A Call to Obedience

God must rule our hearts if our feet are to walk His way.

Brandon and Casey are making their way to Evangel University located in Springfield, MO with a 24 ft. U-Haul and all their personal belongings. Their home will go on the market in a few weeks. Casey recently accepted a staff position at the college. Being an evangelist, Brandon can base his ministry from anywhere. God's fingerprints are all over this transition.

Bobby and I spent Friday afternoon and evening at their home in the Richmond area. Most of their packing was complete so we just enjoyed the time together. Brandon played his last softball game with Clover Hill AG and we wanted to be there as a support. They came back to Warrenton for the night and spent Saturday with Casey's family as they celebrated her dad's 50th birthday. The good-bye's were tough as they departed on Saturday evening. My heart is breaking but God has given me a peace about this transition. I know they are being obedient and are definitely in God's will.

Brandon was recently ordained at District Council. We were so proud of him. We were looking forward to spending time together at Ministers' Retreat in October and attending some of the events he would be ministering at in our area. Well obviously God has other plans........

I realize this will sound like a bragging mom (and I am one of those people) but I truly admire Brandon and Casey for their obedience to God's calling. How many times have we missed a blessing in our lives because we either were too busy to hear God's voice, didn't want to hear God's voice or simply dismissed the challenge because we thought we couldn't do what He was asking of us? We can't do what He is asking but He can do through us what He is asking! Obedience to Christ is a huge part of our relationship with Him. If God truly rules our hearts our feet will walk His way.

If you are a young mother reading my blog today you are probably thinking I am a ridiculous possessive mother who is fretting over her 25 year old son moving 1000 miles away. All I can say is savor every moment with your children while they are young. It seems like only yesterday when Bobby and I were attending Little League games. The years pass quickly......

Please excuse me for being a little teary eyed today. These are truly tears of thankfulness and joy. Over the years our experience in ministry has taught us that a call to obedience is expected when you make a decision to enter this profession. As a partnering pastor working alongside my husband I have to ask one question. If everyone in our congregations were obedient to the call of God what would our churches look like? AWESOME! SIMPLY AWESOME!God must rule our hearts if our feet are to walk His way.

Thankful Thursday

A special thanks to Iris at Sting My Heart for encouraging us weekly to think about all we should be thankful for. As Christians people truly need to see joy in our lives each day.

I am thankful today that God has a unique and awesome plan for my life.

I am thankful that my back is healing and the pain is now tolerable. The past two weeks certainly caused me to think about all those who suffer daily with sickness or unbearable pain. I pray that God will touch each of their bodies today so they can have a pain free day to experience the joy of the Lord.

I am thankful for the great man of God who serves the Potomac District Council as our Superintendent. He truly hears from the Lord and wants the heartbeat of God to be felt among our churches and pastors.

I am thankful that God has taught me obedience through the years so that I can readily respond to Him when He speaks to my heart.

I am thankful for the lay leaders in our congregation who work so hard. My hubby and I sincerely appreciate each of them for their sacrifice and commitment to our ministry.

I am thankful for the beautiful home God made available to us. The entire process of purchasing that house truly has God's fingerprints all over it.

I am thankful for a son and daughter-in-law who know and respond to the definition of obedience and God's call upon their lives. They are leaving Sunday evening after the truck is packed with their furniture and personal belongings to make a journey back to Evangel University. I am sad that they will again be 1000 miles from home but God has given me a peace about this transition. I know I must trust Him as Brandon and Casey step into the next season of their ministry.

I pray blessings upon you today. May God be with you in strength and power.

~Wordless Wednesday~

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Casual to the exactness of God

Heart to Heart Gals Ministries hosted a Hawaiian Luau Friday night at the church. This is the first time we have attempted to host something of this magnitude and it was a great success. My leadership team is an incredible group of ladies. I truly love and appreciate them. We had a fabulous turnout, awesome food and perfect weather. After being on my feet until 10:00 p.m. I welcomed the opportunity to climb into bed late Friday evening. When the alarm sounded Saturday morning I was reluctant to move for fear of reliving the pain and agony I had experienced the week before. Two hours later and three cups of coffee and life was grand! Saturday was another very busy day tending to grandchildren and running much needed errands. Sunday was awesome! We had two spirit-filled services. Our youth group departed Monday on a missions trip so at the end of the evening service we brought the youth to the front of the church to pray over them. The church surprised my hubby and I with a wonderful fellowship afterwards celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary. It was just a great jam packed weekend.



Sometimes our lives become so full that we just get too busy for God. Have you ever been in that place? We are sprinting to and from appointments, taking care of children, cleaning the house, running errands, cooking meals, paying bills, involved in all sorts of ministries in the church, etc. We quickly become overwhelmed with the activities taking place at the moment and totally lose sight of what we should be doing for God. We become casual to the exactness of God in our lives because the other stuff is competing for first place.

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42

Martha was so worried about all that was happening around her that she totally missed an awesome opportunity to simply sit at the feet of Jesus and enjoy His presence. You and I have done the very same thing many times. The demands on our lives become so overwhelming that spending time with God is not a priority. We have wonderful intentions at the beginning of each day. We recognize that our relationship with Christ is a vital ingredient needed to survive this journey of life. Spending quality time in the presence of the Lord each day is crucial to our Christian growth. But somehow He becomes a distant thought at times. A not so important entity at the moment. Disruptions and busy lives crowd out our time with Him. We like Martha miss an incredible opportunity to be with the Lord. We can become so casual to the exactness of God that we begin to question His will for our lives. God knows exactly what He has planned for each of us. He leaves no crumbs on the table. He didn't just die on the cross. He was the lamb of sacrifice who died for you and for me.

Mary was seeking the good part. She pursued the exactness of God and refused to be distracted by all the other things that were happening around her. She chose to sit and enjoy His presence. She determined in her heart that nothing was going to stop her. She wanted everything He had to offer.

Why shouldn't you and I reflect that same determination in our lives? He must be a priority. Pursue all He has to offer you. Refuse to be casual to the exactness of God.

Thankful Thursday

It is difficult to believe that another Thursday is upon us. The summer is passing quickly and before we know it September will be here. Ugh! I love summer.....

I am thankful today for an awesome God who showed up Monday night at Family Camp. His presence was so powerful. People were being touched by the hand of God all over that place during the altar service. It was just an incredible evening and I am so thankful I was able to be a part of it.

I am thankful for the prayers of my church family, friends and family for my recent back problem. It has been almost two weeks that I have been dealing with this pain. I am a very healthy lady, seldom have a need to see a doctor, rarely take medication and don't deal well with not being allowed to pick up my grandchildren or be told I am restricted to limited activity. Truly it has been driving me crazy!

I am so thankful for my incredible husband who has tolerated my moods the past two weeks. Poor guy! We will celebrate our 34Th wedding anniversary Sunday. I am so thankful that God brought him into my life. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when we were married. I was totally clueless regarding the responsibilities of a pastor's wife but it has been an awesome journey.

I am thankful for all the friends I have met in the blog community. Your encouraging comments and prayers have truly touched me.

I am thankful for a wonderful ladies leadership team at our church who has worked very hard to make the upcoming Hawaiian Luau this Friday night a success.

I am thankful that my pain meds are somewhat helping the pain in my back so I can continue to function at work each day.

I am thankful that God is only a prayer away. He is always available to us when we call upon His name.

Blessings to each of you today!

Wordless Wednesday

Camp Meeting

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The Potomac District is hosting Family Camp this week at Potomac Park Camp and Retreat Center. Our choir, Voices of Inspiration, accepted an invitation to minister in the service Monday night and the praise team led worship. We have participated at this event for the past seven years. It was a great evening and God's anointing was all over the choir! The presence of the Lord was powerful in that tabernacle as the evangelist challenged the congregation with a grass roots sermon. It was a fantastic good ole' fashion camp meeting! It certainly brought back many incredible memories from my teen years at that place.

Following the altar service Bobby and I had an opportunity to visit briefly with many people we haven't seen for years. A dear friend from a former church we served 15 years ago was especially excited to talk with us. She embraced both of us with kisses and repeated hugs. It was so good to see her again. She had a zillion questions about Brooke and Brandon and our grand babies. Of course Brooke and Brandon were attending elementary and middle school when we left that church to accept a senior pastorate position in another state. She was stunned when we told her that Brandon was married, an evangelist and is preparing to move in a few weeks to Springfield, Missouri since Casey recently accepted a staff position at Evangel University. Of course she was equally shocked to learn that Brooke is married and has two children. I know Bobby and I don't look old enough to be grandparents!! :-) OK, maybe we do look just a little bit like we could be in that role!

When the service began she couldn't believe her eyes when she realized that Bobby Shank was on the platform directing the choir! And she was absolutely stunned when someone told her that his wife was leading the praise team. She was convinced there was no way the shy and quiet Debbie Shank she once knew could possibly be in that role!! She looked at me following the service and said, "My goodness, what has happened to you? It was awesome. You certainly have changed!"

Have you ever been in that place in your life where you felt God couldn't possibly use you for ministry? Have you ever questioned God as to whether or not you were truly in His will? Have you ever permitted the enemy to discourage and intimidate you? Have you ever felt like nothing is happening in your life and ministry to fulfill your dream? YES, YES and YES, I have been there numerous times.

For many years I have had a dream regarding my ministry. Many times I attempted to push it out of my thoughts because the enemy would repeatedly try to discourage me. But I finally decided to put legs on my prayers and dreams. God tells us in His Word that He gives us the desires of our heart. My dreams have escalated over the years and I know they are truly from the Lord. There have been a few setbacks but I am going to keep plowing forward toward the goal God has given me. He is beginning to open doors and things are starting to develop. The statement from our dear friend forced me to take a serious inventory of my life. I believe it was a direct word from God purposely meant to encourage me at this season of my life.

Yes I have changed significantly and am doing many things I never thought were a possibility. God is preparing me for a work He has specifically designed for Debbie Shank. God's plan requires patience, time and perseverance and sometimes we are even required to take baby steps in preparation for what God has for us. I am encouraged that people who know me recognize the changes that are transpiring in this body. That denotes progress and identifies God's fingerprints all over my life and ministry. I praise Him for continually refining me. He is truly awesome and does sincerely care about every minuscule detail of our lives. Without Him I am truly nothing but with Him I can be anything He wants me to be.

Thankful Thursday

This has been a challenging week for me. I have been dealing with a number of things including major pain with my back. I am still able to praise my Lord this morning and have so many things to be thankful for.

~I am thankful for the rain showers we received this week. It has been so hot and dry and my flowers are struggling!

~I am thankful for a son and daughter-in-law who are obedient to the voice of God. Casey has just accepted a position at Evangel University and they will be moving to Springfield, MO in August. I will miss them so much but I know that God has given them a peace regarding this next step in their ministry.

~I am thankful that the meds I am taking for my back is allowing me to manage the pain so I can function.

~I am thankful that God is still on the throne and He sees the whole picture even when we feel confused about our lives and question the direction we may be going.

~I am thankful for my two little people with fur who love me unconditionally and are always excited to greet me when I come home.

~I am thankful for music. I love music and truly enjoy leading our praise and worship team at church.

~I am thankful for my new dishwasher! It is marvelous!!

~And most of all I am thankful for an awesome God who loved me enough to sacrifice His only Son for me.

What are you thankful for today? For more Thankful Thursday posts visit Iris at http://eph2810.com/

Have a blessed day!

Wordless Wednesday

Yes I know I am cute...............

Back Pain

I can fully appreciate anyone who has experienced any level of back pain after my suffering the last six days with my back. I have been blessed with good health up to this point and rarely have a need to see a doctor. I am one of those types who self diagnose themselves. You're right.... not a good thing but it has worked for me..... most of the time.

Since our office was closed Wednesday for the July 4th holiday I took a few days of vacation. Bobby and I would have gone out of town but he was asked to perform a wedding which required him to be at rehearsal Friday evening and the wedding Saturday afternoon. Since we were home for a few days we completed some things around the house, enjoyed our family time and relaxed. I love working in my yard and I have lots of flower beds. This is pure therapy for me. I was attempting to relocate a wrought iron plant hanger when I felt a slight pain in the right side of my back. I didn't really give it much thought until a few hours later when the pain became more intense. By Saturday morning I was experiencing extreme pain. Slight relief came when lying down. Now, for those of you who know me realize that sitting for more than a few minutes is not part of my daily regime! I am a very active person and not able to do anything was extremely frustrating!

Sunday mornings I wake at 5:00 a.m. to review my Sunday School lesson (I teach the Senior adult class and love it!) and finalize details for the services. The pain level in my back had diminished and I decided I could tolerate the discomfort through church. As I stepped out of the shower something happened and my hubby had to assist me in dressing. I navigated to the sofa in extreme agony and insisted that he leave for church.

My tolerance level for pain is very high but the pain worsened to the point of intolerance. I called our daughter who lives five minutes from our home and was able to reach her before she left for church. She took me to the emergency room and during a three hour time frame the doctor ordered x-rays, numerous meds and a shot for pain. By the time Bobby arrived to the hospital I was totally out of it! I wasn't able to communicate or even walk by myself. Needless to say they sent me home, I got sick in the car and continued to be sick until 6:00 that evening. Not a good day! Obviously I was over medicated with pain meds. The only good thing about the situation - I didn't feel any pain in my back!

I stayed home from work Monday hoping the rest would heal my back and returned to the office Tuesday. I had an appointment Tuesday with our family physician and was blessed with another shot of pain medication. I despise needles but truly welcomed that offer!

When the alarm sounded this morning at 5:00 a.m. I navigated slowly down the stairs to the kitchen to take my pain meds! Oh my Lord!!! I rarely take medication but this is the only way I can manage the pain.

I am thankful today that God is still in the healing business and that He has been by my side throughout these past six extremely challenging days. I don't know what I would do without Him. Do you ever wonder how people manage the trials and tribulations in their lives without Jesus? I can fully understand how people become so discouraged and depressed when trying to navigate through life on their own.

Thank you for your prayers.

Have a blessed day!

Thankful Thursday - Love

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." I Corinthians 13: 4-7 (NKJV)

When I think about this scripture the first thing that comes to my mind is the responsibility we have as pastor's wives and leaders of our churches. In the early church, leaders modeled love to their churches. They lived by these words in the scripture. Love was the foundation and motive for the leaders' action.

As a pastor's wife and a woman in ministry I have repeatedly experienced everything but love from some folks throughout our ministry. I am thankful today that God has taught me how to love those who don't love others. I realize that if I were not able to love those who demonstrate a cold heart that I could not be an effective leader. When we dwell on the hurts and pains of life we become very bitter and indifferent. God's love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This love is not natural. It is possible only if God supernaturally helps us set aside our own desires and instincts. The closer we come to Christ, the more love we will express to others.

~ Today I am also thankful for my husband who loves me unconditionally. He is truly my very best friend in the world.

~ I am thankful for our children we thought we would never have. After seven years of fertility drugs, numerous tests and a difficult and life-threatening delivery God finally blessed us with our beautiful daughter. Two years later after a high risk pregnancy we were again blessed with our son who is now an Evangelist. I am thankful for the love of my children.

~ I am thankful for the opportunity to minister and encourage other women to serve Christ and to develop into the women of God He has intended for their lives.

~ I am thankful for Luke and Victoria. There is nothing like the feeling of little arms wrapped around your neck giving Grammy a big hug!

~ I am thankful that I have been able to stick with my diet for the past three weeks and have actually lost a few pounds!

~ I am thankful for other Christian women who are an encouragement and mentors for me.

Blessings to each of you today!

Great day!

We had great services yesterday. Bobby initiated a six week study on discovering who we are in Christ. When you really begin to do some deep soul searching you discover some things about yourself that definitely need fine tuning. His series "Painfully Honest" is all that and more!

We need to be aware of our attitudes and actions in everything that we do as Christians. We truly are a witness for the Kingdom and a bad attitude or harsh words can certainly tarnish what we are trying to accomplish for the Lord. When we choose to display the banner of Christ people are watching and unfortunately evaluating our lives. I don't ever want to be responsible for causing anyone to turn away from the Lord because of something negative I have done or chosen to speak. Even when people choose to be rude or downright nasty to us retaliation is not the answer. Driving in Northern Virginia will certainly tantalize your anger level and when people start sending hand gestures tempers easily rise to the boiling level. But as a Christian I need to control any behavior that would not be honorable to the Kingdom of God. Screaming at the top of my lungs and hitting my steering wheel in traffic certainly would not reflect a positive image of Christianity.

For me this is a great time to do a serious gut check and rate myself regarding my Christian character. I want to be more like Christ each day in all areas of my life and that doesn't come easily. I pray that the Lord will help me to be more tolerant of others and to reflect a gentle and loving spirit in all circumstances.

Blessings!