Family; Our hearts stirred.

What happens when you realize something you've prayed for or wanted for most or all your life finally comes to reality? What happens when you find a cornerstone that changes just about every thing in your life including your own perspective?

What happens when you understand the principle of seeing God's handy work or reasoning only in hindsight, and yet.. you come to find the Holy Spirit revealing it to you in the present?

This morning I woke up to find the alarm clock yelling at me. Finally after mentally throwing it out the window, I gave in and got up. I had lunch with my mother today and it turned out better than I ever could have imagined. It's amazing how a few words can show so many things. You see, my mother has always been the bane of my existence before I got saved. Always nagging at me, always bitter and angry, yelling and the like. Little did I know 90% of the problem was my own heart. I find now that she's possibly the best mother I could have ever asked for, and wouldn't trade her for the world. For 15-17 years now she's left the church and gone far off the path from God. With a lifestyle of bitterness and rebellion.. she's currently making less money than any one in the family, living a ''hell-hold''(She'd say) with the demons to go with it. Without further detail, know this. She's at the end of the line, hiding it well, I can see through it. She's deeply depressed.

Today.. God has shown me a spark. A light. A soft light at the end of the tunnel. Hope.

Two things occurred.
1. For over 30 years she's been smoking. Today, she hasn't had a cigarette the entire 24 hours(18 of which she was awake for) and apparently is her ''Quit-Date for smoking" -- THIRTY YEARS. Picture not only doing something, but something ADDICTIVE for 30 years at least 9-12 times a day. Quitting is nothing short of a miracle.

2. While having lunch with me today I invited her to come to church with me. I told her not to poke or prod at her about God, but to just be there surrounded by loving people who wouldn't judge you. I told her that sometimes I don't even think I deserved to be there but by the end of the day my spirit is renewed it seems, and I couldn't imagine going the rest of the week had I not gone to church. It's uplifting.. It's motivating. She said no, of course. But she turned her head and told me that the days that she used to go to church she used to feel like that as well. And what's better? She told me... "Eventually.." DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS? Perhaps, perhaps not. I've known my mother forever of course, but it doesn't take a psychologist to see that her words and emotions at the time were solid. Straight forward. She essentially meant, "I'm not there yet, but I know I'll come back to the Lord eventually.. I know I will." That's a lot from just one word, but I saw her face. I looked in her eyes. I know what I saw. I could feel it.

I was in tears when Ruben, merely my best friend, went up to the altar during invitation. But my MOTHER? This is incredible news. God has shown me hope. The light. So many people have been praying for this.. This is just incredible. I can NOT explain how my cup overflows with joy right now. Just think if my entire family eventually goes to church every Sunday.. After my mother there's only my sister left to focus our prayers on for her to return to the Lord. And while I'm soon to start taking my niece and nephew to church every Sunday they'll go home telling mommy about Jesus and how wonderful is FBLC, the church that their mother(My sister) used to go to.

All these things are happening so fast. Praise be to God for all this. He is stirring our hearts and I've never been happier. I prayed for my family before all this came to pass, and this is what He answered with:

2 Chronicles 30:9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

God, you are AWESOME. With all my spirit, soul and body I acknowledge your sovereignty in this.. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

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Readers, hear this. The Bible says in ALL things acknowledge Him and he will direct your paths. It's clear that He wants ALL your life, not just most of it. The moment you finally take that step and give it to Jesus.. the moment your life will turn around and quite literally take you by surprise. What's holding you back?