Generation to Generation...Have You Been Affected By A Different Generation?

Since Saturday night this blog has been brewing in my spirit!  I feel like I cannot contain what I feel inside and like it is just burning to be released.  I tried to sit down and type this last night, but I could not gather my thoughts and today I read something that has burdened my heart for this blog once again!  Please take note on how important reaching generation to generation can be!!

Saturday afternoon at the KY COGOP State Convention, Billy Wilson was preaching about affecting generation to generation.  He spoke a lady that his great-grandmother ministered to in a two week revival.  He said during this revival a little girl was the only person saved and to hear his great-grandmother tell this story you have thought it was the worst revival ever.  A few years after this revival a lady came up to her and asked her about this revival.  His great-grandmother told her the samething, that it was not a very good revival.  The lady told her, "Please don't say that because I am the young girl that was saved during that revival and I am called to preach".  To make a long, AWESOME story short....this lady married and when her and her husband retired that became evangelists.  Bro. Wilson (Billy) (by the time this lady retired) had been married around a year.  His wife at the time was not filled with the Holy Spirit but longed for it.  She had been seeking in every revival, would be the first in the altar but it was not happening.  One night this lady and her husband came to minister in a revival and Bro. Wilson's wife was the first in the altar.  That night this lady lead his wife to the Holy Spirit in roughly 10 minutes.  This past year, his wife and him were in the hospital room of his father, Bro. Alva Wilson.  Bro. Billy's wife told him that maybe they should read scriptures and sing to him.  He said they read and sang until their singing went into worship.  That night Bro. Alva went to be with the Lord.  The point of me trying to retell this story is to show you how generation to generation was reached.  It started with a great-grandmother who lead a little girl to Jesus, then that little girl lead the great-grandmother's great-grandson's wife to the Holy Spirit and that wife prompted by the Holy Spirit her husband to read and sing over his father. 

This story, even though it is probably not every detail or contains all of the information, really touched my heart and made me realize something.  I, too, have been affected by a different generation.  Even though, the story I am about to give is not within my family, I have had family members pour into me but my story is about someone else who knew what it meant to connect generation to generation.

During Saturday's session, my heart was overjoyed at the thought of Bro. Alva Wilson.  My generation referred to him as "Poppa Wilson".  I can NEVER remember going to a camp that he was not there.  He jumped, he danced, he laughed, he cried, he preached, he taught, he laid hands on us, he brought us into correction and most importantly HE LOVED US UNCONDITIONALLY!  Tears began to stream down my face as I thought of all the work and love he poured into my generation and how he affected my life.  On Sunday when they honored the deceased pastors, he was honored and they requested that anyone that had been affected by his ministry to stand.  I had a WOW moment right there because as I looked around, I saw young and old standing.  "Poppa Wilson" knew what it meant to reach generation to generation.  He ministered to each one no matter what the cost.  I think we can learn something about his faithfulness and willingness to follow the Holy Spirit!

I say all of this to say that, no matter what generation you are in you are being affected.  My heart was grieved today as I read about people from other generations trying to reach a younger generation and they were shut down.  How can we, as young people, expect to grow if we cannot take the correction of previous generations?  It breaks my heart because I am thankful for "Poppa Wilson" who called me into correction and prayed for me.  Without his direction and support, I am not sure I would be the same person I am today.  Through camp I found my calling and my passion.  I am positive without his leadership in that camp, it would not have been the same. 

YOUNG PEOPLE, cling to the older generation!  Sure they may call you out on somethings, but it is ultimately for YOUR good!  Remember, they are older than you and they are wiser!  Even though we may not see it that way, it is for our benefit and correction!

I leave you with a picture I found from a camp friend on Facebook!  It may not be the best, but it is special!  Thank you, Poppa Wilson for all you have done in my life and lessons you have taught me.  May your legacy continue to grow within me!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to the Woods We Go...

Okay, blog friends on Saturday I decided that John and I needed to take a mini adventure into the heart of Eastern KY.  Since the move, I have not been able to get on my treadmill and it is killing me to get out and exercise!  I feel like I have gained 50 pounds from all the wonderful cooking his mother has provided :)  So, Saturday we took off, on foot, up to the "A" frame in Jenkins, KY.  Keep in mind that it was rather hot, I am in BEAR country, it has rained everyday that week so it was muddy and it was 2 miles in-2 miles out!  And we were hiking a "MOUNTAIN"...lol!  A little history with the "A" frame...the very FIRST time I came in to see John (before we were dating) he took my the "A" frame at sunset.  After that, I told him that I would have to go and see this place everytime I came in.  It was so quiet and beautiful there!  You could think, process your thoughts and just feel at peace!  Then, in September of 2008, this is the very place John proposed to me!  It was so meaningful and beautiful before and now it holds even more value!  So here is my favorite place in Jenkins, KY!  In addition, I promised to show some how far "down" the mountain I lived and how many mountains I was surrounded by.

Walking sticks and water are ready for the trip!

The view before the hike!

If you look really close you can a granddaddy long-leg hanging onto the leaf :)

When we arrived at the top it tells you how high you are!!!  WOW!!

The BEAUTIFUL sky and view...ahhhh!

More views from the "A" frame!

AND MORE!!!

In the middle of the trees there is an open space.  That open space is the family graveyard behind where I live.  The trees are blocking my house, but you can see the main road on the other side of the trees and the Freewill Baptist Church in the left corner if you look really hard :)

Please excuse me for my attire, but I LOVE this picture.  It kind of gives you a perspective of how massive the views are from here!

John and his hat (that I don't really care for...haha)

It was such a beautiful day!!

Okay, so you know I said I was hiking in a mountain earlier, well here is one of the MASSIVE climbs I had to walk!  It was soooo long!  It may not look that bad in the picture, but let me tell you...IT WAS!

A beautiful butterfly I found on our way out :)

This picture was taken from the Freewill Baptist Church.  If you remember I mentioned it earlier in a photo.  You can see the "A" frame in the little white circle.  It is th highest point you can go in Jenkins, KY.

Better picture of how far away this mountain really is!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this blog about my little adventure on Saturday.  It took at total of two hours to hike in and hike back out.  I was exhausted when we were finished!!  It was great exercise and the weather was perfect!  If you know me very well, you know that "hiking" really is not my thing!  I had a bandana on my head to try and keep the bugs away because they were truly getting on my nerves!!!  And John, who watches all these "How to Survive" shows was giving me the 411 on bears and rattlesnakes...ECK!  Luckily, the only wild life we saw that day was the granddaddy long-leg and the butterfly...lol!  He was rather disappointed and told me that I was walking too loud...well my explanation for that was, "Good, because I would rather not face death today!!"  I hope you enjoyed :)

P.S. Sorry if the pictures are outside of the blog space...I maximized them so you see the beautiful detail up close :)

Who Are YOU?

We are here and all is well so far :)  Sorry it has taken me a little longer than expected to write my second blog.  Things have been hopping for the most part around here since we arrived on Tuesday.  Since I have not really had time to take my camera with me out or really I have just forgotten to pack it along I am taking a different approach to this blog.  This one is coming straight from my heart and has really been pressing me the past few weeks.

Many of you know that I am a CSI fanatic!  I love CSI Las Vegas, it is my favorite!  Even though CSI New York is getting up there to the top...lol!  Anyways, the theme song for CSI Las Vegas is called "Who Are You?" by The Who.  How original right?!?  As I was watching CSI a few weeks ago, this song was playing and it really struck a nerve with me.  I was not sure what or why, but recently I have been wondering "Who Are YOU?"  The lyrics I would like to share with you are:

Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Tell me, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
'Cause I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

If you watch CSI Las Vegas, I am sure many of you are singing this little tune!  It is catchy and easy to follow (if you have heard it)...lol!  For a brief second or minute imagine Jesus asking us this very question or even singing this to you...WHO ARE YOU?  Many times in life we identify with our professions, our titles and our family.  If someone asks me who I am, I normally reply that I am a social worker, a wife and a daughter.  But take this question a step farther and think about it.  WHO ARE YOU?  If Jesus were standing face to face with you at this very moment and he asked you WHO ARE YOU how would you identify yourself?  Do you think he would want to hear our normal routines or would he want to know you on a deeper level?  This is a tough question to grasp.  I, myself, am having a hard time idenitifying who I am.  I am not saying that I have made a mistake in chosing a profession or anything like that, but I am not quite sure who I am as a daughter of the most high.  I believe most of us could agree that somewhere along the lines of life we forget who we are in Christ and why we are here.  Jeremiah 29:11 immediately came to my mind when thinking about this question.  It says:

"For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Do we totally depend on God for our plans or do we detour and believe we can do it on our own.  Right now I am an open book and can honestly say that I am guilty of placing other plans before Him.  I believe this interferes with WHO I AM in him and who he wants me to be.

With that said, I hope you find strength to define WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST.  I pray that it not be a mundane search, but an earnest search to know Him so that he may know you.  Jeremiah 29:12-14 goes on to say this:

"Then YOU will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  YOU will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  "I will be found by YOU", declares the Lord, "and will bring YOU back from captivity" Jeremiah 29:12-14 (NIV)