” God loves you,” I said.   “He wants to be with you every day helping you through this.”

He stared at me for a long time as his eyes pooled and tears spilled over and down the transparent skin on his face.   I asked if I could pray with him and he simply nodded.

Almost every week that I speak with someone  at our church Food Pantry God prompts me to remind them that He loves them.  And almost every time, the response is the same, no matter what the situation in their life; wonder, amazement, and HOPE.  You can practically see hands grasping for the lifeline of God’s love.

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

~Proverbs 13:12 (Today’s New International Version)

There are so many people hurting, with sick hearts.

If you lived in a world where most of the people had a fatal disease for which you had the free cure, and most did not even believe they were sick, wouldn’t you try to dispense the cure? You wouldn’t have to heal them, nor force them to take the cure…but you would surely want to give them the cure so that they could consider and perhaps someday trust it and believe its truth.

God’s love is that free cure to the terminal disease of the human soul that will carry the majority of mankind to a death they do not even acknowledge.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

~John 3:16-17 (Today’s New International Version)

The more I understand of this kind of love, the more I realize it is beyond my human ability to understand.  But it is not beyond my ability to be thankful, nor my ability to share.

How about you?  When was the last time you told someone that God loves them?  When did you last throw out the lifeline?  When did you last share the cure?

There is only ONE WEEK left to enter our contest for an expense paid weekend to the Raeford Conference (and other prizes). Get your entries in this week. One entry per blog post.

Karen Sleeth

Karen Sleeth has lived in North Carolina for 26 years. She shares her home with two kitties who cause her to laugh every day. She firmly believes that a merry heart does good like a medicine and some days overdoses.

My Dad used to tell me about a comic book character that had the constant companionship of a little black cloud.  There are times in my life that I have felt very much like that character.

I was in Maryland with my family for Easter and my attempts to attend church with my nephew and his wife were thwarted at every turn.  I had a run in my only pair of hose.  I found black splotches on my white jacket.  I arrived at what was the wrong address for the church, and no one (my niece, nephew, or sister) answered the phone or returned text messages when I tried to call for the correct address.

When the prospect of attending church was not looking good, I decided to drive to Sugar Loaf Mountain and commune with God.  I sighed, punched the address into my GPS, and began the drive while enjoying the beautiful spring day.  Before I knew it the road was winding and climbing.  I didn’t recognize the road, but hoped the GPS was taking me there by a different route.  The road continued climbing and winding until it was a single lane through heavy woods.  Every forensic crime show I had ever seen flashed through my mind, and I’m sure I heard a couple of banjos.

Rounding the next turn, I dead-ended right into some body’s driveway.  Someone had moved my mountain.  Sigh.  You can only keep a stiff upper lip so long.

At this point, my phone chirped.  It was my nephew’s wife.  She finally had texted the address of the church…an hour late!  That is what I call adding insult to injury.

There have been many times when I have felt like I was walking around with a black cloud over my head, only to realize that God was in control all the time. Even when I ask God to do things His way, I generally (often without realizing it) have my own vision of how it should be enacted.  Then when God answers my prayer and carries it out according to His plan (but not my vision), I fight against Him every step of the way and that is where the black cloud enters.

God’s love is so immense that He puts these little obstacles in my path.  On this particular weekend, God desired one-on-one time with me and I was not listening.  He had to take drastic measures to get my attention, but I finally understood and the sweet time of communion that we had was like returning to the arms of a lover.

If I start to feel like everything is going wrong, I try to stop looking for the black cloud and I start listening for that quiet voice. I’m never disappointed!

Karen Sleeth

Karen Sleeth has lived in North Carolina for 26 years and in her house for nine years. She shares her yard with a herd of about fourteen deer, a raccoon, a family of possum, a hawk and her young, a wise old owl, many birds, snakes, and a bunny she has seen only once. “I assume it took the warning I gave ‘Run for your life!’” This is Karen’s first year attempting to convince the deer that the yard is not their salad bar. Karen is a member of Christian Assembly Church in Durham.

As I walked down the hallway, God asked me, “Would you dictate to me how it should be?” and reminded me of the verse, Isaiah 29:16, about the pot telling the potter how to work.  I pondered how often I have asked God to guide me so that I don’t “screw up” my life. Did I really mean it when I had asked Him for guidance?

Isaiah 29:16
“…Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker,’ He did not make me;’ or the thing formed say of him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding?’”

When I went to get back into bed my cat was laying right in my spot.  She often jumps in my chair when I get up and my bed when I get up in the night.  I picked her up and said, “You’re in my place.”

God immediately said, “Karen, isn’t that what you are doing to me?”

I was shocked.  The object lesson was so strong.  I realized, well, to be honest, I am still realizing that by not trusting God, accepting His plans and choices for my life, I make myself the god of my own life.   I have been meditating this reality since God and I had our night time discussion.

I also realize another lesson from that night…God loves me so much He communicated this truth to me.  I am loved and blessed!

Karen Sleeth

Karen Sleeth has lived in North Carolina for 26 years and in her house for nine years. She shares her yard with a herd of about fourteen deer, a raccoon, a family of possum, a hawk and her young, a wise old owl, many birds, snakes, and a bunny she has seen only once. “I assume it took the warning I gave ‘Run for your life!’” This is Karen’s first year attempting to convince the deer that the yard is not their salad bar. Karen is a member of Christian Assembly Church in Durham.

On the way to church, I was practicing the presence of God, when He revealed that all week I had been subconsciously dreading Sunday and the reason I had difficulty sleeping last night was because of my anxiety. As I was pulling into the parking lot, He revealed why. My church asks that each member agree, as a part of membership, to serve in the nursery once a year and this was my day.

It isn’t that I don’t like children. To the contrary, I love them and in my past that love showed in ways that astonished friends to the point that they jokingly called me “the baby whisperer,” for my ability to calm crying babies when even their mother’s could not.

My first babysitting job was when I was in first grade. I watched a neighbor’s baby for her while she took a shower.  And I babysat throughout high school, college, and into my marriage. I looked forward to the time I could have children of my own.

When the time came when we agreed to have children, none came. We went through the emotional brutality of fertility treatments for several years, during which time every couple in our childless Sunday School class became parents, except us. I distanced myself from children and isolated myself from young families because being around them made me feel like such a failure as a woman−exactly what God did NOT want me to do.

But I, like most people believed I was in control…all I had to do was decide when I wanted my babies and they would be there. Yes, we are told that children are a blessing from the Lord, but what I heard was, it is a blessing THAT you have children, not it is a blessing WHEN God gives you children.

A few years later, all was gone from me: marriage, dreams of a future, promise of children, my home, and my job. It was just God, and me eye-to-eye, with no static in between. It was then that I finally heard His voice. And His voice said the thing I had longed to hear my entire life:

I love you. Your value does not come from what you drive, where you live, what you wear, how many men find you attractive, or your job. Your value rests in the fact that I love YOU.

This morning I entered worship, with this discomfort about working in the nursery. God met me there, washed over me with a fresh infilling of his Spirit and a fullness of his deep, deep love as the dance team rose, and danced to the hymn, “Oh the Deep Deep Love of Jesus.”

Today I understood one more piece of the puzzle of my life. My value is not in whether or not I have children. My value is in the deep love my Savior has for me. This is not the first time I have served in the nursery. However, this IS the first time I’ve enjoyed it.

Karen Sleeth

Karen Sleeth has lived in North Carolina for 26 years and in her house for nine years. She shares her yard with a herd of about fourteen deer, a raccoon, a family of possum, a hawk and her young, a wise old owl, many birds, snakes, and a bunny she has seen only once. “I assume it took the warning I gave ‘Run for your life!’” This is Karen’s first year attempting to convince the deer that the yard is not their salad bar. Karen is a member of Christian Assembly Church in Durham.

Christina Reed, a most welcoming face!

last weekend in Kernersville! (Eph. 3:20) It’s even difficult to put into words the awesomeness of His Presence that was manifested at the Wellspring Women’s Regional event. One attendee, who received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit Saturday night, said on her blog,

“In that moment it was like everything clicked. God was not calling me to be perfect but obedient. I had been obedient to my fear, not God. I was at peace, true peace . . .”

God knows each of our hearts and is able to touch us in the very spot where we are hurting. He knows how to draw us to Himself, how to communicate with us, how to heal us.

Kris also said, “I wanted every person in that room to feel as I was feeling. I felt like I had been in a fog until that moment. Everything seemed so much brighter . . .” Isn’t that just the way it is with all of us? God touches

us and immediately we want to share it with someone else! Which brings me to the reason I am writing this blog post: I really want all of you who are reading this to experience this Presence of God at the coming Wellspring Regional events. The next one will be August 6-7 at Valley Community Church in Weldon, NC.

Miss Vikki Faircloth, the queen of fellowship!

Then there will be a third event October 8-9 in Raeford, NC at Rockfish Church. God always shows up. How about you?

One woman who had never been to a women’s event before told me that she had given a false email address on her registration form because she didn’t want us bombarding her with literature afterwards. (Don’t you just love the way God works? She actually accepted Jesus over the weekend!) She was now laughing at how fearful she had been and what a good time she was having and was giving everyone her true email address to make sure she was informed about future events!

I’m going to be there! Why don’t you pray about joining me.

Gloria Cotten

Gloria Cotten (aka Mamma G) is Wellspring’s President. Gloria is the author of In the Beginning and she hopes to write two or three more books in the future. Gloria loves the Lord because He Alone has the words of life. If she could give one piece of advice, it would be to let Jesus love you.

Here’s just a little recap:

The lie that screams at us at every turn, “Be independent!  Independence is a sign of strength!   Depend only on yourself!  You can only be successful by depending on yourself!” has caused us much struggle, pain and confusion in this life.  We were created from the beginning to be dependent on God.  We were created with that need for Him even before the fall.  We were created to be in His Presence, always.  Remember in Genesis 3:8 when God came and walked with Adam in the cool of the day?  In the cool of the day,  literally means a breeze, spirit, at a time when the Spirit of God was moving and present.  What a thrill to know that He still desires to walk with you and me, In the cool of the day.  He knows and longs for us to know that our only safe and restful place is found in our dependence on Him.

When Gloria and I were flying back into Fayetteville on Sunday night we came through a very lively thunderstorm.  I had not flown in years and was amazed at the Lord’s peace and Presence as our dependence that night was entirely on Him.  Bless God!  He is faithful and true.

This is only a tidbit of what the Lord will be speaking to us this next weekend at Wellspring in Kernersville.

There is still room to register. Please come, you will be blessed!

For event and registration information click here.

Saundra Littleton

Saundra Littleton is in charge of hospitality for Wellspring, which is appropriate since she has a gift for hospitality. If Saundra could give one piece of advice, it would be to put Jesus first in everything you do! Submit yourself to Him wholly. Delight in Him, your Saviour, your friend, the Lover of your soul, your Priest and Intercessor, your King, and out of this will come blessing, strength, health, love, peace, endurance, wisdom, discernment, everything you could ever want or need to walk through this life in victory and glorifying God.

Companion, confidant, lover and friend;
The mother of all living, both now and then.

In her heart were many treasures placed there by God;
Beautiful, precious, designed to bring Him glory as she traveled this sod.

Just stay in His Presence, love Him and obey;
That’s all He asks of us, even today.

But the struggle remains, it was at the first;
Our enemy, Satan, brings lies, pain and hurt.

His deception’s strong, we cannot deny;
But our Savior, Jesus, He came to die.

We are His daughters, beloved and approved;
He has equipped and enabled us not to be moved.

We need each other and His Word that is true;
Sisters overcoming, as our minds are renewed.

God ordained Wellspring  a few years ago;
A ministry teaching women to grow.

Becoming tools of the Lord to set women free;
From deception and bondage some couldn’t see.

To walk in His Presence, love Him and obey;
That our lives, would bring glory to Him every day.

There’s a Wellspring conference coming up quick!
Planned to cultivate you as righteous chicks.

Kernersville CC- the happening place;
May 21, hurry, reserve your space.

To God be the Glory, now and evermore;
Together, excited for what’s in store!

Saundra Littleton

Saundra Littleton is in charge of hospitality for Wellspring, which is appropriate since she has a gift for hospitality. If Saundra could give one piece of advice, it would be to put Jesus first in everything you do! Submit yourself to Him wholly. Delight in Him, your Saviour, your friend, the Lover of your soul, your Priest and Intercessor, your King, and out of this will come blessing, strength, health, love, peace, endurance, wisdom, discernment, everything you could ever want or need to walk through this life in victory and glorifying God.

So when she was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it came as a blow.  I needed to talk to a friend, but when I tried, she interrupted and took the conversation elsewhere, never letting me open my heart.  I wanted to grab her face, lock her eyes to mine and yell,

“Listen to me!  I need you to hear me. I need you to care.”

I know we have all felt that way.  We have all, at one time or another, intentionally or unintentionally railroaded a conversation away from what we didn’t want to or were unable to hear regardless of what our friend needed.

I wonder how many times a day I do the very same thing to God?  He wants to talk to me about something and I interrupt and take the conversation elsewhere, undoubtedly asking him for something.  Wow, that sounds incredibly immature when I visualize it.  It reminds me of a parent with children in a grocery store.

One of the words Gloria has asked us to focus on for the Wellspring Women’s Conferences is PRESENCE.  In telecommunications and computer networks, presence information indicates the participants ability and willingness to communicate.  The Bible states God’s presence information in Matthew 18:20

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Does that mean physical presence or REAL presence? I would guess that since those two or three are gathered “in my name” they are listening and concentrating on Christ.

What is your presence information?  Are you hijacking the conversation to ask God for another thing?  Or are you ready, willing, and able to hear what God wants to say to you?  My presence indicator is ready and I am in communication mode…how about you?

Karen Sleeth

Karen Sleeth has lived in North Carolina for 26 years and in her house for nine years. She shares her yard with a herd of about fourteen deer, a raccoon, a family of possum, a hawk and her young, a wise old owl, many birds, snakes, and a bunny she has seen only once. “I assume it took the warning I gave ‘Run for your life!’” This is Karen’s first year attempting to convince the deer that the yard is not their salad bar. Karen is a member of Christian Assembly Church in Durham.

Change.

Motivation.

Presence.

We will be talking about these words…praying about these words…and listening to hear what God has to say about these words over the next several months.

Change is one of those words that generally kicks in the fight or flight response. I am learning that change is exciting. Change is really opportunity.

I know. Right now you are thinking:

Oh no! Another persecution bringing patience-type opportunity!

Well, not quite. Change brings the opportunity for transformation, which seems to be a lot more appealing of a word to us. When you prune a shrub, you transform its appearance and you transform its ability to produce quality and quantity of blossoms or fruit.

In my 54 years (that is pronounced “twenty-nine”), I have noticed that life is about change and that God is big on change. If you know that every time change is introduced into your life, God is offering an opportunity to transform you in a way where you produce more or better fruit for the kingdom, wouldn’t you welcome change?

This year’s Wellspring Conferences are a change. I believe God is offering us opportunities for transformation through these regional conferences: through corporate worship, teaching, and greater intimacy, just to name a few. Join me in praying, as we draw closer to the Kernersville Conference, that God’s presence transforms us beyond what we can imagine or dream.

One way we can pray is to follow the new Wellspring Women’s Prayer Tweet (WWPrayerTweet). Each day there will be a new prayer topic to invite God’s presence and prepare our hearts. We can join together each day and lift our prayers in virtual unison.

I’m looking forward to praying with you and meeting you there!

Karen Sleeth

Karen Sleeth has lived in North Carolina for 26 years and in her house for nine years. She shares her yard with a herd of about fourteen deer, a raccoon, a family of possum, a hawk and her young, a wise old owl, many birds, snakes, and a bunny she has seen only once. “I assume it took the warning I gave ‘Run for your life!’” This is Karen’s first year attempting to convince the deer that the yard is not their salad bar. Karen is a member of Christian Assembly Church in Durham.