Summer Summer Summertime!

Yes, we are definitely into summer her is SC! The temps are in the triple digits and it is so humid you can hardly breathe! For those of you familiar with South Carolina, you know there are 2 seasons, Summer and Not Summer!

I was just reflecting back on the first half of 2009 and all of the things that have happened. It has been a really busy year and I can hardly believe that we are into July. The kids start school in a little over a month. Where does time go? When you are a kid, it seems like time stands still, you’re waiting for your birthday that takes forever to get here, you are waiting on Christmas, you are waiting on summer break from school. Now that I am just a few years past childhood, it seems like time just zooms past us, leaving us scratching our heads and wondering, when did my children grow so tall, since when do they not need me to do everything for them, wasn’t it just Christmas???

I have always heard the phrase ‘Lazy Days of Summer’, what does that mean? My summer days sure have not been lazy yet and we are already in to the middle of summer! (I guess I will take my lazy days at Edisto Beach the week before school starts!)

Soon we will depart from Hampton with a van load of youth, headed toward Birmingham for the Motion student conference. I am so excited for our youth to be able to take part in this and meet other youth. I pray that this touches each  and everyone of them and ignites or stokes the fire in their heart for God! Our church has been so supportive in helping us raise funds for this trip. We really have an awesome family at LHC.

Today I am so thankful for the triple digits here in sunny SC, because I have a healthy family to enjoy it with!

I pray that everyone has a SAFE, HAPPY, HEALTHY Independence Day!

Peace and Love,

Shannon

Apparently A Burden Is A Blessing!!

I missed church service Sunday to hang out with my little peeps in the nursery! What a blessing! Sabryn was jealous of Lucas sitting in my lap and Rebekah could care less if I were there… she was doing her own thing! It is so much fun to be with the little ones!

So… I got caught up on the message through Jody A. and sat in with the adults on Wednesday and learned that having a burden is a blessing! I guess I knew that it is just having it said out loud that had me thinking. Herb probably will not want me coming back in on Wednesdays because I talked, ALOT (PJ would be proud)!

I have been blessed with the burden of wanting the tweens and teens to know things about God and have a relationship with God at their young age  instead of  it taking the almost 30 years it took me to get to.  I have been working with this age group for about 2 years now at the church I attend.

However, last week God really began to speak to me on my own ways as well as to share with everyone else. I sometimes tend to look at the big picture and want to ‘Save The World’ when in fact we have people sitting right in front of us that need us for the same thing. For me personally it was reaching out to the youth group to help lead them when in fact I have 2 sisters that need me in the same way,,,,,, for the same thing!

What I’m trying to say is that it is okay to reach for the stars but don’t forget the people who are right in front of you, don’t assume someone else will do it. Seek God and ask for wisdom and direction when you feel that burden. Then….. GET TO WORK!

I am thankful that God blesses us with burdens. I am blessed that God has allowed me to hang out with the youth of our church and walk down this path with them.

Lots Going On!

My life feels like it is in so many directions right now! Our church just completed a corporate fast this past weekend (even though I busted it a week earlier) There were a lot of things that we were praying for as a church. However, I was personally praying for God to give me the ability to see through his eyes. I was honored to be able to see through a friends “happy front” and try to give her Godly advice on a very difficult problem she was facing. I have prayed for this friend and her family constantly and have prayed for God to give me the wisdom to show her the right way (God’s way). It was such a blessing to me to be able to share my faith with someone by showing them love and support. Otherwise, I feel like I am in a ‘waiting period’! I am waiting for God to direct my next step. I keep hearing this song over and over on the radio, “While I Am Waiting”, basically is said that I will serve Him and worship Him, while I am waiting for direction from Him and that is what I am going to do

Things overall have been extremly busy lately and that will continue at least through the next few weekends. Next Friday my baby boy is turning 10!! I cannot believe it, just sitting here typing that makes me want to cry…. they really grow up so fast. He has even out grown a big birthday party now, he wants to go eat Japanese and take along his beast friend! So that is what he will get Japanese…. followed by cake and ice cream with family!

Sadly, our pastor and his family are leaving. They are not only pastors to us but great friends…. family. I have been trying to avoid the subject, it makes me sad that they will not live here but I am happy for them… they are following God’s direction for their life. I love them and will miss them greatly…. but all will be well… after all we have email and phones!!

 

I am so thankful that I am free to serve such and AWESOME God!! I am thankful that He is constantly showing me the way!!

1 Week Down!

So, we have completed week one of corporate fasting and prayer. It is not so hard during the week, but if you have a free Sunday afternoon and decide to watch TV it is not so easy…. especially when you have all of these restaurant commercials airing… I guess they have the most money for ads right now, because I think that is all there was…. juicy steaks from Applebees and Outback, pizza from Dominos….. We have an apple pie in the freezer that I made before the fast and Jamie wanted to know if that was considered a fruit?? Once I told him no… all he could say was ” I Tried!” So we ate some chili with no meat, it was very good and turned the TV off!

Through this fast I am learning to wait on God. I know that He has some BIG plans for this fast and I am anxious to see what they are. He has already heightened my senses when it comes to the needs of others. I have had an oppourtunity to help a friend in need…. and I am so excited that God is using me. There have been many prayers on my ‘list’ this last week and the times of worship and prayer that we have had in our church family have been really good.

It is my prayer right now that God use each and everyone of us to further His kingdom and that we stay focused on Him during this time.

I am thankful that Jamie and I spent time with family on Saturday and even when his mom was trying to tempt him into eating a burger at the birthday party (while everyone else was eating one) he did not give in to the temptation and neither did I! We were able to spend a birthday with our 5 year old niece that we have never spent a birthday with before!

Hungry For You Lord!!

Luke 6:21

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.   Blessed are you who weep now,  for you will laugh.

Reading the context this did not appear to be about fasting, but in light of recent thoughts and prayers of mine it spoke to me about fasting.

Lately I have been praying and thinking about fasting, before I sat down to read God’s word yesterday, I did what I usually do and prayed, asking God to help me see what it is He wants me to see in my reading.  I have really been stressing my self about the fast, I knew from the beginning I would do it, the bigger question was, what would I give up?? I have been stressing about ‘doing the wrong thing’ instead of seeing that God sees my heart, He knows what I give up and why. I have been so worried that I would fail at fasting that I would be so radical that I would set my self up for failure or that I would be so relaxed about it that it would not be good enough. I am by far, my own worst critic, I know that God loves me and sees my heart, I know that he will never leave me. It just seems like the enemy creeps in from time to time to remind me I am not worthy. I know this is not truth, it is not from God.

Right now, I am so hungry and not for food but for a deeper relationship with God. It is my prayer that during the fast any physical hunger will deepen my spiritual hunger to draw closer to God and be more in tune to what He is telling me.

I know that by being hungry during the fast, both physically and spiritually, it will please God because I am following His instruction. I know that by fasting, I will be blessed.

Part 2 – Fasting and Kids

Matthew and Caroline recently asked us about fasting and we explained to them that some people choose to give up things to spend time with God, some people give up food, some give up TV, internet… whatever is important to them. The first word out of Matthew’s mouth after the mention of giving up food was “OH NO! I cannot give up food!” shortly after was Matthew and Caroline both saying they could not imagine giving up TV. The very next day, Caroline came to me and said she thought she wanted to give up hot dogs for the fast. Anyone that knows Caroline knows that this is a serious sacrifice, the girl is a hotdog eating machine and would be really happy with hotdogs for every meal. Yesterday when I came home from work I sat on my bed to read the Bible while the kids walked next door to visit Popa and Meme Just as I started into my journaling, they came bounding in my room and crawled on the bed and completed homework while I finish my journaling. After homework there was dinner, after dinner, we read two children’s devotional, prayed together, we played several games, around 8:15pm we walked over to visit Meme for a minute and on our walk over there, I congratulated them on fasting TV for the evening…. they were so excited that they accomplished this and did not even know it until I told them!

I am so thankful that I have children who are interested in God, children who love God!

Out With The Old & In With The New!!

Well, the count down is on, just a few more hours and 2008 will be behind us!

There were so many ups and downs in 2008 for me, my family, our friends, church family and community. It is my prayer that we learned the lessons that God was teaching us and apply our new found wisdom to our life in 2009 and always.

2009 is bound to be full of changes for our country, Barack Obama was not my choice for president of the US but it is my responsibility as a Christian to pray for him and the other leaders of our country. Please take the opportunity on a regular basis to pray for our country and leaders, for our state and our leaders and for our communities and our leaders right here.

I am planning on a period of fasting and prayer shortly after the new year begins, there are so many things that I plan on praying for and I am looking forward to hearing from God as I devote more time each day to Him.

It is my hope for each one of you that 2009 is way better than 2008, take the time to pray and ask God to show you the way in to this New Year and New Season!

Many Blessings,

Shannon

A Day Of Rest…..

So anyone that knows me, knows that I cannot sit still for very long! So yesterday, I went home from church and put on my pjs and stayed in all day relaxing…. several times I told  Jamie that I was being lazy and needed to get up and do something…. several times, he responded by saying… “It’s okay…. It’s not going to hurt you!” So I took the advice and was a bum all day. It was nice, the kids were both home and Jamie was home and we just hung out, watched some movies and played the Wii! I do feel a little more refreshed today but I keep thinking of all of the things I needed to do around the house. I know that our bodies are designed to rest, but how can I get my brain adjusted to that?

I am thankful that I have a loving and caring husband that encourages me to rest!!

We Wish You A Merry CHRISTmas!

Merry Christmas from the Altman 4!

Prayer And Fasting

Sorry for not being a very good ‘blogger’ lately, I really have not had anything really insightful to write about!

After having a conversation with 2 wise men (Jamie and PJ) and one very wise women (Tricia), I have been thinking about, praying about, and reading about fasting. The bottom line is, I have a ton of questions and I am really desperate for answers and the only way to get those answers are through prayer and fasting. I have never really tried a fast from food like God’s word instructs us to do, I have fasted from TV before. I did some research last night on fasting, just looking up some verses and came across this verse:

Matt 6:16

Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

To me fasting has always been this ‘thing’ that some super spiritual Christian people do. I am not sure that I fully understood it. However, I read yesterday that God does not instruct us for IF we fast, He instructs us for WHEN we fast…. which means to me that it is really not optional, that as followers of God we should fast. Not only should we fast, we should do it with a heart of gladness and expectancy… not with a gloomy face. Fasting for a period of time seems so insignificant in light of what God did for us. I would encourage you to embark on this journey as God calls you to and seek counsel if you need to.

As Will said in his blog ‘Tis the Season! ‘Tis the Season to give much praise and thanks to God for the ultimate gift He gave us long ago, thanks that He does not go back on His word and that through His son we have the gift of eternal life, if we so choose to accept it. That’s the most awesome gift you could ever recieve…..

Much Love, Peace and Happiness this CHRISTmas season!

AAUUUGGGGHHHHH!!! Stress & Anxiety!

I know that stress and anxiety come straight from the enemy and that God does not want us to feel those things!
1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

I listen to this great online radio station (wafj) that plays all inspirational music while I am at work. This song comes up at the right time, just when I am needing it, I wanted to share it with all of you who might be going through things. It really is a reminder to us of God being the one and only!

By Your Side (Tenth Avenue North)

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don’t turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I’m not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I’ll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don’t fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world’s sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

And I’ll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don’t fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

And I’ll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don’t fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I’ll never let you go
And I’ll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don’t fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

And I’ll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don’t fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Okay, today and everyday I am thankful that we can feel God’s loving hands hold us!