10 Interesting Things About The Jenkins

1. Ronnie and I met at a party after the Texas A&M vs. Tech football game. I noticed his brother first because he is over 6', but decided to talk to Ronnie first.
2. Ronnie asked me to marry him on Easter. He hid Easter eggs with scripture about marriage inside of them all over College Station. The last egg was on my couch with a gorgeous ring inside. 3. Ronnie taught high school physics, life science, and biology before he went back to get his masters degree in Ag Economics.
4. Ronnie and I both flipped vehicles before we turned 21.
5. Ronnie and I both showed hogs and steers in high school.
6. Drew was born 2 weeks early and weighed 10 pounds 3 oz. Kade was a month early and weighed 8 pounds 2 oz.
7. My brother Chad is 12 years younger that Ronnie's brother, Richard.
8. Drew can sing the "Spirit of Aggieland".
9. My mom and Ronnie's mom are both breast cancer survivors.
10. Ronnie and I can't wait to move into the country, build a house, and start running cattle.

Captive?

Hello Friends...it's been awhile. Between Kade and I catching the stomach bug, and Drew having a 102 degree fever I haven't had much time to type. But God is good and has shown me something new today!!! Do you ever pray for God to show you His will in your life, but no answer seems to come? Do you ever ask God, "Here are my options in this situation. Will you choose A, B, or C for me?" Do you ever feel like an "unanswered prayer" is keeping you from experiencing the wholeness and joy of God?
Well I have answered yes to all of the above at one time or another. I have been "in prayer and petition" for God to show me what step He wants me to take next in my ministry. I have been so worried about figuring out and exploring every option ( A, B, or C) that I have taken my eyes off my doing my Father's will today. The result of this wrong "focus" is that the enemy has had the opportunity to make me a captive and keep me from experiencing the abundance God has for my life. I am reading Beth Moore's book, Breaking Free. I LOVE it!!! She says, "A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for her." The dictionary defines a captive as "a person held under control; made prisoner in time of war". Captivity isn't where I desire to be or where God desires for His children to be in Christ Jesus. In fact Isaiah 9:4 says, "For you (Jesus) will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor's rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian."
I have been so occupied in what tomorrow will bring that I have risked ruining what God is doing in my life today. I want to tell you what He has planned for us today is good...Amen?!! I want to be like Gideon. Gideon was focused on obtaining food for his family while they were being oppressed by the Midianites, Judges 6-8. He was obedient to the task at hand, so God rewarded his faithfulness and gave him more responsibility. We have to focus on what God is working in our lives today and let Him worrying about tomorrow. Matthew 6:33-34, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else...So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries..." This is where we find freedom from the captivity!
I have faith. I know, that I know, that I know God will show me what He has planned for my life. Phil 1:6, "I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." God has good plans for all of us..."plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..." Jeremiah 29:11. What would happen if we had a willing heart? What if we were quiet and still long enough to truly listened to God like Joseph? When Joseph learned of Mary's "predicament" he thought he had two options. Option A- quietly break the engagement. Option B- have Mary stoned. Joseph was a man of integrity and God showed him another option. The God option...marry her. God's ways are higher than our ways and He alone sees all the options, like a pilot flying in a helicopter above a parade. We are stuck on the ground level with a view of only the float in front of us. To stay out of captivity we have to allow Him to navigate our course. We have to quit giving Jesus our options and asking Him to pick one. I need to remember God's words in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." Praise God!!! His name is the "I AM", and my name is "I am not." Again, this is where we find freedom because "it break(s) the yoke of (my) slavery" and "lifts the heavy burden" from my shoulders. Guess what...you don't have to worry about figuring it all out. The enemy wants you to think you have to be in control, but God is able!!! We just have to pray for the God option in every situation and be obedient in the things He asks us to do today. Glory to God!!!

Merry Christmas

The boys wore their Santa shirts to our Sunday School Christmas party that Nana bought for them. Way to go Nana!!! I know I am biased, but how cute are these two little guys? Of course, as all parents know, when you get ready for a big event and try to take pictures something always goes wrong. We were all dressed in front of the tree; we bribed the kids to wear their hats, said cheese, and my camera battery went dead. Gotta love it!!! God is good, and our dear friend next door, Debbie, came to save the day. She did a great job! I love that woman!

In HIM my balloon is filled

This week has been interesting in the Jenkins household. Monday night Kade woke up, vomited, and then smiled. I thought to myself, "Why is he smiling?" Well he was smiling because he knew he was kindly passing on his germs to his sweet Mama. I came down with the same bug Tuesday, but I didn't bounce back as quickly as he did. Despite Ronnie's bad allergies, he picked up the Mr. Mom hat for two days and kept us all clothed and fed. You ask about Drew...well, Drew just kept right on being Drew, not one sniffle or missed meal!!! God is good! After a million loads of laundry, last night I was just bummed out. I couldn't exactly figure out what the deal was; all I knew was that my spirit had no joy. Ronnie had been sweet, the kids were healthy again, the house was in decent order, so what was my problem? Well, I finally realized that I hadn't been in the Word in almost three days. Duh!!! Matthew 5:3 starts the sermon on the mount, my favorite scriptures. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." For a long time I didn't know what "poor in spirit" meant. I couldn't figure out why God wanted me to be poor in anything. Being humble, or poor in spirit, does not mean we put ourselves down and is not self-degradation. Being poor in spirit is acknowledging I am nothing without Christ. We compare ourselves only with Christ, and in doing that we realize we fall very short. But through our salvation and His grace upon grace upon grace we become daughters and sons of the King of Kings. We inherit the kingdom of heaven. Isaiah 57:15 says, "...The Holy One says this: 'I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble..." God tells us to lean on Him, but the world tells us to have pride and to be personally independent. Well I can tell you I am poor in spirit. I recognize I am NOTHING without God. Every gift and strength I have is from Him. To keep the spirit of humility James tells us, "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts (lead a pure life), for you loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done (don't be afraid to express heartfelt sorrow for what you have done)...Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor." Living a life full of humility involves leaning on his guidance and not on your own way. God's ways are higher than our ways and He wants to give us worth and dignity IN HIM. When we totally lean on him; He restores our spirit and gives us peace and joy that surpasses all understanding. Praise God!!!
After three days of not being in the Word, I felt like a deflated balloon. I was sad, moody, discontent, depressed, etc. I was being lead by my emotions and not by my faith. When we are constantly being bombarded with things of this world, we have to fill our balloons up with God's Word or we'll be stuck on the ground with the enemy. A Sunday School teacher from Seminole related this to a story about two dogs that live inside us, a black dog and a white dog. These dogs are fighting within us everyday. Depending on which dog we feed will determine which dog wins. Ask yourself when you are sad or things around you are falling apart, when was the last time you had an exciting experience with God. Was it last month, last week? If the answer isn't today, you have found the problem. I don't know about you, but I am a deflated balloon with God and His powerful Word, but with Him I am filled!!!

"This is a day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24

I LOVE my little Kaders and his morning hair. He has started calling Drew, "Bubba." Drew turns around and says, "No, I'm Drew." Last night Kade was chasing Drew around the living room and both of them were laughing the entire time. It just makes my heart fill with joy when I see them loving on each other. I bet that is how Jesus feels when He sees his children loving on one another. Hebrews 13:1-5, "Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it..." When Ronnie and I put up the tree Tuesday Kade sat underneath it, clapped his little chubby hands, and oohed. Drew lined up all the stuffed animals and the reindeer around the tree and told them, "Look at the tree and all the lights...oh, goodness!"

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

Christmas is fast approaching. Don't you just love this time of the year? The music, the trees, the lights, Santa Claus, etc. I don't know about you guys, but I am having to take every thought captive, 2 Corinthians 10:5, and keep my mind on what Christmas really stands for - the birth of our SAVIOR...God's ONLY son. It is so easy to forget the ultimate gift that was given to us. A preacher I admire from Welch helped me think of Christ's sacrafice in another way-I would like to think that if push came to shove I would lay down my own life for many of you. But, if you asked me to give just one of these sweet boys for you...I wouldn't even think twice about saying, "NO WAY!!!"
We need to really work at focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. My 27th birthday was a very sad day for me. I was having a little pity party for myself and told my husband not to give me anything. It was just another day...I wasn't anyone's little girl anymore. My time to be the focus was over. Of course Ronnie, being the super husband he is, ignored that comment and celebrated the day to the fullest. I think about Jesus during this time of the year. He sees us spending countless hours picking out and wrapping gifts, attending parties, and addressing Christmas cards. I have to wonder how that makes him feel. I wonder if he feels like we think it is just another day...like I did this past May. Except instead of having a pity party for himself...he feels sorry for ME. The only reason he even had a "birth"day was to reconcile the relationship we severed with the Father. He just wants to spend time with his children...he aches for me to crawl up in His lap and tell him about my day. Glory to God for this sweet, sweet gift.
It is easy to overlook the birth of our Savior in the Babylonian society we live in. Our society is so fast paced and focused on get there, do that, check it off your list. It is okay to enjoy Christmas and all the traditions surrounding Christmas, but when we are influenced and ruled by the busyness of getting to all the parties and decorating our homes we are playing in the enemy's playground. Satan wants to keep us busy, so we can't focus on celebrating the ultimate "birth"day and sharing it with others.
I encourage you this Christmas season to do what you were created to do. Worship Him, remember Him, tell others about what He has done for you, and spend time loving others the way Christ has loved us. Give the sweetest gift this Christmas to someone you love...the gift of your time!!! It might mean we have to prioritize a little, and cut out some of the fluff, but isn't He worth it?
I will also encourage you to share your relationship with Jesus with at least one person. Be bold in sharing your faith...quit worrying about being politically correct or hurting someone's feelings. Love others enough to tell them the truth because the truth will set them free, John 8:32. A friend told me yesterday he was scared to tell others about Jesus because he didn't know all the answers; he hadn't read the entire Bible. Guess what? You don't have to know all the answers...just memorize a few scriptures and God will use those few verses to work in mighty ways. One of my mentors says, "You can't do publicly what you don't do in private." If you are in the Word in private, you will be able to share it publicly. Get in the Word...it's God's love letter to you. God is able...we just have to be willing.
Beloved brothers and sisters, join me in prayer, "Glorious Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you that you sent your only Son to die for me...just for me. Help me to keep focused on the true reason for the season. Help me to say no to things that take my focus off of you. Give me the strength to be bold in telling others about you. Thank you for your Word father. It says in Romans 10:17, "Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Word of God." Your Word is alive God. It is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Help us to hide your Words in our heart that we might not sin against you. We love you Father. In sweet, sweet name of Jesus, Amen!"

Ephesians

For the last year I have had an unquenchable thirst for God's Word. I just can't get enough, and I feel like God is calling me to further my education. Ronnie and I prayed and decided that I should take a four-week class from the International College of Excellence in Lubbock on the book of Ephesians. Anyone can join...the class costs $160 for credit or $40 to audit (just to come and listen). Daphne Delay will be teaching the class at the Family Harvest Church in Lubbock. Class dates are January 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th from 7-9:30. If you are interested in joining me you can click on Daphne's website for more information or call 432-758-3316!!!

***Please be in prayer for my friend Teresa Howard. She lost her 26 year-old daughter to meningitis yesterday.

Third Time is a Charm!!!

For a year I have questioned if the Holy Spirit was really telling me to be baptized again. After several nudges, I now know without a doubt He was/is. As a baby I was sprinkled in the Lutheran Church and was then baptized in September of 2001 at a Baptist Church in College Station. Baptism, I thought, was the next logical step to finding Jesus. I knew I had to be baptized to become a member of the church, and I wanted to get married there the following May. At that time, I knew who Jesus was, but I had not surrendered my life to Him. My nose was pointed in the right direction; I was going to church, reading the Purpose Driven Life, and trying to make good decisions. It wasn't until January of 2002, when I realized God was all I needed because He was all I had, that I finally gave my life to Him. Everyday for the past 5 years I have lived in Him and for Him, but during this last year thoughts about being re-baptized have continually come to mind. Praise God!
In Matthew 3:15 Jesus said, "It (baptism) should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." Baptism is a picture of many things. 1) It pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 2) It pictures the believer's death to sin and resurrection to a life in Christ. (Romans 6:1-4) 3) It pictures a new life and union with Christ. (Gal. 3:27) 4)It pictures the union of the believer with the Body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12:13)
I know my salvation DOES NOT hinge on this baptism; however, I want to be obedient to Jesus Christ. Through obedience all blessings flow! I want to celebrate God's love and presence through this means of grace He has given to me. During the invitation at Church this Sunday, I will walk down to the front and with boldness proclaim Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Glory to God!!!

My First Post

I'm at my sister-in-law's house and she is teaching me how to blog! I'm so excited!