<![CDATA[Sow the Love Ministries - Stones of Remembrance]]>

<![CDATA[Sow the Love Ministries - Stones of Remembrance]]>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 03:43:44 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[Lead My Thinking]]>Tue, 12 May 2020 20:52:42 GMThttps://www.sowtheloveministries.org/stones-of-remembrance/lead-my-thinkingWritten by: Holly Schmidt

"You have not been given a spirit of Fear..."

Several weeks passed from the night the tornado lifted over our house at the name of Jesus. Tom and I were in a spiritual boot camp of preparation in learning to trust God. Another storm hit Georgia. This time 25 inches of snow trapped me in the mountains of North Georgia at a retreat center with my very southern 'church lady friends'.

Brand new pregnant with my second child, it was time to deal with this overwhelming fear that controlled much of my thinking. Throughout my pregnancy, I was going to learn that God did not give me a spirit of fear but rather peace, love, and a sound mind. He was going to deal with fear in my life in three specific areas: boogeyman fear or being scared of the dark; fear for my developing child; and fear that I would misrepresent Him.

I had always been a nervous kid, especially at night. I was terrified of the dark. God didn't want this creepy fear to control me any longer. He used an event that happened and my spiritual mom's discernment to deal with it. We lost electricity for several days and this boogeyman fear continued to creep up on me. It felt like something was following me in those dark hallways without electricity. That weekend I learned that the power of prayer not only could be applied to physical storms but also storms of the soul. With Peggy Cochran leading the way, we prayed that those demons tormenting me would be silenced and leave. For 28 years prior to this time, I suffered from horrible nightmares. Many of these nightmares were birthed in real experiences, like my bedroom curtains catching fire during the night when I was little, but most of them centered around this evil man chasing me.

As I have walked with God more and dealt with various experiences from my past and learned to lead my thinking these nightmares have virtually stopped. I recognized that fear of the spooky or spiritual forces was not coming from God. He wanted to fill me with peace. The fear was coming from a place of me not really knowing or understanding my position and relationship with the One who created me. 'Perfect love casts out fear.'

Most parents will relate to fear regarding their children. I was not and I'm not immune to that fear either. Many of our 'stones of remembrances'  over these years have dealt with an almost crippling fear that something bad was going to happen to one of my kids.

Five and half weeks into my pregnancy with Simon Peter, I was exposed to and contracted a virus -parvo b19- that is a simple childhood virus but can be very dangerous to pregnant women if they aren't immune to it. Every two weeks during the first half of my pregnancy, I had sonograms to check the baby's progress. At 17 weeks, I asked all the 'what if' questions. When the doctor responded that I could consider my choices referring to abortion, I never went back to him.

Wouldn't you know he was the doctor on duty when I went into labor!!??!!  Thus began my journey of natural childbirth using a midwife for delivery. Looking back now, I don't remember struggling with fear that the virus would do all those  horrible things to my baby once I was faced with even the suggestion of terminating the pregnancy.

Tommy,  born almost four years earlier,  had been delivered by emergency C-section after 27 hours of grueling labor. Either due to losing a twin early on in my pregnancy or because of the complications of the birth,  our first child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 18 months.

Yet, it wasn't fear of birth defects that had me on my knees praying. Rather it was concern that I would misrepresent God during the birthing process. That first birth experience was like a birthing horror story. No pain medications; in a hospital for indigent women; med students practicing on me; and I was out of control crying and moaning and cussing like a sailor.

In those four years from my first birth experience, everything about me had changed. My potty mouth was one of the first changes I noticed after I surrendered my life to Christ. I remember it like yesterday. I stubbed my toe and a foul word didn't come out of my mouth- it pleasantly shocked me.
The question that rumbled around in my mind those last few weeks of my second pregnancy was, "But what if I couldn't control myself - and I cursed?"  This question haunted me. It stole my peace. I did not want to go into labor and have my baby because I did not want to cuss.

Looking back now 24 years later, I'm amused at my young self. I must have forgotten the pain of natural non medicated childbirth.

"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by God's word." Romans 10:17

It was this verse that tilted the scales for me. Instead of worrying about all the bad things I might say, I concentrated on all the good things I had learned about God. I replaced my 'stinking thinking' about myself with right thinking about the nature and character of God - He who began a good work in me would be faithful to complete it. Philippians 1:6

Wouldn't you know that when I did finally go into labor, it turned out to be one of the most beautiful memorable experiences of my life. I labored in the bathtub with praise music on and lit candles around the room. The sweetness and peace of God filled the hospital room.

It still was one of most painful things I experienced as a ring a fire burned through my body upon delivery of my second son. I cried and moaned but praises of God also came out of my mouth.

Upon delivery, the midwife declared, "You have good karma." My response, "I have good Jesus!"

A tech was looking on from the corner of the room asked what was so different about us. I invited her up to my room after shift. 2:00 am rolled around and in walked this gal. She went home a new person as she prayed to God that night asking Christ to fill her with that same peace she had seen evidenced in that hospital room earlier.

When I allow fear, anxious thoughts or worry to play out scenarios  in my mind then I am hearing self talk that is contrary to God's word. Rather I am to hear the word of Christ in my mind and that will build my faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

How is your self talk? Filled with  fear, anxiety, doubt or worry? Or filled with reminders of the goodness of God?

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8)

]]><![CDATA[Tornado Lifts at the Name of Jesus]]>Tue, 12 May 2020 20:45:16 GMThttps://www.sowtheloveministries.org/stones-of-remembrance/tornado-lifts-at-the-name-of-jesusWritten by: Holly Schmidt

The sound was horrifying. I had heard that tornadoes sounded like a train as they approached their target. It is true. This swarming mass of wind coming at our French Door windows really did sound as if a train, multiple trains, were hurling at a mammoth rate of speed towards our house. The sky had turned an eerily blue, like how the lights of a police car light up the night sky as they flash that turquoise light at you when you are supposed to pull over.

That same type of adrenaline that rushes through your body when seeing headlights of an emergency vehicle behind you on a dark country road flooded through my body. The tree, 25 feet from where I was standing, bent over to the ground.

I hadn't realized it before, but tears were running down my cheeks. I was standing at the windows looking out. I had just come from upstairs. Tommy had turned 3 years old a few days prior. He was sleeping in his crib on the second level of our town home - next to the windows.

Who wakes up a sleeping baby? Friends had been calling me to tell me to take cover. A tornado was heading our way. The lights had already gone out as the storm raged around the house. I stood at the foot of the crib and prayed.

"God, do I wake him up and move him downstairs?"

A peace fell over me. I knew I was to leave him there. He was safe. It made no sense then and 25 years later still doesn't make sense. But now, I have learned more about that still small voice and listening and obeying even when it doesn't always make sense.

So, there I stood. Watching. Praying. Tears dripping on my face.

As the power of the tornado moved closer to where I was standing so did the power of God. I never thought about it. I didn't pray for it. I just felt it coarse through me. This power.

I begin screaming - in tongues - in a language I did not know. I didn’t plan it. It just happened. Words flew out of my mouth that I couldn't comprehend in my mind.

And then.

I spoke these words, loudly and with an authority that was not my own.

"Lift in the Name of Jesus. LIFT."

All of a sudden it was over! Silence. Deafening Silence.

Four months prior to the tornado, Tom and I and our close friends, Lisa and Carlos, were in the living room of our small town-home. For several years prior, my life consisted of Doctor appointments, physical, occupational, speech and group therapy. When you have a child with a disability, your life revolves around a very detailed schedule. We weren't sure we could handle another child but the desire to add to our family was growing. We wanted though to know it was God's timing.

After all, our marriage started out rocky as I was pregnant when we said, I do. It was me getting pregnant though with Tommy that actually led Tom and I to Christ. We knew that we wanted to raise our family in the church. We didn't have any idea what that looked like, so we memorized several prayers and began praying them faithfully daily.

My prayers had changed quite a bit in four years. I moved from reciting The Lord’s Prayer several times a day (a prayer I still say often) to really asking God about every detail of my life. I was learning to listen too. Although the thought of hearing God seemed so foreign to me. I was virtually unchurched. I had attended church off and on growing up but mostly because someone took me, or I wanted a social event, or I was visiting my grandmother.

The evening we prayed in our living room, I gave God my list. Number one on my list was asking him if I could get pregnant with my second child. I sure didn't ask the first time. This time though I knew God should be a part of it. I don't know what I thought would happen. Yet I knew, just somewhere deep inside of me, that I would be pregnant in four months. I never would have said God told me or anything even remotely about God and the timing of my second child. I j felt peace and knew in four months I would be pregnant. Was this hearing God's voice? I didn't give it much thought. I just trusted Him in my prayers.

That Sunday morning of the tornado I felt different. On the way home from church, I couldn't wait to get home. We had stopped to eat Chinese food and while waiting for it to be delivered to our table, I went to the bathroom and did a pregnancy test. Positive!!

And then the tornado destroyed our neighborhood later on the same day. After the noise settled down from the tornado ripping through our community, I grabbed a big coat, slipped on Toms shoes and ran outside to see what happened. Roofs ripped of the row of houses around me. Light posts down on cars. McDonald's signage torn apart. Moving truck turned up on its side. It looked like a war zone.

People walked around in a daze. The real sound of sirens blaring and lighting up the sky. News cameras already on site.

Me - I was running up and down the street yelling, "PRAISE GOD. Praise God. Nobody is hurt."

A few days later a neighbor asked why I didn't pray for the whole neighborhood. I had no answer. I didn't know I was even going to pray. It happened. The words just came from my mouth. Spoken with a power that wasn't my own.

The Holy Spirit was beginning to teach me about how he worked and moved. I was learning it had very little to do with me and much more to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 - “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Like the coming of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts, we have seen, heard and experienced things that could not have been done through the sole efforts of people, or simply by our own abilities. The power of God- from the Holy Spirit- has compelled us, kept us, enabled and empowered us, taught us and led us. Even now, as we consider and ponder these “stones,” are we aware of how the Holy Spirit was and is active in our lives and ministry. God is so faithful. His presence and grace to withstand, endure and overcome are truly “Stones of Remembrance” for us.

How about you?

Sit back and think about the ways God has provided, prepared and empowered you to walk through the challenges and victories of life over the years. Are you conscious of His ever-present help in time of trouble? Are you aware that the Holy Spirit, sent in the Name of Jesus, is here to teach you and remind you of the things of the Lord and the instruction of Jesus? Take a few minutes right now to give God thanks and praise for His unending loving kindness towards you.

]]><![CDATA[Test Me in This]]>Tue, 12 May 2020 20:35:06 GMThttps://www.sowtheloveministries.org/stones-of-remembrance/test-me-in-thisWritten by: Tom Schmidt

I found myself in a place I had never voluntarily been before. Unemployed. I was discouraged and stressed. I could not even afford the COBRA insurance policy from my former employer.

I was a young married man with a son recently diagnosed with hemi-paresis cerebral palsy and no health insurance, no job and no real savings. I held onto the One thing I did have- HOPE. Hope in a God who is much bigger than all my problems then and now. During prayer after Tommy was diagnosed, we had felt reassurance that God would take care of Tommy and his needs.

I was doing odd jobs for friends, painting houses and catering when possible. I went to a “headhunter” on the advice of a friend from First United Methodist Church. We met, I filled out information and the waiting began.

Meanwhile, I dove into The Word and really engaged in the church community. Promise Keepers was popular, and I attended a few events. I also went to United Methodist Men’s meetings and the weekly Bible study and fellowship time of a local ministry called In His Great Love.

One Sunday morning we went to our Sunday School class, The Good Shepherd. It was held in the gym, right before church service. I will never forget this day. The opening of class was pretty normal, until one of the leaders stepped up and said something like: “Folks, we do not normally do this. But, there is one of our own who is really going through some challenging times. I am not going to say who it is, but trust me, they could use some help. So today, we are going to take up an offering. We are just going to pass this basket, put whatever you can whatever you feel led to give in there.”

Immediately, I prayed and felt like I was supposed to give “everything in my wallet”. Now, I really did not know how much I had in there, so I pulled out my wallet and looked. It was two measly wrinkled one-dollar bills. I was a little embarrassed about that being all I had to offer. But I really felt led to give. The verses of Luke 21:1-4 kept running through my mind.

In that passage, Jesus is with His disciples and He observed a poor widow giving "two mites" as her offering. "Two copper coins would be an easy offering for most of these people", Jesus said. (paraphrased) "They give out of their surplus, a mere token of the what is extra. But this woman, she gave what she had. She has not held anything back. THAT is an offering of the heart, one that is pleasing to God. As if He needs money, He wants your heart and your confidence. She will be honored for her faith."

That lesson, for whatever reason, was rolling around in my mind as the basket was passed. We were sitting in the front right-hand side of the room. The basket did not make it up to my side. When the leader spoke, he said: “You can make check out to FUMC or put cash in the basket, both are fine. Is there anyone else who would like to give?” I raised my hand as he walked over with the little basket. I dropped in my meager offering, saying to myself: “I can’t do much with this Lord, but You can.”

The story does not end there. Sunday school continued as normal, dismissing us with plenty of time to get to the sanctuary for worship. After service ended, we left out through the doors that would have us come out on the second floor, proceeding downstairs to the nursery to pick up little Tommy. Ms. Ruby had little Tommy all squared away. Clean britches, diaper bag packed. We gathered him up and began walking out to the parking lot.

As we made our way through the lobby. A voice called out from the stairwell. “Hey! Hey Tom. I need to talk to you.” I looked up and it was our Sunday school leader moving quickly down the stairs. He led me over to a corner of the foyer and said: “Hey, that family we took up the offering for…that was ya’ll.” Handing me an envelope bulging open, he told me there was a check in there from the church made out to me and the rest was cash for us.

I could hardly say thank you. My throat was tight. My eyes were stinging. I made it out to the little red Nissan Sentra, sat down and started the car to get the A/C started. Holly buckled Tommy’s car seat in and I started to count the money. There was a check, a couple of hundred-dollar bills, a bunch of twenty’s, several tens, quite a few fives and tucked away on the side TWO, measly wrinkled one-dollar bills.

I could not believe it. I sat there in the parking-lot, laughing and crying at the same time. That day, God taught me about giving, not to "get" but out of love for Him, confidence in Him and in obedience to Him. It was a lesson about trusting Him. I learned about His provision. I also learned how to receive gracefully that day.

I will never forget that day. THAT DAY- that lesson- A stone of remembrance in our life on obeying the nudging, giving, receiving, the love and care of of the Body of Christ, and trusting God for our disabled son to receive care.

In your moments of trials and tribulations- relational, financial, emotional, physical. Trust God. You have trusted Him with your eternity, can you trust Him with your tomorrow?

Pray, listen, obey- in tithing and giving, serving, working, speaking, everything!

Allow what God has put in your life to overflow into the lives of others.

]]><![CDATA[Here I Am. Send Me.]]>Tue, 12 May 2020 19:43:04 GMThttps://www.sowtheloveministries.org/stones-of-remembrance/here-i-am-send-meWritten by: Holly Schmidt

Standing close to front of the sanctuary, my heart raced. It felt as if it was going to thump right out of my chest. I had been listening to story after story of missionaries sharing the hope of Jesus with others. They spoke of incredible hardships and sacrifices. Yet woven in between each testimony, a glimmer of hope sprung up.

I couldn't escape this internal shaking. My mind racing. I wanted to go. And then the theme song of the missions conference started up again. The chorus of music burrowed deeply within my spirit.

I knew. I knew in the very depth of my being that God was calling me to go. Every part of my mind, my body, my spirit was touched. No escaping this draw. This pull to go. To be sent. To tell of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Here I am! Send me.

We had only been married a few years. A rough start brought us together. Drinking buddies. We met and started dating when Tom was still married to the older woman with her kid closer to his age then she was. An open marriage. Yet, deep inside I still knew it was wrong. It would be several years and quite a bit of hardship for this rocky beginning to work itself in our lives so we could move forward.

Several years later, married with a baby that had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, I desperately was seeking God. Asking this God in the sky if he was real.

Famished. My thirsty and hungry spirit begged to know more and more of God. We were so alone. Looking back now, I see it as the divine hand of God but then I thought we had moved to Georgia for a job. I had laid prostrate across the floor of our extra bedroom/office crying, "God, if you a real show yourself to me."

Several weeks passed but we soon found ourselves as first time visitors at The First United Church of Marietta, Ga. The pastor, Charles Sineath, led a 5,000 member congregation.

"Good News, Good News, Good News" was the mantra of Pastor Charles. It was indeed good news.

That first Sunday at Marietta FUMC, as the choir sang, "Just as I Am", I sat in the pew and thought to myself, 'Do I go up front?' I had given my heart to Jesus countless times over the years, always walking to the front, praying and kneeling, starting over. But that Sunday back in 1991, something was different. A still small voice, that I didn't recognize then, spoke to my heart. 'You are okay. You are mine.'

Fast forward 18 months, Tom and I had dived right into everything the church had to offer. We signed up for every conference; every Bible study. We immersed ourselves in the Word of God. We were sponges and eager to sit at the feet of great Bible teachers.

Oh but we were young. Still I wonder what these folks saw in us. Soon I was on the church and society committee and learning from wiser more experienced followers of Jesus of what it was like to partner a large church with para church ministries within the city, nation and world.

February 1993, two significant milestones on our journey happened. I began to work at The Clay Home, a home for pregnant teenagers and I became pregnant with our second child. Little did I know then that those two events would mark the beginning of the race that God had set before us.

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