Month: August 2011

Missions

Ready–Set–Go!

A. Knight
As we make the last trips to Wal-Mart and The Dollar Tree, the anticipation way beyond building–I check again the contents and weight of my suitcase.
If you were here for the Common Grounds prayer meeting this month, you know why.  If you were not able to come, then I suppose you will have to wait for the story and devotion to make it to the blog.
This is the first time that we have taken a mission trip together.  Jeff has been on MANY trips.  I have been on one.  But that “one” trip made an impact on me that will stay with me for a lifetime.  And I know I will never be the same. 
Have you ever experienced something of such magnitude that you were “forever” changed?
Watching a little Honduran boy dig through our left over meal to find something to share with his friends is a heartbreaking–life changing sight.  The tears sting even today as the scenes from that trip play like a movie in my mind.
I am thankful for this opportunity–with another one on the horizon for early next year for me and my friend, Rene P.  I am grateful for the love and support of friends who pray for us–and love us and have helped me walk through this new area of life.  Your encouragement means the world to me! 
I am grateful for our “house and dog” sitter.  Thank you “friend”–Scooter is blessed to have you here!  You have made it easy to step out with God in this new journey!  I can’t wait to share what God shows and shares with me.
I will be posting from the blog the entire trip.  Complete with interviews from our first time missionaries!  To get these easily into your inbox, simply enter your e-mail address in the box on the right and they will come straight to you.  Or you may just pop over here daily and catch up!  We will share pictures and news.  Maybe even a “video blog” (vlog) as well–if I can get that to work 🙂 
Once the trip is over, you can just as easily opt out of receiving the “blog” to your inbox.  I don’t know who subscribes and who doesn’t–so no worries.  I do hope though, that you would want to continue to receive the updates and devotions! 😉
We thank you in advance for praying–for traveling safety, the health of the team, and for us to be able to minister to those we come in contact with.  We have a team of 19 going and we are incredibly excited as Jeff leads his first mission trip.  He has put in so much work on this side of the trip and I am so proud of what God has been doing in his heart and life for the past few years.  Even more so the past few months!
To hear MORE about what God is doing in Jeff’s heart and life–then you should join us for our C-4 class (Chosen~Called~Committed~Children of God–ages 18-30). 
We have enjoyed teaching our awesome group of YA’s and hope they have enjoyed us as well!

Well, more packing to do–

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursday

A. Knight

What a week. And it’s not done yet!

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about the condition of my poor aging, high mileage SUV.  Bless her heart she gave it her best. (If she had a heart–and if indeed she was a she.)  She drove her final miles with Jeff steering her wheel, taking his mother to the doctor this week.  But God was so incredible.

Men have this intuitiveness at times–especially about automobiles–and he knew when he got behind the wheel that this day might be her last.  He prayed, “Lord, don’t let me break down with Mama on here”.

Guess what?  It didn’t.  He was able to drive the 45+ miles to get his mom, take her to the doctor and then almost home, she gave it up.  (The SUV)  Jeff called me while I was at a lunch meeting and asked me to come get him, nearby town, at a service station.  God is so good.

I am incredibly thankful that HE knows the details of our day.  And therefore, I don’t have to worry.

There is much more to this story–but it really is best shared in person.  So if you are in the area, I invite you to join us on Wednesday nights at Grace in Chipley–our Young Adult class (we are C-4; Called, Committed, Chosen Children of God) meets every Wednesday at 6:30!  OR –every 3rd Thursday of each month, a group of ladies meet at my house for prayer and preachin’.  (Devotion sounds more like something you would come to right?)  We do the praying and God does the preachin’.  😉  Anyway, we begin at 6 o’clock on the dot.  Facebook me for more details!

I am also thankful that I was able to go and help “kick-off” (by sharing His Word) a brand new “home” Prayer and Bible Study last Tuesday night at Megan White’s house!  She is a young lady fired up for God! That is so exciting!  Those in the Bonifay area meet at her house every Tuesday at 6:30! She would LOVE to have you join in!

I have so much to be thankful for! There is not enough page to write–and you have things to do!  Get busy!  Be ready!  Impact someone’s life today!

© Angie Knight-The Knightly News 2011.  All rights reserved.

Missions

Footwear of the South

A. Knight

I really ENJOY shoe shopping. Yet, my closet is not over run with shoes.

My daughters love shoe shopping even more! Their closets are over run with shoes. (mainly because I think they still have the ones they bought in high school.

I love the feel and look of a new shoe that has all the right qualities:



1) Is it cute?

2) Does it make my legs look good? Younger? (That’s the question women of my age always ask…about EVERYTHING.)

3) Are they comfy? (My daughter, April told me once while we were shopping together, and she was trying (successfully) to convince me to buy a certain pair of heels–that were a bit–just a tiny bit uncomfortable. Her motto is: “Sometimes you gotta go through a little pain to be beautiful.”

4) Could I run in them if I had to? (That’s not a requirement, but it does help)

5) Can I get by with crackers and peanut butter in order to buy them? (I have never asked myself that–but I think some women may have…) The right question—will they fit in the budget this month…or do we need to wait?

I’ll go ahead and tell you–cowboy boots are my favorite shoes of all time.

Yes, I love some cute sandals…but I’m a lover of cowboy boots. If I could, I’d have a pair in all colors!

After typing all of this…I sat back and wondered…why in the world did we just discuss shoes? (Shoulder shrug)…no clue.

BUT I hope you have a GREAT—weekend! And get yourself some nice cowboy boots. YOU will be GLAD you did!

© The Knightly News

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faith, Family, Life

Summer Heat and School Daze

A. Knight

As the heat of the month of August continues, we are reminded of how MUCH we love winter…right?

Well, at least I am reminded of this glorious fact. As well as the fact that I STILL believe that I would LOVE to live in a climate that primarily has very cool days and even cooler nights. Uhm…I’m thinking Canada? I used to think Alaska, but then I remembered all those months of “dark”…and I’m not a fan of complete dark. I like the sunlight. But then all those months of complete daylight would also be rough…

With thoughts of August, come thoughts of school.  This blog is especially for the parents of children of all ages.

Parents, your children are about to return to school, and while you are jumping up and down (I trust not in FRONT of said children) at the prospect of your grocery bill and electric bill going down just a bit and the house to return to some form of quiet–may I just share my heart for a minute?

Those precious ones that have been entrusted to your care by our Father need your prayers.  Daily.  I mean, lay your hands on their sweet heads or hold their hands and pray for them…daily.  Don’t let them leave the protection of your home without a prayer covering.  I’m serious. 

You are the one the God gave the instructions to “train up your child”…not the school system.  While the school system does it’s job of teaching some things, there are critical things that the “system” just won’t teach your child.  You are the one who should deliver on the training of moral standards; manners; ethics; faith, value of friends and family; right vs. wrong; life and death; healthy living; and I could go on and on but you’d  turn the page.

My point is this:  You have one chance.  Don’t blow it. 

You have one opportunity to show them the right thing to do at the right time.  They watch your every move.  They see you watch things on TV–and they learn “when I get a certain age, it will be okay to watch whatever my parents watch”.  They hear you mock someone, or fuss about something, or become critical in certain situations—constantly, and there you go–a little “mini-you”. 

Believe me–I know this one.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen “me” reflected as if looking in a mirror–while watching my daughters with their children.  And I pray daily that they don’t make the same mistakes I did—by not being as consistent as I should have–among many other things.  It takes more than reading a book on parenting.  It takes “living a Book”–living a life pleasing to God.

The times in which you are raising your family is so much tougher than when we brought our first little one home from the hospital.  I was scared then–that I couldn’t do it…but we prayed–we struggled through some of the “life events”–and came out on the other side!  Not with any gold medals–but with two daughters who were taught right from wrong–and knew what it meant when their daddy’s eyes got big and serious (they called it his mean eyes).  They know the value of faith.  And how BIG God really is.  (As much as our finite minds can comprehend.)  Did they always do what we trained or taught them to do?  No.  But we knew they were taught the right way–the choosing of the “way” became up to them at a certain age–but prayer–is constant.  Don’t ever stop praying. 

If we could see–with our natural eye, the evil lurking in the spritual–we would wear our knees out in prayer!  PRAY.

Let’s concentrate on being the godly role models our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews need.  They are watching.  Everything.  Trust me–nothing gets by these baby-blues.

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

Family

Safe Travels

A. Knight

Thankfully, my brother, Jeff (yes, same name as my dear husband), arrived safe and sound from Japan. We enjoyed some family time at mother’s before he heads back home.

Home is wherever you need it to be–and for him, since his darling family is in Japan, then that is where home is.

Travel home safe brother. We love you dearly and will miss you!

(Why do our eyes almost shut when we smile??–it’s a family trait.  May not like it….but we are all stuck with it.)

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

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Missions

The OLD must go

A. Knight

Not sure what is going on with this laptop, but when I typed in the title, it sort of knew, I think, that I was talking about “it”.  I’ve gotten way more “time” in on this computer than was ever predicted.  I have preached many sermons from this laptop, sitting in my lap, or it sitting on the ironing board when I had no desk.  I’ve shared many joys, as well as life’s heartaches from these clicking keys.  This laptop journeyed with great joy to Honduras and loved every minute of it!  But I’m feeling it is time to “move on” to new territory…in more ways than one.  (I’m saving all I can for the “next” sermon tool!)

But not just the computer.

My truck too.  I call it a truck—but it’s really an SUV.  Almost 10 years old—we’ve seen many miles together and the steering wheel has been an altar for all those many years.  It carried home from Birmingham, our second grandson, the one who struggled to get here—and then struggled to stay.

I’ve heard the voice of God in that truck—and I accepted the “call” from Him on my life in that truck—and then with tears so hot and heavy—could hardly see to drive for miles.  This truck also carried my sisters, Aimee and Wanda, along with our mother and her sister, Evielean on several “Sisters Retreats”….Good memories.

But the enemy has crept in too when I wasn’t paying attention.  That happens when we let our guard down.  All in all though—this truck has far more good memories than bad.

However; this truck is old.  It has a few idiosyncrasies. And a few ailments.  It’s not as dependable as it once was—and I can’t say I “trust” it all the time.  Actually, when I leave home on my truck, even to run to Wal-Mart, I make sure Jeff has his phone handy—just in case…

But not just the truck.

It’s my old ways too.  They’ve got to go. 

My old ways of speaking before thinking…

My old ways of thinking of “me” before “them”….

My old ways of hesitating when I know He’s called me into action…

My old ways of living life…not to the fullest—being caught up too much in the opinion of others…when it’s ONLY HIM that counts.

It’s ME that’s got to go….I must die daily to myself—so that ONLY HE LIVES.

If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.  Romans 14:8 NIV

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for  righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.  1 Peter 2:24 NIV

The “old stuff” has got to go.  Making way for the “new thing” that HE is doing in us…each one of us.

Is HE calling you to take out some trash or—worn out stuff from your life?  Is he calling YOU to make a step in a new direction?

He is me….100_1222-1

 

© The Knightly News~Giving Him All