A Speech I Was Speechless About

November 11, 2014November 11, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

For those of you who know us well, you know that after this past weekend, we have such a praise to the Lord, such a ‘Thank You Jesus’ kind of Tuesday! As I continually remind the teens in my youth group, the story God gives you – His miraculous work in your life, is meant to be shared for His glory. Having a blog that reaches over 400 people with every post is an awesome platform for sharing, to be sure, but being able to reach an additional 240 women who may never have otherwise come across our humble blog, is quite another reason for praise!

Several weeks ago – weeks that I was absent from blogging – yes, I know – I was approached, completely out-of-the-blue (to my mind), and asked to give my testimony at the Maine Catholic Women’s Conference. What?!? Wow!

Craig & I have complete faith that God called us to Maine for a reason – but He really works FAST! We’ve only been here since the end of August, and already He has placed the opportunity, the sheer blessing in front of me to share His Mysterious Ways in my life through a large public forum! Really and truly, from the moment I was asked to speak, I was speechless.

So, without further ado, Craig and I have prepared a video of my testimony to share with you! There is about a minute of the talk missing, due to some technical difficulties, but if you’re really interested in the missing piece, send me a message and I’ll forward the full audio clip to you.

Psalm 115

¹Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name goes all the glory
for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

I encourage all of you to write your story. When you hear from God, make a note of it, and discover His miraculous ways at work in your own life!People often stop me and say, “I wish God spoke to me in the way He speaks to you…”

My reply:

Matthew 7:7-12 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?

Have a beautiful day! Check back in tomorrow for What’s Up Wednesday!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Your Choice

October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Yes, I know. I’m the Worst. Blogger. Ever. If that award is anywhere to be awarded, send it my way. I deserve it! One of our last blogs already detailed how busy we have been, and the past few weeks have been NO EXCEPTION, but, at any rate, I feel guilty for abandoning my blogging family so much since our move! 😦

Forgive me?

Since taking on my new role as Youth Minister for two parishes in Southern Maine, I have been faced with new thoughts about our faith – some of them, I never thought I would have to look face-to-face, but therein lies the joy of life! Nothing is ever what you THINK it will be!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

⁴Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.⁹Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Children and teenagers today don’t have it the way our grandparents did…or our parents…not even like I did. Youth of today are faced with enormous responsibility – so much so that I am fairly certain naptime would be a welcome word for many of today’s middle-schoolers and teens. Seriously.

When I was growing up, going to church and being involved with our Christian faith was not a CHOICE. It was just what your Sunday and Wednesday (evenings) consisted of. At least in my family, and the families of MANY of the kids I grew up with. Today, kids playing soccer or football have not only practice, but games and tournaments on Sunday mornings – forcing the child to CHOOSE between missing those activities and attending church…Wait, did I just say ‘forcing the child to choose’?!?

Oh…I did…and it isn’t any mistake! Parents today are allowing their children to be tiny adults…They make decisions about the events they are involved in and where their priorities are placed…Do you see anything wrong with this picture?

Re-read the passage from Deuteronomy above: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

As parents, it is your responsibility to show Christ to your children. That is your JOB as a parent, just as it is your duty as a spouse to show Christ to your husband or wife. Children are not born to you for show and tell, dressing up, parading talents, or reducing your tax burden. Children are God’s gift to parents, and in turn, they are to lead them to Christ.

As a couple facing infertility head-on, Craig nor I take our future responsibility lightly, and it is painful to see the teens I lead have to choose between playing in their soccer game or going to youth group or church. Parents need to set priorities – and this is a nationwide phenomenon.

As Christians, if we believe what we read in the Bible, we know that Sunday is the day for the Lord. He teaches us plainly that NOTHING should be above Him in our lives, and that includes high school activities, Sunday football, shopping trips, family get-togethers, etc. etc. This past Sunday 6,000 Maine high schoolers were involved in a soccer tournament in the morning! 6,000 players and HOW many parents and siblings?!?

When did we stop being a Christian nation, and allow the future of our country to CHOOSE for themselves how they would spend their Sunday? Even worse, when did parents decide it was okay for school events to be held during church services?

Proverbs 3:6

⁶In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

Matthew 6:33

³³But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

This doesn’t just apply to parents or those raising children, either. This applies to each and every one of us. The moment you make the choice to put God first in your life, to take all of your concerns to Him in prayer, to lay all of those you love on His Altar, things will begin to dramatically change for you. Doors will be opened and His Will will begin to be illumined. Things that mattered so much before will fade away, and you will yearn for God’s favor.

It’s a miraculous thing being a child of God. Don’t pass up eternity for soccer on Sundays.

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

A Porch With A View

August 28, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres3 Comments

If you’ve ever asked God to lead you and to work in your life miraculously, you know the warmth that overwhelms your entire being when you recognize His will, follow Him and watch Him work. It is absolutely incomparable to anything else you’ve ever experienced.

Almost a year ago to the day, Craig and I knew we were ready to move on from our house in Dallas. Where were we to go? We had no idea. But we knew it was time for something different. At the time, we figured just another house in Georgia would do, and so we set about looking at the worldly ‘figures’ of how we would make that transition. With the market the way it was, we knew our house needed something to make it stand out from the crowd and with our new addition, Lucy, we decided that something was a fence.

So, we started building. And while it was a great addition for Lucy, and not much later, Caroline, when we finally got around to putting our home on the market, the fence wasn’t enough. We needed something more.

We prayed. We asked for God’s Will to be done. We gave up OUR desires and OUR dreams and OUR “ME ME ME!” attitude, and we asked God to soften our hearts to hear His voice in the matter. It wasn’t long before we ended up at FullTurn Church, where we began to insurmountably grow in our faith, and it wasn’t long thereafter that Craig came to me with the ‘suggestion’ from God that we simply “PACK”.

As you know from previous blogs, we ignored that suggestion – until we absolutely couldn’t let His voice fall on deaf ears any longer, and we packed.

Never in our wildest dreams did we consider God would move us to Maine. But He did.

As I sit on our patio this afternoon, with a cool breeze blowing in my hair, I look out at the steeple and the cross I can see in front of me, and I feel the warmth of His Presence.

As I sat in my office at St. Bartholomew’s in Cape Elizabeth yesterday, I pondered how will I get everything ready for my youth group in time?!?! And God whispered, “Don’t worry. Follow me. I will show you. I will lead you. I will guide you. Don’t forget, I lead you here for my purpose.”

It is a wonderfully freeing understanding to realize that following Jesus doesn’t mean you are ‘dropped off in an unknown place’ and left to your own devices. It means that as long as you are in His Will, He’s holding your hand.

Isaiah 41:10

¹⁰Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
    I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Sometimes I don’t think we realize just WHO God is. The King of the Universe is your guide – not your horrible boss, or your overbearing ruler. He is both your Creator and your constant companion. Take heart.

Love You All.

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Conversations With God

August 7, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

So often people send me an e-mail or stop me in a conversation and tell me how ‘lucky’ I am that God speaks to me in the way He does. I have simply replied with a smile or a knowing nod, and left the topic at that. Thinking I should elaborate, but never delving into that discussion.

Until now.

This entire week, I have been nudged by the Lord to speak about this – about the way He speaks. To all of us. Yes, every single one. All we have to do (and we aren’t) is listen.

Job 33:14-18

¹⁴For God speaks in one way,
    and in two, though man does not perceive it.
¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on men,
    while they slumber on their beds,
¹⁶then he opens the ears of men
    and terrifies them with warnings,
¹⁷that he may turn man aside from his deed
    and conceal pride from a man;
¹⁸he keeps back his soul from the pit,
    his life from perishing by the sword.

Why do we think that the God of the Bible isn’t the same One who reigns today? He is the same miraculous, omniscient, wonderful Guide and Counselor who spoke to Moses, Abraham, Job & Paul. He wants nothing more than to have a real, true relationship with His children – and we are His children.

Let’s take into account what prayer is. Prayer is a conversation with God -conversation means both parties speak! When you pray you come to God was thanksgiving; you come to God with requests; you come to God with concerns. But do you realize that if you only sit and listen, He answers?

You may not hear from Him in verbalized words. He may speak to you as you are reading His Word. He may speak to you through a friend or loved one. He may speak to you in the written words of another. He may speak to you within a sign in the environment. Remember that this world is His creation, and He can speak to you however He chooses.

He chooses how you will listen best.

Personally, I have asked God to be blunt with me. I need that. I will be the first to admit I am hard-headed as a brick wall! And literally, He answered that prayer for me! He is blunt
with me… As long as I listen!

Think about the nature of God. The Bible tells us that God literally is love. So what kinds of things do you think of when you think of love? What are traits that go along with love? Generosity, kindness, happiness, goodness, caring, diligence, compassion … If God is love and these traits and many others are representative of love, then wouldn’t these things be spoken to you by God?

We humans, by nature, are not filled with love and generosity and peace and goodness. We are filled with the greed, with selfishness, with anger. These things are human traits. These things are of the world – not of God.

So when you feel something deep in your bones that is good, honest and pure. That is God. That is not you; that is not the world; that is not Satan.

When the desire to do something out of the kindness of your heart comes about, that is the Lord speaking to you.
You can even test what you heard to make sure that it is of God and not yourself. You can read the Bible to see if what you feel is coming from God is biblical. You can pray about what you feel God is telling you. You can see the work of God in the lives and environment around you, and qualify that it is verifiably from God.

If you are one of a married couple, you can speak to your husband or wife and let them know what you feel God is telling you. I tell Craig when I feel God is speaking to me. We both pray about what I feel the Lord is saying or what Craig feels God is telling him.

If it is truly from God, and not of ourselves, we will both begin to feel the same way and feel without a shadow of a doubt that the message is from God. If not, we know that it is a personal desire and not of the Lord.

For example, when we first put our house on the market, we looked at another home. We both, after much prayer, felt that the Lord was leading us to humble ourselves. We felt that He was leading us to do more for His Kingdom and less for ourselves. The home we felt He was leading us to would be small and well under our budget.

We found one that fit the bill and I, for one, fell in love with it! It was way under budget, and it was the kind of house I could see us in, complete with a front porch swing! Craig did not feel the same way. Not at all. But still I really felt like this could be our house!

We both prayed about it for months! But Craig never felt God speaking to him in that way at all! In the end, I realized it was my own personal desire. I felt the house would be a quick fix for us, and I personally wanted the house. God was not leading us to that place. He was, in fact, leading us to be more humble, but not to that house.

He really does speak to all of us! We need only be still and listen to him!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Why You’re NOT Winning Souls For His Kingdom

July 31, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Whoa. That title is harsh, huh?

Yep, it took me a minute or two to convince myself to actually title this post that way.

But let me tell you something. We don’t need sugar-coating.

When we meet our Lord at the end of our lives, He isn’t going to pat us gently on our shoulder when we take a moment to explain why we didn’t show others His love, or truly follow Him in the ways He placed before our feet. As Christians, we need to realize that His Way isn’t always the way that is EASIEST or the way that makes others the happiest.

1 John 2:3-4 ESV

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him

Romans 11:19-22 ESV

Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

Our God is a demanding God. He is relentless until we give ourselves completely over to Him. If anyone ever alludes to you that following Christ is easy, that person doesn’t truly know what being a Christian is all about.

If He asked you to move more than 1,000 miles away from your family, and go from making over $100,000/year to making half of that, would you do it? Or would you find an excuse to stay?

What if it meant many you thought were your friends and close to you suddenly turned their backs on you?

Would you still go? Or would you say, “Well, maybe I should stay – I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”

Galatians 1:10 ESV

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

The way to lead others to Christ is to be right where God wants you, right when He wants you there.

The way to lead others to Christ is to let His light emanate from you, so that just in being you are bringing His Spirit with you wherever you go.

If you are not following God, above all else (and anyone else – and their thinking), how can you accomplish anything for His Kingdom?

We can talk the talk and walk the walk – as long as it is an easy road, all we want, but if something happens that isn’t in our plans, and we don’t face that decision, or challenge, or change with a Christlike heart, all our preaching and Bible-quoting is in vain. For if we are truly Christ-followers, our lives will be a testimony to Him and the way He walked upon this Earth.

John 5:44 ESV

How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

How Much Faith Do We Have?

July 10, 2014July 10, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

FAITH

{PLEASE VIEW THIS POST WITHIN A BROWSER TO VIEW THE VIDEO(S) BELOW. THESE ARE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE FOR THIS POST.}

As Christians (as humans, really), we have a decision to make: our way or His.

Are we going to make decisions based solely on our desires or will we wait on our Lord to direct our steps? True surrender to God takes TRUE FAITH that God is The Supreme, Our All In All, The Lord of Our Lives. Is that the kind of faith we live with on a daily basis? Do we make our decisions and take our steps based on His Word or our whim?

Hebrews 11 is known as a text of the Bible that truly describes how to live a life of faith. (I urge you to read and study the whole chapter on your own. It’s powerful, friends.)

Hebrews 11:1-3

Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God. Because of our faith, we know that the world was made at God’s command. We also know that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

FAITH makes us sure. Faith is confidence in God and in our total surrender to Him. And here, is also explained the difference between HOPE and FAITH. We don’t HOPE in God. We have FAITH in Him. “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for…” Hebrews 11:1a

The difference is this – Faith supersedes hope. Noah didn’t build his ark at God’s command because he HOPED it would rain. I seriously doubt he would have spent longer than the average person’s LIFE SPAN to build a huge boat on dry land based on something he only hinged HOPE on. Noah must have been 150%+ sure The Flood would come.

And THAT is the kind of faith we need to have.

Matthew 17:20

Jesus replied: It is because you don’t have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you.

A mustard seed. Do you realize how teeny-tiny that is??

With THAT little faith, we can command a mountain to move. I am not one who believes Jesus spoke in riddles all the time. I have faith that the Bible is literal. Unless Jesus says He is telling a parable, I have faith (not hope) that the Bible is completely true, accurate and literally written. So, when God says it only takes mustard seed-sized faith to command mountains, I begin to wonder how teeny-tiny our faith is??

If mountains are not moving in your life, you need to increase your faith! Here are three simple steps to do just that:

HEAR, don’t just read silently, the Word of God.

Romans 10:17

No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ.

2. OBEY/LIVE OUT God’s Word, i.e. “Don’t just talk the talk; rather, walk the walk.”

James 1:22

Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it.

3. PROVE God’s power in your life. The Lord tells us to test Him in one way – by tithing, with the first ten percent of your income.

Malachi 3:10-11

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.

James tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3, NIV).

Faith. It changes everything.

My Choice Monday

He Calls Us Out Upon The Waters, The Great Unknown…

June 16, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres3 Comments

So “My Choice Monday” means we can post about whatever we want to today, right? 🙂 It doesn’t have to be a product recommendation or a recipe, does it? Because I don’t have that for you today…

I do, however, have a recommendation in the way of life, though…

Have you ever sung or listened to a song a million times…and then FINALLY been struck – off guard – by the lyrics, and what the song actually means?

About 5 (+ or -) months ago, I was listening to the radio (Victory 91.5 – for all you Atlantans!) and one of the morning dj’s from Rise & Stein – my favorite show – mentioned this song that she just LOVED and was SO MOVED by: “Oceans” by Hillsong.

Although I love and adore Hillsong, I had never heard “Oceans”, nor had I even heard of it…So I set myself to looking it up as soon as I arrived at the office. I listened. And then I listened again. I liked the song…but it wasn’t my favorite. I’m certainly somewhat OCD when it comes to music – I like symmetry: A verse, a chorus, a verse, a bridge, a chorus. End of song.

But this song is not written that way. So I was a little distracted from the words.

At the same time, I felt like I needed to sing something on my own. And the Holy Spirit told me it was this song.

I wasn’t thrilled. It’s a little bit of an odd range for my voice. It isn’t the symmetrical type of song I jive with most of the time. And I hadn’t sung something so ‘full-of-spirit’ since my high school youth choir touring the U.S. days.

But, we got the backing track and Craig and I set to work on practicing and recording and perfecting this song over the months. And somewhere along the way, the Lord led us to FullTurn Church – where, as I was leaving my first Wednesday night, they played “Oceans” as the recessional-esque song. And then He led us to the knowledge of our future baby “Jonah Elizabeth” and we began ‘building our ark’, so to speak, in faith. He asked us to take a giant leap (of faith) and plug into a new church…and as we have moved at His Word…the lyrics of this song began to really sink in. It was like an ocean wave slapped me in the face with all of the truth standing right in front of me.

Read those lyrics. Whoa.

So, the recommendation for this My Choice Monday? Listen for the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. Let your soul rest in His embrace, and allow Him to lead you – where your trust is without borders.

And while you’re at it, listen to this song {open in a browser}, and we will share the recording of my singing it on Sunday very soon!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Encounter!

June 12, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

{To View The Video Below, Please Open This Post In A Browser By Clicking The Title (If Opening Within An E-Mail)}

We would absolutely truly appreciate your prayers during this time. We are so excited to see what God is going to do this weekend and how He will touch and change our lives!

Galatians 1:13-20

The Message (MSG)

13-16 I’m sure that you’ve heard the story of my earlier life when I lived in the Jewish way. In those days I went all out in persecuting God’s church. I was systematically destroying it. I was so enthusiastic about the traditions of my ancestors that I advanced head and shoulders above my peers in my career. Even then God had designs on me. Why, when I was still in my mother’s womb he chose and called me out of sheer generosity! Now he has intervened and revealed his Son to me so that I might joyfully tell non-Jews about him.

The Apostle Paul’s encounter with Christ completely changed the entire course of his life, and we know that God can – and will! – reach out and dramatically alter our hearts, minds and souls to advance His kingdom – If we only open our hearts to Him, and say YES.

Until Monday, we bid you farewell! Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there, especially ours and the two NEW SOON-TO-BE DADS in our life – Mike & JW!!! All our love!

TTC Tuesday · What's Up Wednesday

Worry

June 11, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres5 Comments

It feels like I haven’t posted in forever – even though you guys got an update on Monday. I wrote that post last week because I KNEW this week was going to be just craziness!

The past two days WORRY has been on my mind – and not so much in the way of things I am worrying about, but more so about what I am not worried about. Last Tuesday, we posted about Future Baby Jonah and got something very rare for this blog. A true first, actually. A nastygram, in the form of a blog comment. It was supposed to be anonymous. The person used a fake, and very rude, e-mail address, and said something very hurtful, but thanks to technology, know that whatever you post or write on the internet, your identity can be found out. That said, we know who this comment came from.

Rather than WORRYING about what that person said, and if it might be true, I was first angry with her and then later – after much prayer and cooling off time 🙂 – sad for her. Her comment made me remember what my life was like without Christ at the center. It makes me look back on how unbearably bleak an existence without hope is.

I love the way The Message translation of the Bible reads. Try this one on for size:

James 1:2-4

The Message (MSG)

Faith Under Pressure

2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

My faith in Christ means that I don’t have to worry. His Promises are real. His Word is true. His Spirit is our comfort.

The Holy Spirit has revealed and continues to reveal to me and to those around Craig and I truths and promises about our Baby Jonah. He asks that we continue to follow Him – no matter what, and the more closely we follow, the more He shows us we are on the right path. It is an uphill journey. It has not been easy.

He doesn’t promise easy. As a matter of fact, He warns the road is a hard one.

Matthew 10:16

The Message (MSG)

16 “Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you. You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don’t call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.

So don’t worry. Be diligent in your prayer life and follow Him – no matter what.

1 Peter 5:7

The Message (MSG)

6-7 So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

If God is for you, after all, who can POSSIBLY be against you – and stand a chance?

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

YOU Are Qualified To Be His Disciple

June 5, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Folks, I apologize, but I am not feeling well. I can’t leave y’all hanging with no post for two days in a row, though, so I am going to leave you with an awesome message from our pastor, Alan Mushegan. For all those of you who have asked about the church we have grown to feel is more and more like family, here’s just a GLIMPSE at how the Holy Spirit is moving at Full Turn Church:

Show His Love through your love for others! I have so much to say about this message and how it has touched our lives, but I also feel as if I may lose my lunch so I better not stare at this computer any longer. Say a quick prayer I feel better soon!

Hopefully, I’ll feel better tomorrow because we have a killer recipe for y’all – Easy & Delicious! If I don’t feel well, I’ll make sure my better half posts the steps and ingredients so you, too, can enjoy this meal!

In Christ,