FaceBook Post 10/21/2013

Worship and lifegroup yesterday were amazing and my talk with Mom was awesome! When your hands tremble, clam up, and your spirit wants to bounce all over the room... You know you've tapped into something. When all the people in the lifegroup hug on each other and take time to just appreciate who they each are in the kingdom, you know you've tapped into something. When you can feel another

person wiggling from afar, like two kids under the same blanket, through a phone and can giggle about the mission that is to come... Woo! You've tapped into something. I am excited to know that we are part of something / someone huge... Want to know who that is? Lean in close...

God is so real I couldn't lie to you if I wanted to. And if I didn't tell you, someone else would. And you will feel that tugging in your heart... That's not heartburn. If you let Him, He will blow your mind!

If I didn't tell you, I'd be the most selfish person ever. Think about it. What do I have to gain personally if you believe? This is free information. This is a free referral. You see, I have a doctor who paid the price to heal me. I have a savior who took my place to free me. I have a Father who created me because He giggled with delight at the very thought of who I would be. And I have a hope that doesn't get locked up in the grave when loved ones fought for are lost. (Ishypoo ♥) All this I have and freely share because I want YOU to be blessed.

You may doubt the Bible stories... You may be logical.
I have statistics for you. In all the people in the world, God chose for me to know YOU. In all the centuries of the world, God put you here and now. To hear from people like me... Who don't know everything, but know exactly who rules everything. To hear about two boys who beat the odds... To hear about lives transformed from depression (where in losing Ishypoo, despite him surviving three years, I should be broken) to lives of being strengthened by God!

Let my life story sink into your pores... Because my story and the story of others who know God on a personal level... We have nothing to hide but everything to freely give!

I am not perfect, I never will be, but I pray that anything good you see in my life will be an arrow pointing to Him. And the losses you think I've suffered... My hope being secure and strong will encourage you to believe that even death is no match for Him!

That is all for now

 

<3  Steph

One year since our 3yr. old son's passing...

(c) Stephanie Josiah

Tomorrow is Ishypoo's second birthday (Heaven Birthday)... Join us in celebrating the time we got to spend with him and the new amazing life he now has... By loving someone that it is difficult to love... By reaching out to a stranger in need... And if you have something red to rock... Rock red ... Even if it is just one sock to remind you of a three year old boy who (to this world may have seemed...

broken) but his love, his heart worked better than any of ours.
Be love!

Ishy, my son... Don't know where to begin on how I feel about your absence. A year tomorrow already?

Fine. Let me address the issue of missing you, first and foremost with praise. Abba Father, thank you for the life of our son... Thank you for keeping your promise to give us time together. Thank you for your mercies everyday... In every giggle, smile, and gooey kiss... You made my heart over with just being in the presence of our Ishy... You didn't have to, but you did... You didn't have to give us a day... You gave us three years. I could be mad that he's gone... Or I could feel defeated... BUT because I know whose child I am... Because I know where my son is... Oh, He's in my Father's house!! He's in my father's house!!!!!!!!

I know where to find him when it's my turn to go and I will watch him run to me and hold him close and breathe his curly hair in again.

Why do I have this joy even as I mourn? Because God is good!
Don't you know He is so good?
Look at me, I should be broken... I should be defeated... I should feel hopeless... The government shut down... But my joy is not... My son's body shut down, but his soul did not... Woo!

Praise God.
Now back to you, Ishy... XOXOXOXOXOXOXO Times forever! We love and miss you but you aren't far away. You're right here Tomorrow we might cry a whole lot more than usual, but I can't stress to you enough that I am happy that you are safe and happy and healed!

PRAISING GOD!

(c) Stephanie Josiah 2013

 

Praising God for a full last week and weekend. Kickin it with women of all walks...
I even spoke with a clerk at Model's (Sporting Goods) about her back to back family losses (an aunt and a grand parent) and I told her that sometimes the roughest stuff comes in constant waves... But hold on! Your ship isn't going to sink... Stay strong.

I know it was a message for her, but as I opened my mouth I ...delivered a message to myself too.
God has been so good to me. When I'm sad about losing Ishypoo and I want to crumble... He reminds me that my ship won't sink. He is with me. He is for me. Everything that happens to me in this life will become part of an amazing journey story.

But not a story of searching for a holy artifact, or a story of battling to claim a holy land... A story of how a Holy God makes Himself readily available to us... The Father protects, the Son saves and walks beside us, and the Spirit locks Himself up under our flesh and bone and guides us. Such an intimacy!!!.. Such a reminder that even when I am in the depths of my despair You are there God. The Bible says, "Even if I go to the ends of the earth or hide in the deepest caverns or sink into the deepest of seas... You hear my cry for help. You know me by name!! You call me your own." I couldn't understand why or how you love me if I had ten thousand lifetimes to study Your heart. You are unreasonable in your patience... No timer set... No forcing... You are unrelenting in Your pursuit - arms wide open for us... You are holy but unafraid of getting messy as You do life with us. You are powerful enough to not need us to share who you are, but you prefer the friends' referral program.
Point to us, Lord, and tell them if they want to know who You are, "ask one of those Josiahs, those Greens, those Durhams... Etc.* enter your family name here*"
We will praise you, we won't let the rocks cry out in our place. We know you still save! (Look at our twins, our lives, our stories) We know you give us miracles! (Look at the three years and three months of borrowed time we had with our Ishypoo) We know you are still relevant...

We know You!

Thank you for being in relationship with us!

Amen!!!! Amen!

WE NEED THE CHURCH RIGHT NOW!

We really need the Church to be the church right NOW.
I think about how many people out there lose hope because the govt shut down, financial situations are tight, family loss, domestic violence situations and bullies at school.
And the world cries out.
A pin pricks the infection
With another school shooting...
Mass murder
Bombing etc
A pin pops this boil earth and
Puss and blood are everywhere
And I wonder what it's going to take...
What is it going to take for the Church to step up and shine some light here in America?
Instead of attacking with political agendas and strategizing to gain more members...
What could we stand to lose if we focused on being loving again?
Not "here's a hug - see you next week" loving.... But "how can I bless your life - even if it gets messy or inconvenient for me" loving!
The mobilization of people bringing love to others, hope, and comfort to others... The radical message of hope that they are loved whether they be democratic, republican, other..., gay, bi, transgendered, innercity or rural region!
We are ALL hurting! What will it take?
Some of us are okay with begging Jesus to come back now "gots me my ticket Lord, so come now!"

Well I dare to say that you bought a scalper's ticket... Good for nothing... Scribbled on rice paper. Because if you can't be love, can't bring blessing and hope, can't inconvenience yourself... Then you wear the shirt but you are not a member... You watch the game but you aren't on the team... You have an idea but you don't have a way of life!
Be a church or be a country club.

We need the Church to come back here so desperately. "what's any of the mess on tv got to do with the church, Stephanie?" Exactly my point. More bad news than good - but I thought we had good news for all people? I thought we had hope and light and love to share with people? The community is a mirror image of the faith that WE have!
Let me say that again... The community is a MIRROR IMAGE of the faith that WE have.

If we believe that Jesus is our protector and provider... Why are so many so hopeless?

We got work to do!

(c) Stephanie Josiah 10/3/2013