To see Him as He truly is

{from the Seek and Find Bible}


The Passover of the Jews was at hand,

and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

In the temple he found those who were

selling oxen and sheep and pigeons,

and the money-changers sitting there,

And making a whip of cords, 

he drove them all out of the temple, 

with the sheep and the oxen.

And he poured out the coins of the money-changers

and overturned their tables.

And he told those who sold the pigeons,

"Take these things away; 
do not make my Father's house a house of trade."

His disciples remembered that it was written,

"Zeal for your house will consume me."

   Recently I was sitting on the couch crocheting.  My son, Javier, sat at the opposite end of the couch flipping through the pages of our Bible with pictures.  

  I wasn't really paying attention to what he was doing until suddenly he was struck by what he saw in this picture.  With alarm and concern in his voice, he broke the "news" to me.  

"Momma, Jesus sinned!"

This picture had given my son a sudden realization as he gazed upon Christ holding up a whip of cords.  

"Jesus was angry.  He sinned!"

   I proceeded to talk this over with my son.  I have to admit, there are some aspects of this account that I have often wanted to understand better.  

   Has this account ever left you feeling a bit uneasy?

   I remember shortly after I came to Christ, my husband and I were trying to share our new found faith with someone.  This person was convinced that Jesus was sinning when he drove the money-changers out of the temple.  I was a little shook up.  But with my wee bit of faith and knowledge, I knew that the Bible taught and even explicitly said that Jesus had no sin.  

"...He appeared to take away sins, 

and in him is no sin."  

1 John 3:5

   In fact, it occurred to me that if Jesus did sin that my entire faith would crumble. 

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned--every one--to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:4-6

   Is he not the spotless "Lamb of God" that takes away the sin of the world?

   Is he not God in human flesh?

   Is he not the atonement for our sins?

   How, then, could he have sin of his own?

For our sake he made him (Jesus Christ)

to be sin who knew no sin,

so that in him we might become 

the righteousness of God.

1 Corinthians 5:21

  I'm glad that my son did not keep his concerns to himself.  Talking about it has been good and has motivated me to study this passage more in depth.

   The more I study it and think about it, the more I realize there is so much more to this account than what I first realized.  The main thing I am focusing on here is the misconception people have of our Lord.  Even my six year old son, who is being taught not to give in to anger and lose his temper does not know what to make of Jesus here.  As his parents, I think we have tried to give him a clear understanding of the character of God...but have we overly focused on his love and gentleness to the exclusion of understanding his passion for nothing less than our reverence for his holiness?

"Be angry and do not sin"

Ephesians 4: 26

   More often than not, when we get angry we have an improper control or an improper focus.  Jesus was angry with what he saw going on in the temple, and rightly so.  And he did something about it.  I'm glad my Lord does not turn a blind eye to sin and have a laid back attitude toward it.  As someone who has experienced Jesus coming in to my heart and life and clearing out those things that do not belong, I can say that I am truly thankful for his zeal.  It brings about restoration, healing, and a rights our wrongs.  It brings us to the point of giving God the worship he alone is worthy of.

   Jesus can become an idol of our own making if we do not see him as he truly is.  Does he not have all authority in heaven and on earth to remove all hindrances to genuine worship in the temple?  Do we not recognize his authority in our own lives to remove those things which are a barrier to wholehearted communion with God?
 

Getting back to "normal"

   Days have almost seemed too long.  It's strange to feel like there is such an abundance of time, when I usually feel like there is not enough.  I have enjoyed this break, this slowing down of life.  Isabel has been very helpful in waking me up right around 4 or 5am.  And since I have typically gone to bed earlier than everyone else, I find this is a great time to just stay up, brew a cup of coffee, and have some time with God.  Isabel is very predictable right now, she eats every three hours and usually sleeps most of the time in between.

   Today my husband returns to work and I find that I am doing more and more each day.  We are taking gradual baby steps as we get back to business as usual.  I confess, I will miss these days.  Having the freedom to sit with my children and not feel the pressure of time and what needs to be done has been a blessing.  I have enjoyed the relaxation of sitting and reading and writing. I have also relished those tired moments on the couch when crocheting was the perfect activity for a sore body that is trying really hard not to do too much, too soon.

   I will miss my husband being here in the evenings and the sounds of laughter coming down the hall as he helps the boys get bathed and ready for bed.  This extra time together has been sweet.

   And so our Christmas break is coming to an end.  The children are playing outside, Amera is officially practicing piano again and I am thinking it's about time to pull out those lesson plans and get ready to begin homeschooling next week.  Here we go!
   

unraveled.

   I remember my first year as a Christian.  By virtue of surrendering myself to the Lordship of Christ I began to scrutinize all of my practices and my traditions.  

   I questioned everything.  I sought the Bible for answers.  I wanted to know what things were good in God's view and what things were lacking in value and worth.

   Much of my questioning was centered around my child.  What am I teaching her?  What things will she look back and remember?  Am I giving her a godly heritage?  Am I leading by example and showing her that it is more important to love God with all of one's heart and to obey him than it is to hold on to sentimental traditions?

   With that said, I think all parents should ask these questions.  The tough part is that different people come to different conclusions.  Sometimes we look around to others for answers and we hardly know what to conclude.

   In those early days of my Christian faith, I questioned things.  Many things.  My husband and I had to make some decisions about what we were going to teach our kids.  We were, in some ways, starting from scratch.  

   God has a lot to say about how we live our lives.  We wanted (and still want) every distracting "voice" to be silenced so that we could just hear God and live according to his word.

   Many changes were made all those years ago.  And yet, here I find myself in 2011 (almost 2012) still wanting change.  Still wanting more of Christ in my life.  Less and less of all the other things that vie for my attention and more and more of him.  

   In some ways, when it comes to family traditions, I feel like some of the scarves I made when I first began to crochet.  I thought I was making something good and I completed the project, but the more I study it the more I see it's flaws.  I have a choice to make.  Live with the flaws (though they bug me!) or unravel it completely and start over.  This time, doing it right and not missing a stitch.  His word sets the pattern.  It is a "lamp to our feet" so that we can find our way and have wisdom.

   People, even within Christianity, will have different opinions about things.  When it comes to Christmas for example.  I have things that I am convinced of and so do others.  We have a Christmas tree in our home, there are some who have chosen not to do this because of it's origins. 

    After my husband and I became Christians, we had so much to learn about Christ, that Santa Claus only seemed to be a distraction.  I still feel that way.  Part of me still kind of likes that old "Rudolph" movie with the puppet animation, but I decided I just don't want to bring that distraction into our home.  It's a choice we have made.  I'm not proud or thinking I'm more spiritual than you are if you watch that at Christmas.  I cannot make these decisions for your family, only for mine.  

   But I think one thing we are all trying achieve is "balance".  We don't want to lean too far one way or the other.  Or maybe we do and we call it "radical".  Should we just not give gifts at all, and only give to the poor?  Must the two be mutually exclusive?  Gift giving has been a subject for deep consideration.  As parents, we are very concerned that our children may grow up to be greedy, selfish and materialistic if we give them too much.  I admit, I have sometimes questioned if I should give gifts at all.  The more I think about it now, I am convinced that I don't give enough.  And I don't just mean to my kids, I mean to the people I love, friends and family.

   Gift giving is certainly and area where we should evaluate what we are doing.  Is it possible to overdo it, or to be too stingy?  We should exercise wisdom, we should teach our children how to receive gifts with gratitude and how to give selflessly.  As a mom, I have much to learn about this myself.  Sometimes parents and kids learn together, don't they?

   I do not profess to have all of the answers.  Nor do I think that my ways are superior to yours.  But I do think that we should seriously consider what we are doing year after year and how our choices influence not only our own families, but the families of those near and dear to us.  Let us not look down our noses at each other, but instead seek to know and understand, to help and to guide and to point others to Christ by making truth known and even sharing things we've learned along the way.  

   This Christmas, before we opened our gifts, my husband reminded us to think of God's extravagant gift to us, when he gave us His Son.  I thought, you know, he's right.  God is an awesome gift giver.  Are we not following his example when we give so freely?

The reason for living

{Isabel, 9 days old}

   This Christmas has been different for me.  Is it any wonder?

   During this season, I have had to lean hard on what truly matters most, because many of the typical distractions are gone.  

   Recovering from surgery and with family members being ill, have meant cereal for breakfast instead of some wonderful, memorable baking I'd love to be doing.  I have had to be content with the ordinary.  Although, I have to say Christmas dinner was deliciously out of the ordinary.  My husband gave it all he had in the kitchen and baked a turkey and some candied yams to go with it (and a few other things too).  We enjoyed God's blessing through these "gifts" from our church family.

   I admit my expectations were a little dashed this Christmas season.  I didn't expect to come home from the hospital to family illness, where my "main helpers" needed as much rest as I did.  This was not the plan I had envisioned.  But we have pulled together and thankfully my recovery has been fairly swift.  I decided yesterday that I didn't even need Motrin any more.  And of all things, I was very happy (not to mention ABLE!) to sit, rather comfortably I might add, on the floor with my kiddos.  We played an "I SPY" memory game and had a blast!

   So there weren't many gifts under the tree, but we were thankful for what we had and we held the precious gift of baby Isabel in our arms.  Her tiny miraculous frame has held us in awe.  Her movements, so slow and gentle.  Her eyes gazing back into ours for so much longer now on Christmas day, have held us completely captivated.  And of course we cannot help but to think of God's amazing promise of the ages fulfilled in the baby Jesus Christ.  

{from the Seek and Find Bible}

   With our family seated around our dining room table, my husband reads the account of in Luke chapter 2.  How Simeon took up the baby Jesus in his arms and blessed God.  My husband began to weep as he read Simeon's words...

"Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation 

that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel."

   Simeon had waited all his life to see God's promise of a Savior fulfilled.  The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  Now he had seen him, the promise of God in the form of a tiny helpless baby.  Only God could have done it.  Such a perfect plan for our redemption.  Carried out by our sovereign God.  No one could stop it, hard as they try.  

   And this is what we celebrate at Christmas.  God born in human flesh to save those who would receive this gift of gifts.  For if you do not receive a gift you are given, it is not really yours.  It is possible to reject a gift.  We all know what it's like to get a gift for Christmas that we really didn't want.  It's meaningless to us and we reject it.  Sure, we act like we are receiving it or like we want it in front of other people, but deep in our hearts we hate it. We either donate it to Goodwill or stick it in the back of the closet for a time.  We prefer to just forget about the thing.  

What are you doing with the gift of Jesus Christ?

   Jesus is not just the "reason for the season".  He is the reason for living.

 He is the reason we have life at all.  Eternal life with God and a close, vibrant relationship with him as you live on this earth is a free gift that is offered to you.  

  Jesus lived every day of his life on this earth in perfect obedience and submission to God, because we could not.  

  He suffered the consequences of our sin so that we wouldn't have to.

Do you believe?  Will you receive the gift that God is offering to you?

...........................................................................................................

   He truly is the gift that keeps on giving.  When all else fails me, he never will.  His love never fades and I can always find absolute and perfect joy in him.  No matter what things I have or don't have.  And really, this is question we should ask ourselves every day, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year.  

Is my joy ultimately found in Jesus Christ?  Or the things of this world?

"Bible Time!"

   We make so many decisions about how to spend our time.  There are factors we consider.  There are feelings and convictions that influence our choices.  When a family is homeward bound and taking the necessary time to just get well, I am often left feeling like our eyes have spent way too much time gazing at a television screen.  It's easy, it's convenient, it keeps everyone in one place and it keeps grouchy kids quiet.  But I can only take so much.  I begin to feel drained.  I begin to feel an intense need to drink from the well of God's word, and to bring my children to the well with me.

   It's not always easy.  To sit quietly and still during the reading of God's word is somehow harder for children than it is to sit quietly in front of the television.  My two year old has posed quite the challenge lately, and honestly sometimes I am just not up for it.  I often have to stop and speak to him directly.  He's a challenge when he sits with his siblings because he thinks that when mommy is reading it's a wonderful time for him to talk too.  If I sit him next to me, he distracts his siblings even more, because it doesn't take much to make them giggle.  These are the challenges, but I am resolved he will learn!  All the others did and he will too.  And it's good for him to learn to sit still and listen.

   The other day I announced "Bible Time!" and everyone gathered in the living room.  My husband had to be at work for a few hours, so it was just the kids and I.  We both have an active role in teaching the kids, when he is here I defer to him.  But there are so many opportunities for me to teach them as well and I think mother's often have a lot more time with their kids than their husband's do.  We should make the most of these opportunities!

   This was the first time I opened the Bible with my kids since before I went into the hospital.  I confess, when the thought first came to me to gather everyone together, the lazier part of me felt like I had a pretty good excuse not to, I mean I just had surgery!  Things are supposed to be abnormal.  Right?!  I was basically giving myself the excuse to be lazy.  Thankfully, I decided otherwise because I wouldn't trade the time we had  reading and talking about Simeon, Anna and the baby Jesus for the world.  My heart was so blessed.

   I've mentioned before that I love the pictures in this "Seek and Find" Bible.  We begin by passing it around and we study the picture.  I identify important people or things in the picture or ask them if they can identify them.  Then I read the story to them.  I do this with as much enthusiasm as I can muster.  I look at them as much as I can.  I ask them questions.   My children really enjoy when I ask them questions, when I pause during the story to see if they know the person or the place or whatever it may be.

   Not all teaching is as "structured".   Opportunities to teach often present themselves when our Bibles are not open.  But "input equals output", and we will often refer back to what we learned in "Bible Time" throughout the day.

   I want to encourage you to make "Bible Time" a regular part of your routine.  Even as I strive to do the same.  Don't expect it to come easily.  Don't expect it to be easy.  Especially not at first. Your children will not always be enthusiastic about it.  Don't let that discourage you.  You will probably have to deal with some attitude issues and some discipline issues.  At times you might feel like you'd rather not deal with these things.  Don't give up, keep teaching them.  Have this time with them as much as you can so that it is not a foreign thing to them.  Make it a regular thing that they expect and teach them what is expected of them.  They will begin to understand that this time in God's word is very important to you and it should be important to them too.

   And you know what?  Discipline and correction aside, it really is a tremendous blessing to teach my children, especially to teach them about God.  While I often have to keep silliness at bay, we have joy, we have animated interaction.  I enjoy explaining things to them and thinking up things that can illustrate points or help them to understand.  It is not drudgery...once you get started.  My point is, I know how hard it can be to just get started.  I understand the opposition parents face.

   

   People sometimes ask how I get my children to sit still and behave in church.  First, let me start by stating what should be obvious, my children are not perfect.  I have to correct them constantly.  They are not "angels".  Please understand they have sin in their hearts just like everybody else.  We deal with these issues all the time.  The thing is, we don't wait until we are at church to deal with them.  I am sure we have our "blind spots", but as issues become plain to us we do our best, by God's grace  to deal with them.  Sometimes these issues rear their ugly heads when I least expect them to, but I have definitely noticed that the more we work on things at home, the less they appear in public. 

   My point is, it starts at home.  Don't try to have church be the only place you expect your children to sit still and behave.  Teach them at home.  It takes effort on your part too.  Make the effort.  Set aside the time to teach them.  Have a little "church" at home as often as you can.  Time to sit still, time to listen.  They will learn if you are willing to go through what it takes to teach them.  Believe me, it is definitely worth it!

   

   

   

When a family comes together

   Before I went into the hospital for Isabel's birth, and now that I am home, it seems that our family has been taking turns being ill.  We have all been in "survival mode", just doing what we have to do to make sure every one's needs are being met and doing our best to keep the laundry and everyday messes under control.  

   When something needs to be done, the question that runs through my mind is "Who is the most able-bodied person at the present moment?"  It often varies as we are all recovering in different ways.  But somehow there always seems to be at least one person to meet whatever need there is.

   Aside from meeting needs and making sure we don't get buried under toys and laundry, we are finding much time to just relax, time to sit and talk, time to read, and definitely time to crochet.  I've been finishing up a couple projects and Amera has been working on some fun things that I will post about soon.

   One thing that is a little challenging to get back in to though, is gathering around God's Word.  When you're whole world seems to be flipped upside down and your schedule is completely out of whack, people tend to go from one activity to another and the family is often spread about the house, each doing one thing or another.  

   A couple of days after I came home from the hospital, I was longing for our family to come together and get our thoughts and hearts focused on God.  I proposed a time of singing.  We all gathered in the living room and I asked Amera to open the hymnal and lead us.  We sang Christmas hymns.  Some of us know all the words, some of us only know the chorus.  Some of us sing on key, some don't.  It's not like we have a perfect little choir going on here, but it was still a sweet time together.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

May my meditation be pleasing to him, 

for I rejoice in the LORD.

Psalm 104:33-34

   My heart was refreshed and encouraged.  How could it not be?  Singing wonderful truths about my Lord and Savior.  I am transported high above all illness and pain, all stress and mess, and my thoughts are toward Him.  Times like this strengthen me, I sense our family is fortified.  It sets a tone of thankfulness and praise.

My lips shout for joy,

when I sing praises to you;

my soul also, which you have redeemed. 

Psalm 71:23

   Silent night is one of those songs that is so familiar to us.  It seems that most people know it and many people who would never give a second thought to Jesus are found singing along during the Christmas season. I was one of those people.  I have known this song since the days of my youth and I remember singing it.  But  I never knew what I was singing.  I always thought of it as just another Christmas song right along with Jingle Bells.  It had absolutely no meaning for me.  Until I came to know Jesus.  He is my Lord, He is my Savior and these words are very dear to my heart.  I love the third verse...

Silent night, holy night

Son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus, Lord at thy birth

Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

   Singing together as a family is something that I definitely want to do more.  Why should life get so hectic that doing such meaningful things end up being so sporadic?  Sometimes you just have to put everything else on hold and make it happen.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,

teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, 

singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 

with thankfulness in your 

hearts to God.  Colossians 3:16

   

Holding Isabel in our arms

   Everything went very well with my C-section.  I was thankful for an anesthesiologist who took the time to sit with me and explain everything that was going to happen to me.  It prepared me and took the questions out of my mind.  I was awake during the whole procedure and things went very smoothly.  

   I remember Isabel crying as soon as she came out, and this is the cry that all mother's and father's love to hear.  I lay there smiling, unable to see anything beyond the curtain, but knowing that she was alive and well.  

   Soon, my husband was holding her next to me, and I was able to see my sweet little one for the first time.  I would hold her...as soon as I could.

 

 Sweet little Isabel.  She's beautiful and we delight in her.  Her sweet baby scent, the funny faces she sometimes makes.  Even just watching her sleep.  Amera, Joelle, and Brienne often ask to hold her.  Jav has a hard time letting her go.  Manny has been "adjusting" from day one, and Javi and Clara are just along for the ride, carrying on as normal and giggling when Isabel does something amusing.

   The best way to describe Manny is simply "emotional".  He has not been jealous or mean spirited, just emotional.  When the family came to visit me in the hospital, he did not want me to hold him.  He was affectionate toward Isabel, but he was easily upset.  It was like he was literally going through "growing pains." I have had a two year old with almost every new baby (except the first two) and we always go through this  "transition period." They don't know if they want to hug me or not.  Maybe I'm a bit intimidating in my hospital gown or something?  I could definitely see that Manny was having a hard time processing everything.  Finally, toward the end of the visit he sat next to me on my bed and I did my best to assure him that he's still my sweet little man and I love him.  But all relationships must grow and change.  He's two and certainly no longer the "baby" of the family.

   Isabel sleeps very well.  During the day.  But at night, somewhere between 10pm and 1am, she suddenly has a hard time sleeping.  What is it about those nighttime hours that makes it so hard for babies to sleep?  Funny, how during the day we make all the noise we normally do and she sleeps right through it, but last night I tried so hard to get her to stay content in her crib, that I found myself tip-toeing out of her room.  It seemed that just as soon as I drifted off to sleep, her cries would yank me back. She wanted her pacifier, but we just couldn't get it to stay in her mouth where it belonged!  I even made a little prop with a rolled up receiving blanket in an attempt to hold it in, but we still had trouble.  Attempt after attempt resulted in me thinking that her bouncer would make a very nice bed for the rest of the night.  Isabel didn't agree with me.  

   The most comfortable bed for little Isabel was to be mommy's arms.  We snuggled up in the big blue recliner in the girl's room and fell asleep together.  It wasn't how I had intended to spend the night.  But it sure was sweet.  Tonight she's in her crib again...so far, so good.

We are in his hands

   This morning I went into my daughter's room to wake her up.  Before I left the room that all of my girls sleep in, I lingered for a little while at baby Isabel's crib.  I looked into it, imagining her there, her tiny little frame and beautiful face all snuggled up in a blanket.  I ran my hands along the softness of the blanket and thought of how each and every one of my children have slept in this crib.  For some reason that thought left me feeling awestruck.  I think it's because I am so amazed by such tremendous blessings, yet I am also reminded to take nothing for granted.  Not life, not health, not even ten little toes and ten little fingers.  

   This morning I decided to read Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2 as well as Psalm 139.  I was also inspired by a Facebook post to think about my trust in God.  When my husband woke up, we spoke about these things at the breakfast table.  What does it mean to trust God?  What happens when we don't?  When we don't trust God we trust in something or someone else, and often we trust in our own wisdom.  It's so good to talk about these things and think them through. 

   Our trust in God really stems from our knowing him and his character.  He is the most trustworthy One we will ever know.  You can do a word search in the Bible and find many verses that have the word trust.  But think of passages like 1 Samuel 2 that point us to God's sovereignty, the fact that he rules over all the earth and he is in control of every circumstance.  Does this not encourage us to trust in a God who is all-powerful and able to accomplish his will in our lives?

And Hannah prayed and said, 

"My heart exults in the LORD;

my strength is exalted in the LORD.

My mouth derides my enemies, 

because I rejoice in your salvation.

There is none holy like the LORD;

there is none besides you;

there is no rock like our God.

Talk no more so very proudly,

let not arrogance come from your mouth;

for the LORD is a God of knowledge,

and by him actions are weighed.

  She goes on in her prayer, probably reminding herself (and us) of who God is and what he is able to do.  If I trust him, I recognize that everything is in his very capable hands.  I am in his hands, nervous as I feel, when I go in to the hospital tomorrow for my C-section.  Isabel is in his hands, as she is brought from my womb and into this world.  She is dependent on him for every heart beat and every breath she takes.  He is the giver of life and all souls are his.  I want trust him with all my heart.

    Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:16

   

for the love of a waffle...

   This is the "waffle stitch" blanket I started for Isabel.  It's bigger than the other one I made and will probably fit on a toddler bed.  I tote it around with me whenever I know I'll have time to work on it, like when I'm waiting in the doctor's office every week. 

    I wanted to start a project that I could bring with me to the hospital for my C-section.  It will be wonderful to keep my hands busy when I'm recovering in a hospital bed.  I have found a yarn that I really like.  "I love this cotton!" from Hobby Lobby.  It's a little more expensive than other kinds, but it's worth it, especially if you want a really soft blanket.  I like how the blanket feels when you scrunch it up, it's very ...pliable ( I think that's the word I'm looking for).  In other words it's squishy and soft, rather than stiff.  I would have loved to use a charcoal gray color, but since they don't have it, I decided on chocolate brown and this cream color with little peach and blue speckles.  I really like this waffle stitch and I can't believe how easy it is!  The only thing I count is the first chain, but after that I just follow the pattern.  At first, I wasn't sure about it, but I decided that I like the way the transition between the colors looks too!  

Speaking of waffles...

   We are the proud owners of a waffle iron!  I'm so thankful for a very thoughtful friend (she blogs at "une bonne vie") who gave this to us as an early Christmas gift.  We were finally able to use it for a family brunch yesterday.  They were delicious!  I'm so glad that Javier woke up in the mood to make them.  I was busy homeschooling at the table.  One thing we learned, we don't need a triple batch like we do with pancakes.  These things were quite filling.  I could only eat two of them!  

   ................................................................................

   Jav and I decided to go out for Chinese on our date.  Chinese food is a special treat for me, I think because it's not something I attempt to make at home.  We had a good chuckle with the lady who seated us.  The first thing she said was "Are you having a girl?"  When I said "Yes", she was quite proud of herself that she had guessed it just by looking at my tummy.  So anyway, we sat down and then she was all smiling and saying that we should enjoy this time while we can because we'll soon be parents and "believe me, I know, I have three!"  We were quite amused that she thought we were first time parents!  You should have seen the shock on her face when we told her that this baby would be our seventh.  We all had a good laugh!

A small closet and a thankful heart

{unthankful heart >> grumbling and complaining >> covetousness >> idolatry}

   I was just going about my normal daily routine.  The laundry that covered my bed was gradually diminishing as I put clothes away and hung them in the closet.  When we moved into this house, we gave the master bedroom to our girls.  It's bigger and has a larger closet to hold the clothing of four (soon to be five) precious girls. 

   So there I was in my small, just enough space to walk, be careful not to bump your leg on the foot board room...putting our clothes away.

   Little did I know, temptation was coming.  As far as I can remember I felt fine and I was thinking happy thoughts...until I went to hang one of my husband's shirts.  Our closet is about the size of an average doorway.  My husband and I both hang our clothes in it.  When I iron clothes, I never place them back in the closet, that would make my ironing an exercise in futility because they would be squished and get wrinkled again.  So my tactic is to hang them on the closet door.  I have to find solutions like this one to make things work as best I can.  Well, one thing I cannot do is change the size of my closet.

   So back to when I went to hang a shirt.  I had to reach up and use all my strength to move a bunch of clothing in order to achieve an inch of space to hang the shirt.  As I did this a couple of empty hangers came popping off the rod and fell somewhere behind my hamper and some other stuff I have stored in there.  At this point, I felt frustrated.  I began to complain in my heart.  "Ugh, this little closet is such a pain!", and of course this leads to dreaming (coveting) of a large walk-in closet where I wouldn't have this current problem.  I was going down the wrong road quick.  And so, as I stood there looking into my little closet, I decided to stop and thank God instead.  It was a choice, a decision made.  The decision to get off of that path as quickly as possible and find the right one to tread.  

   I stood there and I sang a little song of praise to him.  I made it up.  Something like "Thank you Lord for all you've given to me."  It was very simple, I don't remember all of the words, but I was desperate to get my focus right and with my heart praising God and thanking him, grumbling and complaining were just about impossible.  

   I would not be like the God's people in the Old Testament who grumbled when they didn't have the food they wanted or when no water could be found.  I would not be the wife and mother who complained that her closet is too small.  No, that would NOT be me.  Instead, I would trust in the giver of every good and perfect gift.  That what I have is what he has given.  No more, no less.  And I would thank him for it.

For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers 

were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

and all ate the same spiritual food, 

and all drank the same spiritual drink.

For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them,

and the Rock was Christ.

Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased,

for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  

Now these things took place as examples for us, that we

might not desire evil as they did....

(We must not...) grumble, as some of them did and were 

destroyed by the Destroyer.

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they 

were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of

the ages has come.

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.  

No temptation has overtaken you that is not

common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you 

be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation

he will also provide the way of escape, 

that you may be able to endure it.  

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-14

     What idolatry might you have to flee today?  "Take heed", the temptation can come in the smallest of packages.  Praise our faithful God who always provides the way of escape and the grace to thank him and focus on his goodness instead.

   

Home is the place to start

   Did you know that the words instrumentality, agent, and means are synonyms for the word ministry?  Ministry is really all about what God is doing in and through each of our lives, in the context of our current situation.  "Ministry" will not begin to happen once I become a pastor's wife.  It began the day I yielded to the lordship of Christ.  I became an instrument for his use.  A means through which he would love others and make the truths of his word fully known.  Each of us has a unique ministry.

   For some of us, this does not always happen in a church ministry function.  In fact, if we're not careful, church functions can actually hinder the ministry we have to our families.  I know that many women, like myself, are concerned about that.  I think sometimes we just long to be "doing" something.  To be a part of a ministry.  We want to feel like we're doing something important and useful.  Is it possible for us to have the wrong motivation sometimes?  

   God certainly opens doors and closes them.  As we are prayerful over opportunities that present themselves, he leads and guides.  If I said yes to every opportunity that has been presented, I would have no time to be a wife and mother!  There are times we will have to decline opportunities.  This is not always easy to do, and sadly sometimes we do it too easily, without prayerful consideration.

   With all that said, the questions that my daughter and I began considering yesterday were  "Are we considering ministry as being involved in a church function?  Are we seeing it mainly as doing something for God outside and away from the home?"  While these are both ways in which God uses his people to minister to others, my concern is our tendency to see these as the more important ways to minister to others and it can cause us to overlook the enormous responsibility we have to minister to those that are within our sphere of influence day in day out.  

   Have you considered how you can minister more to your family?  Paul said in Colossians 1:28-29

Him we proclaim (Christ), warning everyone

and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may 

present everyone mature in Christ.

For this I toil,

struggling with all his energy that he 

powerfully works within me.

   Is this our burden as mothers and fathers of our children?  Is this the burden of an older sister whom God wants to use each and every day, not just outside the walls of our home, but most certainly within them?  How can we serve God more effectively in our homes?  It starts there.  I understand it doesn't end there, but it has to start there.  

   We shouldn't seek to be involved in a ministry outside our homes because we want recognition or to be in the spotlight.  Serving Christ within your home will not be something everyone notices.  But God does, and it is him that we should aim to please, not other people.

   Another consideration is how we minister within the walls of our church.  Do we overlook the people that God places in our path week after week?  Sometimes we can just be so excited about giving the gospel to those who haven't heard or loving others to the Lord that we neglect to live out the gospel with fellow believers.  How are we doing at loving one another?  How can we talk about loving and ministering to people in some far away city or foreign land when we don't even have the heart to reach out to those all around us?  All people are needy in some way and all Christians are called to minister...right where God has placed us in the here and now...

...For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you

and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 

that their hearts may be encouraged, 

being knit together in love,

to reach all the riches of 

full assurance of understanding and the knowledge

of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden

all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge...

Colossians 2:1-3

   Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that ministry outside our homes and beyond is something we shouldn't be involved in.  I'm just challenging our tendency to view this as more important or more significant than ministering Christ to our families.  When we pray about how God would have us serve and what he would have us do, the home is definitely the place to start.

   Today has been a day full of pointing my children to Christ, teaching them to love with their words and their actions.  I feel mentally exhausted.  I have struggled and toiled for them, I yearn to see Christ formed in them. I want them to see how God's wisdom applies to their relationships.  I have made his word known to them, I have told them that God's grace and strength are available to them.  That God expects obedience.  That Jesus said "By this will people know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  How we are treating each other matters a great deal to God.  Every moment of every day.

   I prayed with my children, asking God to help us, give us strength to do his will, to honor him., and to truly love as he has told us we must.  This was my ministry today.  Just here, at home...teaching my children God's ways.  There will be opportunities to minister outside these walls...but I have no doubt that what has taken place here today was ministry, and it's God given, and by his grace I'm going to give it all I've got.

..........................................................................................................

   Today actually worked out to be a better day than yesterday to make our gingerbread houses.  It was an interesting "first" experience with it.  I decided that I would construct them and the children would decorate them.  One fell apart once.  The other threatened to cave in but I caught it just in time.  We made a mess with all the icing.  A project like this is not for the faint of heart. : )  I decided to just let the kids go at it and decorate however they wanted to.  I think that worked out well.  One positive thing about making a mess with the icing is that you can just pretend it's snow!  Works for me!

   Jav and Amera were gone most of the day at a two hour choir practice and a lunch date afterwards.  Jav and I are both trying to get our date time with the kids before baby Isabel comes.  He and I have one last date planned with each other before my C-section on Friday.  I can't wait to meet her, but I know I won't be doing much for a little while.  : ) Wow!  I "think" I'm ready for this...