Obedience: The place of joy and safety

Hello blog world. I have returned finally after a long hiatus. I blog in my head... to myself... ALL THE TIME. LoL Thoughts in my head are always more collected than when I put them on paper. It's like my relationship with God, I talk to Him a lot during the day and I learn a lot from Him during the day but do I think to write it down? No, a big mistake. So I thought it necessary to journal about this certain happening so that years from now I can look back and see the faithfulness of God. Stones of remembrance are very important to build my faith. I often forget when God has enabled me to be obedient and totally should document them so He can get the glory over and over again.

So here we go....

I have for a long while been harboring jealousy and even worse: envy (which involves malicious action) against a few people. It's been my "secret sin" that most don't see in my life. But nothing is secret from God so who was I kidding? He(God) made clear to me that this was going to be a detriment to my marriage and my relationship with others and most importantly my relationship with my God. I ignored Him for so long and kept on in sin; knowing full well what I was doing. I even read in Romans about storing up wrath for myself by disobeying the Lord and STILL I was stubborn. God even tried to use several precious women to warn me of the seriousness of this struggle and the implications of holding on to it so tightly and thinking it's "innocent". It wasn't until I had my sister holding me accountable to make a change that I felt the weight of my sin. (Js 4:17- thx Kirst) God used her mightily in this situation to convict me. I suddenly felt an urgency to take these people off my radar screen so that the temptation to sin would not be present. God enabled me to flee. And while I'm still battling the "ways around obedience" in my flesh, I can feel the peace that this act of obedience has brought and it's so worth it.

There is nothing sweeter than feeling close and intimate again with my Savior. I missed Him. It's awesome to once again feel my need for Him in such a strong way.

You know what's funny, is I have really noticed how handsome D.R. is lately. I mean he always was but man o man..... he's cute.

Give Thanks In All Things

This year I am thankful for too many things to count really. God has been so gracious on me and my family. I'm amazed how He provides, protects, sanctifies, heals, reconciles, and loves us unconditionally.

I'm thankful for D.R. In this second year of marriage I've noticed how generous a husband I have. He is always thinking up ways to help people who don't have the blessings we have. He has a kingdom-perspective on money which I am trying to gain more of. He makes me laugh. No one really knows the goofy, silly D.R. like I do. Shhh.... he likes to sing his thoughts to me to a familiar tune- which ever one pops to his head at the moment. I try not to act amused sometimes but my tickle bone always gets me and I burst out laughing. He's a joy. I'm blessed to have a man who fears the Lord and longs to cultivate a deeper relationship with Christ every day. I'm glad I have a husband who cares more about my sanctification and presenting me without blemish than my circumstances & often faulty emotions. There's a song that is on Sara Groves latest c.d. called Fireflies & Songs and it says "I was drawn to you in ways I can't explain. We fought like crazy but I couldn't stay away. We piled on expectations and lots of blame. ; like we couldn't do it any other way." This was the beginning of our relationship- D.R. & I..... Sara Groves is unbelievable at putting to words what I feel in my heart. Anyways... put her new c.d. on your wishlist!

I'm thankful for our family and friends who are always there. I'm extra thankful for Kirstie, my younger sister. I've written about her a few times on here. We have a strong bond that I know is only possible because of the Lord's hand. Sisters are even better when they are your best friends. Love you Kirst. Mom and dad, I couldn't love you more. Thank you for raising me to love Jesus. It has been your best gift to me. Granny, oh granny... I don't think there's a memory of you that doesn't involve hugs and uplifting words and FUN! You taught me to embrace my silliness and be myself. I'm thankful for your generosity, your kindness, your love. Buddy: having you in the family is a delight. Thank you for your wisdom, discernment, hugs, and godliness.

I'm thankful for champ. He's been a good buddy to have during D.R.'s rotation hours.

I'm thankful for Grace Community Church. Our spiritual family. It's been a church body that I've grown the most because of. I love and know Christ more because of this body. You sharpen me, convict me, encourage me, correct me and continue to point me to the all-sufficient One.

I'm thankful for the ability to dance still. It's been a longtime passion of mine. I'm not one of those dancers who says "I feel most alive when I'm dancing". That's not true. Dance is a gift; an expression of art and life. But it is not my life. Dance has taught me that like most things in life, passions can become idols. God has granted me the grace to continue teaching dance because it's a way to express my devotion to Him. And so I am thankful I get to do that.

Most of all, I'm eternally thankful that the Creator of the universe thought of me and came to earth to purchase my salvation with His blood. I'm so glad He came and made a way for me to be with Him forever. I'll never grasp, this side of heaven, what it took for Him to pardon my sin. But now I get to be His child- his daughter. I get to sit at His feet and receive forgiveness and love. That's love I'll never be able to give; only receive.

And now for some little-ditty thanks :)
*bath and body works soap
*starbucks peppermint mocha
*iPod
*boots
*sunsets
*people who snort when they laugh (ahem... Jamie Shoe)
*sharpies
*sytycd
*target
*wildflowers in my backyard
*worship music
*kiwi

1 Chronicles 16:8
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Forced Apology

"I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations." Psalm 89:1

"Observe...all the commands I'm giving you...teach them to your children; talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down & when you get up." Deuteronomy 11:8a,19

"But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed." Romans 2:5

Ok now let me share how these verses are directly correlated to what the Lord has been teaching me lately.

This past weekend was my grandfather's 90th birthday. So DR & I packed the car and headed north 7 hours to Chattanooga, TN for a short but sweet 2 days. My dad & aunt planned a birthday celebration for papa on Saturday with old friends, new friends and family. Good Tennessee BBQ, a gospel quartet, a slide slow of papa's life and lots of rich conversation. It was a blessed time celebrating his 90 years. I was looking forward to spending time with papa this weekend: to hear about what the Lord has done over 9 decades, two marriages, 3 kids, 6 grandkids and a growing number of great-grandkids. After the party, I snuck in a few sweet minutes with papa as he told me about both love & sorrow he's experienced in his life.

Unexpectedly he opened up his heart about his marriage with my grandmother. She was a woman of high expectation. He spoke of her impecable ability to keep a house tidy and efficient. He praised her for being a wonderful mother to their three children and for being involved at church. But then he told me something that made his face turn very sad. He said, "Danelle, never once during our 65 years of marriage did she admit she was wrong and apologize." WHAT? I said back to him. "Really? wow" He said he believes the Lord enabled him to have an extra dose of patience to stay faithful to her. "Many men would've left."

Well, YEA! Geez, I was so hurt for him thinking of all those years never hearing the words, "I'm sorry honey. Please forgive me." NEVER. I mean how did the woman call herself a Christian? How she could live with herself feeling no remorse after saying cruel words or doing cruel actions is beyond me.

He recalled a time when he threw her a surprise party with family and friends and directly after the party she told him if he ever did something like that again, she would leave him. She never wanted to be the center of attention but man....what a threat! Papa said he felt he could never "do" for ma (my name for my grandmother). She was self-sufficient, independant and worse...unrepentant.

It's a sad & frustrating thing to be around someone who is never sorry for the wrong they commit. Admittedly, I have developed a bad habit of not apologizing immediately after I wrong D.R. He has to bring it back up and then I apologize. Of course it's not real or heart-felt. I'm a stubborn booger sometimes! I've had an unrepentant heart lately. I don't want to own up to that harsh thing I said or did. I justify in my mind that I'm not wrong b/c he too said something or did something wrong. Like a two year old, I pretend like the offended person will just forget it and come love on me! Wrong. I don't think it's a coincidence that God allowed papa & I to have that short conversation about ma this past weekend to open my eyes to my own unrepentant heart with my husband. I do not want to be an 80 year old who has sown pride so deep down in her heart that she is unable to let another point out her sin. Lord, please break the generational sin of pride & unrepentance with me!

The verse from Deuteronomy has been a great reminder of how I'm supposed to parent one day. I'm thankful to have a mother & father who've pointed me towards the commands of God & how to keep all of them. The verse in Psalm 89 reminds me that I must sing of God's faithfulness my whole life long and to all generations, not just my children but my children's children and their children. Papa has done this and I'm so thankful.

The verse in Romans is a warning to heed. I don't want to store up wrath for myself by not repenting. No thanks. But man! That is the seriousness of it! I'm storing up wrath (which I deserve) for myself from a just God when I'm stone cold and refuse to repent.

Generational sin is real. I've seen it in my family and others. Find out what it is in your family and ask the Lord to let it end with you.

Papa experienced years of disunity in his marriage simply b/c ma was unwilling to have a repentant heart. Years after my grandmother passed, papa married another woman who was more than gracious in word and deed. God gave papa a few years of romance. love and appreciation in his marriage with Mary. I'm so thankful for those years he had with her before she also passed.

All for now. :)

Grace & Peace.

Don't You Know I've Always Loved Her

Kirstie Kylene is my sister and I couldn't love and respect her more. My love for her started on January 20, 1987 and has grown over the last 22 & 1/2 years. She's probably the only person who knows my "unmentionable" flaws and has seen my broken heart over and over.

In our childhood years, she was my shadow and I adored it! I got the privilege of being her older sister and modeling all things ladylike (and often un-ladylike). :) She made me feel that I was way cooler than I actually was b/c she wanted to do and wear everything I did.

She was always more fearless than I. For example, one Memorial Day weekend at River Ranch (a fond camping ground we went to 2-3 times a yr.) she chased a baby pig through the poopy mucky mud and wrestled it to the ground; dragged the thing by it's hind legs into a fenced in ring and did all with a grin. We have a picture of her covered in pig dung up to her belly button and she has the biggest cheesy smile on her little face. That's Kirstie. Fearless.

In our teen years, she was a confidante, an intimate comrade and an accountability partner. I remember several occasions when I was humbled and convicted deeply of my sin (which usually involved a boyfriend) from her simply words of love and concern. She was a voice of admonishment even then. God used her all throughout my teen years to sharpen me like iron. I've been broken with her, shed sorrowful & joyful tears with her, and laughed my hardest with her. It's a unique sister relationship. I've never felt a competitive spirit in me when it comes to her and that is utter grace from the Lord. I've simply felt love and admiration for her.

Through college, she was there to listen to all the fun life changes going on in my life: living in a dorm, new roommate, rushing for a sorority, meeting lots of guys & gals, fraternity parties, dance team, ect. I tried to convince her to come to Samford but the Lord was calling her to PBA. Our friendship deepened during her college years as God really stretched her in leading small groups and mentoring younger girls.

She was the first person I called in Feb. of 2006 when I started officially dating the man I knew I would marry. She was also the first person I called on February 10, 2007 when I got engaged to that man, D.R. McNew. She shared in my excitement with so much joy in her voice; I wanted to reach through the phone and hug her!

She stood by me on the most important day of my life: the day I became a wife; August 18, 2007. She supported and loved me through a difficult engagement and faithfully prayed for the unity of D.R. & I. I couldn't be more thankful for those prayers.

We share so much: our fashion, our sense of humor, our thoughts about: God, guys, purity, marriage, modesty, parents.

God is good to give us sisters. I sure got blessed with a great one. I look forward to see our friendship grow in maturity and common love for our Savior and for people. She has a beautiful heart. I look forward to the day when I will stand next to her as Matron of Honor and support her as a wife and some day mother.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one [sister] sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

a bag of popcorn & the gospel

So as I'm driving home from a funeral on my lunch break this afternoon, crying my eyes out b/c I'm so affected by these parents love for their deceased, unborn child of 5 months, I taste my salty tears and suddenly become hungry for a salty snack. I know, what a shift of emotions, right? Well God had a plan.... hang in there with me. LOL

So I pull over at the Citgo gas station right next to our church and mosey on in to find my salty fix. I spot white cheddar popcorn and begin to salivate. haha

At first I reach for the 99 cent BIG bag- back label 15 grams fat EIGHTEEN % daily fat intake. I decided to search for a smaller fattening portion. And then, I look down. On the bottom rack (strategically placed where no one with raging snack hunger would look) is 35 cent bags of assorted salty snacks.....yes, 35 CENTS! And amidst the pork rinds and dill pickle flavored chips was one Brim's white cheddar popcorn bag. It was glorious. Small portion. Small price. BIG flavor! I paid my 35 some odd cents and walked happily out the door. Stuffed them into my purse and drove the 100 yards to my church office door.

Once in my office, I wasted no time in popping the bag open and indulging. After the first handful, I turned the bag around to check the nutritional value... eh, nothing to make me grow big and strong but oh the flavor!!!

As my eyes glance down the back label of the bag, all the way down on the left hand side was a Bible verse. Yes, a BIBLE verse!

John 17:3 "and this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent."

How cool is that!? I thought, "God, you always show up in the most peculiar places but this takes the cake."

Although, I enjoyed the fattening, delicious snack, I was left with a deeper satisfaction; my spiritual hungry was quenched far beyond my physical hunger. God had once again spoken to me and left me feeling like all I need is Him. He gives life and life ETERNAL.

Where has God shown up in your life lately?

If you do not work, you shall not eat!

I just witnessed something very sad, but sobering.


A man whom we, here at my church, have been assisting financially came in today. We haven't seen him in over 2 months. His green shirt and over-sized blue jeans are heavily stained, his shoulders look more obvious because his frame seemed smaller to me. The bones under his shirt are more visible than at his last visit.


He got a job back in May at a car dealership service center doing detailing. I remember the day he got hired... You would've thought he won the lottery. He came in... nice khaki pants, dress shirt and tie and had a smile like I had never seen before on his face. After using our phone to call the service manager, he hung up, did a little happy-happy-joy-joy dance and said "I got the job!" I was so happy for him. This was huge for him and his family. This meant money for food and bills. He was then told by our deacons that until he showed some responsibility on his part financially, we would not be assisting him with groceries or anything else. This was 4 months ago.


He has since come in a couple times asking for a bag of groceries and each time I am forced to reiterate the agreement the deacons and him had come to at this point. He would try again a few weeks later and... same routine. It was quite draining and quite sad. He started being late to work. I know this because he walks to work and has to pass by our church playground to get there. So he wound up on "probation" at work as a warning of his tardiness. He finally got pink-slipped for using fowl language with his boss and is now unemployed again.


He came in today asking for a bag of groceries and I didn't know if that policy was still standing since it had been so long. I walked back to the kitchen but decided to call Nick our head deacon. He insisted on speaking with him. From what I gathered from their conversation, Nick was trying to reiterate the agreement and it wasn't being taken well. The conversation turned ugly and the guy said, " I thought you were a man of God but I just don't know. " He abruptly got off and walked out of the church. I felt mixed feelings of sadness and frustration. I know that the deacons are doing the best thing for him in restricting assistance in hopes that he will show some responsibility on his own. I have to trust that he will one day see that they loved him by keeping the food from him. But for now, he doesn't see that. All he sees is an "uncharitble" church. I thought about the fact that he may be tempted to steal food for his family. Or worse, rob someone. I thought of the despair and anger that he must be feeling for the way his life is because of the choices he's made. But I wonder if he realizes that to work is to live. We were put on this earth to work. It says in the Bible that the one who does not work, shall not eat. That's a pretty harsh reality but as we see by evidence of the homeless on the streets, that holds true. You have to earn a living. For some it comes easier than others. And for some it is handed to them and they are careless with their fortunes. But work is a gift. It's not just a command in order to obey God but more than that it is a way to be in fellowship with God. God is honored when we work; when we serve people; when we are responsible with our money; and when we choose to give that money (that God owns in the first place) back to Him. Work is a way to be in communion with your Creator! That takes the duty out of the equation and makes it a delight! I wish I viewed my job as a delight every day but I don't. I forget that my job is a gift and a means of fellowship with my Lord. I see it as an obligation; a requirement to pay bills and a 5 day/40 hour "community service" kinda thing. After all, I get to work at my church!! I mean, how cool is that!? I'm super blessed to be surrounded by men & .... well men who love the Lord and are spending time with Him throughout their day in their work. So, I guess I write this post to say: God has given us a means of fellowship with Him through the gift of work and we should view it as such or we are missing out on 40+ hours a week of God-glorifying obedience.

Tomorrow is another day, praise God. I will receive a complete new set of mercies from Him and I can't wait to see them at my workplace. Now if I could only take that mercy and show it to someone else.....

The truth about the Gospel

This is the most powerful sermonette I've ever listened to. Souls are perishing every minute. Make sure your soul will not.

The Fire by Nate Pfeil