Welcome to Monday Minute With God.
A place to start the week right and tools to keep you in the Word all week long.
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[/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Meet Missy[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”center” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] 
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I had not wanted to be a “Marine’s wife.” I wanted to be “Bobby’s wife” and live a romantic but predictable life.
It was not until a month before our wedding, during the summer of 2001 when Bobby returned from O.C.S. (Officer Candidate School), that I officially accepted the fact that I would carry the title of Military Spouse. Since the third grade I had felt the Lord calling me to be a missionary. I did not know that serving as a Military wife would be the ministry God had planned. Over time, the Lord has worked through amazing experiences to change, encourage, and mold my heart to serve His will.
During the hot summer of 2007 we drove across the USA from Cherry Point, NC to Twentynine Palms, CA. Twentynine Palms was not a place where I had ever wanted to live. At the time, we had an almost two-year-old son, and I was experiencing a miscarriage. As we pulled into town, I remember uttering quite negatively, “Why would anyone want to live here?!” However, after a few months I began to see the charm in the desert, met some beautiful godly women, and felt that God had a purpose for me there.
Shortly after, I suffered from another miscarriage. The doctors said that everything was normal; I felt anything but normal! At that point I decided to ask God to change my heart if I was not to give birth to another child.
Bobby and I began to pray more seriously about the future of our family and both felt that the timing was right for adoption. (Side note: We had known since we were fifteen years old that we would marry and one day adopt. Bobby has an adopted brother from Jamaica and an adopted nephew from the States. Adoption is normal for our family. God put that desire in our hearts years ago.)
We felt led to pursue adoption through San Bernardino County, and were surprised to learn that the process was free. After 6 months of classes, meetings, and preparations, we were approved for placement. Two weeks later my dad strongly felt that my mom needed to come out for a visit. She heartily agreed and arrived in CA the day before I received the call that a baby boy had been born as a safe surrender baby and needed to go home that night.
We immediately drove to Apple Valley, met with the social workers, prayed for about twenty minutes, dashed to Target to get an infant car seat, and hurried to the hospital to meet our two-day-old son! His birth mother (whom we never met) was young, admitted to irresponsible behavior while pregnant, quickly gave birth and then left immediately after.
But, our new-born son was healthy! The Lord had protected him in his birth mother’s womb. Not only were we blessed with a healthy son and quick permanent placement, but my mom was there to share the experience with us! I am so thankful that my dad spoke up when the Spirit of God moved in his heart. I daily thank the Lord that His plan for our lives included Twentynine Palms, a place that will always have a special place in my heart.
Now, nine homes and seven duty stations after our time in the military began, we find ourselves stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Again, this is not a place where I had ever really imagined living. However, this has become one of my favorite duty stations!
Over the years, the Lord has taught me to embrace change with a good attitude and to bloom where I am planted.
Every place where our family has lived has increased our love and faith in God, and in each other. In May 2016 I graduated from Liberty University with a B.S. in Religion and am currently serving at our church with the Blue Star Ministry. What a blessing it is to work with the wives and families of the deployed active duty service members here in Okinawa!
The verse I live by and pray often is Psalm 51:12: “Restore to me the joy of my salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (NASB). I cannot rely on other things to be my source of joy; my husband, children, and various homes bring me happiness, but my true lasting joy is found in Christ alone.
This world will certainly, at some point, disappoint me. People will fail me, I will fail them. But the Lord is my everlasting refuge and strength. The Lord forgives and restores. He provides the endurance I need to carry on and gives me joy even in life’s disappointments!
I am thankful that God has a plan for my life, even if it is different than my own plan. I am thankful that God can use me in spite of my stubborn selfishness. I am thankful for this season of adventures and look expectantly toward the future God has planned for my life.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] 
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Daily Directives
Read Luke 5:1-11
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this,they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
- Notice in verse 5 how Peter is addressing Jesus. He is calling him master. The term in the Greek language reads more like commander or leader. What does this say about Peter’s attitude toward Jesus? What can we learn from this and apply to our lives?
- “we toiled all night.”
Peter could have come up with any number of possible excuses.
- – “I worked all night and I’m tired.”
- – “I know a lot more about fishing than some carpenter.”
- – “The best fishing is at night, not in the day time.”
- – “All these crowds and loud teaching has scared the fish away.”
- – “We already washed our nets.”
- – “Jesus may know religion but He doesn’t know fishing.”
- Yet he chose to obey. What excuses do you come up with when faced with impossible situations? Trust God that He will see you through.
- “And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid.'” This miraculous catch of fish happened in deep water. Jesus told Peter to go above and beyond what he knew were good fishing waters. Is God calling you to deeper waters? Are you going further and deeper than what you feel comfortable with? Trust that God is with you and there is no need to be afraid.
Additional verses to look up this week: Isaiah 41:10; Joshua 1:9; Proverbs 3:5[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
