Dr. Smith and more changes...

Well, the day has finally come and gone. Yesterday David graduated from medical school and has officially become a doctor. Both David's family and my family drove up from Tampa to celebrate this special occasion with us. It is so crazy to think about the amount of time Dave has spent going to school - 21 out of 26 years. We spend so much of our lives in school wishing our way out that when the time comes and we finally finish school, we wish we could go back. You just don't know how good you have it in school until it's all said and done and real life begins. I have been out working in the real world for the last 4 years and I know Dave is excited to get out there working in the real world as well ... well, at least to be getting paid to work instead of paying to work. Oh, won't that be nice! :)

Here is a picture of David's family at graduation.

I found a picture of my family! :) Yay! Here they are at graduation. We were so glad everyone was there!

Pediatric Residency begins on July 1st and I know Dave will make such an incredible doctor. If you have ever spent any time watching him interact with kids you know what I am talking about - it's completely magical. On Friday my classroom ran a Mexican Restaurant for the culmination of a unit on communities and jobs. Dave came in as the head chef and helped 3 of my students run the kitchen. It wasn't an easy job, but he did it so well and made those students feel so important running that kitchen. A few teachers pulled me aside as they were finishing up their meal and complemented me on what a wonderful husband I have and how good he is with kids. ... I know he will make every child he comes in contact with, sick or healthy, feel so special. That to me, is magical.



So, as our lives change into both of us in the working world, more changes come as well. Most of you already know, but Dave and I will soon become parents this Christmas. We are so excited to embark on this new journey in life and pray that God will prepare us to be Godly parents. I am currently 9 weeks and 5 days pregnant today and switch weeks every Tuesday. So far, I feel great - no morning sickness or anything (knock on wood!). I had my first OB appointment 2 Fridays ago and everything went wonderfully. The baby was at that point 8 mm long, but should be about an inch by now. We also could see the little heart beating. It looks like a firefly flashing in the night. I am scheduled to see the OB again on June 2 when I hit week 12. Please pray that Baby Roo (as David calls it - like the baby in a kangaROO pouch :) continues to grow normally and remains healthy. We don't care what the sex is, we just want a healthy baby, as all parents do. It sure does feel like it takes a long time for a baby to grow, but we know Baby Roo will be here before we know it! :)

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.-Psalm 139:13

Skit Night

I promise I haven't dropped off the blogging world. I seem to have been slacking on my picture taking and I am not a fan of blogging without pictures unless it is something REALLY cool or deep. Lots has been going on lately... we went to Jimmy Buffet two weeks ago, Shrimp Fest in Fernandina Beach last weekend, and Med School 4th yr Skit Night on Friday night. The skits were hilarious this year - mostly because Dave's class is the 4th year class this year and it's so much funnier when you know the people in the skits. Skit night opened with a Saturday Night Live theme and a live revolution of dance with the girls of the 4th year class and a few select guys, Dave being one of them. I think the funniest skit was the Single Ladies skit. They basically reenacted the skit from Saturday Night Live and the guys, including Dave, wore leotards and did the background dancing. It was absolutely hilarious - I wish I had a video to post so you could see it. But, just imagine (if you can) Dave and a bunch of other guys dancing around in leotards to Single Ladies. Kinda scary! :)

The final thing they do at skit night is announce who is going into which residencies. They all make signs and choose songs that go with their specialties and dance around on stage. Up top is a picture of Dave and I holding the Peds sign he made. They danced on stage to the theme song from Sponge Bob.

...Well, that wraps up a quick update. Next weekend is Med School Graduation so be on the look out for that. I can't believe 4 years of med school has already come and gone. Where does the time go?

Until next time..

Much Love,

Dani & Dave

Dan got MARRIED!

This past weekend we celebrated the marriage of a long time college friend. Back in college Dave met Dan his very first day at freshman orientation. They pretty much became inseparable from that moment on. They were known as the infamous "Dan and Dave." No one hardly ever said one name without the other. As we all know... time goes on and we grow up; college ends and real life begins.

To the left is a picture of Dan and Dave back in college, and to the right is a picture of them on Dan's wedding day. :)

We never thought Dan would tie the knot, until he meet Sara. They truly are the perfect match and we are so happy for them! The wedding was in Ft. Myers at the Yacht Club on the water. It was simply beautiful ... white chairs lining the luscious green grass, an aisle way painted with rose petals, an archway of flowers in front of the flowing bay water, crisp warm air, and the sun warming your skin. Just imagine yourself there. The reception was inside the yacht club with great food and lots of dancing. We had such a good time.Dan and Sara are hitched!

Dan, Sara, me, & Dave

In my eyes though, the highlight of the night was Dave's best man speech. Dan was the best man at our wedding and Dave wanted to make sure that he topped his speech - always so competitive. :) Dave worked on and practiced this speech for months - literally, but it paid off. It turned out perfectly and he even got a standing ovation when it was all said and done. It wasn't your typical best man speech, it was a song. I went to the bathroom shortly after the speech was over and overheard some women talking ... "Did you hear that best man speech?" one woman said. "Oh, no, that wasn't a speech," said the other, "that was the best musical endeavor I have ever heard!" ... I was cracking up laughing in the stall. You can hear the speech on the videographers website. I hope you will check it out . If you know Dan and Dave, you'll laugh so hard you'll cry - the message is so true. Dave's best man song

My husband, the author

If you read the blog a few weeks ago you would have read about Dave displaying 20 photos from Nicaragua in the Founder's Gallery at Shands. He was interviewed by a few local magazines and even asked to write an article for the Insider, which is a magazine specifically for the College of Medicine at UF. It is such an honor to be published in this magazine. Click on the picture below to go straight to the article.

One Way

Well, yesterday was Easter, probably the most significant holiday in the christian faith. Without this holiday we wouldn't be the same; we wouldn't have had a savior to pay the ultimate price for us and give us the freedom we have today. In church Pastor Max was talking about how alot of people just don't think they need a savior because they already have a good life - what more could they need? We seem to overrate our abilities in this life. We think that if we live a good life that will be enough to get us to heaven. The sad reality, is that it won't be good enough. But, the true reality, is that when we admit that we aren't enough - when we admit that without Jesus we aren't enough and we believe that with our whole heart, that will be enough to get us to heaven. A beliver once told me that if he's wrong in his beliefs in Christ, he has nothing to lose. He lived for a greater purpose and strived to be Christ like. But, if a non-believer is wrong, he has EVERYTHING to lose. So, why not believe?

Pastor Max then went on to tell a story about a man he met on an airplane. A rich man, who like I talked about above, lived a good life and that was enough for him. Pastor Max drew a ladder on a napkin with "God" at the top of the ladder. He asked the man to put an "X" on the ladder where he thought he fell in his "goodness", God being perfect, and the worst of the worst on the bottom (Hitler, Bin Laden, etc.). The man thought for a while and Pastor Max interrupted his thoughts and said, "You probaly need a benchmark to measure your goodness, let me help." So Max wrote the name of the Apostle Paul somewhere beneath the middle of the ladder and said that even Paul who was a disciple of Jesus said he was the worst of all sinners. Underneath Paul he wrote Mother Teresa, under Mother Teresa he wrote Billy Graham, and underneath Billy he wrote his name, Pastor Max. By this time Max is pretty much at the bottom of the ladder. He hands the pen back to this man on the airplane and once again asks him to put an "X" where he thinks he falls. The man places his "X" beneath Pastor Max and just above the very bottom step. ... When we think about how "good" our life really is and how "good" others have lived their lives, we don't feel so "good" do we? Romans 3:23 says, "for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." All of us - the Apostle Paul and Mother Teresa too. None of us could ever be good enough to spend eternity with God, that is why we had to have a Savior. That's the very reason Jesus came. He is the ONLY one who can save us from ourselves. God is not going to be okay with a "pretty darn good" life. God wants us realize the only way to him, which is through his son Jesus. We all (me included) have to stop worrying about what other people think, and worry about what God thinks!

They played a video at church that truly touched my heart. I know it doesn't take much, but I couldn't contain my tears. God has made a us a promise and he will follow through. He is making all things new again. It's a song sung by Brad Paisley and Sara Evens. The video was taken from various clips of the movie, The Passion. I hope you will check it out. New Again

I hope you will stop to reflect on your walk with God. Is it all you want it to be? Have you realized what Christ did for you? He put himself on a cross and paid the price for me and you. Three days later he was risen from the dead and to this day is seated on the throne next to the Father. What a peaceful thought. ... Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed. The victory is won. He is risen from the dead. - I will rise, by Chris Tomlin.

Happy Easter!

Much Love,

Dani and Dave :)

Hello Love

Last Friday Dave and I went to the Chris Tomlin concert in Tampa. It was AMAZING! It was seriously like a worship session for 2 hours straight! God is so good.

I wanted to post about this concert because of the amazing ways God works in peoples lives - all over the world. Chris Tomlin is an incredible christian artist. Over the past year or so he has been working on a new CD. He wrote a song called Love, which soon became the title of the CD, but the story behind it is amazing. After some talk with his producers about the song Love, they thought it would be great if they had an African children's choir singing in the background. But, they live in Nashville and never imagined that it could ever actually happen. Well, a few days later Chris got a text letting him know that the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda was in town and had a day off on Thursday, the VERY day they were scheduled to record the song Love. Wow - God is good! So, his producers got on the phone and invited the Watoto Children's Choir to come on Thursday and help record this new song. Sure enough, they came dressed in their sweet African attire to record the amazing song that it is. When God wants something done, he gets it done!
Love - by Chris Tomlin and the Watoto Children's Choir

These children are the strings that pull on my heart as I listen to this song. The entire Watoto Children's Choir are children who live in an AIDS orphanage in Uganda. Many of them left behind after their entire family has been taken by the disease. Many of them with no hope, no future, and no one to love them. That is where the orphanage comes in. This orphanage was created specifically to shelter children with this disease - to give them a sense of peace, hope, love, and a future. It was also designed to show them that they have a God who loves them unconditionally; who loves us all unconditionally. Just the thought of that brings peace to my soul. In a world where there is so much suffering taking place - suffering that we don't think about because we are blessed enough to live in a country where we are educated and free - it is comforting to know that we have a God who is taking care of us, all of us. He will never let us go without being loved. I love the bridge in this song .. "Love is the answer. Love will find a way. When we love one another, it's a brighter day." God gives us a promise of something so much greater than we could ever imagine. He gives us the promise of eternal life with him, where suffering will cease to exist. These children have a glorious future to look forward to, as do we all. How awesome is it that these children got to sing in a song that expresses this kind of love? I know God was ministering directly to their hearts. When our life on this earth comes to a close, we get to be in the arms of our loving Savior who promised never to forsake us. What more could we ask for? When life is cold, there is a promise - we will never go without LOVE.

Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.
1 Corinthians 13:13

For more information on the Watoto children check out their website at www.watoto.com/index.php and to make a difference in the lives of other Uganda children check out www.onemillioncan.com

Smith House Poetry Day

A few weeks ago I started teaching my amazing 1st graders about poetry. I told them that poetry can be about anything and can be written in any way, even if it doesn't make sense. It is a way to express themselves. At first they were a bit timid to write in such a way that had no real format, but it didn't take long for them to see the freedom poetry provided. After we had been writing for about 3 weeks they decided that their parents should hear what wonderful poets they had become and we came up with the idea of having a poetry day in our classroom. We decided on a name, "Stuffed Animal Poetry Day at the Smith Coffee House." What else would you expect coming from 6 year-olds? :) We also decided that we would provide the same thing a coffee house would provide - coffee, doughnuts, and hot chocolate for people under the age of 10 (I guess a 10 year-old is allowed to have coffee according to a first grader! :) They also decided that they wanted to dress up for this special occasion - so cute! So, we made invitations and invited all our parents in for coffee, doughnuts, and great poetry this past Friday. We re-arranged our room to look like a cafe' and set up a directors chair and a microphone for poetry readings. They became such sweet authors as they read their poetry to the guests that came. Every parent smiled a proud smile as their child came up to read and everyone laughed at the things 6 year-olds say. It was such a special moment.

To the left is a picture of Hannah and I. Her poem went like this...
I have a loose tooth
Loose, Wiggly, Bleeding.
I have a loose tooth
Loose, Wiggly, Bleeding.

And to the right, is a picture of Ana. Her poem went like this...
I like Angelina.
She is my friend.
But when she cries, it makes me sad.
I still like her!

After our poetry day was over and we were cleaning up the classroom, I stopped, looked around, and watched them - in awe. I am in awe of what little people they have become. These children have such a special place in my heart. I have had most of them since the first day of kindergarten and now they are big first graders - almost second graders! They don't need me to read things for them anymore - they can do it themselves. They don't need me to tie their shoe anymore - they can do it themselves. They don't need me to help them go potty, line up at the door, remind them when to say sorry and when to forgive; they don't need me to help them write their name, put things away, use their manners, or remind them how to be a good friend - they can do all of it themselves. I was thinking this must be what it feels like when you become a mommy and your child doesn't need you for all the small things anymore because they are now big people and can do it on their own. I am so proud of my sweet little children. Even in the moments when they drive me crazy, I love them like I would my own child. After all, most of them call me mommy anyway. :) I just can't believe how independent they have become. The transformation is amazing. First grade rocks! :)

Our Family Grows...

Well, the Smith family now has 2 of their 4 children married off. We spent this past weekend in Tampa for Dave's little brother, Casey's, wedding. It was such an honor to be there as it reminded me so very much of Dave and I's wedding only 3 years ago. The ceremony was in the backyard with the beautiful lake in the back ground. Dave's dad, Pops as we all call him, and Rebecca's dad built a wooden platform around a large oak tree for the ceremony. Minus the 30 mile per hour wind, it was a beautiful ceremony.

The reception was in the front yard under a large white tent. The decorations were beautiful, as they did a beachy theme. The music was great and the people were fun. Uncle Richy played their wedding as well, but they did have a great addition that we didn't have, Mark Gaignard, who is an amazing singer. He is the one who sings Flawless, the music video Dave and I are in that I posted a while back.

It is such a wonderful tradition to me to get married at the Smith house, not that all the siblings have to follow in our path. There is just so much love to be shared there and for Dave & I and Casey & Rebecca it is where our relationships all started. We both spent that first summer we met our husbands on the lake at the Smith house, building a love that will last a life time. There are so many memories there that having our weddings anywhere else wouldn't have felt right. Rebecca, if you are reading this, please know that I am so glad to have you as a part of our family. I know we have had our differences in the past, but God works in mysterious ways and I really feel he used certain things to bring us closer together. Thank you for sharing your heart with me.

Four days of festivities are over. Bachelorette/bachelor parties, showers, and luncheons are in the past. We now have a wonderful future to look forward to with family, babies, vacations, and time to spend together. Welcome to the family, Mr. and Mrs. Casey Smith! We love you two!

Founder's Gallery

While Dave was in Nicaragua he took 1,600 photos to capture the life of the people who live there. As part of a project for medical school he picked his favorite 20, edited them, printed them, framed them, and put them up in the Founder's Gallery at Shands Hospital this past Monday and Tuesday. The above picture is one of my favorites because of the vibrant colors and how adorable this little girl is - full of life! Tons of people walked through the gallery and were very impressed with his artsy side. On Monday afternoon he got a call from the Dean of the College of Medicine asking if David could give him a special tour of the photos and if David would mind being interviewed by a few local magazines. Of course, David was thrilled. This small project for medical school has turned into a major event. The pictures are amazing! He uploaded the pictures onto his website. Yes, he has a photography web site if I haven't mentioned that before - a side of him I bet you never knew. :) Here he is standing in the middle of the gallery. I am such a proud little wife. :)

Check out his website for more incredible photos ...
smithartandphotography.com

Peds Residency - Here we come!

The wait has finally come to an end. Thursday was the long awaited Match Day! All the graduating seniors gathered Thursday morning at the Paramount for the day they have been waiting for since they stepped over the threshold of the doors of UF Medical School. This day is even bigger than graduation to most because it solidifies a job for the next few years and it solidifies graduation. The day began at 10:30 with breakfast for all and the ceremony began at 12:00 for all graduating seniors around the country. All the envelopes are put into a box and the students are called at random one at a time to come read where they will be working for the next few years. Most were very excited, but a few were a bit shocked as they matched at a place father down their list than they would have liked. David and I were very pleased to match at our first choice - UF! :) It is so funny to me because if you would have asked us this time last year where we wanted to go for residency, Gainesville was last on our list. We thought we wanted the adventure of living somewhere far away and experiencing a different kind of life. But, turns out we love living here in G-vegas. We have great friends, a great church, I have a great job, and David will get great training here. The training & faculty here are by far the best of the residency programs we interviewed at. Oh, what a wonderful pediatrician my husband will be. :)

So, four years of medical school is almost over and we look forward to 3 years of PAID training. Gainesville has very much become our home and we are so excited!

David in the Gainesville Sun!

What a Beautiful Day!

I, Danielle, take you, David, to be my husband, my best friend, and the love of my life. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, and love you unconditionally in good times and bad. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love from this day forward as long as we both shall live.

I, David, take you Danielle, to be my wife, my best friend, and the love of my life. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, and love you unconditionally in good times and bad. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love from this day forward as long as we both shall live.

Well, 3 years ago today I walked down the aisle and married the absolute love of my life; my prince charming. It is crazy to think 3 years has already come and gone. But, they have been the best 3 years of marriage I could ever ask for. I have such a sweet and Godly husband who sweeps me off my feet each and every day; and chooses to love me no matter what. God has truly blessed our marriage and I pray he continues to bless us for the next 80+ years of our lives! Here we are, 3 years later with so much love under our belt. :)

One of my dear students wrote me the sweetest note for my anniversary today. I loved it so much I took a picture of it and thought I'd share it with you. I can't wait to have these letters all around my house one day when we have little ones of our own. Three years of marriage and the baby fever kicks in hard core! :)I pray God blesses you as much as he has blessed us. Marriage is AMAZING! Thank you Lord for creating us, giving us life, teaching us how to love, and giving us someone to share that love with.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corithians 13:13

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Last Monday, March 2nd was Dr. Seuss' birthday. My 1st graders and I celebrated this joyous occasion on Friday with multiple book readings, some delicious green eggs and ham for breakfast, making our very own cat and the hats, and my kids even wrote a poem in honor of good 'ole Dr. Seuss. Check 0ut what great poetry writers they are below! :)I was doing some reflecting on my way home from work that day about how stressful teaching can actually be at times, but it's moments like this that make it all worth while. I wouldn't trade my job for anything in the world, except maybe becoming a mommy! :)

Legacy

Last week was week 6 of my Beth Moore study on the book of Esther and I am learning so much. In class on Wednesday she talked about the reversal of destiny - how at one point in our lives we are on one path without God in our lives, and then once he swoops in and takes hold of our hearts, our destiny is reversed forever. This really made me stop and think where I would be right this very moment if I never allowed God to come into my life. Would I be the person I am? Would I be married to my amazing husband? Would David be a believer? Would the relationship with my family and friends be the same? There would be so many uncertainties. This reversal is the hinge of our lives and without it we may never truly know God. It is the resurrection of our lives.

I am sure many of you have heard the saying, "We have to die to ourselves before we can truly live." I am also sure many of you wonder what in the world that means. There was a time when I didn't understand it either. Dying to ourselves is the reversal; the resurrection of our own lives. Obviously it is not physical death, it's realizing that the way we are without God isn't good enough. Without God we are worldly individuals, concerned with the things of the world, rather than the things of God. Like Esther, we have to put on our royal robes because we will NEVER ordain our God given identities if we are straddling the fence. We have to let go of certain things in our lives, let the reversal happen, and see how amazing it is when we live our life for Christ instead of for ourselves. After all, we have to live in this world, but we don't have to be of it.

Here is a great song by Nicole Nordeman called Legacy. It truly makes me think about the purpose we have here on this Earth. I hope I can leave a legacy that points others towards the things that really matter.

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...

You can hear the song and check out the video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbi4nSrhRxo

Nicaragua

David and I just got back from an amazing trip to Nicaragua. I only got to spend 5 glorious days there, which I'll talk more about later, but my sweet, sweet husband spent 2 weeks down there setting up clinics and serving underprivileged children & their families.

I just have to brag on him for a second and tell you how amazing he is and what a heart he has for children. He is going to make such a wonderful pediatrician. The stories he shared and the pictures he took really capture what an impact he and the rest of the medical team made while they were there. For his independent project in his final months of medical school he is setting up a photo gallery in Shands displaying pictures and writings to capture the incredible experience that was Nicaragua; the second poorest country in the western hemisphere. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see his work displayed.

Here, he and Z are racing with some of the local kids. Dave said the 10 year old kid beat him because he got a cramp...maybe he let him win, we'll never know. He got to work and play with the kids, which is equally important in my mind.

One day they were working in a community near the border of Nicaragua & Honduras and the team was able to walk across the border. Dave was so excited that he got to visit 2 countries on his trip.


On their 1st weekend off, the team got to spend some time on a coffee farm. Dave said it was absolutely beautiful! They went on a long hike up to the top of a mountain and then back down. They continued hiking for 3 hours and eventually ended up on another coffee farm. They were so far away that they had to hitch hike their way back to where they were staying. Here is a picture of Dave at the coffee farm.

On Wednesday of their second week I flew down to meet Dave's group with the second group of medical students. It took an entire day to travel there, but it was worth it! The country may be poor, but it is an absolutely beautiful place. The first full day I was there we traveled to Playa Maderas, which is one of the best surf breaks in Nicaragua, other than Rancho Santana, where our uncle is building a vacation home. The waves were 6-8 ft high, but luckily there was a smaller break as well for me to surf on. I was not about to surf 6-8 ft waves with rocks jetting out everywhere you turn; 3-4 ft waves were just fine with me! :) Dave however, loved the big waves and spent the day out there ripping it up. Here is a picture of the group that went surfing. Other than the 30mph winds and the sand pelting us on the beach, it was a great day! We finished the day back at the beautiful house Dave rented and watched the sunset over the Pacific Coast. It was the end to a great first day and a gorgeous sight to see.

On Friday we hopped on a small, 10 person boat and traveled up the coast of Nicaragua. The coast is beautiful with not much development. Every couple 100 yards there were small coves, some with houses on them, but most without. The houses that are there are huge and gorgeous. It was amazing to me to see a coast as beautiful as that, with no condos and tourism. That just doesn't happen in Florida. At the end of that day we were able to see another amazing sunset, but this time we were cruising along the crystal blue ocean, with cool wind in our hair.

On Saturday, we went zip-lining! What an experience that was. This is a picture of us AFTER zip lining. Unfortunately, we didn't bring Dave's camera because it was too big to carry around. Our friend Z however, had his small camera and took lots of pictures for us, but the sad news is that he is still in Nicaragua so we don't have the pictures yet. I'll post them when I get them. The views from the top of the mountain were amazing. Looking out at the beach, the cliffs surrounding the beach, and the community below us was breathtaking. Just from looking at that sight I don't know how anyone can say there is no God. Who else could create something that beautiful? That just doesn't happen by chance.

We spent our last night there, Valentine's Day, enjoying a delicious dinner at one of the nicest restaurants on the beach. We enjoyed 2 glasses of wine, shrimp with rice, an entire white snapper, and 2 deserts for only 23 dollars. What a deal! If you were to go to Bonefish and order that same meal, it would cost you at least $100. It was one of the most romantic Valentine's Day dinners we have had and it was in Nicaragua!

It was a great mini vacation and I am so glad I got to meet Dave down there to spend time with him. I hope everyone had a Valentine's Day weekend as wonderful as ours. Cuz remember, it's all about the love!

For Such a Time as This

Many of you who read my thoughts from Beth Moore two weeks ago have probably been wondering where I have been. I missed last week due to a UF basketball game, but I am back! :) The lesson we had yesterday was a lesson on being brave; trusting in the Lord with your whole heart - no matter what! I just can't get over what an amazing vessel Beth Moore is for sharing God's Word. Wow!

So, we are reading the book of Esther, which if you haven't read, is so far about a young Jew hiding her identity and becoming the Queen of Susa; taking place back in the day before Jesus. To make a long story short, the King, Xerxes, had some beef with a Jew named Mordecai, who raised Esther. Because of this "beef," Xerxes decided that he needed to issue an edict of government-sponsored genocide killing ALL the Jews. (Sound familiar? -- Hitler? hmmm) All except for Esther because no one knew she was a Jew, yet. Mordecai gets this edict in the mail, along with all the other Jews, and immediately goes to the Kingdom's Gates to talk to Esther, who knew nothing about what her husband had done. Mordecai pleads with her to talk with Xerxes, but she is afraid because back in that day, if you went to talk to the King without being summoned, the sentence was death. Yes, even for the queen! (I am so glad we didn't live back then, aren't you?) Mordecai reminds her that she is also a Jew and if she remains silent, someone is bound to find out and she in the end will die anyway. Finally, in the end of chapter 4, which is where we are now, Esther decides that she will go to the King and plead for her people because -- for such a time is this! Esther had to face her fear, trusting that the Lord would save her.

My first question was, what changed her mind? Why did she decide to speak out instead of remaining silent? Because if she remained silent, she would have been denying the reality she faced. How often do we do that? When we deny reality, we deny fear. God wants us to face our fears and trust that He will see us through. Want to know what the most frequent command in the bible is? "Don't be afraid! Fear not! says the Lord." Think about all the things you are afraid of, for just one second. Afraid of spiders, cockroaches, the dark, height, people, ... death. The list goes on. Beth Moore suggested to think about the WORST thing you fear. Maybe it's your husband cheating on you, maybe it's someone close to you dying, maybe...

God would say, "Ok, what would you do if that happened?"
"Well", you say, "I would just die if that happened. I would fall on the floor and be depressed for life!"
"Then what?" asks God.
"Then, I would lay in my bed for days, weeks, months, and cry my eyes out!"
"Then what?" asks God.
"Then, I would mope around my house and be completely useless!"
"Then what?" asks God.
"Well, then I guess eventually I would have to start picking myself up again. "
"Then what?" asks God.
"Well, I suppose I would have to start getting myself up in the morning and getting dressed again."
"Then what?" asks God.
"I guess I would have to go to work again and support myself."
"Then what?" asks God.
"Well, I suppose after a while, I would have to start living my life again."
"Why?" asks God.
"Because you are faithful, even when fear sets in. My God will take care of me!"

You see, Esther was willing to face her fears. She said in chapter 4, verse 16, "I will go to the King, even though it's against the law. And, if I perish, I perish." Basically Esther was saying, if this (fill in the blank here), then... God will take care of me! God will still be faithful! We cannot deny our worst fear; we must take courage over them. Not denying the reality, but denying it's victory over us! 1 John 4:18 says, "perfect love cast out fear." It is through God's love for us that we don't have to be afraid of ANYTHING! Does that mean it's always going to be easy? No! But, it does mean we have someone full of complete love for us to lean on when times are tough. Be brave ladies, for such a time as this! As Steven Curtis Chapman would say, don't miss the miracle of the moment!

Much love until next time... :)