Heart and Soul

Sometimes, You've Got To Move On

2012-01-31T10:09:00.002-06:00

"So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking." Ephesians 4:17

I had a rather strange dream last night. In this dream, my family and I were driving on a vacation somewhere when we ran into someone we knew at a gas station. This person was lost, they were running away from things in their life, and searching for answers and truth. We counseled as best we could, and suggested places that they could turn to for help. Our suggestions were not well received, and in the end, we did what we could. We filled that person's vehicle with gas and then drove on to our destination. While we were concerned for this person, we did what we could, and the time had come for us to move on.

Isn't our walk through this earth kind of like that sometimes? I've been thinking on Facebook as of late. It's become quite the tool for me for communicating with groups and with people in various organizations. I really like using it in that regard. But what I'm really not a fan of is the whole "connecting with your past" thing that they've got going on. I'm just not interested in connecting with little Susie that I went to elementary school with. And yet, there she is popping up from time to time in my sidebar, with a suggestion that we be friends.

I honestly and truly think that way too many people are caught up and stuck in the past. I can't even imagine wanting to think in that regard- every day that we get to be here is another wonderful day- I love my today's, I look forward to my tomorrows, but I almost always am happy to move beyond what has already happened. I know that a lot of Christians have all these friends on Facebook with the idea that they can reach out to the unsaved through Facebook. And I have no doubt that God can use that tool in just that way, but I think that sometimes, you do what you can, you plant the seeds you can, but then you've got to move on.

Because what happens if you don't move on is that you can have your focus distracted or broken. Samson was a great man of God with supernatural strength. His focus was on doing what God asked of him- which included keeping his hair unshaven. Look what happened to Samson when his focus was broken.

"Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.” ¹⁶And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, ¹⁷that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” Judges 16:15-17

Samson's focus on God was broken by his focus on this woman who was trying to do her best to weaken him and steal his strength. And she succeeded.

"Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him,and his strength left him. ²⁰And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him." Judges 16:19-20

When we allow ourselves to get tangled up in the unbelief of others, it can cause our focus on Him to be broken. We can become consumed with trying to sway the minds of others that it becomes almost an obsession- and not something that comes from God. Oh, I have no doubt that if we see something in error, that God would want us to say something, but He doesn't want our focus to shift from doing His Will to doing our will- to focus completely on the issue that's bothering us. In my dream last night, we realized that nothing we could say or do was going to sway this person. We had an original focus of getting to our vacation destination. While we took the time for an aside, to try and offer assistance, when we realized that our assistance was not going to be taken without considerable effort on our part, we refused to be swayed from our focus of getting to our destination. We did not allow our focus to be broken.

Our focus should be on Him. All the time. When we are focused oh God, and what He would have us do, He will guide us correctly every single time. We don't need to make it our personal mission to badger all of our Facebook friends over and over about going to church and getting saved. By focusing oh Him, He will guide us as to when we should be planting those seeds. He will let us know when the moment is right- when the soil is properly prepared to receive our seed. We do not need to chip away at the boulders that may be blocking the soil- instead, maybe that's an opportunity to simply commit that person to prayer. It's not the moment to allow ourselves to get all worked up, because it's not even our issue to get worked up over.

The thing is, the devil will use absolutely anything and everything to try and break our focus off of doing what God would have us do. And if the devil can use another person, under the guise of "that person needs to be saved" he'll do it. Any time we allow our focus to be shifted away from God and what He has for us, the devil rejoices. I myself have been quite guilty as of late about worrying about what other people are saying or doing that goes against my faith. I've decided to just move on and stop thinking on it. Oh, I'll still shake my head from time to time when I see something that causes me to pause- but my task at that moment is simply to put the issue to prayer. To lift it to God and then continue to keep my eyes on Him, and not let them be shifted to this new distraction. Sometimes, we can try to do what we can, but then we have to move on, we have to keep on striving for the prize, because that's the point.

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it." 1 Corinthians 9:24

Focus on the prize. When a runner runs a race, they do not get distracted by the runners and the goings on around them. Their eyes are on one thing, and one thing only. The finish line. Do not allow the things of this world to cause such a distraction that it would take your eyes of the prize. The finish line that Jesus Christ is preparing for us.

First Love

2012-01-30T08:42:00.001-06:00

"But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]." Revelation 2:4

I love it when I'm sitting in church, listening to a message, and a verse and an idea come up that I've been thinking about for some time. It always confirms for me that my thoughts have been in the right direction, and it also always brings me to a little more understanding about the verse that I've been thinking on.

I've had several dreams over the past few months about first love, about the idea of first love. At this stage in my life I found each and every one of them odd and strange. As a more-than-happily-married person, it's been some time since I experienced the actual process of first love. But I think that was the point, and I don't think, (now that I think on it some time later) that the dreams were anything about love between two people. It was love between myself and God. First love that maybe has lost it's luster.

So what is first love? It's an excitement, an expectancy, a shyness. It's discovering a person for the first time, getting to know their likes and dislikes. It's thinking on that person all the time- it's waiting by the phone impatiently, waiting hours for them to call, and then squealing in delight when they finally do. It's spending an entire day thinking about the person you'll be going on a date with later, and then after the date, you can't stop thinking about them then either. It's being completely consumed by someone else. It's going about your day, doing your work or your tasks, and then pausing to reflect on something the other person said that made you smile. It's saving a small note that they wrote you and reading it a thousand times over, even though you have every word memorized.

Gosh, the more I think on this idea of first love, and think about what it actually is, the more I very clearly see a relationship with God. Andy and I have been together for... just over thirteen years... and the love we share has matured greatly, it's different, but the same in many regards. And I think that's what God is after with us. So many Christians get saved, they meet Jesus and experience God's love, and get all excited in the newness of the relationship for a time, but then the excitement fades, and God just becomes another aspect of that persons life, instead of the consuming focus He should be. With God, He wants us to experience that first love each and every day with Him. Every time we open up our Bibles to see what He's written, we should be squirming in excitement and anticipation, to see what He has to say to us today. Instead, so many of us have relegated Bible reading to a chore, something that has to be done for a set time every single day.

God wants us to experience First Love with Him each and every day. Think about that- the excitement and the joy and the happiness that comes with a new relationship. How could we not want that every single day? God wants that for us, and He wants it with us.

Crazy Weather

2012-01-23T09:13:00.000-06:00

" If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

The weather has been completely bizarro and strange these last several months. One day it's 50 degrees in winter and the next week it's 20 below zero. In the last 24 hours we've gotten rain, sleet, freezing rain and right now the biggest, fattest snowflakes you have ever seen are falling from the sky. They look like cotton balls, and they're not even gracefully falling- more like plunking. In the south part of the country last night, they experienced thunderstorms and tornadoes. In January. What on earth?

That may be the wrong question. What on earth should actually be what on heaven? Because God is doing something. You know, we can think we know everything, can think that we understand the way the earth works, the way the weather is going to go, and the reality is that only God knows. And you know what? It's really interesting to watch. I know that the "experts" are all out there scrambling, trying to decide if global warming is to blame for this mild winter so far, and I say phooey on them. Because God is alone responsible for this mild winter.

Admittedly, I have no idea, really, what He's up to. I can read verse after verse in my Bible about weather events and ideas, and I can read what different preachers and pastors have to say, but the truth is, all I can do is smile and ask God if any of this is something that He wants to tell me. Right there in James, chapter one, that's exactly what it tells me to do- to simply ask God. And you know, I've kind of been half-heartedly asking, to be honest, because I'm just in a place where I'm enjoying the mystery. The weather is making me smile, and I can't help but wonder what's coming next. The gardener in me would like to know exactly what's going on,because if we're going to have an early spring, it would be wonderful to have plants started early for the vegetable garden.

But honestly, I'm just enjoying God's wondrous creation right now. For once when you talk to other people about the weather, it's not a normal conversation, and it's kind of fun. Only God knows what He is up to, and what we can pray is that the unsaved people around us will see the hand of God in the weather. Maybe this will open up doors and opportunities to talk about God with our neighbors. Mother Nature has been sent on vacation and God has the reigns. I can't wait to see what He does next!

Let My People Go!

2012-01-20T10:02:00.002-06:00

"And the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me." Exodus 8:1

All week long, God's been reminding me about the plight of the Israelites, and their flight from Egypt so long ago. It seems like everywhere I look there are references to this- from other people's Facebook status, random verses I find online, and even Andy has been building a set for a musical based on the life of Joseph. It's just everywhere I look, and I feel like God is getting ready to free His people from a lifetime of servitude, and about to set them free!

When Jacob and his sons first went to Egypt, it was a great thing for them. They were in danger of losing everything- of starving to death, and watching their family and livestock starve to death. God used Jacob's son Joseph to bring the family to Egypt to save them- and preserve God's promises to Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. But after years and years, and several generations, the Israelites were still in Egypt, only they were slaves to the Egyptians.

In the exact same way, debt comes to us. We go into debt because we're doing something good. We're going to college and getting an education, so we take out student loans. We buy a car or a house, doing something good, and we take out loans for those. We get credit cards and use them, because everyones says we need to build up a credit score to be successful in life, and the way to do that is through credit cards. But as the years go by, we get more and more encumbered by this debt that was good in the first place. And now, so many have been completely enslaved by this debt. When we work our jobs and bring home a paycheck, it all goes to pay down debt instead of being used to help the poor or even take care of our own basic necessities.

Over and over, the Israelite people tried to get free of their captives, but it took some amazing works of God to set them free in the end. Over and over, the people around me have tried to get out of debt, only to find themselves in an even worse situation. God is going to take care of His people. God is about to do something really incredible that will cause us to be free of our captors.

Even better, when the Israelites were finally free of Pharaoh, the didn't just flee Egypt empty-handed. They plundered the Egyptians. The Egyptians filled the Israelites arms with gold, silver, fine clothes, and whatever they could carry.

"Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. ³⁶ And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians." Exodus 12:35-36

We are going to rise above this debt crisis and when we do, it is not going to be as destitute and penniless servants of God. Instead we are going to rise up and find ourselves in an abundance that can only come from God above. And then we will be able to reach out our hands to our neighbors and our friends and family and help them through their own periods of captivity.

Take heart children of God. The day is coming when we will be free of our oppressors, and that will be a mighty fine day, indeed, worthy of much rejoicing.

Lift Your Eyes

2012-01-18T21:52:00.001-06:00

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
         From whence comes my help?
² My help comes from the LORD,
         Who made heaven and earth. " Psalm 121:1,2

It's a classic scenario. The hero or heroine is in their most desperate hour, doom is upon them, and then, they look up, and salvation is before them in one form or another. In our own lives, when we're looking for hope, I often find myself just looking to the sky. Even though I know that God is all around, for some reason I always find myself looking up- or to my Bible, of course. But the simple act of looking up can just fill me with such a peace... I couldn't explain it except for verses like this in the Psalms. Just read that- I lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? This is a rhetorical question, because we know exactly where our help comes from every single time.

Our help comes from above- every, single, time. Oh, God will use various people, angels and circumstances to do the actual act of ministering to us, but it always comes from God. From our God, the one who created the heavens and the earth. Our God- the one who spoke our every fiber into being.

Zander and I have been reading early history, in particular right now the Greeks, who had a dozen little gods who they credited with different aspects of life. Every time we read about these Gods, Zander just shakes his head- especially when we're reading about how people would offer sacrifices or favors to different gods in order to make their way through life. We talk about how wonderful it is that we have the One True God with us, that we can know that He created everything and will always be there for us. And even better, unlike the Greeks and their gods, and the ancient Romans and their gods, the ancient Chinese and their many gods, we don't have to offer sacrifices and favors to idols and statues. All we need to do is look to the hills, and our help will be there.

Our help, which comes only from God above. Just think about that today. Think about the ease with which we have in our faith in God. Other religions have requirements, works, acts, and programs that are necessary to follow their path. We have Jesus, and that's it. Our one and only requirement is that we believe that Jesus died for us, and that's it. We have such freedom in Him! There isn't a big long litany of things we need to do, we can just be. We can develop our own relationship with him that doesn't require sacrifices at an altar or idol, or a penance when we do things wrong.

I love thinking about that, and I love that Zander and I are learning about how easy it is to love God as part of his schooling. And the best part? God is for everyone. He doesn't care about the past, He doesn't care about the wrongs we may have done, all He cares about is that we accept the love that He had for us in sending His son to die for us.

Our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

Waves

2012-01-17T10:06:00.003-06:00

"Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
         All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
⁸ The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
         And in the night His song shall be with me—
         A prayer to the God of my life." Psalm 42:7-8

I had a dream last night that a great wave billowed up in front of me. It was absolutely massive- as tall as the tallest building. And yet, when I saw it, I was not afraid in the least. I stood fast and mentally prepared myself for this wave to come. And as it came and swept me up, I was filled with an amazing peace and calmness as I rode along with the wave. I was hidden within the wave, calm and relaxed. When the wave deposited me elsewhere, I was with the one I love most, and not one was lost to the terrible wave. Even better, as the wave dissipated, I discovered that I had a new nephew, and was filled with great joy at this new little life.

I'm not sure how I feel about this dream, to be honest. I take great comfort from the idea that there was this terrible wave, this horrible event happening, and it didn't even faze me. It was almost as if I'd hopped on an escalator, and I was just waiting for it to deliver me to my destination. I didn't experience any fear or terror for even a millisecond, those things simply weren't there.   And the idea that at the end of this experience I would find great joy is wonderful. But I don't like the idea of the wave itself. That there could be some trial or tribulation headed my way... If we haven't currently been going through such a trial, I cannot imagine what could still be coming! But at the same time, maybe the dream was speaking of the current season of trials.

It's been really, really difficult to stay above the murky depths this time. There's been so many moments over the last several months that I just wanted to curl up and cry and just... I don't know... give up, maybe. But I would go to church, and every time something would be said that would speak to me and give me encouragement to go another few days. And in the midst of all this awfulness, I've also had the wonderful distraction of family- my nieces and nephews, so new and so full of wonder that I just love spending time with them and loving them.

And when I think on it some more, that wave in my dream was indeed an outside force. It was something in the natural that was going on around me, and it didn't affect me in the least. Thinking about that... now that's wonderful. To think that whatever comes my way, I can just close my eyes and rest in His Peace, that gives me such a boost this morning, such a comfort, because I'm tired of these tough trials.

But the more I keep my eyes on Jesus, the more I think that I'll be able to experience what I experienced in my dream- the great calmness and peace no matter what comes my way. It's a perk, if you will, of keeping on the straight and narrow. I think I can handle that, and I'm really, really looking forward to the joy at the end of the trial. That right there also gives me great encouragement this morning. And if I look at verse 8 that I posted above, that makes me smile too. That I would experience God's loving kindness in the daytime, and His Song in the night. Not a night goes by that I don't find a worship song in my head as I drift off to dreamland. And I would pray this morning that He would continue speaking to me in the night. It's been a while since I've really had an intense dream like this- and while it did cause me concern for a bit as I thought on it, it felt good. Like doing a workout after a few months off.   And may he share that same thing with everyone reading this today. May you have wonderful God dreams that will speak to you and give you encouragement for the days ahead.

Faith In People

2012-01-16T09:35:00.003-06:00

"And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun." Exodus 17:11-12

I didn't hardly post at all last week. On the one hand, I was quite busy for some reason. But on the other hand, I was terribly distracted last week, and I don't know why I let that happen.

The kids and I have a radio station that we prefer listening to when we're driving around. It's got the most upbeat and contemporary Christian music of any other (though it's still got a long ways to go in that regard, really), and the kids enjoy it. Not too long ago they started a small talk show in the mornings, and we're not out driving often when it is on, but every once in a while, we'll catch a snip of it before I turn it off. I've listened to it a few times on my own, and honestly, I really don't like it. It's one of those shows that is all about warning Christians about this and that. They warn against things they think are false, they warn against certain preachers or books that they think a Christian should stay away from- or movies or TV shows that they think go against basic Christian principles. It's really not a good show, in any regard, because they are so full of stirring up fear within the body of Christ.   This past week I heard rumors of some of the things they'd been sharing and it just really, really bothered me, and I spent far too long thinking about it and dwelling on it. Quite honestly, I don't understand what they think they are doing trying to get Christians to be afraid of the world around them. Fear does not come from God in the least, and yet here they are, trying to get Christians to fear one another- to fear the church down the street because their worship is too contemporary for their taste.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

The fact is, there are far too many of these types of people out there trying to stir up fear in the Body of Christ today. And as I thought on this further, the thought came to me that it really is a sad state of affairs in the church today. When good Christian people decide it is their personal mission to basically tell the church that they should have no faith in each other, because that's exactly what they are doing. They are telling us that we should suspect our Christian brother who prays in tongues of consorting with the devil, because tongue talking is not so common today. They are telling us that when a woman shouts out in a church service, she is actually listening to demons, because it's disruptive of the church service. Truly, these are the kinds of stories they are telling, and they are not alone in doing it!

The more I thought on this, the more it just made me sad, because you know what? I have great faith in my fellow believers. I have great faith that my Christian brother and sisters would know when they are doing something that goes against the word of God. I have faith that Christians as a whole are smarter in their walk with God than all these fear mongerers make them out to be. Were I to walk into a service where there was in fact, things of the devil going on, I would trust that the Holy Spirit would stir right up within me and tell me that I do not belong there, and to leave. I have the exact same faith in my brothers and sisters in Christ- that they would listen to the Holy Spirit, and trust in His counsel to guide them out of a dangerous situation.

We do not need talk shows and organizations who basically tell us to eye one another suspiciously. It's absolutely preposterous that there are people out there warning the church as a whole to be careful of each other- because we never know who is in the devil's pocket. Shame on them.

I have faith in people. I have faith that people of all walks of life know better and will heed the Holy Spirit should the need arise. We do not need the aspect of fear introduced- we should not be afraid to walk into a new church on Sunday morning, for fear that they are not following the words in the Bible. Instead I should be excited to see how God is using this group of people.

I was reminded of the story that I posted a snip of in Exodus, chapter 17. The Israelites were battling the Amalekites, and to keep the battle turned in Israel's favor, Moses needed to stand with uplifted hands the whole time.   Every time his arms began to lower, even a little, the battle turned in the favor of the enemy, so Moses absolutely had to keep his hands lifted up. How does a man do this all day long? It's absolutely impossible without help from a brother or sister in Christ. Moses' friends did what any Christian would do. They came beside him, one on either side, and they bore his burdens with him. Aaron held one hand up, and Hur held the other hand up, and in the end, Israel was victorious.

THAT is exactly what we as Christians should be doing for one another. We should be coming beside each other, sharing in the burdens of those around us. We should lift each other up. We absolutely should not be tearing each other down by spreading fear. We should have faith in each other, and not hear about something new that God is doing for someone, and instantly think that they're being possessed by demons. God can and does work in mighty and mysterious ways, and we should have faith in each other, as human beings and fellow Christians. We should purpose to come beside each other, lift each other up as the need arises, and rejoice in the truth of Jesus, our Savior.

I, for one, choose to have faith in people.

To Have Dominion

2012-01-11T13:51:00.002-06:00

"What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?
    ⁵Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
    ⁶You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:
    ⁷All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field,
    ⁸The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas." Psalm 8:4-8 (AMP)

Whew! Time has been an issue for me this week! I feel (blessedly so) that the month of January has been going really slowly. This is wonderful, I'm happy for a bit of a slowdown, but the last two days as a whole, I've just felt like I'm always looking ahead to what has to be done next. Today is nice, I get to relax just a bit this afternoon, get some housework done, and then it's off to mid-week service at church. I thought that maybe I should pop on here and post some thoughts, less anyone think I'm doing poorly or anything.

The last few weeks have seen our family relishing in some time with our favorite fantasies. We've spent time both watching and reading about the land of Narnia, spun by C.S. Lewis, and Andy and I have also spent time in Middle Earth, watching Tolkein's world brought to life on the big screen. I particularly like both of these series' in multiple forms, because they are the ultimate example of good triumphing over evil. Good, and light always wins, every single time. The struggles along the way may be impossibly difficult, but in the end, the struggles are worth it.

But a few weeks ago when we watched The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, something struck me with one of the last lines of the movie, "Once a King or Queen of Narnia, always a King or Queen of Narnia". And then I really looked at what I was seeing. This fantastical place, this Narnia, is place where there are no humans, and when the humans show up, every creature bows and follows the commands of the new Kings and Queens- and very matter-of-factly at that. It made me think of when the earth was created, and God set man to have dominion over the earth, and I thought this display of Narnia was the ultimate display of that very thing. Even to the point where one of the characters in the story passes a message on to another by asking the trees to share the message.

It made me wonder, just what all would really be possible if we really got a revelation of what the Bible tells us about being the sons and daughters of God. I think that line in the movie could very easily be changed to "once a son or daughter of God, always a son or daughter of God". Oh! Now doesn't that just sound absolutely wonderful?

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name " John 1:12 (NKJV)

Then when we were watching The Two Towers, and the trees started marching to war, I just felt such a stirring in my spirit- what if such a thing were truly possible? I struggle sometimes just to get a seed or two to sprout, I can't imagine how much faith it would take to make a tree move!

Yet, when I read the books by these two authors- or watch the dramatizations of their works, I can't help but wonder how much these men understood of their Bibles. The Psalm I posted above says that God has put all things under our feet- all things. As the sons and daughters of God, it should not be fantasy that we can affect the things around us. It shouldn't be impossible that I go and spend time out in the gardens, blessing the plants, commanding them to grow, and they do. It shouldn't be an impossibility to go out to the backyard and command the rabbits to leave my plants alone. Yet, when I fail in maneuvering a silly little rabbit, I feel discouraged, and wonder how on earth I'm to do something grand like calm a storm.

Calm a storm? Why not? Jesus did it! And yet, I cannot get some simple basil seeds to sprout. Jesus said just a few words to a fig tree and the whole thing shriveled up and died. Surely I can get one measly little pepper seed to sprout and send out it's shoot.

I love reading fantasy books, because I like to think that with God, all things are possible, and I'm always wondering if God whispers to fantasy authors and gives them different glimpses of what heaven might be like. And then I open up my Bible and read about all the things that Jesus did while He was here on earth, and I know He was connected with Heaven the whole time. What does Heaven have for us here on earth?   That's such a fun thing for me to think on, because while there are many fantasy worlds I'd love to explore in person, I know that Heaven is going to be beyond all expectations, and truly be paradise for all eternity.

What IS man, that God cares for us so? He cared for us so much that He gave us this amazing instruction manual for life- a living, breathing instruction manual that always has something new to tell us. If I experience for myself none of the other miracles found within the pages of my Bible, at least I get to experience the miracle of The Word itself. That every time I open it, I find something new. In that way, it is so unlike the fantasy novels that I read over and over. I always know what those are going to say, their words never change. But every time I open up my Bible, I find new secrets hiding within. New thoughts, new ideas, and new desires to want to be more like Jesus each and every day.

And Jesus had dominion over the earth around him. Someday, I'm going to understand how. And I'm going to find those answers in one place only- in my Bible.

Christmas Reflections

2012-01-06T10:06:00.003-06:00

"But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them." Luke 2:19-20

It's been a few weeks since the whirlwind of Christmas, and I'm still thinking about it. This was one of the most unusual Christmases for us, and yet, it was also wonderful, and leading up to it, there certainly wasn't much hope of it being wonderful. When Andy got laid off for the season so early, we were truly unprepared for it, and the closer Christmas crept, the more we realized that we were really looking at trying to figure out how to celebrate Christmas without gifts under the tree. Oh, we've had lean Christmases before. Two years ago, in fact, we had a tight Christmas, but it was nothing compared to this one. As December kicked off and the decorations went up, and the countdown began, it literally broke my heart to have my kids move the countdown and exclaim how excited they were for Christmas. Would the still be excited if the only gifts under our tree were the few that might be sent by family? We were definitely on pace for finding out.

And then a nice gift card showed up in the mail. I'd posted about it before because it gave us such a thrill to find it. I took that gift card and put it in my purse, but to be completely honest, I put it there and didn't use it right away because I was wondering if there would be more. Would something else show up that I could put towards gifts this year? Because this gift card was nice, but between two kids it wouldn't go far at all. Nothing else showed up, but something else did.

As the days got closer and closer to Christmas, the kids would move the countdown, and were suddenly not exclaiming how excited they were about presents. They were more excited about Christmas Eve, they were excited to get to spend time with their cousins, and aunts and uncles, and their newest cousin from Hawaii that they'd never met.   When we would discuss Christmas, it wasn't about what gifts they wanted anymore. It was all about hoping that we could spend a lot of time with family during the holidays. It was a definite shift in thinking for our whole household. Instead of focusing on our lack, we turned to focusing on what we already had. We spent extra time together playing a game or two, and the kids were more than excited to spend time decorating cookies to share with family.

It finally came to the point where I realized that if our kids were going to have any Christmas gifts from us, it was thanks to the kindness of someone who sent us that one gift card. That was it, every other penny we had was spoken for and needed to be used elsewhere- and many pennies were spoken for twice. The day I decided to go use that gift card I spent quite a bit of time talking to God about it. I asked him to really help me to use it wisely, to find gifts that my children would really appreciate and be happy to find under the Christmas tree. When I was actually shopping, I was honestly dismayed when I saw the reality as to how far this gift card would go. It didn't go far at all. And yet, the few gifts that were picked out for the kids were picked thoughtfully. None of them were something that went in the cart just because, they were specific things that I knew they would enjoy. In the past, there was more of a thought to just get a whole bunch of gifts that met a particular dollar amount or quantity. This year there was no such ability, and as a result, for the first time ever, each and every gift the kids opened up, they really and truly were excited. They'd desired each and every gift, and appreciated them so much more.

I thank God for the kindness of that person who sent that card, and I have asked him to really and truly bless them, and to let them know how much it was appreciated. I'm not sure how my momma's heart would have fared had there been no gifts under the tree for our kids.

I shared a little about physical Christmas gifts because it was really, really interesting to see the shift this year. Like Mary, I've spent a bit of time just treasuring these things in my heart and pondering them, because I've been wondering why. God is a really big God, and he could have had random people send us dozens of gift cards. He could have had expensive gifts just show up at our door for the kids. He could have placed the actual money into our bank accounts so we could give to our heart's delight. And yet He didn't. What were we to learn from this season of lack? It truly was a wonderful Christmas. We were really able to enjoy family, and each other. For the first time ever we had the kids open their gifts here at home late Christmas Eve instead of Christmas morning. What a fabulous idea that was, because we woke up Christmas morning, went to church and REALLY celebrated Christmas. God even gave me a little Christmas gift of my own Sunday morning when I was asked to whip out the drumsticks. As hesitant as I was to play the drums in the first place, I've become a little fond of it again, and was delighted to be able to spend Christmas morning worshiping the King from the drum set.   When I think about Christmas, my heart floods with such warmth because I really think that we were able to just focus on each other and on God's love for each one of us.

I really think that yesterday was the first time I had a glimpse of why we had such a lean Christmas. Maybe some people would look at it and say that it was a lesson for us in money management, that we should do a better job of saving throughout the year. And yes, that may be one of the lessons, but I really think that God used our Christmas season for a bigger purpose. I think He wanted us to know how the less fortunate really feel.

We've spent Christmases in the past buying gifts for donating- I'm a sucker for those giving trees, and I've always enjoyed buying the requested gifts. But what would it feel like to be that person in the crowd who is watching people load up their shopping carts with gifts, knowing that the few dollars you have is ALL you have to spread thinly among a household of children. What would it really feel like to have to tell family and friends that you just can't give gifts this year? What would it feel like to be unable to even afford the necessities of life? Oh, we've been there these past months too, and the thing is, the reality is not at all what I would have expected. Do you know, yesterday I took the kids out shopping because we had to buy winter boots. Snow is coming eventually, and someone had been kind enough to send a little money our way to buy them, so we went to pick them up before they were replaced in the stores by swimsuits. As we walked in the door of the store, I remembered that I wanted to get toothpaste while we were there, and mentioned that to the kids.

I've never seen kids so excited about toothpaste.   Each and every one of us in the family have been trying to make tubes of toothpaste stretch for some time now.   So we go to the toothpaste aisle and I tell the kids to pick their preference, and they both had such huge grins on their face as they each picked up their favorite tube- and look! They were full! Then they both glanced wistfully at the toothbrushes. Do you suppose...? Well, I certainly did. I told them to each choose a new toothbrush. Now, I expect these types of reactions from a three year old who may be choosing a special toothbrush for the first time. But from an eleven and nearly-eight year old? It totally slammed home to me that what people who are truly in need want is the basic necessities of life. Something as basic and simple as a toothbrush and toothpaste really brought joy to my children. This morning Zander told me how excited he was to brush his teeth again today because he really liked his new toothbrush.

This is the verse I thought of this morning:

"But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" 1 John 3:17

In the past, I would look at these lists of things that people need and kind of turn up my nose at them, to be honest. I would see the toothpaste and toothbrushes, the cleaning supplies, the soaps on the list and think I knew better. I would get something else for these families, something I truly thought they would rather have- things like gourmet coffees, restaurant gift cards, gourmet food baskets, and on and on. When really, all these people really wanted was to be able to brush their teeth or wash their hair or mop the kitchen floor with something other than water.   It's all well and good to bless a family in need with a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but how can they have company over to share that dinner if they don't have the tools to clean their homes first?   People who really and truly are in need need the basic necessities of life.

When I look around our home, and look at my family, I would most definitely not place us in the category of being an "in need" family at the moment. Yes, there is no money to buy anything right now, every dime is being used to take care of keeping the power on, the water running, and keep a roof over our heads.   But we also know we're in a temporary season too. Andy will go back to work eventually, and when he does, we'll be able to catch up on the things that we've run out of.

God has used this past Christmas of lack to open my eyes. And open my family's eyes, I think. We all would have loved an extravagant Christmas. Quite frankly, we would have loved even to be able to buy gifts for other people in our lives. But God had other plans for us, and when we look back at Christmas, we don't see lack. We see love, we see each other, and we see an appreciation for even the smallest things. But more than that, there is an awareness now that is waking up, and it will be very, very interesting to see where this takes us. In the weeks and months to come, how will we take this new awareness of what it is really like to be needy and use it to transform other people's lives. How will we use this knowledge to share the love of God with those around us? I pray that God would show us what He would have us do.

The Year of Truth

2012-01-03T15:05:00.000-06:00

"Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God." Ezekiel 1:1

Today after the kids and I finished with school I found the strangest lyrics running through my head. It was the first few stanzas of Ezekiel Saw The Wheel, which was made popular at some point by Woody Guthrie.

Ezekiel saw that wheel
Way up in the middle of the air
Now Ezekiel saw that wheel
Hurling way in the middle of the air

Now the little wheel run by faith
And the big wheel run by the grace of God
In the wheel and a wheel hurling
Way in the middle of the air

The song itself was actually a slave song. It was one of the many, many spiritual songs sung my slaves while they worked in the fields. When I was a freshman in high school we sang a version of this song in one of my choirs, if it weren't for that, I don't know that I would really know the song. But I do. And I found myself singing it. I thought that very strange, because it literally came from nowhere. The more I thought about that though, the more I thought that it had to have come from somewhere. Random songs don't just happen. So I decided I needed to open up my Bible and turn to the book of Ezekiel.

I didn't get very far. :)

In fact, I read the first verse, and right away, I had a few thoughts about it. I proceeded to read the whole chapter, but I ended up right back at verse one, which I've posted up above. It's just that, as soon as I read it, I thought of this idea of visions from God, and I thought of how many times I've heard people criticizing those who claim to have had visions from God. But here we have, very prominently displayed in the first verse of a book of the Bible the words " the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God." There it is. A Godly man had visions, right in the Bible, and yet far too many Christians hear about visions and run screaming because they're certain that the idea of visions comes from the devil.

If one were to go on and continue reading the book of Ezekiel, they would read account after account of vision after vision- including the spinning wheels mentioned in the song above. The more I read Ezekiel, the more the whole idea of dreams and visions from God become real to me- and a real possibility. I've never really had a vision, that I know of. Dreams, yes, but a vision, no. To me a vision would be something visible- something that I see with my naked eye. God's never blessed me with that, but I don't discount that someday He could. He's shown my husband a few visions- a few wonderful bits that are not my story to tell of, but he's had them.

As I thought on these ideas of visions and dreams, it just had me think that maybe this will be the year that God will reveal truth to His church. I've been reading a fictional book set in the time of the Civil War here in the US, and one of the subjects addressed is the idea of witch hunts. I saw a distinct parallel, as there are some Christians out there who have decided that it is their purpose and calling in life to accuse other Christians of dining with the devil, so to speak. Men and women who pray to God, in the name of Jesus for people to be healed of all kinds of afflictions have been accused of using witchcraft. That totally makes me think of the Puritan movement, and how they would accuse anyone who seemed not quite right of witchcraft and dealing with the devil. That was a horrible time in the history of our country, and we're on the edge of repeating the exact same thing. Oh, we may not have the physical burning at the stake anymore, but the media sure does a good job of completely ruining people with just a few words and a few days of spin.

So I would pray today, with my first post of 2012, that this would be the year of truth for America. That God's Truth will be known throughout the land, and that those who would bring slander and harm to Godly men and women would be stopped in their tracks. We have an election before us this year. I would pray that the truth will become crystal clear to the American people, and that the right person for the job of President will become apparent to each and every voting citizen.

I found a simple truth in Ezekiel today- the simple truth that God can speak to a man with a vision. God can open up the heavens and show a simple man truths that is needed for the time at hand. I would pray that visions would become commonplace for the faithful, and that these visions will speak important truths just when they are needed. May those truths free those who need to be freed.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

On Being A Real Wife

2011-12-27T10:14:00.000-06:00

"For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:23-24

I don't talk much on this blog about relational issues between husbands and wives. A big reason for that is because those things can be very personal. But another reason for that is that there are so many Bible blogs out there devoted to women, and they almost always are posting things about being a good wife to their husband. There are zillions of books out there devoted to the subject, and they take many different stances and directions too. But what does the Bible say? Even that gets spun and twisted and conveniently molded to fit certain ideals. But lately, during my prayer time, I've found that my usual prayers for my husband have intensified, pretty much on their own. That tells me that the Holy Spirit is alive and well within me, and knows that my husband could use some extra prayers, and he usually can this time of year when he is not working his regular job.

I went and read these verses in Ephesians this morning to see if they had anything new to say to me. This is one of those controversial verses, because there are so many women who see these verses as an attack on women in general, telling us that we are to submit to our husbands in everything. But do you know what I see? I see something completely different. I see a charge to women to stay on our praying toes. And it's really quite simple. If I see my husband as the spiritual head of our family and our home, my most important job is to pray for him in that role. My job is to pray that he stays on the straight and narrow, that he finds the time to spend in his Bible and that he finds the quiet time to spend talking to God. If I am to submit to my husbands authority, he better very well be in the right place spiritually. He better be resisting temptations, and he better be seeking God's Will in every direction and decision. He better be. And it's my job to pray that he is there at all times. If I fail in my job at praying for my husband, then I deserve whatever happens, since I have submitted to his spiritual authority.

This time of year I find myself praying for peace for my husband's heart more than anything.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." Colossians 3:15

Every year when he is not working his regular job, the devil likes to take the opportunity to lie to him. He likes to tell him that he's failing in his role as provider for this family, and that can really be effectual if it is not prayed against. This year it seems those whispers have been loud shouts, because it's been an especially difficult year. I have this peace in my heart that God will work all things out, because God's just like that. I can read account after account in the Bible of God's provision and I am encouraged and emboldened to get through another day. But sometimes that peace is only in my heart, and not in my husbands. It is very important that I pray that for him, to give him hope and peace, and to silence the voice of the devil who is trying to tell him otherwise.

And I need to pray especially that my husband will continue to walk by faith, no matter how difficult it may be.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

It's too easy to look at what is going on in the natural and physical around us and be discouraged. It's difficult to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and what He would have for us. Each and every day, the devil tries to get us to focus on our lack instead of all the blessings that abound. More than once over the past weeks I got really discouraged as I would read about the mountains of gifts that people were wrapping to give to their children, and here we sat with a very small pile of gifts for our own children. For my husband, whose heart holds the love language of gift giving, it was even more discouraging. And so I found myself praying that he would find great joy in giving the gifts we were able to give, and to not be discouraged by not being able to give a lot this year. I have also been praying that God would give my husband understanding, as to why things have been so difficult for us- what are we to be learning from, what are we to take with us as we move forward, and what are we to discard completely from our lives and leave behind.

A real wife is the wife that the Bible so often talks about. A real wife is the wife who recognizes when her husband is hurting, and rather than try to offer trite advice or counsel, simply prays. She prays for the right people to speak encouragement into her husband at the right moments. She prays for her own mouth to be shut when it needs to be shut, and opened when it needs to be opened. A real wife is not a wife on a pedestal who does absolutely everything perfectly and by the book. A real wife may have her own failings to deal with, and her own struggles, but no matter what comes her way, she still puts the prayer needs of others before her own. That right there is a huge secret to overcoming struggles. I find when I pray for others, instead of praying for myself and focusing on my own needs, I find that my struggles seem to not be quite so mountainous- they seem just a bit smaller, and little easier to navigate.

And that starts at home first. Ladies, our number one role in marriage should be to pray for our husbands. I pray for my husband daily, and quite honestly, most often it centers around God keeping him safe. There's been far too many accidents that he has been either part of or witness too, and I pray daily that the angels around him will beef up their security detail, as God has great things for my husband to do with his life- but those require him to be intact and alive. Sometimes though, he needs prayers in a more spiritual direction along with the protection prayers, and this is one of those times of year for us. Just as important, we also need to be modeling these prayers with our children. Every day when we start school, the kids and I pray together, and we always, always pray for Daddy, regardless of what his plans for the day are. Someday, my daughter will be able to use what she has learned to pray for her own husband. And someday, my son can take comfort and courage in knowing that his wife is at home praying for him when he has a difficult day at work.

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

I pray that my husband will always walk in the light, and that we will always do so together. Ladies, take the time to pray for your husbands today and everyday. I wholeheartedly believe that one of the keys to a strong and successful marriage is to pray for one another. God gave us each other just for that purpose- so that we could lift one another in prayer and be an encouragement to one another.

Write

2011-12-26T09:39:00.002-06:00

"Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this." Revelation 1:19

I had a dream last night that I needed to reflect upon for a while this morning. It was one of those dreams that puzzled me because it regarded a situation that I wouldn't think I would normally be involved in. But the more I think on it, the more I am certain it was saying something to me, and it was using an analogy to try and get the point across.   I'm going to be mulling over this one for the next while, because I think I've only begun to scrape the surface as far as what this dream could be saying to me.

In the dream I found myself suddenly in the office of the governor of our state. He had been waiting for someone specifically to come in, but when he found me there, he decided that I could take care of this important task for him instead of this other person. He then proceeded to open up this manual of sorts and tell me more about my task. I was to write for him. I was going to be "the one" to write a 2100 paragraph report on something important. It was vitally important, what it specifically was, I couldn't tell you, but it was extremely important that this report get written. He handed me this manual, loaded with his notes and then gave me a deadline. I was so excited as I walked out of that office, but a bit daunted by the idea of writing 2100 paragraphs.

On my way out to the parking lot, I suddenly couldn't find my car, and then I found myself in a cloak-and-dagger experience, as there were bad guys trying to get the manual I had been given. They wanted to write their own report using those top secret notes. I managed to somehow lose that manual, and rather than give up completely, I decided, as I drove home, that I would still be able to write this important report, I would just have to do a whole lot more work to get the report written.

It was a really strange dream, I have to say. I almost discarded it at first, but the more I've thought on it, the more I think there is something there.   I don't think that it's saying that I'm meant to write some vital tome or report, and I don't think I'm going to be involved in something that is going to put me in peril, nor do I think it has anything to do with the governors office.

But I do think it has to do with the physical act of writing. It could be this blog specifically, because I'll tell you, despite the resurgence I've enjoyed this month, there are days where it's really been a struggle to get myself to sit down and write. I've had many great thoughts over the month about different scriptures, and I'll think about them and remind myself to dig deeper with the blog. And then the blogging time comes, and those thoughts are completely gone- as if my notes have been stolen from me.   And yet, I find myself determined to continue, determined to put something down, because I will not fail, and I will not allow my blogging to be stolen from me.

It could very well be that this dream was a simple way of encouraging me to keep keeping on. And yet there was also an element of excitement in this dream, and that is one thing that I'm really going to be thinking on further. I enjoy my blogging here, but I would hardly call it exciting or riveting... it isn't a "life's work" so to speak. I'm going to keep my mind open to the idea of this exciting thing as we head into the new year ahead. I have to say, I'm really looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in the new year ahead. Surely He is up to something, I've been feeling that for a while, and I'm looking forward to at least getting a glimmer of an idea of what that is. I do know this, it's going to be good, and full of His Love.

I hope that I get to be one of the ones to write it down.

Study Then, The Broken Trees

2011-12-21T16:56:00.001-06:00

"Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it!
      Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
      Break forth into singing, you mountains,
      O forest, and every tree in it!
      For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
      And glorified Himself in Israel." Isaiah 44:23

"For you shall go out with joy,
      And be led out with peace;
      The mountains and the hills
      Shall break forth into singing before you,
      And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12

Today as the kids and I drove about town running a few errands, my gaze was drawn to tree after tree. This past summer we had several windstorms that wreaked havoc on the trees in our city. So many old and towering trees have been broken, damaged, or completely felled in this past year. With the leaves now gone, those broken limbs and trunks are very obvious, and are everywhere you look. I was looking at all these broken trees and wondered about them. As I thought back to those windstorms, I pondered the same thing that I thought back then. What was God trying to say to us through those storms? At the time I thought that one of the things God was saying was that He was watching over us very closely. Those storms caused damage to trees, yards, homes and vehicles, but not a single person sustained even the tiniest of injuries because of the weather. That was huge!

But as I saw those broken branches today, I felt something completely different. I felt burdened. I really felt a need to spend time praying for my community. One of the things that I've always loved about trees is that they always look like they're praising God with outstretched arms. Think of it- as they grow, their branches reach up and out, like a child reaching up for their daddy. The trees that I saw today weren't praising anymore. Their arms were broken off, and they just looked so sad and forlorn. They looked lost, and without purpose. It made me wonder if all these broken trees are a natural sign of how our community is faring in the spirit.

Our community specifically has suffered many harships over the years as far as churches go. There have been many church splits and many hurt feelings over the years, and as a result of that, a lot of the church going people have simply stopped going to church. They've been burned by bad churches, by bad people within the churches, and especially by gossip and rumors.   I think because of that, also, the churches that are still forging ahead in our community do so cautiously, trying ever so hard to not offend or cause distress. And I just think that there are too many people hurting because the church was not as they expected- and not as it should be to them in their times of need.

And so I found myself praying today for my city. I love, love, love, living where we live. Truly, every time I get in my van and go somewhere, or go for a walk, I think about how blessed I am to live in paradise with my family. We really do love it here, and more than anything, I would love to see the hurt gone from our city. There has been far too much of it. I really think all the broken branches and trees around town are a sign to us that there is something missing in our community- and that is a relationship with God. And I think what so many people have missed for years is that it doesn't really matter how that relationship is achieved- there is no one church congregation that does it best- and that is where so much of the brokenness is from. It's from the people at one church condemning the people at another, simply because of a difference in doctrine or policy. Instead we should appreciate one another and appreciate the uniqueness that each one of us brings to this community.

That's my Christmas prayer this year. That those around us will let go of the hurt they've experienced in the past, and just move forward. And that they'll move forward in the Father's love- which is for each and every one, no matter what. No matter what is in the past, God's Love is for every single person.

Maybe, just maybe, the broken trees do tell us something. They tell us the story of the past, of the brokenness and hurt. But they also can tell us something else. As the old passes away, the new comes into being. May the newness that comes only from Heaven fill our city and take away all the hurt of the past. May the new be full of joy and praise, and worship for the King of Kings.

Milk To Meat

2011-12-20T19:07:00.003-06:00

I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;" 1 Corinthians 3:2

This week there's almost been a scent wafting through the house. An aroma, if you will. You would think this time of year that the dominant aroma would be that of baking and baked goods. Cookies, cake, holiday treats, and all kinds of dainties come out of the kitchen every single day. Though, that is not the aroma that keeps tantalizing my senses. What I've been experiencing this week is most definitely a savory smell. The best I can describe it as is what I think of when I think of the flavor of umami. Umami is the fifth flavor that the tongue can identify- we have sweet, salty, sour and bitter, and umami. Umami is a meaty taste- it's found in red meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, soy sauce, and oysters as an example. It's also what I think of when I smell a roast cooking slowly all day long, or the smell that wafts up from a bowl of delicious gravy made with meat drippings. It's a wonderful taste and smell. And I've been smelling it- even without a long slow roast going, or anything cooking at all.

It's a smell that makes me smile, it makes me take a deep breath and really drink it in, and I was wondering about it last night when I crawled into bed. Why was I smelling this Umami in the house? I mean, I've been cooking as normal, and the cooking odors don't usually linger like this. Is this something that God is trying to tell me? That's a question I always go to when the unexpected is happening. What is this, and what is God trying to tell me, if anything. And the more I thought on this, the more I thought that perhaps there was something there, something that God wanted me to mull on and dwell on in my thoughts. And then a few scriptures came to mind and I needed to look them up.

One of these verses was the first one I posted, found in 1 Corinthians. And the other verses are in Hebrews, chapter 5.

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Hebrews 5:12-14

Could it be that I've lingered too long in the infancy stage in my walk with God? When I think about that, it really makes me look inside and really think on it. It could be. What these verses are talking about is not literal milk and solid food, rather coming to my Bible and gleaning only the milk from the scriptures, instead of looking deeper for the solid food- for the real meat hidden within. Maybe there are too many times where I open up my Bible, and I almost just want to find something basic, something nice, something that will make me smile and then I'll go about my day. The reality is that maybe I don't really want to open up my Bible, really dig in and then see something that is critical of me. I don't want to see the errors of my ways or be challenged with a new way of thought.

That's not always how it is. Sometimes I do really want to dig in, but it's not often enough, especially recently. In fact, when I was taking my blogging break, it was also kind of a not reading the Bible much break, and boy, could I tell. I would read just one or two verses and pat myself on the back for at least opening up and reading something.   My attitude was rather suckish. And while it's still a struggle some days to even motivate myself to open up my Bible and dig in, more often than not, I've been finding little nuggets hiding within.

But perhaps those nuggets are not what I'm supposed to be finding. Maybe I'm still skimming the surface, lapping up the milk, but avoiding the real meat.   Hebrews says that solid food belongs to those who are of age, and I suspect that I've spent far too long behaving as a babe with the Word of God. When I read verse thirteen and I see that those who partake only of the milk is considered unskilled in the word of righteousness.   I don't want to be unskilled! One of my great frustrations with myself is that I hear all this wonderful preaching and teaching about how to make the Word of God more active in my life, yet I don't put it to use.   Maybe it's because I haven't taken that important step to decide to set aside the milk and reach for the real meat before me.

It's truly amazing to experience something in the everyday- something as basic as smelling meat cooking- and then find truth about that very thing hiding in the Bible. I really think that I'm smelling meat because my inner man, my spirit is craving meat, and now it's up to my outer man to see that the inner man gets what it's craving. How do I do that? I have no idea, but I know I can't get past the milk by being so complacent in my reading- I need to be more purposeful, and more intense. I need to take the time to pray before I read, and after I read, and then commit certain passages to memory for meditation and reflection. Basically, it takes more work on my part. Just as it takes much more work to chew a piece of beef versus drinking a glass of milk.   The benefit there is that the protein in the beef is a more hearty version of protein. It lasts longer in the body, it sustains longer and it nourishes. The milk also nourishes, but it goes through the system much more quickly.

I think the meat will be well worth it.

Big Words

2011-12-19T16:37:00.001-06:00

"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us" Luke 1:76-78

Even as a new infant, Zacharias spoke into his son's life. And John the Baptist indeed grew as Zacharias had prophesied to him.

When I read accounts like this in the Bible, they always make me pause, because it is so easy as a parent to dictate what we would like for our children's lives.   It's entirely too easy to look at that stubborn little three year old and start calling them the little lawyer in the family. That name sticks, and before you know it, that child is seriously considering law school, which is all well and good, except that God's plans for that child had been for them to go into medicine, to be a medical missionary to the unreached people around the world. Whoops! I want to be careful about when I speak into my children something that could affect their ultimate purpose in life. And I wonder exactly how one does that- how do we guard our tongues and be careful? Why, we look back at men like Zacharias, and we see that he didn't just randomly speak to his son, John.

"Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:" Luke 1:67

Zacharias spoke into his son's life with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. He waited until the time was right, and I'm sure he spent some quiet time with God, asking Him for the right words to bless his son with, and they came. With God's help, Zacharias gave voice to the plans God had for that tiny baby, and John's life fulfilled every single word.

It should come as no surprise to hear that I spend a great deal of time praying for my kids. They are two amazing people, and I pray all the time that God would keep them that way. They have such a heart for Jesus, and for people, and I'm constantly praying that they would survive the teenage years (that are creeping ever so close) unscathed, and still earnest in their desire for the things of God.   As I've watched my daughter over the last weeks, I've had fleeting thoughts of the person she is becoming, and I found myself casually wondering what kind of man she's going to end up marrying down the road. Of course that led to praying for this mystery man, because I'm sure he's out there somewhere, and someday he's going to be my son-in-law, so I may as well get used to praying for him now.   So I pray, but how often do I speak?

Not enough, I'm sure. Oh, I praise them quite often in regards to schoolwork. I want them always to be encouraged and never to feel like they can't get something- they have a work ethic that is 100% due diligence right now. They have no idea that there is such a concept as "just enough". Everything they do, they do full out and to the best of their ability.   But when it comes to words about the future, I find myself strangely quiet on the subject. And the reason for that is what I posted up above. I don't want to steer them in the wrong direction.

But as I read those verses in Luke today, it gave me something to ponder. It's something to think about and to spend time talking to God about. Because the words we speak to our children, while guided by the Holy Spirit, can be the very thing that bolsters their spirit and carries them through the next stage of life. I want to make sure that should the moment come to encourage my children in that way come up, that I listen wholeheartedly to the Holy Spirit, and not add my own Mommy embellishments. I see that Zacharias did not add anything superfluous either. He didn't add something like "let him be handsome, let him marry well, let him get an education, etc." He simply let the Holy Spirit have His way. Even as an infant.

May the Holy Spirit have His way with my children, and with our household- especially as we navigate this hectic holiday season.

Sharing Is Not Whining

2011-12-16T09:03:00.003-06:00

"WE WHO are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not to please ourselves.
    ²Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually].
    ³For Christ did not please Himself [gave no thought to His own interests]; but, as it is written, The reproaches and abuses of those who reproached and abused you fell on Me.
    ⁴For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope.
    ⁵Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
    ⁶That together you may [unanimously] with united hearts and one voice, praise and glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)." Romans 15:1-6 (AMP)

This is one of those subjects that can go two ways at times. Because I'm sure we ALL know people who are chronic complainers. There's always something to complain or gripe about in their world, and they're not shy about doing so. And then there's the people who never say a word. They're going through the trial of their lives, and only when they are at the very edge of despair do they quietly say something and ask for prayer.

There can be a balance here. I don't believe that we should be complainers, we shouldn't be walking around looking for something to complain about. Instead, we should be looking for the joy in every situation- which I agree can be difficult to find sometimes, but we still should look.

But what we should be doing is sharing our struggles with our fellow believers. God didn't mean for us to walk this path of life alone- He meant us to do it together. Sometimes that simply means a husband and wife will come into agreement on something, but most times, it really means that we should be sharing our trials with other believers- for the purpose of edification and prayer. God meant us to share one another's burdens. He designed the body of Christ in such a way that no one person should suffer while the others glide along easily. What He meant was for the struggles of the one to be carried by the many, to help ease the burden, and to help make it to the end of that trial.

I know a few weeks ago we really dealt with something major in our household. And while I spent that day wanting to just curl up into a ball and cry my heart out, I kept thinking about how I knew that there were people praying for us right at that moment. Those prayers were what got me through that dark, awful day. Our burdens were being shared by those who I know are effective prayer warriors, and I could feel them lightening the load all through that long day. And as others came alongside us as an answer to those prayers, we felt the burden lighten even further.

Had we traveled that day alone, I can't imagine how the outcome would have been.

We were not designed to travel life alone. Armed with the Word of God, we were meant to come alongside each other. We were meant to share with each other when our burdens are causing us trouble, so that those we share with can help ease them. How much better is a trial than one you go through with good friends and the faithful alongside of you? Wow- the party at the end of the trial is always amazing! When you are able to rejoice in the Goodness of God with those who have been praying, it's a truly wonderful thing.

As we've been dealing with this season of lack in our household, I've really felt a burden to pray for those who are in a similar situation as us. It's been heartbreaking to hear of other's struggles, but at the same time, as I pray for them, prayers are being answered, and each little answer builds my faith up just a little more. It helps me to have faith that what God will do for one person, He will do for another, and I have complete faith that the answers to our prayers will come.

Knowing that there are others out there praying for us helps us keep fighting the good fight. Just that simple knowing that others have come alongside us and are in agreement with us in prayer keeps us moving forward day after day and gives us strength and hope for the future. Yet we wouldn't have that peace had we kept our struggles to ourselves.

"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 (NKJV)

Dear God: Time For A Repeat!

2011-12-15T09:01:00.002-06:00

"LORD, I have heard of your fame;
   I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day,
   in our time make them known;
   in wrath remember mercy." Habakkuk 3:2

Pastor referenced this verse last night in his message and I couldn't stop going back to re-read it. I'm still thinking about it this morning.

I know so many Christians who have been going through struggles this last year. Whether they're financial struggles similar to ours, or one of the many other problems that come along, it's like, well, it almost makes me think that the devil is trying to really mess us all up because his time is drawing to an end. It's like there's this invisible shield that's been very, very slowly beginning to fall down on believers, and the devil is doing everything he can to mess us up before that shield drops firmly into place and he's completely unable to do anything anymore. There IS something on the horizon, I can feel it, I can feel this apprehension in my spirit. Apprehension like when you're accelerating up the hill of a roller coaster, you're almost to that first rise, and your stomach feels like it's doing back flips- you're excited for what's to come, but at the same time, you're wondering if it was a good idea to get on this ride in the first place.

The thing I love about verses like this is that it IS in my Bible. All those years ago, there was someone else watching all this horrible stuff going on around him and he decided to talk to God about it. He reminded God of the amazing things He had done in the past, and asked Him to do them again. To show his love, once more, upon the chosen people. I'm sure that Habakkuk was thinking of the Israelites flight out of Egypt, and how God made water to flow from a rock. I'm sure he was thinking of Esther, and how her bravery saved an entire race from annihilation. I'm sure he was thinking of King Solomon, and how there was such peace in the land during his reign. And as Habakkuk looked around and saw the destruction and the sorrow, he asked God to remember.

I've been having similar thoughts as we ride closer and closer to Christmas and the New Year coming. One of the things that we as Christians are supposed to do is be a light to the world around us. It's kind of hard for us to be that light when we've got our own struggles keeping us from doing so. And it's happening to so many! While it can be easy to get caught up in our own individual struggles, when I look around, the struggles of the many are so tangible. The fact is, we can't do it on our own. We can't get through these low times on our own, and I'm filled with eager anticipation for the testimonies to start rolling in. As I read this prayer from Habakkuk, it was a fabulous prayer then, and it's a fabulous prayer now. It is my prayer that as a whole, God will look upon His people and will lift each and every one out of the tribulations that are threatening to suck the life out of us. Now won't that be an amazing day, the day He sets the captives free.

And then we can talk about it. We can share with everyone we meet how God took care of us and erased the struggles, and it will just be so cool that those who are in need in the world around us will seek us out and will want to know how we did it. And we can look at them with a glint in our eye and tell them that we had nothing to do with it, that it was all God, and the masses will turn to God because they just can't deny that they've seen His Goodness upon our lives. Many, many people have heard about the fame of God. So many people know the Bible stories, have spent time in a church, but have turned away, because they just haven't experienced the real and living God. Something happened to rock their faith and they just couldn't shake it. The day is coming when the awe of His deeds is going to sweep across the nations, and it's coming soon. I look forward to the day when I can shout from the rooftops that my enemies have been vanquished by the Rock of Ages. That will be an amazing day, and it is coming. It is coming!

"LORD, I have heard of your fame;
   I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day,
   in our time make them known;
   in wrath remember mercy." Habakkuk 3:2

Ups And Downs

2011-12-14T16:01:00.002-06:00

"But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29

It's been such a few weeks of ups and downs, and really a bit of a struggle, to be honest. One minute we're delighting in what God is doing in our lives, and the next minute we're focused back again on some of the troubles. One minute we're rejoicing about an unexpected gift card in the mail, and the next minute, I'm despairing in the store because it's vanishing more quickly than I'd like. One minute Andy has the opportunity to earn a little cash, and the next minute he's paid with a thing instead of the needed cash. One minute we're simply excited and anxious about Christmas, and spending time with family, and the next minute we're thinking about the gas needed to be able to attend the celebrations.

It's like every moment of joy that we can find, the devil is swooping in as fast as he can to rob it from us.   Perhaps that's not worded quite right, because money and gifts are not a source of joy, God is our source of joy. Seeing God provide in such cool ways speaks volumes to us, to our children, and they will be moments that can be looked back upon. I've been thinking about that too. That gift card we received in the mail spoke volumes to my little girl, and at eleven years old, that's going to be something that she'll be able to reflect on for years. In twenty years she'll be sitting around the Christmas tree with her own family, telling the story of the years God provided.

But for now, it's really a struggle to try and maintain the positive, to try and keep our eyes where they belong. I could spend every waking second dwelling on the lack of finances, and trying to figure out how to make things work. But that causes stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep. Instead, I try my best to focus on what I should be focusing on.

"My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
         In the morning I will direct it to You,
         And I will look up." Psalm 5:3

The first thing I do in the morning when I wake up is ask God to bless the day in front of me. (Wait, maybe that's the second thing, because the first thing I do is think about what day it is and what I need to get out of bed for.) And I don't ask Him to bless it for selfish reasons, really. I mean, I could, but I want more than blessings just for me. Just last night I overheard a conversation among a few of the moms at dance about how they've just been in bad moods lately. Boy, I sure could relate! But what I really thought was that I need to get my eyes on straight, and focus on what's important, so that when I'm out and about and in those situations, maybe I could let God work through me to try and bring some joy to someone else. It's not about me- it's not even about my children! Though as I sit here typing this up, in the ultimate bit of irony, they're having one of THOSE days where they cannot agree on anything, and it really would be nice if they could just go to bed and start over fresh. Sigh.

"Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." Romans 14:19

We're not pursuing things for the sake of pursuing things. We're not pursuing money because we'd like to be wealthy, we're simply trying to pay our bills and put clothing on our children. We're not pursuing the luxury vehicles, quite honestly, it would just be nice to be able to drive down the road and not be nervous that this is the time the vehicle is going to bite the bullet and need a major repair.

I want to pursue the things which make for peace. And peace in our home, in our lives, starts by focusing on the Peace That Passes All Understanding. Jesus IS peace. One of the names of God is Peace, or Shalom. With all the troubles we've had the last few months, I want to submit my heart fully to the God who is Peace, because that sure would be a lovely thing right about now.

May the peace of God flow in our household from this moment on, and may it flow in your household, filling all who meet you with the sweetest peace they've ever known.

"Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:11

Time To Receive

2011-12-13T13:12:00.001-06:00

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

I was completely struck by a musing thought earlier today, and I can't stop musing on it. I think it's going to be interesting to see what all God has to show me about this thought. I was looking through the local newspaper, and right there was a big headline that said Christmas Memories Should Be About Giving. It was an editorial piece, and I didn't actually read the article because I was so caught up by the headline. Really? Christmas memories should be about giving? And so I started to think on that, because that is really what we keep hearing over and over- it's not about receiving gifts, it's about giving them, and I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, we're all a little bit wrong in that regard.

From a natural standpoint, I have to say, that if I think about this idea of giving gifts, that right there is a huge source of my stress this season. How can one give to others when there is nothing to give? Does that mean that we're guilty of voiding the whole Christmas spirit because we don't have anything to give?

And why is Christmas supposed to be about giving in the first place? I think in a quaint way, it's supposed to remind us all of the fact that God gave us an incredible gift two thousand years ago. God gave us all eternal life, and somehow, when we give a gift, it's supposed to... I don't know... somehow make us think that we're being like our Father and giving good gifts to those we love. Um, when I give someone a gift, I'm giving them a gift because I love them, and I was thinking of them, yes. But when I physically hand over a gift-wrapped package, that doesn't somehow magically make me think of the Greatest Gift Of All. Let's just be honest here, it doesn't. When I physically hand someone a gift, I'm thinking about how I think they are really going to like what is hiding in that package. Sometimes I'll even have a little story prepared as to why that particular thing made me think of them.

Receiving a gift, on the other hand, does make me reflect on the goodness of God. When I open a package that someone so thoughtfully put together for me, it reminds me of my Good Father, who knows what I like and what I would love to have, and He places my desires in someone elses heart, so that when they see that thing, they think of me and get that thing to give to me. When I receive a gift, it's not at all about the monetary value of whatever is hiding beneath that paper, it's knowing that the giver has purposed to give me something that will bring me joy. I absolutely cannot receive a gift without feeling all warm and fuzzy inside- and feeling very much like the Grinch in the movie when his heart grew three sizes. Even if that gift turns out to be something on the strange side, the physical act of receiving a gift does something.

It's time for us to open up our hearts and really and truly receive Christmas. Now, does this mean that we're not going to be giving Christmas gifts? Of course not. If we can find the funds to purchase or make gifts, we will certainly be doing so, but it does mean a shift in our thinking. Honestly, it means that I'm done dwelling on all the gifts that we are not going to be able to do. It also means that each and every gift that I end up on the receiving end of will be all the more special, because you know what? God would do it all over again. He would send Jesus to die for us over and over if that was necessary, because He loves us THAT much.

And sadly, there are those who look at that Greatest Gift and decide to return it. Or they want to exchange it, thinking that maybe there's something better out there than Jesus. But the beauty of the Greatest Gift is that it's always available. Jesus is always there, always ready and waiting with arms wide open. The gift of God's Love is the most precious thing... and it's nothing that you or I can give. It's something that only God can give.

This Christmas, it's all about receiving.

He Hears

2011-12-12T10:16:00.001-06:00

"The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
      Their tongues fail for thirst.
      I, the LORD, will hear them;
      I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
       ¹⁸ I will open rivers in desolate heights,
      And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
      I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
      And the dry land springs of water." Isaiah 41:17-18

I've been seeing a recurring theme in my Bible reading this last week. Almost every single chapter says something about the fact that God always hears when His people cry out to Him. Clearly, that's something I need to hear and read about, for it to be so prominent.

And I sure love reading those words and rolling them around in my head. They fill me with an incredible peace. They let me know that even though there may be times where it seems like things are not going well at all, that God hears my cries and He will not forsake me and forget about me.

A few weeks ago I was looking at the calendar and figuring out how to make money stretch through the month. No matter how I did it, no matter how I configured the tiny bit coming in, there was literally nothing left for Christmas gifts this year. Nothing. You know, I can certainly go without any Christmas gifts myself, and have been going without many of the basic things of life for a while now, simply because there hasn't been money for them, but that was kind of the last straw for me. I almost got angry, but then instead I just got really weepy. Because no matter how the year has gone, my children do not deserve to have to go without gifts for Christmas. Oh, they would get a few from relatives, but I was saddened to think that those gifts were it for them. And I told God so. I poured out my heart to Him and just asked Him to please, please not make my children go without gifts this year.

I feel like I need to pause and interject here, because our family knows that Christmas is not all about the gifts. In fact, my precious children LOVE to give gifts rather than receive. But the gifts accent the holiday season. It's a fun way to interject some surprise into our celebration, and a great way to remind each other that the greatest gift of all was Jesus. But children should not have to come down the stairs Christmas morning to an empty Christmas tree. I don't care how much you try to emphasize that the meaning of Christmas is not gifts- no gifts makes for saddened children on Christmas morning.

You know, I believe that God cares about our children, very much. God heard my cries to him. He heard my mommas heart pouring out to Him, asking for some provision so that we could try and do a little something for Christmas. He heard my cries, and He did something about it. Friday afternoon when I got the mail, we found an envelope addressed to our children with no return address on it. It was a rather nice gift card that we'll be able to use to put some Christmas gifts under the tree. I've been overwhelmed about this ever since. Every time I think about that gift card, I think about how someone had heard that we had so little money this year that they wanted to make sure our children had some gifts for Christmas. Part of me certainly wishes I knew who sent it, so that we could thank this anonymous person. But I know that God knows, that God laid my children on their heart, and I know that He will bless them beyond measure for such a generous act.

And now there isn't such a dread of Christmas either. While it certainly won't be the year of incredible delights under the tree, it will still be wonderful, and festive, and we can celebrate with each other in love- and not feel like we're lacking. God's goodness is overwhelming, and I know that He Always, Always hears the cries of His children. Even better? He answers.

Be Not Afraid

2011-12-09T13:09:00.001-06:00

"Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
⁷ They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD." Psalm 112:6,7

I read Psalm 112 yesterday, and had to go back today and read these verses again, because verse seven in particular made me smile.

As Christians, I think that one way we show the fruit we are growing is by our reaction to those moments of bad news. These verses specifically tells us that the righteous will have no fear of bad news. They will take it as it comes, and their steadfast hearts will trust in God completely.

I'm certainly not there yet. At the first glimmer of bad news, my brain gets into gear and I logically spend time thinking about the bad news- Andy being laid off would be one instance of bad news. Immediately I start calculating bills and trying to figure out with my own mind where money could come from to meet all our needs. I spend time there, in the natural, thinking about how we can persevered and muddle through the situation. And then I pray about it. I talk to God about it and ask for his help. I ask Him to help guide us through the season ahead, and that's all well and good, but I think I could do better.

Because I think that if my first reaction to bad news was to pray about it, we'd have a whole lot less stress in our lives. If I turned to God as the very first thing upon the receipt of bad news, I could ask Him to help shape my thought processes, to help guide us in the path we are to take during this season of the uncertain. I think that maybe our struggles could be a tad less of a struggle if the first response was turning to God instead of the second or third response.

I keep coming back to that last line, "their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord" and I can't help but linger on and love the use of the word steadfast. When I think of steadfast, I think of something really, and truly important. I think of a candle in the window on a snow covered night, steadfastly providing a beacon to those on the outside. I think of a lighthouse- they are steadfast no matter the weather, always a guiding beacon for the ships at sea. I think of a ship, in days gone by, trying to cross an Atlantic Ocean with a cargo full of immigrants, determined to reach the shores of the new world. Thinking on the word steadfast fills my heart with hope and with determination.

I think of a girl, lost in the woods, with nothing but a small lamp to guide her way, and rather than panic, she steadfastly maintains her pace in one direction, determined to find her way out of the woods. She is determined, she is steadfast.

No matter what may come at us, we will be steadfast and we will trust in the Lord. We will trust that He holds us in the palm of His hand and will guide us in the right direction we need to go. We will stay on course, and we will not be afraid. We will put one foot in front of the other, and where our heart leads, we will follow. Because our heart belongs to Jesus, and He most certainly will not lead us astray. He will guide us to the very answers to our problems, and He will keep us safe from ALL harm along the way.

To Be A Doer

2011-12-08T09:25:00.001-06:00

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." James 1:22-25

The kids and I read James together a week or so ago, and I've been musing on these verses ever since. Specifically, I was thinking about the actual acts of being a doer of the word, and trying to reconcile how that can be done where there are no finances available for the doing. Because I'll tell you, I've found myself, over the past several months, really feeling filled with compassion for the needy. I'll drive around town and see a newly foreclosed upon house- you know, the ones with all the papers plastered to the door, and it looks as if the home was quickly abandoned- and my heart will break for whoever was living there. I'll see a line of people at one of the many bus stops I pass, and I wonder if they ride the bus as a "green" thing or if they are simply too poor to own a vehicle, and my heart goes out to them. Or I'll see the crowd of people walking into the dollar store and I'll wonder what is taking them there today. Are they looking for a good bargain, or are they there because they have to be, and they're hoping to find some halfway decent canned goods with which to feed their family.

I tell you, my heart is ready to just pour out into our community. I read about the food pantries and homeless shelters in the area, and I want to do something tangible to help. I want to dedicate a portion of my garden next year to growing for a food pantry. I go through my kids clothes and see so much wear left in them, and I wonder who I can bless with them, who really needs them. I see that mom at the grocery store with just a few items in her cart, staring at her list and figuring with a calculator, and I know exactly what she is doing. She's got just a few dollars in her pocket, and she's desperately trying to figure out how to stretch it to feed her family for just a few more days. I know, I've been there, more than I care to think about. And my heart instantly goes out to her, and more than anything, I want to reach into my own pocket and slip her that $20 dollar bill that I'm supposed to use to figure out my family's week worth of milk and eggs...

My heart is so tender right now to the need around me, and I can't even begin to do anything about it, because we're fighting tooth and nail for our own family's needs at the moment. But, oh my gosh, there are so many people in need, and all I can do about is pray about it. To be honest, I find that so discouraging on my part. Because I know what it's like to be facing a mountain of bills and have someone know about that and say "we'll be praying for you." On the one hand, I do know that the prayer of a fervent man availeth much, and I know those are not wasted prayers.

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16

But what I really want is for that person to say "I know a person who wants this work done on their house, could I have them call Andy to do it?" And when I think of those people at the homeless shelter who are being told that funding is short, and they might not be able to stay there much longer, I want to do so much more than just pray for those people.

It's a little frustrating, to say the least. But you know, when I think about all this, I think that the Holy Spirit has clearly been at work on me, because I clearly recall a blog post or two where I did ask that He would open our eyes to the need around us. And because I know that God is such a good God, I know He didn't have my eyes and my heart opened for no reason. Right now it may very well be so that I could pray... But I have to think that this softened, weeping heart is there so that I can also DO. And along with that, God knows that we are unable to do right now, and He will make a way where there seems to be no way. I love connecting thoughts like that! There WILL be a day when we will be able to do so much more than pray for those who are in need around us. That day will come, and then we can take the heart of Jesus to those who need it, and THAT is something that I'm truly excited about.

God IS Good

2011-12-07T09:34:00.001-06:00

"Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
         Bound in affliction and irons—
¹¹ Because they rebelled against the words of God,
         And despised the counsel of the Most High,
¹² Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
         They fell down, and there was none to help.
¹³ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
         And He saved them out of their distresses.
¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
         And broke their chains in pieces.
¹⁵ Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
         And for His wonderful works to the children of men!" Psalm 107:10-15

I've been stuck in Psalm 107 for the past day or so. I've been slowly making my way through the last section of the Psalms, and yesterday when I got to Psalm 107 I felt like I needed to stop there. I read it through a few times, and when I woke up this morning it was still on my mind, so I turned to it again. It's a wonderful chapter in the Bible to read when you need some encouragement, because it's loaded with examples of the goodness of God. I think I like the one I posted here the best because the people who are in trouble were in trouble because of wrong they did. It says they rebelled against the words of God, and yet when all was said and done, they cried out to God to save them, and He did. He did! Despite the error of their ways in the past, God stretched out His hand and brought them out of the darkness that had claimed them. God's goodness is amazing, and something to cling to when the need arises.

Often times, when we're in a season of trouble and worry, it's through no fault of our own, circumstances just happened to be that way. We're in a season of trying really hard to not worry about finances, and trusting that God will provide and meet all our needs. Part of how we're here again is through no fault of our own. Work that Andy was supposed to be doing until Christmas fell through because of the economic situation around us. But then there's the part of this season that is our fault. We could have done better at saving, at pinching pennies earlier in the year, and then this worry wouldn't be here. We've made mistakes, and in this era of self- scrutiny it is WAY too easy to look at the mistakes and completely blame ourselves for our troubles. The problem with doing that is then we look at the trouble we're in, know that we've caused it ourselves, and then we don't talk to God about it. We get into self-condemnation and decide that we deserve all the struggles we're dealing with because we did this to ourselves.

The world within us would agree with that. But we've got something better in there too. We've got Jesus. We who have asked Jesus into our lives and made Him a part of us also have the redemption that came with Him. Redemption for all and for every situation. Think about that- it's such a wonderful thought. One of the character traits of Jesus is redemption. He came to save us from sin and evil, and that is always with us- even when we stumble and fail. God is a very, very good Father- He knew from the beginning that He would have struggles, and so He sent His son to take those very struggles upon Himself and take them to the depths of hell for us, so that we would not have to go there. That's amazing and incredible!

And if we think along that line of thought for even a moment, we can realize that any wrong that we have done... well, it's as if it never happened, because Jesus took that away with Him before we were even a twinkle in our mother's eye. God provided a way out from our struggles before we even had them. When I have thoughts like that, I'm so thankful, because I need to cling to them sometimes. Sometimes I just need to pour out my heart to God and tell Him how sorry I am that I've failed again, and ask Him for mercy and for understanding. And every time I find myself marveling at His goodness.

Reading chapters in my Bible like Psalm 107 can be such a light in the darkness. As David says later on in Psalm 119, His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It's such a beacon of light for my heart- it can keep me going, it can get me through just one more day, and fill me with such hope for the days to come. God's goodness gives me hope through the Words that He wrote all those years ago. I pray that you would know God's loving kindness today, tomorrow, and each and every day as we navigate this glorious Christmas season.

"Whoever is wise will observe these things,
         And they will understand the loving kindness of the LORD." Psalm 107:43

Vegetables Or Steak

2011-12-06T09:38:00.001-06:00

"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it." Proverbs 15:17 (AMP)

"Better is a dish of vegetables where love is
Than a fattened ox served with hatred." Proverbs 15:17 (NASB)

"A bowl of vegetables with someone you love
is better than steak with someone you hate." Proverbs 15:17 (NLT)

I stumbled across this verse yesterday and it made me smile, so I had to look it up in several different translations to see what it said in each one. Each one continued to make me smile, because it is just so incredibly true, and it was fun to find such a nugget hiding away in Proverbs.

I know on a basic level, this verse means exactly what it says. I would much rather eat a plate of vegetables here in my home with my family than go out to dinner for a fancy steak with someone I don't particularly like. The vegetables would be far more tasty and far more enjoyable because I'm with those I love best.

But when I look a little deeper and think on it a little more, I also can't help but think about how this verse can say so much more and be applied to so many more situations. When I think on that fattened ox, I think about all the work and trouble that went in to making that ox fat. It took a lot of work, probably a lot of money... you know, when I think about this scenario, I think that in a husband and wife scenario, the husband probably wasn't around much in order to provide that fattened ox. He probably worked hard- worked overtime, and was seldom home to spend time with his wife and family.

On the other hand, down the road is the vegetable farmer. The man who also works hard, but doesn't have to spend 24/7 tending to his oxen. He plants his seeds, and tends to the plants during the daylight hours, but when the sun goes down he is able to spend plenty of time with his wife and family. They live meagerly, but they are together, and happy, and when the harvest comes in they have an abundance to be blessed by. It may only be vegetables, but they are together and happy, and that's what matters most.

Would I love to have a freezer full of steaks and meat? You bet I would. But not at the expense of our family's happiness and love for each other. Instead, we will be happy and satisfied by the fruits and vegetables we have on the pantry shelf and in the freezer. I sure do like the thought of having a freezer full of meat, but if we had, that would mean far less time that Andy would have gotten to spend here at home with the family. Sometimes it's too easy to lose sight of that. It's too easy to look around and see all the lack, and miss the part where we actually all get to spend time together. That time is time that we could never get back! Andy does spend long hours working when he is working, and the kids can go days without seeing him. I imagine that if he worked like that year round, they would not have the relationships that they have with each other. That's something that we lose sight of too often, I think. This time of year it can be really difficult to look at the calendar and look at the bills and realize that there is just no way to do Christmas gifts and pay the bills at the same time. And yet, that time together is very precious, and every year things work themselves out.

That's something to remember, and one of the reasons why I treasure this blog so much, because I can look back at the difficult winters and read my testimonies of years gone by and see exactly how God placed miracle after miracle in our lives. I love that so much. And I also especially love how I see this morning that God used a simple little Proverb about how vegetables served with love is better than meat served with hate to show me how the simple things in life are sometimes the things that matter the most.

It's About Relationship

2011-12-05T08:48:00.001-06:00

"Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel." John 5:19-20 (NKJV)

I think that so many of the questions us Christians cane come up with today can boil down to this one simple thing. Or maybe it's not so simple. I think of many of the speakers who we've heard at church who talk about how they travel the world and they have seen people healed of all kinds of diseases and deformities. We've heard from a speaker who's ministry has raised over 400 people from the dead- verified dead people! We hear about miraculous instances of money being transferred in large amounts to someone who needs it- and we've heard of supernatural debt cancellation even. And yet... and yet we don't see any of these things manifesting here. One of my children gets a simple cold, and we pray for it every day during school, but the cold still hangs around for weeks on end. We pray for Andy to find some odd jobs to do so that we can pay bills and buy Christmas presents, and there's nothing there...

Yet there's always hope. Maybe this will be the time! So we pray again for healing to come upon that little one and for the cold to be gone. We've never seen the instantaneous healing, but I can tell you that we've never had a cold go beyond a cold. So many times we hear of other people whose colds turn into bronchitis or pneumonia or something else, but our never, ever do. Is that because we've prayed for healing? So maybe we've stopped something greater from trying to invade that little one's body? It's entirely possible.

But the more I spend time reading in my Bible and just meditating on thoughts of the supernatural and miraculous, and I can't help but realize that I'm missing something. I've experimented with taking dominion over the earth with my gardening. Several years ago a did a tomato plant grow out in the winter, where I started a few plants, and then blessed them every single day. One plant did not receive the same blessing every day, and in fact was less than half the size of the blessed plants when all was said and done. It was a simple blessing, something like "I call you blessed plants, wonderful plants. Be healthy and multiply in Jesus' name". Last year when I started some seeds I blessed them by reciting scripture over them- a verse about multiplication. I had a good year of gardening, but not great. And I've been thinking on that. Why did my plant blessing experiment yield astounding results while my seed starting scripture reading didn't?

I think it's a matter of relationship. When I read about Jesus performing miracles, He plain out says that He only does what He sees His Father doing. That simple statement means that there is a relationship there. A relationship where Jesus knows exactly what God would have Him do. Would God have me bless my seeds and reap a bountiful harvest in my garden? I think He would love that, but if all I'm doing is reciting a bunch of words, I'm not doing anything different than the person on the other side of town who subscribes to witchcraft does. Reciting the right words- whether they're scripture or not- is not the key to doing anything for God's Kingdom. The key is the relationship with God. Can I see what my Father would have me do? It takes a real relationship to see that, to open up that door to something that would be life-changing.

The relationship with God is key to everything, I'm positive of that. All those speakers that I mentioned who I've heard speak talk about all the wonderful things they see God do... but what they don't always mention is how they got to that point. How many hours a day did they spend on their knees, pouring out their hearts to God and asking for justice for those who need it. How many days did they fast and spend that time in their Word, seeking God for clear direction. How many times did they eschew the pleasures of the now and decide to seek God instead. It's football season right now, and if someone was really into football they could watch games on TV at least three days a week, if not more. How many of these people were football fans, but for a time set apart those hours they could have been watching and enjoying football games, and instead spent time with God? I bet a good many of them.

The things that we read about Jesus doing in our Bibles are very much for us to do today as well. But we don't live in some fictional fantasy land where some of us are born with a natural gift of healing or of speaking to the winds. I read a lot of fantasy and fiction, and I happen to think that a lot of fantasy writers hear bits and pieces of what God would like to do with mankind here on earth, but they present it in a matter-of-fact way with magic and sorcery and different rules for different lands, when the only hard and fast rule is this: Jesus. I, too, can calm the winds of the storm and can multiply the loaves and fishes to feed the multitude, but FIRST I need to see my Father doing it. And I can't see that without a relationship. A real relationship with one-on-one time, with heart-to-heart talks, and with me spending time reading the very Book that my Father wrote just for me.

I've spent a lot of time in the gospels, reading the words that Jesus actually spoke. It started when I was looking for the right verses about gardening. I do think that taking in the scripture and learning it so that it can be recited is important, but a recitation is just a recitation unless there is something behind it. I've gone to plays in the past where a person on stage was simply reciting lines. Those plays are just so-so, and not something you want to go see again and again. However, a play where the actor or actress takes the time to learn their lines in addition to a good character study makes all the difference in the world. When they take the time to really get to know their character, to learn the nuances and the interactions with the other characters, they come across as believable and entertaining. We want to see those plays and those actors again and again. In the exact same way, we should be studying our lines- the Word of God- and also studying the character within. When we work to develop our character to match that of our Father God, we will find that relationship that we are all intensely craving.

It's not just the right words. It's not just a few prayers of supplication, it's relationship. A real and true relationship with God is where we'll find the answers to so many of our questions. Let's make time for Him today and see what keys He has for us, and what nuggets of wisdom He's just waiting for us to ask for. He's a Great, Loving Father like that.

Almost Robbed

2011-12-01T15:16:00.001-06:00

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

I received a rather powerful revelation today.

I've been very quiet on my blogs as of late. Part of my away time was a reflection time, to see if this blogging "thing" was really something that I should be doing anymore. I wondered if it was a part of me that was in the past, and should stay in the past. As part of this reflection time, I went back to my blogging roots over at Tummy Treasure, and purposed to blog every single day in November. It was good. It reminded me that one of the reasons I blog is simply because I enjoy it so much.

Today being a new month, I also was not going to blog over there today, as we are quite busy for the next few days. But I had something small and silly to post, and decided to go ahead with it anyway. Upon pulling up my blog I found a rather nice comment, encouraging me to keep blogging, and then it was as if a veil was lifted from my eyes.

I was almost robbed.

When I think of all the years that I've been blogging and enjoying it, it makes me sad to think that the last six months or so have been really sad in the area of blogging. I've had so many conflicting thoughts about what to do with all my blogs. And that one comment sparked something. It reminded me that people DO read my blogs, whether they comment or not. And not only that, they read ALL of my blogs. That truly was an awakening moment for me, and I have to get back at the blogging, fast and furious.

Because I know with every fiber of my being that my blogging is a good thing. Whether it's just a good thing for me personally, for people around me, or for the good of God, by golly, it's a good thing and that devil has used everything he could think of to throw at me over the last six months to try and discourage me away from blogging. Why? What is it that He's so scared of? Ha-Ha-Ha-HA! It's Jesus. It's the Jesus that has been churning away inside of me, almost slumbering. I feel as though I've been sleeping, and I've needed someone or something to come along and wake me out of that slumber. The lion has roared, and in just a few short moments here, I've realized that I was almost robbed of something I truly enjoy, and it is going to continue NO LONGER!

Ha-Ha devil! You do not win this round. I am a blogger in every sense of the word, and by golly, I like doing it! Even better- I bring glory to the Kingdom of God and to Jesus Christ through this very hobby that I enjoy so much.

I'm back. And I love Jesus with all my heart, and all my soul and all my mind. And I WILL run this race to its very bitter end. And the end is NOT near. Not for this blogger.

Discipline

2011-10-01T11:27:00.001-05:00

"Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." Proverbs 13:24

Well hello there my little blog! It's been a crazy couple of weeks here, where a vast majority of my blogging time has been sucked away from me. It's also been a time of reflection for me, and I was wondering if maybe my time had passed, and it was time to let one or all of the blogs go. While I was reflecting, I got back to the heart of why I started blogging in the first place- and that was so that I could simply get my thoughts down in a way that I could go back and look them over. Virtual journaling, if you will. Every once in a while I get caught up in the thoughts of who might or might not be reading my blogs, and, well, it actually doesn't matter to me, and I need to remember that. What matters is that I get my thoughts down. That's it. It also doesn't matter how regularly I blog either. That's been a tough one to come to grips with, because a good blogger maintains a faithful following by faithful blogging. The problem there is that blogging becomes a chore, something that HAS to be done. Well, that is changing, as evidenced by my silence here as of late.

I will no longer be blogging regularly and faithfully at a certain time on certain days of the week. This is partly necessitated by my schedule right now, but it's also because when something becomes routine, it's not from the heart anymore. I will still be blogging, and in fact, if time permits, there may even be more than one blog post a day. But the blogging while happen when I have real thoughts to blog about. Not thoughts that I have to pull out of nowhere simply because I've committed myself to blogging every morning.

It's very freeing thinking of that. I can't tell you how many times I've had a thought the past few weeks and thoguht that I should blog it, and then decided I would wait for the "regular blog time" of early morning. My early mornings have been so rushed as of late, that the blogging has never happened.

So with that being said, I've had these thoughts on discipline running through my head this week. Specifically, thoughts about the verse posted up above. Here, I'll post it again:

"Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them."

Oh, this verse. Every time I see it, it makes me cringe. Not because it evokes memories of discipline or anything, but because there are SO many people who cling to this verse as an excuse to harm their children in a physical manner- all in the name of discipline. When I saw this verse this week, I had one of those "onion" moments. A moment where a layer peeled away and I saw something hidden underneath, and it focused on the word discipline. And I saw it. I saw the word "discipline" and I saw something very important. It was the fact that the word discipline was used, and not punishment. There's a very fine line there, but it's there nonetheless. Discipline is a word that means correction, guidance, training that perfects, molds and perfects. Punishment, on the other hand, means suffering, pain or loss that exacts retribution. Or a penalty inflicted on an offender. These are two very different words and are all too often used interchangeably.

And they shouldn't be! But as I read this verse this week, it became very clear to me that the "rod" is not a tool of punishment. So then I had to go look up the word rod in the dictionary too. (I love studying verses in the Bible word by word like this. So fun!) Do you know the best definition? That the rod is like a sceptor- a wand of judgement so to speak. Not a rod meant to dole out punishment- not a switch or a hand to beat with. Furthermore, a sceptor is not wielded by just anyone. A sceptor is granted to one who holds wisdom and has the ability to carry out their important office -like a king, sherrif or marshall.

WOW!

In one of the ultimate acts of irony, it is all too often Christian people, who confess to be loving and compassionate people, who flout the Bible and say that it gives them permission to beat their children. And yes, I used the word beat. A spanking or a slap on the hand is indeed a beating.

Parents, we are supposed to discipline our children. Make no mistake about that, the Bible tells us many times that we are to guide our children in the way they should go. But it never, ever says that we are to punish our children in a physical manner. I mean, if we really wanted to take the Bible literally in this instance, we could look at the Old Testament examples where God punished the people for bad behavior, and do you know that His punishments were always the same in their result? They resulted in death.

Methinks that would be a little extreme.

When we become parents, we are given these wonderful gifts of children, and along with them comes the responsibility of wielding a scepter. The scepter of parenthood, and we are charged to use it wisely.

"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Proverbs 22:15 (AMP)

Wisdom will guide and mold our children. Discipline should be carefully thought upon, prayed upon, and then acted on accordingly. But most importantly, discipline should never be something that will harm a child in any way. Just a short while ago I read a horrifying news article about a l3 year old girl who died of hypothermia after being starved and locked out of the house as a means of discipline. I won't go into any more details than that, because it's simply awful that these acts were done in the name of discipline, and that these acts were done by so-called Christians. And while I realize there is a big difference between slapping a child on the hand and starving them to death, they both cause physical, bodily harm or pain to the child.

Pain. Jesus came to free us from pain. How can we, in good conscience as parents, cause a child pain on purpose in the name of love? Love freed us from pain over 2000 years ago. Jesus came and was the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be freed of pain and suffering for all eternity. And yet, so many of us will say it's our right as parents to inflict pain and suffering on the least of these.

"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

Let us hold our scepter wisely and with grace. Let us love our children and discipline them as the Bible instructs us to, but let us never raise our hand and punish with the very thing that Jesus came to free us from.

Household Management: Or Lack Thereof

2011-09-19T08:49:00.003-05:00

"She is like the merchant ships,
      She brings her food from afar.
       ¹⁵ She also rises while it is yet night,
      And provides food for her household,
      And a portion for her maidservants.
       ¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
      From her profits she plants a vineyard.
       ¹⁷ She girds herself with strength,
      And strengthens her arms." Proverbs 31:14-17

It's been a crazy couple of weeks here since school started back up again. I think that we're finally getting into a groove with the school time- we know what we're doing and how our day is going to go, but where I'm really having issues is with everything else! I need some lessons in household management, and when I went to my faithful first lady in Proverbs 31, I was dismayed to read that she had maidservants. That meant that she actually had assistance in caring for her household. Something that I don't have, and I honestly don't really want anyway. I couldn't imagine having someone else do what I need to get done.

And yet, I'm having issues with my time. My blogging is suffering in the morning, because I'm sleeping a little later- which is necessary, because by the time I crawl into bed I'm exhausted! We do our schooling together, and by the time we're done I have very, very few precious hours to cram everything else into before we dash off for dance classes or church for the evening, and there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. The housework isn't the only thing suffering either. I do my Bible reading during my lunchtime- a time when I am guaranteed to be sitting and taking a little break. Except that I haven't been doing that much either! Some days I skip lunch entirely, because if I don't take the 30 minutes to eat something, that's a whole bunch of something I can get done. Other days, I eat lunch in small handfuls, while I'm working to accomplish something else. It's pure craziness, and while this post may seem like I'm whining, I'm really not. I love homeschooling my kids, and I love that they love our evening activities. Those are not going to change.

But what I am doing is spending what little time I can praying about this, because I clearly need some wisdom. And some supernatural energy to get everything accomplished that needs to get accomplished in a weeks time. I've actually had days where I told the kids to pull something out of the dirty hamper that's "not too dirty" to wear again because the laundry has fallen behind! And don't get me started on the spiders that are ruthless in their attempt to entirely swathe my home in cobwebs...

Anyway. Sometimes I think my blog posts make me come across as saintly or all-knowing, and today I just thought I'd throw out some humble pie. I am so far from perfect, and while the crazy life is a good fit for us, I need some wisdom in how best to approach those small, small bits in between the craziness. God knows, and it's most definitely His grace that keeps me from turning into a maniac some days.

God is good, all the time. And when I reflect on that for even a moment, I just feel like everything is all right, that it's okay if the dishes wait just a few more hours. Because it's God's Goodness that is most important in my life- and if unexpected company ever drops in, I can believe that whoever it is will not see all the clutter and disarray and un-vacuumed floors, and instead will focus on the joy and the goodness that our home is bathed in.

But I would still like that wisdom and supernatural energy to get everything back to rights and kept that way.

Feeding The Hungry

2011-09-13T08:52:00.002-05:00

"If you extend your soul to the hungry
      And satisfy the afflicted soul,
      Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
      And your darkness shall be as the noonday." Isaiah 58:10

The hungry have been on my mind a lot in the last week. More than that, it seems like everything I read has hungry people in it, everything I see has hungry people in it. Just this Sunday a missionary shared about finding a starving child in the bush in Africa, and all I could think about is this horrible injustice that there are people in this world who are starving. And there are- there are millions! You think I'm exaggerating? Last year 925 million people worldwide were identified as being undernourished. 925 Million. That's so, so horribly disgusting. That's 13.6 percent of the entire world's population.

What on earth?

How can there be so many starving people. Just thinking about a child going without food for one meal is enough to turn my stomach, I cannot imagine an existence where even one meal a day doesn't happen. There are times where I am at the dance school with the kids, and I will hear a child talk about how their mom forgot to pack them a dinner as they eye everyone else's sandwiches or Easy-Mac enviously. I am always hopeful that this is just a case of the mom deciding that dinner will be after dance is done.

Last Friday as part of our school day, we spent some time talking about people in other cultures and what they ate, and it was really eye opening to my little boy. His favorite food on the planet is pizza, and in his mind, he cannot imagine wanting to eat something like porridge every day, twice a day, when there is such wonderful food as pizza available. It was a sobering discussion- to realize that there are people who have absolutely no choice in what or when they eat.

And yet, I keep thinking about this. This last week was one of those rare weeks where the finances did not quite work out as planned, and when all was said and done, there was no money left for groceries. None. It really wasn't a big deal- I had made a meal plan for the coming week and a shopping list, but I simply set them aside and we've been managing just fine with the food already in the pantry, freezer, and especially the garden. It made me realize just how truly blessed we are. I mean, we may not be the wealthiest people, but we at least always have good food to eat.   We could probably go an entire month without going grocery shopping if we had to- meals would get scary, and the kids would definitely not be happy, but it's certainly possible. But what about those people who really and truly have no food in the home. None. And they have no money, no job, and actually, no food to be had where they are living. They have to rely on various world health organizations to deliver aid... how many people are perishing while they wait?

It's terribly heartbreaking, and as I've been dwelling on it this week, it's reminded me that we have been a little slack in our giving in that direction. Look what it says up there in Isaiah- if we give our attention to feeding the poor and hungry, our darkness shall be as the noonday- meaning, there won't be any darkness. We need to be more purposeful in helping to feed the hungry. I keep thinking about the starving people worldwide, but the reality is also that there are starving people right here in our country. There are children all over the country who don't get even one meal when they are at home with their families. They get breakfast and lunch when they go to school during the week, and that's it. Can you imagine? Can you imagine eating a hot meal around noon every day, and then having to wait to eat again until the next morning? And in some schools, lunch can be as early as 10:30 in the morning. It's awful to think of it.

As I'm thinking on all this and writing this morning, I honestly am not entirely sure of the purpose of this posting this morning. It is reminding me that I've had an idea of a project on the way-back burner that I've been thinking about trying to work on. It is also reminding me that it's been a while since we've made a grocery shopping trip for the purpose of helping stock the food pantry. Maybe there's someone else out there who needed the reminders. Maybe we all needed it pointed out that it IS scriptural to feed the hungry.

"He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes [from their want] will have many a curse." Proverbs 28:27

I know a lot of people as of late have been more in a preparedness/stock-up frame of mind. Organizations say that in an idea situation, we should all have anywhere from a week to a full years worth of food on hand. A years worth of food on hand. Think about the obscene amount of food that would have to be. It's actually turning my stomach to think of all these "caches" of food being socked away when there are neighbors wondering where their next meal is going to come from. I think that there is a way that people can both be prepared for an emergency, and also help the people in their community who are going hungry.

My prayer this morning is for opened eyes to the hunger around us. May every one's eyes be opened in our communities, and may the food pantries and soup kitchens suddenly find themselves with an abundance of food. Too often we hear of shortages in these areas. May the hungry be fed, and may they be satisfied, and may they know the love of Jesus- the love that feeds them so much more than a meal ever could.

Repelling The Darkness

2011-09-12T08:40:00.002-05:00

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

Last week was a rough week for me. Which was odd, actually, because I had been really looking forward to the week. We started school, and it simply wasn't the picture-perfect event that I'd been expecting. Then we had some other issues creep up, and truly, by Friday I just wanted to crawl into a hole and not come out until it was a new week. I was in such a bad mood. And while things were not going terribly well, it wasn't awful, and I really couldn't pinpoint the real reason I was in such a foul mood. I was also very, very tired. Nothing was helping shake this feeling all day, every day, that all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed.

And then yesterday came. The Sunday morning service just totally lifted that mood right off me. Worship started, and it was as though I'd been hooked up to an IV, I could feel the healing flow through me and wash away the yucky week I'd had. That gave me the opportunity to really think about where that awful mood had come from, and what caused it. I immediately assessed my diet, sleep habits, and anything else I could think of. I stalled for a while as I thought about the fact that yesterday was mine and Andy's 12th wedding anniversary. We don't do anything to celebrate, but we at least recognize the fact that another year has accumulated in our time together, and we laugh about this and that over the years. I wondered if maybe my bad mood last week was the devils way of trying to mess with our wedding anniversary. I really thought about this for a while before I concluded that it just wasn't it. Why would the devil work so hard to mess with something that isn't really that super important to us?

And then I thought about the other thing that Sunday commemorates. On top of being our wedding anniversary, it is also an important day for our country, as we remember the day the terrorists tried to break our nation in two and caused the loss of thousands of lives. That I thought upon further, and it was as if the light bulb went on. THAT was the reason for my bad mood that seemed to increase as the week went on last week.

The thing is, it wasn't just me who was having a bad week. It seemed like everyone I talked to was having a foul week- and everyone was tired as well. It didn't help at all that, for most people, it was also the beginning of the school year, so it was like a double whammy. As I thought on this more and more, I really think that last week was a product of the atmosphere. As I grow more in more in the understandings in the Bible, I'm becoming more and more sensitive to what is going on around me, and I believe that our whole community was bathed in a depression last week as we led up to the 9/11 anniversary. It could be much of the country was feeling the same way. As the day went on yesterday, I felt my spirit get lighter and lighter, most likely as the threat of some kind of repeat diminished, and people all over breathed a collective sigh of relief.

But what to do about this the next time it happens? I would like to think that I could recognize those feelings again were they to happen again. I'm simply not a depressed person- ever- for any reason, and last week was so tough! Well, I went to my Bible, of course, to see if it held any secrets to defeating this spirit, and I found it in 1 Samuel, chapter 16.

"But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. ¹⁵ And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. ¹⁶ Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”
¹⁷ So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”
¹⁸ Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.”
¹⁹ Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. ²¹ So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. ²² Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” ²³ And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him." 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Worship is key. Worship, and rejoicing, as I shared in the very first verse up above. What I should have done this week, when I was feeling overwhelmed and yucky, was to cue up a great worship song or two, and just spend some time soaking in the Lord's goodness. I didn't do that. In fact, when it came to time to listen to a few songs that were to be practiced over the weekend, I didn't even feel like listening to them. It was just that crazy of a week.

But now I know. The next time I feel that awful feeling, I WILL be better prepared. I will know how to chase it away, and I will dance before the Lord, full of joy and gladness, and I will NOT allow that yuckiness to come into my home again. And I would hope that as I work to keep the joy in our home, and repel the sadness, that it would spread from our home like a bubble, and that the joy would be felt in our neighborhood and community.

May we be a light to others in dark times. May they see the light clearly, and want to know how they too, can have this wonderful light in their lives.

Warfare Wednesday: Remember, And Stand Guard

2011-09-07T08:22:00.000-05:00

"Remember the days of old,
      Consider the years of many generations.
      Ask your father, and he will show you;
      Your elders, and they will tell you:" Deuteronomy 32:7

I spent some time in thought this morning about what to post for my Warfare Wednesday post. I went and glanced at all the news sites to see if there was something pressing that needed some prayer, but nothing jumped out at me.

Instead my thoughts took a different direction when I thought about (of all things) football. I am not a big football fan- I can simply think of a hundred other things I could get accomplished in the three hours it takes Andy to watch a football game. But this Thursday (tomorrow) is the opening of the new football season, and the big NFL sponsored party is going on just a few miles from home. The event is going to be huge- the city of Green Bay has a population just over 100,000 people, and they're expecting that to literally double on game day. As I thought about this, I felt prompted to pray about it. I felt prompted to pray for the safety of all those people- that any plans of the enemy to try and ruin this celebration would be thwarted. I also felt that I needed to pray for wisdom for the people in authority over the event on Thursday- that they would make the right decisions and would remain watchful and on guard for wrongdoing. Tomorrow could truly be a joyful and fun day for the people of Green Bay, and football fans all over the country. I pray that joy is the order of the day.

Thinking of this massive football celebration led me to the big day of remembrance this coming Sunday. Sunday is the ten year anniversary of the attacks on our country by terrorists. I cannot think about that day without very clear pictures in my head- and I cannot think about that day without thinking about all the people who are still hurting because of some very bad men.   And yet, when I also think about that day, I think about the days that followed. Yes, there was so much confusion and pain and questions, but there was also a resilience that came out in the American people. For a time, all thoughts of partisanship and sides were tossed away, and everyone came together in unity to try and heal from this horrible disaster. The terrorist attacks on September eleventh literally changed this country, and ten years later I am still praying that the change is for the good.

More than that though, this year I really feel the need to be on guard. I feel like I need to spend serious time in prayer for my country- for my home. I am praying that the angels will be on guard throughout this whole country, and that our borders will not be crossed by anyone wishing to do harm to this beautiful, God-loving nation. I am praying that any thoughts of disaster will be thwarted, and I am praying that God will win this weekend as we celebrate our rise from the ashes .

I am also praying for President Obama and his family, that they will be under extra protection this weekend, and that as they participate in various services of remembrance, that they will truly remember and will understand what God would have them do for this country. And I pray that our Commander-In-Chief will bow his knee to the King of Kings and will thank God for the peace this country has been enjoying, and that He will seek Godly counsel for the answers for the many problems facing Washington today.

May we all remember the days of the past- the struggles of so many, the victories, and the losses. And may we thank God each and every time for how far He has brought us, and may we turn to Him for the solutions to all our problems. Most importantly, may God Bless the U.S.A.

Back To School!

2011-09-06T08:14:00.000-05:00

"Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP)

This morning is a special morning in our household- because it's back to school day for us! I feel incredibly blessed this morning that my children are just lounging around in their pajamas, relaxing and enjoying their morning before we hunker down and hit the books. Scads of people have been walking and driving past this morning, everyone anxious for the first day of school... but I get to keep my children right here at home with me, and together we're going to adventure around the globe and learn more about this amazing world that God created. I'm incredibly thankful for this journey that He has set before us, and every day I find myself praying that we are successful in our endeavors.

One of the biggest ways that I think I educate my children is by example. The verse I posted above talks about studying the Bible constantly, and that's something I try to do with my kids around. When they see me reading my Bible, it shows them its importance in my life. When we sit and read it together and point out a few things together, it shows that there is always something interesting in the Bible, just waiting for us to discover. Most importantly though, I think I show them that Bible reading is never to be viewed as a chore or something to trudge through. When we open up our Bibles it's with the same eagerness with which we open up some of the best fiction- it's with anticipation and excitement, because we know there is something great there for us to discover.

I study myself so that when the time comes, I will be able to skillfully teach that which God has shared with me. I do that a lot here on my blog, but the days will be coming where I will need to share God's Word more intently with my kids- as life happens, and they grow and mature. Right now it's easy to point out the small things- the truth telling, the kindness, and praying for other people. It's not going to be quite so easy when the questions about other gods come into play- or why other cultures have different beliefs. We're going to be tackling those very things big time this year, and I'm looking forward to the challenge!

So happy Tuesday! We start school in just a little while, and I'm going to do my best to try and continue with the daily blogging here as we get the school year rolling. Don't be concerned if I take a day or two off though, it always takes us a few weeks to find our new groove!

Gifts For Gracias

2011-09-01T21:28:00.001-05:00

Hello my dear internet friends! Has this been the craziest week for me or what! I'm sure I will work my adventures into a blog post or two in the future, but for now, as we get ready to hide away for the coming holiday weekend, I wanted to share about another holiday weekend.

Christmas.

There are so many children in this world who have never in their lives received a Christmas gift. There are parents who wish they could give their children gifts, but can't. And then there are the orphans in other countries who have no one to give them even the tiniest of gifts.

A friend of mine lives in the country of Honduras, and one of her family's ministries there is to distribute Christmas gifts to the poorest of the poor. You can imagine, in this day and age, with the economy so topsy-turvey, that support for this type of activity has gone way down. And that's why I'm blogging about it today, because I'm hopeful that my blog readers can help.

You can help in many ways- one of course, is to assemble a gift for someone and ship it to a location here in the United States to be packed in a container, which will be shipped to Honduras, then unpacked and sorted by my friends family and volunteers. A second way you can help though is to help get the word out and get others involved. Whether that's through a blog, facebook, or simply asking someone face to face if they would like to help.

It will only take you a few extra minutes the next time you are at Target or Wal-Mart to pick up a plastic shoe box and load it up with goodies for a deserving girl or boy. That gift could be the only Christmas gift that child receives in their lifetime- think about that.

All the information you need can be found here on their website:

Gifts For Gracias 2011

Please note that the gifts must be received at the shipping points by October 1st.

And if you can do nothing else, please take a few moments and just pray for this years efforts- that they would find enough generous participants to make this year's Christmas a special one for the poor people of Honduras.

Thank you dear friends. It only takes one person to make a difference.

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

"He stirs up the sea with His power,And by His understanding He breaks up the storm." Job 26:12

I am praying this morning that Monday morning's blog post is not a call to prayer for hurricane devastation. There is still time for God to do something really cool and spare the East Coast from some terrifying weather.

What else is there to say, really, other than mentioning that maybe if enough of God's people will pray, He will hear us, and He will send this mighty hurricane in the opposite direction- out to sea where it will dissipate and cause no more destruction.

So I guess I'm going to keep it quite short this morning. All I keep thinking of is that a few weeks ago, for just a few minutes, Andy had turned on a TV program that was airing some footage from Hurricane Katrina, and I just cannot stop thinking of all those people who needed help in the aftermath. I am praying that the situation doesn't repeat itself- that people have learned, and that if they are in an evacuation area, that they are in fact leaving.

God is still a God of mercy. May He be merciful to all the millions of people who live in that densely populated part of the country.

Visionaries

2011-08-25T09:11:00.000-05:00

“ And it shall come to pass afterward
      That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
      Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
      Your old men shall dream dreams,
      Your young men shall see visions." Joel 2:28

Last night when I went to bed I found myself thinking of the strangest thing. I was completely (randomly) thinking about Mickey Mouse. Truly, the thought came out of nowhere, and all the sudden I couldn't stop thinking about this cartoon character who always, ALWAYS brings a smile to me. Mickey Mouse is one of those rare treasures that, no matter how old you get, you will never be too old for Mickey. That got me thinking about other characters on TV and in movies, and I thought of my kids who used to be huge fans of things like Sesame Street, Barney, and the Backyardigans, and now they would never consider themselves fans of those baby shows. But Mickey Mouse? He will always be welcome.

And that got me thinking about Walt Disney. I know a lot of Christian organizations and people have problems with the Disney corporation as a whole, but I have to say that Walt Disney was a true visionary who had the heart of God. He really did. His goal in life was to entertain- to bring joy and happiness to children and families. His goal wasn't actually this billion dollar corporation that Disney now is today, that happened as a result of his visions. A few months ago we watched a documentary on the life of Walt Disney that was really neat to see. It was really something to hear how his ideas way back then were met with such criticism and skepticism, and yet he persevered and created something truly magical every single time.

One thing that really stuck with me though from that documentary was when they were discussing how Walt had this vision of creating a TV show for the first time. The show was called "Disneyland" and when they were discussing the very first episode, they showed us a picture of Walt working on his notes for the show. Right there, in the middle of the page, I very clearly caught in bold letters "The Parable of The Talents". That struck me big time, that not only did Walt Disney want to bring joy and happiness through entertainment, but that he also wanted to share the truths from the Bible.   I have no idea if he was successful with that- did the parable of the talents end up on Disneyland? I'll probably never know, but it really cemented for me that Walt Disney really had the heart of God, and that his visions and dreams for the Disney corporation- the movies, the theme parks, the TV shows, the merchandise, etc. all came from God.

Which makes it completely ironic that so many Christians take a stance that "Disney is evil", don't you think?

But the whole point in thinking on Walt Disney- both last night and this morning, is thinking on this idea of a visionary. When is the last time we heard of one? When I hear the word visionary, I immediately think of Disney, and I think of Henry Ford. But who are our modern day visionaries? Who are these people who have the heart of God and are going to help shape our future? Could it be retiring Apple CEO Steve Jobs? Could it be Microsoft's Bill Gates? Could it be one of the many people high up in the tech world? Or could it be some second grader living in Santa Fe who has dreams of a city in the sky? Could it be some unknown microbiologist who makes unique discoveries about water that will literally change the way we live?

I want to pray for these visionaries of the future. I want to pray that God would embolden them and give them the tools they need to see these ideas come to fruition. I want to pray that these visionaries ideas will bring great joy and happiness to people once again- just as Walt Disney did in times that certainly needed joy. Joel says that "your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions".   These people are here, now. They are out there having these dreams and these visions and wondering if there is anything to these dreams and visions. I am praying that God will show them the truth and give them everything they need to make these visions and dreams a reality. Because God knows, we need more people on this world like Walt Disney- a man who knew the heart of God and loved all people, but especially children.

Warfare Wednesday: Earthquake!

2011-08-24T09:16:00.000-05:00

"When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people,
      It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree,
      Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.
       ¹⁴ They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing;
      For the majesty of the LORD
      They shall cry aloud from the sea." Isaiah 24:13-14

Wow! Yesterday afternoon I was sitting down at the computer for a little break in my day and checked the news channel to see if anything newsworthy was going on. When I saw the bright red urgent banner across the top of the screen that said "Earthquake in DC" I have to admit- I wasn't really concerned, I was excited. I was excited, because I knew in my spirit that this was totally a God thing. That our government- and the entire eastern coast was being shaken. And I thought- it's about time!

The practical side of me spent some time with the various news channels to see if there was anything serious to be concerned about with this earthquake, but it didn't take long to see that there really wasn't. I thought about that. I thought about the fact that this earthquake, while centered in Virginia was felt all up and down the east coast (and into Canada!) and there were no reports of serious injury or death or of major buildings toppling over.   It was a God rumble- it was a wake up call, and a sign that God is watching our country and wants us to know that it's time to "shake it up".   Even more telling that this was a God rumble? One of the few buildings to receive damage was our National Cathedral. Three of the four spires on top of that beautiful building was broken. The church in America is broken- and it's time for the new church to rise up from the dust and proclaim that America belongs to the Kingdom of God!

I am praying, though, that this was not a "before-shock", that there are not bigger earthquakes to come to that region of the country.   I am also praying this morning for the hurricane that is on its way. The predictions are not good, and I am praying that God would show mercy to the people on the east coast of our country, and would send the right winds to calm the storm. May it hit land as no more than a severe thunderstorm- as rain would be good for that parched area of the country.

I am also praying this morning for President Obama and his family. They are currently supposed to be on vacation, and I suspect it's hardly a vacation. With events going on around the world, and in our country, the President isn't getting very much time to just relax and enjoy his family. I would pray that the time they do get to spend together is sweet and wonderful. And I would pray that even though this seems to be a working vacation instead of true time off, that it would feel like true time off when the President returns to his office.

As I'm thinking about the earthquake yesterday, and the hurricane that's on its way, I can't help but think that as individual people in this country, we should be thinking a little more about being prepared for an emergency or disaster situation. I read online yesterday that within minutes of the earthquake in areas, there were people who piled into their cars and headed for the grocery store to stock up on the basics. They were simply prompted by a rumble in the ground to go get the basic necessities that should have already been on hand anyway. For myself and my family, I am praying that God would show us what we need to do to be prepared for an emergency in our neck of the woods. We have this beautiful gift in God that we can rely on Him to supply all our needs, but at the same time, it would be nice to be able to be a blessing to those around us who may not have been so prepared.

May God grant the people of this nation wisdom, and may eyes be opened to the rumblings yesterday, and may God get the glory for the fact that there really was no serious issues to emerge because of it. May Hurricane Irene peter out as it rolls toward the coast- and the only explanation for it is that God caused it to dissipate. God can do that, and God will get the glory for it when it happens.

A Tiny Bit of Practical Advice

2011-08-23T09:55:00.000-05:00

For Bible reading that is.

I've really been struggling with my Bible reading for a while now. It's not so much that I'm not reading, it's more that when I go to read my Bible, it's just not capturing me. It's almost been like sitting down with a textbook instead of the living, breathing tool that it is. My readings have mostly been short because of this, and it's taking me forever to make any progress on my "read my Bible in a certain amount of time" plan.

This past Sunday, God totally revealed to me why I was having troubles with my Bible reading. During the Sunday morning message, the preacher went to Matthew 17 to make one of his points. I was following along in my Bible, except that part of what he shared was completely and totally missing from my translation of the Bible. Often times I'll see a meaning that is skewed or changed a bit because of what the translators were doing, but this was really the first time that I saw a piece of scripture completely omitted. Here, I'll show you. Matthew 17, verses 20 and 21, first in the New King James Version:

"So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (NKJV)

And now, here those verse are in the NIV version, which is what my regular Bible is:

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (NIV)

I'm not kidding when I say that verse 21 was completely omitted. Now, on Bible Gateway there is a footnote that the verse in some translations verse 21 is similar to Mark 9:29, but there certainly wasn't in my physical Bible. It just was a light bulb moment for me right there. I was stuck in that train of thought for a while during the message, and then, as if to really cement the message, during the Sunday night message something similar happened, though I don't remember the passage from that one.

Pretty much, I've come to the conclusion that it's time for me to "level up" as a video gamer might say. I've been reading from the NIV version of the Bible for years. I've always been comfortable with it, my various study Bibles are of the same translation, and my Story Bible is the NIV version as well. But I guess my thoughts from Sunday were that it's time to see what another translation has to say- time to see what I can glean out of a different way of translation. So yesterday, for my Bible reading time, I went and pulled out a Bible that we have that has four different translations side by side and opened it up. I turned to the book of Ezekiel, and my intention had been to read the first two chapters in each version and see which one spoke to me the most. I found that I started reading in the King James version and just kept going. I was enjoying what I was reading again. Maybe today I'll try one of the other versions.

After struggling with my Bible reading for, oh, probably, honestly and truthfully, a whole year now, it's so refreshing to finally figure out what my trouble was. I am so thankful that God took me to those verses on Sunday and showed me what He showed me. It was very eye-opening to me, though I do want to add that if you are currently reading the NIV and are comfortable with it, stick with it. This is a personal post- it's speaking specifically to me, and showing me that I need to start taking something new into me. And maybe it's something that you'll remember down the road when you're struggling with your own scripture reading. Try a different translation- even just for a few days. Scripture translation is not a precise science, so different translations may be better at different stages of your spiritual journey. I'm discovering that for myself right here and right now.

Practice Hospitality

2011-08-22T09:26:00.000-05:00

"Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality." Romans 12:13 (AMP)

This is something that has really been on my mind for a while. For a long while. Once upon a time, we felt we were doing a good job of practicing hospitality. We were in a season where we were hosting a small Bible study group one day a week, every week- including a full meal with the study. We enjoyed it each and every week, and when that season abruptly ended for us, we began to wonder how we were to practice hospitality. One of the problems at that specific time was that God was clearly moving our circle of influence, and we were living a good 25 miles away from the center of our new circle. And then we moved.

When we moved in, it was very, very clear to us that one of the reasons God brought us to this specific house was for the purpose of hospitality. We envisioned plenty of dinner parties, gatherings, and we also had something new here: plenty of room to shelter overnight guests. We were excited, and over the last year, when we've had time, we have taken full advantage of inviting anybody and everybody to spend time with us. The one area that has continued to puzzle us though is the full out hospitality, which to us means overnight guests. Every time we've made the offer to someone to stay here in our home, we've been turned down for various reasons. I certainly wouldn't say that we've been disappointed by all of that, but it has been puzzling, because as certain as I know that my eyes are blue, I know that God wanted us to offer our home for overnight company.

So what's the deal? Well, I was talking to God about that at the beginning of summer. And as you all should know by now, when God and I talk, He doesn't seem to waste much time in putting our talks into action. My extended family had a reunion this summer, and one of my cousins and his family needed a place to stay for the weekend. We hoped into action, offered them a place to stay, and we all had a wonderful weekend. They were very grateful for the landing space during the busy weekend, and overall, WE were pleased with how the logistics of putting a family in our home worked out. And you know what I did after that? I told God our trial run went very well, and He should bring it on.

And is He ever! Next week, we will be hosting, in our home, some people we've never who are coming to town to look at a college. I'm kind of excited about it, because while we've never met these people, they are kindred spirits. They are a homeschooling, Christian family, and I'm really looking forward to meeting them and getting to spend time blessing them on their college hunt.

The thing is, late Saturday night, Andy and I got around to discussing this family coming, and he mentioned that he couldn't help but think that we were supposed to do more of this type of thing. Specifically, our discussion turned to the area of the conferences our church hosts. There are plenty of people who come from out of town and spend the weekend in a hotel, and we've often (lightly) mentioned that it would be nice to be able to offer someone a place to stay. Except that we are very, very busy during that time, and while we would be able to offer a place to sleep, we wouldn't be able to entertain or even offer a meal beyond breakfast. There were other issues as well. One being, that when we have company, Andy and I give up our room and move to the basement where we sleep on an air mattress. Only I don't sleep well on that mattress AT ALL. And at conference time, I get so little sleep, that when I do get to go to bed, an air mattress is not going to be beneficial.

I mentioned this to Andy, and casually said that if we were to do this- offer up our home on a regular basis- we would have to look into getting a futon or pull out sofa bed to put in the basement and really make a nice guest room. And while we were talking, we were sitting at the computers, so I thought I'd just go onto Craigslist and see what used furniture of that type is going for. I expected several hundred dollars, though with it being "going to college" season, thought maybe we'd find a deal. And there, just listed 20 minuted prior was a sleeper sofa, located nearby, and he only wanted thirty bucks for it. Seriously. Andy and a friend went and got it yesterday. It needs just a little, minor TLC, but otherwise it's in very nice condition, and it's comfortable.

You know, when God wants you to do something, and you're open to the doing of it, He will make a way for it every single time. And yet, even though I know this- I know this and believe it with all my heart- I am amazed at how EASY He makes things happen. When you make yourselves willing to His purposes, He will always make the way to accomplish that purpose.

A Little Provision Story

2011-08-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

"And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 (AMP)

I thought I'd kick of the weekend with a little story of how God truly does supply our needs. It's going to be a great weekend, as it's birthday weekend here at the Waz household. My beautiful girl turns 11 tomorrow, and the Sunday I get to spend my birthday rocking out in the House of the Lord. What could be better than that? Well, I'll tell you what could be better- knowing that my God is with me and not against me, and knowing that God truly does care for His children and takes care of all their needs.

Homeschool materials is one such need. I'll tell you, it's been a crazy couple of months here as I've tried to plan for the school year. I can't tell you how many times I had the fleeting thought that if I just put the kids in public school I wouldn't have to worry about curriculum costs. And then I would question myself a bit, and think about how clearly God called us to this homeschooling adventure, and I then I would be led in a completely different direction of thought with regards to material. I truly believe that the curriculum choices I've made for the kids ARE completely God directed, because it truly was the last option on the table for me when we first began. It was a curriculum I didn't want to use... until I really looked it over, and then God filled my heart immediately and I knew this was the right direction to go.

And yet, this summer, like thinking about putting them in brick-and-mortar schools, I was also thinking, well, maybe this is the year I look for something different. Maybe we use something less costly this year and come back next year. There just has been no way to come up with the funds to pay for these materials, which, when all is said and done, reach past the thousand-dollar mark.

But then a few weeks ago at our conference, a woman shared about how they gave in the offering and she asked God to help them figure out how to buy their homeschool curriculum that they need for the coming year. While they were at the conference, someone called them and said they wanted to buy the curriculum for them! What a blessing! Several hundred dollars worth of curriculum was being purchased for them. I was so excited to hear this, because I know my scriptures. So I immediately rejoiced with this woman, because this was my prayer too- and I was so excited to hear that God met someone else's need in that regard! And then I had a little chat with God and reminded Him that I had the same need, and I was going to trust that if He would provide curriculum for this family, that He would do the same for me.

"And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons," Acts 10:34

I've been talking to God ever since about this. I keep reminding him how He provided curriculum for this other family, and I was trusting that He would do the same. And I have to tell you, I've been so full of faith that this would happen, that every time I see the Fed Ex truck in the neighborhood, I wonder if he's going to stop by with two huge boxes full of curriculum for my kids, even though I haven't placed an order. Because God could totally do that, and I wasn't about to limit God's provision in any way.

In the meantime though, I keep assessing what we need, and I've been keeping my eye on used options, because that is a way to go that is much less expensive. I just don't prefer it, because I don't want other people's notes in my homeschool material. But, if it comes to it, used materials is certainly an option- especially since most of our items are books that we read, not consumable materials like workbooks and worksheets.

And then last Saturday, late in the day, Andy got a phone call for desperate help. A friend and a neighbor were trying to take care of a tree, and things had gone wrong- could Andy possibly come out and help? As it happened, we had no plans, Andy was free, and rushed over to save them from their peril. Unexpectedly, the neighbor paid Andy for coming out to help, and he paid him quite well. That money went into the bank, and we all delighted in how God provided this extra little bit of income. It sat there, and I thanked God for it, but I also reminded Him that I needed more than that to buy much for the kids. Lol. Do you know I have a Dad who listens? Because a check showed up in the mail this week, that when I added the two together, I thought I could do something pretty significant at picking up some of our materials. God wasn't going to let that stop there though.

He took me to one of the used curriculum sites, where I browsed our specific needs. I was trying very hard to figure out how best to use these unexpected monies to get the most bang for the buck when I found a completely unexpected ad. Abigail's curriculum this year is quite pricey- even used, I haven't been able to find a good source of the materials for under $400. But right there, on this page, I found a package of Abigail's curriculum for the exact amount that these two checks added up to. I prayed that this wasn't a fluke, because I've never seen this material so low, and shot off an e-mail to see about purchasing it. Of course, it was still available, and while there were a few books missing, the missing book list is very, very small compared to the 50+ books that it still has. So just like that, God has provided a serious chunk of our materials for the coming year. I'm so excited that yesterday I cleaned off the shelf where it will all go. It will likely be a few days before we see the box come in, but I feel like such a weight has been lifted!

And now, of course, I'm also very excited to see how the rest is going to come in. I still need Zander's materials and a few other things, but do you know that God doesn't just start something and then not finish it?

"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you." Philippians 1:6

God doesn't do something partway or halfway or even most of the way. God is the God of completion, and I'm trusting completely in His provision for our school year. I love going back to the verse I started with today and reading it in the Amplified version- which all the verses are in today. Scroll up and look at what it says in parenthesis there- it says fill to the full. God will fill my bookshelves to the full, because our homeschool materials are a very real need for us. He has called us to this lifestyle of homeschooling for this season, and He will be certain that we have absolutely everything we need for the school year, and then some. Because He is also the God of abundance.

"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." John 10:10

I fully expect that our school shelves this school year will be abundant. We will have everything we need on our shelves plus a whole bunch of extra stuff that we can use whenever the mood strikes. God is just so good, and I expect nothing less from His Goodness.

Happy Friday everyone! Have a blessed and blissful weekend.

The Next Verse

2011-08-18T09:12:00.000-05:00

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

I love this verse, it's one of my favorites, and it gets me through all the troubled times much easier than if I didn't have this verse. It's such a great reminder that God is there, God knows exactly what you're going through, and we can have faith that we will get through to the other side of the struggle.

But last night, when this verse was shared in a message at church, I looked beyond this verse to the next one, and I was caught up in what the next verse had to say. Let's look at it.

"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:12

There's a word there in that verse that means something truly special, and that is the word listen. It doesn't just say "and I will hear you", it says that "I will listen to you". That makes a huge difference, and makes it even more special, so to speak. To hear something just means that sound is received to your ear. You maybe understand what you're hearing, maybe not, but maybe you're not even focused, and you don't even really recognize what you're hearing. But to listen! To listen means to pay attention, and to hear something with thoughtful attention- to give consideration. It means a concentrated effort on the part of the listener to truly hear us and understand what we are saying. It's incredible to think that God would actually listen to me!

God listening goes so far beyond just hearing what I say! It means that when I pray for someone to be healed, that God will listen- He will give thoughtful attention to my request, and will follow through. Wow. I think of how my children listen. Sometimes they simply hear me ask them to clean up their mess. They know I've said to clean up, but they are focused on finishing up what they are doing first- they are slow to respond, and are not really listening. When I say to clean up a mess and they actually listen, the response is immediate. They take to action, immediately doing the task that I have set them to.

You know how there are those people who pray to God, and then it seems like their prayers are always answered? As I read these verses, it seems to me that those people are the people who have already been through the fire- they held to their faith and made it through, and now they have drawn so much closer to God because of it, and they have the ear of the Lord when their prayers and petitions are being made. These people have read and listened to the very next verse in Jeremiah 29:

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

When we search for God with all our heart, when we get to the point where we really realize that everything we do is for Him and His purposes and His glory, THEN we will truly find Him. And just like the prodigal son was welcomed wholeheartedly and showered with gifts by his father- despite the errors of his ways- God will show the same consideration to us. When we truly turn to Him with all our heart, it will be as if we've always been there. I think that too many of us are afraid of what we will find when we do decide to turn to Him with all our heart. Maybe we're afraid of a scolding or of being assigned a penance. But the fact is that God loves us so much, and that's really all He wants from us- our hearts and our souls. He wants us, and our whole heart.

Will you let Him have it?

My Quiver IS Full

2011-08-16T09:16:00.000-05:00

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
         The fruit of the womb is a reward.
⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
         So are the children of one’s youth.
⁵ Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;" Psalm 127:3-5

Not a day goes by that I don't find myself admiring and treasuring my children. Every. Single. Day. And that's sooo not an exaggeration. I adore my children, and I often find myself just wanting to spend time watching them interact together- even if it's something as basic and simple as going for a walk or playing a video game.

The other night we had a thunderstorm and with the first crack of thunder Zander came dashing into our bedroom, looking for some snuggles. I was not about to miss this opportunity to comfort my little boy. He's growing so fast, and the day will come where he does not need such comfort in the middle of the night. As I held him and snuggled him, I thought about his first few years of life and how we spent so much of our time in the very same position- snuggling and loving.

They are just such cool people! I frequently get asked by other people why we haven't decided to have more children- because what could be better than having MORE of these cool little people in our family. The fact is, that after Zander was born, our family felt complete. And it still feels complete, and when I read the verses in Psalms up above, I can most assuredly say that our quiver is full to overflowing.   It's been argued many a time that the more children a family has- the more full their quiver is. But I have to disagree. A soldier in battle does not truly care about the quantity of arrows in his quiver- he is more concerned about the quality of those arrows.   Two of the most expertly made arrows will be able to be used again and again, and will bring down a foe with one shot. The quality of the two arrows that God has blessed Andy and I with is staggering. They are of the finest workmanship- created to be just like Jesus in every way possible.

I could honestly and truly go on for days talking about how wonderful my children are. And that wouldn't even just be the pride of a mother talking, it would be absolute truth. They are such willing helpers, and caring people- they want everyone to be included when they play something. That makes it very interesting when we have a houseful of kids that range in age from 18 months to 10. My kids are so insistent that even the littlest one be included- sometimes I can honestly say that they have the mind of Christ, saying "let the little children come to me".

My children truly are a gift and a blessing. They are going to be incredible people when they are grown and leave the nest, and while there is a part of me that is eager to see the path that God has planned for them. Every once in a while I will catch myself about to say something to that effect- telling them they are going to be a great this or that. Thankfully I always catch myself, because God's plans are between Him and them. I am not going to cause confusion for them and say something like "someday you'll make a great Preacher" to Zander. God may very well have plans for him to be a preacher, but God may also have plans for him to do something else with his life, and the last thing I want to do is plant a seed of an idea that shouldn't even be there. What if Zander is to be a doctor or a marine or a politician? If I spend time encouraging him to be something he isn't meant to be, that could cause great problems for him down the road. So what do I do when I see him doing something and I want to say something? I follow the example that Mary showed to me long ago:

"But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

I keep these things in my heart. For Abigail too. Every once in a while I get a small glimpse of what God might have for her future, and I keep my mouth close. I ponder them and treasure them in my heart. And if the day ever comes where we need to have a conversation about the future- and career paths and such- we will sit together and pray about it, and ask God to show my child the direction they should take. THAT is my goal with my children. I am not educating them at home to steer them in any particular direction. Oh, I have plans for them- make no mistake about that- I have a path for them through high school, and I know what I want them to do beyond high school. BUT, that is for me to know and for them to work toward. And when the days come that those plans need to be made, we will see if that is still God's will for them. It could change, and that's perfectly fine by me. What's important now is that today we do what God wants us to do. And tomorrow, we'll do what God wants us to do.

And for today, I will love my children with all my heart, and together we will live life and enjoy each other's company and love. I will enjoy the gifts that God has given us, and enjoy the fact that my quiver is not only full, but it's full to bursting.

Seed... What Are You Sowing?

2011-08-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

"As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever!
¹⁰And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity].
¹¹Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God." 2 Corinthians 9:9-11 (AMP)

I often hear these verses used in the context of taking an offering. And we should, they are excellent verses to help us build up our faith for making an offering in the first place. In those instances, the offering (money) is our seed, and the more we increase what we are giving, the more God is able to increase what is coming into our storehouse. That's a fact. More than once in our married lives, Andy and I have seen an increase in our finances after a time where we purposed to increase our giving. God works like that, and it is always wonderful, because when we have a time of increase, we can increase our giving even more- and help those who truly need it.

But this morning my thoughts were more in a direction of what other "things" we can sow. What other seed can we sow into different situations? I immediately thought of the seed of time. Time today has become almost as precious as money- so many people have become protective of their time because they just don't have much of it to do as they wish with it. What I like about the concept of sowing time as my seed is that sometimes, there just isn't extra money to do some sowing with. We all go through seasons of life where there just isn't quite enough money to go around, but I'll tell you, every single one of us can probably find an hour or two of extra time to sow. And what you do with the time isn't limited to an offering plate! That's the cool part! With an extra couple of hours you can visit a shut-in and take them a meal. You can visit a sick friend in the hospital, you can give your time to a philanthropic organization- such as a food pantry or homeless shelter. You can give some time to your own church with weekly cleaning, lawn care, or something extra, like freshly painting a long-overdue classroom. You can give time by teaching a class or helping to organize an activity- the options are truly endless.

But the best part about sowing your time is what happens to the rest of your time as a direct result. Since I began cleaning our church one year ago, I have had an abundance of time. Oh, there are the occasional moments where I wish I had a few more hours, but for the most part, each and every day there is more than enough time to get everything accomplished that I want to accomplish. Even better, sometimes I will have entire days where nothing is earmarked, and I can spend the day doing as I wish. It's incredible! Truly, even on the days where I have a fully heaped plate where I have to move from task to task, I always find a little extra time at the end of it. Life overall has become so much more relaxed for me, because I don't feel the stress of time- even with the many activities we have during the week!

But what do you do if you truly don't have the extra time to physically go and do something? A busy mom with a family of little ones barely has time to take a shower everyday, let alone find a few moments to volunteer. That's where you sow something completely different. You sow your prayers, and you sow your tears. A mom who is nursing her new little one has plenty of time to devote to prayers- even if it's just praying for the little one in her arms. Every prayer is important, and every prayer is a seed to sow. I think that those moms who do just that are the women who, in their older years, become the most powerful intercessors in the church, because they've spent so much time already sowing into their prayer life. Sowing prayers is actually something that I think everyone could improve upon. The more prayers we sow, the more it becomes natural to do so. I pray a lot when I'm doing housework- specifically, when I do dishes and fold laundry. I've just found that those are great times to talk to God about what's on my mind. And I know He doesn't mind that I'm multi-tasking either. Sometimes that's the only time we can find to give to talking to Him, and I know that He's more than okay with that.

So whether it be money, time, prayers or tears, there is always something that we can sow. When we hear all those messages about sowing money into something worthwhile, we don't have to feel badly about not being able to do so. What we can do, is ask God for other opportunities to sow what we can. Sometimes that may be a snip of time to help someone out. Sometimes, that opportunity may come in the form of an e-mail asking for prayer. Sometimes, our tears of compassion as we read about a tragedy in the news is opportunity as well. God will provide seed to sow- we just need to be open to what kind of sowing He would have us do. Because sometimes, it's the sowing of money that comes easy. It's the other kinds of sowing that become a sacrifice and a struggle. But God wants them from us all the same.

Warfare Wednesday

2011-08-10T09:39:00.000-05:00

"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

Is our country in trouble or what? I love how this verse specifically says that God is our "very present help" in trouble. God is our help in this great time of need for our country- it's time we stop looking to man to fulfill that need! Every day I can read on many different news sources how people are looking to the next election cycle- for fresh blood for offices to step in and fix the many troubles in this country. As long as we continue to look to man to solve our problems, it just isn't going to happen! Yes, we need to do our part and research candidates, choose the best person for the job, and then vote. That's part of living in this free nation! But it's so much MORE important that we are doing our part in lifting our country in prayer. And more than that, we need to encourage our leaders to do the same exact thing. A country who prays together will be the country who finds God's favor and finds solutions to their troubles.

And God WILL Bless America Abundantly!

Beyond our borders this week though, I am also deeply in thought and prayer over the rioting situation in the United Kingdom. You know, you expect to hear about riots in less developed nations- or in troubled nations. But in London? London is the capital of civilization, and yet there are riots in the streets, and this attitude is spreading. The worst part about these riots is that there is truly no reason for them. None. These people who are rioting and looting and causing trouble are simply participating in an act of lawlessness. And the people who are not participating are hiding in their homes in fear. May the Peace of God flow through the streets of London, and through all the towns and cities in the United Kingdom. May this desire to riot be quelled by the peace that passes all understanding, and may the people of London not give in to this spirit of fear. May they be encouraged by the love of God that surrounds them and wants to fill them with peace.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

Back in our country, I can't help but continue to be drawn to all the headlines about the finances of the U.S. Right now, as there has been the last two days, there are headlines about Wall Street dropping an alarming number of points. I would just pray this morning that all those people who worry and focus on the areas of finance would truly look at our money and see what it says. "In God We Trust." The United States of America trusts in God, not in the dollar to guide the footsteps of our country.

And may God truly bless the people of America. May we stop fighting each other and start working together to bring justice to all those who need it.

Asking

2011-08-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

" Ask of Me, and I will give You
         The nations for Your inheritance,
         And the ends of the earth for Your possession." Psalm 2:8

I'm still thinking about this past weekend. This one is going to sit with me a very long time, because it was just so full, and there is still so much to digest. I've never really been interested in listening to CD's of old messages, but this time I may make an exception, because I feel like there was so much good preaching, and I want to make sure that I get all of it!

Anyway, Thursday evening at the first service, there was a lovely time of ministry, where one of the speakers spent time calling out individual people and giving them words, encouragement, or healing. It was really cool and wonderful to see. As I left that night, I wondered what it would actually be like to get a word in that regard, and then I thought to myself that I don't really have anything to get a good word about. Life is grand, I know what our short term future looks like, and I didn't have any burning questions or desires that I wanted God to answer for me. But then, in the back of my mind, I thought about how for almost two years now I've had a burning desire in me to pray for Haiti, and then I had a very quick, fleeting thought about how I wondered if I was supposed to do more than just pray for this troubled little Caribbean country. Truly, it was a fleeting thought, and while I did think a very, very quick little prayer about it at that moment, I quickly dismissed it and went about whatever it was I was doing.

I have most definitely posted here before about my desire to pray for the country of Haiti. It makes a regular appearance on my Warfare Wednesday posts, because I just believe that God has such great plans for this country that seems to only know disaster and hardship. God placed this desire in my heart to pray for Haiti a few weeks before the devastating earthquake early last year, and I've been praying ever since. Every once in a while, I've had very small thoughts about what it would be like to actually go there and do something- anything. And while there was always a part of me that would get excited about that prospect- of going to a foreign country to serve the Lord, the reality part of me would kick in. I'm hardly a world traveler. While I think every once in a while about the idea of traveling to some exotic location- the country of India comes to mind- the reality is most likely that I like being here in the U.S.A. Plus, we're not exactly rolling in the finances, trying to plan anything like that is a little crazy when we're struggling simply to meet all the bills each month.

And yet, God knows my heart. And Sunday morning I was called out and asked about my love for Haiti. Because I do love Haiti, and there is so much injustice there, it breaks my heart. There are so many orphanages and there is so much hurt and despair, but the people are so beautiful. And in the next few moments Sunday morning, I was prayed for, and spoken over, and encouraged that I will walk on the ground of Haiti, and that I will go there and do practical helps for this beautiful country.   It was an amazing and overwhelming moment for me. I'm still overwhelmed to think of it. Me? Physically go to Haiti and help? You know, no one has ever asked me if I actually wanted to go there, but the minute the speaker asked me if I wanted to go, tears filled my eyes, and all I could do was nod my head, because I knew that was what my heart wanted more than anything. God has asked me if I would go, and I have said yes. Until that moment in time, I may not have really known that was what I wanted, but my heart knew- and God knew.

So what does that mean for me? I have no idea! Other than it means that at some point, I am going to get to go to Haiti to serve. There will be a whole lot of prayer going into this, as Andy and I will both need to talk to God about it and explore if this is supposed to be something I do on my own or if we do it as a couple or as a family.   At this time, I don't think it's supposed to be any kind of long term missionary thing, but more along the lines of short term missions trips- like two weeks at a time. This could be something years down the road, it could be next year, but I do know this one thing. That when it is time, I will know. I have complete confidence that God didn't just tell me this and then He will forget all about it. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. God will put the right ministry in front of me to take me there, and He will provide the means, the tools, and everything needed to go and minister. And He's already started! The French language the kids and I have been learning? French is spoken in Haiti, although many of the poor don't speak French, but rather, a Haitian Creole that has roots in French. I have already endeavored in my heart that I am going to work heartily on my French, and then learn what I can about the Creole.

"And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15

I may not be going to preach- but it looks like I may get to go into the world after all and serve the poorest of the poor. I'm humbled and overwhelmed, and I can't wait to see what this looks like.

Tidbits

2011-08-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

"She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands." Proverbs 31:13
I'm not even sure how to begin this morning with my posting here. It's really been a remarkable weekend, and when I keep thinking on it, I'm totally overwhelmed. Truly overwhelmed, because God spoke to me this weekend, and I'm still processing how incredible this was. And the thing is, when Thursday evening arrived- the first night of this weekend's conference, I was totally chastising myself. I was feeling like I'd not appropriately prepared myself for the weekend. In the days leading up, I would think about really sitting down with my Bible, even fasting in preparation, and I did nothing. I did the barest Bible reading last week- I think I only progressed through about four chapters in six days. So I kind of scolded myself, but then I decided that I was not going to dwell on that at all, and I was really going to dig in and experience this weekend. I was not going to let the distractions going on in normal everyday life get to me this weekend while we were spending time with God.

It was a great weekend. And I think I'll be spending a bit of this week sharing bits and pieces. Because it's way too much to share at once. My brain cannot process it all at once.   But one thing that came to mind to me this morning, just now was how my attitude was this weekend. I just wanted to make the most of it. The last conference we had was in the middle of a busy recital weekend, so while I was able to participate, I had to keep my mind on the clock and on my kids, and I just wasn't able to really just focus on what was going on in front of me. So this weekend, I purposed to focus. And it was delightful.

God reminded me of something this weekend in a very big way. Two years ago, I came up with this crazy idea to bake and pray. At the time I was excited about it, but the more I thought on the idea of baking and praying for people while I baked just started to sound silly. Add to that that since then, the checkbook has been a little snug, so buying extra ingredients for baking sprees hasn't been much in the cards. I've thought on that a lot since then, and every once in a while I'll have a thought to bake something for someone- and then I dismiss it. Well. Apparently I need to stop dismissing, because God used an international speaker, television producer and author to tell me from the pulpit that I needed to get back to this baking. Seriously.

It was an extremely cool moment for me, because what she was telling me about baking was not new news to me. She was saying how my baking will bless people- and I knew that. But this was, in fact, complete 100% confirmation to me that this idea I had had two years ago, was not a nutball idea. It was a God idea, and I need to take action on it.   Of course the practical part of my flesh kicked right in as soon as she was done speaking to me, and I thought, baking is all well and good, but it costs money to buy ingredients. Literally, within seconds of sitting back down, these were the very thoughts that went through my head. It's incredible to me how quickly the devil will try to steal something from a person. Within seconds, I went from this awesome feeling to second-guessing it.

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Well, I saw what was going on, and I started praying about baking. I had a nice little talk with God about it, and I thanked Him for sharing with me in that way, and then I told Him that I was going to be expecting the ability to do this baking. By that, I meant that the ingredients would be there- the finances would be there to buy them, and the time would be there to do the baking itself.   And I assured God that I was not going to let the devil steal this away from me a second time. I was going to cling to it and remind myself about it, and I was going to get into gear to do this baking. I'm going to be spending time in the next few weeks going through my favorite baking cookbooks and making notes- notes about which people come to mind when I see a specific recipe. Seriously, in the last few weeks I've had such an itch to work on some cookie baking. I have thoughts and ideas and I've wanted to work on a few new recipes, but lack of funds for such an endeavor has kept me from doing so.

I am a very firm believer that if God plants a seed of an idea inside of us, that He wants us to bring to fruition, that He will make a way for that idea to blossom. I just know that I know that I know that God wants me to do this baking- AND HE will make a way for that baking to be done in all areas of my life. He will make a way with the extra time to do the baking, and He will provide the necessary ingredients and tools as well. And most importantly, He will keep this desire alive inside of me, and show me, through the Holy Spirit, when I am supposed to activate this baking ministry. He will show me who needs the blessing of baking, and He will make that possible.

And I think with that, I may go see if I can find something to bake today. Tomorrow I will share something else that God spoke to me about this weekend. Something that, well, I truly did not expect.

One Of The Purposes of Prophecy

2011-08-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

" In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’”
² Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, ³ “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
⁴ And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ⁵ “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. ⁶ And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.”’”

This passage in the Bible has been on my mind all week. In my Bible reading, I keep coming back to it and reading it again, because it really shows what the purpose is in prophecy. There are so many times where I'll read about someone prophesying a disaster, and I wonder why we are to know about it ahead of time- what is the purpose there?

The purpose in this case was so that prayer could happen. Isaiah went to Hezekiah and told him, basically to prepare for death, that his time was up, and he should get his affairs in order before God took him home. Hezekiah had two choices there- was he going to accept the word of the prophet and simply do as told- prepare to die- OR was he going to head to his knees and ask God for mercy. Hezekiah chose the second one and asked God to change his mind. And He did. Before Isaiah had even left the building, he returned to Hezekiah and told him that God had heard his pleas, and would grant him his request. The more I read this, the more I think that it is just really cool!

Maybe there are times where you see or hear how a prophet has shared that a disaster is coming to an area. You hear that, and there are two things that you can do. One, you can just accept that the disaster is coming, and prepare accordingly. OR you can do as Hezekiah did, and spend time interceding and talking to God about it. THAT is one of the prime purposes of prophecy. God warns us about some things because He wants to hear us. He wants to hear His children in prayer, asking Him for forgiveness and mercy.

And honestly, the same can be said for any time anyone shares something of a prophetic nature with us- even something personal. If someone were to come up to me and tell me that they really felt that God wanted me to be a Pastor, I wouldn't just automatically go, oh, okay, and then take the necessary steps- like going to Bible school. Instead I would think on that, and spend a lot of time praying about it, talking to God about it, and most importantly- in that case, I would want confirmation.   And that would really apply to anything- if someone came up to me and said that I was supposed to be a missionary to some country, I would want confirmation. If someone came up to me and told me something about one of my children, I would really want confirmation. But in all these things, my number one response would be prayer.

Over the years I have heard more words and prophecies regarding the future of this country, and my response to them all has been exactly the same. I pray. I started Warfare Wednesday to pray for the President, because I don't think that enough Christians ARE praying for our president. But as this presidency has gone on, I've also spent a lot of my Wednesdays praying for our country and other countries around the world as they come to mind. Because God wants to hear His children talk to Him. Maybe it doesn't make total sense. Why would God send a prophecy about a natural disaster and then change his mind? And yet He does! Just look back to when the earthquake and tsunami hit in Japan, and there was a serious tsunami headed towards Hawaii and the West Coast of this country. I truly believe that it was the prayer and intercession of the Christians in this country that caused God to stay the waves and cause very little damage.

I know there are many people out there who are against or on the fence about the whole idea of prophecy and prophetic words. I get that- maybe it seems a little to Old Testament, or a little out there. But let me just say this. If our reaction to prophecy is to pray, how can it really be bad? Oh, there are bad prophets and bad prophetic words, but regardless, if our reaction to any word- whether for ourselves, those around us, or for our region- is to go to our knees and talk to God about it, how can it be bad. If it's not meant to be heeded- if it's a false word, it won't happen anyways, and instead, we've just added our prayer to others prayers and, well, we've just spent time talking to God! That's never a bad thing- to talk to our Heavenly Father.

And that should be our reaction. Whether we agree or disagree with the whole idea of prophecy- when we do hear it, rather than just dismiss it entirely, simply commit the matter to prayer. Talk to God about it, and He will direct you in the way you are to go. He's a loving Father, and He will not steer us in a bad direction. People may steer us in a bad direction, but when we turn to God, He will help us get back to the right path and will show us the truth. Lean on God, and let Him deal with right or wrong.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5,6

Warfare Wednesday

2011-08-03T09:29:00.000-05:00

"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. ³³ And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, ³⁵ and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need." Acts 4:32-35

I had a dream last night or early this morning about vegetables. In this dream, we were in a town that was growing vegetables. By that, I mean, that instead of flowers, decorative plants, and trees. They were grown along the sides of roads and in patches where there was simply green space before. And the best part of all these vegetables was that anyone could simply help themselves when they needed it. And they did. I watched as people would harvest a melon, a few zucchini and a few beets and take them home to make dinner. No one sat and harvested everything and no one hoarded it all to themselves. Vegetables for everyone!

I woke up thinking about that place- a place where people were not going hungry, and everyone was willing to share with everyone else. There was no selfishness by anyone, and the city workers who were planting and tending these vegetables were overjoyed to do their job. AS I really think on this- what an incredibly simple idea that in reality, could work on so many levels. Oh, I don't think cities and communities will start planting kale and zucchini instead of flowers in their planters, but the simple idea of having real community gardens. There are community gardens all over the place, but normally they are of the type that people rent out plots of specific spaces and then can treat that small space as their own. Instead, these different kind of community gardens would simply be in neighborhoods of need, and people could help themselves as they needed them.

This dream comes on the heels of another investigation into salmonella-tainted meat AND the discovery of a resistant strain of salmonella- a superbug that won't respond to the usual medications used to treat it. While my dream was delightful and idyllic, the sobering reality is that we still need to be praying for one of the basic necessities for human life- food. This is a multi-purpose prayer this morning, because we clearly need to pray for the safety of our food supply. We need to pray that superbugs and germs will cease to exist and contaminate our food- and we need to pray that those who would wish to do harm by introducing these things into our food would be stopped before they could do so. Additionally though, we need to be praying for the people who have serious food needs. There are just so many- I was just reading in the paper about how every single food pantry in our area has reported an increase in use.   This shouldn't be! In an affluent society, there should not be people struggling to put food on the table.

Additionally, talking about people who don't have enough to eat completely reminds me of the heartbreaking situation in Somalia. There is severe drought there, and the people are literally starving to death. As if that wasn't bad enough, when relief organizations try to deliver food to the shanty towns of starving people, terrorists threaten the relief workers, and the food is sent away undelivered.   Completely heart wrenching. I would pray that these terrorists will have a change of heart- may their eyes be opened to the truth, and may they experience a love and compassion like never before! Their fellow countrymen are starving to death for what? To simply prove a point? I am praying that food will get to these people- and not just a little handful of this or that, but real food- substantial sustenance that will nourish and fill those bellies.

As I sit here writing this morning, my stomach is indeed empty. I woke up hungry, and actually, I think I went to bed feeling a little hungry. But the fact is, that I can get up at any time and walk to the kitchen and get myself something to eat. There are dozens of options available to me. For millions of people around the world, these hunger pains are normal, everyday, and they can go days without anything to put in their bellies.

People should not be hungry for food. Ever. This is a terrible injustice, and to be honest, I don't even know how to pray for it! I guess I would pray that people's eyes would be opened to the need around them- and that those who have would be moved to help those who have not.   God knows the answers to the extreme hunger around the world. God certainly loves those people in Somalia, may the rest of the world see that love and be moved to do something about the great need there.

The Princesses Will Wake Up!

2011-08-02T09:31:00.000-05:00

"Awake, awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, sing a song!" Judges 5:12

When I first began digging into this Bible blogging thing, I was amazed with how many Bible blogs were out there. In the five years that I've been doing this, that number has grown exponentially- there are so many people out there blogging about the Bible. And why not? Blogging is a fabulous way to do some journaling- to chronicle our individual journeys to becoming what God wants us to be. I have no doubt that if Paul were alive today, he would be an exceptional blogger. That would be a fun blog to visit each and every day! Five years ago I was particularly interested in all the blogs that spoke directly to women. There were many women out there striving to be the best wife/mother/help meet they could be, and would tell their tales and share scripture that encouraged them.

The thing about many of these women who blog? That's their only voice, because they're trying to live the life of a silent, shrinking violet. Titus 2 is often the chosen passage leading these women into subservience.

"the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— ⁴ that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed." Titus 2:4,5

Somehow, women all over the place have decided that "reverent in behavior" means that they are to be silent and submissive. So I looked up reverence, and it simply means to show honor and respect. It does not mean to stay silent, to have downcast eyes, and it does not mean that because you are a women, you are no better than a piece of furniture. In the most basic of examples, we show respect to someone when we allow them to finish speaking before we interject. We show respect to a pregnant woman by standing up and offering our seat when we can. We show respect when we hold the door open for the person behind us. We honor someone by remembering to wish them a happy birthday. We honor someone by giving them a small gift to let them know we were thinking of them. We honor someone by simply listening to what they have to say.

And look! Women are to be teachers of good things! And good things is not just the life of a domestic servant- how to cook, clean, sew and bear children. Yes, I am a housewife, I take care of the household needs to the best of my abilities, it's part of who I am and who I am meant to be. But I am also meant to be a teacher of good things! What could be more good than the goodness of God? When God speaks to me or shows me something, I am supposed to share it, to teach it to others- I am not meant to keep it to myself and only speak when spoken to...

I think that things are changing in the church. For far too long, women have had a secondary role, and it's time for them to wake up! It's time for the women to share all these wonderful things that God has been giving them, but they haven't been able to share!

I also decided to look up the word "discreet" in the dictionary, because I have a mental image of doing something in secret or quiet. But in actuality, the word discreet means "to show discernment or good judgement in conduct and in speech". It means that you think twice before gossiping, and then choose not to share those gossipy details. It means that you pray for wise words before going to someone and discussing something personal to them. It means that you are thoughtful, simply thinking before speaking instead of just blurting something hurtful out. It means that instead of tying one on at that wedding and drinking yourself into a stupor, you wisely chose one glass of wine with dinner and then have soft drinks the rest of the evening.

I am a quiet person myself. I just prefer to take everything in, and not fill the air with meaningless chatter. That's just who I am. But someone once told me that people often think that the quiet ones get walked all over and dismissed, but in fact, are actually the people who are confident and know who they are. What the women in the church need today is confidence. For too long they've been told that they are second rate simply because they are women- they are first rate, and God wants them to know that. The fact of the matter is that I am a daughter of the King, which means that I truly am a princess. A princess is not a wallflower meant to be silent and admired from afar. A princess takes an active role in her duties, giving direction and assistance to the people around her.

Almost every single little girl goes through a period in her life where she wants to be a princess. I remember when Abigail was four and we went to Disney, she wanted to meet the princesses more than anything. She wanted a princess dress so she could be just like Sleeping Beauty, so we got her one, and she spent the day floating about just like a princess. The truly incredible thing about all the princess playing that little girls do is that it really isn't as pretend as we all make it out to be. Every girl and woman is a daughter of God. When they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they attain the rights to put on the princess tiara and carry themselves accordingly. She should be proud to be a daughter of the King, and no longer be afraid to speak up. It's time for a whole legion of princesses to wake up and realize that they DO in fact have something to say- and something to do.

Do you know what one of the best, most stereotypical traits of a princess is? She is benevolent- caring and compassionate. A princess will have compassion on those in need around her, and will go the extra mile to see that everyone is clothed and fed, and has a roof over their head. We just need to take that a step further, and in addition to the physical well-being, we should pray for spiritual well-being for those around us.

We are to be wallflowers no longer. We are to rise up and take our proper places as Princesses of the Kingdom of God.

Hope

2011-08-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

"You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word." Psalm 119:114

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5

There is always hope. I was thinking about hope on my drive home from church last night, because I just felt it. The last couple of months have been a little tough at times for me. There have been moments where I've almost felt despair at different situations, and it looks like things are just impossible. But I've kept those things in prayer, and spent time talking to God and reminding Him of promises, and last night as I drove home, thinking that this morning was a new beginning to a new month, I was just flooded with so much hope.

And that got me thinking about many of the books I read and the movies I've watched in the past. I read quite a bit of fantasy, and there is one consistent among all the different books I've read- there is always hope for someone in the story. Even in disaster type movies, where things are coming to an end, parents will hide children away and then fight themselves to the death, because as long as their children are alive to live on, there is always hope.

I'm waiting this morning for news of a new nephews arrival, and as I think of that precious new life, there is another kind of hope- hope for this new life, that he may find such joy in everything he sets his hands and mind to.

See, there's always a new day! I can have the worst day on earth, but at the end of it, I get to go to bed and sleep, and then wake up with a whole new day- yesterday is never coming back, it can't be re-lived, so there is always hope that tomorrow will be better.

And there is always hope in God,and there is hope in knowing that all the struggles we go through here on earth are helping to shape us and mold us into the people that God wants us to be. He doesn't send the struggles our way- we do that to ourselves, or the destroyer does it to us- but God will use those struggles, He will use them to help us learn to hear His voice, and He will use them to teach us so many valuable lessons. That in itself is a great hope. When I'm going through something, I love to focus on the hope that God gives- I have hope that there will be an end to the struggle, and I look forward to looking back and seeing the lessons learned along the way.

Just look at that verse above from Romans- just reading it again this morning floods my very being with warmth and hope.

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5

The love of God has been poured out into our hearts... THAT is a great hope and a wonderful feeling. And it gives me so much hope for the day ahead- it's going to be a great day indeed. In fact, this whole week is going to be wonderful, and the whole month of August is going to be special, because as of right now- it's new. It's new and it's beautiful, and it gives me great hope this morning.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Warfare Wednesday

2011-07-27T08:53:00.000-05:00

"Commit your way to the LORD,
         Trust also in Him,
         And He shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5

Over the last few days here in our country, there has been a lot of talking- and not much action. And all the talking is... well, not much. No one even wants to listen to it anymore, because neither side is correct. This verse in Psalms? This is what we need. Instead of just one side coming up with an idea, we need BOTH sides to agree together to do what is right. And to do what is right, they need to go back to some of the reasons this country was founded and remember that God is our nations sovereign. God is the head of the United States of America, and we could be rid of these troubled times if the people would only remember that.

And so I pray this morning for President Obama. I pray that He will see that everything he does is nothing without God. I pray that He will turn to God in this hour of need for our nation's finances, and that He will hear from God in a very real way.   I also pray this morning for House Speaker John Boehner. May he turn to God and seek Godly wisdom for the problems our country is facing. If both of these men will seek God's will for this country, we will see things turn around. God knows exactly what needs to be done here, He's just waiting for the right people to seek Him out for the answers. May God become very, very real in Washington DC right now.

I also want to pray this morning for the people in the country of Norway. I pray for the families who have been affected by this tragedy- may they find comfort in knowing that their loved ones are now celebrating with Jesus- and may God give that country peace. May the people have no fear in going about their day to day lives.

I also pray this morning for the people of South Korea who have been dealing with intense and abundant rain- may that rain not bring any further destruction to the people of that country. Instead, may it be a sign to them that God wants to pour out his blessings upon that nation. May the people turn to God with all their hearts and may He give them peace as they deal with the loss of their friends and neighbors due to landslides.

And finally this morning, I want to return to the country of Haiti for some prayer. I pray for their new president, Michel Martelly, who has been struggling to learn how to BE president. The people are growing restless as he finds his feet and learns how to govern, and he has been the target of recent protests. I pray that he would also turn to God for the answers for his impoverished country. I pray that he will be protected from those who would do him harm, and I pray that he will find a way to give aid to the people who need it most. May God bless the people of Haiti, and may He give them encouragement when they need it most.

Don't Lose Sleep

2011-07-26T08:51:00.000-05:00

"Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" Isaiah 26:4 (KJV)

"So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]." Isaiah 26:4 (AMP)

Surely I'm not the only one who lays awake at night trying to solve problems in my head... I can't tell you how many times in the past I would literally lose half a night of sleep just because I kept thinking on different situations. Most recently, one of the very things that I would lose sleep over was a few months ago when I was in a place where I really didn't want to play drums at church. I would literally lay awake half the night on a Saturday night, worried that no drummers would show up the next day and I would have to play. Of course, now I look back and I just shake my head. All that worry for nothing. All that lost sleep for nothing! With God's help, I've been able to play the drums decently, and so far anyway, I have not embarrassed myself at all- which was one of the things those sleepless nights were about.

When I click on the news pages right now, I'm taken to headlines about the bickering going on at Capitol Hill and if I really thought on it, I could totally see myself worrying about all that is going on there. I could see many a heated discussion forming with various opinions, but you know what? As I read about what is going on, all I can really do is pray about it. Last night the President made an appeal to the American people to let our voices be heard, and I have to tell you, at this point, I don't think it's about having our voices heard at all. It's about hearing the voice of God- and acting on what God would have us do for this country.

I am certain there are plenty of people losing sleep about what is going on in our country these days. More than that, every day there are random things that come up and try to rob of us of our precious sleep. Really- think of all those scenarios and situations that you really have no control over, yet you stay awake thinking on them and worrying about them. All that does for us is... well, nothing. We don't get our much needed sleep, and since we can't do anything about the problem anyway, coming up with any kind of solution is really a pointless activity.

So what do we do in those situations? We put our trust in God. We put our trust in knowing that God knows what is going on- and we tell Him so. At the end of June we had our family camping trip. While we were gone on our vacation, we were anticipating an e-mail containing our new schedule for the dance season. There was one night when we were in the middle of the woods, and I was lying awake fretting about that e-mail. I was worried that we were going to get scheduled at a time or on a day that wouldn't work for us for a class or two. And yet, that worry was completely pointless. I was in the middle of the woods! It would be days before I would get the e-mail containing our schedule, and THEN I would be able to deal with it. Worrying about it and ruining our vacation because of it was completely pointless. I finally realized that, and I had a chat with God. I told Him that He knew our schedule, and that He wouldn't have allowed our classes to be placed on days when we'd indicated that we weren't available.

When all was said and done, the schedule worked out fine. It needed a little tweaking, but the major worries I had were completely unfounded and were a non-issue. That's how we need to approach these sleep-eating issues. We need to follow the words of Isaiah and place our trust in God. In all things! Even better- look at that verse above! We can trust in God FOREVER. Not just today, not just about tomorrow or next week. We can trust in God every single day of our lives. And honestly- for us Americans, anyway, should we need a reminder of that, all we need to do is look at a piece of our currency, and see the words "In God We Trust". It seems to me that our government needs to be reminded of this and turn to the One who holds all the answers in the palm of His hand. If we lean on God, HE will be our Rock and our Strength for each and every moment that we need Him to be there for.

Family

2011-07-25T09:19:00.000-05:00

"Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.” Genesis 31:3

God gave us a pretty cool gift when He gave us all families. Really. I mean, in what other situation can you not see people for years and years, and then when you do see them again, it's like no time has passed and everything is wonderful. We just had a delightful weekend getting together with extended family who we truly have not seen for years. I was kind of reminded of when Jacob returned to his brother Esau, expecting a great trial with his brother, only to be embraced.

"But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept." Genesis 33:4

Not that I expected any kind of fighting or trials this weekend, but there was great joy upon seeing this family gather together just for the purpose of getting together. What's so cool about family is that we can share with one another all the good things and all the bad things, and it just really doesn't matter. With family there is a unique kind of love that transcends normal boundaries- it's just always there!

That love that is found in blood-related families is the exact same love that we should be showing to one another in Christ. We are family- we should love each other no matter what is going on. And more than that, we should not allow the world around us to dictate how we should love each other.

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;" Ephesians 3:14-17

Had my family focused on what the world thought of family reunions, we would have all been anticipating some kind of blow-out or rift to happen. But we didn't. Instead, we focused on each other and as a result, we spent a wonderful time together.

Family is important, and we should take the lessons we learn from our natural families and apply them to our church families. But more than that... think of the really extended families- those distant cousins that you really only see once or twice in your lifetimes. They're still family, and there is still love and respect there. In the exact same way, different churches should behave with one another as those distant cousins- we should not be fighting or arguing between churches or denominations. As long as we all have Christ as our center- we're related- we're family.

Do It With Joy

2011-07-21T09:26:00.000-05:00

"Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come." Proverbs 31:25

I was thinking this morning on the message our Pastor preached last night. It was one of those rare messages where I almost felt like I was being picked on. There are always things that I can pull out of his messages that apply to me directly- always. But last night was one of those where... I felt a little awkward... He was talking about the ministry of helps, which is what I do right now- I clean the church, and of course, that's one of the easiest helps ministries to use for an example. I know I wasn't being picked on, but yet, there was a lot that I took home with me from church last night, and I'm still rolling much of it around in my head, thinking on it.

One of the things he talked about was the very reason why I clean the church- and that is because I do it joyfully. Something that I have always felt impressed upon me when it came time to clean the church was that I would have to prepare myself for it. I would coach myself to spend the cleaning time in prayer or in praise- to not think about the various messes I would discover, and to not spend any time dwelling on anything negative that came to mind while cleaning. Most often now, when I clean, I put on my MP3 player and spend all my cleaning time worshiping and praising. It just has always felt like the right thing to do.

I went to Proverbs 31 this morning to see how my favorite woman did her work joyfully, and to my surprise, it wasn't mentioned. It mentions how she is constantly busy, seeing to the needs of everyone, but it doesn't make any mention of her attitude- and the attitude of joy. The verse I posted is the closest- that she will rejoice in the time to come. Well, I argue that of course she will rejoice in the time to come- but it's equally important to rejoice in the now- regardless of what is going on.

Did you ever have a bad attitude while doing a task? Whether it be at a job or doing something within the household, a bad attitude makes that task seem to take so much longer. Bringing out the joy makes something go much more quickly. My kids are the perfect example of that. On a normal day, when I send them to clean their rooms, they do it grudgingly and grumpily, and the cleaning project takes a very long time- usually several hours. But, when I send them with a mission to clean as fast as they can, as quick as they can, it becomes a game to them. They're trying to beat the clock and get their rooms cleaned up quickly, and they always manage to do it. When they clean with joy, it truly does get done much more quickly.

There's more to it than that, and here is the "not-so-secret" secret. When I do my cleaning with joy- with a song in my heart and on my lips- I'm filling wherever it is I'm cleaning with the goodness of God. Whether that be at home or at church, when I can do my cleaning with joy, it fills the rooms with joy. When I spend my time grudgingly cleaning or cleaning crabbily, it fills the space with negativity. I can tell when I've been crabby during the day at home- because when Andy walks in at night, he instantly picks up on it and then we're all crabby. But when I can tackle my tasks with joy and cheerfulness, it creates a nice atmosphere for Andy to come home from work to.

Ultimately, that is why I clean the church. Because I don't mind the tasks of vacuuming, dusting, cleaning toilets- and not only don't I mind, but I can do them with joy- and I can do them while I sing some really great music to praise God with. It always makes me laugh when people discuss the cleaning, like scrubbing a toilet is the last thing they ever want to do. And yet, every week, when I'm there doing that very thing, I always think that there is no place I would rather be. I enjoy my time serving, and I enjoy knowing that when people walk in the doors Sunday morning, they will be greeted by a nice clean building. Not only that, but they will also walk into a building that has been filled with joy.

Do your work joyfully! No matter how mundane or boring or disgusting the task it, if you can do it with joy, it will make a world of difference. Not only to yourself as you do the task- but to those who will come after you. They will pick up on that joy and not be able to contain themselves. Think of that the next time you do a major housecleaning- clean with joy, and then all who enter will be delighted.

Warfare Wednesday

2011-07-20T09:03:00.000-05:00

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37

This morning as I was thinking about what to focus on for Warfare Wednesday, I actually had a difficult time honing in on something. Usually I spend some time reading up on current events, and something always jumps out at me- some situation that could really use some prayer. Whether that be events in a particular country, weather events, specific people to pray for, etc. But this morning I kept coming back to various stories that, on the surface, didn't even seem related. And then I thought about it some more, and something very clear came to me.

As a whole, as a country, we need to stop judging one another. We need to stop judging on a personal level, on a political level, and on a global level. The thing is, we "Americans" always think that we're right. About anything and everything. I was thinking about the recent high-profile murder trial that ended in a not guilty verdict. Immediately, people all over started crying out about injustice and the news media outlets were full of judgements for this person- even though a jury found them not guilty. Who are we to judge? Seriously.

I really think many of our problems our country is facing right now is because we all seem to think we have the right to judge anyone and everyone. And how could we not? Every day of the week there are dozens of reality TV shows where people are being judged in one form or another. We even get opportunities to be a judge at home, and then phone in our conclusions.

The fact is, we are not to judge one another, and in fact, we are to love on one another. God created each and every person to be unique and to be the people that they are. Now, we may not agree with someone's actions or ideals, and that's okay, but it's not our place to pass judgment on them and condemn them for what they do or believe in. If anything, our place is simply to commit the matter to prayer. We should be praying for one another, not passing judgements and insisting that we are always right. As our politicians are bickering and fighting and going back and forth on some major budget issues facing our country, every key player is just so insistent that their ideas are the right ones- that their way is the best way, and they've judged all other options and worthless and void. That is not the way to govern a country- the way to govern is to discuss, to see all sides of the picture and assemble various parts and pieces to come up with the best idea for all.

Most days, I am very thankful to be living in the country I'm living. I am proud to be an American, and knowing the history of our country, I am so incredibly thankful for the freedoms we have today. But I do wish that we had less of a critical eye as a whole. I wish that our friends, neighbors, families, and colleagues could collectively just decide to stop being so judgemental, and to embrace the uniqueness that truly makes up what is best about this country. I even think about small neighborhood disputes and issues. There's a woman in Michigan who actually faces jail time because she put a vegetable garden in her front yard, and there are people who think that it isn't pleasing to look at.

I guess my prayer this morning is that a great big wave of love, compassion, and understanding would sweep across our country. May our eyes be opened to all the condemnation going on around us, and may we grab those opportunities to minister grace to one another. May we look upon those things that bother us with fresh, new eyes, and see the potential that God has created and put into the people around us. I am also praying for a revolution to sweep through the media in our country. Honestly, I don't know what the answers are for the terrible direction the news media has been heading, but God knows. I pray that He will put the right men and women in charge of these organizations, and may they be utilized to spread the truth- and to spread God's love all across the country.

May we forgive one another for the behavior of the past, and may we all move forward together, in one accord.

No Fear, No Worries

2011-07-19T09:22:00.000-05:00

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

Wouldn't that be grand? A day where there is absolutely no fear, and no worries? Often times, those two things combine- especially as parents. We fear harm coming to our children, and that fear often translates to worry. And then there are the things that we worry about that we have absolutely no control over. Last night while I was sitting at the dance school, I overheard a phone conversation a man was having with his neighbor. The neighbor was away on vacation, and had called because they'd heard about storms passing through and he was worried about hail damage. My very thoughts were that I felt bad for this person who was going to spend the rest of their vacation worrying about potential storm damage to their home while they were away. Worrying wasn't going to do a single thing for him. If there was damage, they'd have to deal with it when they got back home, and in the meantime, that worry could totally ruin their vacation.

The media frenzied world tells us to worry-pretty much daily. We are constantly told to worry about our health, our diets, our weight, the planet around us... as I think about morning news programs and all the interviews that they have with experts on this and that, it occurs to me that they're trying to sow worry on purpose. Maybe there's a product that goes with the worry. Eat better to avoid cancer- and take these special vitamins to boost your health...

That reminds me of going to the pool. Once upon a time, you could go to the pool and see kids in their swimsuits getting sunscreen put on. Now it's completely different. People are told to fear the sun and to worry about skin cancer for their kids. So the kids start in their swimsuits... then they get the sunscreen slathered on. Over the top of their swimsuit and slathered skin they get special water clothes to put on- usually a high-necked tee-shirt to cover up most everything they just put sunscreen on. Then, they get hats on top of that, and when they're not in the pool directly, they are wrapped up in towels to shield them from the sun OR they are sitting under an umbrella or awning.

Why are we so afraid of the sun? Because we were told to fear it- and we were told to worry about it.

And do you know what one of the results of this sunshine paranoia is? We have a country full of people who are deficient in Vitamin D- a vitamin that our skin absorbs from the sun. A vitamin that is vital to overall health and a serious deficiency makes people very susceptible to colds, flus, and also causes muscle and bone troubles. Hair can fall out without proper vitamin D. Vitamin D also gives us energy, so those who are lacking will feel more tired all the time and lethargic. Unfortunately, while there are supplements, they don't work the same as regular old sunshine. Our body can't absorb and use them as easily as if we just sat in the sunshine for 20 minutes and soaked up the old-fashioned rays. Vitamin D deficiency is a very serious and real problem that many people are dealing with right now because they were told to fear and worry.

The real question is- how do we get rid of fear and worry? The sunshine is just one example of many, many things that we could fear or worry about. We get rid of fear and worry by diving into our Bible's and reading all the scriptures that tell us "do not fear" or "do not worry". When we catch ourselves worrying about something in the future, we can recite Matthew 6:34 to ourselves a few times to try and eliminate the worry that's creeping up on us. We can also give our concerns completely to God. Sometimes that's easier said than done, but when we really spend time talking to Him about our worries, and then tell Him we give them to Him, and want Him to take care of them, we can very well erase the worry that is plaguing us.

Going back to the sunshine and the pool example, do you really think those kids are enjoying their time in the pool? How can they, when they have to worry about keeping all the excess clothing on, and having sunscreen reapplied every 30 minutes. God wants us to enjoy life- He wants us to experience great joy and to have fun when the time is appropriate for fun.

He doesn't want us to worry- and He certainly doesn't want us to fear. Give God your fears and worries, and open up to all the wonderful possibilities around you.

A Wonderful Timely Word

2011-07-18T09:43:00.000-05:00

"A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,
And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!" Proverbs 15:23 (NKJV)

"A man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right moment--how good it is!" Proverbs 15:23 (AMP)

This verse popped straight into my head this morning. Last night at church, in a seemingly normal conversation, I was given a wonderful, timely word that was exactly what I needed to hear.

I've been a little concerned over the last month or so about schooling for the kids. The finances simply have not been there to do any purchasing of our materials for the coming year, and I've been worried about that. My original plan had been to start school very early in August, because I knew that the coming school year was going to be a full one. But in order to start school, we need materials, and it's taking me much longer to save the necessary funds than I expected. So over the last few weeks, I've spent a lot of time talking to God about this very thing. I've pointed out that my Bible says that He shall supply all my needs- and for us, that includes school materials. I've been trusting that the finances would come in, but I've been feeling more urgent as time goes by and nothing has been ordered yet.

And then last night, I was having a normal conversation with our Pastor when she asked me a little bit about school. She's a homeschool veteran, having successfully educated and graduated her whole brood, and out of nowhere she simply encouraged me to enjoy it, and to just relax because we had plenty of time. At the time, I didn't realize it was the timely word that it was- it wasn't until a few minutes later when we were driving home that it really dawned on me what she had said. It was such an encouragement to me- because I know those words were right from the Father for me- that I should relax and enjoy my children.

I really have been stressing a bit about the coming school year! Abigail is a sixth grader- which is middle school- which is more intense than grade school. I already have her educational plan for the next six years all drawn up, and I know what we need to get done when- and that includes starting school for her in just a few weeks. Except this morning I woke up with such a peace about our coming school year. I will eventually get to order our materials- I know that- but more than that, I do need to remember that our homeschooling is not just about getting the proper education- it's also about enjoying each other and spending that time together as a family. And I truly do have all the time in the world! We can relax and anticipate the school year to come, but if we don't get to start it when we'd originally planned, that's more than okay! We'll start it when we can, and we'll finish it when we can- even if it takes a little longer than expected. We can make adjustments down the road if necessary.

What matters is right now. I can look at my plan for middle school and high school and see that it's a good one, but if I make school all about the educational aspect of it- and rushing through it to get it all in, I'm kind of negating a big part of our purpose in homeschooling in the first place. One of our biggest reasons for homeschooling is to foster the family dynamic- to build relationships and spend quality time together.

I just love how God will use an everyday, normal conversation to bring such wonderful encouragement and relieve stress. It just shows that (like I posted last week) He does care about the smaller things. When something is important to me, it's important to Him. I love that.

The Little Things

2011-07-14T09:13:00.000-05:00

"So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. ⁵ But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”
⁶ So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. ⁷ Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it." 2 Kings 6:4-7

I read this passage a few days ago in my daily Bible reading- I had to read it a few times, because honestly, I was wondering why this really was in my Bible. I even came back to it a few days later, because I couldn't stop thinking about this ax head. I mean, it was such a small and trivial thing, I was wondering if there was symbolism here with the iron floating or cutting down trees or something. But when I went back to it I actually started thinking on the man who lost the ax head.

I thought about this man, who obviously was a poor man, because he didn't even have his own ax- he had to borrow one. He was a poor man who was traveling with the man of God, and in this passage, he is using this borrowed ax to build shelter for himself and his comrades. Think about how exciting this must have been for this man- they've been traveling with this man of God, and now they are going to build a place to dwell for a time- it had to have been truly exciting- like a church breaking ground for a new building project. Only, a short while into this project, the man's ax head falls off the handle and into the water.

Have you ever tried to find an item dropped into a river? It's tough to do! A river constantly is swirling with different currents, and if you drop a heavy item it can still be carried quite far away via the current at the time. That ax head could have been anywhere in the river- and on top of that, depending on the flow of the river, it actually may have been hazardous for this man to attempt to retrieve the ax head. A river can be a dangerous place to go for a swim. So his ax head falls off, and I'm sure there are a few things running through his mind. One, this ax head was borrowed. Not only that, but since the ax head fell off the handle, I am also inclined to believe that the person he borrowed the ax from also was poor- but just happened to have an ax. For the man who loaned the ax, that ax may have been a precious item from his household. So here we have our man who dropped the head into the water, upset that he will now have to go back to his friend and figure out how to replace the ax head. But I also think that there was something else there that he was even more upset about.

Without an ax, how was this man going to help build the dwelling place for the man of God? All the excitement of the day was for nothing if he couldn't help build this shelter- I am certain he was full of zeal for the activity at hand, and to have it all brought to a sudden halt had to have been devastating to him. For us on the outside, this seems like such a small trivial thing, but for this man, this act of chopping down trees and building the shelter was very important. It was so important that he borrowed someone else's valuable ax to do the job in the first place. And now that ax was at the bottom of a raging river. I can clearly imagine the despair running through this man's mind.

And then God comes to the rescue. When this man shares with Elisha what happened to the ax head, God shows Elisha how to bring the ax head to the surface of the water. I can see the joy in this man's face. I can see his excitement and his fervor at getting the ax head back and being able to continue serving the man of God. And I can even see his face as he tells his comrades what happened, because it's such a big deal to him. But then I can also see the response of his comrades as they tell him that's great, but then dismiss him to get back to work, and I can see how disappointed this man is when his friends do not share in his great excitement.

This little story here in 2 Kings is chock full of notes for us as Christians. How many little things have we dismissed? I talked the other day about praying for small cuts and bruises- you know, when God heals those small things, it's a really big deal to the people who had the healing. Yet we dismiss them because, well, they're just cuts and bruises, they're not life-threatening diseases or debilitation's.

This is a cautionary tale with several different dimensions. The biggest thing I think we can take away from this story is that God truly does care about the small things. If they are important to us- they are important to Him. I think about my vegetable gardens and the trials I've had in getting them properly going. To many people, my gardening seems trivial and not particularly important. But to me it is, it's a source of food for my family, and hopefully for others. And God cares about how I care about my garden, so He's provided answers and finances to get it going like it should be going. God cares about me! And if my garden is important to me- it's important to Him. When my daughter cares about how well her swimming lessons go, God cares, and gives her the determination to see them through. God cares about all His children, and the things that may seem little to everyone else are not considered little in God's eyes. And that's the second thing to take away from this story.

To that man, that ax head was everything, and God saw that. When someone shares with us a story about how God did something- no matter how small, we should rejoice with them, because that tiny little thing may have been absolutely huge in their eyes. Sometimes, it's those very little things that God uses to bring someone to Him in the first place- which makes them just as important as the great big major things. We should not measure God's goodness with human eyes. In fact, we shouldn't measure God's goodness at all- we should simply rejoice in it, because His goodness is everlasting and may be different for each and every person He pours it out upon.

So I am going to remember this story of the ax head and rejoice in the little things. Whether they be for me or someone else, I am going to remember that God is a God who cares- no matter how small the matter may be.

Warfare Wednesday

2011-07-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11

America is in a debt crisis. Not only are thousands of Americans struggling on their own financially, now we are seeing that the country as a whole- literally- is in more debt than ever. As President Obama and other members of leadership are trying to decide what to do about it, all we can really do physically is wait and see what decisions get made. But of course, we also have something else we can do: we can pray.

Once upon a time, the "American Dream" was simply of freedom. People came to our shores from other countries where they were persecuted for many reasons. Thousands upon thousands of people fled their homes to come to America, where they could worship God in whatever way they wanted. The American Dream was God- to be able to worship Him, and to be able to read His precious words in the Bible without fear of being thrown in prison or losing a life.

But as the years have gone by, the real American Dream has shifted in favor of the fake American Dream- one of wealth and financial riches. While people obviously need money to meet needs and make purchases and pay bills and such, money is not everything. And yet media tells us it is. While the whole country is focused on this debt debacle, so many are focusing on the worrying parts- and they are allowing that worry to affect them. We shouldn't worry. We really shouldn't- God knows the problems our country faces, and instead of worrying and speculating the possibilities, we should be praying and interceding for our country. We should be praying that instead of focusing on money as everything, we, as a country, should focus on God as our everything.

We need to return to our roots in this country. We need to remember those who came here because they were persecuted in their homelands for loving and worshiping God. Most importantly, WE need to love and worship God, and thank Him for this beautiful land we live in. And we need to pray for this country that is in trouble. God knows the solution- God knows the answers that are needed to fix our troubles. I pray that our leaders would turn to God for guidance in these troubled times, and that the people would see the need to pray. Both for the troubled times- AND for the leaders who need to make decisions. God knows best- we just need to ask Him.

Try Again

2011-07-12T09:54:00.000-05:00

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going." Ecclesiastes 9:10

Yes, you are seeing the exact same verse I posted yesterday. There were some thoughts I had about this verse, and I had been thinking on it, and then my posting went in a completely different direction than intended. That was certainly just fine, I rather like it when the Holy Spirit takes over.

But what I actually had been thinking about with this verse was how often we tackle something- anything- just partway. We do a task, and we do it half-heartedly, just enough to get the task done. Think of a child with music lessons. At the weekly lessons they are usually assigned a certain amount of practice time to practice at home, and most kids will practice that amount of time precisely- without a minute over. I know when I was in that situation, I would start the timer, and THEN I would get out my music book, tune my instrument, and by the time I actually started practicing, five minutes of my practice time had amazingly elapsed. I certainly never went even a second over my scheduled time.

And yet, I would look over at the girls who were playing beautifully and be disgusted that I wasn't playing more like them. I was certain that I could just pick up this instrument without much practice and play like a virtuoso. Obviously, it just doesn't work that way. (Except in rare cases where someone actually is a virtuoso or a prodigy, but that's not at all related to today's post.)

This verse reminded me of prayer, actually. We have a lot of speakers who come to our church and share what God has been doing with them and their ministries. So many of them talk about how they pray for someone to be healed of one thing or another, and they are healed. We even had one speaker last year whose ministry has raised over 400 people from the dead! It's always phenomenal to hear these speakers, and usually I leave these weekends feeling encouraged and like I can take on the world. I feel empowered, and ready to pray for someone to be healed of cancer, or ready to swoop in and pray for someone to come back to life after a tragedy. But then reality sets in. Usually shortly after one of these weekends, I'll have a conversation with someone who has a cold or allergies, or I'll run into someone with a basic broken bone, and while there may be a part of me who thinks that maybe I should pray for them. I don't. Later on I always think of that and regret that I didn't even try. Because the fact is, if I'm not willing to put in my practice times and pray for the smaller things- like colds and headaches and broken bones- how on earth am I going to know how to pray when it comes to the big things?

I think way, way back to my young Sunday School days. I remember how we would go around the room and share prayer requests, and the littlest ones would have a request for a small cut on a finger, or for their mommy who was home with the flu, or for their cat who had a cold in its eye. We would smile and pray for these things, not really expecting any kind of response from God towards these requests. Of course, now I can look back and wonder why we didn't have faith for these small things. What was wrong with us? To that child, their cat is everything to them, why wouldn't God heal their precious kitty and make the child happy again. Why wouldn't God heal little Katie's paper cut- He loves her so much, and that small owie is obviously causing great distress.

We get so excited when we hear about healings of the big things- the cancers, the arthritis, the metal dissolving in people's bodies (from pins and such for bones), but we don't take to the time to practice by seeking God for the little things. And you know what the biggest shame of it is? When God heals a paper cut, he's pouring out the exact same love that he's pouring out on someone who He is healing of brain cancer. We should rejoice in asking God to heal the smallest things, and we should rejoice when He does do it. Because the more we pray for the small things, the more we're building our faith for the bigger things.

Just like the child sitting in that music lesson chair. First, they have to learn how to play the nursery rhymes correctly, and THEN they can take a stab at that concerto. They don't give a first time student a score from a symphony and tell them to play it perfectly. They start with the basics, and work their way up as the students improve. And they way they improve? Practice.

Practice makes perfect. Although, to be honest, I am kind of in the mindset right now that there is no such thing as perfect. Really, there should be a mindset that we will never really arrive- that we will not reach perfection, yet we should constantly be striving to get there. When we pray for someone and they are not healed, we should be thinking "that's not good enough" and then pray again.

And this can really apply in all areas of life. I think of school teachers who have their degrees and are teaching- and yet they are still constantly taking classes, trying to improve themselves. I think of the growing trend right now of running marathons. People don't start training for small half-marathons and then think they've done good enough- they keep going, they keep pushing themselves to get to the next level.

That's how our Christian walk should be. We should never, ever be happy with where we are- we should always be striving for more, for forward progress. Because stopping and staying put right where we are is just never going to be good enough. And I don't want to be "just good enough"- I am after excellence in all areas of life.

Just DO It

2011-07-11T09:33:00.000-05:00

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going." Ecclesiastes 9:10

When is the last time you made a half-hearted attempt at something? I know I do it often. For quite a long while there I was feeling like I really had lost the desire to do much cooking for my family- so I was going it with a half-hearted attitude. I was cooking because food was essential, but I wasn't going the extra mile to see that it tasted wonderful or was particularly healthful. Thank God He got me over that feeling. He really did, because after probably six months or so of my poor attitude in the kitchen, I've been enjoying having that spark again. Now, when I purpose to feed my family, I am doing so with all my might. I am using my mind and my hands with my best possible effort to create delicious food to feed my family with. That's so important.

Really, it's more important than I was giving it credit for. As a mom, I am responsible for the well-being of my children- for their health and their overall care. When I feed them garbage, it actually can have lifelong repercussions, and that's just not acceptable to me- and according to the scriptures I've found, it's not acceptable to God either.

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

When I dump a package loaded with chemicals and preservatives in a pot and call it dinner, I'm feeding my children things that are toxic to their bodies. When I decide I don't feel like cooking at all and head for a drive through or the pizza place, I'm filling their bodies with filler- not the important nutrients and vitamins they need. As the parent, I am responsible for what my children eat, and when they eat garbage, that's my responsibility.   No matter what. I can just imagine the conversations in heaven when God asks why I fed my children all that garbage that shortened their life span. And I say that I just was feeling lazy, or that they simply wouldn't eat the fresh fruits and vegetables, so I just kept making them chicken nuggets and hot dogs. I suspect lightning would strike me right then and there. As adults we spend so much of our life scrutinizing our diets, trying to eat better and more wisely, but while we are making ourselves a big salad for dinner, we're serving up the kids neon orange mac-n-cheese and pretending it's healthy because there are some ground up dehydrated vegetables in the pasta noodles.

As I read the verses here in 1 Corinthians, I also see the second verse there, "I was bought with a price, so glorify God". We were bought with a great, great price. Jesus died so that we might live an abundant life. That abundance is not supposed to include a horrendous diet full of excuses. I've been saying since January that food issues have greatly been on my mind, and that feeling is just not going away. When I think about the sacrifice that Jesus made for me, and for my children, I am not honoring His sacrifice when I feed them garbage. It's really that simple. I know lots of people say "it's just food". But it isn't. Every person on the planet needs food to sustain them and to give them health. It's not just food- it's life. And when we purposely eat foods over and over that will affect our health adversely, we're dishonoring the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and we're definitely not honoring our temple.

Wow. That's SO not where I was going today at all with that verse in Ecclesiastes. But I guess that's where the Holy Spirit wanted me to go. I have been much more mindful of what I've been feeding my kids as of late. We got a little sidetracked on our camping vacation- because when you're in the middle of the woods, you eat what's convenient, no necessarily the best for you. And I don't think that including a convenience food every once in a while, or hitting a drive through every once in a while is a bad thing- the bad thing is that those have become every day. A fast food restaurant is a great savior when you're traveling and don't have the time to pack a lunch. But it should not be a replacement for real food four nights a week- or in many cases, it's become a daily event for people. And that's how it's become in our society. It's terribly sad, and I do wish that there were more that I could do on a personal level to help those people that I know to do better with food. Every time we're at the dance school for mealtimes, I cringe when I see all the microwave meals that are convenient, but loaded with sodium and preservatives, and the only nutritional value they have is that they stop a grumbling stomach for a time. Cardboard would do that if you ate enough of it.

So I'm praying this morning for divine inspiration. I don't know. Is it possible that I am so driven about food simply for the benefit of my children and my husband? I just don't think so, but I also don't see how I'm supposed to take how I feel and what I know to a broader level. At the very least though, I can pray. I can pray that the truth will be revealed about a lot of the foods that people eat every day, that there will be honesty and truth in food packaging, and that those I love dearly will also see the light and be aware of the horrible things they are doing to their bodies- and their children's bodies.   May God help us to honor the sacrifice Jesus made for us by helping us to be better aware of the things we put into our bodies.

The Shunammite Says

2011-07-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

"When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. ²¹ And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. ²² Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back.”
²³ So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.”
And she said, “It is well.” 2 Kings 4:20-23

As I read this passage yesterday about the Shunammite woman, I was captured by her responses through the whole situation. In the verses I just shared, her son has just died. On her lap. And when she asked her husband for the donkey to go see Elisha, she didn't even tell him about their son's death. She simply said "it is well." Then she got on her donkey and went to meet Elisha. As she came upon Elisha, she did the same thing again. Elisha sent his servant to meet her and ask if everything was well, and she replied with the exact same thing.

"So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman! ²⁶ Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’”
And she answered, “It is well.” 2 Kings 4:25-26

This is supposed to be our response in the midst of trials and tragedy. But it's not. The Shunammite woman watched her son die in her arms, and instead of grieving and crying and getting all upset, she very matter-of-factly went to find the man of God to bring her son back to life. Her responses of "it is well" tell me that she fully expected that he would do that very thing- that her son would be alive and well again. That is some incredible faith.

And how do we do with that? When something bad is going on in our life, we tend to broadcast it to whomever will listen. Technology like Facebook and Twitter make this even easier. Something bad comes up and we tell anyone and everyone. In our standard face-to-face conversations we are asked "how are you" and often times we take that as an opening to unload and share all the bad stuff going on. Instead, we are to be like the Shunammite woman and have faith. Our response should be that it is well, and then we should expect that God will intervene on our behalf with the trial facing us.

A common saying here is "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade", and while it's a nice saying, it should be something more like, "when life hands you lemons, expect them to become apples". It's the expectation that's the hard part- the faith. Oh, I have faith that God can move mountains all right, but sometimes, when you look at those mountains, and you KNOW that you're responsible for that mountain being there in the first place, that we don't feel right asking God to move it. And yet, we can. We can ask our Daddy for anything, and we can have faith that he will answer us. Sometimes we need to go through something difficult to learn something, but we can most definitely have faith and know that God is holding our hand through the whole thing.

Our response to all trouble should be "it is well". Sometimes, in an extreme situation, our response may be along the lines of panic or worry. Over the last week, dear friends of ours have dealt with a family tragedy, and one of them shared this word with everyone in asking for prayer "don't worry, just pray", and I thought it was such a wonderful way to put it. Don't worry, pray. And when someone asks, say "it is well". With God, all things are possible, and I like to think that it will ALWAYS be well.

The Perfect Word

2011-07-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

"As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him." Psalm 18:30

I post a lot about the importance of reading your Bible and staying in the Word as much as possible. Honestly, I post that because I need the reminder. Often. It's just entirely too easy to slide that Bible reading to the side in favor of other things. I think that's normal. Even when I have an established routine, all it takes is one slide to turn into a big slide, and a few weeks go by without opening up my Bible. It happens. But the great thing is that it is always there- it's like "old reliable". When I realize that it's been too long, I can pick it up, and like an old friend, I am instantly wrapped up in the Words of the Lord, and it makes my spirit incredibly happy.

I think that all too often we get wrapped up in the importance of staying in our Bibles, and we spend too much time focusing on the actual act of reading, versus just letting the words speak to us. For years I would feel awful because I didn't have a set time during the day when I would sit and read my Bible. It seemed like everyone who talked about that time had a specific time- and a specific amount of time- set aside just for Bible reading and prayer. I didn't have that. I've never had that. The closest I get to a regular time for Bible reading is lunch time. I like to sit down at the table when I eat lunch and spend that time reading. There are some days that I will just read and read, I'll get engrossed, and a whole hour will go by before I know it. But there are some days where I will open up my Bible and just read a verse or two. One lone verse can have such a huge impact and make me really think about it, that it is enough. I feel like I've spent time in my Bible, and I can spend the rest of the day meditating on what that one verse is saying to me.

I love that. Did you ever notice that there are no Bible reading guidelines actually within the Bible? Oh, it says to read it all right, but no one gives any kind of timeline. The closest I think we get is the daily bread, which indicates that we should be in our Bibles daily. But it doesn't say how much we should read or how long we should read. This means great freedom for people who may beat themselves up over something like Bible reading. A busy mom with little ones running around does not need to feel bad about having so little time to devote to The Word. God gets that, God knows that, and He certainly knows our hearts. When we have those days where all we can do is quickly read just one verse taped to the fridge- instead of feeling badly about only being able to do that much, we should rejoice in that opportunity- no matter how small. Just one verse can give us more than enough daily bread to chew on for a full 24 hours.

The Bible is perfect every time we pick it up. When we only have a moment, God can still show us something wonderful hiding inside. The last thing He wants is for us to feel badly about only having a moment. Sometimes, it's those moments that can make the most profound difference in our lives.

Warfare Wednesday

2011-07-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

"Praise the LORD from the earth,
         You great sea creatures and all the depths;
⁸ Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
         Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;" Psalm 148:7-8

The weather is at it again! I woke up this morning to find headlines of a crazy dust storm that enveloped the Phoenix, Arizona region. Dust storms are something I can't even imagine- maybe it's like experiencing a white-out snowstorm, only there is dirt flying everywhere instead of snow. Regardless, it had to be a little scary to experience first-hand. With severe thunderstorms in the forecast for much of the country today, I just felt like it was right to focus on the weather again for today's Warfare Wednesday post. Tornadic activity has been so commonplace this year, that every time the wind picks up a bit outside, and the clouds roll in, we're heading to various websites to watch the weather and stay informed.

I pray for peace for our weather. I pray that whatever it is that's causing all these storms to form relaxes its grip on our country and becomes peaceful. And I pray that the weather will also balance out. We have parts of the country that are in severe drought- its like another dust bowl. And then we have parts of the country where the rivers are flooding like never before.   I pray that those who are dry will receive the quenching rain they need, and that those who are wet will have the winds blow to help dry up that excess moisture.

God knows what's going on, and that gives me great comfort with all the crazy weather going on. God owns the winds, the snow, the rain, and the clouds, and He can do whatever He desires with them. Maybe, what He's waiting for, is for His children, all across the country to come together in unity and pray for the weather patterns to correct. Perhaps if we all took the time to agree as one that we've had enough of the bad weather, God will hear our hearts and our prayers- and see our tears, and show his mercy to the people of our country.

And wouldn't it be wonderful if those prayers for the weather started right at the top? I pray that President Obama would see the wisdom in turning to prayer in this great time of need. I pray that he will bend his knee and turn to the Lord God for answers and for peace for this great country. As we celebrated our nations birthday this week, I couldn't help but think about all the miraculous events that God put into place to make this country what it was all those years ago. God loved America then, and He still loves America today. God loves President Obama, and He would very much love to counsel him in the right way to take this country.

May God Bless America, and may the winds of change blow across every state, and may it bring good change that will bless the people, and will glorify God in all things.

Praying...

2011-07-05T09:32:00.000-05:00

"And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." Job 42:10

As I read this verse this morning, I had one predominant thought rolling through my mind. I wondered about Job's prayer for his friends. What exactly did he pray? What did he say in his prayer that found such favor with God? Unfortunately, we have no idea, as it's not written in the Bible what Job prayed. But we do know that these friends of Job had just finished spending days berating Job. Literally, one after the other, they spent time telling Job how worthless he was- and also time trying to convince Job to blame God for his troubles. Really, by the time the book of Job is drawing to a close, these friends really aren't seeming much like friends. They're really behaving more like enemies.

And yet, Job obviously prays for them. We may not know exactly what he prayed, but when he did pray for them, he did something that pleased God immensely, and it says right here that when he prayed, God restored Job's losses. His prayer unlocked something and opened up the doors for God to bless him.

So what do we do when confronted with one of these friendly enemies? I know we all have them. We all have people in our lives who exasperate us in one way or another. We all have those people, who, no matter how hard we may try, we just don't see eye-to-eye with, and they trouble us. What do we do about these people, other than just try to learn to deal with the exasperation that comes from them? We take a lesson from Job, here, and pray for them. Simple as that. Of all people, Job certainly could have just walked away from these friends. He could have sent them away and told them never to return for all the awful things they said, and yet, Job chose otherwise. Job prayed for them, and because Job prayed for the people who were causing him grief, God blessed him- and blessed him abundantly.

"Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before."

Prior to Satan's meddling in Job's life, Job was a very well-to-do man. He had an abundance of riches, livestock, land, servants, family, and overall well-being. Job had a great life that Satan stirred up and stole. But in the end, when all was said and done, not only did God give back that which the enemy stole from Job, God doubled what Job originally had.

There's a lesson here. A simple one, but one that is probably difficult to learn and activate in reality. When someone really offends us or causes us grief, our response should simply be to pray for them. Our response should not be to confront them or debate them or talk about them with other people- our response should be to simply pray for them, and ask God to bless them and forgive them for their errors. It sure sounds simple, but actually putting this into play can be so incredibly difficult. But think about the larger implications here. Think about the church as a whole, and how frequently church splits or divides have come. These splits come as a result of disagreement between people- and also as a result of gossip, which is usually disguised as a discussion. The church as a whole could see healing and forward progress if each and every one of us would stop and simply pray for those who are against us. Truly. Think about the difference we could make if we started praying for each other instead of talking about each other.

Simply put, we need to pray. We need to pray for those who trouble us. Whether that be an annoying neighbor who mows their lawn at an insanely early hour, or that person at work who is always in your face and criticizing you. Instead of any other action, we should simply pray for them. And in the grand scheme of things- isn't prayer the easiest option anyway? I mean, really, how long does it take to really pray for someone- a few minutes maybe. So much easier and efficient than letting their actions or words stew in us all day long. Let's just pray for one another and start a whole new kind of revolution. The Prayer Revolution.

No More Complaining

2011-06-24T08:17:00.000-05:00

"Do all things without complaining and disputing," Philippians 2:14

Do you ever think about how often you complain? I honestly think we're living in a time and culture where we're being trained to complain. Shops, stores, and restaurants have policies where the customer is always right- and as a customer, if we complain about something, maybe we'll be lucky enough to score a discount or even a freebie. We have reality television where everyone at home becomes a critic- whether it's about something artistic, something to eat, or the way someone has decorated their home. It seems to me that in order to really defeat complaining, we really, really have to be vigilant, because it's always there, just waiting to strike at any moment. And it happens to all of us.

Two weeks ago we had our first real, hot days of summer. We've had a cold spring, and other than those two steamy days, we've had quite the cold summer as well. Wouldn't you know, the first hot day hits and EVERYONE is complaining about how hot it is. Just two days earlier everyone was moaning about how it seems like we're never going to get summer. For myself, it's been a cool and rainy week, and we're getting ready to go camping next week. I'm excited to see that it's actually supposed to warm up for us, and we'll have a great summery week. Except that I'd really prefer if it wouldn't get so warm while I'm away, because I won't be around to water the garden. See? Always something to complain about.

Even within the church, we are trained to have a critical eye and find something to complain about. When we're looking for a new church, we make a list of things we're looking for and a list of things we don't want. And then we walk into a new church ready to find all the bad, instead of just saying "Okay, God, bless me and my family, bless this church this morning for hosting us, and if this is the church home you have for us, we ask that you make that clear to us." That would be too easy. Instead we find things to complain about- the music is to loud, or the offering should have been taken at a different time, or the lack of small groups in the church is disturbing to us. Wouldn't it be better to look at the whole experience as to what you could possibly do to make that church your home? Maybe you have a talent for sound engineering- what you don't know is that his church doesn't have that person, and that's why the music is so loud.

I just think it's time for us, as a church, to set an example for all the world around us to stop complaining! We complain about each other even- and social media is clearly making it much worse. We can go all the way back in our Bibles and see that the Israelites, during what should have been the most glorious time of their lives, sought fit to complain...

"Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness." Exodus 16:2

You know, there are times I read the story of the Exodus, and I see all the complaining done by the Israelites, and I think "what a bunch of whiners", and then I'll turn around and do the exact same thing and complain about something that I shouldn't. It's time to stop. It's time to start training ourselves to be more like Jesus and look for the good in everything instead of the bad. Because the fact is, when we look for the bad, we become bad-focused, and soon that will be all we see- all the faults and negatives. When we start behaving like a Pollyanna, and look for the good or the glad in everything, then we learn to be a little more like Jesus. Jesus himself certainly didn't complain about anything, and if anyone had reason to complain, it would certainly be him!

Think about it. He had multitudes of people following him wherever he went- he didn't get a moment's peace! And many of those people were far from homes- and away from bathing and clean clothing, so surely many of them smelled something horrific. And then there were all the disease ridden- the lepers with body parts literally rotting and falling off. Did Jesus complain even once? No. Instead, He felt compassion and great love, and he did what he could for the people who followed him. He healed those who came to him, and he loved on those who needed to be loved. He didn't complain even once.

So in the week ahead, I want to challenge all my readers to focus on not complaining. Start by not letting the complaints come out of your mouth. When there is opportunity to complain, just don't do it, keep it to yourself. And then take the next step and look more closely at the situation. Find something- anything, no matter how small- to be thankful, happy or glad about, and give voice to that instead. It may take great effort at times, but I know I'll be practicing that myself during the next week- so you won't be doing it alone.

Have a blessed and wonderful week. I'll see you on the flip side of our time away, and hopefully I will come back fully rested and full of all sorts of wonderful goodness that God has shared with me.

What To Do With Freedom

2011-06-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:13

I read this verse this morning, and I instantly loved it. I also instantly wondered thought, "boy, we've failed this one haven't we".

The standard "American Dream" is one of having stuff. It's living a life in a free nation, and having a house, two cars, a family, and all the things that go with it. I'm thinking our priorities are not exactly in the right place.Oh, I think that God wants us to have things that make us happy- He does want us to enjoy life after all, but He also wants us to share what we have with those who don't have.

There are just so many people in need these days. It breaks my heart, and when I think on it too long, it's entirely saddening to me, because my heart wants to help in so many ways, but the bank account can only go so far, you know? Every week I go in and clean at church, and I often am making my way through where we keep our food pantry at church, and it's just been getting closer and closer to empty as of late. What is there is not exactly a whole lot of things that I would want to feed my family- even in a time of need.

The freedoms that we enjoy in this country are huge, yet we could be doing better with the freedom that we have. The Bible says that we are to use it to love and serve one another- not serve ourselves.

I have my vegetable garden in the ground for this year, and I'm eagerly anticipating the vegetables that will come out of it. I have plans for salsa making and for putting beans and corn in the freezer, but more than that, I can't wait to share it. I think I've planted more than enough to be able to package some of it up and share it with those who need it. That's serving! I've been reading online of a gentleman in California who plants thousands of square feet of vegetables in his yard- but he doesn't eat any of it! Every vegetable gets boxed up and delivered to a food bank to be distributed to those who need it. Wow! That is serving in the biggest way, because growing a vegetable garden takes work and dedication.

I guess maybe the whole point of this post today is to make me think. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in our everyday that we miss the small opportunities to love someone or to serve in some small manner. Sometimes, maybe the only thing we can do is pick up an extra jar of peanut butter for the food pantry- it's not much, but it's still something. It seems that maybe when those thoughts of wanting to help and do something come along, that I should take some time to talk to God about it, and ask Him to show me an opportunity to show His love to those I run into every single day.

Love is the most important thing that we can do with the freedoms that we have today. Without love, we are nothing, and everything we do is worthless if it is without love.

"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,but have not love, it profits me nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:3

The Hills AND The Valleys

2011-06-21T08:32:00.000-05:00

"Then a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,” therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’” ²⁹ And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day." 1 Kings 20:28-29

I am certain I've done a post before about the hills and the valleys. At the time when I'd written it, I'd just finished reading a fictional book that talked about the hills and the valleys. It was a wonderful story, and it showed the value of faith and trust in God in all things. The point of the book came from the 23 Psalm:

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
         I will fear no evil;
         For You are with me;
         Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. " Psalm 23:4

The valleys are those times in our lives where it seems like we're searching or trudging. Where we're going through a trying time as we try to reach the next mountain in our life. The mountains would be the high points- where victory has been proclaimed, and where we can spend some time resting in His goodness before passing through another valley to get to the next mountain. It really is a great way to look at life in pictures, and it can be encouraging to think that even though we're going through a rough time (a valley) there will always be a mountain that comes along- a high point .

But I think that sometimes we make the same mistake that Ben-Hadad made in 1 Kings. When we're going through those valleys of life, we think that God isn't there with us- that we have to get to the mountains in order to find Him. We think that because we're going through a rough time, that maybe God is teaching us something, and is distant like the next mountain seems to be. That's simply not true. God is the God of both the mountains AND the valleys. I think all too often we take a step back from God when we're traveling a valley because we're so focused on what we're going through. And yet, if we would only shift our focus to Him, our journey would not seem so difficult after all.

God decimated the Syrian army because they did not believe that He was God of the valleys as well as the mountains. Think about that. Thank God for the cross and for the mercy of Jesus, or every single one of us could be eligible to be wiped out for thinking that God has left us alone for a time. Now, there are certainly times when God is just as a father is, and He will let us make that wrong turn and make wrong choices, but He doesn't step away from us and stop caring for a time. He is always there, He is just waiting for US to choose Him instead of ourselves. He doesn't go away when we're going through a valley, waiting for us on the other side of our trial. He is our source and our supply to get through that valley.

"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

He is always present- always there. Sometimes we're just forgetful of that. We get so focused on navigating the troubles of the valley, when instead, we should focus on Him to get us through. He is the God of both the low times and the high times- and we should praise Him during both times in our life. He gets praise whether we win, lose, cry or cheer. When we praise Him in the low times, something really cool happens. Not only are we being obedient in the act of praising God, but we're also bolstering our own spirits. We're becoming encouraged simply through the act of praise to God the Father. (I think that's a topic for another post, another time!)

God is God no matter where life takes us. When all seems lost and in dire straights because we've made a wrong turn, we don't have to wait for a high point to turn to Him for help. We can do it at anytime, because He IS the God of the mountains AND the God of the valleys. He is God at all times and in all things, and we can rely on that as an ever-present source when we are in trouble. Sometimes we just need to stop and recognize that God is God, and then we will experience everything we need to journey through the valley.

"Be still, and know that I am God;" Psalm 46:10

All Means ALL

2011-06-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Last week was pure bliss for me. I can't really explain it, but we had no priorities, nothing that HAD to be done, and I literally spent most of the week just relaxing. It was so wonderful and such a gift. Now here we are in a new week, and the great big busy-ness has returned. So I'm blogging a little late today, but I didn't want to skip anymore days of blogging, as I will be taking a vacation next week and will be away from my computer.

So I'll keep it quick and brief today, because I have things to get going on today. I really just simply wanted to point out that sometimes we can miss the smallest things when we are reading our scriptures. In this case, the simple word ALL is often skipped over, or we don't really realize that it IS saying all. This verse in Philippians says that God will supply ALL our needs. All of them, that means every single one- it doesn't mean some, or a few, or even most, it means Every. Single. Need. It means that God will provide shelter and clothing and food for our families. He's not going to provide a home and then tell us to fend for ourselves. God is our supply- our source, and the provider of every thing we need to navigate this life here on earth.

That's just so cool.

When I think about needs that we have, I do often address them one at a time. You know, I pay bills one at a time as their due dates come up in the month, so one at a time I address them and ask God to help us manage our finances and see that each and every bill is met. But this verse, this is the simple one that I just need to keep reciting over and over, instead of concerning myself so often with each and every need. My God shall supply all my needs. Plain and simple. I've been talking to God a bit lately about our needs throughout the summer. It's time for me to start buying curriculum for the coming school year, and our vehicles need some work done, and then to still stay on top of all the regular expenses... It's a little overwhelming to think of all that at once, so I just keep talking to God about them.

Except that God knows exactly what I need. He knows every single book that we need to have on our shelves in order to start school, and I truly believe that He's already set the things in motion that need to be so that we can get the books we need.

Because my Bible says that God will supply all my needs. And even better than that, look at the second part of that verse: According to HIS riches. God's riches are vast, limitless and overabundant. That just gives me such comfort to think of that. To think on that and to know that in the past He most certainly has provided for all our needs, and I also know that He will continue to do so. God is just so good.

So think about that, the next time you wonder if that upcoming need will be met. God supplies ALL your needs. He supplies ALL of my needs. Sometimes His timing may not be the same as our timing, but He always comes through regardless.

Warfare Wednesday: The Food Supply

2011-06-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

"The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. ¹⁰ Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. ¹³ And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
¹⁴ But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
¹⁵ And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” ¹⁶ This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again." Acts 10:9-16

Our food supply is in danger. When the news started rumbling a few weeks back about a dangerous E.Coli outbreak in Europe, my "danger sense" went up to full alert. Back at the beginning of the year I had read in more than one place that we needed to be praying for the food supply in our country. There was also advice given about planting gardens and working on starting a food stockpile. I've been praying on and off- food is such a big part of my life- but in the last few weeks, that prayer has become a daily effort. Then, this morning I read on the news that there are at least 10 sick in the state of Tennessee from a strange form of E. Coli. And so it begins.

And so it ends right here and now. You know, God warns us about thing in advance so that we can have the opportunity to pray that they will not happen that way. I think we saw that with the last round of tsunami danger in the Pacific. I believe that the praying people of this nation rose up and prayed for God to intervene for Hawaii and the West Coast, and because of that, the damage done was so minimal. Thank God for the prayers of the people! And now we need to pray for our food supply. Just this week, the US Government released a new model for eating that shows that half of our food intake should consist of fruits and vegetables. This is excellent and sound advice. Except that the current E.Coli invasion in Europe is suspected to come from "some kind of produce". They can't even figure out where it is coming from- just that it's from something fresh. Thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables are being destroyed "just in case".

Is it coincidence that the same week this new food model comes out that our fresh produce supply is in danger? This is no coincidence, and my prayer is for the food supply. E.Coli is nothing to the power of Jesus Christ, and I pray that the fresh fruits and vegetables that our bodies need to function is safe and healthy. I also pray that the government officials who deal with our food supply will be alert and ready, and that they will know decisively how to deal with situations as they arise. I pray for wisdom for President Obama as these things come across his desk and he also has to deal with the threat to our nations food supply. May God give him insight and understanding, and the tools necessary to nip any danger in the bud before it has a chance to progress.

And I also pray that panic and fear will not take hold of this country. Fear is not of God. Our nation was not founded on the principles of fear, but on the principles of freedom and unity. May the people be united, and should the need arise, may neighbor share with neighbor freely and willingly.

I pray that God, Himself, will cleanse the food supply of this country. I pray that the farmers and the growers who are growing our fruits and vegetables will be filled with Godly understanding and wisdom as to how to prevent deadly diseases, such as E.Coli from entering the system. I pray that all these foods that God has already proclaimed clean, and for our good pleasure to eat, that they will be free of disease, and will only be filled with the good things our bodies need to thrive.

May God Bless America, and may God bless the food supply of not only this country, but of our allies and of our friends in other countries. Food is vital, and I pray that the devil will lose his ability to manipulate the food stuffs to cause disease and calamity. The devil has no power over that which God has created and blessed.

The Dwelling Place

2011-06-07T09:03:00.000-05:00

"Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
² Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. " Psalm 90:1-2

I love reading verses in the Bible that simply blow my mind about the grandness of God. My mind really doesn't process the idea that before anything here on earth even existed- God was. The thought that God has always been doesn't process either. But was does process is that God is our dwelling place- and always has been.

I've been reading the book of 1 Kings, and as it seems to be every time I make my way through that book, I am amazed at how even the great King Solomon failed in the conditions God set before him. In chapter 3, Solomon asked God for wisdom, and this so pleased God, that God granted the wisdom, plus untold riches, and then said that he would bless Solomon with a long life if we continued to walk in God's ways.

"Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, ¹² behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. ¹³ And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. ¹⁴ So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days." 1 Kings 3:11-14

And then we get to read in 1 Kings about the splendor of King Solomon. He was such a wise and noble leader that Kings and Queens traveled hundreds of miles to see him and his splendor. In King Solomon's time, there was so much wealth in the land that silver was worthless- think about that one! And yet, with all this- with all the wisdom and the honor and the wealth, Solomon failed to follow God's command for his life. Solomon had a weakness for women, and had hundreds of wives from foreign lands, and with those foreign wives came foreign gods, and Solomon began to worship them in addition to his God. Solomon failed big time. He did not focus his heart on the dwelling place of the Lord God. Instead he focused his heart on his fleshly desires. Which is the ultimate in irony, because Solomon physically built a physical dwelling place for the Lord!

Solomon can be a great lesson to us to remind us to do the occasional "heart check". Where does our heart truly lie? I guess I think about some of the talents that God may bless us with. When we use those talents, what is our ultimate purpose in using them? Probably the easiest way to illustrate this is within the ministry of a worship team. A worship leader or singer is using their talent for singing in the act of worship. Sometimes, though, the focus can be on the singing itself or on displaying ones talents for accolades or praise. The purpose for the actual singing should obviously be for the purpose of worshiping and praising God. When that person's focus shifts from God to self, that's when they cross into the danger zone of focusing their heart in the wrong places. Sadly, we actually hear about this a lot with professional Christian music artists. Every once in a while a Christian artist will cross over into doing secular music and then they never come back to the music that inspires and is God-focused. They become enticed by the world and what it has to offer.

Maybe our enticements are not so grand. Maybe it's simply choosing to purchase a few things for the home instead of tithing. Maybe it's simply choosing to watch TV instead of spending time in our Bibles. Regardless of what is trying to steal our focus, we are unlike Solomon in that we have a few amazing ways that we can work to avoid the trap that caught up Solomon. We have Jesus- the boundless grace that set us free. We also have the Holy Spirit who can guide us and keep our spirits in check. It's the Holy Spirit who sends us those warning signals- that what we are about to do may not be the best idea we have.

The Lord has been the dwelling place for all generations- and He continues to be so today for all who desire Him. When we rest our hearts and our minds in Him, nothing is impossible for us.

Sometimes, He Just Wants To Hear "Yes, Lord."

2011-06-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

"Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
² Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Genesis 22:1-2

I was thinking about Abraham and Isaac greatly last night as I was falling asleep. I was actually thinking about them through much of the day yesterday. Every single time I read this I am just amazed with Abraham, that he just does what the Lord asks. Someday, we will know exactly what Abraham was thinking when he took his only son to be sacrificed, but until that day, we can only speculate. But what we can know, is that he did it- without arguing or complaining. What is even more interesting about that, is just a few chapters ago, Abraham was arguing with God over the people of Sodom. (Read Genesis 18 if you're interested in that story.) So we know that Abraham has that kind of a relationship with God. If he was going to question God about sacrificing Isaac, he would have done so. Instead, he just DID it. He took his son on a journey, and got as far as lifting the knife to take his life before an angel interrupted him.

God was requiring obedience from Abraham. He was after a "Yes, Lord, it will be as you say" and He certainly got it from Abraham. Abraham obeyed, and in return, he received an amazing blessing from God.

"Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, ¹⁶ and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— ¹⁷ blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. ¹⁸ In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:15-18

Sometimes, I think that's all that God really wants from us. When we go through trials and tribulations, we're learning to put our faith and trust in Him who will get us through. When He asks us to do something, we're like little children, He wants us to say yes obediently and follow through on the task.

I have been one of those naughty children who says no for a while. That child who stomps their feet and says "I really don't wanna" and walks away. And, I was like that for about two years, I want to say. Every time the suggestion or question would come up about me being willing to play the drums at church, I dug my feet in and said I wasn't gonna. I said I wasn't a drummer, and insisted that there were others better able than myself. (Which, that part is totally true.) But as I've shared here, several weeks ago, that all changed, and the more I do it, the better it's getting. In fact, this coming week we have a conference at church, and the person who would normally play the drums for conferences isn't available, and I had a decision to make. Really, I sort of resigned myself. Yes, there was a good chance that I'd be playing the drums for the whole conference. But once I said that I could do it, I started working at being able to. I've practiced a few times, I've been working out to build up my stamina and leg strength, and as time went on, I did learn that one of the other drummers would be able to help me out. I was thrilled about that, and while I patiently waited for a schedule for the week, I continued preparing myself.

I was totally unlike Abraham, I totally recognize that, because I argued with God over this silly little thing for about two years. It took awhile before I finally said yes and okay. Playing the drums is also a very little thing compared to the idea of sacrificing a child- I totally get that, and I'm not really comparing the two. The whole point is that sometimes God just wants to hear us say yes to Him. And I think it's because if we will say yes to the little things, than we're opening the door for something bigger to come along. I really felt like I was finally doing what God wanted me to do- I was preparing myself to play the drums this coming weekend, and I was working very hard at trying to rearrange my schedule so that I could do so as well. But the whole amusing part, for me, is that now that the week is here, now that the moment is here, I don't need to play at all. God totally cracked me up last night when I heard that. All this fuss and stress on my part, and all I needed to do was be willing in the first place.

So now of course, I'm still looking forward to the weekend. I am prepared if I need to jump on for a bit- I'll be okay with that, but it also has me wondering. What is in store for me? Is there something coming that God is going to ask me to do. You know, there could be, and this whole experience for me was a major learning experience, because I really didn't think I could even DO what was being asked of me in the first place. I surprised myself by finding out that I could. Which brings me to another point. God doesn't ask more of us than we are able to do. Oh, sometimes there will be sacrifice on our part, but God never asks us to do something that we absolutely cannot do. That's something that I've learned through this. And while I won't be sitting on edge, on pins and needles waiting to find out what the next thing is, I also have learned that maybe I won't be so quick to just say no the next time. Instead, I will prayerfully consider what is being asked, and if it feels right, will go for it.

I'm certainly not saying that I'm perfect and will simply say yes the next time. I would like to think that I would, but only time will tell. In the meantime, I will keep moving forward and I will also continue to better myself in the areas that God has challenged me in.

A Call To Prayer

2011-06-03T08:55:00.000-05:00

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

I seem to be posting this verse a lot on the blog. It just keeps coming up, and it really is a great verse to share exactly what God is thinking about us. God WANTS to hear his children praying. He WANTS to hear His favorite kids (that's you and I, by the way) calling out to Him for mercy and for grace.

Just last week I was sharing some musings about how I was wondering if, in light of all the recent tornadoes in our country, if we, the church, were missing out on an opportunity to do something awesome regarding natural disasters. I'm still wondering on that a bit. But there is something more to it than just being pro-active and going out and calming the storm. There's prayer to God, on behalf of our nation, to ask for mercy and ask for God to quell the storms before they even begin.

I've had so many dreams in the last several months involving tornadoes. Every time I have one, it almost makes me sick... In every single one, there has been a tornado- or multiple tornadoes, and I rise to the occasion. Usually I am speaking in tongues at the time, and then I command the tornado to go in Jesus' name. The tornado always goes away. One would think that would be a good dream- perhaps it's building up my faith for something in reality. I had one just the other night though, and this one seemed more vivid to me, and it woke me. As I lay there in the middle of the night, all I could think of was how much I did NOT want to have to put that to the test. It really bothered me, and I just wasn't even sure how to respond to the dream. And I told God that much. I told Him that I appreciated the tornado dreams that are bolstering my faith, but that more than anything, I did not want my children and my family in a position to need to put that faith to the test. This has been on my mind for two days now, and last night, there was a timely word in the verse above.

"A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,
And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!" Proverbs 15:23

Perhaps those dreams have been building up my faith for a time of great need, but I choose, instead to be proactive about a time of great need. Just the other day another wave of tornadoes swept through a state in our country where they seldom have them in the first place. If that isn't a sign to us that we should be on our knees, praying for our country, I don't know what is. So I am praying that I won't have to put any kind of faith to the test because of the weather. I am praying that God would pull back the devastating winds that seem to be rising in every corner of our country. I am joining up with Christians all over our country in praying for mercy for our nation, and praying that the death, destruction- and most importantly- the fear will be gone from our lands. I've blogged before how the spirit of fear is not from the Lord, and tornadoes surely bring great fear with them. I am praying that the destructive weather systems will cease, and that instead of spending time focusing on fear and destruction, that we can focus on God, and His wonderful goodness that is just waiting to pour out onto the nation who will ask Him for it.

God has great love for this country, and He certainly doesn't want to see it ravaged by tornadoes and flooding and severe drought. But He is wanting to hear from His children. He wants to hear us come together in agreement as we turn to Him and ask Him to calm the skies and the weather system. The weather people blame all the extreme weather we've been having on climate change, and I've read in so many places that we just need to "get used to it". Please. God is bigger than climate change, and God is bigger than anything the earth can dish out. It is time for us to focus on God, and it is time for us to ask Him to right our wrongs. It's time for us to ask Him for forgiveness for our unbelief, and to ask Him to fix the climate problems. God can do that in an instant! In less than a moment, God can completely change the climate of our planet to be right, where a super cell storm or a magnanimous earthquake or a vicious volcanic eruption are very rare and random- and not the everyday. God can fix all of this! We just need to ask Him.

Please join me this weekend in focusing your prayer time on praying for our planet, and for our country. God wants to hear from us, He's just waiting to hear from us. And then we can give Him ALL the glory when our weather returns to normal.

Not Quite A Donkey

2011-06-02T09:16:00.000-05:00

"Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. ²⁴ Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. ²⁵ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. ²⁶ Then the Angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. ²⁷ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
²⁸ Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Numbers 22:23-28

I have a short little story to tell of how we should pay attention to everything around us. And I mean everything. I may not have had a donkey speak to me this morning, but God will use whatever is around to get our attention if needs be.

I was laying in bed this morning, still feeling tired and wishing I could sleep just a little while longer. I worked hard yesterday in the garden, and my body feels it, so a little more sleep would be welcome. I was just laying there, debating whether I should get up or doze off for just a little longer. I really had no big plans this morning- I had to do my blogging and my workout, but beyond that, the busy stuff for the day wasn't until afternoon. I was thinking I should really get up, but a bigger part of me was still so tired...

When suddenly this crow lands on the roof right outside our bedroom window and starts cawing like mad. It was an open window no less, and it sounded like he was right in the room with me. He sat there for a minute or two cawing before he started flying in circles around the house- still cawing. Have you ever had one of those moments where you just know something? I knew that crow was not there by accident, and I needed to get up. So I did. I puzzled for a minute over what that could mean- why did I need to get up this morning and get my day going?

Yeah... the doorbell rang just half-an-hour later. We had an appointment with a plumber to be here later in the day after 11:00 in the morning. He had a sudden free-up of his morning and thought he'd stop by earlier. Oh my. Instantly, I was so thankful to God for sending that crow to caw me awake this morning. Had I allowed myself to doze off, no doubt, the doorbell would have been what would have woken me up, and THAT would have been a totally awkward door answering. Instead, I was awake, alert, and ready to receive the plumber.

The crow was a nuisance. Oh my, was that an annoying way to wake up! But it got me out of bed, that's for sure. And now the work being done by the plumber is being done early in the day, so that I can have the rest of my day free to do what I wasn't going to be able to. God is so good! I've been making plans all week to go and do specific things, and one thing or another has derailed them, the plumber was the latest of these. Now I can try and rearrange my day to accommodate those things instead of simply being stuck here waiting for work to be done.

My messenger this morning may not have been as exciting as a donkey turning to me and speaking. But God can and will use all manner of creatures to get our attention if He needs to. This morning, it just happened to be an annoying crow who sounded like he wanted to wake up the world. Annoying, certainly, but it certainly got me out of bed, and it also turned my thoughts immediately toward Heaven, wondering why HE would want me up and ready for the day.

Don't discount the little things. I could have disregarded that crow (loud as he was), but a check in my spirit told me that this was something to pay attention to, and I'm so glad I did.

Hello Warfare Wednesday!

2011-06-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

"And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4

When I read passages like this in my Bible, it always gives me hope. It can be so discouraging to open up the newspaper or turn on the news channel and see all the bad news being reported. I know that often times, during a time of tragedy, those images and reports really turn my heart into a heart of prayer, as I pray for the people affected. But at the same time, if I'm not careful, and if I dwell on that bad news, it can drag me down into a melancholy for the day, where I just feel hopeless and mundane. But thank God for His Word, and the many encouraging words inside of it!

It is along those lines this morning that I am focusing my prayers on President Obama. As President of the United States, you have to believe that each and every day he is confronting bad news after bad news. When he first wakes up in the morning he is given reports of what has gone on around the world overnight. Most days, that's probably not an encouraging way to wake up. So very simply this morning, I want to pray that President Obama would find encouragement in the next few weeks. As warm weather is finally moving into parts of the country, it's a time of great joy and happiness- as schools let out for the summer, children are naturally filled with joy at the time off from studies. May the joy and exuberance that is capturing the children of this nation trickle all the way up to the top.

As the president's children also will be wrapping up their school year, I also pray that the whole family will find time together to enjoy the summer, and will reconnect with one another. As another presidential race is looming in the near future, I pray that they are able to enjoy their time together this summer, and to not be plagued by pundits and pollsters. May God give that whole family great joy, and may He make Himself known to them in a very real way. May they know that God loves them so much, and that God has great plans for this country if they will only turn to Him for understanding.

We just celebrated Memorial Day here in the U.S., and as I watched the news reports of the various celebrations, and as I thought about all the service men and women who have given their lives for the freedoms we have today, I also thought about how much God truly does love this country. He really does, and if the population of the United States will only grasp that God loves each and every person, then I think we can start to see a turnaround in every area of trouble. It is God's love that is the answer to all our problems, but first we have to start looking so inward at ourselves and focus on each other, and on God above more than ourselves. I'm praying that this summer will be a time of great love and selflessness for our country- may more and more people every day learn to stop being selfish, and learn to start caring for their neighbors.

To Be Persistent And Persevere

2011-05-31T08:51:00.000-05:00

"Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful." James 5:11

We are so easily swayed to give up these days. I mean people as a whole. We try something new, we try a new skill or try to form a new habit, and if it doesn't go well for us quickly, we drop it and move on to something else. Think of all the New Year's resolutions that come along and get dropped before the first month of the year is even past. We start a new diet and it lasts a few weeks before we just can't take it anymore and we cheat. We start a new Bible reading schedule, and we keep at it until we have a busy day and we skip it that once- only that one time becomes days and then weeks and then months... We decide to lend a hand with a different ministry at church or some other organization and that lasts as long as their schedule works with ours. The minute something changes with a schedule, we move on, claiming that we just don't have time.

Why are we so quick to dismiss the things that are good for us or will build us up? I even think of learning a new skill or hobby. How many people decide they'd like to learn to do something new, get partway and then discover that learning this new skill is difficult? I decided to learn to knit a few years ago. It was tough for me to focus on counting and winding this yarn, so I decided it wasn't for me. Then this winter Abigail wanted to learn, so I picked it back up again and found the ultimate satisfaction in completing a knitting project. It's not so difficult with a little practice. And yet, Abigail learned quickly, but decided it wasn't for her either- too much work for such a small little project. I have a yard full of weeds and garden spaces with potential- if only I would get out there and get to work. But I am so daunted by the enormity of the task before me that the idea of even beginning is not particularly welcoming.

Job was the ultimate example that persistence pays off. His life was completely in the dumps, but he persisted in loving God with all his heart. He persisted in not blaming God for all the calamity that had befallen him. The easy thing for him to do would have been to agree with those friends of his who just kept going on and on and on about how God was at fault. He chose the hard road- the difficult one of choosing to not blame God and to disagree with the only companions he had. persistence for Job was rewarded when God saw his heart and dedication, and God blessed him abundantly for it.

Last week I had an area that I needed to be persistent in. It's so small and minute, but it really spoke to me at the time. I've been filling in with the drum playing at church, which is going well, I just need more practice. But one area of improvement that I didn't anticipate needing was in regards to my muscles. By the time I was finished with two church services, my legs felt like Jell-o. I had sore muscles that evening and into the next day, and I quickly determined that I needed to do something about it. The last time I recall feeling these particular muscles so sore was years ago when I had begun a step aerobics workout. I determined that I needed to start a step aerobic workout and get these muscles back into shape. The kids and I cleaned up the basement, and the day I chose to begin my workout, I sat there with my DVD, DVD player, TV and step, and could not get the DVD to work. The player is so basic, it doesn't have any buttons on it other than "play" and "stop", and the remote has vanished, so I could not choose anything on the menu to play. I almost gave up. There I was, ready to begin, and there just was no way to begin. I was ready to just give up before I even began.

Oh, I had options. I could have moved the whole set-up to another TV/DVD in the house, but neither location really appealed, as furniture would need to be moved around. As I sat there wondering what else I could do to work these muscles, I realized that all I needed was a remote control. So I ran to the store, bought a remote, and about one hour after I'd intended to do my workout, everything was a go, and I did my workout. Perseverance that day felt really, really good. I really felt like I'd accomplished something, and I did not let the devil ruin my good intentions of improving myself for the benefit of my church family. I stuck with it, I did what needed to be done, and I did my workout a few times last week. As soon as I'm done here I'm off to do it again.

Paul persevered, and at the end of his life, he could be confident in saying so. Let's fight the good fight too! While we may not be a grand apostle touring the world and saving thousands of souls for Jesus, it's just as important for us to learn to persevere in our everyday. Sometimes that may just mean getting all the laundry done for a change, or getting the dishes done in a timely manner. Every step counts, and when we can learn to stick with the small stuff, we'll have an easier time learning to stick with the big stuff.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

Musings: Calming The Storm

2011-05-26T09:14:00.000-05:00

"On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” ³⁶ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. ³⁸ But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
³⁹ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." Mark 4:35-39

Today is one of those posts where I simply share some thoughts that are rolling around in my mind. They've been in there for a few days now, placed in there by the events of the past week in the south. There's been such a crazy tornado outbreak in the US this year, that it just has me thinking if the church is really missing an opportunity to do something about it. And I'm not exactly talking about disaster response, but about the response before the disaster. When those storm forecasts start rolling in, do we, as a church have a greater responsibility to try and control the storms that are on their way?

There is a melding of thoughts here today, because as I've been thinking about this, I've also been thinking about the Native American people. Last year, when we studied the individual people groups for school, my eyes were opened to a lot of truths about many Native Americans- mainly that many of them really believed in God, they just didn't know what to call Him. Native American tribes would spend entire days dancing and singing to "The Creator" and asking for provision and protection. Those rain dances we hear about? Many were done to ask for rain- they would dance for days on end, with a desire for rain on their hearts. Sometimes it was the opposite- it was a dance to ask for the rains to stop.   But then our European settlers started moving in, and saw these rituals and simply assumed they were evil. We told Native Americans that their ways were wrong, and they needed to start going to our organized churches and stop their evil ways.

Were those ways so evil? I think the Native Americans were behaving like Jesus without even realizing it.

Jesus himself calmed the storm. The disciples were fearing for their lives, and Jesus stepped in and calmed the storm in an instant.   I can't help but think that if we, the church, took what we see in our very Bibles and applied it to the circumstances today, that we could make a huge difference. I've been watching the footage of the dozens of tornadoes and all the damage. So many people have lost everything- including loved ones, and my heart is so full of sorrow for those people. Something seems to have shifted in the atmosphere, making tornadoes so much more likely these days- what if we are missing a huge opportunity to be a blessing to our very country? What if we took the lesson that we see from Jesus and applied it to today?

Even better, what if we combined it with the spirituality of the Native Americans? Think about this. We have amazing technology with weather forecasting today. We can know a day in advance that severe storms are rolling into an area. Think about teams of people gathering together in advance of the storm. They get together and start worshiping the Lord, praising Him and dancing to him for hours on end- preparing the atmosphere around them to do the will of God. And then as the storms start to roll in, their hearts are prepared with love for the Father and for the people around them, and as the tornado warnings start going off, these teams of people speak to the storm and calm it- Just As Jesus Did.

It's not impossible. Jesus did it, and not only did Jesus tell us that we can do what he did, but that we will do greater.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." John 14:12

I think about the flooding of the Mississippi river and all those people displaced who have lost everything under water. The flooding isn't that much different than a series of tornado-producing storms. We know about it in advance- or at least somewhat in advance. Jesus gave us the very tools we need to do something about all these disasters going on around us- we just need to learn how to use those tools.   The church is so good about coming together to aid those in need after a disaster- I just think it's time for the church to wake up and see if they can do something to prevent a disaster. Think about the possibilities there. As the tornado sirens go off, instead of hiding away in fear and terror- we come together in love and worship and prevent destruction from touching those around us.

Things to think on today.

To Each Their Own, Sort Of

2011-05-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with yourfaith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." Romans 12:4-7

I love reading passages like this one in the Bible, because it's such a good reminder to me that each one of us is unique and different because God made us that way. Sometimes it's really easy to look at someone and wish we had their talents or abilities, without realizing that we already have abilities that could be put to use. In particular, I love the list of giftings in these verses, because it puts prophesying and teaching on the same playing field as serving and giving. It shows that each and every task is important, and God gives people different abilities so that all the tasks can be seen to.

Sure, one may look at the Sunday School teachers or the Worship Leader and wish they had their abilities, but let's say the drummer on the worship team really wished they could lead worship. Maybe they could, but then there would be no drummer, and a worship team just isn't a worship team without a drummer. ;) The person who takes out the garbage and cleans the bathrooms may look at the Audio-Visual Crew and think that working there would be more glamorous. But then the garbage would be overflowing, the bathrooms would need cleaning, and no one wants to attend a church that is filthy.

Each piece of the puzzle is unique and wonderful- and no two pieces are alike. Oh sure, most people actually do have more than one gifting- some just tend be stronger than others, and different gifts may be needed at different times. For me personally, in the past I've had to use my gifting for organization to help sort through a rather large and daunting mess to make life easier for another person. In my current season though, that organization isn't really needed, so instead my gift of service is being put to great use to keep our church neat, clean, and welcoming to guests.

Something else I love about these verses? It mentions giving as a gift. Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day for people. A single mom who really wants to help out, but can't because she has to carefully balance work and kids can help out by picking up extra school supplies for the Sunday School classes. She can bring a plate of cookies to an event, and while she can't stick around and help clean up- giving those cookies to the cause is just as important as planning or cleaning up. Sometimes the only thing we can do to help out for a season is to grab our checkbook and fill in the blank spaces to help cover a need. Giving is a very important gifting and we all need to utilize it more, I think.

The point is, no matter what our gift is, we need to use it. And we also need to recognize that sometimes God puts us in a place to use a gifting that may not be our best one- but even then, we need to use it to the best of our abilities to glorify Him. Sometimes that's easier said than done, I know. But just because I'm in a time of doing something a little less glamorous, doesn't mean that I am any less important than someone who does do something really cool. Each and every task within the church is important- and that makes each and every person important as well. No one is beneath another- we are all called to do our very best with whatever abilities we have at the moment. It's time that we stop comparing ourselves to one another and just do it. Just do what God has called us to do, and do it with all our heart. That's the way God made us to be.