Taking a break from unpacking

Today was such a mix of beautiful, fun, and challenging.  We have been adjusting to a three hour time change.  We have been staying up late and waking up either when it just feels right to be vertical or when Isabel cries for us.  It has definitely been an adjustment.  

Days are full of doing what we are "supposed" to be doing.  You know, unpacking several suitcases and putting the house all back together again.  All this is such a big project.  I am finding it difficult to gain traction.  Every day we have more and more laundry to do even though we haven't even managed to get everything in our suitcases put away!  And there are other various things going on.  Life doesn't stop so that we can unpack.  

Amera had her first day back at piano lessons today.  An hour long lesson was the perfect opportunity for me to have some refreshing time with God.  The weather was perfect, so I rolled my window down and as I read, the only thing I could hear were the rustling of the leaves on the pavement.  It was pure bliss.  

I've been thinking about how God works in lives, especially when he calls them to do something specific.  And the main thing I am looking for are instances when God had someone wait to fulfill their calling.  Waiting on the Lord is a theme I have studied before, but I need it again.

I think of people like Daniel who loved God and wanted to serve him.  He served God in some very difficult circumstances.  He served God no matter where he was and he was faithful.  The lessons I learned through the book of Daniel before this trip have ministered to me time and time again.  Who am I to doubt his sovereignty for a single second.  He rules the earth.  He has chosen to keep us right where we are for now.  He sees the big picture.  He has a purpose for what he is doing and he is and always will be good.  I pray every day for my Christian brothers and sisters in California.  God is accomplishing his purposes for them as well as for us.  We cling to him in trust and dependence.

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

Oh! I almost forgot to mention something!  We still need to go out and get a Christmas tree!  I briefly thought about doing it tomorrow, but it would be insane to pull out all the lights and ornaments when we still have so much to put away from our trip!  We'll probably do it some time next week...such happy times. :)  I'm definitely getting into the holiday spirit!

What really matters {writing prompt}

I am struggling to begin this.  Several sentences have been typed and then deleted.  Where do I begin?  How do I begin to explain my heart over what has happened in the past two weeks.  I fear that I cannot do it justice here.  But I will try...  

We spent the past two weeks with a church family in California in an effort to love them, preach God's word to them, to know them and to let them know us.  And even though God has determined that we will not be able to return there permanently, we feel so blessed that God knit our hearts together.  Brothers and sisters in Christ have a special bond.  That bond is Christ himself.  He has united us.  No matter where we are from, what we look like or how different we may be, we are one in Christ.  It's beautiful and precious.

While we were there and my husband passionately taught the people and preached to them from God's holy Word, I felt that there was nothing on earth I would rather be doing than listening to him preach the truth.  My heart felt so full of love for God and for his people.  I thought of all the times during the week that my husband gave me a hug and a kiss and went off to study and prepare to share God's message with them.  It was an honor to support him in his efforts in any way I could.  Every Sunday and Wednesday when I sat listening to him speak, I was cheering on every word and praying that God would use what was spoken to reach the hearts of his people, including me.  For we all need to be changed and bring more glory and honor to him in our lives.  That is what really matters most.  That is what I desire with all my heart.

Linking up for the writing prompt here: http://www.ellenstumbo.com/what-really-matters/

This man loves me!

My husband and I have been through a lot in our seventeen years of marriage.  I have watched him grow and mature in so many ways.  It was a process.  It still is a process.  Obviously, neither one of us is perfect.  We are learning to be more like our Lord Jesus Christ every day that we live.  The things I will list in this post are from my heart.  I am thankful to God for his work of grace in the heart of my husband.  It is something to praise him for.

One major aspect of any marriage is learning to love your spouse selflessly.  What is it that ooozes out of us on a day to day basis?  Do we have a willingness to meet needs?  How do we respond when a need arises?  Sometimes the needs of our spouse encroach upon our plans.  There will be times where we have to put our own desires on hold in order to help our spouse accomplish what they have to do.  It will go both ways.  It is not always easy either.

Today I want to honor my husband by sharing with you some things he has done that have meant a lot to me.  He's not the type to buy me flowers and chocolate or concoct elaborate plans to surprise and amaze me.  But that's ok.  I really am ok with that.  He loves me deeply.  And he is a man who is willing to humble himself and seek forgiveness when he is wrong.  He is also a man who does everything he can to ensure that I never feel like I don't have his heart or his time.  I love this man!!!  He shows his love for me, my children and others every day.  Here are some of the ways...

~He is willing to run to Walmart if I need something, no matter what time of day and no matter how tired he is.  Of course, I speak of legitimate needs. ;)

~He sees a need and meets it.  Last night he washed the dishes without being asked.

~He values my input.  This morning he sat next to me while I was putting on my makeup.  He folded laundry while he shared some of his thoughts on the Bible passage he is studying, Matthew 5.  He appreciates hearing my thoughts as well.  I love our conversations about God!

~He made sure that I had everything I needed yesterday (Thanksgiving).  I was sick and Clara was too, so we were not able to attend the church's Thanksgiving meal.  He made sure to check on me and to bring me a plateful of delicious food and some pie as well!

~We have one laptop, and even though he often has things that he needs to accomplish with it, he generously gives me time to write because he knows that it is important to me, and it is important to him as well.

~He loves people.  He cares about them and he listens to them.  He has a desire to help others turn to God in every situation.

~He longs to go on dates with me and I am glad to do so. ;)

~He fixes me breakfast if I am having a super busy morning.

~He takes care of Izzy when I am tired.  Sometimes he'll get up, he'll fix the bottle or change the diaper and let me rest.  Acts of love like this make me want to serve him even more.

My advice to every husband and wife is to just start serving and seeking to be selfless and Christ-like in your marriage.  God will use you for his glory and your example will often encourage your spouse to do more because they see how much you love them in very practical ways.  Spend less time complaining about what they are not doing and more time praying and asking God what you can do to love your spouse.

What ways can you go the extra mile to show your spouse how much you love them? 

Maybe you are struggling right now...what ways can you go the extra mile to show your love for God in the way that you treat your spouse?  

God showed his love to us while we were still sinners.  Can we love like that?  

By his grace, we can.  And because of the extravagant way that God has loved us, we should.

I am thankful {writing prompt}

You know, anyone can sit around a table and tell what they are thankful for.  But what about who they are thankful to?  When a Christian gives thanks, it is to God.  Our words are not just spoken into the air.  Our words are not just so that we can feel pleased that we are being noble and good by exhibiting gratitude for all we have.  Our gratitude is expressed to God, who is the giver of every gift we have.

I printed out little "Give thanks" booklets for our family and I sat with the kids on a quiet afternoon.  Each of us sat, thinking and jotting things down.  We all chuckled a bit as I read the things that Brienne had helped Clara (5yrs.) to write down.  Most of what she wrote was food related.  Cake, cookies, candy etc.  The list went on and on.  We had to set a "one food item" limit!  I know she's only five...but still, we needed to get beyond all the treats she enjoys.  

And I think about myself.  How much more I need to be in the habit of thanking God.  How much more I should thank God on a daily basis and not just three times a day before meals.

It is good to thank God for everything...but let us not get too sidetracked by the food.  The awesome character of our God is something we can always praise and thank him for.  Things like turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie are all passing away and are not eternal like our God.

There is so much to praise God for!  Psalm 147 is packed with truth about God...

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars;

he gives to all of them their names.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

his understanding is beyond measure.

Psalm 147:3-5

These verses are so encouraging if we believe them.  We can turn to the God who determines the number of stars in the sky with all of our heartache and pain and he heals us.  He comforts us.  Picture the vast number of stars in the sky and remember that it is our God who has set them there.  He knows each and every one by name.  We do not.  He is the great one.  He knows every single detail about your life and mine.

It is a comfort to me to think of God's greatness and his abundant power.  There are no limitations to what he is able to do nor to what he understands and knows.  Sometimes the thing that can bring us the greatest comfort can also be our greatest struggle.  Sometimes we think "If God is so powerful and able to do all things, then why did he do this to me?"  Or we wonder why he is taking so long to act on our behalf.  Sometimes it is hard for us to make sense of God's plan for us.  We have to remember that his understanding is beyond measure.  He who measures the stars cannot be measured.  He is almighty God.  Nothing, no not ONE single thing is outside of his control.  There is rest in that and there is peace because we serve a God who is not as limited in understanding as we are.  We serve a God who rules over all the earth with great power and majesty.  

But there is more to our God than power and rule and might.  There is love.  Steadfast, unchanging, unwavering, faithful, complete and boundless love.  He loves us more than we can possibly imagine.  And in all things that we experience here on earth, he is working for our good and to bring glory and honor to his name.  

Let us thank our God for who he is, today and forevermore.

Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;

make melody to our God on the lyre!...

...the LORD takes pleasure in those 

who fear him, in those who hope

in his steadfast love.

Psalm 147: 7, 11

Linking up for the writing prompt here: http://www.ellenstumbo.com/i-am-thankful/

Turn to Christ early

I've been thinking about the different testimonies that people have.  

Some have been raised in homes where the Bible was valued, taught and lived out in very real and tangible ways.  They grew up seeing the beautiful reality of a genuine faith in God.  And one day, at a very early age, they too responded to the gospel and placed their faith in Christ.  From a young age, they have been learning about God and his wisdom and truth. Praise God!  What a beautiful testimony!

There are others, who have trusted in Christ later in life even though they have had poor examples of how a faithful believer should live.  They may have even gone through a rough patch in life where they rejected Christianity.  But now they are seeking to know the God of the Bible.  God can overcome the poor examples that people have been given and show that he is different than the poor example they saw.

And there are some who, like me, grew up never hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Bible's teachings were foreign to me...God was foreign to me.  The culture and media were strong influences in my life and I made many poor and foolish choices that I regret.

God has certainly worked in different ways in each of our lives.  I deeply treasure my salvation and the fact that I have witnessed firsthand the amazing transforming power of God in my heart. But I would not wish the anguish, shame, and regret of sin that I have experienced on anyone.  

May we never think that living a life of degrading sin is a glamorous thing.  May we never think that in order to have a compelling testimony, we need to experience the perversions of sin and then turn to Christ afterwards.  Far be it from our way of thinking!!  Would God ever have it so?

By God's grace he redeems us.  And though we have sinned, he mercifully allows us to be useful.  In some ways we may try to reason that if we hadn't sinned in a certain way that we wouldn't be able to reach certain people.  Not so!  Sin is never something to be thankful for.

People may think that we need to relate to specific sins in order to reach others but I believe that to be a lie from the devil himself.  Wouldn't he just love for us to glorify sin in such an insidious way?

It is the gospel that people need!  Not more sin to relate to!  And the messengers need to be people who truly believe the gospel, live it out and desire with all their heart to share it.  I understand that we have all had special moments with those who we could relate to, but my point is that we should never think that this is necessary to spread the gospel or to have an awesome testimony for the Lord.  The most awesome testimony for him is to live a pure and godly life.

Whether early or later in life, if we have trusted in Christ we have been saved from sin.  For those who have surrendered to his lordship early in life, I thank God.  How precious to walk with our wonderful Creator God from an early age.  How blessed you are to have been learning about the awesome God who has breathed life into your very soul and daily equips you with wisdom to live a joyful and peaceful life out of obedience to him.  

You have been saved from being battered and bruised by your own sinful deeds.  Continue faithfully in his ways.  You too, have an amazing rescue story.  This is the life I would choose for each and every one of my children.

For those of us who have turned to Christ later in life, after experiencing life-long patterns of sin...we have scars, don't we?  We have taken sin's beating.  And though, by God's grace, we have managed to come out alive--we live with the painful reality that we have deeply grieved God.  I know that, as Christians, we should all understand that our sin grieves God.  Whether we have a life-long pattern or not.  But what I am saying is that I wouldn't wish vivid memories of personal sin committed against God and others on anybody.  

Sometimes I wonder how far back in my life I should go to seek forgiveness for the wrongs I have done to my fellow man--it is a grief I would not want anyone to experience, especially in large quantities.

Let us never think that it is better to come to Christ after living in deep seated rebellion against God in our youth.  

Let us never give our children the impression that it is "normal" or even expected for them to live however they want when they are young and even worse, that it will give them a more powerful testimony in the future.  

Yes, God graciously uses us and brings glory to his name even through our failures.  But how much more glory will he receive if we turn to him early and seek his kingdom first as we live our lives on this earth.  He is worthy of our allegiance and it is never a good thing to withhold our service to the King of kings.  

Turn to Christ early, and serve him with all of your heart for all of the days that the Lord your God is giving you.  Everything else is a waste of precious time.

It's dangerous to assume {a quote for thought}

Do you have a hunger and a thirst for the Word of God?  I am sure that no one would ever willingly admit that they would prefer to believe a lie, yet how often do we base our beliefs about God on what we have heard or experienced apart from the Bible?  God desires for us to truly know him, not some fabrication of who we think he is.  I hope that no matter where you are on the journey that you will be encouraged to know God as he truly is, as he has revealed to us in his Word.  Open to any page and simply read.  The truth is there, and it will set you free.

{The following is an excerpt from The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer}

Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character.  The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is--in itself a monstrous sin--and substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness.  Always this "god" will conform to the image of the one who created it and will be base or pure, cruel or kind, according to the moral state of the mind from which it emerges.

A god begotten in the shadows of a fallen heart will quite naturally be no true likeness of the true God.  "Thou thoughtest," said the wicked man in the psalm "that I was altogether such an one as thyself."  Surely this must be a serious affront to the Most High God before whom cherubim and seraphim continually do cry "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth."

Let us beware lest we in our pride accept the erroneous notion that idolatry consists only in kneeling before visible objects of adoration, and that civilized people are therefore free from it.  The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of him.  It begins in the mind and may be present where no overt act of worship has taken place.

"When they knew God," wrote Paul, "they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." (Romans 1:21)

Then followed the worship of idols fashioned after the likeness of men and birds and beasts and creeping things.  But this series of degrading acts began in the mind.  Wrong ideas about God are the fountain from which the polluted waters of idolatry flow; they are themselves idolatrous.  The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true...

...The first step down for any church is taken when it surrenders its high opinion of God.  Before the Christian Church goes into eclipse anywhere there must first be a corrupting of her simple basic theology.  She simply gets a wrong answer to the question "What is God like?" and goes on from there.  Though she may continue to cling to a sound nominal creed, her practical working creed has become false.  The masses of her adherents come to believe that God is different from what he actually is; and that is a heresy of the most insidious and deadly kind.

The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of him--and of her.  In all her prayers and labors this should have first place.  We do the greatest service to the next generation of Christians by passing on to them undimmed and undiminished that noble concept of God which we received from our Hebrew and Christian fathers of generations past.  This will prove of greater value to them than anything that art or science can devise.

I want my kids to remember {writing prompt}

I sat next to Brienne as our airplane began to make it's descent into California.  We looked out the window together.  We were no longer high up in the clouds.  There were houses as far as the eye could see.  From way up there in the sky, they looked small enough to hold in the palm of our hand.

How could I not worship our great and awesome God?!  To think that he knows about every single house.  To think that he knows about every person inside each and every one.  To think that he knows their every thought, every hope and dream, every struggle, every tear, every sin...

And then to think that what we were seeing below us was just a teeny tiny fraction of the whole earth!!!  How BIG is our God!  Creator, Redeemer, ALMIGHTY God!

Sometimes my faith is too small.  Sometimes, if I am utterly honest with myself, I consider the omnipotent to be impotent.  We all have our moments don't we?  When the problem seems so great that we wonder how it can ever be fixed.  When the challenges and obstacles cloud our vision and we cannot see beyond them.

We forget that God is ABLE.  He spoke the entire world into being, our problems are NOT too hard for God.  He is not hindered like we often think he is.  He is not as limited as we think he is.  And how little do we ask of his mighty power?!

As we made our descent into California, my eyes of faith opened a bit wider to see the God that I serve.  I pray that this glimpse of his glory never fades in my heart.  If I can pass anything along to my kids, this would be at the top of my list.  I am looking forward to God doing great and awesome things.  I am asking him to...and I know that he is able.

The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble.
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The LORD is great in Zion;
He is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he!
Psalm 99:1-3



Linking up for the writing prompt here: http://www.ellenstumbo.com/ten-things-i-want-my-kids-to-remember/

God never changes

God never changes.  Just saying that and believing that, brings so much peace, comfort and relief to my soul.  In a world of differing opinions and constant change, God is always the same.

There is so much that my children are trying to understand each day about the world around them.  Sometimes they ask questions and we talk about some of the things they are wondering about.  But here is the challenge:  I cannot know all of their thoughts.  Some things can be drawn out, but what about those things they will wonder about but never ask about?

I don't want my children to grow up with a "We just don't do that" mentality.  I want them to see that everything we do or don't do should be motivated first by God's awesome love for us and our response to that love.  If he doesn't want you to do something, it is not because he wants to make you miserable.  No, on the contrary, he wants you to be blessed as you live by the truth from his word.

Recently, we sat at dinner together and this was the topic of our conversation.  Have you noticed that children will often make blunt statements in favor of what you believe but they often do not know the reason why or where the teaching came from?  I feel a tremendous responsibility to equip my kids to have a firm foundation in their faith so they will not be blown about with the winds of change and popular opinion.  God will always be the same, his love is infinite, and all wisdom comes from him.  He is the Creator of us all.  

How could he not know what he is talking about?

Trust in God, children.  He spoke this world into existence and he knit you together in my womb.  There is nothing beyond his understanding or his power.  Look to him for answers and know that every word he speaks is motivated by deepest love and concern.  His way is always best.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:16-17

"For I the LORD do not change..."  Malachi 3:6

Her favorite spot

I love it when she sits in her little spot and happily plays with her toys.  Sitting there in the warm sunlight...sometimes she looks out the glass door at the trees.  

Sweet little Isabel, you in that spot, making the cutest sounds and chewing on your toys, is one of life's simple pleasures to me.  You are precious!

"Forgive us for our sins against you, myself included"

Most days in my home contain a mixture of easy and hard...joy and pain...good and bad...peace and strife.  Sometimes it seems to be a balanced mixture.  Conflicts come up here and there and they are resolved with minimal stress and we feel a sense of victory.  Sometimes I just sit back and marvel at the beauty of what God is doing in my family.  I feel like I will gladly take all the joy and peace I can get.  I don't mind so much if those far outweigh the pain and strife.

But what about when it is the other way around?  What about when it seems like there is an issue to deal with at least every thirty minutes? (I'm trying to not exaggerate)...when things keep coming up and you're just trying to live through the day and accomplish all you need to do.  But there are so many interruptions.  There are real spiritual needs.  There are little people struggling to put the other first...struggling to say things with love... compassion and a forgiving spirit.

It was in one of those moments yesterday, that I felt utterly worn out.  I felt stretched to maximum capacity.  I felt like giving up.  And the only reason I don't is because I am turning to God instead.

I stood at my kitchen sink in the late evening.  I was washing dishes by hand since our dishwasher is not currently doing the job very well.  There was a conflict again.  There I was, reminding them again of God's wisdom.  Reminding them that we have strife in our home when everyone is looking out for self.  Jesus has a solution...to love others the way we ourselves want to be loved (Mark 12:31).  I think I remind them of this almost daily.  But this final evening conflict just felt like the tip of the iceberg.  I knew my response to my kids was showing some serious wear and tear...I was feeling exasperated.  I was feeling tired of teaching.  It was in that moment that God brought these thoughts to mind...

Love never gives up and love hopes all things...(1 Cor. 13)

Stop trying to manage this on your own and gather all the kids together and pray!

I called them all out to the living room and I confess, I don't always pray on my knees, but this time I got down on my knees...it was the only good place to go in that moment.  I felt deeply compelled to do so.

I looked at my children gathered together on our couch and I spoke to them through tears.  This very day, we were not building up a house with strong walls, we were tearing it down with every selfish word and action.  God wants us to have peace, love and harmony in our home and it begins with each individual person.  It begins with each individual heart.  Don't point the finger at someone else...each of us has to resolve that we are going to obey God and love like he tells us to love or our house will crumble.

I prayed with them.  I asked God to forgive us for our sins...and I admit, it was a little hard but I added
"myself included".  It was hard because I wanted to focus more on the issues that kept coming up with my kids...but wait, how was I responding to those?

I told God how much we need him, how much we need his help and strength and courage to love when it's hard to love.  How much we need his work in our hearts to change our selfish ways!  I begged and pleaded, because I know that it is NOT in us alone to love like God calls us to love.  Where exactly our efforts meet with his grace and strength, I do not know.  But I know how much we need him.

Daniel's prayer in the book of Daniel, chapter 9 resonated so deeply with me this morning.  Read how he prayed...

" I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy..."

"I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.  We have not listened..."

"To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame..."

"...All this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities (sins) and gaining insight by your truth."

"For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive.  O Lord, pay attention and act.  Delay not, for your own sake, O my God..."

This deep, heartfelt pleading with God...this coming to the end of oneself... I felt this last night.  I imagine that maybe Daniel was weeping too.

The part we come to next in Daniel gives us a wonderful look into the "behind the scenes action" taking place.  Daniel says that while he was speaking and praying, confessing his sin and the sin of his people and presenting his plea before the LORD his God...Gabriel comes to him in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.  Here is what happened, Daniel said:

He made me understand (Gabriel), speaking with me and saying, "O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding.  At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved..."

I am confident today that my prayers are not "bouncing off the ceiling of heaven."  My God has heard me and he will help.  He will act.  He will forgive.  What would we do without him?

cocoa-chip cookies

Joelle and Brienne baked these yummy chocolate cookies recently.  As soon as I took a bite I knew we had found a new favorite.  These are a cross between a chocolate chip cookie and a warm gooey brownie. 

They are delicious!  Perfect with a glass of milk!

cocoa-chip cookies

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 bag)

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour,  (sifted) cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Set aside. 

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and both sugars until light and creamy, for about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla.  On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating until blended.  With a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes or just until set.  Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.  Makes about 3 dozen.