IBC Blog

Formed

Journey to Recovery

God brought me to Recovery at IBC on April 22, 2010 with the hope that this would be the place that would help my family to heal our brokenness and fix the broken thinking of my husband. I was honestly not ready to really look at myself, but Jesus knew this ministry would shed light on my own issues, even if I did not think I was the issue. I came to Recovery with him to make sure he came and participated in this program, yet I stayed for me.

Formed

Kingdom Minded

In times such as these, you don’t have to work very hard to find negativity. Just log on to Twitter or look at your not-so-friendly neighborhood Facebook page. Among all of the “what kind of snake is this” posts, and the “what should we pick up for dinner” posts, there are many comments from people complaining about community members, stating their political opinions, and flat out roasting other people for their opinions, thoughts, or behavior. Seriously, if I see one more “how dare you do that in this time” or “COVID is a hoax and this is dumb” post, I may very well lose my mind. How are we as Christians supposed to respond in hard times? Or more specifically, how do we remain focused on the kingdom of God in hard times?

Formed

Prayer is a Portal

What if in order to be happy you had to embrace suffering? What do you think of when Jesus says you must die to yourself and pick up your cross?

God wants us to know Him more than anything else we do, but we have a big hurdle in the way that we allow to keep us from going to Him, when that hurdle is something that should drive us straight to Him: Suffering.

Suffering is one of the main things we run away from and avoid at all costs, yet no one has ever been able to escape it. So why do we run and how do we deal with suffering? How do we pick up our cross and die to ourselves?

As far back as I remember, I have known a type of suffering. I was always scared of people, scared of speaking, and scared of trying.

Formed

Are We There Yet?

Buc-ee’s is a Texas Chain of travel centers known for its clean bathrooms, many gas pumps, and an adorable red-hat wearing beaver mascot. In our house, we make sure that Buc-ee’s is a regular stop on any road trip. No matter what time of day we stop there, our routine is the same. We go in, go to the bathroom, grab my son’s favorite beef jerky, my daughter’s favorite jalapeño kolache, my husband’s brisket sandwich and I make sure to grab one of their Crispy Treats. There’s something so comforting about stopping at Buc-ee’s, because we know we can count on the same service, the same food, the same atmosphere, and the same clean bathroom. In essence, we feel safe at Buc-ee’s.

On any road trip, or any car trip in general, we will inevitably have one child pipe up from the back seat and say, “Are we there yet?”

Formed

Come, Let Us Reason Together

What is the most interesting invitation that you have received? There are many I wish I had received – invitation to the White House, backstage with Carlos Santana, invitation to the U.S. Open in New York City. I don’t know how you felt when you accepted, but I know how I would have felt.

Several years ago, I went to a classic car show in Pomona, California I was walking around with my camera, having one of my best days. I heard some good bluesy rock in the distance and walked toward it. This name may mean nothing to you, but the music was from Darrell Mansfield and band.

Formed

Wonder is a Moonflower

My favorite plant in my garden is a moonflower. Its thick green vines wander freely outwards and upwards. In late spring, large white flowers that look like porcelain trumpets bloom only under the light of the moon. They offer a delicious fragrance during their lifecycle, which only lasts a few hours. If you don’t see the moonflower the night it blooms, you’ve missed the miracle. In the late fall, the vines wither up, curling in upon themselves until the plant looks like a russet-colored tumbleweed.

The first year I planted moonflowers I was sad to see our gardener cut away the dead plant, leaving no proof it ever existed. What I did not realize was that the seeds of the moonflower remained dormant.