MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I don't know if I am so shocked it is Christmas ALREADY or that 2008 is ending. Can you believe it??? Well....it is, whether you believe it or not. I hope that this new year find's blessings overtaking each of you.

For Dow and I and so many of our friends and family this has been a tough year. As I was thinking about that the other day, I started thinking about the shepherds in the field that night when the angel appeared to them. It says "they were keeping watch over their flock by night". You know, just doing the usual. What they had done day in and day out. Some of them were probably standing out in that field wondering how in the the world they were going to make it through their tough times and it says "then suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared" and it says that the angel was there to bring them "good news" that TODAY, this day a Savior is born, He is Christ the Lord. In other words, right there in their situation, however bleak it may seem salvation had come to them. Now I know some of you may be saying "where is the angel?" I hear you! I don't know what I would do if the angel appeared to me like that though. No wonder he told them "do not be afraid". But you know, better than an angel, God has given us His word. The very life spoken word of our Savior, we have, this day in the city of Mobile, or wherever you are. We have that word saying to us "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy".

I want you to think about this with me. I thought, what were the shepherds thinking, wondering, etc. from the time they heard the word of salvation to the actual moment they saw salvation. I know an angel appeard and it is pretty hard to doubt that but being human that we are, and who knows how far they had to travel or wait and wait and wait, they must have thought.... What are we doing following a star? And are you really serious that "salvation" is going to come to me out of a stinking stable? But they remembered the word from the angel and kept going until they reached the manger and
there.... He was......salvation......
in a baby, in a manager. Not what they expected but nonetheless the Savior of the world. The Savior for their situation, their trouble, their stress, their life and on and on. The Savior for it all!

I pray for you and your family that you be encouraged to press on and stay with the word from the moment you hear it to the moment you see it, your salvation, your Savior. And remember to do as the shepherds did....
"The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

HELLO ALL OF YOU!!!!

Summer is over - well, at least for all of the school age people it is. The temperature outside is not telling us that but all of the activity going on is. Can you believe it?

I want to share with you today a story, if you haven't already heard me share it, about safety pins. Now, me being the visual person that I am, God for some reason has chosen to show, teach me about Himself through safety pins. One morning years ago, I was getting ready for work and there was this safety pin on the floor. It was closed and I was rushing around, running late and I was about to just walk over it and leave it there but the Lord said, "Marty, pick up that safety pin." I knew it was Him and I said, "well, okay but I am running late". :) So I picked it up, put it on the nightstand and then just as I was about to walk out the door, my button popped off of my blouse. Right then I remembered that safety pin and went back and pinned my blouse and out the door I went. I did not have time to stop and iron another shirt, find the right one to match, etc. I needed to go. The Lord showed me right away, how concerned He was with everything about me and when He showed me that safety pin, He already knew what I was going to need on my way out the door. You see, I didn't have a bunch of safety pins lying around. I didn't even know I had one safety pin in my house. I want to even think He could have even dropped it from heaven that morning, just so I would have what I needed. Funny thing, I have never forgotten that moment. And to this day, I don't keep safety pins, I have one friend who we used to call her the Drug Store because we could go to her for anything and she would have it at work, but not me. I most of the time am digging around trying to find those things like that. Welll...God 20 years later is still showing me safety pins. For the last month it seems, every where I turn, I find a safety pin. You know what He tells me when I pick them up, "I see you today Marty", I am your Provider". He tells me "I am right here with you and don't want you to think that anything that goes on in your life is insignificant to me" So I am going to show up in safety pins all around you to show you that even in the small things I am there. Even in the small things.......

I sit hear just weeping, thinking, why do I ever doubt He is not with me.

I hope this encourages you today and to know that even before you have a need He has provided the "safety pin" and that whereever you are, whatever you are doing there are "safety pins" all around you showing you He loves you! You just have to look and pick them up!

Woo Hoo! Amen!

We Had 6 Puppies!!!

Well....after a Sunday afternoon, June 29th of restlessness, Holly, our dog, had 6 puppies. Boy was it an event. Harrison's best buddies, Colin & Tyler came down. Hannah called Alli and Mattie screaming and Alli came over, and Billy, Tammy & Camille drove out to West Mobile just to witness the big event. Now, there Holly is lying there, giving birth, looking up at everyone looking at her. Her response, grrrrrrr.... I said, "sweetheart", I know how you feel. What a special time it was for us though. Proud Papa Dow did not leave her sight. We thought she was finished after 5 but then came the last one and it was a buff/white color. The first 3 were black and brown, next two were black and then our little one came in her own color. I just can't imagine how Dow is going to be when we really have grandchildren. He has been so proud of them all. There are 3 girls and 3 boys and we are just tickled with them all. Of course, they are not running around, barking and you know all of there other "stuff" they do. Anyway....we couldn't believe Holly could have that many but she did and has been the best Mama. Holden has all of them already named, don't ask me what they are though. All I know is that they have "H" names. However, we are not keeping them ALL so if you want one, you can name it anything you like.

America, America, God Shed His Grace On Thee...

SETTLING.....

Good Morning to you all!!!

May this day find you full of joy and peace as you trust in Him and may you overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit! Amen! That is one of my most all time, very favorite verses. It's one of those verses that just is so in my spirit and I so have to remind myself of the scripture when I so don't feel full of hope.

Well.. I have to tell you what is going on in the Carrell household right now. We are going ot have babies. No....not me and Dow, Whew! Our dog Holly. Long story short, there was this stray dog (who was a minature pincher, Holly is schnauzer/poodle mix) in our neighborhood and the rest was well, you know. The kids couldn't believe it. Harrison was really upset about it. He said he was going to "kill him, he hated that dog". Hannah said, Holly, you went beneath yourself, you settled." Holden, being the sweet one that he is, said well you know we are going to love these puppies anyway. Why am I telling you all this I know you are probably wondering...welll...when I heard all of those comments, you know, the lights went off in my head and the Lord began to use this as a teaching/learning time for us all. Ding, Ding....that's right Hannah, when you don't wait for God's best for you, you do settle. You remember that. She's 14, going into 9th grade, the whole world is ahead of her and all of us that have gone before her know what it is like to settle and how really empty it leaves you once you have. The word settle means, to inhibit, stay, go beneath, concede, cut a deal, take what was offered instead of holding out for what you had wanted or the best. My life is full of this, I mean so full of it. Had I only waited for what was right around the corner, and the scriptures are so full of those who did the same and I am sure you have the same situations as welll..HOWEVER, BUT GOD in the midst of our compromises if we are repentant is able to turn them around and cause them to work together for our good. Yes there are consequences but even in the consequences HE'S GOD, HE'S THERE, HE'S BIG, HE'S MIGHTY TO SAVE.
I was reading this morning about when the disciples were in the boat and the storm was there, they were right smack in the middle of it all and Jesus of all things was asleep. Resting. They were up running around, cowering down, fretting, probably angry at Him saying things like, "right, sure, He can do miracles" and instead of using this storm as a means to drive them on, they cowered down, became inhibited, I think settled for what they were seeing instead of sleeping/resting like Jesus did on who they were, children of the Most High, who is above all. HOWEVER, BUT JESUS, rebuked them, then rebuked the wind and there was great calm but don't you know He so wanted to see them allow Him to do that through them. The missed the opportunity to be used by Him.
Last part of that passage is Luke 8:27, "So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" I'll leave you with this...I don't want to marvel and say "Who can this be?" I want to know who He is so that when something comes my way that is not Him, that I might settle for or that I might could have done if I had known who He was and who I am in Him, that I say He Is, He Is El Shaddai, El Elyon, Jehovah Nissi and I could go on and on. I'm not there but I so want to be.

So don't settle like Holly the dog, but wait on God's best for you, hold out, hold on and see what He can do, exceedingly, abundantly, more!! WOO HOO!!!

"LET'S PLAY BALL"

Yes it is that time again!! Baseball season!! I have grown up at the ball park. My Dad coached my brothers, my mom was scorekeeper and I played softball, cheered and just ran around the park with all my friends! Now.....here I am with my boys, at the park!

You know there are so many sayings that you pick up at the park. Like, "batter up", "let's play ball", "strike 3, you're out!". You know, you can so relate life to baseball. You practice all week, preparing for the big day. Big day comes, your on the bench, other people are in the game and then all of sudden, coach calls your name, Carrell, you're in. The adrenaline starts flowing, you wonder have you prepared enough, are you ready??? You run out on to the field and take your spot, standing there, waiting for the pitch. The pitch is thrown, the bat makes contact and the ball is coming your way. You have a few choices here. Stand your position and play it like you've been taught, like you've rehearsed in your mind over and over. The way that you have layed there and dreamed about how you would make that play if you were given the chance. Stand there and let the ball go by as if you just really don't care and would rather being doing something else at that moment or completely run out of the way and let someone else make the play because you are afraid of the ball that was just hit your way.

Are you following me here? We all have a place on God's team and it is what we do before we get into the game that determines how we will play the game. And, though we may have to sit the bench for a while, there will be a day that we are called to the field to be a part of something that God has called us to, made us for, that no one else was made to do. Are we going to be complacent, apathetic, even rather bored at what God has called us to? Are we going to shrink back in fear allowing someone to play the position that God actually created for us to play? Or, are we going to jump in there and be ready, eager, saying "hit it my way"? Remembering always that we are a part of a team and without the whole team, we win nothing, but it takes the whole team, each doing his part to make us true winners!

"LET'S PLAY BALL"!!!

BLESSINGS TO YOU TODAY!

Hello Everyone!!!

How are you all!!! Magnificient I just know it! Did you think I had fallen off the face of the earth? Well...honestly I have felt that way at times but God as so good as He is, want let me stay off the earth. :) He keeps putting me back in my place. :)

Anyway.....I was thinking about balloons the other day. Like before they are blown up. Think about how they look just sitting there. Flat, empty, really good for nothing; however, when you blow them up they take on a whole new shape. Their color isn't even what it really appeared like at all just lying there flat, shriveled. When they are filled with air they become exactly what they were made for. To fly! However, it isn't just any type of air that will make them fly. No, just blowing hot air into them want do much of anything but make them fatter but when you put that special kind of air like Helium in them, you can't keep them down! You know, you have to tie them to a chair, put a weight on them, etc. They just want to take off! You know, that's just like us. We are really just flat, lifeless, shriveled up without the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Sometimes we try to do things on our on (with our on hot air) but it really doesn't get us anywhere. Sure, we might look good for a little while but we will never fly with just hot air, we need Him. The Holy Spirit to cause us to go upon new heights, to fly in a way that we are so meant to but can't without Him. You know the disciples had to wait on Him, the Holy Spirit, who was promised to them but oh what happened when they did! A whole city was changed. They were no longer just full of themselves, their ideas, looking pretty in the synagogue. No they were full of the very one who would cause them to soar for Him. To soar in a way that would change lives. The scripture is so full instruction to us about being "filled with the Holy Spirit."

So what kind of balloon are you, flat/lifeless, filled with hot air or filled with HE lium? I want to encourage you to cry out to Him to fill you to the fullest so that you can begin to do the very thing you were made and created to do. FLY/SOAR to places you would have never gone. Who wants to be just a balloon taped on a table to be pretty? Not me, I want FLY!
BLESSINGS TO YOU TODAY!
Marty