What a huge past couple of weeks this has been! Finishing up an incredible season of fasting and prayer, finding out about Stovall’s heart condition, experiencing the outpouring of faith and love on our behalf from friends both near and far. It’s crazy how many twists and turns life can suddenly spring on us. Suddenly we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory– places we never thought we would be.
If you had told me 21 days ago that I would be sitting in a waiting room in the cardiology wing of Mayo Clinic writing this blog I would have probably laughed (albeit a bit nervously!) Yet here I am in the frozen tundra of Rochester, MN! The roads of life have twisted and turned to unexpected places, but at every corner I find love waiting– and I find SO many reasons to be thankful.
…thankful that nothing can separate me from the love of God
…thankful for family that lays their schedules aside to support us
…thankful for friends who reach out in concern and prayer
…thankful for a church that is behind us every step of the way
I can’t help wondering as I walk the halls of the hospital how many people here are passing through their trials without all the love I have experienced. How many of them are even passing through their trials without the hope that only Jesus can bring? I bet I would be surprised if I knew how many peope there were in that situation. So I’m glad I’m here for a season with the opportunity to pray and to reach out. Over the next 21 days I think my assignment is pretty clear: bring hope.
What about you? Do you feel like you have a specific “assignment” at this season in your life? If so, let me know–I’d love to hear about it.
LB
Kerri xoxo
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Kerri,
I love your post. It is so true. Especially through this season in history.
I travel across the country as a speaker and facilitate live faith-based webinars. Whether the audience is business professionals or Christians, many are being challenged in ways they never believed possible in their life and their walk of faith.
It was an unexpected crisis in 2008, that has led me to my assignment for 2010. It is a message that has resonated with many people and that offers practical God-inspired steps to WINNING through a crisis.
I am humbled that God has called me to speak from my experience of how He has led me through a recent unexpected crisis to a steady place in the midst of the storm.
I know you will take your current experience and allow it to witness and minister to those where you are and to those who you pour in to routinely.
My prayers are with you and your family.
Your optimism and hope is amazing
Thank you for sharing it through your blog! One thing that is nice to see is that you also feel that you have an “assignment” for this season in your life. So many times I hear people that have a specific calling say that it is their “assignment” for life and then when that passion conforms into a different one they are upset that they don’t have the same passion for what they thought their assignment was forever. I love the refreshing thought that God gives us assignments and passions for certain seasons, it doesn’t have to be forever, he can change them and give us new rejuvenating assignments in the next season.
My “assignment” for this season in my life I believe is helping the women around me or any women to realize their worth, to not sell themselves short, and to know the amazing love and acceptance of our Heavenly Father. That’s the only acceptance we need and we have it freely. Thanks again for sharing, your blog is always inspiring!
Keri and Stoval,
We are thankful for you! In 2009, I too found myself at the Mayo Clinic here in Jacksonville, diagnosed with a brain tumor. During the fast I was on my knees praying for healing and God came through big time. No cancer. During this season of prayer and fasting I found myself back on my knees praying for healing from seizures. I’m a medical mystery at Mayo. But I’m no mystery to our mighty God. I walk with Him every day, seeking His will for my life. I believe that Stoval will come through this with flying colors. God has far too much planned for him and for you. God has blessed him with a great gift and this experience will bring him deeper, closer, stronger! Be good to yourself. Your family is in our prayers.
Our assignment is who/where we want to see someone succeed and my assignment is Celebration and seeing our Pastors and their vision succeed. God brought me here with no family and I knew the minute I stepped into Celebration, 4 years ago that this is where I’m supposed to be.
Many are looking to see what/where they are called to when it’s right there in front of their noses. If you are married your spouse and children are part of your assignment because you want to see them succeed but this is not without the church because if we desire to see our spouse/family succeed we will plant them in the house of the Lord where they can be fed and watered (yes, just like a plant) so they can have life, not just live.
I have found myself to be in a specific new “season” in my life. I have the opportunity to stay at home and watch my new grand baby while my daughter has gone back to work. I have the rare duty and privilege to care for her(Natalie), serve and love her, pray for her, and to pour the spirit of God into her little life! I am so thankful to God for this opportunity. I didn’t expect to be where I am at this point in my life, but I am so thankful just the same! Just like you right now, in a place and situation that you never expected to be. Both you and Stovall have the unique opportunity to be a light in the darkness. I have spent more than my share of time at the MAYO here in Jacksonville, and the hopelessness and despair there can be immense. The Faith, Hope, and Love that you can share with others about Jesus even in spite of your own situation can be life changing for those that you come in contact with.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
You and your entire family are in the palm of God’s hand. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
God Bless
Rose
Pastor Kerri,
What awesome insight. I have been praying for you and Pastor Stovall today and I know that all will be well. This might very well be an awesome divine appointment for you guys to reach out to the lost that may be facing worse news than they expected. This will be just another added passage to the awesome testimony of our amazing pastors here @ Celebration Church. I have loved it since day 1 and I could not imagine doing life anywhere else. Hey, you never know, we may see and Celebration MN campus one day. LOL. Take care! Safe travels. Can’t wait for the report. Love you, Robin
Hi, Pastor Kerri! What an amazing women God has created you to be!!!
I am so thankful for you and Pastor Stovall. I prayed God would send me to a church where He needed me and I would also feel amazing peace. When He lead me to Celebration Church I knew I was where He wanted me to be planted.
I too was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve, just as Stovall. But, mine was diagnosed at birth and I have continued to monitor my heart. God’s journey for your family may have unexpected turns, but it is by the grace of God you are able to take this journey. I know the limits I have had to live under to protect my heart condition and thank God every day I am able to live with my condition. It truly shows how much God protects Stovall because he has not had any trouble with his heart because of this in the past.
At the beginning of the fast I felt led to pray for my heart condition, but didn’t understand why. BUT, I don’t question God, I just obey….so I prayed for the bicuspid aortic valve. When Stovall shared his diagnosis with the church it made me realize I wasn’t praying for my condition, I was praying for Stovall’s. God is amazing and even when we don’t understand, HE DOES!
Stovall, you and your family continue to be in my prayers. God Bless.
Kerri & Stovall,
All I can think is that you both are in for a ride… The enemy is certainly angry over the great plan God has for your next “assignment” …. God will bring you both through, I stand with you in the gap for total healing!
My assignment? I have been once again called to Women’s Ministry… God has told me that while doing good in Africa & in Haiti is pleasing, there is hurt and human trafficking in my own yard…. this must be my next assignment. Kerri you are an inspiration to me always!
Blessings & Love
Sherry
Hey Kerri! Your such an inspiring person and I am so glad to call you my family! I know we dont see each other much but you and Stovall are in my prayers. I really dont know how I would deal with such a situation and I see that God has given you a peace. Peace is what brings us through so many situations that we sometimes think we can not bear.
I believe my assignment right now is encouraging others in their personal relationships. At the same time I feel God trying to do a complete healing in my own spirit over past hurts of my own. I now look back into my past and see what God was teaching me at those difficult times in my life. Without the compassion I have from those times I would not be able to do what I am doing at this time. You know its funny how God brings us to certain places in our lives and as we are helping people for him, he is at work in our own lives helping us as well. What an awesomely amazing God that we serve!
Pastor Kerri
I know the devil will lose once again as he has always done. We are praying for you and Pastor Stovall.
Dear friend,
I am so thankful for you and the seeds that you have deposited in my life. Our lives are a story written by the hand of God. I believe this chapter for you and Pastor Stovall is going to be one that holds a significant milestone in your lives and will be used to shape your future in ways we can not imagine. God tells us to be ready for the battle and my friend you are! As your family stands against the fiery darts of the enemy you will be Victorious! We are lifting each of you up in prayer.
xoxo
Nicole
Phil 4:7 The peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
“My assignment” is to be there for you and others as they go through the most difficult times of their lives. Jan 9, 2008 I found myself alone making a decision that I would never have thought I would be. At the age of 61, my mother suffered an aortic dissection that formed an anuersym. She laid lifeless on a ventilator, but the grace of God has taken what the devil meant for bad and turned it into a testimony of God’s miraclous healing. No doctor could operator because she would die on the operating table so I took it day by day. She was flown to Memorial hospital and after the first day, she was nicknamed the “God’s miracle child” because no one ever survives a dissection as bad as she did. Her lungs collapsed, she had a feeding tube, and her kidneys failed. But God said to anoint her with oil and she will recover. March 2008 she was taken to another facility. May 2008 she was taken off the ventilator. Still the dissection was stable, but the anuersym was growing and no dr would touch her. July 2008 on an outpatient procedure she fell at the very same hospital. Ct scan showed the chest anuersym still stable but showed an anuersym in her brain. So now with chest and brain anuersym we still faithfully prayed and just knew that God would heal her. No special healing services, etc. just faith in God knowing that His will is not for his children to be ill. Feb 2009 surgeons at Shands Gainesville fixed her chest anuersym and May 2009 brain surgeons at Shands fixed her brain anuersym.
My assignment: WOW, to let the world know that God is right where you are, holding you. And that nothing, nothing is impossible for God.
Today my mom is doing well with the exception of her kidneys she goes to dialysis 3x a week. We know she is healed her kidneys function and we are waiting for God to reveal how the healing will manifest. I love you and your family and stand in faith that Stovall will be miraclously healed.
Dear Ps Kerri
I have been encouraged by your sharing, how you remain positive even in times when you should be fretting. One thing comes to my mind is that you are doing the right thing, and the evil one is not happy so he will try and steal your joy. How can something like that happen just after the 21 days! Remain positive! The next 21 one days are equally important. I have a testimony. I was saying to my husband the testimony I have is nothing you can actually touch, it is something that is inside me in other words it is personal. I have struggled with anxiety and worry and depression for a long time. Just one thing that I not sure the outcome of, I worry and takes me a while to overcome that. My prayer this year has been “Lord I just want to feel your joy, fill me with peace as you are Jehovah shalom.” A few days into the fast, I fell sick and had to go to the doc and was put on medication, which meant I had to break the fast. When I got better, I continued. I tell you I have so much peace and joy in my life I don’t even believe it myself (oh me of little faith). By the way my song everyday is “this joy that I have this world didn’t give it to me, and this world can’t take it away”. I am thankful everyday for the joy and peace I have in my life. One morning I woke up very restless and no joy at all. I could not even pray, I eventually read devotion from Awake 21 and the title was “don’t worry, pray instead”. I remember all I could pray was “God give me peace, I need peace that is all” a few minutes later I had so much peace and joy in life. So God answers even simple prayers such as the one I said. Please stay positive and our God is able! Love you lots!
Pastor Kerri,
Tears come to my eyes as I read your words.. When I think of what you and Pastor have brought to my life I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Linking up with your vision to ‘rescue humanity’ has been life changing. And..not only serving unto Jesus but serving like Jesus. Because of your vision, I have fallen in love with ‘the house of God’ and am so thankful to be planted at Celebration.
2 years ago, when I was suddenly diagnosed with cervical cancer, I came to understand what the love of God’s people can mean in my life and I have never been the same. Celebation Church poured into my life the most amazing Agape love that I had only read about and tried to demonstrate in my Christian life. I’m praying for your family during this season, because I’m on the other side of mine and can see the ‘why behind the what’ in God’s plan for my ever growing testimony. I love you and thank you for your graceful example to all of us as we realize the ‘assignments’ we continue to accomplish for HIS glory. I’m with you in spirit and I’ll see you on the other side…
His love and mine, Joni ‘Be still and know the I am God’….
Kerri,
I am so proud of you and Stovall as well as the great Celebration Church. God is going to be glorified in all of this.
You are going to rise in ways that only God can manage.
Ed and I are fasting from tonight to tomorrow night and further if needed for you guys, Bathing you in prayer.
Love you so much
Lisa
My assigment is clear step up become more the Christian I should be a better husband, father, brother.
My wife and I joined this Sunday after the 12:30 service , but have been coming for 4 -5 months since being invited by members the De Clementes months ago.
I have joined the “300″ and look forward to this as Stovall gains strength post op……to lead us in this journey.
I was saved and water baptized at 21 and have had an up and down rollercoaster ride in faith and in life in these 37 years since. You and Stovall should know that from day one attending this church there was at once a feeling of “peace and calm” in me as well as a feeling of wanting to get back each week as we went about our daily work, etc.
Looking forward to you, Stovall, the staff and all connected with Celebration church in living up to “my assigment” in this season of my life…God bless you, Stovall and the family as you go through the next few days and weeks.
PS: Let Stovall know I will be a part of those reports he will be looking at that I know will show “greater numbers” so he won’t have to pull the aorta card as he says! .-)
Kerri … just wanted you to know that you and Pastor Stovall are in our prayers and thoughts this morning. Our hearts are with you! We pray that God would give the surgeons divine knowledge and guidance today. We love you both!
Brent and Christy Papineau
Thank you everyone for your comments and your prayers! It means so much to our whole family. We love you all! xoxo Kerri
Kerri, I saw Lisa Young’s Facebook status this morning and read about Stovall. Pace and I wanted to let you know we’re praying for you both, and for God’s healing, restoration, and peace. Blessings to you both, Sarah Hartfield
Tues noon, praying for you and Stovall, that the surgey is going perfectly! Will be lifting you up all day and night. Love you both, cant wait to hear the latest miracle………..
Good morning pastor ,
I attend the O.P campus and I wanted to say all though were not with you and your family physically , we are there in spirit , May the Lord hands guide you all threw this day.. I woke up early all this week to pray for Our pastors and the family .. God bless women of God..
Hello Pastor Kerri,
Praise God Pastor Stovall is recuperating well. Thanks for all the updates on him. Hopefully you’ll get the rest you deserve too. We look forward to seeing you both back home soon. God bless you and your family.
Hi pastor, God reveals to us to redeem us. I believe that pastor Stovall’s heart condition was revealed during the 21 to shatter the plans of the enemy and I praise God for that. I pray God’s strength for you to be able to take care of pastor and also the kids and yourself. God will take care of you, He will never take His eyes off you, not even for a second. I can’t wait to see all of you. Love you guys. Stay blessed.
Just a short note to say God Bless!!! Folin and Elizabeth Christmas
Praise God for your surgery going well. May the blessings of Jesus carry you and your family through this time of recovery. Rest and follow the doctors orders…..see you soon.
Pastor Kerri,
Thank you for your inspiring words of encouragement and wisdom. I am grateful to have found myself planted in Celebration Church, where we are so “well-pastored” by you, Stovall and legions of others.
At this “season” of my life, my assignment is to seek God first and to trust Him in ALL things, not just the big ones, but the little ones as well. He is graciously showing me daily how He is concerned about the little things that concern me – imagine that, li’l ol’ me!- and will handle them too, if I just keep gazing upward at Him, praising Him and seeking ways to glorify His name!
All that may sound pretty simple, but the circumstances of my life are – shall I say minimal? – in that material luxuries have been removed, but basic needs are met in a timely manner. The future, if left up to me, would seem a disaster, but I will trust God, I will glorify His name, I will walk boldly forward, seeking after Him, and He will provide. He has “plans to prosper me and not to harm me, that I may have a future and a hope.” (o.k., I paraphrased) Before I had given my life to Christ, I had no hope and I definitely had no future.
So, that’s my assignment – to keep pressing onward. Thanks for asking. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Ro 15:13). Much peace and healing to you all.
Karen