A fellow blogger published a link on her blog to this amazing woman's story....... This is a video of a woman who is diagnosed with cancer...... The prognosis is not good for her, but yet she has self-lessly used this experience to minister to other women! It is an hour long presentation but I am telling you it is so worth your time to watch! I usually don't blog things like this, but felt compelled that this is definately worth sharing! If you have a blog I encourage you to pass this along as well!
http://deathisnotdying.com/eventvideo/
She refers to several things in her talk about a book list and such which can be found at her website http://www.deathisnotdyeing.com/
God Bless and did I already say WATCH THE VIDEO? ;^) HUGS!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
HE equips the called
"God doesn’t Call on the Equipped, HE Equips the Called"
I have heard this phrase throughout my life as a Christian, but each year I am challenged to apply it further. To allow this concept to resonate deep within my personal relationship with Christ. I have been one of those many Christians where I have dictated what I CAN and absolutely CAN NOT do. There have been many occasions/situations in my life when I have shamefully informed the Lord "Anything but THAT Lord." Such a disappointment that I could tell the Lord what He can or can not do in my life when, in fact, He is the author of my existence. Reminds me of when Moses was having doubts in the wilderness of if God would keep His word:
Numbers 11: 23 The LORD answered Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."
I am so thankful we serve a very patient God! He lovingly proves his faithfulness over and over again to a very forgetful people, like myself.
Have you ever seen a ministry that touched your heart or heard someone speak about something that got you a little fired up? Maybe thinking there is more for God to do through you? Something greater than that of yourself, which would very well allow God to increase and you to decrease? If that initial stirring is not faithfully committed to fervent prayer, it will eventually be quenched. God is a gentleman and will not force His plan on anyone. He will also recognize when we place value on the distraction of life OVER the desire to see His plan revealed in us. Many times, the stirring dies as it is replaced with the normality of life as usual. The soothing words "I could NEVER do that," may begin to rest easily in your mind as it slowly replaces the initial stirring & desire for God to accomplish something greater.
So many times we can quench the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts by placing too much validity on our resume of self-doubt, self-pity, or just plain selfishness. Unfortunately, we place these self-centered things smack dab in the center to where we will surely, stifle the path of God’s design. God perspective is quite different on the subject of what we can and can not do.
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
We are totally correct in the "I can’t" statements. Even the bare minimum that we do on a daily basis, we can’t accomplish effectively without Christ’s strength! So, even in the small things, we are in need of His constant help! Why then do we then limit/stifle His creativity to accomplish something with greater importance & purpose. As the scripture in Philippians, clearly demonstrates, it is not about us AT ALL, but instead, the effectiveness of God doing the work through us.
Psalm 143: 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
What we fail to understand/comprehend is that those people we look up to, or who have effective ministries are not naturally gifted or equipped for the calling God has placed before them. They are supernaturally equipped, for the Plan God calls them to fulfill. God doesn’t look at our ‘resume’ and then decide if we are qualified to follow His will. In my humble opinion, this ‘world-view’ is one of the pivotal reasons why we see so much stagnancy in the modern church today. Admiring qualifications & experience OVER a heart that just wants to serve God. All we need is a yielding spirit, open to whatever He wants to do in & through us to further His kingdom. Remember, the point of everything we do is not about what we want, our comforts, our security, or our self-serving ideals. Much of our life’s direction, should have a Kingdom purpose. To allow God to have full control of our lives, so that He can make us most effective for HIS purpose. To lay down our rights and give up our ideas so that HIS plan can unfold can HE will be glorified. Romans 8:12-13 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
We as Christians have many liberties today in order to make choices for our lives. It is actually quite sad how few choices we allow Him to lead us towards. We instead, limit God by taking the ‘bull by the horns’ approach and settle for what WE think is best, rather than really relying on what God KNOWS is best by waiting for his direction! God is interested in being apart of ALL your decisions. Something we fail to realize the harsh reality of no decision is made within a vacuum! Each one can not only permeate through our own families, but also impact or fail to impact the lives of others around us. If we are not living out the example of reliance in Christ through our decisions, what makes our process set apart from the world? Praise the Lord for His redemption and for this verse here in Romans 8: 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
When we do make foolish choices, and we all have, we can at least have this hope that He will use it to His Glory. It doesn’t mean we get a free pass when it comes to suffering the consequences, but that we can have hope that He will use it for a Kingdom purpose..
In Psalms 37 it says:
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
This is a very active passage and requires a lot of us dying to our flesh to fulfill the promises listed. If we would only trust, delight, commit & trust (ya think God is trying to make a point by listing trust twice?), THAT is when God can do a marvelous work in our lives! How much do we miss out on by our limited amounts of trusting, committing, & delighting? How much do we miss out on by quenching a fire he began in our hearts?
1 Corinthians 9: 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
I have heard this phrase throughout my life as a Christian, but each year I am challenged to apply it further. To allow this concept to resonate deep within my personal relationship with Christ. I have been one of those many Christians where I have dictated what I CAN and absolutely CAN NOT do. There have been many occasions/situations in my life when I have shamefully informed the Lord "Anything but THAT Lord." Such a disappointment that I could tell the Lord what He can or can not do in my life when, in fact, He is the author of my existence. Reminds me of when Moses was having doubts in the wilderness of if God would keep His word:
Numbers 11: 23 The LORD answered Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."
I am so thankful we serve a very patient God! He lovingly proves his faithfulness over and over again to a very forgetful people, like myself.
Have you ever seen a ministry that touched your heart or heard someone speak about something that got you a little fired up? Maybe thinking there is more for God to do through you? Something greater than that of yourself, which would very well allow God to increase and you to decrease? If that initial stirring is not faithfully committed to fervent prayer, it will eventually be quenched. God is a gentleman and will not force His plan on anyone. He will also recognize when we place value on the distraction of life OVER the desire to see His plan revealed in us. Many times, the stirring dies as it is replaced with the normality of life as usual. The soothing words "I could NEVER do that," may begin to rest easily in your mind as it slowly replaces the initial stirring & desire for God to accomplish something greater.
So many times we can quench the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts by placing too much validity on our resume of self-doubt, self-pity, or just plain selfishness. Unfortunately, we place these self-centered things smack dab in the center to where we will surely, stifle the path of God’s design. God perspective is quite different on the subject of what we can and can not do.
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
We are totally correct in the "I can’t" statements. Even the bare minimum that we do on a daily basis, we can’t accomplish effectively without Christ’s strength! So, even in the small things, we are in need of His constant help! Why then do we then limit/stifle His creativity to accomplish something with greater importance & purpose. As the scripture in Philippians, clearly demonstrates, it is not about us AT ALL, but instead, the effectiveness of God doing the work through us.
Psalm 143: 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
What we fail to understand/comprehend is that those people we look up to, or who have effective ministries are not naturally gifted or equipped for the calling God has placed before them. They are supernaturally equipped, for the Plan God calls them to fulfill. God doesn’t look at our ‘resume’ and then decide if we are qualified to follow His will. In my humble opinion, this ‘world-view’ is one of the pivotal reasons why we see so much stagnancy in the modern church today. Admiring qualifications & experience OVER a heart that just wants to serve God. All we need is a yielding spirit, open to whatever He wants to do in & through us to further His kingdom. Remember, the point of everything we do is not about what we want, our comforts, our security, or our self-serving ideals. Much of our life’s direction, should have a Kingdom purpose. To allow God to have full control of our lives, so that He can make us most effective for HIS purpose. To lay down our rights and give up our ideas so that HIS plan can unfold can HE will be glorified. Romans 8:12-13 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
We as Christians have many liberties today in order to make choices for our lives. It is actually quite sad how few choices we allow Him to lead us towards. We instead, limit God by taking the ‘bull by the horns’ approach and settle for what WE think is best, rather than really relying on what God KNOWS is best by waiting for his direction! God is interested in being apart of ALL your decisions. Something we fail to realize the harsh reality of no decision is made within a vacuum! Each one can not only permeate through our own families, but also impact or fail to impact the lives of others around us. If we are not living out the example of reliance in Christ through our decisions, what makes our process set apart from the world? Praise the Lord for His redemption and for this verse here in Romans 8: 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
When we do make foolish choices, and we all have, we can at least have this hope that He will use it to His Glory. It doesn’t mean we get a free pass when it comes to suffering the consequences, but that we can have hope that He will use it for a Kingdom purpose..
In Psalms 37 it says:
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
This is a very active passage and requires a lot of us dying to our flesh to fulfill the promises listed. If we would only trust, delight, commit & trust (ya think God is trying to make a point by listing trust twice?), THAT is when God can do a marvelous work in our lives! How much do we miss out on by our limited amounts of trusting, committing, & delighting? How much do we miss out on by quenching a fire he began in our hearts?
1 Corinthians 9: 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Just a mom? I think not!
These are some of the thoughts I have been questioning lately so I hope they speak to you in some way!
The world is really turning into a crazy place? I have heard of people with 5 or more children getting harassed by total strangers. Not that I condone or think that this is acceptable either, but me? With only 3 kids in tow? Here in Florida, usually you only find 1.5 children per family, so I suppose I have ‘broken the mold’ a bit. Can’t wait till I can annoy more of the population when our family size increases!
Let me share one of these MANY experiences that I have encountered. I was at Costco and was waiting in line with my brood. A lady in her 60’s +, got behind me in the food court line. In the course of watching me instruct who was going to continue to push the cart and who was going to help me gather the food/drinks, she blurted out “Those are ALL yours?” NO, she was not talking about the groceries I had in my cart, but yet about my ENORMOUS amount of children (only 3 keep in mind). SO many things were running through my mind at that point in time but I managed to keep it simple and respectful. I bit my tongue and through the course of our conversation, felt a genuine pity for a woman who apparently never experienced children & motherhood as a blessing. She was a mother alright, but as she related, 2 was her limit. She spoke of her mothering years as if she was raising cockroaches rather than children.
I wonder if my encounter is a reason why many Christian families chose not to have more children; if possibly we have adopted this world-view of mother-hood & nurturing children are truly a “less~than” calling. That fallacy that more that the allotted 2.5 children are so much work/money/evergy/effort, that adding to our workload and draining your pocket book beyond this is not worth it? Has the Christian community been dupped into the many ‘logical/worldly/self-centered’ reasons why we should not be raising more arrows to shoot out and win souls for the Lord.
She asked many questions that I thought I would blog them so you can get an idea…….. “Do you work?” I replied that “Being a mom was my job 24/7. It was a more rewarding & productive career choice than anything I could accomplish outside the home and I wouldn’t trade that position for anything else.” She then discounted my statement by saying “Oh…….. you are one of THOSE moms” I gleefully said, “I suppose so!”
To my curiosity, to see how polite this woman could be, I couldn’t resist sharing with her that we were not done adding to our family. In the course of numbering our one boy verses 2 girls, I mentioned we were hoping to add one or 2 more. Her look was priceless. I then knew, for certain. that she had no self-restraint, nor desire to be polite as her next question, “YOU’RE PREGNANT AGAIN?” I kindly explained that NO I wasn’t pregnant but that we hope to add to our family through adoption. “Why would you want to do that?” she replied. I explained to her how fortunate my children are to have 2 parents that love them! That there are so many orphans in the world today that deserve that same kind of forever home and unconditional love! Her next rude question was expressed with a bit of a cringe on her face, “Overseas adoption?” I told her that I wasn’t sure in which manner the Lord would add to our family but I was open to HOWEVER, God wanted to bring our kids home. I think I left that woman in the most confused state of mind, but at the end of our conversation she had a smile on her face and seemed to have a curious but genuine respect for my statements. Quite honestly I could really care-less what she thought of me, but I was glad that God would not let me back down and allow her to treat the calling of motherhood as valueless.
There have been many of these conversations I have experienced here in FL. Most of them I did not handle so gracefully and it was easy to just ignore their blatant rudeness or just blow off their comments as if the inquisition didn’t deserve my attention. After all, they do come off to be quite rude and genuinely OK with being extremely unhappy or selfish people. HOWEVER, the first time I did answer someone with a genuine answer, I realized something in the reflection of my children’s faces. MY KIDS ARE LISTENING! If I say nothing to refute the claims, my children may have no idea that I disagree with those discounted ideas of motherhood and therefore, infer that they are not worthy of my efforts to train them up in the Lord. The first time I answered someone’s question about my career choice with something like “I think I have the best job in the world! I wouldn’t trade being at home with my kids for any amount of money or status because money can’t buy what I experience on a daily basis”…… My children’s (especially my eldest daughter) faces perked up with and an irreplaceable countenance of joy. Everything about their demeanor just beamed with “WOW! Mommy finds our time together as valuable and irreplaceable!” At that point they knew that I valued motherhood.
Many of my younger mothering years kinda felt like I was “Doing motherhood” much like an inmate does their time. Awaiting for that next phase where my every moment was not being occupied. So selfish to want what I wanted over the demands of nurturing my little ones. Especially on those days when being a mom isn’t immediately rewarding and our attitudes reflect this. There are days when it does feel a bit like we are ‘doing time.’ The truth is we all have those days when we are cleaning up vomit, potty training, or just a day where it has been a battle of wills and you are ready to call in sick. Since this is not an option we then have a choice where lately I have been challenged by this question. DO I feel/display this attitude of valuing my job at very moment of mundane or on the verge of exhasperation? No, I shamefully fall short of this on a daily basis because I am a sinful, selfish woman that is desperate for a constant heart change. They key that I have learned to ask God for is the ability to CHOOSE joy, regardless of circumstances. So, while none of us moms have it all together and are constant reflections of the joys of motherhood, we are usually given these little AHA moments to show our little treasures that they are worth every moment we are able to pour into their hearts! When complete strangers have the audacity to consider your quiver-full an inconvenience we are presented with a choice. To defend the fact that children ARE a valuable entity to our family OR not respond at all. Each one speaks volumes to their little hearts.
Here are some more blogs that I have been reading about the same subjects!
http://sahmissionary.blogspot.com/2009/06/mothering-and-ministry.html
http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2009/06/05/adventures-in-mothering/
http://likeawarmcupofcoffee.blogspot.com/2009/06/burdens-or-blessings-dealing-with.html
http://christinnjon.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/duty-of-discipline/
The world is really turning into a crazy place? I have heard of people with 5 or more children getting harassed by total strangers. Not that I condone or think that this is acceptable either, but me? With only 3 kids in tow? Here in Florida, usually you only find 1.5 children per family, so I suppose I have ‘broken the mold’ a bit. Can’t wait till I can annoy more of the population when our family size increases!
Let me share one of these MANY experiences that I have encountered. I was at Costco and was waiting in line with my brood. A lady in her 60’s +, got behind me in the food court line. In the course of watching me instruct who was going to continue to push the cart and who was going to help me gather the food/drinks, she blurted out “Those are ALL yours?” NO, she was not talking about the groceries I had in my cart, but yet about my ENORMOUS amount of children (only 3 keep in mind). SO many things were running through my mind at that point in time but I managed to keep it simple and respectful. I bit my tongue and through the course of our conversation, felt a genuine pity for a woman who apparently never experienced children & motherhood as a blessing. She was a mother alright, but as she related, 2 was her limit. She spoke of her mothering years as if she was raising cockroaches rather than children.
I wonder if my encounter is a reason why many Christian families chose not to have more children; if possibly we have adopted this world-view of mother-hood & nurturing children are truly a “less~than” calling. That fallacy that more that the allotted 2.5 children are so much work/money/evergy/effort, that adding to our workload and draining your pocket book beyond this is not worth it? Has the Christian community been dupped into the many ‘logical/worldly/self-centered’ reasons why we should not be raising more arrows to shoot out and win souls for the Lord.
She asked many questions that I thought I would blog them so you can get an idea…….. “Do you work?” I replied that “Being a mom was my job 24/7. It was a more rewarding & productive career choice than anything I could accomplish outside the home and I wouldn’t trade that position for anything else.” She then discounted my statement by saying “Oh…….. you are one of THOSE moms” I gleefully said, “I suppose so!”
To my curiosity, to see how polite this woman could be, I couldn’t resist sharing with her that we were not done adding to our family. In the course of numbering our one boy verses 2 girls, I mentioned we were hoping to add one or 2 more. Her look was priceless. I then knew, for certain. that she had no self-restraint, nor desire to be polite as her next question, “YOU’RE PREGNANT AGAIN?” I kindly explained that NO I wasn’t pregnant but that we hope to add to our family through adoption. “Why would you want to do that?” she replied. I explained to her how fortunate my children are to have 2 parents that love them! That there are so many orphans in the world today that deserve that same kind of forever home and unconditional love! Her next rude question was expressed with a bit of a cringe on her face, “Overseas adoption?” I told her that I wasn’t sure in which manner the Lord would add to our family but I was open to HOWEVER, God wanted to bring our kids home. I think I left that woman in the most confused state of mind, but at the end of our conversation she had a smile on her face and seemed to have a curious but genuine respect for my statements. Quite honestly I could really care-less what she thought of me, but I was glad that God would not let me back down and allow her to treat the calling of motherhood as valueless.
There have been many of these conversations I have experienced here in FL. Most of them I did not handle so gracefully and it was easy to just ignore their blatant rudeness or just blow off their comments as if the inquisition didn’t deserve my attention. After all, they do come off to be quite rude and genuinely OK with being extremely unhappy or selfish people. HOWEVER, the first time I did answer someone with a genuine answer, I realized something in the reflection of my children’s faces. MY KIDS ARE LISTENING! If I say nothing to refute the claims, my children may have no idea that I disagree with those discounted ideas of motherhood and therefore, infer that they are not worthy of my efforts to train them up in the Lord. The first time I answered someone’s question about my career choice with something like “I think I have the best job in the world! I wouldn’t trade being at home with my kids for any amount of money or status because money can’t buy what I experience on a daily basis”…… My children’s (especially my eldest daughter) faces perked up with and an irreplaceable countenance of joy. Everything about their demeanor just beamed with “WOW! Mommy finds our time together as valuable and irreplaceable!” At that point they knew that I valued motherhood.
Many of my younger mothering years kinda felt like I was “Doing motherhood” much like an inmate does their time. Awaiting for that next phase where my every moment was not being occupied. So selfish to want what I wanted over the demands of nurturing my little ones. Especially on those days when being a mom isn’t immediately rewarding and our attitudes reflect this. There are days when it does feel a bit like we are ‘doing time.’ The truth is we all have those days when we are cleaning up vomit, potty training, or just a day where it has been a battle of wills and you are ready to call in sick. Since this is not an option we then have a choice where lately I have been challenged by this question. DO I feel/display this attitude of valuing my job at very moment of mundane or on the verge of exhasperation? No, I shamefully fall short of this on a daily basis because I am a sinful, selfish woman that is desperate for a constant heart change. They key that I have learned to ask God for is the ability to CHOOSE joy, regardless of circumstances. So, while none of us moms have it all together and are constant reflections of the joys of motherhood, we are usually given these little AHA moments to show our little treasures that they are worth every moment we are able to pour into their hearts! When complete strangers have the audacity to consider your quiver-full an inconvenience we are presented with a choice. To defend the fact that children ARE a valuable entity to our family OR not respond at all. Each one speaks volumes to their little hearts.
Here are some more blogs that I have been reading about the same subjects!
http://sahmissionary.blogspot.com/2009/06/mothering-and-ministry.html
http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2009/06/05/adventures-in-mothering/
http://likeawarmcupofcoffee.blogspot.com/2009/06/burdens-or-blessings-dealing-with.html
http://christinnjon.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/duty-of-discipline/
Friday, June 5, 2009
My big girl turns 10
It seems the time has flown by so fast that we are now into the double digits with Michaela. She is growing and changing on a daily basis which is exciting and scarey as a parent. Not wanting her to be too big for mom and dad but yet wanting her to grow in the Lord and become the awesome young woman God is calling her to be. Instead of enjoying getting into the double digits, like most kids her age, she sees this age as one more stepping stone towards the teen years and all the things beyond her immagination at this point in time. We celebrated her special day by going to Chuck E Cheese with the family and bringing Cake to church to share with all our friends.
For her birthday, Michaela got a gift that just keeps on giving. This year we decided to give the kids all rollerblades for their birthday. Abby, the adventruous one, got them first on her birthday last month. We did this on purpose because Michaela is very afraid of anything new. We figured if we gave them to Abby first Michaela would get to watch how much fun Abby was having and would enjoy the thought of joining in the fun. Well, our plan worked and she went to the store to pick them out with Mom. Little did we know this birthday present would be the gift that keeps on giving and would make a great Mastercard commercial!
Roller blades $65
Trip to the Urgent care doctor, follow-up to the Pediatric Orthopedist approx $50 so far.
A beaming smile knowing how COOL it is to have our first fractured bone & purple cast for people to write on! PRICELESS! When her doctor told her she would get a cast her smile WAS SO HUGE! We can even decorate it with glitter so I think that might be a nice weekend craft project!
What happened? The girls were playing on their rollerblades in the driveway to get comfortable with the way the skates work, how they were different from the roller skates they had previously, practicing how to stop and also rolling into the grass as a way of getting use to them. Since our driveway is sloped this makes 'getting used to how they work' more of a challeng then just skating on a flat surface. So, I figured it might be fun to take them to a park on a level surface so they can have a more safe environment to learn. The park we went to has a cement sidewalk around the perimeter and Michaela was doing great! She took a couple laps around the park and then just started skating on the basket ball court. Her feet kind of locked up against one another and she fell backwards, putting all her weight on her left hand/wrist. She wasn't going very fast so she hardly even reacted. She was hurt a little and had a slight grimace of uncomfort but wasn't crying like I would have expected her to if anything was broken? We went home after that & iced it. She seemed to be Ok as long as she didn't twist her wrist suddenly. It was when Abby grabbed her hand (forgetting it was hurt) and Michaela cryed out that we knew for certain she would need to see someone. At the walk in clinic they gave her a temporary cast to immobilize the wrist and prevent further injury and made an appointment for the pediatric orthopedist. Come to find out he is a pretty popular Dr as many of the folks knew of him. For those of you interested in the logistics, she has a buckle fracture on one of her arm bones (sorry not sure which one) and the Growth plate in her wrist is a bit damaged. She will be in her cast till the 1st of July. Not too thrilled about HOW they will be taking it off but due to the fact that her Orthopedist is really sweet I think he may be able to alliviate her worries! She is still able to do Karate which is very neat, but is kind of a bummer when she has to sit out if the technique will not be something she can do. Anywho, this is what is going on that is pretty exciting in our corner of the world! I am working on some other blogs as well so keep your eyes peeled! Love y'all!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A sacred calling; Motherhood!
I read this in a fellow bloggers site adn thought it was well worth passing along; especially if you are in feeling as if what you are doing doesn't matter or isn't producing visable fruit. This may give you that extra encouragement to continue of the worth while journey of mothering!
"Mothers, please don't let the world rob you of the incredible joy of a life invested in your children.
~
They are your mark on the world.
~
They are your legacy, your testimony, and your contribution to mankind.
~
Don't let some other woman steal your influence.
~
Remember, 'The hand that rock the cradle is the hand that rules the world.'
~
That saying didn't just show up one day.
~
That proverb is the result of centuries of observation. A mother's influence is unmatched."-
Voddie Bauchaum, Family Driven Faith
"Mothers, please don't let the world rob you of the incredible joy of a life invested in your children.
~
They are your mark on the world.
~
They are your legacy, your testimony, and your contribution to mankind.
~
Don't let some other woman steal your influence.
~
Remember, 'The hand that rock the cradle is the hand that rules the world.'
~
That saying didn't just show up one day.
~
That proverb is the result of centuries of observation. A mother's influence is unmatched."-
Voddie Bauchaum, Family Driven Faith
Friday, May 29, 2009
To Buy or not to Buy
It is kinda funny when something bad happens how the Lord blesses you in the midst. After the accident, we made an appointment to get the car fixed. Since it wasn’t our fault, her insurance paid for a rental car while they fixed ours. It was quite a struggle to get another mini-van out of the insurance company. They were only going to just let us have a sub-compact car. However, since what was wrecked was a mini-van, John provided some gentle persuasion so they decided to let us have another mini-van. Low and behold, the only one they had on the lot just so happened to be my ‘soccer mom dream vehicle’……. The Honda odyssey. (Just so you know, my non-soccer mom dream vehicle would be a fully restored 1965 mustang!) John drove up in it and my first impression was "Didn’t they have another Ford or Dodge on the lot? AAAAAg! Why did you bring home a van that will stumble me!" He smiled and asked if I wanted to go van shopping? Now, he was kidding, but it was the kind of kidding to see if I would jump at the opportunity in my weakened state of covetousness! :o) He too loved the Honda, but, does not want to have a car payment. I am quite content with my 2002 Ford, eventhough Ford stands for Found On Road Dead, and the maintenance on it has always been costly. Since it is just $500 shy of being REALLY ours, there is no way that I would trade it in for another car payment! This is where a blessing can become a curse. Driving it is quite fun as long as I keep in mind that it is a temporary blessing and not put in my path to covet what I can’t have! :o) Also, it is a nice thing to work for since after we make our last car payment, the money that would ordinarily go to the bank, will now go into a savings fund to purchase a car when we will need to replace our current one!
Our other current economic ‘big decision’ is whether or not we are going to buy a home here in the Cape. Our rental lease is up at the end of July. Every logical bone in my body says we would be fools not to take advantage of the current housing market, tax return money in savings, low interest rates, pre-approved mortgage just waiting for us to make an offer. Keep in mind, that Lee county, which is where we live, is one of the forclosure capitals of the US. In boom time, nothing special, single family homes less than 1500 sq ft, were selling for outrageous prices upwards of $350,000. Since the boom turned bust and many builders went out of business, these same homes are now going for around $80,000. SO, for about $150,000 we could get a very good deal on a 2000sq ft home, with a pool. We never in our wildest dreams could have figured we would be able to purchase a home here in FL, EVEN close to what we had back home. Ever since our lease hit the 6 month mark we began praying about where to buy. We knew it would be somewhere in the Cape but since even this area is pretty big we wanted to make sure we would be in a place where God wanted us. Silly thing is we didn’t even really question IF we should buy…….. After all, if we are to put down roots, doesn’t that include some sort of investment? Dave Ramsey, my financial guru, said that when the market is low and you have the money, IT IS THE TIME TO BUY! We still haven’t gotten an answer as to where, until we began asking IF. Every once in a while I would get subtle hints…… Subtle like God hitting me over the head with a 2X4! We were reading the kids a devotional that spoke of why different parents have different rules & the importance of not being sucked into doing something just because it is popular. While buying a house isn’t an ‘in thing’, it certainly looks like a smart thing right now. They used Jeremiah 35 as an example; here is the portion that stuck out to me:
6 But they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.' 8 We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9 or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us.
Down further in Jeremiah it states that the reason they obeyed their forefathers was NOT because owning land or permanent homes was a sin. With land and a home comes great responsibility, with less mobility. Without those things that tied them down, they were now free to up and move at the Lord’s leading whenever & wherever He wanted them to go.
Also, here was another verse that was mentioned on the radio or something during this time…..
Matthew 6: 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I remember when we built out home in WA. The first year we lived there was consumed by the unfinished projects now set before us....... landscaping, fencing, painting, decorating, ect. I do not regret the experience of building our home, but I do regret how it became a distraction & ‘my treasure on earth’ that consumed so much of my time & energy. I have never liked the idea of renting but have come to some very logical conclusions. The things I greatly appreciate about renting is:
*It is my responsibility to make what we have functional rather than personally mine. Once I don’t have to put my personal touch on something, that also means I spend less money!
*If something breaks due to wear & tear, I do not have to pay for it but the landlord does. If a hurricane comes through, it could take away my earthly posessions and I might have to move ‘tents’, but the loss is not as bad as it could be if I owned the joint.
* When Jesus comes back to get us, which is looking to be very soon, the money I invested in a mortgage versus what I paid in rent, will be neither here nor there as it is only an earthly value with no eternal weight!
So, we continue to wait on the Lord. To see of this is a permanent state of being that He is calling us to (just renting and being available to move again if this is His will) OR if it is just a "lets change your heart so I can bless you" thing. Until then we just put our trust in the fact that God has our back and His timing is perfect and that God is not always interested in logical conclusions or economic situations. He is more interested in how they effect our heart!!!
Ecc 3: 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.
Our other current economic ‘big decision’ is whether or not we are going to buy a home here in the Cape. Our rental lease is up at the end of July. Every logical bone in my body says we would be fools not to take advantage of the current housing market, tax return money in savings, low interest rates, pre-approved mortgage just waiting for us to make an offer. Keep in mind, that Lee county, which is where we live, is one of the forclosure capitals of the US. In boom time, nothing special, single family homes less than 1500 sq ft, were selling for outrageous prices upwards of $350,000. Since the boom turned bust and many builders went out of business, these same homes are now going for around $80,000. SO, for about $150,000 we could get a very good deal on a 2000sq ft home, with a pool. We never in our wildest dreams could have figured we would be able to purchase a home here in FL, EVEN close to what we had back home. Ever since our lease hit the 6 month mark we began praying about where to buy. We knew it would be somewhere in the Cape but since even this area is pretty big we wanted to make sure we would be in a place where God wanted us. Silly thing is we didn’t even really question IF we should buy…….. After all, if we are to put down roots, doesn’t that include some sort of investment? Dave Ramsey, my financial guru, said that when the market is low and you have the money, IT IS THE TIME TO BUY! We still haven’t gotten an answer as to where, until we began asking IF. Every once in a while I would get subtle hints…… Subtle like God hitting me over the head with a 2X4! We were reading the kids a devotional that spoke of why different parents have different rules & the importance of not being sucked into doing something just because it is popular. While buying a house isn’t an ‘in thing’, it certainly looks like a smart thing right now. They used Jeremiah 35 as an example; here is the portion that stuck out to me:
6 But they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.' 8 We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9 or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us.
Down further in Jeremiah it states that the reason they obeyed their forefathers was NOT because owning land or permanent homes was a sin. With land and a home comes great responsibility, with less mobility. Without those things that tied them down, they were now free to up and move at the Lord’s leading whenever & wherever He wanted them to go.
Also, here was another verse that was mentioned on the radio or something during this time…..
Matthew 6: 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I remember when we built out home in WA. The first year we lived there was consumed by the unfinished projects now set before us....... landscaping, fencing, painting, decorating, ect. I do not regret the experience of building our home, but I do regret how it became a distraction & ‘my treasure on earth’ that consumed so much of my time & energy. I have never liked the idea of renting but have come to some very logical conclusions. The things I greatly appreciate about renting is:
*It is my responsibility to make what we have functional rather than personally mine. Once I don’t have to put my personal touch on something, that also means I spend less money!
*If something breaks due to wear & tear, I do not have to pay for it but the landlord does. If a hurricane comes through, it could take away my earthly posessions and I might have to move ‘tents’, but the loss is not as bad as it could be if I owned the joint.
* When Jesus comes back to get us, which is looking to be very soon, the money I invested in a mortgage versus what I paid in rent, will be neither here nor there as it is only an earthly value with no eternal weight!
So, we continue to wait on the Lord. To see of this is a permanent state of being that He is calling us to (just renting and being available to move again if this is His will) OR if it is just a "lets change your heart so I can bless you" thing. Until then we just put our trust in the fact that God has our back and His timing is perfect and that God is not always interested in logical conclusions or economic situations. He is more interested in how they effect our heart!!!
Ecc 3: 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Drought & Isolation
I was working on this journal before the accident happened and finished it afterward, so here goes. I was looking up verses on drought………. After my parents left, it was hard to let go! There was so much joy that came with their arrival, the fun times, the familiarity...... It was such an awesome blessing that filled a slight void that existed here for us. The whole family....... John, I & the kids had felt much like a drought, had entered in, as our only lifelines to what we knew were gone. The fellowship that we had was awesome, encouraging, exhortative, and uplifting. It brought back many memories of what we had left behind back in our home town, all the while creating great anticipation for our visit back there in August. There were many tears shed as we said our goodbyes, mostly by the adults! I was so glad that I did a word search on drought though as it made me remember where my nourishment comes from. Not from human contact, fellowship with family or people that we love, but from our creator who loves us more that we could ever fathom.
One of the chapters I was looking in was Jeremiah and here are some of the scriptures that stuck out.
Jeremiah 2 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: " 'I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. 3 Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them,' " declares the LORD. 4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel. 5 This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. 6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?' 7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. 8 The priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD ?' Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.
Oh how easily our eyes stray to the "grass is greener on the other side". How easily we turn our eyes to mumbling and complaining much like the Isrealites when this, in and of itself, is a form of idolatry. No one likes to think of it as such, but it was the main reason why God allowed the Isrealites to wander in the desert for SO LONG! Anything that has the ability to rob us of our JOY by focusing our eyes on ourselves, rather than on the Lord takes on the form of an idol. How easily we forget what he has saved us from, the valley’s God has brought us through and how HE remains faithful, even when we are faithless.
Jeremiah 17: 5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Plainly spoken, ‘suffering’ from a spiritual drought due to a physical circumstance, is a choice……… Fixing our eyes on what we have lost, rather than being greatful for the awesome time we had together, is a choice.……. It can also be an idol that will most certainly stumble our walks with the Lord. It makes me wonder if we miss out on many of the Lord’s blessings due to an attitude/eye focusing problem. God is a God of mercy & grace, however, when we are busy throwing a fit, for whatever reason, we have the ability to miss out on our own promise land that God has set in His sites for our future. It is no surprise to the Lord, when we fall into this trap of self loathing and self pity. Unfortunately, for a God who so wants to bless our socks off, He can’t bless our disobedience, mumering & complaining. As we look back at the Isrealites and how they wandered for so long in the wilderness, what a bummer it is to ponder......... If we, by our actions, tie up his blessings of grace and mercy because of our sinful thoughs, how much we miss out on! He HAS the Promise land in store for each and every one of us if we are able to keep our eyes fixed on Him and His precepts!
The funny thing about me looking up scriptures on drought....... It has rained everyday consistently since I began this journal. Not all day every day but there has been a spell of POURING rain daily! God has a sense of humor doesn't He?
One of the chapters I was looking in was Jeremiah and here are some of the scriptures that stuck out.
Jeremiah 2 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: " 'I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. 3 Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them,' " declares the LORD. 4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel. 5 This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. 6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?' 7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. 8 The priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD ?' Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.
Oh how easily our eyes stray to the "grass is greener on the other side". How easily we turn our eyes to mumbling and complaining much like the Isrealites when this, in and of itself, is a form of idolatry. No one likes to think of it as such, but it was the main reason why God allowed the Isrealites to wander in the desert for SO LONG! Anything that has the ability to rob us of our JOY by focusing our eyes on ourselves, rather than on the Lord takes on the form of an idol. How easily we forget what he has saved us from, the valley’s God has brought us through and how HE remains faithful, even when we are faithless.
Jeremiah 17: 5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Plainly spoken, ‘suffering’ from a spiritual drought due to a physical circumstance, is a choice……… Fixing our eyes on what we have lost, rather than being greatful for the awesome time we had together, is a choice.……. It can also be an idol that will most certainly stumble our walks with the Lord. It makes me wonder if we miss out on many of the Lord’s blessings due to an attitude/eye focusing problem. God is a God of mercy & grace, however, when we are busy throwing a fit, for whatever reason, we have the ability to miss out on our own promise land that God has set in His sites for our future. It is no surprise to the Lord, when we fall into this trap of self loathing and self pity. Unfortunately, for a God who so wants to bless our socks off, He can’t bless our disobedience, mumering & complaining. As we look back at the Isrealites and how they wandered for so long in the wilderness, what a bummer it is to ponder......... If we, by our actions, tie up his blessings of grace and mercy because of our sinful thoughs, how much we miss out on! He HAS the Promise land in store for each and every one of us if we are able to keep our eyes fixed on Him and His precepts!
The funny thing about me looking up scriptures on drought....... It has rained everyday consistently since I began this journal. Not all day every day but there has been a spell of POURING rain daily! God has a sense of humor doesn't He?
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