Well, tomorrow is almost here and so much has transpired since the last time we spoke. Somebody asked, am I ready? to which I will respond, ready or not, here we go!
- On Tuesday morning I facilitated the last "Club" session for this season. Club is actually The Deaf and Signing Divas Book & Bible Club we started through GHA. It's where Deaf and Hearing ladies come together weekly, every Tuesday actually, and study a book and the Bible for the purpose of growing in wisdom and strength. This past Tuesday we had our last session on the book "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson, and I don't think my prayer life will ever be the same again.
Together we learned how to draw circles around the promises of God, seek to remember the addresses as to where they can be found and creatively pray them back to our Father. After-all, He did promise not to withhold anything good from us if we'd walk in obedience to Him. Right?
New Living Translation (©2007)
For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
Actually on Tuesdays I teach all day, and love every waking moment of it, as this is what God has called me to do. Inspire, Influence and In-power others through His Word. I call it Biblical Life Coaching. We ended with a surprise birthday party for Vanessa and everybody left fatter and happier. Literally. LOL
On Tuesday afternoon I spent my usual time with the kids at MILLS, as they had their last sign language lesson in preparation for their Black History program on Wednesday. those babies keep me young and grounded. As a matter of fact, I'm looking for an intern .... Any bites out there????
I taught them the meaning behind the song "Kum Ba Ya" and they learned how to sign it. I am so proud of them, they have exceeded any expectations I had for them, and even though I still say teaching kids is not a part of my calling, I have found that as I walk in obedience and teach them anyway, I am growing in ways I probably would not otherwise. So, in essence, I think I need that weekly "dose" of "little people." LOL
- I've also been working on Tuesday afternoons with a Deaf young lady that we'll call "Mary." Mary is the single mother of 2 hearing young sons and she's placed them up for adoption. I have had the opportunity to be involved in this entire process with Mary from the very beginning and I hope and pray that God will allow me to someday see Mary be reunited with her kids after they all are healthy, happy and wise adults.
Mary is like so many others I have met over the years who just don't know how to parent. I mean really. I sat there and watched her interact with these little people, who by the way are highly intelligent, but she has no idea how to be their mother, and this is all too common yall.
But Mary has never had a healthy mother figure in her life. Her mom stills parties and drugs to this day I am told. She has never seen "effective parenting" played out, and remember, on top of all of this Mary is Deaf, so there is not a lot of "unintentional learning" taking place. Mary says she has been told in one way or another, over and over again, all of her life that she'll never amount to anything and she's an awful parent. So, in her mind, if this is who she is, then why bother????
When I met Mary she had already concluded that she can't and now she's not willing to even try to mother her children ... and yet, I can see clearly the hurt and pain that Mary is trying to stuff, because Mary really does love her kids. She loves her kids enough to give them to a family who can and will parent them, and help them be all they can be. Mary doesn't want to repeat the cycle of family dysfunction and/or abuse. So I say, hats off to Mary ... But pray is what she desperately needs us to do for her.
I have presented my Heavenly Father to Mary, but she's still at a place where she's not ready to trust even Him ... Especially Him really, as she was raised "in the church" and stills deal with much of those hurts.
So, will you join me in praying for this Mary and the Mary's of our community? Especially the Deaf Mary's who are sometimes limited in their understanding that there are resources available to them ... And then how about you, are you willing to be a resource to the Mary's in "your" world? Will you be a friend to, will you mentor, will you learn sign language???? Well, will you .... let me know, I'm looking for interns.
... then Wednesday soon followed with a very successful Black History program at MILLS and a concert with my family, The Wissmann Family.
See Wissmannfamily.com
Gloria, who is the mother of this clan is my husband's 2nd cousin, so they came to town and ministered at my home church, Mt Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, where Dr. Larry G Mills is my pastor. See MtSinaiOrlando.
They were such a blessing to our church family, and our church family was a true blessing to them as well. I am right proud to be a Sinaite y'all, meaning, I am capable and open to embracing all of God's children and His distinctive ways to grow me up like He did Jesus, in wisdom, stature, and in favor with both God and man. Luke 2:52
We had some good family time together over a late lunch and my sister Mae Frances even joined us. it was good is all I can say. Later in the evening I learned that God had been "baking yet another cake for me" as my son Reggie totaled the car we gifted him. Remember Jon just drove all the way out to Arizona two weeks ago to take him the car? Yep that car. The car was totaled internally, but without physical injury to Reggie or anybody else.
How GREAT Thou Art is all I could say. I've been praying for God to have His way, and I've invited Him to "do it" by any means He deems necessary. Well, He's a prayer answering God and I totally trust Him as I recognize that His ways and His thoughts are not the same as ours, they are higher. Period! Isaiah 55:8,9 ... Here's Reggie's new car that he/Reggie brought this time. LOL
Believe it or not, In between all of this very active daily living I do, I have been preparing as best as I can for Italy and Greece. for Really!!!! I've been reading, emailing, studying, working, and so much more.
This morning Jon and I went to his oral surgeon for a follow up to phase one of this whole dental implant procedure he is undergoing, which is a 4 or 5 phase journey. We were told that everything looks good and his running around snaggled tooth has really aided in that. LOL Meaning, he could be wearing a custom designed loosely fitted partial while awaiting the implants, but the pressure on the gum is not ideal for the bone from the graft to properly set. So, Jon has chosen to just tell people he's a hockey player. Need I say more? LOL
Anyhews, we go back in May for phase 2 .... And hopefully in 8 more months to a year, my boyfriend the hockey player will have his MILLION DOLLAR smile back. In the mean time, I will continue to love him dearly, snaggled tooth and all. Ha ..... Oh, God thank you sooooo much for my husband, and thank you for growing me up.
Well, with all that said and done, finally got some euros for our trip from the Millennia Mall concierge desk, took an afternoon nap, caught up this blog and now it's Hammer time, I mean packing time ..... Jon still has to take me through all the technical training I need for the trip, since he's not going with.
I have to learn how to operate the camera, the flip camera, my voice recorder, this iPad and download, transfer, save, and upload stuff and then some. That's a lot of work isn't it???
Remember, I'm doing all this for you. LOL .... Because if you're going to travel and study with me, then ALL of this and more is necessary to the success of our travels and studies. Sooooooo ... Pray me through. OK???
And hey, the purpose of a blog is for us to talk, so holler back at me sometime so I'll at least know you're still hanging out with me. Alright??? Gotta go for now ... Stay tuned, tomorrow is the big day. I have to be at the airport at 4pm, for a 8pm flight overnight flight to Frankfurt, Germany. Maybe I'll see "cousin em" on the airport. LOL
So, that's a wrap!
Eeb
Live & Learn. Love & Lead.
P.S. OH ... God's Cake Baking is based on Romans 8:28 .... Look up the scripture for yourself and consider the following ...
Separately the flour, eggs, oil, butter, sugar, water, jello, vanilla extract, and whatever you put in your bowl is not good in and of itself, is it? .... But when it's all mixed together, I don't know about you, but I still lick the spoon. LOL! Well, I do, and you probably do too.
And even so, the flavor of that batter doesn't compare to the taste of a good freshly baked, hot pineapple upside down cake. Right ???? So, God promises those who love Him and walk according to His plans for their lives that He'll work "it" ALL together for our good!!! His batter is better than good and His cakes are out of this world. So, go ahead God and bake me all the cakes you want to.
