Last week, our bible study group read Matthew 1 which gives the genealogy of Jesus back to Abraham. The very next day, my daughter had an article to read in God World News about the genealogy of African Americans, and how they cannot trace their ancestors because of how they were taken from their homeland and sold as slaves. Both of these reinvigorated my interest in my own family tree. By the end of the day Friday, I had my family tree book out,I had compiled one many years ago, and had post-it notes all over my wall, mapping out my family tree. I am able to go back five generations from myself, in some cases.
On Saturday, I bought a tri-fold display board and transferred the names from the wall to the board. Now, once a day, I pull out the board, open it up, and just sit and look at it. I scan the dates; birth dates, wedding dates, death dates, immigration dates, and wonder what it was like living at that time.
What was the world like then? What was happening? What was daily life like? Why did they come to America in the first place? What was that journey like?
I'm compiling a list of questions for my grandparents, the only set left. In fact, who's left and who's not became glaringly apparent in this process, because I used one color of construction paper for those who have passed on, and another color for those who are still with us. It really showed me that time does go quickly, and generations pass without us realizing, and unless we are deliberate in knowing our legacy it will pass without us understanding.
I've been doing some research on-line and in books. I actually found a ship log with my ancestors names listed as passengers on a ship from Liverpool, England to New York City dated September 5th, 1839. My ancestors hail from various parts of Germany and Ireland. I have a Lutheran and Catholic faith legacy and I'm discovering that both came to America for religious freedom and to escape persecution and oppression because of their faith.
America was the place to come for freedom and to practice their faith freely, and I wonder what happened, because America seems to be increasingly hostile to Christianity. I wonder, too, if my generation, or one after me, will have to stand up for our faith and say enough at some point Where will we go to continue our faith legacy in freedom, if it becomes too hostile here to do so? More importantly, would I, or would they, stand firm against oppression and persecution? Would we hang onto our Truth base despite the hardships, and be willing to fight for what we believe, and fight for our way of life?
As I review the history, it gives glimpses of the future. Stories seem to swirl in repeating patterns. If we don't learn from past mistakes, we tend to repeat history. It is possible that what defined my ancestors as defenders of their faith, may define me as well. The struggles they incurred to provide a good future for their children may not be the same as the ones, I, or future generations will have to face, but the underlying theme may be similar, in that, a struggle may be incurred to preserve our legacy as Christians.
God wants us to remember the past. Remember His promises and faithfulness to all generations, and see our need for a Savior throughout history, so we continue to walk in obedience to Him, and stand firm on the teachings we were taught as children. It's critical that we teach our own children about God. Don't drop the ball and risk the heritage of the faith of our fathers becoming void in the generations to come. What a shame that would be to raise a generation without God as the head!
I'll probably have more to say on this topic as I continue this journey into my heritage. Until then, have an insightful day!
Showing posts with label Truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Truth. Show all posts
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Should A Comfort Letter Include A Christ Component?
This was a question in my women's bible study yesterday:
Should a comfort letter include a Christ component?
Most answered no because it might turn someone off and make them back away from you and your help. They thought this could happen with a non-believer and even with a Christian. So, they thought it best to try and help in other ways first, build a relationship, and hope to have an opportunity later to speak to them about the love of Christ.
I can see their point. Anyone who has stepped out in faith to speak truth for God to another has been rejected at some point. The other person has pushed back, walked away out of fear, leaving us to feel like we didn't help and we should have done it differently.
But, let me ask a few questions.
Where does true comfort lie?
Is it found in us or in our abilities to handle a situation? Do we have all the answers to life's tough questions?
Who has more compassion and love for another human being, me or God?
Can I really love someone else as much as God does? Can I really have enough compassion for someone else like God does?
We live in a sin sick world. All of the hurts, trials, discomforts, and evil of this world are due to sin. Sin that is our nature. Sin that is the root of the problem.
Sin is the explanation for all the problems of the world and Jesus is the solution to all those problems. Can we really help someone if we consciously avoid sharing the truth and the solution?
When someone is in need of comfort they usually are more open to the message of Jesus as Savior. When life is great they have no need for a Savior because everything seems to be ok around them.
But, in those dark places where things feel out of control, and you are drowning in sorrow, or guilt, or fear, your heart is open to any help. Why not share Christ and his hope with them!
They may accept God's gift of grace and his help and comfort. Or, they may not. They may be turned off and walk away. But, at least you used the opportunity you did have to share the gospel with them. It planted a seed that someone else may water down the road. We are not responsible for bringing another to faith, God is. But, God wants us to help through our words and our actions.
Preaching Christ can't be the only thing we do. We still need to love with action. Show compassion, listen, and love practically. I think we need both words and actions. Not our words but God's words.
Jesus is our example in all we do. Did he avoid speaking truth to the people he helped?
Let's not live in fear but boldly tell others where true healing and life is found. Let's face it, we might be running out of time.
Should a comfort letter include a Christ component?
Most answered no because it might turn someone off and make them back away from you and your help. They thought this could happen with a non-believer and even with a Christian. So, they thought it best to try and help in other ways first, build a relationship, and hope to have an opportunity later to speak to them about the love of Christ.
I can see their point. Anyone who has stepped out in faith to speak truth for God to another has been rejected at some point. The other person has pushed back, walked away out of fear, leaving us to feel like we didn't help and we should have done it differently.
But, let me ask a few questions.
Where does true comfort lie?
Is it found in us or in our abilities to handle a situation? Do we have all the answers to life's tough questions?
Who has more compassion and love for another human being, me or God?
Can I really love someone else as much as God does? Can I really have enough compassion for someone else like God does?
We live in a sin sick world. All of the hurts, trials, discomforts, and evil of this world are due to sin. Sin that is our nature. Sin that is the root of the problem.
Sin is the explanation for all the problems of the world and Jesus is the solution to all those problems. Can we really help someone if we consciously avoid sharing the truth and the solution?
When someone is in need of comfort they usually are more open to the message of Jesus as Savior. When life is great they have no need for a Savior because everything seems to be ok around them.
But, in those dark places where things feel out of control, and you are drowning in sorrow, or guilt, or fear, your heart is open to any help. Why not share Christ and his hope with them!
They may accept God's gift of grace and his help and comfort. Or, they may not. They may be turned off and walk away. But, at least you used the opportunity you did have to share the gospel with them. It planted a seed that someone else may water down the road. We are not responsible for bringing another to faith, God is. But, God wants us to help through our words and our actions.
Preaching Christ can't be the only thing we do. We still need to love with action. Show compassion, listen, and love practically. I think we need both words and actions. Not our words but God's words.
Jesus is our example in all we do. Did he avoid speaking truth to the people he helped?
Let's not live in fear but boldly tell others where true healing and life is found. Let's face it, we might be running out of time.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Great Love
Psalm 86:13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave
Psalm 86 starts out with these words. . .
Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
This is our condition in life - poor and needy.
Not poor in a financial sense, although there are those that are.
Not needy in a material sense, although there are those that are.
But, poor and needy, in an universal spiritual condition affecting the entire human race.
When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, we all became poor and needy souls, in desperate need of rescue from our depraved state.
That depraved state brought down the death sentence for all of us by God's perfect judgment.
Thank God for a loving God, big enough to save us from the death sentence.
Thank God for His One and Only Son who obediently came down to this earth and took on all the sins, of all of humanity, on his shoulders in payment for us.
He redeemed us! He bought us back from Satan! He delivered us from the grave!
For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave!
A LOVE like that requires a response from us.
Zealousness for his Word, for a relationship with Him, for doing his Work.
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave
Psalm 86 starts out with these words. . .
Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
This is our condition in life - poor and needy.
Not poor in a financial sense, although there are those that are.
Not needy in a material sense, although there are those that are.
But, poor and needy, in an universal spiritual condition affecting the entire human race.
When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, we all became poor and needy souls, in desperate need of rescue from our depraved state.
That depraved state brought down the death sentence for all of us by God's perfect judgment.
Thank God for a loving God, big enough to save us from the death sentence.
Thank God for His One and Only Son who obediently came down to this earth and took on all the sins, of all of humanity, on his shoulders in payment for us.
He redeemed us! He bought us back from Satan! He delivered us from the grave!
For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave!
A LOVE like that requires a response from us.
Zealousness for his Word, for a relationship with Him, for doing his Work.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Valley Rescue
I FINALLY HAVE MY LIFE TOGETHER!
Sadly, at times, these words could not be further from the truth for me.
Do you know I like an ordered house? I like an ordered family. I like the outside world to see me in control. But the reality is, at times, it is all a cover for the turmoil that goes on in my heart. Some may look at my life and see no worry. I have a great husband, five daughters, two and 1/2 grandchildren (one on the way), and a comfortable home. What more could a woman want?
But, I am a woman in want, sometimes.
I am a grown woman but in many ways I am still a wounded child deeply affected by people who said they loved me but their actions or their presence (or lack of it) spoke otherwise. I am still a little girl who never felt perfect enough for anyone to love me like other people were loved. I have always been a comparer and I always calculate myself as coming up short.
So, I've spent my life being a people pleaser, morphing into who I thought others wanted me to be, in the hopes of being loved and having someone stick around. As a result, I am not always authentic. I have always been the caretaker of others but the one easily discarded or ignored. I can't make decisions for fear of making the wrong one and making someone else unhappy. Unhappy people = abandonment in my mind.
My life turned a huge corner when I met my husband. No one in this world has ever loved me the way he loves me. In fact, it was his example of unconditional love, that actually allowed me to let the Christ I had always known, come into my heart. Up until that time, my spiritual life mirrored my personal life. If I am unlovable by the people closest to me, then, I am unlovable by my Creator, as well. I knew God to be a gracious and loving God for everyone else in the world but not for me.
For eight years, or so, God has been recreating me. He's helped me clean up my life. He showed me all my self destructive ways. It's amazing what one will allow when they have no self worth. He's given me new purpose and direction.
I quit my job to be a stay at home mom four years ago. I still get calls from my former employer to come back to work but I don't need to be successful in the marketplace to define my worth anymore.
I obediently followed when God said to homeschool. He gave me the backbone and the strength to stand up to the opposing voices that quickly came our way when we decided to pursue his will. Pretty amazing for a people pleaser! But, it's Him whom I want to please these days, not others.
He's given me a desire to be a teacher of his word to other women and he faithfully has brought many wonderful women into my life to mentor.
We have made great progress, He and I.
Any, yet, despite all this progress, I spent this week going deeper and deeper into a dark place. Imagine two mountains with a valley in the middle. I was on top of one of those mountains on Monday, but by Friday night, I was wandering around in the valley wondering how I would ever get out.
I felt myself begin to slip on Tuesday and instead of looking up for help, I allowed myself to look down, knowing full well where this would lead. I let doubt lead to inadequacy, and inadequacy lead to unlovable, and unlovable lead to my abandonment history, and my self worth just plummetted.
"God can't use me. In fact, God doesn't even love me. I'm fooling myself in thinking he ever did. I'm living in a pipe dream if I think God ever cared for me. Look at you, no one has ever loved you. You don't matter to anyone, never did. God created me just to be miserable."
These are the lies my mind tells me when I allow myself to slip off the mountain; when I go to the dark place outside of God's truthful light. I get lost in the valley of the shadows of death. My poor husband has to deal with my crying and self pity, my short temper, and my withdrawal to safety - alone. I go underground and I am of no help to anyone.
But, then, God sends the Great Shepherd to come and rescue me. He picks me up and gently reminds me that he loves me. He cradles me in his loving arms as he treks me back up the mountain, back into the full light of God's truth. He reminds me he has always loved me and has always been there for me. He reminds me of who I am in him and the plans he has for me. By Sunday morning, we are almost to the top again. I wake up thankful for all he has blessed me with in the later half of my life, ready to let it all go and move on.
During church this morning, I lay it all down at his feet. The years of hurt, the years of being alone, the years of measuring short, the years wasted. I ask forgiveness for not trusting, for not believing. I ask for help in staying on the mountaintop. I ask for the freedom to fly and soar, to have the weight removed from me so I am weightless and free to do his will without restriction and fear.
Then, He gives me this vision:
1. Stop trying to figure out why your life was what it was. Accept it as it is.
2. Stop trying to test everyone's love for you as authentic. Accept it as it is.
3. Stop trying to move up in the world and instead look down. Look at the world and see all the people in the world that feel the same way you do - unlovable/not worthy/abandoned. Use what you know about me to reach them with my love and hope.
4. Instead of trying to gain worldly love and acceptance, be filled up with the love I give, and let MY love pour out of you into others. Take the focus off yourself and focus instead on loving others in the way I have loved you.
5. Use ALL I have given you (even the bad) to my glory!
My battle with self worth is not over. Satan will wage that war against me my whole life but God has given me a battle plan to win the war. Extend past myself, take the weapons of war he provides, focus on winning the battle, trust in Him. He will keep me safe and bring me victoriously to the end.
And if on the day when he returns, I am standing there before him with many more who once thought themselves unworthy but stand there that day because of Christ love shown through me to them, I will have run the race well.
Sadly, at times, these words could not be further from the truth for me.
Do you know I like an ordered house? I like an ordered family. I like the outside world to see me in control. But the reality is, at times, it is all a cover for the turmoil that goes on in my heart. Some may look at my life and see no worry. I have a great husband, five daughters, two and 1/2 grandchildren (one on the way), and a comfortable home. What more could a woman want?
But, I am a woman in want, sometimes.
I am a grown woman but in many ways I am still a wounded child deeply affected by people who said they loved me but their actions or their presence (or lack of it) spoke otherwise. I am still a little girl who never felt perfect enough for anyone to love me like other people were loved. I have always been a comparer and I always calculate myself as coming up short.
So, I've spent my life being a people pleaser, morphing into who I thought others wanted me to be, in the hopes of being loved and having someone stick around. As a result, I am not always authentic. I have always been the caretaker of others but the one easily discarded or ignored. I can't make decisions for fear of making the wrong one and making someone else unhappy. Unhappy people = abandonment in my mind.
My life turned a huge corner when I met my husband. No one in this world has ever loved me the way he loves me. In fact, it was his example of unconditional love, that actually allowed me to let the Christ I had always known, come into my heart. Up until that time, my spiritual life mirrored my personal life. If I am unlovable by the people closest to me, then, I am unlovable by my Creator, as well. I knew God to be a gracious and loving God for everyone else in the world but not for me.
For eight years, or so, God has been recreating me. He's helped me clean up my life. He showed me all my self destructive ways. It's amazing what one will allow when they have no self worth. He's given me new purpose and direction.
I quit my job to be a stay at home mom four years ago. I still get calls from my former employer to come back to work but I don't need to be successful in the marketplace to define my worth anymore.
I obediently followed when God said to homeschool. He gave me the backbone and the strength to stand up to the opposing voices that quickly came our way when we decided to pursue his will. Pretty amazing for a people pleaser! But, it's Him whom I want to please these days, not others.
He's given me a desire to be a teacher of his word to other women and he faithfully has brought many wonderful women into my life to mentor.
We have made great progress, He and I.
Any, yet, despite all this progress, I spent this week going deeper and deeper into a dark place. Imagine two mountains with a valley in the middle. I was on top of one of those mountains on Monday, but by Friday night, I was wandering around in the valley wondering how I would ever get out.
I felt myself begin to slip on Tuesday and instead of looking up for help, I allowed myself to look down, knowing full well where this would lead. I let doubt lead to inadequacy, and inadequacy lead to unlovable, and unlovable lead to my abandonment history, and my self worth just plummetted.
"God can't use me. In fact, God doesn't even love me. I'm fooling myself in thinking he ever did. I'm living in a pipe dream if I think God ever cared for me. Look at you, no one has ever loved you. You don't matter to anyone, never did. God created me just to be miserable."
These are the lies my mind tells me when I allow myself to slip off the mountain; when I go to the dark place outside of God's truthful light. I get lost in the valley of the shadows of death. My poor husband has to deal with my crying and self pity, my short temper, and my withdrawal to safety - alone. I go underground and I am of no help to anyone.
But, then, God sends the Great Shepherd to come and rescue me. He picks me up and gently reminds me that he loves me. He cradles me in his loving arms as he treks me back up the mountain, back into the full light of God's truth. He reminds me he has always loved me and has always been there for me. He reminds me of who I am in him and the plans he has for me. By Sunday morning, we are almost to the top again. I wake up thankful for all he has blessed me with in the later half of my life, ready to let it all go and move on.
During church this morning, I lay it all down at his feet. The years of hurt, the years of being alone, the years of measuring short, the years wasted. I ask forgiveness for not trusting, for not believing. I ask for help in staying on the mountaintop. I ask for the freedom to fly and soar, to have the weight removed from me so I am weightless and free to do his will without restriction and fear.
Then, He gives me this vision:
1. Stop trying to figure out why your life was what it was. Accept it as it is.
2. Stop trying to test everyone's love for you as authentic. Accept it as it is.
3. Stop trying to move up in the world and instead look down. Look at the world and see all the people in the world that feel the same way you do - unlovable/not worthy/abandoned. Use what you know about me to reach them with my love and hope.
4. Instead of trying to gain worldly love and acceptance, be filled up with the love I give, and let MY love pour out of you into others. Take the focus off yourself and focus instead on loving others in the way I have loved you.
5. Use ALL I have given you (even the bad) to my glory!
My battle with self worth is not over. Satan will wage that war against me my whole life but God has given me a battle plan to win the war. Extend past myself, take the weapons of war he provides, focus on winning the battle, trust in Him. He will keep me safe and bring me victoriously to the end.
And if on the day when he returns, I am standing there before him with many more who once thought themselves unworthy but stand there that day because of Christ love shown through me to them, I will have run the race well.
Monday, October 4, 2010
A Lesson for Parents
1 Samuel 3:13 (NIV)
For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them.
In 1 Samuel, Eli had two sons that were doing wrong. They were idolaters and immoral people although they were of a priestly family. The disobeyed God openly and Eli knew about it. According to the law at the time, Eli should have called for their deaths due to their sin but instead he only mildly rebuked them. The rebuke was not strong enough to turn them from their ways and they continued to do as they pleased. Eli became a party to the sin by failing to stop it and God deals harshly with them.
Eli's two sons are killed in battle, many more descendants were massacred at Nob, and the priesthood is later transferred from his family to the family of Zadok by Solomon (The Bible Reader's Companion).
Scary stuff, huh?
Parents are responsible for their children's behavior. We have a God given responsibility to teach them right and wrong. Right and wrong according to God's Word, not the ever-changing value system of the world.
This means, as parents, we need to first know what God's Word says about right and wrong. As situations arise, we need to search the scriptures for what to do or how to handle. It needs to be our moral compass, our guidebook in all things, the truth we hold up against the lies of the world.
We need to be in prayer, asking God to help us discern and navigate all the situations that arise, and to ask for faith, trust, and strength to adhere to biblical principles even when the rest of the world seems to be going a different direction.
I'm concerned that most of my peers would say that if their son or daughter wanted to have sex before marriage, they would advise them to use birth control. If the son or daughter is a minor, they might even take them to the doctor to help them procure birth control.
I've heard comments like "if you are going to do it, at least be smart about it", or "Don't ruin my life or yours by getting pregnant".
This is defeated parenting and does nothing to address to root of the sin.
However, the reason parents go this route is varied but includes: being too busy, succumbing to the pressures of society and it's ever-changing morals, not having a good grasp of God's Word on the matter, not wanting any sort of discomfort for themselves or their child, not wanting to give up a lifestyle or a reputation, or just a plain inability to deny their child anything, even if it's bad for them.
Do we as Christians acknowledge that sex outside of marriage is wrong according to the standard set by God? Do we acknowledge that God's standards are good and pure and meant for our own good, not as a means to limit us, or somehow deny us something good? Do we understand that sin left unchecked is very hazardous to our souls and can be life ending? Not just here but for eternity? Do we realize that when we look the other way, try to eliminate the consequence, or blatantly participate in allowing it to continue we become party to the sin and party to the destruction.
We need to take this seriously, parents! Not just in this scenario but in all things related to our children, to parenting, and to our own self discipline and character. You can apply this to anything.
If underage drinking is illegal, and we are called to obey the laws of the land and the leaders of the land, then it is wrong in God's eyes to permit your child to drink while he/she is underage. It is wrong for you to host an underage drinking party (even if you blindly think you are protecting them by having it in your home instead of somewhere else), and it is wrong to supply the alcohol for them.
We must tow the line ourselves and be a good example to follow. We must expect a higher behavior and character then the rest of society. We must teach God's Word and adhere to it ourselves.
Our children will make mistakes and we can love them through their consequences and continue to teach and hold them accountable without destroying them.
For it is in allowing sin to go unchecked that destroys, not the consequence. We must be willing to allow the consequence in the hopes of saving the soul. It is our duty to allow God to work in their lives. If we lead them to believe God doesn't care what they do, they will never see the need to turn to him for help, for repentance, or for salvation.
I pray we make time to do the necessary things to be the kind of parents God expects us to be. We can start today. We can make a commitment today to begin reading God's Word daily. We can begin praying for God to show us where we are failing or where we need to step it up. We can begin to spend more time with our kids so we can understand where they might be in trouble. We can talk openly with our kids about what God expects.
I am not perfect as a person or as a parent but I know One who is, and I trust in Him to the best of my ability to lead me.
For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them.
In 1 Samuel, Eli had two sons that were doing wrong. They were idolaters and immoral people although they were of a priestly family. The disobeyed God openly and Eli knew about it. According to the law at the time, Eli should have called for their deaths due to their sin but instead he only mildly rebuked them. The rebuke was not strong enough to turn them from their ways and they continued to do as they pleased. Eli became a party to the sin by failing to stop it and God deals harshly with them.
Eli's two sons are killed in battle, many more descendants were massacred at Nob, and the priesthood is later transferred from his family to the family of Zadok by Solomon (The Bible Reader's Companion).
Scary stuff, huh?
Parents are responsible for their children's behavior. We have a God given responsibility to teach them right and wrong. Right and wrong according to God's Word, not the ever-changing value system of the world.
This means, as parents, we need to first know what God's Word says about right and wrong. As situations arise, we need to search the scriptures for what to do or how to handle. It needs to be our moral compass, our guidebook in all things, the truth we hold up against the lies of the world.
We need to be in prayer, asking God to help us discern and navigate all the situations that arise, and to ask for faith, trust, and strength to adhere to biblical principles even when the rest of the world seems to be going a different direction.
I'm concerned that most of my peers would say that if their son or daughter wanted to have sex before marriage, they would advise them to use birth control. If the son or daughter is a minor, they might even take them to the doctor to help them procure birth control.
I've heard comments like "if you are going to do it, at least be smart about it", or "Don't ruin my life or yours by getting pregnant".
This is defeated parenting and does nothing to address to root of the sin.
However, the reason parents go this route is varied but includes: being too busy, succumbing to the pressures of society and it's ever-changing morals, not having a good grasp of God's Word on the matter, not wanting any sort of discomfort for themselves or their child, not wanting to give up a lifestyle or a reputation, or just a plain inability to deny their child anything, even if it's bad for them.
Do we as Christians acknowledge that sex outside of marriage is wrong according to the standard set by God? Do we acknowledge that God's standards are good and pure and meant for our own good, not as a means to limit us, or somehow deny us something good? Do we understand that sin left unchecked is very hazardous to our souls and can be life ending? Not just here but for eternity? Do we realize that when we look the other way, try to eliminate the consequence, or blatantly participate in allowing it to continue we become party to the sin and party to the destruction.
We need to take this seriously, parents! Not just in this scenario but in all things related to our children, to parenting, and to our own self discipline and character. You can apply this to anything.
If underage drinking is illegal, and we are called to obey the laws of the land and the leaders of the land, then it is wrong in God's eyes to permit your child to drink while he/she is underage. It is wrong for you to host an underage drinking party (even if you blindly think you are protecting them by having it in your home instead of somewhere else), and it is wrong to supply the alcohol for them.
We must tow the line ourselves and be a good example to follow. We must expect a higher behavior and character then the rest of society. We must teach God's Word and adhere to it ourselves.
Our children will make mistakes and we can love them through their consequences and continue to teach and hold them accountable without destroying them.
For it is in allowing sin to go unchecked that destroys, not the consequence. We must be willing to allow the consequence in the hopes of saving the soul. It is our duty to allow God to work in their lives. If we lead them to believe God doesn't care what they do, they will never see the need to turn to him for help, for repentance, or for salvation.
I pray we make time to do the necessary things to be the kind of parents God expects us to be. We can start today. We can make a commitment today to begin reading God's Word daily. We can begin praying for God to show us where we are failing or where we need to step it up. We can begin to spend more time with our kids so we can understand where they might be in trouble. We can talk openly with our kids about what God expects.
I am not perfect as a person or as a parent but I know One who is, and I trust in Him to the best of my ability to lead me.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Spirit of Truth
As we continue to Seek Christ this year and for the rest of our lives, we’ll hear the voice of lies that says we were made to be happy. I’m not buying it y’all. I know that we were made to Glorify God and to make Him known. We need to Seek Christ first and then joy will come. He’s so worth it, and I pray that our youth will understand this and live it. May we at the end of our lives say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!” – 2 Timothy 4:7
These words were part of an email my husband received this morning. The sender is the youth leader at our church where my husband is a small group leader for sixth grade boys. The email is to prepare the small group leaders for the material that will be taught this week.
I found it so ironic that this week's topic is about listening to the Voice of Truth and how the 'pursuit of Jesus' is better than the 'pursuit of happiness', considering my own personal struggle with this idea the past two weeks.
It goes to show none of us are immune to the lies or competing voices. We need to fill ourselves up with the Word of God, hear the Voice of Truth, so we can discern the lies from the truth ourselves.
Pursue Christ instead of earthly treasure and you will find pure joy and lasting happiness!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Do the Lives of Others Look Too Good To You?
As a stay at home, homeschooling mom, I don't get out much.
This wasn't always the case, but, in recent years my life has gravitated away from a full time work schedule, a full time social schedule, and a full time 'me' schedule. Most days, I am very happy with my life as it evolves into what God has in store for me. But, I admit there are days I think I am missing out on something.
These feelings came out this past weekend as I talked with others at a funeral, of all places. While we waited for the family to return from the burial for the lunch that was to be served, we caught up with friends we hadn't seen in quite sometime. Former colleagues of mine, and their spouses. As I listened to their exciting stories and escapades, I started to feel a little envious.
It seems as my husband and I were trudging along raising children, everyone else was having the time of their life doing all sorts of things. Needless to say, most of my peers are ready to become empty nesters in the next few years, while our youngest is only two. They are beginning the process of pulling away from their children (or children pulling away from them - depending on whom you are talking to) and discovering what they like to do as a couple free from the daily routine of child rearing.
I used the phrase earlier, "trudging along" because it just seems like for the last few years it's been a tough road. Teenagers can make life difficult at times and so can a 2 year old. There always seems to be a temper tantrum going on, a rebellion that has to be squashed, or all our energy is needed to prevent someone from doing something too bad or getting too hurt. Sometimes life can feel overwhelming.
Apparently, life was feeling a little burdensome on my end this weekend but as I talked with my long lost friends, Oh, I sensed they didn't experience any burden. Envy set in. The entire ride home all I talked about was how good they had it.
My husband was very patience with me as I pointed out things.
"Did you see her designer purse?
"Do you know they go out to eat every Friday night and meet three other couples for drinks after their kids sporting events?"
"They go upnorth for the weekend and leave their teenagers home alone."
Later in the day, I was still talking about them. I noted how happy and carefree they seemed. They seemed to have so many friends. They seemed to have whatever they wanted and didn't seem to have any problems.
Now, my husband, a discerning christian man, calming points out to me that these very people I am so envious of, and want to aspire to be like (even if temporarily), are dead! "What is there to envy about death?"
I knew he was right. They were not saved individuals. They did not know Christ as their Savior. They seemed more carefree because they followed their own desires and fleshy wills. They did what they wanted, when they wanted, and however they wanted to do it because they answered to no one but themselves. I knew he was right but I still needed to wrestle with it in my mind a little longer. Maybe I just didn't want to let the fantasy go. Maybe I was trying to figure out a way to have Christ as my Lord and still have what they have.
God, as he always does, convicts me and then gently leads me to repentance. Then, after I have yielded my will back to him and humbly ask to be restored, he gives me an explanation. A piece of wisdom or understanding to reinforce what he is teaching me through the situation. For me, it usually happens when I am reading his word.
I have been reading a chapter a day in the Psalms. Today, Chapter 73 was up. By verse 2, I knew this was God's timing and God's personal words for me.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong. [a]
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.
That's exactly how I was feeling. I almost, almost was willing to walk away from my faith for something that appeared to look better to me.
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
I had acted bitterly toward God and my thinking was skewed and stupid. How awful of me to have forgotten what the love of a beautiful Lord is worth.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
What humility I felt knowing God did not hold my stupidity against me. He didn't leave me or forsake me even though I contemplated doing it to him. He gently reminded me of who he is, what he's done for me, and what it is worth. It is worth EVERYTHING!
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds
It is good to be near the Sovereign Lord!
It is easy to get enticed by the world and the things of the world, especially during a difficult time. I wanted to escape the current situation our family finds itself in at the moment. I wanted relief. I wanted to be someone else. I got tangled up and saw an escape route. I thought I'd take it instead of sticking it out like God wanted me to do.
I've discovered it's hot here in the fire of refinement but God has reminded me it is worth it!
He has kept me, restored me, renewed me, guided me, showed me the permanent relief yet to come, and the glory yet to be revealed!
I will tell of all your deeds!
This wasn't always the case, but, in recent years my life has gravitated away from a full time work schedule, a full time social schedule, and a full time 'me' schedule. Most days, I am very happy with my life as it evolves into what God has in store for me. But, I admit there are days I think I am missing out on something.
These feelings came out this past weekend as I talked with others at a funeral, of all places. While we waited for the family to return from the burial for the lunch that was to be served, we caught up with friends we hadn't seen in quite sometime. Former colleagues of mine, and their spouses. As I listened to their exciting stories and escapades, I started to feel a little envious.
It seems as my husband and I were trudging along raising children, everyone else was having the time of their life doing all sorts of things. Needless to say, most of my peers are ready to become empty nesters in the next few years, while our youngest is only two. They are beginning the process of pulling away from their children (or children pulling away from them - depending on whom you are talking to) and discovering what they like to do as a couple free from the daily routine of child rearing.
I used the phrase earlier, "trudging along" because it just seems like for the last few years it's been a tough road. Teenagers can make life difficult at times and so can a 2 year old. There always seems to be a temper tantrum going on, a rebellion that has to be squashed, or all our energy is needed to prevent someone from doing something too bad or getting too hurt. Sometimes life can feel overwhelming.
Apparently, life was feeling a little burdensome on my end this weekend but as I talked with my long lost friends, Oh, I sensed they didn't experience any burden. Envy set in. The entire ride home all I talked about was how good they had it.
My husband was very patience with me as I pointed out things.
"Did you see her designer purse?
"Do you know they go out to eat every Friday night and meet three other couples for drinks after their kids sporting events?"
"They go upnorth for the weekend and leave their teenagers home alone."
Later in the day, I was still talking about them. I noted how happy and carefree they seemed. They seemed to have so many friends. They seemed to have whatever they wanted and didn't seem to have any problems.
Now, my husband, a discerning christian man, calming points out to me that these very people I am so envious of, and want to aspire to be like (even if temporarily), are dead! "What is there to envy about death?"
I knew he was right. They were not saved individuals. They did not know Christ as their Savior. They seemed more carefree because they followed their own desires and fleshy wills. They did what they wanted, when they wanted, and however they wanted to do it because they answered to no one but themselves. I knew he was right but I still needed to wrestle with it in my mind a little longer. Maybe I just didn't want to let the fantasy go. Maybe I was trying to figure out a way to have Christ as my Lord and still have what they have.
God, as he always does, convicts me and then gently leads me to repentance. Then, after I have yielded my will back to him and humbly ask to be restored, he gives me an explanation. A piece of wisdom or understanding to reinforce what he is teaching me through the situation. For me, it usually happens when I am reading his word.
I have been reading a chapter a day in the Psalms. Today, Chapter 73 was up. By verse 2, I knew this was God's timing and God's personal words for me.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong. [a]
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.
That's exactly how I was feeling. I almost, almost was willing to walk away from my faith for something that appeared to look better to me.
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
I had acted bitterly toward God and my thinking was skewed and stupid. How awful of me to have forgotten what the love of a beautiful Lord is worth.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
What humility I felt knowing God did not hold my stupidity against me. He didn't leave me or forsake me even though I contemplated doing it to him. He gently reminded me of who he is, what he's done for me, and what it is worth. It is worth EVERYTHING!
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds
It is good to be near the Sovereign Lord!
It is easy to get enticed by the world and the things of the world, especially during a difficult time. I wanted to escape the current situation our family finds itself in at the moment. I wanted relief. I wanted to be someone else. I got tangled up and saw an escape route. I thought I'd take it instead of sticking it out like God wanted me to do.
I've discovered it's hot here in the fire of refinement but God has reminded me it is worth it!
He has kept me, restored me, renewed me, guided me, showed me the permanent relief yet to come, and the glory yet to be revealed!
I will tell of all your deeds!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Blueberries or M&M's?
Have you ever noticed that foods that are naturally blue, red, and yellow are all good for you and encouraged to be a huge part of your daily diet but foods that are artificially colored blue, red, and yellow are usually very bad for you?
Compare blueberries and blue M&M's. One is a super food that improves your health and increases your energy. The other is a deceiving calorie packed, energy depleting snack that looks pretty but isn't at all good for us.
This reminds me that sometimes as Christians we settle for worldly things that appear to be life affirming but turn out to disappoint us in the end and are actually not good for us at all, instead of choosing the things of God which can be trusted to be exactly what we need, every time.
Don't be deceived by the shiny package of lies that the world uses to lure us away from God and his true life affirming gifts.
Compare blueberries and blue M&M's. One is a super food that improves your health and increases your energy. The other is a deceiving calorie packed, energy depleting snack that looks pretty but isn't at all good for us.
This reminds me that sometimes as Christians we settle for worldly things that appear to be life affirming but turn out to disappoint us in the end and are actually not good for us at all, instead of choosing the things of God which can be trusted to be exactly what we need, every time.
Don't be deceived by the shiny package of lies that the world uses to lure us away from God and his true life affirming gifts.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Fear and Ineffectiveness
I read these words this morning and wrote them down in my journal.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
This afternoon I was completing an application for a class I want to take through our church called Character Development. One of the questions on the application ask, 'why do you want to take this class?'. I wrote down four reasons, and it's reasons number three and four that reminded me of this verse from this morning.
Reason # 3: I feel Satan still uses my past to attack me and frustrate my usefulness for Christ. So, although I am afraid to be honest, I recognize the need to bring it to light so it can't be used against me in secret anymore.
Reason # 4: I don't want to hide behind a mask of who I think others want me to be. I want to be real.
Most of my adult life, I have hid my true self because I was afraid if people really knew me they wouldn't like me. My greatest fear has always been abandonment and it is deeply rooted since my childhood.
I really don't know how the class works but I have heard from others that it is pretty heavy stuff. They apparently take you all the way back to your childhood to understand how you were shaped and how that affects you today. I have heard that every week there is a woman crying and that you have to share some pretty personal things. Well, you can just imagine my fear. I have joked with others that I couldn't possibly take the class because I would take up the entire class myself or I'd be crying every week.
Under my cover of indifference through self depreciation, is really a great fear of being discovered. I have not been 100% sure if I am ready to exposed all those carefully hidden secrets, reopen old wounds, or put myself in such a vulnerable position. I alternate between thinking 'I can do it' to 'no, I can't'. I went as far as to request the application to at least see what it looked like, and find out what kind of questions they would ask. It wasn't anything too earth shattering, and it definitely did not give me any indication what to expect from the class itself, and yet, I sobbed as I tried to fill it out.
Do you know why I sobbed? It's not because of what you might think but rather because I saw for the first time how Satan had lied to me for most of my life with whispers that I was not good enough for God, or others, to love me. I had bought Satan's lie, and I had spent a lot of energy, for years, pretending to be on the outside who I thought I should be, and concealing the real me out of fear of being abandoned and left alone. This fear kept me believing that God couldn't love me and so I didn't pursue a relationship with him.
I cried because of the time lost being separated from a loving Father. My mind could actually go back through time, as if rewinding a video tape, to a specific moment in time; years earlier, to the beginning of buying the lie. My mind quickly worked it's way forward through time to the point when the lie started to lose it's power over me. It was like marking two spots on a timeline. I knew exactly when I bought the lie and I knew how long I held on to it. As I traveled in my mind, back and forth over those years, rewinding and fast forwarding the metaphoric video, I grieved over time lost and I felt cheated and robbed of how the first half of my life could have been!
Have you ever given something away only to find yourself in possession of it again? Well, I realized today, I am, at times, in possession of the lie even though I gave it away. It seems to keep coming back. Do you know why? Because Satan knows he can still hurt me with it. As long as I keep the catalyst hidden from others, he can use it against me. He can continue to get me to believe that I am not good enough. Even though I know better, and I have been reconciled to God through grace, Satan knows I have been hesitant to share with others those same things I have shared with God. The fear of others knowing, the fear of being judged, and the fear of being abandoned cause me to be ineffective for Christ at times.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
God is calling me to be made perfect through his perfect love. To trust him like never before. To take a risk, to face my fears, to be real with another person. He wants to show me that his perfect love is sufficient to release me and set me free to soar! I am thinking if I share with another Christian, and can be loved, despite (which can only happen because of the love of Christ), then Satan can no longer hold me captive in this area. This will help me with reasons number one and two on why I want to take this class.
Reason # 1: To be an effective Christ follower.
Reason # 2: To be an effective teacher for my children and any woman God brings into my life to mentor.
God is good!
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
This afternoon I was completing an application for a class I want to take through our church called Character Development. One of the questions on the application ask, 'why do you want to take this class?'. I wrote down four reasons, and it's reasons number three and four that reminded me of this verse from this morning.
Reason # 3: I feel Satan still uses my past to attack me and frustrate my usefulness for Christ. So, although I am afraid to be honest, I recognize the need to bring it to light so it can't be used against me in secret anymore.
Reason # 4: I don't want to hide behind a mask of who I think others want me to be. I want to be real.
Most of my adult life, I have hid my true self because I was afraid if people really knew me they wouldn't like me. My greatest fear has always been abandonment and it is deeply rooted since my childhood.
I really don't know how the class works but I have heard from others that it is pretty heavy stuff. They apparently take you all the way back to your childhood to understand how you were shaped and how that affects you today. I have heard that every week there is a woman crying and that you have to share some pretty personal things. Well, you can just imagine my fear. I have joked with others that I couldn't possibly take the class because I would take up the entire class myself or I'd be crying every week.
Under my cover of indifference through self depreciation, is really a great fear of being discovered. I have not been 100% sure if I am ready to exposed all those carefully hidden secrets, reopen old wounds, or put myself in such a vulnerable position. I alternate between thinking 'I can do it' to 'no, I can't'. I went as far as to request the application to at least see what it looked like, and find out what kind of questions they would ask. It wasn't anything too earth shattering, and it definitely did not give me any indication what to expect from the class itself, and yet, I sobbed as I tried to fill it out.
Do you know why I sobbed? It's not because of what you might think but rather because I saw for the first time how Satan had lied to me for most of my life with whispers that I was not good enough for God, or others, to love me. I had bought Satan's lie, and I had spent a lot of energy, for years, pretending to be on the outside who I thought I should be, and concealing the real me out of fear of being abandoned and left alone. This fear kept me believing that God couldn't love me and so I didn't pursue a relationship with him.
I cried because of the time lost being separated from a loving Father. My mind could actually go back through time, as if rewinding a video tape, to a specific moment in time; years earlier, to the beginning of buying the lie. My mind quickly worked it's way forward through time to the point when the lie started to lose it's power over me. It was like marking two spots on a timeline. I knew exactly when I bought the lie and I knew how long I held on to it. As I traveled in my mind, back and forth over those years, rewinding and fast forwarding the metaphoric video, I grieved over time lost and I felt cheated and robbed of how the first half of my life could have been!
Have you ever given something away only to find yourself in possession of it again? Well, I realized today, I am, at times, in possession of the lie even though I gave it away. It seems to keep coming back. Do you know why? Because Satan knows he can still hurt me with it. As long as I keep the catalyst hidden from others, he can use it against me. He can continue to get me to believe that I am not good enough. Even though I know better, and I have been reconciled to God through grace, Satan knows I have been hesitant to share with others those same things I have shared with God. The fear of others knowing, the fear of being judged, and the fear of being abandoned cause me to be ineffective for Christ at times.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
God is calling me to be made perfect through his perfect love. To trust him like never before. To take a risk, to face my fears, to be real with another person. He wants to show me that his perfect love is sufficient to release me and set me free to soar! I am thinking if I share with another Christian, and can be loved, despite (which can only happen because of the love of Christ), then Satan can no longer hold me captive in this area. This will help me with reasons number one and two on why I want to take this class.
Reason # 1: To be an effective Christ follower.
Reason # 2: To be an effective teacher for my children and any woman God brings into my life to mentor.
God is good!
Monday, August 9, 2010
We Don't Love Children, We Love Drywall
We Don't Love Children, We Love Drywall
I found this blog post on another website that promotes Beautiful Womanhood at http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/ that was so good I had to share it.
I found this blog post on another website that promotes Beautiful Womanhood at http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/ that was so good I had to share it.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Summer Vacation - Road Trip
We're back from our road trip vacation where we logged over 3000 road miles with three kids ages 16,12,2 and survived! We went to Minnesota first for a family wedding, then on to De Smet, SD to the Laura Ingalls Homestead (my favorite), to Rapid City, SD (Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Bear Country, Custer State Park, Ironwood & Needles Highways), to Cody, WY, and Yellowstone National Park.
We weathered tornado warnings, hunkering down with other guest in the hotel's main floor where we were staying until the storm passed.
We surveyed the damage as we drove through the path of the storm the next day. There were trees and branches down through the entire state of Minnesota and very wet conditions.
We experienced temperatures reaching 102 degrees in some cities on our trip. Dry heat they tell us is better than the humid heat we are use to, but hot is still hot in my book.
I am afraid of heights. Let me rephrase that, I am desperately afraid of heights. Driving through the mountains, with steep grades and drastic drop offs, was a life threatening experience for me. I was in tears at times driving through the Buckhorn mountains to Cody, WY. I should have known better when the highway signs approaching the route we were going to take offered up another route that was safer with less grade. Seriously, there were three billboard sized signs suggesting another route. I begged my husband to heed the signs. He finally did - on the return trip! I had to endure the unsafe route on the trip to Yellowstone but we took the alternate on the way home. I have no pictures of the trip west through the Buckhorns because I was glued to the middle of the car and both of my hands were hanging on for dear life. Now, I know why they put those little handles above the window in the Jeep doors. I was petrified!
Our second night in our cabin (in the wooded mountains right outside of the East entrance to Yellowstone and an hour away from the next town),a ten minute rain spell produced one lightening bolt that hit the transformer that powered our cabin and the lodge that supported us. Did I mention this happened right at dinner time. Remember, the next town is 60 minutes away, the territory is mountainous and curvy, and the route not one I want to drive too often, much less in the dark. I was slightly worried I might not get an evening meal. However, we had a perfect dinner in the dark with the other guest. They were able to grill anything we wanted because that required gas, not electricity. Worked out ok.
During the power outage, everyone sat outside where it was lighter, so we all either saw or heard the car accident that happened at the end of the lodge driveway. Everyone was ok although they did take the pregnant lady to the ER to make sure. It was quite the night of excitement for the girls.
At one of our stop over cities on the drive home, we had interesting pool guests. A couple, ex-hippies, I'm guessing, spent the entire day in a routine that looked like this. Drink a can of beer while sitting at the table, go outside and smoke a cigarette, dive in pool and swim three laps, hug each other a few times, slide the cooler to the hot tub and enjoy beer and hot tub, slide cooler back to table, enjoy another beer, go outside for a cigarette, etc. This went on like clockwork all day. Oh, there was the minor interruptions when the guy had to take the cooler back to the hotel room to restock the supply, otherwise the routine was fairly consistent. To me, it just looked like a death sentence waiting to happen. I could not have survived it myself.
Thank God for my husband's laptop and a million DVDs checked out from the local library! Keeping the two year old entertained was critical in preventing her from kicking her sisters in the face every five minutes. In a car seat, the only thing she could really move was her arms or legs. So, kicking and pulling hair helped her pass the time. You can just imagine how well teenage girls handle shoes to the face and their hair being messed up. Now, that I think about it, it was funny. At the time though, not so funny.
Anyway, all kidding aside, we had an amazing trip. We were blessed to see God's beautiful country, the diversity in landscape, the clouds form into storms, and meet people from all over the United States and Canada. It was truly a memorable experience. I'm a history buff and there's so much history in the towns we traveled through to see and experience firsthand. However, as a Christian we had to filter out all the references to evolutionary theory and the suggestion that it took millions of years to form some of the things we saw. How about one major flood caused by God's anger at the world?
It's really beneficial to get the kids out into God's world and out from behind a textbook for a while. We were able to see things we had learned about in books and they came alive for us in a whole new way.
Hope you all are having an educational, relaxing, interesting, exciting summer vacation yourself.
We weathered tornado warnings, hunkering down with other guest in the hotel's main floor where we were staying until the storm passed.
We surveyed the damage as we drove through the path of the storm the next day. There were trees and branches down through the entire state of Minnesota and very wet conditions.
We experienced temperatures reaching 102 degrees in some cities on our trip. Dry heat they tell us is better than the humid heat we are use to, but hot is still hot in my book.
I am afraid of heights. Let me rephrase that, I am desperately afraid of heights. Driving through the mountains, with steep grades and drastic drop offs, was a life threatening experience for me. I was in tears at times driving through the Buckhorn mountains to Cody, WY. I should have known better when the highway signs approaching the route we were going to take offered up another route that was safer with less grade. Seriously, there were three billboard sized signs suggesting another route. I begged my husband to heed the signs. He finally did - on the return trip! I had to endure the unsafe route on the trip to Yellowstone but we took the alternate on the way home. I have no pictures of the trip west through the Buckhorns because I was glued to the middle of the car and both of my hands were hanging on for dear life. Now, I know why they put those little handles above the window in the Jeep doors. I was petrified!
Our second night in our cabin (in the wooded mountains right outside of the East entrance to Yellowstone and an hour away from the next town),a ten minute rain spell produced one lightening bolt that hit the transformer that powered our cabin and the lodge that supported us. Did I mention this happened right at dinner time. Remember, the next town is 60 minutes away, the territory is mountainous and curvy, and the route not one I want to drive too often, much less in the dark. I was slightly worried I might not get an evening meal. However, we had a perfect dinner in the dark with the other guest. They were able to grill anything we wanted because that required gas, not electricity. Worked out ok.
During the power outage, everyone sat outside where it was lighter, so we all either saw or heard the car accident that happened at the end of the lodge driveway. Everyone was ok although they did take the pregnant lady to the ER to make sure. It was quite the night of excitement for the girls.
At one of our stop over cities on the drive home, we had interesting pool guests. A couple, ex-hippies, I'm guessing, spent the entire day in a routine that looked like this. Drink a can of beer while sitting at the table, go outside and smoke a cigarette, dive in pool and swim three laps, hug each other a few times, slide the cooler to the hot tub and enjoy beer and hot tub, slide cooler back to table, enjoy another beer, go outside for a cigarette, etc. This went on like clockwork all day. Oh, there was the minor interruptions when the guy had to take the cooler back to the hotel room to restock the supply, otherwise the routine was fairly consistent. To me, it just looked like a death sentence waiting to happen. I could not have survived it myself.
Thank God for my husband's laptop and a million DVDs checked out from the local library! Keeping the two year old entertained was critical in preventing her from kicking her sisters in the face every five minutes. In a car seat, the only thing she could really move was her arms or legs. So, kicking and pulling hair helped her pass the time. You can just imagine how well teenage girls handle shoes to the face and their hair being messed up. Now, that I think about it, it was funny. At the time though, not so funny.
Anyway, all kidding aside, we had an amazing trip. We were blessed to see God's beautiful country, the diversity in landscape, the clouds form into storms, and meet people from all over the United States and Canada. It was truly a memorable experience. I'm a history buff and there's so much history in the towns we traveled through to see and experience firsthand. However, as a Christian we had to filter out all the references to evolutionary theory and the suggestion that it took millions of years to form some of the things we saw. How about one major flood caused by God's anger at the world?
It's really beneficial to get the kids out into God's world and out from behind a textbook for a while. We were able to see things we had learned about in books and they came alive for us in a whole new way.
Hope you all are having an educational, relaxing, interesting, exciting summer vacation yourself.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Defeated Parenting
Overheard at a Restaurant:
"I told my daughter I don't want her to have sex until she is married but if she decides for herself that she cannot wait and that she absolutely must do it sooner then I want her to be smart about it. If she can't talk to me then I told her to talk to my best friend, who I trust will give her solid advice on what to do."
What message do you think this daughter received from her well meaning but misguided mother?
I think the daughter received more than one message and probably none of them were the ones the mother intended to send.
Incorrect messages given:
1. A girl has the right to decide for herself when she should have sex. (God's Word on the subject wasn't mentioned, nor was his authority over her discussed).
2. We cannot be expected to exercise self-control over our desires (no direction given on how to have an exit plan or avoidance plan to help with the self control issues, nor how pleasing God should always have precedence over pleasing self).
3. Avoid consequences when doing something you shouldn't (ie. pregnancy, STD's) (Only the outer consequences were addressed. No mention of the inner consequences of the heart and mind that occur whenever we live outside of God's plan)
What if we were talking about murder instead of sex outside of marriage? Would you tell your daughter, "I don't want you to murder anyone but if you decide for yourself that you must, I want you to be smart about it. Talk to me, or so-and-so, to get advice on how to do it without getting caught."
Okay, some of you are saying that murder and sex aren't on the same par with one another so my analogy is unfair. Well, let's take it down a notch, then.
What if we were talking about cheating on a test at school? "Honey, I really want you to do your own work but if you choose not to, and instead decide to copy someone else's work, then please talk to me about how to do it without the teacher seeing you."
We wouldn't say that in any other circumstance. Wrong is wrong! Consequences are there to reinforce wrong is wrong. Avoiding the outward consequence doesn't make wrong right. Secret sins don't nullify the sin.
I think Americans are so bombarded with sex and sexual undertones that parents feel they are fighting a losing battle. Majority has changed the scale of morality, and following the crowd seems to be human nature and parents feel defeated in trying to stand against the culture - for themselves! Thus, this defeated attitude in their own behaviors/thinking comes out in their parenting. They failed so they think it natural their kids will fail, too!
Folks, the culture has been on a downward slide for quite sometime and we are in need of a counter balance to tip it the other way. Christians need to step up to counter the cultural shift.
Christians need to understand what God says about all subjects of life and communicate those to our children, along with the expectation God has for obedience. We cannot be too busy with careers and self-fulfillment activities to neglect parenting our children in the fear of the Lord. We can not water down God's truths. We cannot lower God's expectations. We need constant soul revival of our own through God's Word to transform our thinking, strengthen our resolve to obey, and teach God's truths wholly and correctly in all areas of life.
When we fail to do these things we leave our children vulnerable to Satan's lies and deception! If we're not paying attention, you can bet Satan is! Don't let him tie you up in defeated attitudes, busyness, and the lie of following your own self-fulfillment activities. These all prevent you from training up your children well in the ways of the Lord.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Holy Spirit's Nudge in Mothering
My daughter mentioned that a girl in school recommended she read a particular book which she was able to pick up at the middle school library. My radar did not immediately go up because it was a book in the school library. However, that alone should have been cause for me to question it.
Anyway, I noticed that she would go into her room and lock the door whenever she was reading it. She said it was to keep her little sister out so she could read in peace in quiet. Still, no alarm going off in my head.
In my prayer time yesterday, I asked God to give me a heart for my children's needs and to know what areas of their character, etc. might need some guidance. Well, after supper last night she is back behind a locked door reading this book and I paused to contemplate that and felt the Holy Spirit's nudge to get in there and review that book.
I asked her to scooch over so I could lay on the bed with her and read along with her which is something she normally loves to do but not this time. She instead handed me the book, almost with a sense of relief, and walked out of the room to play. I sat down and began to read.
The book is titled Thirteen Reason Why by Jay Asher. It is about a girl who committed suicide and left behind these cassette tapes talking about why she did it and a boy finds them and listens to them and discovers he is part of the reason why she did. So topic number one that I don't want my daughter reading about is suicide.
Topics 2,3,4 are bullying, partying/drinking to the point of puking and passing out/and rape! I was just about sick. She is in the sixth grade and this book was in her school library.
I asked her what she had read so far and she said pretty much the same stuff I had read. I went in my room and prayed and cried because I was angry that my daughter had lost part of her innocence with what she had read - about people, about the world, about hope, and about the beautiful nature of sex in the way God designed it to be. I didn't even have "the talk" with her yet. It's all skewed now by the world's ugliness and Satan's lies and activities. I was heartbroken.
God reminded me that Hunter had signed a purity covenant last year though church and I went and dug it out. Together, we reread it out loud, talked about why reading this book went against what God wanted us to do, and that we needed to ask him to forgive us and restore us. She agreed and we prayed, for her, for me, and for all the other kids at school who may read this book. She, then, asked if she could resign the covenant. I thought it was a great idea and showed a recommitment to the covenant she made with God and I felt she was sincere in her repentance.
She knew it was wrong to read it but she got caught up in the lure of what Satan had to offer. That's how he works. He's a deceiver, a liar, and destroyer. She needed her mom to step in and pull her away and she was grateful for the rescue.
Today, I read the reviews on-line of this book, and so many people tout it as the best book written on suicide. In the back of the book, the author has a question/answer section,and in one of his answers he says:
Some people, primarily adults, would rather there be no books dealing with controversial subjects, even if those books help start a dialogue between teens and adults. Thankfully, I've heard from a lot of parents and teachers and librarians who are using this book for that very reason."
Well, my daughter would have read it with NO DIALOGUE, if the Holy Spirit wouldn't have stepped in, because it was chosen for the MIDDLE school library for kids to check out and read for fun. It is not that kind of dialogue I want my innocent daughter to be having at this age. I don't know how books are chosen for these libraries but I do know they are not chosen with the best interest of our children in mind. At least, not a biblical best interest, maybe a worldly one, but not a biblical one.
Next year, our daughter will be home schooled. This book, and others like it, will not grace the shelves of our school library! That decision does not make me foolish as the world would like to claim that I am but rather it makes me wise and discerning and God-Fearing.
Lessons learned:
1. A parent cannot effectively parent without being led by the Holy Spirit to be made aware of those things we would not see or overlook.
2. Other people cannot have the same level of interest in my daughter that I have nor do they want to protect her like I do. I am the best person to raise and educate my children.
3. Satan is so deceptive and clever. EVERYTHING must be examined through the lens of God's Word before determining good. If it doesn't hold up to God's Word it's a lie or a trap! Don't let Satan lull you into complacency in your parenting. Guard yourselves, too. There is so much that on the surface looks good, sounds good, everyone else has bought into as good, etc. that ISN'T. Don't fall victim to Satan's deceit.
4. Forgiveness is available when we fail, fall down, retreat, etc. We need to seek it, ask to be restored and healed, and then move on. Don't give up doing what is good because of a temporary setback. God can make everything new again, give hope where hope was lost, and give you strength to start anew. He has the power to guard and keep you.
This is the message the book fails to give but it is the only message that really has the power to overcome the world's lies!
Anyway, I noticed that she would go into her room and lock the door whenever she was reading it. She said it was to keep her little sister out so she could read in peace in quiet. Still, no alarm going off in my head.
In my prayer time yesterday, I asked God to give me a heart for my children's needs and to know what areas of their character, etc. might need some guidance. Well, after supper last night she is back behind a locked door reading this book and I paused to contemplate that and felt the Holy Spirit's nudge to get in there and review that book.
I asked her to scooch over so I could lay on the bed with her and read along with her which is something she normally loves to do but not this time. She instead handed me the book, almost with a sense of relief, and walked out of the room to play. I sat down and began to read.
The book is titled Thirteen Reason Why by Jay Asher. It is about a girl who committed suicide and left behind these cassette tapes talking about why she did it and a boy finds them and listens to them and discovers he is part of the reason why she did. So topic number one that I don't want my daughter reading about is suicide.
Topics 2,3,4 are bullying, partying/drinking to the point of puking and passing out/and rape! I was just about sick. She is in the sixth grade and this book was in her school library.
I asked her what she had read so far and she said pretty much the same stuff I had read. I went in my room and prayed and cried because I was angry that my daughter had lost part of her innocence with what she had read - about people, about the world, about hope, and about the beautiful nature of sex in the way God designed it to be. I didn't even have "the talk" with her yet. It's all skewed now by the world's ugliness and Satan's lies and activities. I was heartbroken.
God reminded me that Hunter had signed a purity covenant last year though church and I went and dug it out. Together, we reread it out loud, talked about why reading this book went against what God wanted us to do, and that we needed to ask him to forgive us and restore us. She agreed and we prayed, for her, for me, and for all the other kids at school who may read this book. She, then, asked if she could resign the covenant. I thought it was a great idea and showed a recommitment to the covenant she made with God and I felt she was sincere in her repentance.
She knew it was wrong to read it but she got caught up in the lure of what Satan had to offer. That's how he works. He's a deceiver, a liar, and destroyer. She needed her mom to step in and pull her away and she was grateful for the rescue.
Today, I read the reviews on-line of this book, and so many people tout it as the best book written on suicide. In the back of the book, the author has a question/answer section,and in one of his answers he says:
Some people, primarily adults, would rather there be no books dealing with controversial subjects, even if those books help start a dialogue between teens and adults. Thankfully, I've heard from a lot of parents and teachers and librarians who are using this book for that very reason."
Well, my daughter would have read it with NO DIALOGUE, if the Holy Spirit wouldn't have stepped in, because it was chosen for the MIDDLE school library for kids to check out and read for fun. It is not that kind of dialogue I want my innocent daughter to be having at this age. I don't know how books are chosen for these libraries but I do know they are not chosen with the best interest of our children in mind. At least, not a biblical best interest, maybe a worldly one, but not a biblical one.
Next year, our daughter will be home schooled. This book, and others like it, will not grace the shelves of our school library! That decision does not make me foolish as the world would like to claim that I am but rather it makes me wise and discerning and God-Fearing.
Lessons learned:
1. A parent cannot effectively parent without being led by the Holy Spirit to be made aware of those things we would not see or overlook.
2. Other people cannot have the same level of interest in my daughter that I have nor do they want to protect her like I do. I am the best person to raise and educate my children.
3. Satan is so deceptive and clever. EVERYTHING must be examined through the lens of God's Word before determining good. If it doesn't hold up to God's Word it's a lie or a trap! Don't let Satan lull you into complacency in your parenting. Guard yourselves, too. There is so much that on the surface looks good, sounds good, everyone else has bought into as good, etc. that ISN'T. Don't fall victim to Satan's deceit.
4. Forgiveness is available when we fail, fall down, retreat, etc. We need to seek it, ask to be restored and healed, and then move on. Don't give up doing what is good because of a temporary setback. God can make everything new again, give hope where hope was lost, and give you strength to start anew. He has the power to guard and keep you.
This is the message the book fails to give but it is the only message that really has the power to overcome the world's lies!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
God's Timing
Lord, Whenever I have too much going on my body and mind go on lockdown and I can't seem to focus. Show me the things that are important today and help me prioritize and let go of the things that don't matter. Give me an attitude of service to others versus a self-centered one. Center me with your peace, your vision, your will. My desire is to please you. Amen
I wrote these words at 8:00 AM this morning in my prayer journal. I leave tomorrow on weekend Woman's Retreat with 400 other women from my Church. My day included laundry, cooking meals for the family for when I am away, packing, phone calls, last minute errands, etc. I just felt overwhelmed with everything I felt I needed to do before I could leave. So, I spent some time first talking with God because I've learned through experience things go better when I do.
At 8:15 AM, fifteen minutes after writing those words, I received a phone call from my daughter. She frantically said, "Mom, did you hear what happened?"
Flash forward one hour earlier.
When we left the house at 7:20 AM an ambulance had gone rushing past our house. Before we were all in the car, two fire trucks had also gone through. We commented this was not good, especially if it was a car accident, given the time of day it could easily involve high school kids. I said a quick mental prayer for whoever might be involved and took the kids to school
As I arrived back in my driveway, two helicopters flew overhead, hospital helicopters. I knew then something bad had really happened. I said another prayer, more urgent this time, for all involved. As soon I was back in the house though my mind turned back to all the things I had to do and I then began my bible study and prayer time.
On the other end of the phone, my daughter is now telling me there was a car accident and five high school kids were hit by a train on the way to school. Four of the five were brothers and she told me their last name.
Eight days ago that name would have meant nothing to me because I would not have known them at all. My daughter said, "Mom, isn't that the name of the Dad and his son who came to your small group last week? I think it is, that's why I'm calling you, I thought you would like to get a hold of your small group leader and see what you could do."
Our church is a large church and to keep a sense of connection we have small groups that get together every week to support each other, do bible study, and pray together. It provides a sense of community that could be hard to get in a large church. Just last week a new man joined us. He brought one of his high school sons along, who participated with our group that night. We learned about the things they liked to do, what is going on in their lives, etc. They go to our church but just now joined our group and up until that point, I had never heard of them before.
The thought immediately came to me that there was no coincidence in the timing of our meeting. God knew that they were going to need a group of fellow Christians to rally around them and he brought us all together just in time for that to happen.
Two hours together, seven days ago, was all the preparation God knew we needed to be in a position to step in to help today. What amazing timing and providence!
When I called my small group leader, she felt the same way. We called everyone else in the group and immediately got everyone praying. One husband and wife went to the hospital to be with the family. Another went to the farm where the boys live to help with chores. The ladies began cooking meals for the Grandparents. The boys lived with there Grandparents and they were responsible for the cooking at the house, someone would now need to fill that role for awhile. More of the men will go to the farm tonight to see where they might be able to help. Whatever needs to be done, we will help do.
Remember my earlier predicament? Remember my words to God? Prioritize my day and let go of the things that don't matter. Give me an attitude of service to others.
Never did I dream my day would go this route when I prayed those words, but I did know without a doubt God's hand was at work.
If I ever have to face something as horrific as what these kids and their families faced this morning, I pray someone else would be willing to let God set their priority for the day and ask to be of service to someone else and, then, maybe, I would receive the same kind of outpouring of love and concern that I hope this family feels today.
I may not be any further ahead in MY to do list but God's agenda was accomplished today and that's all that matters.
I know without a doubt, God is in control, and provides for those who call him Lord. I saw his hand working in the midst of a tragedy today and I rest in peace knowing he will do the same for me.
If you are going through a tragedy of your own, I hope you see how God has provided for you in the midst of it. Share your story with the world and let others know who reigns as King.
WLUK Fox11online.com
Car hits train near Brillion
5 high school students hospitalized
Updated: Thursday, 22 Apr 2010, 11:08 AM CDT
Published : Thursday, 22 Apr 2010, 8:29 AM CDT
TOWN OF RANTOUL - A car carrying five teens on their way to Brillion High School collided with a train Thursday morning, Calumet County authorities say.
The crash happened on East River Road, south of Fischer Road, in the town of Rantoul around 7:30 a.m. Five victims were taken to Theda Clark Hospital in Neenah, some by helicopter and some by ambulance. A 15-year-old boy was listed in critical condition Thursday morning, while an 18-year-old man and two boys, ages 16 and 15, were listed in serious condition. Those four are all related. An 18-year-old woman, who is not related to the other victims, but was also traveling in the car, was listed in fair condition. The 16-year-old was driving the car.
Officials said it appeared the car did not yield to the train. The crossing has a yield sign, but no lights or gates.
FOX 11 has a crew at the scene and will have more information on fox11online.com and on FOX 11 News
I wrote these words at 8:00 AM this morning in my prayer journal. I leave tomorrow on weekend Woman's Retreat with 400 other women from my Church. My day included laundry, cooking meals for the family for when I am away, packing, phone calls, last minute errands, etc. I just felt overwhelmed with everything I felt I needed to do before I could leave. So, I spent some time first talking with God because I've learned through experience things go better when I do.
At 8:15 AM, fifteen minutes after writing those words, I received a phone call from my daughter. She frantically said, "Mom, did you hear what happened?"
Flash forward one hour earlier.
When we left the house at 7:20 AM an ambulance had gone rushing past our house. Before we were all in the car, two fire trucks had also gone through. We commented this was not good, especially if it was a car accident, given the time of day it could easily involve high school kids. I said a quick mental prayer for whoever might be involved and took the kids to school
As I arrived back in my driveway, two helicopters flew overhead, hospital helicopters. I knew then something bad had really happened. I said another prayer, more urgent this time, for all involved. As soon I was back in the house though my mind turned back to all the things I had to do and I then began my bible study and prayer time.
On the other end of the phone, my daughter is now telling me there was a car accident and five high school kids were hit by a train on the way to school. Four of the five were brothers and she told me their last name.
Eight days ago that name would have meant nothing to me because I would not have known them at all. My daughter said, "Mom, isn't that the name of the Dad and his son who came to your small group last week? I think it is, that's why I'm calling you, I thought you would like to get a hold of your small group leader and see what you could do."
Our church is a large church and to keep a sense of connection we have small groups that get together every week to support each other, do bible study, and pray together. It provides a sense of community that could be hard to get in a large church. Just last week a new man joined us. He brought one of his high school sons along, who participated with our group that night. We learned about the things they liked to do, what is going on in their lives, etc. They go to our church but just now joined our group and up until that point, I had never heard of them before.
The thought immediately came to me that there was no coincidence in the timing of our meeting. God knew that they were going to need a group of fellow Christians to rally around them and he brought us all together just in time for that to happen.
Two hours together, seven days ago, was all the preparation God knew we needed to be in a position to step in to help today. What amazing timing and providence!
When I called my small group leader, she felt the same way. We called everyone else in the group and immediately got everyone praying. One husband and wife went to the hospital to be with the family. Another went to the farm where the boys live to help with chores. The ladies began cooking meals for the Grandparents. The boys lived with there Grandparents and they were responsible for the cooking at the house, someone would now need to fill that role for awhile. More of the men will go to the farm tonight to see where they might be able to help. Whatever needs to be done, we will help do.
Remember my earlier predicament? Remember my words to God? Prioritize my day and let go of the things that don't matter. Give me an attitude of service to others.
Never did I dream my day would go this route when I prayed those words, but I did know without a doubt God's hand was at work.
If I ever have to face something as horrific as what these kids and their families faced this morning, I pray someone else would be willing to let God set their priority for the day and ask to be of service to someone else and, then, maybe, I would receive the same kind of outpouring of love and concern that I hope this family feels today.
I may not be any further ahead in MY to do list but God's agenda was accomplished today and that's all that matters.
I know without a doubt, God is in control, and provides for those who call him Lord. I saw his hand working in the midst of a tragedy today and I rest in peace knowing he will do the same for me.
If you are going through a tragedy of your own, I hope you see how God has provided for you in the midst of it. Share your story with the world and let others know who reigns as King.
WLUK Fox11online.com
Car hits train near Brillion
5 high school students hospitalized
Updated: Thursday, 22 Apr 2010, 11:08 AM CDT
Published : Thursday, 22 Apr 2010, 8:29 AM CDT
TOWN OF RANTOUL - A car carrying five teens on their way to Brillion High School collided with a train Thursday morning, Calumet County authorities say.
The crash happened on East River Road, south of Fischer Road, in the town of Rantoul around 7:30 a.m. Five victims were taken to Theda Clark Hospital in Neenah, some by helicopter and some by ambulance. A 15-year-old boy was listed in critical condition Thursday morning, while an 18-year-old man and two boys, ages 16 and 15, were listed in serious condition. Those four are all related. An 18-year-old woman, who is not related to the other victims, but was also traveling in the car, was listed in fair condition. The 16-year-old was driving the car.
Officials said it appeared the car did not yield to the train. The crossing has a yield sign, but no lights or gates.
FOX 11 has a crew at the scene and will have more information on fox11online.com and on FOX 11 News
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Going overboard?
My Dad raised us in the church. We attended a Parochial grade school and we expected in church every Sunday as long as we lived under his roof. We prayed before and after every meal. We were baptized and confirmed. Our baptism sponsors gifted us with bibles and prayer books at confirmation. The church prayed for us. He was directing all of this in our lives so why is he so surprised that I am a Christian today?
My Dad commented today that he remembers having to drag my sister and I out of bed every Sunday morning to attend church and now, in his words, we are both going overboard with our religion.
I suggested that maybe we are doing exactly what he intended to happen when he made it a priority for us to get a Christian upbringing.
He said, "No, we have gone overboard."
I, then, suggested that maybe we're not overboard but maybe he's underboard. I'm not sure if this is a word but it gently got his attention.
To this he said, "Yes, that's probably true. I am underboard. I didn't go to church last Sunday because it was Friendship Sunday and they always do extra things I don't care to take part in and I didn't go the Sunday before because they were doing a survey about how you might help serve in the church. I would say I am underboard."
No more on this topic was said but somehow in his mind, I moved from the overboard right, closer to the middle, and he moved further to the underboard left. The distance between he and I remains the same but maybe with the quiet adjustment came the realization for him that's it not my sister and I who are off but rather he who is lacking something.
I love my Dad and I thank him for the sacrifices he has made and the Christian upbringing he made sure we had. I wish he could experience for himself the love and freedom found in the very Lord he made such a great effort to make sure we would know. Isn't it ironic that he is surprised by the outcome of the foundation he helped lay? I know it took a long time to take hold but it did and I wish he would be able to celebrate that not be perplexed by it.
I know the Living Christ, Dad! The relationship has saved my life! I wish you would know him, too! I hope you see Him in me! In my sister! I hope you are able to move from underboard to overboard someday! This is my prayer for you.
Love you Dad!
My Dad commented today that he remembers having to drag my sister and I out of bed every Sunday morning to attend church and now, in his words, we are both going overboard with our religion.
I suggested that maybe we are doing exactly what he intended to happen when he made it a priority for us to get a Christian upbringing.
He said, "No, we have gone overboard."
I, then, suggested that maybe we're not overboard but maybe he's underboard. I'm not sure if this is a word but it gently got his attention.
To this he said, "Yes, that's probably true. I am underboard. I didn't go to church last Sunday because it was Friendship Sunday and they always do extra things I don't care to take part in and I didn't go the Sunday before because they were doing a survey about how you might help serve in the church. I would say I am underboard."
No more on this topic was said but somehow in his mind, I moved from the overboard right, closer to the middle, and he moved further to the underboard left. The distance between he and I remains the same but maybe with the quiet adjustment came the realization for him that's it not my sister and I who are off but rather he who is lacking something.
I love my Dad and I thank him for the sacrifices he has made and the Christian upbringing he made sure we had. I wish he could experience for himself the love and freedom found in the very Lord he made such a great effort to make sure we would know. Isn't it ironic that he is surprised by the outcome of the foundation he helped lay? I know it took a long time to take hold but it did and I wish he would be able to celebrate that not be perplexed by it.
I know the Living Christ, Dad! The relationship has saved my life! I wish you would know him, too! I hope you see Him in me! In my sister! I hope you are able to move from underboard to overboard someday! This is my prayer for you.
Love you Dad!
The Kingdom of God Is Now
The Kingdom of God is not a far off place I wish to live in someday - I live in it now!
The King Jesus is not a King I will worship and serve someday when I get to heaven - I worship and serve Him today!
The laws of His kingdom are not laws I will obey later in heaven - I obey them now!
The ways of His kingdom are not the ways I will follow once I live in heaven - I follow them now!
The inheritance of the kingdom is not an inheritance I wait to inherit - I claim it today!
The army of the kingdom is not one I wait to be protected by - I am protected now!
I believe, therefore, the kingdom of God is within me - now!
It has come for me, I do not wait for it, it lives in me, and I in it.
I serve Christ and walk in His ways which are contrary to the ways of this worldly kingdom here on earth.
I trust in my perfect King that He knows best what I should do, where I should go, and how I should live. I strive to do as He says.
I understand to live this way among a people of a different kingdom will bring me ridicule, rejection, judgement, suffering, and persecution because the world does not know the Lord I love.
I rest in His promises and faithfulness and trust His Word to be true.
On Judgement Day, He will separate the sheep from the goats. He will take the sheep home and relieve their suffering and reward their faithfulness and allegiance to Him as their King.
I want to be a sheep, His child, called home to rest in His love and provision for all eternity.
In the meantime, I want to be a worker in furthering His kingdom here on earth. I don't always know what that looks like but I trust He will show me.
I depend of my King for strength, wisdom, guidance, and approval. It's His approval and His version of success that I seek!
If I am found faithful in His eyes then my life was well spent.
The King Jesus is not a King I will worship and serve someday when I get to heaven - I worship and serve Him today!
The laws of His kingdom are not laws I will obey later in heaven - I obey them now!
The ways of His kingdom are not the ways I will follow once I live in heaven - I follow them now!
The inheritance of the kingdom is not an inheritance I wait to inherit - I claim it today!
The army of the kingdom is not one I wait to be protected by - I am protected now!
I believe, therefore, the kingdom of God is within me - now!
It has come for me, I do not wait for it, it lives in me, and I in it.
I serve Christ and walk in His ways which are contrary to the ways of this worldly kingdom here on earth.
I trust in my perfect King that He knows best what I should do, where I should go, and how I should live. I strive to do as He says.
I understand to live this way among a people of a different kingdom will bring me ridicule, rejection, judgement, suffering, and persecution because the world does not know the Lord I love.
I rest in His promises and faithfulness and trust His Word to be true.
On Judgement Day, He will separate the sheep from the goats. He will take the sheep home and relieve their suffering and reward their faithfulness and allegiance to Him as their King.
I want to be a sheep, His child, called home to rest in His love and provision for all eternity.
In the meantime, I want to be a worker in furthering His kingdom here on earth. I don't always know what that looks like but I trust He will show me.
I depend of my King for strength, wisdom, guidance, and approval. It's His approval and His version of success that I seek!
If I am found faithful in His eyes then my life was well spent.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Noble Men
But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands. Isaiah 32:8
What does it mean to be a noble man?
What are noble plans?
What are noble deeds?
I believe a noble man is a Godly man.
I believe noble plans are plans in accordance with God's will.
I believe noble deeds are the acts we do in the name of Jesus to serve others and to glorify God. It's the living out of God's will for us in our lives.
A man without a saving faith in Jesus Christ is not a noble man. He has not gained nobility yet by becoming an adopted son and co-heir to the kingdom of heaven. He has not entered the royal line.
A man without a saving faith in Jesus Christ cannot, therefore, make noble plans because he will not be seeking the will of his Father in heaven. Instead, he will make plans out of the desires of his evil heart and in accordance with worldly measures. To the world, his plans will look very good but they are not noble plans flowing from the King of Kings.
A man without a saving faith in Jesus Christ cannot do noble deeds because he has no idea who Jesus is, what Jesus would want him to do, nor how to glorify the living God.
A man who does not have a saving faith in Jesus Christ will not understand a noble man, his plans, or his deeds. To follow someone God's will, to go against worldly standards, or to put others ahead of yourself will be foreign concepts to him who does not know Christ.
The saved should act like noble men making noble plans and doing noble deeds. We should be bringing glory to our Father in heaven who saved us through the blood of his Son, Jesus. We should be seeking God's will and doing it.
To those who are not yet noble men, do you know God loves you, and wants to bring you into his Kingdom as co-heirs, as well?
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his One and Only Son, that whoever believes in him will have eternal life.
Noble men take heart when the world does not understand your plans and deeds for our God who saves will also redeem and reward those who walk in His ways. Your actions may also work with the Holy Spirit to draw others into a life of nobility.
What does it mean to be a noble man?
What are noble plans?
What are noble deeds?
I believe a noble man is a Godly man.
I believe noble plans are plans in accordance with God's will.
I believe noble deeds are the acts we do in the name of Jesus to serve others and to glorify God. It's the living out of God's will for us in our lives.
A man without a saving faith in Jesus Christ is not a noble man. He has not gained nobility yet by becoming an adopted son and co-heir to the kingdom of heaven. He has not entered the royal line.
A man without a saving faith in Jesus Christ cannot, therefore, make noble plans because he will not be seeking the will of his Father in heaven. Instead, he will make plans out of the desires of his evil heart and in accordance with worldly measures. To the world, his plans will look very good but they are not noble plans flowing from the King of Kings.
A man without a saving faith in Jesus Christ cannot do noble deeds because he has no idea who Jesus is, what Jesus would want him to do, nor how to glorify the living God.
A man who does not have a saving faith in Jesus Christ will not understand a noble man, his plans, or his deeds. To follow someone God's will, to go against worldly standards, or to put others ahead of yourself will be foreign concepts to him who does not know Christ.
The saved should act like noble men making noble plans and doing noble deeds. We should be bringing glory to our Father in heaven who saved us through the blood of his Son, Jesus. We should be seeking God's will and doing it.
To those who are not yet noble men, do you know God loves you, and wants to bring you into his Kingdom as co-heirs, as well?
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his One and Only Son, that whoever believes in him will have eternal life.
Noble men take heart when the world does not understand your plans and deeds for our God who saves will also redeem and reward those who walk in His ways. Your actions may also work with the Holy Spirit to draw others into a life of nobility.
Monday, March 8, 2010
2010 Earthquakes - Do You Wonder, Too?
Matthew 24:7-8 (New International Version)
7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
2010 Earthquake list as of 3/8/10
1/3/10 Solomon Islands 7.2
1/10/10 Offshore of Northern California 6.5
1/12/10 Haiti 7.0
2/10/10 Illinois 3.8
2/27/10 Offshore Maule, Chile 8.8
3/8/10 Eastern Turkey 6.0
Are we in the end times? Read Matthew 24:1-35 for signs of the end of the age.
I believe we are nearing the end but only God knows for sure when our Lord will return and the prophesy of the end times will play out.
Are we preparing for his return? Will the Master find us ready when He returns? Will we recognize the Good Shepherd's voice?
Luke 12:40 (New International Version)
40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
Have you made a decisive decision on whom you will follow - Jesus or Satan?
There are only two sides you can be on - the side of good or the side of evil.
I fear too many are on the fence. Too many are waiting to commit to the Lord because they are trying to enjoy the offerings of the world and satisfy selfish desires, so they delay doing what they know is the only good decision to make. They want it all but you can't have it both ways. You can't live as the world and follow Jesus. The two don't mix.
1 Kings 18:21 (New International Version)
21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
2010 Earthquake list as of 3/8/10
1/3/10 Solomon Islands 7.2
1/10/10 Offshore of Northern California 6.5
1/12/10 Haiti 7.0
2/10/10 Illinois 3.8
2/27/10 Offshore Maule, Chile 8.8
3/8/10 Eastern Turkey 6.0
Are we in the end times? Read Matthew 24:1-35 for signs of the end of the age.
I believe we are nearing the end but only God knows for sure when our Lord will return and the prophesy of the end times will play out.
Are we preparing for his return? Will the Master find us ready when He returns? Will we recognize the Good Shepherd's voice?
Luke 12:40 (New International Version)
40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
Have you made a decisive decision on whom you will follow - Jesus or Satan?
There are only two sides you can be on - the side of good or the side of evil.
I fear too many are on the fence. Too many are waiting to commit to the Lord because they are trying to enjoy the offerings of the world and satisfy selfish desires, so they delay doing what they know is the only good decision to make. They want it all but you can't have it both ways. You can't live as the world and follow Jesus. The two don't mix.
1 Kings 18:21 (New International Version)
21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
Who have you decided is God? Satan, Man, Money, Fame, Comfort, etc., or God?
Who are you following? The answer to that question will reveal to you who or what you have elevated as God in your life.
Is it the God who truly saves?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Are You Behaving Like a Teenager?
The first line in my prayer journal today read like this, "Father, I need some parental advice!"
As a mother of five daughters, I am sometimes completely overwhelmed by parenting. My daughters ages are 26,20,16,11,2. My oldest is married and is a mother herself to a 4 year old daughter and a 3 week old son. Under my care, or influence, are daughter's from every season imaginable ( toddler to preteen to teen to young adult to young married mom). I just seem to master one area and the next daughter moves in to that same area and challenges me all over again. No two are the same and what worked for one never seems to work for the next. It's a constant battle to adapt.
Lately, the teenager has been giving me a run for my money. Today, I needed to vent a little during my prayer time and then seek some parental advice from my heavenly Father. As I vented, I already could sense the tables turning away from my daughter and turning toward me. I could see this was going to head in a correcting session for me instead of getting the sympathy I was maybe seeking.
As I wrote words like, "I have given everything to my daughter who is not grateful and instead returns the favor by being rebellious and deceitful. I have sacrificed everything for her and she just wants to run far away from me. I love her and she rejects my love and instead wants to embrace the love of someone who is not good for her. I know what awaits her - pain, suffering, and maybe, destruction. I desperately want to stop her from having to experience what lays in wait but she refuses to heed my words."
Can you see for yourself where this is going? The Spirit convicted me that Jesus would know EXACTLY what I was saying because this is how believers act all the time toward him. He sacrificed everything. He poured out his whole life for us. He loves us. He knows what waits in store for us because of the foolish decisions we have made and the stubborn, self sustaining, know-it-all attitude we wear.
The parental advice came as I saw exactly how Jesus handles these situations with us. He is patient. He is forgiving. He knows our sinful, earthly frame - our tendency to want to do things the hard way-our way.
I saw first of all, that I needed to seek his forgiveness for my own foolishness. I saw myself behaving toward Jesus just like the teenager I was complaining about.
Then, I knew to follow his example by extending the same patience, love, forgiveness, and understanding to my daughter that he so graciously extends to me every minute of the day. In his strength, I can do that, and I can hope for the day her love returns to me. His advice came in a round about way but I am thankful for the opportunity to examine my own heart and seek repentance.
What about you? Are you behaving like a teenager? Do you need to repent of rebellious ways and foolish choices? I know firsthand how gracious our Father is to those who repent and turn back to him. I hope you will experience that gracious love today as well.
As a mother of five daughters, I am sometimes completely overwhelmed by parenting. My daughters ages are 26,20,16,11,2. My oldest is married and is a mother herself to a 4 year old daughter and a 3 week old son. Under my care, or influence, are daughter's from every season imaginable ( toddler to preteen to teen to young adult to young married mom). I just seem to master one area and the next daughter moves in to that same area and challenges me all over again. No two are the same and what worked for one never seems to work for the next. It's a constant battle to adapt.
Lately, the teenager has been giving me a run for my money. Today, I needed to vent a little during my prayer time and then seek some parental advice from my heavenly Father. As I vented, I already could sense the tables turning away from my daughter and turning toward me. I could see this was going to head in a correcting session for me instead of getting the sympathy I was maybe seeking.
As I wrote words like, "I have given everything to my daughter who is not grateful and instead returns the favor by being rebellious and deceitful. I have sacrificed everything for her and she just wants to run far away from me. I love her and she rejects my love and instead wants to embrace the love of someone who is not good for her. I know what awaits her - pain, suffering, and maybe, destruction. I desperately want to stop her from having to experience what lays in wait but she refuses to heed my words."
Can you see for yourself where this is going? The Spirit convicted me that Jesus would know EXACTLY what I was saying because this is how believers act all the time toward him. He sacrificed everything. He poured out his whole life for us. He loves us. He knows what waits in store for us because of the foolish decisions we have made and the stubborn, self sustaining, know-it-all attitude we wear.
The parental advice came as I saw exactly how Jesus handles these situations with us. He is patient. He is forgiving. He knows our sinful, earthly frame - our tendency to want to do things the hard way-our way.
I saw first of all, that I needed to seek his forgiveness for my own foolishness. I saw myself behaving toward Jesus just like the teenager I was complaining about.
Then, I knew to follow his example by extending the same patience, love, forgiveness, and understanding to my daughter that he so graciously extends to me every minute of the day. In his strength, I can do that, and I can hope for the day her love returns to me. His advice came in a round about way but I am thankful for the opportunity to examine my own heart and seek repentance.
What about you? Are you behaving like a teenager? Do you need to repent of rebellious ways and foolish choices? I know firsthand how gracious our Father is to those who repent and turn back to him. I hope you will experience that gracious love today as well.
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