Andrea O. Freeman

School's out, flex schedule starts this week and I am so thankful for the warm weather and sunshine. I can't function when it is dark, cloudy, and rainy for days on end. We've had a lot of rain lately, so the sunshine is such a nice change of pace in our area. As much as I love the start of the summer season, I realize as I get older it seems to go by so much faster. I want to make the most of the time we have here on this earth, so I find that I am taking more moments to savor this life God has given me. Yes, at times I put a little bit too much in my mouth and my waist line shows it---let's just not go down that path in this entry--but I won't waste time beating myself up over it. I am so excited about the time I will have with my family to enjoy playing, traveling and just spending quality time together. We just went to the Indy Zoo last weekend and we had a blast. I love seeing the amazement in my children's eyes as they see all the animals, learn fr...

End of the day, get to Zumba, eat some dinner with the fam, then off to Rylee's softball game. It was almost 9:30 by the time we got home, and everyone needed a bath plus Rylee needed her PE uniform washed---oh my word, I need two more hours in my day to get it all done before I crash and sleep! How do I do it? I often wonder, but then I quickly go, "Hmmm, yeah, okay--that's you God!" I love my life, I love my family and I love everything we are doing so it is moments like this that I can take a breath and go, "Aha, yeah, it is okay, God's doing His thing so I can keep moving!" Faith sustains us, His peace and strength encourage us to put one foot in front of the other. I know that if I wasn't talking to Him, digging in the Word everyday and never letting go of that feeling of thanksgiving in my heart then I would crash and burn a whole lot more. I know I am in trouble if in a moment of struggle, I head south for desperate measures...woh! Go...

I think I ask this question daily to myself, and then to God. Perhaps it should be the other way around? God, how am I doing? I mean, really....am I doing something good, something to make you proud? I don't want a day to go by in this life that I don't take time to say thanks: before I roll out of bed, before I step out my door, before I drink my yummy coffee, before I speak, before I start my work, before I put food in my mouth, before I accomplish the very thing I have been working on all day long, before stepping in the door as I arrive at home, before I speak to my husband and my children, before I end my day, before I close my eyes to sleep each night. I don't think I can say thanks enough, so it should pour out of me without ceasing. Everything I am, all I have and all I do is because of what Christ has done for me, because of what God has given me. I have wondered how often the disciples pondered this very question while they were walking with Christ......

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 We are charged to go and tell the Good News to the world. This is our mission field. Everywhere we are, it is our mission. In everything we do, it is our mission. We have been given the Holy Spirit, direct access to the power of Christ and the Holy Scriptures to give others the precious knowledge we possess. How can we hold it in? How can we, especially in our nation's current state of distress, hold on to anything that is of this world? I have a new appreciation for what we have, what we "own" and how little it matters to my eternity. Honestly, I am thankful to have a roof over my head, indoor plumbing, food on my table, a job, transportation, communication by cell phone/internet, a place to worship/church family, health insurance, and my sweet family. When it all comes down to it, does ...

"When I think I'm going under part the waters Lord. When I feel the waves around me calm the sea. When I cry for help Oh hear me Lord, and hold out your hand. Touch my life, still the raging storm in me." "I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord. No tender voice like Thine, can peace afford. I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee! Every hour, I need Thee! Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee." (Arrangement by Selah, Contemporary Christian Music group) I love this arrangement, and I have had it on my mind for almost a week now. It is a haunting, soothing version recorded by one of my favorite groups. I listen to it when I walk, and it gives me such comfort, strength and deliverance. My day's troubles and stresses melt away as I hear the swelling vocals, instruments carry the song step by step. There are days when just the right song at the right time will overwhelm me, and I find myself on my knees in tears. Sometimes I find in the middle of my walk that...

I was singing this song to myself this morning, remembering how beautifully Chris Tomlin sang it at his concert. Such a nice arrangement, and the words just cut me to the core. It hurts to admit I don't like letting go, letting someone else lead me. I like to be in control of my life, but the reality is I am not. He is leading, even when I think I am. Something terrible happens, and boom--there's the jolt of reality. He is in control, not me. I don't like how certain moments of my life have unfolded, I find myself wishing I could go back and do it over again. That is where the human mind can truly drive a person crazy with worry, anxiety, regret. I find that I must make a habit daily of turning my mind and heart completely over to Him. Surrender is not easy, but it is necessary. Surrender is not natural, but it is required of me to be fully committed to the Lord and His will for my life. I read in my devotional this morning about the pursuit toward righteoussnes...

What are you called to do with your life? This is a question I have answered so many different ways over the years. From the time I was a child, I wanted to be a wife and a mother more than anything else in the world. Why? Because of my Mom's example. I am blessed to have two incredible Christian parents, and I am especially thankful for a mother who was at home full time with me and my brother. She is an intelligent, gifted woman who did so much more with her life than "wife" and "mother". She was a role model, a counselor, a coach, a friend, and so much more. But her greatest accomplishment was joining with Dad in teaching us to appreciate our church and the mission field, both at home and abroad. My brother and I were participants on several trips, but one particular trip we will always have tucked away in our life experiences, was to Hong Kong. Mom had served in Hong Kong as a journeyman before she and Dad met, so she had a great love and appreciat...