Today I got to sing “Love Lifted Me” just after hearing my husband preach about being born again. As we sang, both my husband and my son were standing in front of the full auditorium at the North Jackson church. watching for someone who might want to be born again, regenerated by the Holy Spirit in the waters of baptism. I knew that my little grand-daughter and a group of Christians from that church had passed out invitations to the community yesterday. I met some who were there who needed to know the Lord. I am prayerful that this week might impact lives for eternity.
As we sang, I looked down and my four-year-old grandson, Ellis, reached up to me and I took him in my arms. He sang with gusto in my left ear “…when nothing else could help, love lifted me.” I know he has no sin, but I trust one day the love will lift him, too.
In my heart, I thought, “I love that, in front of me are the two favorite preachers in my world, standing right there together, one singing bass and one, tenor. I love that I am flanked by my three grandchildren and my sweet daughter-in-law. But, most of all, I am thankful for the love that lifted me when nothing else could help; the love that completely saves.”
Sometimes, life is hard. There are encounters that I endure rather than enjoy; mornings when the darkness lifts out my window, but not in my heart. I’m sure it’s that way for most of us in the testing ground through which we walk on our way home. But if we have been cleansed from the deep stain within and if we are no longer sinking to rise no more, the reasons to rejoice far outweigh the despair.
I am currently editing the last chapters of our next Digging Deep study. I am praying hard that some soul(s) may come to know the love that lifts—that completely saves—as a result of the study that we will begin next September. Maybe there is someone who is studying along right now, as we enter the last trimester of our Conversations study, who, when being honest with self, knows that she has not been lifted by the Savior, cleansed from the deep stain of sin. I would so love to help 
you. I’m just an email or facebook message away. This month we will study the women who anointed the Savior. One of them, having been forgiven, broke her expensive alabaster box and wiped the feet of Jesus with her tears (Luke 7: 36ff). Do you have tears today because of sin? Do you have an alabaster box—something precious to you—that you could offer Him? He is waiting with a love that will lift!
Let’s talk about this together!
cindycolley@gmail.com.
The Sermon on the Mount— the timeless, divine truth of Matthew 5-7— is the ultimate practical sermon. It’s the ultimate visionary lesson. It’s the ultimate logical presentation. It’s the extreme best of its kind because it is directly from the lips of the infallible Son of God.
I’m pretty sure I heard 30-plus speeches this weekend about Joseph and how his brothers meant the pit, the slavery and the bloody coat, for evil, but God meant it all for good. I heard a lot about Job and even more about the intended and massive eternal good that God meant through the abuse that happened at the cross. 
the things that occur in my life. Events, occurrences, schedules and mishaps are not all about me; but of course they ARE all about Him IN me and in you and in every faithful child. How can He take every single one of His called children this weekend across multiple convention sites and make the paths of our lives converge into one good thing? It’s because we are called according to His purpose and we claim that promise from an infinitely resourceful God. As one of my grandchildren said in her speech, “Like I said, I can’t even imagine it. But it’s no wonder I can’t even imagine it. God said He can do exceedingly, abundantly more than I can even ask or imagine.”
It strikes me on reflection that we are blessed in His family with so many intersections at a big event like Lads to Leaders. This (Nashville convention, this year) was the biggest convention in the history of Lads and it was full of wonderful cross-over reunions for most of us.
Keepers award and a couple of them achieved the Good Samaritan Award. 
Lads is an intersection of the sixties-something me and the six-year-old me. People I’ve known from the Adamsville church for all my life walked up and said “I’m ____________.” Then there were big embraces and fond memories just came pouring back. I’m so thankful for a childhood among His faithful people.
Lads is an intersection of Christian camps. Teen girls, over and over, shouted “Mrs. Cindy!” We took pictures and we said lots of “Are you coming this summer?” And there were lots of “OHHH yes! I can’t wait.”s. I’m thankful for youth events that bind them (and us) together.
can imagine!
We are mostly crossing paths on the weekends. But this time, this great church invited him to come, since I was there anyway, for a ladies’ day. He did a men’s day and a preacher’s meeting and preached all day on Sunday. He, as usual, worked harder than I did. It was a bonus blessing to have him there!
We got to stay in the renowned Whinery B and B and it lives up to every ounce of renown. We love these people and what is not to love?! We’ve been twice around the world with them and we’d love to get to do it again one day!
got to be in her house and do a ladies day in her congregation in Sabetha, Kansas. I was beyond excited to see her standing there beside me with all of her little brood. What a great blessing! I love her. The youngest two are her own and how blessed are all these girls! They listened and learned and I hope I see them one day leading the women in their congregations. I’m going to start praying for that!
I really hope you are coming along for the Dig that starts in September. There are lots of great ways to grow in Him, but Digging Deep is surely one. I wish you could be as encouraged as I am. I routinely see groups spawning more groups and I hear words like “life-changing” often. None of this is me, though. The Word is just that: life-changing! We are transformed by it in the renewing of our minds. I read that in a Book, somewhere! Make up your renewing mind and come on along!
Writing this early morning about David, particularly about the darkest months of His life, I decided to go open the window of my room. In some years on writing week, I’ve been able to look out the window at a huge American flag, a lush green meadow or a serene, but beautiful, cemetery. This week, I’m up high, and when I pull up the shade, I am looking down at the back of a gas station. No great writing vibes are making their way up here from Fuel City, Shell, or Chevron…all within view when I draw up that shade. SO I have been looking lots in the Word and not much out the window.
I had to go ahead and talk to Him. I said, “Oh my God. You are wonderful and worthy and you do amazing things in the darkest of times. Help me to love you more!” He not only made that big ball of fire that just moved out of the darkness and illuminated my world, but He IS the light that comes out of life’s darkest clouds of sorrow for His people. As the Psalm that I’m studying this morning says, “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”