Listening

Create

2012-01-02T09:25:00.004-05:00

My uncle creates amazing art. When I was around 12 years old, he and his lovely wife asked me to come spend the summer with them. One of the greatest impressions of that trip was watching him paint. From a blank white piece of canvas he started with small pencil strokes and then on to blues and greys. In the beginning, there was no way I would have been able to tell you what those strokes would become. But he knew. It was already painstakingly planned out in his thoughts. Over the summer, the blues and greys and pops of color revealed a beautiful city skyline. Awesome.
God creates too. Our lives are His blank canvas. Sometimes we don't always understand the strokes. We can't see what it's going to become. Be He knows. It's already painstakingly planned out in His thoughts. Maybe you feel like you've messed up your canvas. It's crisscrossed with mistakes and wrong turns. Splattered with good intentions gone wrong. But look at this;

"1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." Genesis 1

God, the Master Painter, is able to bring light and beauty from your empty or dark canvas. He is "hovering" over your life, waiting to create a masterpiece. He's just waiting for your invite. In this new year, let Him get started. See what He can do.
Blessings Friends

God With Us

2011-12-13T20:00:00.007-05:00

Our home has been privy to many epic battles. In fact, come by any given morning and you can be thrilled by daring escapades and courageous rescues. Many times I am right in the middle of these adventures. I pass through my living room with the laundry and hear that Tico the squirrel is saving Sophie the giraffe from imminent hurt as she clings to the edge of the couch. Other times I suck up Cheerios right in front of Minerval the stuffed chicken and Iron Man as they duel for the coveted treasure chest. I have even had to politely excuse myself as I dusted around T-Rex and Buzz Lightyear as they worked on a plan to conquer the window sill. The excitement never ends...My son Josiah loves his super heroes. He loves having the good guy overcome obstacles with his super powers. It wasn't long ago that I sat and watched him reenacting yet another battle scene. The morning sun was like gold shining on his bent head and I marveled at how he was growing. And as I observed his little superheroes I found myself praying that he would realize who really was the greatest Hero of all. I prayed that in the time of trouble he would really know Who to call upon. Immanuel - God with us. Christmas is a time to remember that God. Is. With. Us. He is no little plastic friend of Dora who has no power to save. He is not a dollar sign who is useless when our heart is breaking. He is not just a man who will make mistakes. He is God.

All powerful.

All knowing.

Always present.

Always loving.

This Christmas, I pray that you are reminded daily that God sent Jesus, His Son, to be WITH you. God with you. Immanuel.

"...and they will call him 'Immanuel' which means 'God with us'". Matthew 1:23

Take a listen at this Immanuel song. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=ULm8NdDYhZANU&v=m8NdDYhZANU

Hugs From Andrew

2011-12-09T14:57:00.000-05:00

Here's Andrew. How's that for cute? He actually looks EXACTLY like his daddy did at that age (funny thing - you do all the work and...). ;) Andrew has the most soul satisfying way of hugging. When I lift him up on my shoulder, he wraps his chubby little arm snug around my neck. It's extra special because he's still so bitty (well...over 16 lbs of bitty at 5 months). Those snuggles are heavenly to any mom.

How much do we love it when our little ones jump in our lap for a squeeze?! Just this afternoon my older boys went running for daddy when he came home for lunch. My middle son squealing; "I want a tiss (kiss) too daddy! I want a tiss!"

We love our children unconditionally and seek to show them in many ways throughout the days. Some days it may feel like all we hear are 'requests'...

"Can I have a cookie?"

"Can we go outside?"

"Can I jump in that puddle?"

"Can I unroll ALL the toilet paper in the house?" (ok., sometimes they don't actually ask...)

So, when, out of the blue they turn around and show a genuine display of affection for mama...it's pretty heart melting.

Just a couple days ago I had lifted Andrew and was delighting in his tiny hug when I thought;

"I wonder does God feel like this when we love Him back? Does He delight in me running to Him each morning and whispering thanks each night? Does His heart swell when I can tell Him I love Him? Have all my conversations with Him today been requests?"

Remember today that as much as God loves to hear and meet our prayers and requests, He also delights in our genuine affection for Him.

1 John 4:19

We love because he first loved us.

Zephaniah 3:17
17 The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Christmas Stands Still

2011-12-02T21:10:00.000-05:00

As a little girl, the first snowfall of the season was a monumental occasion. The first little puffy flakes floating softly to my face set my mind dreaming of things to come...skating figure-eights, hiking through quiet woods, late evening snowball fights and Christmas. Christmas. Christmas. That first snowflake meant that Christmas was on it's way. And from the beginning, my heart would be torn with not being able to wait for it to come - and not wanting it to come too soon - because then it would be over. No little one wants Christmas to be over. Too soon the wrapping paper would be littered around us, the turkey dinner gobbled and the surprises over. In the midst of the presents and family and carols, my heart would grieve just a little that the season was drawing to an end. A whirlwind of red and green, lights and decorations, new dresses and church, gifts and food.

But one year - Christmas stood still. One night, it paused.
I was a little older now, 17 to be exact. I was on the edge of childhood and verge of becoming an adult. This would be my last winter at home before I left for college. I stood outside our home. Everything was quiet and muted by the blanket of deep snow that had fallen. The Christmas lights were casting a warm glow on the white front yard. Big, soft flakes lazily floated down. And then Christmas paused. A moment full of God's presence and awareness of His hand in my past and His purpose for my future. All is calm. All is bright.
Over a decade later, I sit across the table from two little boys. Two flames flicker and cast a warm glow on their faces, it's light reflecting in large brown eyes like their daddy. My heart aches for Christmas to stand still for them. For their own moments full of God's presence and awareness of His love for them.
So, in this season of Advent, we light candles every evening and make moments. We relish in Christmas - in Christ with us. And we pray we make Christmas stand still in their hearts - stay still in their hearts.

Sweets

2011-10-18T20:49:00.000-04:00

My boys are not wanting for stuff. They have an ottoman full of toys in our living room that gets dumped and picked up again around three zillion times a day. They have toys in the sandbox outside. And we can't forget the little toy box in their room. They also are not wanting for food "experiences". I think Samuel could say "fries" before he could say "mama" (don't worry, it's all in moderation...). So, when I stopped by our little corner store yesterday and saw some little red marshmallow candies, it wasn't for lack that I bought them for my boys. It was for the mere pleasure of seeing their eyes shine when I would tell them I had a "surprise!" (Side note/Disclaimer: I cannot promise shining eyes if your child gets whatever they want..whenever they want ;) So, was it worth it? You bet! Josiah, with wide eyes, gets his precious little grin, rubs his tummy and says "Mom, they were bery, bery good!" In that moment I thought of two things.
1. Sometimes God just wants to delight us because He loves us. Sometimes that sunset...is just for you. Sometimes the $5 on the sidewalk was a special surprise. Sometimes the half hour of quiet was a gift and...
2. Do I show my appreciation and gratitude? Do I look to the heavens and say "God, that was very, very good!"?

I pray you find surprises from God today. He delights in you.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Timing is Everything

2011-09-16T19:27:00.000-04:00

Today, my little Samuel asked to run in the "sprink-a-ler." This summer, it was not an uncommon request. We would crank that hose and let her run. Our big 3 year old would go running right through the centre where all the action was while little 2 year old Samuel would go skirting around the edge of the spray. We made it through many hot days with the help of the "sprink-a-ler."

However, today was not hot. In fact, today was the middle of September and I think I may have smelled smoke from a wood stove. Today was cold. Today was not a day for little boys to run half-naked through a cold spray of water. In fact, it would not even be caring of me to let my little Samuel (who is also sporting a runny nose) run through the sprinkler on a day like today. I explained to him that it was cold but he didn't quite get it. His words were actually; "Look mom! It's nice outside. It's not rainin'."

I think I'm probably like a two year old more often then I would like to admit. How often do I ask God for something and sulk when it doesn't happen right away? Little do I know or understand the big plan behind His answer. I remember when I first met my husband. I think within a few days I probably mentioned to God that He should make something happen - soon. Nothing happened (that I could see anyway). A few years after that (4 to be exact) I was wondering what in the world God was up to. No action there (that I could see anyway). Then, it happened. He marched up to my office and asked me out. I honestly wanted to dance when he was done but thought that might scare him away. So I did the next best thing - called my mom. When I look back at that season (yeah...yeah...hindsight is 20/20), I know that God had a big plan going on all along. He knew when we would really be ready and what was best for us - even though it was hard to wait sometimes. I thank God for those years of waiting now. It deepened my relationship with Him and that is something I would never trade. It also make us each more ready for the other. I believe our marriage is all the more enriched for that time when we waited on God.

Don't be discouraged. Keep asking in faith but also be open to His answers and His timing. He knows what's best for you - His timing is always the best timing.

Blessings friends.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Isaiah 55:8-9
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Got it all together?

2011-09-15T13:50:00.000-04:00

This is me in Grade 3.

I did not have it all together.

However, there was this one girl who did. You probably had one like her in your Grade 3 class too. Long, flowing hair. Perfect teeth. Beautiful smile. Pristine nails with perfect white tips (how did she keep them so clean?!). Latest New Kids On The Block pencil case. Greatest high-tops ever. The teachers adored her. Girls fought to sit next to her at lunch. Boys (at least those who had gotten over the cootie phase) dreamed about being her 'boyfriend'.

I've always thought that post-conversion Paul had it all together too. He was so brave, so encouraging, so hard working, so close to God. It was hard to think of him having a down day. After all, he was the one who said; "count it all joy when you go through trials." However, this morning I read this in 2 Corinthians 7:

"5 For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within."

Paul feared?! Yes, he did. Paul was like me sometimes. As much as a revelation that was to me, the greater revelation was what came next;

" 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus..."

Paul knew God's comfort in the midst of His fears. He knew God to come through and saw Him do it. In the midst of my fears and my not-having-it-all-togetherness....God will come through for me. He will come through for you. So, don't beat yourself up when you're dealing with fears and inadequacy - but wait to see how God will comfort you.

Blessings friends. :)

P.S. To Grade 3 Girl: In case you're reading...you still have great hair and nails. ;)

Convenient?

2011-09-14T13:25:00.001-04:00

This morning our rooster woke us up. My husband hopped out of bed and jumped into the creek for his morning bath while I roasted toast over the open fire. The kids clambered to the table and I served them their toast and milk (freshly squeezed from Molly who's grazing outside of the house). I started the water boiling so I could get started on the laundry...where did that scrubbing board go?

Yeah, right! This morning our nifty alarm clock woke us up. My husband did hop out of bed, but into a nice, warm shower - pouring in even streams from a shower head. I did make toast, but in a hot pink toaster (thank you sister-in-law...) and the milk came from a cow at some point before it made it to the bag. I'm sure it did. And the laundry? Well, let's just say there was no boiling water and my knuckles are still nice and whole.

Convenience. What state of mind would us comfy North Americans be without it? My eggs cooked for exactly 45 seconds this morning at the touch of a button. My husband took our van for a meeting this afternoon instead of saddling up the horses.

We're pretty spoiled. So, when we are inconvenienced, we notice. This morning I was reading 2 Corinthians 6 and just look at all the inconvenience Paul and his friends suffered;

"Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all."

Sometimes, living out our faith, experiencing our faith, will be inconvenient. Things won't always go as we want them to. However, we buckle down and remember that in the midst of these "inconveniences" we can be "recognized by God...terrifically alive...always filled with deep joy...enriching many...having it all." (The Message)

(P.S. I'm trying to remember that as I wait for my house to sell...any takers?) ;)

Blessings Friends.

One of Those Days

2011-09-11T22:05:00.000-04:00

Last week I had one of those days. You know - the kind where your bundle of joy kept waking you every two hours the night before, your two older bundles of joy insist on making you a referee every 1.5 minutes, the laundry is still waiting to be folded, hubby can't make it home for the elaborate meal you prepared (well..frozen meatballs anyway), the dog wants out AGAIN, and you've put the same toy in the toy box exactly three hundred and twenty-three times. You know - one of those days. I think I cried twice.

I believe it was in the midst of one of the crying spells that I had a little epiphany. I had a choice in the midst of these moments. I could crush Ming-Ming the Wonder Pet under my heel and never have to pick her up again or I could gently remind oldest son to put her back when he's finished the latest imaginary adventure.

I used to think that "taking up your cross", just referred to what our brothers and sisters in foreign countries are doing when they are thrown in prison, taken from their family, harmed and even killed for their faith in Jesus. I sometimes feel unworthy to carry this name "Christian" when I think about their "cross". But I think Jesus reminded me that He has put me here in this place, for this time. Carrying my cross may not mean bearing physical harm but it may mean beating down my pride to say "I'm sorry" to my husband. It may mean silencing little nagging thoughts of bitterness that try to pop up. It may mean smothering harsh words with gentleness when dealing with my children. It may even mean letting Ming-Ming the Wonder Pet have yet another adventure. When I see my everyday struggles as an opportunity to bear a cross for Jesus, they take on new meaning. They are an opportunity for God to perfect His work in me. I pray that every toy, runny nose, fighting toddler, sleepless night and lukewarm meatball will give you the occasion to grow closer to Him.

Blessings friends.

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." Mark 8:34-35

Shriveled Strawberries

2011-06-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

Nothing says summer like sun-warmed strawberries clinging to the vine. My boys had great fun yesterday picking strawberries with their grandma. Naturally, more went to their little tummies then actually in the bowl. The novelty of pulling them from the vine far outweighs sneaking them from the plastic container Mama brings from the grocery store. This morning I passed by the bowl of leftover strawberries and noticed how quickly they had turned from the small, bright, red burst of sweetness to a smaller, dull, shriveled burst of...mush. Not so appealing today. Away from the life-giving vine, the strawberry doesn't hold it's appeal for long. I recognize the same process in my life. There are times in my life that I let doubts, fears, routines, grudges, anger and bitterness cut me off from the Vine. I forget about God's glory in my life, His provision, most importantly, His life-giving Love. It doesn't take long for me to shrivel. It's funny how often I think I can do it without His help.

John 15 (The Message) says;

4"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing...
9-10"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love."

My prayer for you and myself today is that we stay connected. Stay bright. Stay flavorful. Cling to the vine. :) Happy summer!

Spring?

2011-04-29T20:13:00.000-04:00

This feels like the longest wait for Spring. EVER! (I'm yelling that in my mind). Between the cloudy, cold days and muddy dog prints all over my kitchen floor - it feels like I'm living in perpetual March. At first, I was pretty optimistic...I was one of the ones who cheerily thought - "April showers brings May flowers!" Now I feel more like saying "Bah Humbug!" Bring on the warm, sweet breezes already! But, wonder of wonders, I have noticed something these last few days.
Bright, spring green grasses poking up through mud puddles.
Chatty birds singing and singing in the rain.
And, I woke up this morning to see that the buds on our Red Maple tree had burst into blooms under a grey sky.
Cold winds, grey skies, rainy days - it feels more like March - but, things are growing - and changing.
Spring IS here.
Sometimes our life feels like March. Cold. Grey. Dull. Our soul cries out - "What's happening here?" "When will things turn around for me?" The blooming buds on our Maple tree reminded me that, even in the midst of the dreary or downright cold circumstances that may come our way, God can still be bringing growth and change to our hearts.
Remember Moses? The novelty of sleeping under the stars to the bleating of sheep may have worn off after a few years. Do you think he ever wondered if God even cared? If God had a plan for his life? Would spring ever come? Little did he know that God was using the time in the midst of the sheep to shape Moses into a shepherd for the people of Israel.
Perhaps our cold days won't seem so cold if we remember that God can still be working in the midst of them to help us grow.

James 1:2-5(NLT) - Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3 For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. 5 If you need wisdom - if you want to know what God wants you to do - ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.

2011-04-07T20:19:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I'm scared. The world is full of scary things. Tsunamis. Car accidents. Affairs. Cancer. Burglaries. War. Economic collapse. Nuclear reactors. I know you can name them too. Perhaps one of the scariest things for me is how my feeble self would handle the real scary stuff. Would I fall apart? Would I have grace in the moment? I was reading in Luke a few days ago and Jesus' words reminded me that I can be sure how I would hold up. Just read this from chapter 6.

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Jesus makes things so simple for us. Do you want to be sure to be full of grace under fire? To stand up under pressure? To come forth as gold?
He says three simple things:
Come to me
Hear my Words
Put them into practice

Come. Hear. Do.

Loaded

2011-03-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, doing laundry is not fun. Neither is vacuuming. Not to mention changing the diaper "Genie" (because, Mr. "Genie", you do not grant my wish of having 20 smelly diapers disappear). Oh, yeah, I almost forgot...unloading the dishwasher...uugggh! Then, there are the days when my sweet boys "color" all over the bedroom wall or when they "feed the dog" by joyfully shooting dog food across my floor with mini hockey sticks (Note to self: look under the oven next time we run out of dog food). A few weeks ago they t.p'd my upstairs and this week discovered all the gems hidden in the fridge - I found my Worcestershire sauce in my coat closet.

Then, there's another way to look at the daily life of a wife, mom and home maker...

I could remember how blessed we are to have clothes as I drop the whites in the bleach. I could remember how blessed we are that we have toys to pick up before I vacuum. I could whisper a prayer of thanks as I clean the diaper pail - we can afford diapers. All those dishes that come out of the dishwasher held good food and memories of little boy laughter around the table. My sweet boys and their antics...I am blessed that they are healthy enough to have fun.

It really is all in the way you look at it.

Psalm 68:19 says; "The Lord...daily loads us with benefits." Daily. Loads. Let's not miss out on His benefits by always looking at the negative side. Be transformed. Let Him renew your mind so that you can see His love and His daily load of benefits.

Here's a video and a link to a blog of a lady who wrote a book on His blessings...can't wait to read it!

Little Handprints

2011-01-13T20:30:00.001-05:00

I was washing my windows last week and came across a tiny hand print on our front window. I imagine it was a print of something rather sticky...which could have been most anything if it belonged to my littlest guy. I'm thinking anything from yogurt to water-sogged dog food. It could have been placed there in the midst of the daily ritual of waving to Daddy as he drives off to work. It could have been pressed there as he excitedly exclaimed; "Mama! Do-Do! Do-Do!" (meaning, "Look Mama, a DOG! Oh wonder of wonders!). For whatever reason it was there, and whatever sticky substance may have made the print...I didn't want to wash it off. I stood with my cloth poised over the window as I thought about that little hand print. It was too sweet and too near a reminder of how quickly my boys are growing. I am sure I have had days in the midst of a hundred piles of laundry, spilled Cheerios, spilled dog food (again), unrolled paper towels ("see my road, mom"), smashed banana on my socks, teething, potty training, full toilet paper rolls in the toilet and the other fun things that come with children, where I have visited the thoughts that this would be easier if they were older...like 30 maybe. Then I see a little, sweet, sticky hand print and I'm reminded of when God tells us; "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens" (Ecclesiastes 3:1) I believe He wants me to enjoy this season of time with my children and enjoy each day to the fullest - not wishing it away. I need to find and see the lessons He would like to teach me through my children now, today. I need to stop and fully realize the blessings that surround me now. I need to appreciate these days as days He gives me to get messy, laugh till our belly hurts, eat Spiderman fruit snacks, see my husband in the light of fatherhood, build snow forts, read storybooks again, kiss sticky cheeks, smell sweet clean curls, tuck in two little boys, watch eyelashes laying on plump cheeks, and all those blessed things. It won't seem long until they will be 30 and I'll be contemplating leaving a grandchild's hand print on my front window. :) Enjoy your day. Enjoy your now.

Cheese Sauce Prayers

2010-11-11T20:37:00.000-05:00

I made a yummy cheese sauce last week that brought back a funny memory. I was a young teenager, testing the waters of real deal cooking - when I say, real deal, I mean, ingredients that didn't consist of bright orange powder and dried macaroni in a box. I was making homemade macaroni and cheese. Boiling the macaroni was easy - make water boil - add macaroni. It was the cheese sauce that had me on the brink of tears and a full scale tantrum. Add flour and butter to a pot and stir together for 2 minutes. Slooooooooooooooooowly add milk. Continue to whisk until milk thickens...Herein lay the problem. I whisked, and whisked, and whisked, and WHISKED...NO THICKENING HAPPENING HERE! I called for my mom, she looks over my shoulder and calmly says.."Just keep stirring". "I've been stirring foreeeeeever Maaaaaaaawm!" (insert whine here). I figured I must have done something wrong but gave it a try anyway. I stood and stirred and, after what seemed like 3 hours, (which in reality was around 8 minutes) my whisker started to meet with just the tiniest resistance. Within minutes I was able to add cheese to my perfectly thickened sauce and finish cooking my first real meal. Victory.
I was reminded of that little episode because I started to feel the same panicky "it's not working!" feelings last week as I made a similar cheese sauce for my veggies (way to negate everything that's nutritious about veggies...). I stirred and stirred but there was no action. I took a second look at the directions and noticed that it said the thickening process should take around 7 minutes. I breathed a tiny sigh of relief as I had been only stirring for around 5. Still, that's a lot to happen in only 2 minutes...But, seriously, at 6 minutes and 50 seconds (give or take a couple seconds) - it happened. Victory again.
So, what does cheese sauce really have to do with prayers? As I stood over my simmering pot, I thought of how cheese sauce looks so hopeless for the greater part of the cooking, then, in the tiniest last moments, it happens. My prayer life has been like this often. I have prayed for days or weeks or even years and have never seen action, but then, just like the miracle of cheese sauce (o.k...I'm probably taking that a little far...), it happens. God shows me what He's doing. Truth is, He's probably been working all along, doing things behind the scenes that I can't see. But then, it all unfolds and He gives me a glimpse of His power and how He has answered my prayers.

I love the first verse of Luke 18. It says; " Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

If you've been praying or want to pray about something that may seem hopeless. Jesus doesn't want you to give up. Keep praying. He will come through.

(for the rest of the parable - read below)

2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-10-01T21:43:00.001-04:00

I love The Sound of Music. Call me sappy if you want, but I delight in all 3 hours of it...(I think I hear my husband's eyes rolling). Remember the song; "My Favorite Things"? Don't worry - for your reading pleasure I will post the words (o.k., so if it's not your favorite thing...feel free to skip).

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels;
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles;
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes;
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver-white winters that melt into springs;
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.
By Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers

S0, I think I needed Julie Andrews around today. I WAS SO CRABBY! Our son woke us up early...yeah...3 year-old early. Not to mention that 3 year-old has been feeling poorly this week. My teeny toddler, who is usually quite happy and all sunshine in morning - was not sunshine. And, felt I was coming down with whatever my son was fighting. Blah. I was trying to be nice and sweet - but it wasn't working. I just stood by and watched my crabby words float out of my mouth and onto my unsuspecting family...well my husband suspected...suspected I was in a bad mood.
I realized that unless I did something - I was headed for a bad day. So, I prayed. I prayed that Jesus would help me turn things around. Because of the depths of the crabbiness I had succumbed to - it seemed almost an impossibility. But, if you know Jesus, You know that He is the Master of impossibilities. I was just sweeping the floor when it happened. I started to think about how I liked the new floor my husband put in. Then I thought about how nice it was to have such a good husband. Then I thought about how blessed I was to have two children. Then I thought how great it was that we could give them food every day...every hour. Then I thought about how blessed we were to have a home. And just like vapour, my crabby thoughts dissipated into thin air. Sigh.
Before Julie Andrews ever sang the words - "I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad" - God inspired these words;

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:4-8

Next time you have one of those days, tap into God's strength and let Him remind you of all of your favorite things. :)

Rest Easy

2010-09-18T10:18:00.000-04:00

I love my bed. Every night I breathe a sigh of thanks as I sink into my new pillow top mattress and I snuggle in just a little bit deeper each morning before I get up. I thought about my bed when I was reading some old journal entries a few days ago and came across a quote that I had jotted down from a book. The book was written in 1942 by a lady missionary, Hannah Whittal Smith. In, "The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life" she writes;
"But suppose you had doubted the strength and stability of your bed, and had dreaded each moment to find it giving away beneath you and landing you on the floor; could you have rested then? Would not every muscle have been strained in a fruitless effort to hold yourself up, and would not the weariness have been greater than if you had not gone to bed at all? Let this analogy teach you what it means to rest in the Lord. Let your souls lie down upon the couch of His sweet will, as your bodies lie down in their beds at night. Relax every strain, and lay off every burden. Let yourself go in a perfect abandonment of ease and comfort, sure that, since He holds you up, you are perfectly safe. Your part is simply to rest. His part is to sustain you, and He cannot fail."
Sometimes I am so guilty of not fully trusting God, of straining in fear, just waiting for God to let me down. I was glad of the little reminder from an insightful pen from the past. God knows that perfect peace and rest comes when we put our faith and trust in Him.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight(NIV)."
Proverbs 3:5-6

Life's A Beach

2010-09-04T19:27:00.000-04:00

We loved taking our little family to the beach this summer. The boys found endless amusement throwing stones in the water, digging holes and running from the waves. Daddy enjoyed the cool water while Mama soaked up the scenery and tried to stop littlest boy from swallowing too much sand (I have probably removed a whole beach from his diaper this summer). On one of our recent excursions I was helping little sand-eater walk in the water. He's really too small to stand very deep so I was helping him walk close to the shore where the waves were...ankle deep..before I let him go.
The minute I let go of his hand I was reminded of a verse from 1 Corinthians 10:13.
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Just as I would never have let go of my tiny son in the midst of big waves that were too much for him, God would never put me in the midst of something that He knows I couldn't handle. As I watched my boy toddle off safely I thanked God for another of His reminders. Remember, His depth of love for you will never leave you in a place that is too deep. He always has a way out for you. Be encouraged.

All the Single Ladies

2010-08-13T19:53:00.000-04:00

Today, my husband and I have been married for 5 years! He woke me up with a kiss and a whispered "your presences is requested in the kitchen in ten minutes...". I walked into our kitchen to find him working over a hot stove and a delicious, gourmet (if you ask me) omelet full of bacon (who can resist bacon?!), peppers and spices. Fresh orange juice was waiting on the table along with two freshly changed children. Yesterday he had surprised me with a beautiful, delicate orchid and had also planned a beach picnic for this afternoon. I feel more then blessed. :)
If there's one scripture that sums up my marriage to SM ( "SM" being a private joke between the two of us...stop guessing...back to that scripture...) it is Ephesians 3:20;
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think..."
When I was a young girl, I did a lot of "thinking" about my Prince Charming. I thought about what he might look like, what he would like to do and most importantly of course, how he would treat his "princess". I imagined how I would meet him - would he save me from a ferocious beast or would I meet him in the library? How many children would he like to have? And, would he like them? I imagined star-lit nights and roses and dancing and all the other dreams little girls have about 'the one'. Well, with age and time, my dreams seemed to take less grandiose paths. I thought that Prince Charming may be a little too high to hope. So, here's where the story gets exciting...well...give it a few years...but then it gets exciting!
I found that God was challenging me to fight for His best plan for my life. Whether He had someone special out there or a special life of singleness - whatever it was - I knew that God's plan would be the best and most exciting for me. Sometimes it was great fun and full of days of hope and promise of what might be around the corner. Then, there were doubting days that were hard and lonely and not so much fun. One wonderful thing I came to see was that each day was a gift from God and that I could be content and fulfilled in my relationship with Him. Leaving the "I'll finally be happy when..." mentality came with a sense of freedom.
Then, God decided to blow my mind and introduce me to my very own, personal, Prince Charming. He has done "exceedingly, abundantly" above all I ever could have dreamed up as a little girl. My marriage has indeed been filled with star-lit nights, roses and dancing. Of course, it has also been filled with occasional misunderstandings, tears, tantrums (from me and the children), spit-up, burnt pancakes, rolling eyes, and other things that would test any Prince. However, God continues to work His grace in our hearts and our marriage grows even better every day and I honestly am amazed at the goodness of God's gifts.
So, on the fifth anniversary of being quite happily married, I want to encourage you single ladies to wait for God's best for you. You are so worth it! My heart wrenches at the thought of 'all the single ladies' who sell out and settle. God's got something amazing for you! There may be some of you who aren't necessarily waiting for the right one, but you're waiting for the right job, or the right child, or the right opportunity. Don't give up - wait on God - He's got your best in store.
The neat thing about Ephesians 3:20 is that God assures us He can help us wait for His plan. The full verse goes like this;
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."
God is more than able to work strength, wisdom and patience in you that will help you wait on His perfect timing. Don't give up.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace...

2010-08-07T20:17:00.000-04:00

At 8:12 pm tonight my boys were both sleeping peacefully. 8:01 pm was a different story. Neither of my boys LOVE to go to sleep (that is one of the few things they haven't inherited from their father...). In fact, tonight as I read "Fankin" the Turtle to big brother, little brother wailed from his crib in the next room. The crying next door was not completely conducive to peaceful story-time, so I went in to console our little guy. There he was, standing up in his crib, fat tears rolling down his little cheeks and arms out for mama (how does one resist that?). His eyes were drooping with sleep but he was so sure he wanted to be awake. I cuddled him close and brought him out to finish story-time with brother. "Fankin" finds out he likes school after all and story-time is over. Now our big guy, eye-lids also drooping with sleep, is sure he wants to stay awake too and the wailing starts anew. I tuck him in, kiss him good-night and take the little one out to rock to sleep. It isn't long before both tired boys are in dreamland.
I suppose I could let them stay up until the cows come home and they fall asleep on the floor or in the middle of their blocks or while watching a movie. However, despite their protests, I put them to bed because I love them and desire what's best for them...good, refreshing sleep.
Sometimes, I do a lot of protesting too. I complain and wail and want it my way. I question God and the wisdom of His plans. I worry about the future and try to figure it all out. But God keeps reminding me of one outstanding thing. He loves me. He LOVES me. Our children don't always understand why we have bedtimes, or time-outs, or limits on junk food but we make decisions based on our love for them and what we think is best for them.
If you are in a time of indecision, fear, anxiety, doubt or even anger at God. Let this one word stay fixed in your heart - love. You may not be able to understand or even fathom what is going on around you, but know that God LOVES you and wants your best, always.

9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Do not depend on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways remember him.
Then he will make your paths smooth and straight. Proverbs 3:5

For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only Son. John 3:16a

My Big Helper

2010-07-23T23:25:00.000-04:00

Today I got to use my dormant basketball skills on my son (I use the term "skills" lightly and "dormant" - not so lightly). My teeny toddler was being a big "helper" and trying to help me sweep the floor. By "help", I mean - using a Swiffer Duster to spread my growing pile of dirt to all corners of the universe. I chuckled as I realized that I was actually in a classic basketball position to keep him away from my dirt as I swept as fast as I could. My college coach would have been proud.

My oldest son also loves to help. He loves to use our keys to open the car door when we're already late. He likes to help his little brother push the gush-water-all-over-the-floor button on our water cooler. He likes to help himself to a drink of a milk from the fridge - and then use a towel to "cean" up the afore-mentioned milk. He likes to help make up his bed by lying in the middle as I spread the sheets. He likes to help me write my grocery list - I assume the big circles mean...apples? Today he helped me put back his daddy's ties by gathering as many as he could in his little arms and throwing them up at the tie rack. My boys attempts at helping make me smile. Their intentions are cute but not always so...helpful.

I was rocking that teeny toddler sweeper to sweep...I mean sleep..a few nights ago. The night was quiet and I was just pondering life when I started to worry about something. I can't even remember exactly what it was...just that it was completely out of my hands. What I do remember is one moment being anxious, and the next, being reminded that I have a Helper.

In John 14, Jesus is giving some last-minute encouragement to His disciples as He knows that His time to leave is near. In verse 26, He says; "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

There will be so many situations in life in which I will need a Helper. I daily need help in making the right choices or knowing how to treat my husband and raise my children or remembering truth for my life from God's Word. But it is refreshing to know that no matter what is thrown at me, I have a Helper. He is not someone who will bail out, or who really has no idea what to do. He is to be trusted in and counted upon. He is sent by the Father, in Jesus' name - and there can be no better Helper.

P.S. If you need to be reassured of His help in your life. Grab a Bible and and read John 14-16!

Perfecting My Swing

2010-06-05T14:09:00.000-04:00

Golfing season is upon us...much to my husband's delight. I remember the first time I ever tried to golf. I had watched it on television and the pros made it look so easy, so graceful (I was to find out quickly that they're called "pros" for a reason). I have some athletic ability - I can almost touch my toes - and figured that it shouldn't be that hard. So, I ventured out on a little golf tourney...

Thankfully, for all those on my team, it was "best ball". I fumbled through the game and managed to make it out - proud that I at least didn't win the "congeniality" award.

So, a couple years later I decided to try again. This time I had my new fiance to impress. We were out with another couple - good friends...the kind you don't mind having laugh at you. My then-fiance (now husband) steps up to the tee, drives the ball quite a distance, quite effortlessly -ppht! My friend steps up to the tee, a seasoned baseball player, and she makes it fly down the course! I step up to the tee, take a swing, miss...o.k...let's try that again...swing..miss. When I say miss, I mean that my swing COMPLETELY missed the ball. Shuffle my feet a little, firm up my grip....put my whole back into it...swing...MISS! I'm surprised I didn't hit the back of my head with my follow through. By this time, I want to reiterate, that I was glad I was with friends whom I didn't mind laughing at me. My wonderful, chivalrous fiance patiently and delicately gave me some little pointers and I tried again...shuffle feet...reposition hands...swing...and HIT..around 10 feet. Oh the power.

I've played a few times since then, and honestly, I love the game. I love the quiet dignity of golf, I love the journey of a game, I love the feeling of hitting the ball right on (I've experienced it...once or twice) and perhaps my favorite part is - I love that it's played outdoors. All of these things pulls me back to the game despite my frustration of the times I'm not quite "getting" it. It's like I wanted to be great - right from the start. It looks so effortless but is actually so hard. I suppose when you watch the pros, you don't see the number of hours and the self-discipline they have put into the sport. I realized pretty quickly that in order to be a good golfer, I was going to have to put in the time.

Sometimes I feel the same way about my walk with God. I read in Proverbs 31 about the "ideal" woman and feel frustrated that I don't always "get" it right away - rising early seems sooooo hard some mornings. I read about the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and remember how I lost self-control and most definitely cried over the third cup of spilled milk that day. I read in Ephesians about loving your husband and cringe at the way I snapped at him in the midst of buckling car seats and trying to beat the clock. Yeesh! Why can't I get it perfect the first time around?! Maybe you struggle with the same thing. You look at other people who seem to have it all under control...spiritual giants! They seem to do everything right and you seem to pale in comparison to their self-control, joy, peace, love, and relationship with God. But we don't always see the years of prayer and faithfulness they have put in to that journey. I'm sure they would be the first to admit that there was a time when they seemed to "miss" more then "hit" and that they still have their share of "misses".

Jesus loves us so much. He loves seeing us try with all our heart and is proud of us even when we do mess up sometimes. He just wants us to keep trying. To keep putting the time in. To keep swinging with all our heart. And gradually, He'll see us start to hit more than miss.

Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary (NIV)."

Let's not give up. Keep perfecting that swing. You'll get it.

See you on the course!

ABC'S & 123'S

2010-04-21T20:10:00.000-04:00

My oldest son is pretty busy all day playing with blocks, hockey sticks, his brother, our cell phone, books, the dog, dried pasta, golf clubs and other favorite things. However, right before nap time or bed time, he sometimes likes to watch a movie. I believe he's entered into that wonderful "never grows tired of the same movie" phase. I guess, on a positive note, the present fascination is with an educational type movie - complete with catchy little tunes about numbers that keeps playing over and over in mama's brain...

It's so neat getting to see my sons learn. I love to hear the cute first words, even though "Mama" came after "Daddy", "Ball"and "Chance" (the dog). I love hearing the words being put into little sentences - "Chance chase Bunny? Chance no like Bunny!" :) We love to see them get new concepts and see their understanding growing. We have found ourselves being full time teachers - learning colors while eating a freezie and counting Cheerios at breakfast.

Today, as I was counting the stairs with my son and a load of laundry in tow, I thought about a bible passage from Deuteronomy. It says;

"Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them to your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (NIV 6:5-9)."

As I counted my way up the stairs I wondered if I was doing as good a job teaching my son about God's love and His ways as I was 123's and ABC's. I read a book that told the story of a mother who had raised many children to love God and be passionate followers of Him. One of her friends simply stated that she lived her life before them exactly how she wanted them to live. You know, God makes it so easy. We don't have to have a degree from a Seminary to teach our children how to live for Christ. He just wants us to follow Jesus in the simple everyday things - the "everydayness" of sitting at home, walking along the road, lying down and getting up. When our children watch how we handle the cranky cashier lady, how we treat our sick neighbor, what we give to the poor, how we talk to our spouse, or how we react to another spilled sippy cup of milk...then they learn about God. The next time I'm singing a silly ABC song over and over and over...I'll be reminded that my children learn about God through me.

Don't Forget!

2010-04-14T14:52:00.000-04:00

As a little girl I quite clearly remember my mother's make-up routine. She would come out each morning and set up her station at our table. The most important part of this set up would be the little round mirror - propped up to get the best view. Then, like an artist, she would begin her masterpiece. Foundation would be dotted on and then rubbed in and spread evenly. Blush would be applied to cheek bones followed by a swipe of eye shadow and eyeliner and completed with mascara. I remember her turning her face right and left in the mirror to catch the good light from the window and make sure everything was even.

One morning, as I watched her dab on little dots of foundation, she told me a story.

It was a few years before she was married and she and her cousin boarded the city bus to get to work early one morning. They had just grabbed their seats and got settled when her cousin's eyes got a little wider as she faced my mom. My mom just looked back and said; "What?!" "I'll tell you when we get off the bus", she replied. Of course my mom implored her to tell all and I'm sure she started checking her teeth for leftover breakfast and made sure her shirt was buttoned up right. But her cousin remained tight lipped, explaining that there was nothing she was able to do about it now.

The bus finally came to a stop and as the girls stepped off the bus my mom's first course of action was to find out what had caused such a reaction. She finally gets an answer. As they had sat down, cousin had looked across at mom only to find that my, usually, meticulous mother had forgotten to rub in her makeup! She still had a nice, glistening dab of Beautiful Beige on her forehead, each cheek, nose and chin. My mom was mortified and quickly ran to the nearest mirror to fix the great faux pas. She wouldn't let that happen again!

For so many of us, it is almost second nature to do a quick check in the mirror before we leave the house. We make sure that there are no mustard stains on our cheek or pizza in our teeth. To make sure that fly away hairs are tamed and our collar is not folded. Of course there are the mornings that we fly out the door without time to do a check and then get caught with baby spit on our shoulder but usually, if we get a gander at a mirror, we'll fix the problem. It would seem absurd for us to spot that bright yellow mustard on our face and just leave it there.

James 1:23-23 says; "Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

As silly as it seems to forget what we look like, it is just as silly to forget the lessons God teaches us through His Word. But how often am I guilty of this very thing. I find a good verse from the Bible about God giving strength to the weary and the very next hour am complaining about how tired I am instead of letting Him strengthen me. I read an awesome book about letting faith conquer fear and I continuously, habitually, let fear get a foothold. I read in the Bible about the importance of loving others and the very same day indulge in juicy gossip.
Thankfully, our Father is full of grace. But that doesn't mean we give up the fight to hang on to the lessons He wants us to learn. James goes on to give us a powerful promise...

"But the man (or woman) who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does (1:25) (NIV)."

So, friends, let's not take those lessons for granted. Let's be true examples to others as we let God's Word really change our lives. As if having our lives changed is not enough, God promises to pour blessings on top of it.

Let's not get caught with mustard on our face! :)

Perfect Love

2010-03-25T21:49:00.000-04:00

If you've ever been a nursing mother, perhaps you're familiar with the nifty little "family rooms" they have at some malls - complete with comfy rocking chairs, handy diaper changing table and sometimes even a magazine to peruse. A while ago, when my oldest son was just an infant, I was taking advantage of one of these rooms when the conversation between some of the other moms caught my attention. I wasn't eavesdropping - I had actually been a part of the conversation but when talk went from baby weight to husbands and stripclubs...welll...I just...clammed up. The ladies talked about their husband's unsavory behaviour as nonchalantly as they would discuss what they had for lunch. Yeesh! I left the little family room quite sad for how 'normal' infidelity was for some of these ladies. I also left with a thankful heart for my husband.

I feel blessed to say that I don't worry about 'other women' when my better half leaves the house. I don't have doubts fly when he comes home late. And if I found lipstick on his cheek...I would probably assume his mother had been around. :) I know my husband is not perfect (though close...) but I do feel confident in his love. His actions and manner with me over the years have spoken of his deep commitment and love.

God used my marriage this week to remind me of His own faithfulness and love. I was praying for His peace to replace fears in my life. Fear of the future, the unknown, of what God might allow in my life. I had let fear overshadow God's character. He showed me how I trust my husband and his actions towards me because I am confident in his love. Why couldn't I trust God and His actions towards me? He has shown me His faithfulness over and over as He has provided for my needs. He has shown me His delight in me in quiet moments when I sensed His presence. He has showered me with gifts of sunsets and meadows, friends and family, babies and my own prince charming. :) He has shown me unconditional love by giving His own Son for my wrongs. So, why would I doubt Him? Why would I not trust His actions towards me?

1 John 4:18 says; "There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (NIV)."

God's love is more perfect than we could imagine. We can have complete confidence in God's plans for us because they are made from perfect love. I pray that when fears come I let the proof of His love drive away doubts.

Daddy, Come?

2010-03-05T15:02:00.000-05:00

My oldest son's world revolves around his father. "Daddy fix?", "Daddy's coat?", "Daddy's 'tar (guitar)?", "Daddy work?", "Daddy's 'soos (shoes)", "Daddy go?", and a million times every morning before lunch..."Daddy, come?"

Josiah knows that his daddy comes home almost every day for lunch. He will go about his morning routine of playing with his toys, sneaking dried pasta from the pantry, climbing up and down the stairs, upending our boot tray, chasing the dog with his mini hockey sticks and 'loving' his brother. However, numerous times he will stop, look at me and ask, "Daddy, come?" The first few times I tell him "Daddy will be home for lunch", and then as noon hour grows nearer I say "Daddy will be home soon". That gives him enough reassurance to keep on playing.

His longing for his dad is quite adorable and warms my heart. Josiah longs for his dad's return for a number of child-like reasons...wrestling, laughing, playing, singing, guitar playing, jumping, running ("fast" as he likes to say...) and watching Handy Manny together. But mostly just to be with his dad.

I wonder if God longs for us to have the same excitement for Jesus' return? Do we long to see what delights God, in His creative power, has waiting for us in heaven? Do we anticipate the music that will accompany God's glory? Do we look for the day when we will see loved ones who have gone before us? Do we imagine what it will be like to be free of every pain, worry and fear? Do we long to be with Jesus and finally see Him face to face?

John 14:1-3 says; "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may know where I am."

I can learn a great lesson from my son. As much as he loves to play and go about his busy day, thoughts of his daddy coming home are never far from his mind. As an adult, I can definitely get caught up with laundry, dinner, work, schedules, husband and kids...but how far away are my thoughts on Jesus' return and eternity?

1 Thessalonians says that His return is something that we can encourage one another with.

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words (NIV)."

So, be encouraged. Jesus, come? Soon!

For Tom...Vancover 2010

2010-03-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

So, my husband loves (is obsessed with...) the Olympics. He said I should write a blog about the games even. So this is in honor of my favorite sports enthusist...

The fact that the Olympics were in Canada this year added to my husband's fascination. Our conversation was peppered with who was playing and when. I listened to who was in the running to win while eating my eggs, heard all about the story behind a hopeful gold medal winner while fixing my hair, found out who lost by a millionth of a second while putting on my shoes...you get the picture. He knows all the athlete's names and where they're from - even in figure skating! This may be the only time in the next four years that he will tolerate ice dances - whatever would get our nation another gold. I was more excited for my husband than for Team Canada when they won the "big game" on Sunday night!

I have to say, I enjoyed the excitement myself. I especially love watching figure skating...I know, so girly of me...but I do.

I was so impressed again at how seamlessly the athletes dance their program. They make it look so easy. They are performing in front of the whole world with the pressure of a country depending on them for a medal and yet they seem to skate with such ease. They don't pause and try to remember the next step - it seems to come as natural as breathing. We watched one pairs team practice in a hallway with no skates and it looked as if they had been doing those same lifts and spins for all their life.

But, we all know that it didn't come that easy. The years of discipline and practice and falling and getting up again and early mornings and long hours all came down to that few minutes where now the choreography was almost a part of them. Perhaps that's how Joannie Rochette was able to perform so beautifully and capture a bronze medal after her mom passed away just a couple days before. All the hours of practice enabled her to complete her dream and her mother's even in the midst of such circumstances. The dance had become second nature.

It made me think of when Job, from the Bible, fell down to worship God even in the midst of great sorrow. I don't think it was a spur of the moment thing. I believe that Job's life had been a life of honoring God and drawing close to Him.

"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil"(KJV) Job 1:1.

When destruction hit, it was just second nature that he would turn to his Lord. I pray that my life would be full of drawing near to Him so that in surprising moments, His will is my second nature. I pray that I would perform beautifully when someone buts in front of me in the line up or that I would answer softly when my child makes mistakes or that I would be ready with an answer for what I believe for the person sitting next to me in the airplane.

Let's get training!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil...that you may able to withstand in the evil day, and have done all, to stand firm (NLT)." Ephesians 6:10-13

Planes and Priorities

2010-02-17T20:46:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I'm not completely fearless with regards to flying. The thought of me sitting in a machine that weighs a bazillion tons and having nothing between it and the earth can be a little disconcerting.

This past week I boarded 4 planes with my youngest son on a visit to see his nanny and poppy in another province. I settled him in with his bottle and took a look through the channels on the little t.v. screen in front of me. Out of curiosity, I stopped on a channel about the airline I was travelling with. It showcased it's values and services and ended with a little slogan something like -

"Your safety is our top priority."

My first thought was..."Well...that's nice (shouldn't that be a given?)." I kind of chuckled to myself because I imagined what if it was - "Your comfort is our top priority"? Our leather plush seats will have you sitting in the lap of luxury...but we can't promise that our engine is running smoothly...

Or, "Your menu is our top priority." The steak we serve you will melt in your mouth and is grilled to perfection...but we haven't had a service check in five years.

Or, "Your schedule is our top priority." We will get you there on time...even if we have to skip the deicing.

Thankfully, life-savingly, our airlines have their priorities in order. Yes, having an airline that made it's top priority something other than our safety seems ludicrous...but don't we do the same sometimes?

What about the man striving to get to the top while his family longs for his love and attention? Or the young lady that starves herself - trading health for her idea of perfection? Or the teenager who compromises and ignores his values to be popular?

What about when I put cleaning the dishes in front of a giggle with my son? Or read another chapter instead of spending time with my husband? Or how about when I let all my daily "duties" crowd out time with God?

Jesus knows we are so easily distracted by the things around us. In Matthew 6, He talks about things like money and food and worry and how these will fight for first priority in our life. With just a few words He affirms that He understands our needs and is happy to provide them but exhorts us to put our priorities in the right order.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (NIV)." Matthew 6:33

I have to mention one more thing. God sent His Son to die for the punishment of sin - our sin - He was raised to life to show that He had conquered sin and death - our sin and death - and longs for relationship with us so that when we die we will be with Him forever. Going through life and being the best one can be, getting the best job and raising the best kids and looking the best in skinny jeans but not entering into that relationship with Jesus is like flying on an airline that makes cleanliness their number one priority - a spotless plane means nothing if the machinery is not working.

Let's take a look at our priorities.

The Big Cover Up!

2010-01-31T15:14:00.000-05:00

A few days ago my husband came home with a dozen yellow roses and a bright red pair of new 2010 Winter Olympic mittens for me. No reason. Just Because. That's just the kind of guy he is. He also changes more diapers then me. He lets me sleep in most mornings while he feeds and dresses the kids - all before he goes to work. He asks me how my day went and then actually listens while I tell him how many loads of laundry I did, what I found under the fridge or how many toilet paper rolls the kids destroyed. He encourages me to "get out" and takes interest in my hobbies. He laughs at my corny jokes and still makes me feel pretty. He is an answer to prayer and more than I could have dreamed up. But, today he annoyed me.

Here's the story...we were getting ready to go out. The kids were hanging off our legs as we crowded into our little bathroom - me finishing my fluffy hair while he tried to shave. I asked him a question and he answered me in a tone that I did not appreciate. I made some little comment and then put on my "I'm offended" face, expecting an apology. No apology. I left the bathroom in a little huff grumbling in my head about how he needs to say he's sorry. I walk past the door of the bathroom with a little pause - giving him time to notice my displeasure. No noticing..no apology. I continued my traipsing and grumbling to myself while I formulated the perfect comeback. Then, like the first raindrops of a shower, scriptures began to fall into my thoughts one after the other...

"love covers all wrongs" (Proverbs 10:12)

"keeps no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13: )

"be slow to speak" (James ).

Great. I could satisfy my need for justice or listen to Jesus. I grudgingly listened to Jesus. I can't say my actions and thoughts were quite in sync yet because I was still debating with God as we drove to our destination - "But he should say he's sorry...that's not fair!" and "Why should I let him get away with it?" Before I barely finished the thought - I had another. More a thought picture - a picture of Jesus struggling through the street with a cross beam on his bloodied and bruised back as the crowds spat on him, cursed him and humiliated him.

He didn't say a word.

He didn't call ten thousand angels to his defense.

He didn't show off his glory.

He just carried his cross and suffered through it all. And then in one final act of love he gave up his last breath to cover up the sins of his accusers.

The Ultimate Cover Up.

"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." Proverbs 10:12

"He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends." Proverbs 17:9

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8

Covering my husband's little moment of imperfection was nothing in comparison to how many sins Jesus has covered for me. I hope next time I'll be quicker to let it go as I think about the Ultimate Cover Up.

Flowers and Truth

2010-01-16T12:47:00.000-05:00

I love the earth. But before you get your "Hug a Tree" badges out, though a worthwhile cause, this is not about being "green". I love how God lavished us with His creativity in nature. Yes, I'm that kind, the kind that ogles sunsets and breaks my neck to look at stars. One of my favorite things to look at is a meadow. I love to see the soft wind rippling the grasses and flowers nodding their heads. I love the sweet smell of a meadow and how the mix of colors is just right - arranged by the Ultimate Florist. Meadows can delight us from spring to fall with different flowers springing up with the seasons. And then, as the breezes get cooler and the sun a little less warmer, they slowly drop and fade into the grasses leaving us with memories of their splendor.

I met a lady a who reminded me of a sweet flower. She was a delight to watch because she was so full of peace and contentment. She radiated a quiet joy and seemed to long for others to share it. Her conversation was full of grace and her words were full of wisdom. Anyone who spent more then a few minutes in her presence would realize that her character came from a long life of leaning on God and using His words as a guide for her life.

This precious lady asked to hold my youngest son when he was just a few months old and I felt privileged as I laid him in her arms and she quietly cooed and fawned over him. It was not long after that when I heard the news that she had faded from this world and into the presence of her Lord. She is no longer here physically to comfort her loved ones - but her words are. The legacy of her life - lived so fully for God - will endure for generations to come.

A bible passage I read today reminded me that the most enduring and lasting thing we can give our children is God's Word. Our tidy house won't last forever (or even 5 minutes some days...). Our gourmet meals definitely won't stay around for eternity. The oodles of toys and gadgets will end up in a yard sale or thrift store some day and allowances will slip away like sand through your fingers. But we can give them God's Word to live their lives by. We can teach them the wisdom of Proverbs and be confident that we have given them a guide to make good choices with. We can teach them the grace of the Gospels and know that we have given them the knowledge that Christ accepts them just as they are and longs for them to return to Him always. We can teach them the hope of Revelations so that they will look for Christ's return and to their future with Him in eternity.

Isaiah 40:6-8 says

A voice said, "Shout!"

I asked "What should I shout?"

"Shout that people are like grass,

their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field.

The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord.

And so it is with people.

The grass withers and the flowers fade,

but the word of our God stands forever (NLT)."

I love the Amish...and their cakes! (List #2)

2010-01-13T22:28:00.000-05:00

I love the idea of the Amish way of life. Working barefoot in warm dirt. One room schoolhouses. Barn raising's. Horse and carriage. Beautiful and simple. I also like their cakes...well, maybe I should say - recipes for cakes. Maybe you've also been the recipient of a Ziploc bag of smooshy flour and milk and sugar. You get the little starter bag of "Amish Friendship Cake" mix and then add a cup of sugar on day 2 and smoosh the bag on day 4 and add more milk on day 5 and do a dance on day 7, etc....until on day 10 you add some more stuff and divide the massive concoction - keeping one for yourself to bake and passing the others on to friends. I have to admit - I've had the little starter batch given to me a couple of times and usually get to day...4...or was it day 6? Yeah...I usually lose track and as much as I love the Amish...

Anyway, a couple of my friends (Jillian/Trisha :) have been good enough to drop off a warm, sweet loaf of the finished product for me to enjoy. All the adding of ingredients culminate into quite a tasty treat topped off with sparkling sugar.

I read another list in the Bible that reminded me of adding all those ingredients. It almost reads like a recipe...

"Make every effort to add to your faith

GOODNESS; and to goodness,

KNOWLEDGE; and to knowledge,

SELF CONTROL; and to self control,

PERSEVERANCE; and to perseverance,

GODLINESS; and to godliness,

BROTHERLY KINDNESS; and to brotherly kindness,

LOVE.

For, if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (NIV)." 2 Peter 1:5-8

...and that's even better than Amish Friendship Cake!

Paris, Rihanna, Jessica and The Simple Life

2010-01-03T16:46:00.001-05:00

I have to admit that I have a little secret obsession. Well...not completely secret (my husband is quite aware of my odd indulgence) and not quite an obsession...more like an interest that is mostly piqued at the grocery store.

Nope, not chocolate (as good as that is...).

It's the tabloids.

Yes, the magazines about all the stars and the exaggerated details of their every move - because we have to know that Brad and Angelina took the kids to New York for family time...fascinating.

For some reason, every time we're waiting at the checkout, loaded up with cereal, bananas, pork chops and the like, I am inexplicably drawn to the stories. I quickly flip through the pages trying to take in as much as possible before my husband catches me with his "what a waste of time" stare accompanied by the "eye roll". He doesn't find the ballgowns, award ceremonies, galas, and gossip quite as interesting. ;)

By the sheer number of magazines sold, we must be intrigued by the glamor and glitz. By the wonder of what it might be like to hobnob with the rich and famous at exquisite banquets, have Vera Wang design our wedding dress, travel to our private island for the weekend, or have a personal chef at our beck and call.

As much as I enjoy perusing the opulence of their lives, I wouldn't trade my life with them for a second.

My heart aches for the young girl who is starving herself to be the accepted size 0 or for the couple who have fallen prey to the short life-span of Hollywood marriages. Behind the parties and money and paparazzi, I see a yearning for real love, commitment and peace.

My Christmas wasn't spent skiing in the Alps or at a resort in Maui - We packed our kids and dog into our minivan and headed to the in-law's for evenings around the fireplace, doting grandparents, walks in the snow, a nice light display in the park and a Christmas Eve service.

We didn't have a personal chef cook our New Year's Dinner or go to an upscale banquet. We spent New Year's Eve entertaining a gym full of teenagers and New Year's dinner was merrily eaten around a frozen pizza - complete with salad.

We don't have memberships to an exclusive gym but right now my husband is getting some serious cardio by "wrestling" with our two young sons.

Our house is not a $5 million mansion in the Hampton's. We have a small home that fits all of us with a yard for Chance the Dog and neighbors that are precious.

My husband hasn't starred in a hundred movies or been a quarter-back for the Dallas Cowboys (though...he might like that...). He is committed to God, his sons and his wife and I most definitely wouldn't trade him in. ;)

Proverbs 17:1 says; "A meal of bread and water in contented peace is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels." When I do take a look at the lives of the "rich and famous", I am continuously reminded that money and power and social standing is not what brings peace. When the angels announced the birth of Jesus they proclaimed; "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." I feel so blessed today to have found the peace that God offers through His Son. I feel so blessed that though I may not live in a mansion or have a million dollars, I have a home of love, contentment and peace (at least during nap time...:). The amazing thing is that I did nothing for this peace except believe that God sent His Son to bring me peace and accept that gift from Him. This peace and contentment is available to me, to you, to Paris, to Rihanna, to Jessica Simpson...to all. I pray you - and they, find it.

Paralyzed Prayers and Borrowed Faith

2009-12-02T21:48:00.000-05:00

My parents live around 1500 miles away from me. This makes for a good long distance phone plan and lots of letters (complete with stickers and little doodles) from mom. A few weeks ago I was phoning to check up on my mom because she had been battling pneumonia and really wasn't feeling well. Our conversation was short because she was tired but she did say that she felt the sickest she had ever been but thought she might be getting a little better. Around 24 hours later I received a call from my uncle saying that she had been rushed to the hospital and was critically ill.

The next few days, my home was filled with hospital jargon like;

ventilator
life support
oxygen levels
vitals
and chest x-rays.

I felt as if I was on the phone constantly - updating and being updated. Every time the phone rang my heart pounded a little harder - hoping that it wasn't bad news. Sometimes the details of my daily routine would give a little distraction but anxiety was just rolling beneath the surface. Every now and then the littlest thing would cause that anxiety to well up into a sob. Small, every day things like cooking, folding clothes, putting away groceries, coloring with my son - would bring back childhood memories of my mom and I would feel overwhelmed with a mixture of fear and unbelief.

If I can be honest, in those few weeks of not knowing and worry, I felt as if my prayer life was paralyzed. I felt as if I couldn't even form the words to express the depth of need. I could lose my mother. The one who had longed for me and loved me unconditionally from the moment she saw me. The one who had rocked and sang me to sleep. The one who had triumphed in my first steps. Chased me around with a spoon full of vegetables. Combed the knots out my curly hair. Taught me "Round and Round the Garden" on the palm of my hand. Pointed out pretty things like flowers and kittens. Told me about Jesus. Took me to Sunday School. Let me "help" with the laundry. Taught me my ABC's. Told me about boys. Encouraged me to sing. Told me I was beautiful. Prayed for me. Let me go. Sent countless letters and packages. Loved my husband like a son. Loved my boys - her delight. Yes, I was paralyzed at the thought of losing her and words for prayer wouldn't come.

Two things became clear during that time. First, that the Holy Spirit is a reader of hearts. Romans 8:26 says;

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express" (NIV).

Sobs into my cleaning closet were heard by Him and brought to God's throne. He is in the midst of our groans, our tears, and our cries - He translates them into prayers that words cannot express.

Secondly, I felt the strength of the faith and prayers of other believers. In Romans 15:30, Paul writes, "I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me"(NIV). Paul called on his friends for the power of their faith. It held him up and helped fight his battle.

With my prayers so paralyzed I felt strength from others when they would say that they were praying for my mom. I felt as if I borrowed from their faith. It's no wonder that God calls us a Body - working together - helping each other - compensating for others weaknesses.

I am happy to say that today my mom has been transferred to a hospital that is closer to home. She is breathing on her own and free of disease. She will spend the next few weeks recuperating and gaining back strength. It is a pleasure to talk to her each day and hear her speak of her faith and God's presence in her life. We look forward to seeing her, in person, soon.

To List Lovers Everywhere

2009-11-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

I've heard that there is a certain type of personality that loves lists. Things to do lists, things not to do lists, what to pack lists, what to eat lists, what not to eat lists, etc. I recently even came across a huge, thick, could-be-used-as-a-weapon sized book full of...lists...just lists.

I think I understand the fascination a little. When I was a young teenager, my friends and I looked forward to summer youth camp all year long. As the weeks drew nearer I remember us writing lists as we sat together in our church pew (gasp!). Our lists were exhaustive points of every item we must pack - from toothpaste to the new cute shirt bought just for the occasion.

Lists can make us feel closer to an exciting event, that we've made an important first step toward a long goal, that we've accomplished something! It could also help us sort out things like details, thoughts, and even closets. They help husbands remember what to pick up at the grocery store and college students remember the date that Martin Luther nailed his theses to a door in Wittenberg. Lists really are lovely. :)

All this being said...I have come across a few lists in my Bible reading. Apparently, God may like lists too - or at least likes to throw some in for His list-loving kids. I have found lists that have helped me make goals in areas of character, perseverance, treatment of others, love and more. I'm going to try a series of blogs that involve these lists and hope they will be helpful or at least a little enlightening.

To start the 'series' - my very first list that I posted on my fridge. True Love. God's Word is full of the importance of love. Not just "oh-he's-so-cute...must-get-new-shoes-to-impress" kind of love but self-denying, sacrificial, not-so-easy, love."A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (NIV)." John 13:33-35

Love...(1 Corinthians 13)

Is patient
is kind
does not envy
does not boast
is not proud
is not rude
is not self-seeking
is not easily angered
keeps no record of wrongs
does not delight in evil
rejoices with the truth
always protects
always trusts
always hopes
always perseveres
never fails.

Let's see if we can check off that list!

Christie

P.S. I keep this list on my fridge and try to work on one each day...I don't look forward to the "not easily angered" day...it usually means something will come up to test that trait...:)

Shepherds

2009-11-19T14:41:00.000-05:00

Long before my neighbors put up their colored lights and before the Dollar Store packed their isles with Christmas trinkets and before the inflatable snowmen were inflated...I had a Christmas thought.

I was driving down a country road on the outside of our town. There were no streetlights, just a scattering of houses and farms. I was struck by the beauty of the night and the awesome span of starry sky. It was the stars that brought the thought.

I thought of the shepherds outside of Bethlehem and how they must have enjoyed the view of an open sky at night as they slept under the stars. I pictured them, faces weathered by sun and wind and the elements, clothes dust covered and wrinkled, fingernails caked with dirt. I thought of how they were probably not revered or held in high esteem for such a common job.

Yet, it was these same dirty, humble shepherds that God chose to dazzle with a light show beyond compare. Thousands of angels singing, "Glory to God in the highest" and then He topped it all by letting them in on the good news that the long-awaited Messiah was born and where He was! He chose one of the most common people - one of the lowest on the social scale-to tell His greatest news.

It was that thought that gave me a much needed glimpse of God's tenderness. He loved those shepherds and chose to heap His mercy and grace in abundance on them. God's Son went on to show the same characteristics - loving the outcasts, the despised and the scandalous. I was reaffirmed that night that His love for me is as strong and abundant as well, despite my many imperfections. He is not just some powerful Being that is far away from where we are - ready to strike when we slip up. His heart is drawn to our helplessness and to the helpless. I got a glimpse of His heart for the outsider and loved Him even more.

He'll Never Leave

2009-11-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

My youngest son, Samuel, is at a stage where he doesn't like me to be out of his sight all that much (funny how you can take the littlest things for granted...like going to the bathroom by yourself...). A lot of times I will come into the living room after a quick 30 second trip up and down the stairs to find him hanging on to the toy box and crying as if I had left him for good. I quickly pick him up and hold him close, kissing away his tears and murmur in his ear..."Mama loves you...mama would never leave you...mama would never leave..." until he calms down and gives me a big watery, open-mouthed, three-toothed smile.

As I set him back down with his toys my own words echo in my mind - "never leave you..." I think that every time I go through this with Samuel, I'm reminded of God's words to me, His child.

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (NIV)." Deuteronomy 31:8

Somehow, God loves me even more than I could love my children (though I can't fathom it) because He is perfect and His love is perfect. The depth of love that could never let me abandon my sons is even deeper in Christ. The Bible tells me that He loves me so deeply that He would never leave me or forsake me. I suppose there are times when I cry out to Him in despair - feeling as if He had left me alone. Yet, He has not left me. I might not see Him clearly but He is there. He couldn't leave me alone - I'm His child.

H1N1 and Horses and Chariots

2009-11-05T21:52:00.000-05:00

Well, today my whole family got vaccinated for H1N1 (that's a whole "can-o-worms" these days). As I walked from the hospital I felt a little relief that we had taken some measures to keep healthy but at the same time I consciously tried to remind myself that my whole trust cannot be in a mere man-made precaution.

Many moons ago, before there were tanks and airplanes and guns - there were horses and chariots. Kingdoms built up their store of pure bred horses and magnificent chariots as a way to arm themselves in the event of war. I can just imagine a king sitting back in his throne with a sense of relief as his army general reports that they have surpassed other kingdoms in equine and equipment.

David was a king in those times. It was his words that have been ringing in my mind these past few days. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God (NIV)." The journey to David's kingship and his rule was full of ups and downs. There were times when his kingdom and army were well prepared with horses and with chariots and there were other times that David spent days on the run from his enemy, hiding in caves and cliffs with his few rebel followers. He knew what it was like to be as prepared as possible and also what it was like to be defenseless. But, he also knew where his true trust should lie. Physically prepared or physically defenseless, his true trust lay in only what is completely trustworthy - the name of his Lord.

I pray that I hold to Jesus in times of turbulence. That I would not put my true trust in needles or machines, in how much money is in my bank account or how many friends I have on facebook, in how well I can cook or how muscular I look...(ppphhh!) My utmost trust must rest with the One who has already seen the future, who calls me His child and who promises to do only what is for my good.

I pray that in times of uncertainty, you will find His peace as you put your trust, first, in Him.

Post It Notes

2009-11-02T19:44:00.000-05:00

On a trip to Kenya, Africa a few years ago I had the privilege of visiting my friend Faye while she was interning at a mission for children and teens. It was great getting to see the place where she had lived for the last 8 months (complete with huge spiders and "interesting" toilets/hole in the ground...) and to visit an African zoo (where I almost got attacked by a lion! I'll save that for another post). She also accompanied me to the market where, in true tourist form, I was going to buy some souvenirs. I found a particular interesting painting on cloth that I thought my brother would like and asked the seller of the wares how much it would cost me. He told me a price and then both to mine and his surprise, my fair-haired, ROOTS Canada sweater-wearing old roomie started speaking to him in fluent Swahili...apparently telling him that the same painting cost a lot less in the market she had been to a few days earlier. The look on his face was priceless..."how and where did this obvious westerner learn such great Swahili?"

Well, I think it may have started in her room. :) I was a frequent visitor to Faye's family as I was her college roommate who was a long way from home...too long to go home for Thanksgiving and Reading Break. They so graciously 'adopted' me and I enjoyed many holidays with her family. On one of those trips, before Faye was to go on her first excursion to Kenya, I walked into her room and noticed that it was covered in Post-It Notes! They were everywhere...on the lampshade, the door frame, the window, the carpet, the door knob! I looked a little closer and saw that on each note was one word in what I assumed would be the language she was trying to learn - Swahili. So, a few years later, in a little market on a store roof, here was my friend - gone from Post-It Notes to prolific! I'm sure she would tell you that the process wasn't easy. The journey from mere words to flowing language would mean lots of memorizing, listening, observation, experimenting and sharing until it became almost second nature.

Faye's Post-It Notes reminded me of a passage of scripture from Deuteronomy 6.
^"4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates (NIV)."

Our journey to making God's Word a part of our lives is not always easy. It takes commitment and perseverance. Sometimes we will literally need to stick verses on our mirror or on the window above our sink. Sometimes we will need to make up a song to help us remember truth. Sometimes we will need to stop daydreaming about Swiss Chalet and listen to the pastor ;) Other times we will need to share it with others to make it more real to ourselves. Whatever it takes - it's worth it. Becoming "fluent" in God's truth and His promises is a blessing that will continue to strengthen, sustain and even surprise us.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (NIV)." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Good Gifts 2

2009-10-30T21:54:00.001-04:00

My mom LOVES buying presents. Not necessarily outrageously expensive things like cars and boats and diamond rings (though, I'm sure she'd like to...) but little things like bookmarks and magnets and cute shirts. When we were kids she would actually individually wrap every little thing that she put in our Christmas stocking. I'm talking candy bars, oranges, little water squirters, toy cars, hockey cards...everything! She loves the idea of giving. She still can't send me a letter without adding some little token of affection - a small ring she picked up at a discount store, a bookmark, stickers, a necklace held in place on the letter with tape - precious. The last letter had a little bundle of handwritten Bible verses tied with a bow and the tiniest flower.
Now that I have my own children I understand how much fun it is to pour out little surprises and watch their delight.

I think God loves watching us delight in His gifts.

I grew up in one of the most beautiful places in the world (o.k..so a little biased...) - Newfoundland, Canada. I lived near the ocean, quite literally, a stone's throw away from the water. From my patio I watched my little bay change with the seasons and loved the beauty in each. Spring time would bring a softer, warmer breeze and the sound of breaking ice and the trickle of melting snow. Summer would bring towering icebergs, whales and glorious pink, purple and orange sunsets on the still water. Fall brought powerful winds and crashing waves on the docks and shoreline. And then there was Winter...so cold...but so beautiful. I remember standing on my patio, waiting for the school bus and drinking in the view. The mornings of the first snow fall were usually the most stunning. A blanket of thick, fluffy snow covered everything, almost dampening sounds and making it seem quieter. The water would be still and almost frozen like a glass, becoming a mirror of the white world around it. It looked like crystal. So beautiful and breathtaking. And as I would stand there I would be so aware of God's extravagance. He could have just given us what we needed but instead He takes great delight in - delighting us.

I have to be honest, I have inadvertently let the last couple years of working and having and raising children cloud my vision just the tiniest. I haven't always stopped long enough to enjoy a sunset or paused outside my car to take a long look at the stars (perhaps carrying a car seat, crying baby, diaper bag, grocery bag and balancing a tea could have hindered it a little...). However, tonight I took a walk with my two boys through bright yellow leaves and was again reminded of God's gifts to me.

James 1:17 says;
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (NIV)".

I pray that I will continue to keep my eyes open to God's generosity and the gifts that He so generously bestows each day.

What do I know?!

2009-10-29T22:01:00.000-04:00

Today I was thinking about all the things I don't know.
I don't know exactly why the sky is blue...I'm sure I could check wikipedia but, off hand... nope, don't know.
I don't know how ants can carry a bazillion times their own weight ( I don't even know what that ratio is...).
I don't know how it is possible for my voice to travel miles and miles to my mom's end of the phone.
I don't know how my car engine works.
I don't know how to get my son to like mashed potatoes.
I don't know why my dog has to turn around three times before he lays down.
I don't know how bubble gum is made...though I do know that much of it is made in a factory in Sarnia, Ontario.
I don't know why we crave things that aren't good for us (I mean apart from weird pregnancy cravings for apples and pickles and spinach).

On a more serious note..

I don't always know how to handle every situation that arises with my children...can I trust that babysitter?
I don't know the right words to say to a hurting friend.
I don't always know what the healthy decision is.
I don't always know the right time to stop talking.

But, God knows. As I contemplated a few decisions I had to make I remembered a verse from - I don't know where it's found...let me check...James 1:5.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (NIV)."

God wants to give me wisdom for the decisions I have to make in my life. Not only that, He does so without finding fault. He doesn't think about all the times I've ignored His wisdom in the past - He wipes my slate clean and generously gives me instruction and counsel that is for my good. Thank You God. Thank Goodness, Someone knows!

Sleepless Night Song

2009-10-28T20:54:00.001-04:00

So, there's this strange phenomenon that parents are familiar with...it's how a 24 pound two year old can take up more room in a bed than two full grown adults. It probably has something to do with the strange contortions they make with their little wiry bodies. It comes in many forms - a leg across mommy's back, a head snuggled across daddy's neck - change position - whole body draped over daddy's head, little toe in mommy's ear. Now, add a little nine-month old, with the same innate abilities and it makes for a pretty sleepless night for the adults in the equation.

And so went a night in our home just recently.

Both our kiddies couldn't sleep and both ended up in our room. Lack of sleep can make you irrational and I felt like having a full-blown kick-my-legs-crying tantrum at 3 AM (did I say felt like? I may have kicked my legs a little...and cried...). Needless to say, the next morning I felt nothing like being nice or gentle or patient or anything! I just wanted to sleep. However, like grownups do, I plodded through the day, putting on a smile of encouragement at my son's newest words and patience when my youngest squirmed out of his almost fastened diaper for the third time (see previous post - The Struggle :). I didn't feel like doing these things - I could barely see straight - but I did them because I love my family.

My husband and I are reading a book called "The Love Dare"*. There's a quote that I love that says; "If you accept this dare, you must take the view that instead of following your heart, you are choosing to lead it...choosing instead to lead your heart toward that which is best in the long run. This is a key to lasting, fulfilling relationships." I don't let my emotions or my feelings completely dictate how I treat my loved ones for the day. I couldn't imagine not feeding my kids just because I didn't feel like getting out of bed. However, that morning, as I took care of my children and went about the business of the day despite my tired state, I thought about how quick I am to let my emotions dictate how I react to God. If I'm happy, inspired, thankful, glad, excited or in a general good mood, praise easily flows from my heart in a song or prayer as I skip through my day. But, find me in a state of confusion, fear, anxiety, fatigue, passiveness or anger and I seem to clam up.

David gave us a good example of what to do in those times. He chose to lead his heart instead of following how he was feeling. Psalm 34 says;^"1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips (NIV)."

I pray that I will remember to choose to praise and talk with God even in those times when I don't feel like it. That I will lead my heart and not follow my feelings...even when I've had a two year old barrel rolling over me all night...

*Stephen & Alex Kendrick, The Love Dare (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2008), viii.

Useless?!

2009-10-23T13:41:00.000-04:00

I tried my hand at refinishing a few months ago. Some friends of ours had moved into a new house and were getting rid of some old furniture. They asked us to take a look at their garage to see if there was anything we could use. A quick peek showed an old set of nightstands and a dresser. They were painted white and chipped and scratched from long time use. However, they looked pretty sturdy and I imagined that with a bit of sanding and paint we could use them for a bedroom. So, my husband (probably a bit skeptical about the whole idea...) and his friend loaded them into our van and we made our way home - me, with visions of a gleaming, new bedroom set in my head, my husband, with thoughts of how long it would be gathering dust in our garage.

The vision stayed with me and a couple of weeks later, armed with paint thinner, scrapers, sandpaper, brushes and paint - I went to work. My ever-supportive better-half watched the kiddies while I scraped and sanded and painted in the hot sun. A few hours later, we had a new dresser and two new night stands for our room. What was one person's junk - had become my treasure. What was once useless had become useful.

I read the book of Philemon today. It's a tiny book of the Bible, tucked between Titus and Hebrews. Only one chapter and twenty-five verses. It's a letter from Paul to a friend, Philemon. Paul is being imprisoned for teaching about Jesus and has somehow befriended a man who's name is Onesimus. Onesimus was apparently a servant of Philemon who had not the best reputation with his boss. In fact, Paul puts it this way; "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you..." (10-11). "Useless" - ever feel that way? Kind of like an old set of dressers, dented and scratched by life and put to the side, no place for you anymore. Useless.

There's hope. Paul wasn't finished his letter. "Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and me...He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord"(11, 16b). Some change had happened inside of Onesimus and I have a feeling it had to do with him becoming "a brother in the Lord." A transformation had taken place and a life that seemed to be going nowhere took on new hope and meaning and usefulness!

Perhaps you feel that your life has no purpose anymore or maybe you see a family member or friend walking a road that seems headed to nowhere - don't give up hope. Jesus takes lives that have been deemed lost and hopeless and can transform them into lives of beauty and purpose. What others thought useless becomes what God could see for them all along...usefulness.

The Struggle

2009-10-21T14:14:00.000-04:00

A couple days ago my husband and I were each changing a diaper (I would like to take this time to praise my husband as he has still changed more diapers then me up to this point - to all the single ladies...make "will change a diaper" a prerequisite...:). I had just finished explaining to our dear nine month old that if he would just stop struggling and cooperate, things would go a lot faster and smoother and he could be off crawling and chewing on the nearest object in the blink of an eye. Then I heard my husband in the next room also explaining the merit of being "still" while being diapered, to our two year old.

The same kind of thing happened today. My oldest had just finished a "feesee" (freezie) and was covered in purple juice. He wanted to keep playing but I saw the wisdom in getting him cleaned up before he stained his clothes and everything else in reach. It would have been over in probably 4 seconds had he just been still but the power struggle that ensued made the whole process quite longer and more unpleasant. A minute later, all cleaned up, he huffs on his way back to his important toddler schedule of playing with sticks and chasing the dog.

I found myself smiling at my likeness in my child...not physical looks (he looks just like his dad) but in the way he struggles with the things that are good for him and makes the process longer and sometimes, more unpleasant, than necessary.

Don't I do the same thing with my Father? I fight against trusting Him fully because I'm afraid of what it might mean - what it might take away. I fight against giving up a grudge because it would mean that, in my eyes, justice wasn't done. I fight against giving that extra money because I see all the things I need it for myself.

The Israelites did this too. They fought against the way God wanted to set them free from Egypt ("You're taking us to the desert?!"). They fought against the way He provided for them ("Manna again?!"). They fought against who God gave them as a leader ("Aaron, you lead us!"). They fought against entering their freedom ("The giants are too big for us!"). I read that the trip from Egypt to Canaan actually only takes 3-4 days. Taking into account the number of people and the animals that were with them, it probably would have taken a little longer but I wonder if the forty years of wandering in the desert would have been cut a lot shorter had they not stopped struggling with God, trusted Him and let Him lead?

I can't see the future or the reasons behind a lot of what God does but one thing I do know, is that He tells me not to lean on my own understanding (stop trying to figure it all out) but to trust in Him with my whole heart (Prov.3:4-5). I pray that as I grow in Him, I stop the struggle and let Him do what He wants to do in my life. I don't want to be left with purple juice on my face..;)

Permission Slip

2009-10-19T16:35:00.000-04:00

Remember when you had to get a permission slip from your parents to go to the pumpkin patch or the skating arena or to the zoo with your school? You passed in the slip with a sigh of relief...signed, sealed (well...probably crumpled and full of spaghetti sauce from your dinner table) and delivered. Now you were free to go!

You know, God gives us a permission slip of sorts...permission not to worry. While the rest of the world succumbs to worry and anxiety in times of sickness, singleness, barrenness, loneliness, lack-of-moneyness (sorry...couldn't think of another "ness") - God gives us permission NOT to worry. I'm reading a book by Max Lucado called "Fearless". He writes that Jesus' "most common command emerges from the 'fear not' genre. The Gospels list some 125 Christ-issued imperatives. Of these, 21 urge us to 'not be afraid' or 'not fear' or 'have courage' or 'take heart' or 'be of good cheer'." * My friend Faye reminded me of this a while back.

A few years ago a situation arose that had the potential to be 'awkward' for me and was kind of out of my control. I had thought of so many worst case scenarios and worried so much that by the night before this 'event', I had worked myself up to quite a state of anxiety. I called Faye hoping she would have some sage words of advice and...because she's Faye...she did. :) She just said "Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow." That was it. Seven words. But they were TRUE! It hit me right then that I really didn't have to worry...Jesus was giving me permission not to. Even if the rest of the world would say.."No, really, go ahead..worry! You should!" Jesus was saying "No, don't worry about it." Actually, Matthew 6:25-26 quotes Him as saying; ²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

So, that was it. I totally felt permission from God not to worry and was at peace about the whole situation. I felt immense relief at being allowed not to worry. I stepped into the next day with confidence that God was in control and He was.

Now, don't think I've got it all figured out. Fear and worry is probably still my biggest battle and I constantly have to re-certify myself in this lesson. But I always know that God has that permission slip, always signed and always ready.

*Max Lucado, Fearless (Nashville:Thomas Nelson, 2009), 10.

Like A Child

2009-10-16T14:02:00.000-04:00

"And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven". Matthew 18:3

It's no wonder that God tells us to become like little children...

Little children don't worry about tomorrow, they just enjoy the moment they're in.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Little children trust completely...have you ever seen a child jump with abandon off of a high place with not a doubt that someone will catch them?
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Little children aren't concerned with money...they enjoy what they have and know their needs will be met.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25

Little children are forgiving and seldom hold a grudge. I've watched my son "fight" with another toddler one minute and be laughing together the next.
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Matthew 11:25

Little children run for their parent's arms when things are scary.
"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

Little children aren't prejudiced. They just see a person, not color, position or financial status.
"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8
Little children rejoice in the little things...leaves, bugs, sticks, puddles, and flowers.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

I'm so thankful that I have living reminders with me each day of how God wants my heart.

Lego Blocks and Balance

2009-10-08T22:02:00.000-04:00

So, I am only 3 posts in and quite possibly only 2 people have read my blog (here's a shout out to Tom and Jen..woot-woot!:) but I have already fell out of balance. You see, I started the blog with the intent of an accountability of sorts so that my relationship with God would be enriched. However, I have went from awaking to hear from Him and have His Word continue to change my life to awaking to hear from Him SO I COULD BLOG! How quickly we lose balance! We start out with a genuine desire to do some thing of worth for God to bring glory to Him and gradually (or even faster...like three days maybe...) it becomes all about the thing and not so much about God.
A few weeks ago I was playing blocks with my son. We were having a great time at first just being silly, trying to build the tallest tower ever and then knocking it down, dumping them all from the bag at the same time to make a big noise and bigger mess but then things got serious. I started to get "creative". I decided my son would think a chair made out of blocks that he could actually sit on would be so cool! At first he thought it was great fun as he passed me blocks but eventually he got bored with the "design process" and started trying to knock the unfinished chair down like the towers. But, instead of mama laughing and joining him, she calmly told him to play with his other blocks while she finished his chair. Well, this was no fun, so he tried to knock down the chair again. This time mama actually reverted to whining and said "no, I'm building your chair!" This was also no fun and he started to whine. Then I realized that I had fallen out of balance. :) The blocks were just a way to have fun with my son but all of a sudden it had become less about my son and more about the blocks.
So, all of this to say that I may not blog every day or every thing that God teaches me but I pray it will be because I'm trying to keep it about Him and not about blogging. Keeping first things first.

Shine Bright in the Storm!

2009-10-07T22:18:00.000-04:00

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

I have a photo that sits in an album on my book shelf and every now and then it's a good reminder of the potential and promise during storms.
I was driving home from a training meeting one fall stormy evening. The sky was heavy and dark with the promise of thunder and a downpour. But just for a moment, the sun broke through the tiniest hole in the clouds. All of a sudden everything under the sun stood out in stark contrast to the black sky all around. I'm sure you've seen this before. There was this one tree that was just brilliant! It was tall and full with bright golden leaves and your eyes couldn't help but be drawn to it.
It reminds me of our privilege as believers, to be able to trust in God even when things around seem unstable or dark. As we trust in Him, He fills us with joy and peace and hope. Imagine how that must affect others? When they see us filled with joy, peace and hope in the midst of uncertainty, conflict at work, family problems, sickness, financial strain...their eyes must be drawn to the contrast. The contrast of our hope and joy against what seems to be darkness. I pray that we are able to find His joy, peace and hope in the midst of even the little complications with our everyday life.
Christie

Good Gifts

2009-10-06T21:34:00.000-04:00

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

So, I blew it. I yelled at my son. My son had been crying for quite a while and just wouldn't sleep. His crying and my own lack of slumber erupted into a frustrated "GO TO SLEEP!". Later that night as he slept peacefully in my arms, his long eyelashes lying against his cheeks, I was overwhelmed with love for my precious boy. I longed to give him all he would ever need as he grew, to make him laugh ( you know, those irresistible belly laughs that could only come from a child), to protect him, to surprise him with gifts and see his excitement at discovering new things.

Then, a new thought crept into my heart. I was reminded of my earlier outburst and other times when I have fallen short of being the perfect parent. Yet, despite my imperfections as a parent, my love for my children was overwhelming and I would do anything for them. I thought, if I, who is by no means perfect, love my children this much and desire only good for them, how much more would God, who is the perfect Father and has perfect love, have good things for me.