.  So, when the firm announced the move…it was time for me to really reflect on what God wanted from me next in my career.  During this time, a lot was stirring in me in regards to my community.  Is this the time to make a move?  God spoke to me through a number of people independently… “Remain open.” was the consistent message.  So, I practiced at remaining open, making no decisions.  Why would God lead me to this community and my kids…to my home, only to take me to Missouri?  Why would God provide me with a great job, only to have me leave it?  My finances provide for me…and for some family members.

Every day, I go to work with what most would call the ‘wealthy’.  I came home every day to what some would call ‘the least of these”.  There are so many similarities between these 2 groups.

The Lord brought people in my life who were making 6-7 digits a year trying to decide what latest gadget they wanted next, what prep school to send their child, upgrading their house, car, or phone, how to make the next dollar…trying to find happiness.

Then, there are those who have to decide between paying the light bill, providing food for the table, clothes for their children because they outgrew last year’s or buying Christmas gifts.  Afraid to introduce the kids to Santa…in fear that their hopes would get too high.

What I had come to learn….is that we ALL are the ‘least of the these’ if we don’t know the Lord.  It doesn’t matter what color we are, what socioeconomic group we are in, or where we live.  There’s financially poor…then there is spiritually poor.  What does the Bible say about the Needle’s Eye?  That it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than it is for a camel to go through the needle’s eye?  So…would I rather be poor and have an easier time getting into heaven or rich and a harder time?  That is a tough question. Can I be some where in the middle?

But…a question that I will have to ponder in the near future as we face my job elimination.  Regardless, we will be richer than MOST of the world….with a roof over our head, food on the table and clean water to drink.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” has a whole new meaning to me as I think about what the future holds.  One thing I know…God is in control!

Me and KK...the early morning I took him to Greyhound to stay with his Aunt and sister in NJ

KK...being silly. How can you NOT love this kid?

No Love. No Gain.

Posted: Tuesday, March 2, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: 2k10, Louis and Me! | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

Yes...Louis did good on Valentine's Day with Balloons, Cards, Roses and all other kinds of goodies!!!

As you can see in my tag line, Miss Marti’s House…loving God and others in Southern Barton Heights….  I have been thinking about that lately…what does that REALLY mean?  Jesus tells us in the New Testament…to love God with all your heart, soul, strength.  He also then tells us…to love your neighbor as yourself.  So, what does that really look like?  To love like that?

So…I read 1st Corinthians 13 and was struck by verse 3.

3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing.

So…I could be doing all this work…sacrificing my time and money, my hopes and dreams…but, if I am not doing it in love…why do it?  So, how often do I respond to those ads on TV or causes on FB because I feel guilty?  How often do I do something for a friend or family because I am shamed into it? Or…when I strike a check to the local non-profit why does that make me feel better. But…if we are doing this out of guilt, shame or obligation…we may feel a little better in the short run….but, God sees straight through to our heart…our motives.  If I do this without LOVE….it’s nothing.  Don’t get me wrong…I’m not challenging us to stop giving!!!!  I’m challenging us to GIVE MORE!!!! because we respond with LOVE while giving.  Let’s take a look at the rest of the scripture….

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails…..

Not long ago, Louis and I were challenged by reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  Francis challenges the reader to replace your name where the word LOVE appears in this part of the scripture.  So, I would say…

“Marti is patient….” OUCH!!!!  Anyone who knows me…knows that patience is a challenge for me!!!   Louis agrees with me here!  Because he has the patience of Job….He is a positively fabulous role model for me!

“Marti is kind…”  Well, I’m basically a kind person.  But, there are times that I am NOT AT ALL kind!  More than likely, my thoughts are NOT exactly kind at all.  You might not see it…but, God knows my thoughts!  OUCH!!!!

Then…keep reading it….Marti does not….envy (ow!), never… boastful (pain!), proud (burn!), rude (yee-OW!), self-seeking  (not me!), not easily angered (ache!), keeps no records of wrongs (who me?), etc. etc.

I’m gonna challenge you like Francis Chan challenged us….Read this scripture, replacing your name….see what hits you!

So…should I change my tag line to TRYING to love God and others?  Nah…I don’t think so.  I’m doing the best I can right now.  I am loving God and others…and I am learning how to love more….every day.

I’m a work in progress…moving TOWARD Christ…the ultimate lover.


Lambs Among Wolves

Posted: Friday, February 26, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: 2k7 | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

Luke 10:3

“Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”

Mid January of 2007, I was sitting in church on Saturday night.  During our closing reflection time, God told me to read Luke 10 again.  I was stunned.  I asked God, “what in the world for?  I have read it umpteen times.  What more could I glean from this passage?  I had already gotten so much out of it.”  But, I had learned the importance of obedience and sat down and read it again.  This time, “I am sending you out like lambs among wolves” jumped right off the page at me.  “Why are you showing me this?  I am safe in my neighborhood.  Nothing has happened to me.”  I had this sense of security in my neighborhood.  I was confident…possibly over confident.

Even Everett, one of my new-found friends, assured me that I was safe.

I was walking home one night from Cindy and Billy’s house, just a short 2 blocks away, when Everett snuck up on me on his bike.  I gave a quiet scream…and fussed at him, “You nearly scared me to death!  Don’t ever do that again.”  Everett quickly said, “No one is going to mess with you.  You’re a child of God.”  You see, Everett and I had never talked about the Lord.  Everett was my handyman.  He was the one who cut my grass, shoveled my snow, raked my leaves.  Everett is a guy who chose to live in a make-shift shed between 2 bushes behind someone’s house. He picks up odd jobs to help pay for batteries, kerosene, candles, and meals.  (Side note, Everett now not only completes odd jobs for me, he is also my friend and brother in Christ.  We often share breakfast together on Saturday or Sunday mornings.  All the while, talking about the goodness of God and listening to Bobby Jones Gospel.  He’ll come over and watch a football game with me and the kids…and now Louis.  It serves a two-fold purpose.  He’s warm…and he gets to watch the game.  He still struggles  with what life on the street brings, as he was stabbed in 2007 and spent weeks recovering.  But, he continues to Praise the Lord.  You will hear more about Everett in the future.)

OK…back to that January night at church.  Amazing…that is all I can say.  I was on my way home from church that night after reading Luke 10 again, and I decided to check my voicemail.  I had several messages, as it turned out, from my neighbors.  The messages came at the very time the Lord told me to read Luke 10…again.   I had finally gotten a ‘new to me’ car, and my old car sat on the street while I waited for a copy of the title.  Four windows of this car, which was sitting by my house, had been shot out.  God had prepared me for the news.  Praise God!  As I listened to the messages…I just laughed.  Normally, I would have been angry or scared.  But, I knew that God was in control.  My reaction was so much different from it would normally be.  My neighbors were at my house when I got there.  Everett quickly volunteered to sweep up the glass (for free, this time!)  We believe that it wasn’t an intentional attack, but more than likely kids playing.  But, it was still a bit unsettling.

I had not yet told my parents about my car, because I didn’t want them to worry.  About a week or so later, I was visiting Mom and we were chatting in the bedroom.  Mom began to cry as she shared with me her worried for my safety.  That Micah (one of the pastors at her church) had preached a sermon a few weeks earlier where she became overwhelming concerned for me.

In Matthew 14:22-36…Jesus MADE the disciples get on the boat…and go ahead of him…knowing that rough seas…rough times were ahead.  And that He would be glorified.  That Peter’s faith (and all who watched!) would be increased.  Mom cried as she shared this Word with me.  That…the Lord would PUSH me on to the “boat”…my faith and others’ faith would be increased!  That God would be glorified in the end.  Mom had shared…that as my mom she wanted me to move out the neighborhood, but as my sister in Christ…she encouraged me to stay because she knew that God was in control and He would be glorified.

But, I am getting a little ahead of myself.  I knew that Satan didn’t like what was happening in SBH, when the ongoing attacks started in late December of 2006.  It was a good Word of encouragement from my Mom.  I am thankful that she loves Jesus and brought me up in the ways of the Lord.

Missional Community 02.22.2010

Posted: Sunday, February 21, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: 2k10 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Missional Community 02.22.2010


On the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month…there are a group of us that meet together to fellowship, study the Word (Bible), and pray.  In addition, we are also on Mission with Jesus to serve the Southern Barton Heights community…like games at National Night Out.  We call our group a Missional Community.  You are welcome to join us!  We meet from 6:30-8:30p ET.  We meet tomorrow…02.22.2010.  We will have lasgana…and whatever sides folks bring!  Pics are from 2009 National Night Out @ Cannon Creek.

Newer Entries →