Someone that changed me {writing prompt}

It still fills me with wonder and awe to think of how a soul can turn from darkness to light.  How a person with all of their bad habits, and lifestyle choices can completely change and become someone new.

I shared it with a neighbor over the phone recently.  I explained how years ago I sat at my dining room table, so afraid of being lied to by a religion, so afraid that I was falling for something, not ready to accept it because I was not about to be duped into this stuff.

Yet I sat there reading the words of Christ.  I wanted to understand, I wanted to know.  Who is God?!

It was as if light flooded my dark soul and I turned to it to walk in it.  It was God.  He was showing me the way.  He was helping me to see clearly.  I knew in that moment that he would never lie to me.  Never.

How does this happen?  How does a person who is blind to what Christ has done for them suddenly begin to see?  God shows them.  It is his work in the human heart.  It is amazing how he does it.  How he softens hardened hearts and even gives us the grace to fully see our own ugliness inside.  Here's the thing, though.  He does it in the most loving way imaginable.  He is grieved and since he is a righteous and holy judge, our sin angers him too.  We have chosen ways that are ugly, dark, harmful and wicked.  We have chosen ways that hurt us and the people around us.  These ways are so far from who he is.  So far from his majesty, glory and light.  Yet, he loves.  And he reaches down in love to rescue us from our hopeless condition.

Whenever I think about what God did in my heart on that day that changed my life, I think about the people involved.  I remember their love too.  Two memories stand out to me and bring tears to my eyes when I think of them.  The first one is of my pastor's wife at that time.  I have a vivid memory of one of the first times we welcomed them into our home.  It was shortly after we began attending church for the first time.

We wanted to share our lives with them and our home.  And of course that meant we were sharing the lives that we had without Christ.  One of the things I had was a puzzle I had put together and framed.  It was this fairy lady and she was wearing all sorts of weird jewelry.  I remember she had some sort of skull image hanging from her ear.  Of course, nowadays I have no interest in hanging some fairy lady with skull images on my wall but at the time I thought it was pretty cool.  All I can say is that my pastor's wife had an attitude of love and respect toward me, even though I know that my beliefs and convictions were very different from hers.  She didn't make me fell less than.  I would see the beauty of her home, I would feel the warmth there and one day I would see that there were better things than skulls to decorate a home with!  But I do believe that her kindness in those moments was something that God used to change me.

The second thing that stands out to me from that time frame is when I shared my interest in psychology with my pastor.  I was so interested in how the human mind works and at one time I thought I would use my G.I. Bill to study it in college.  He said something like "I have a book you might like to read".  And he brought me a book written from a Christian perspective.  He didn't get into some argument with me about all the issues with secular psychology.  He just offered me an alternative.  Something better.

It wasn't much later that God revealed to my soul that there was something far better than anything I had ever known.  Something better than man's reasoning or man's imagination.  I saw the beauty of his ways, his commandments and his love.  I saw the beauty of who God is.  And in that moment I knew that nothing else would ever compare.


Linking up for the writing prompt here: http://www.ellenstumbo.com/you-changed-me/

Our trip to California

It feels strange to type after a week long break from my trusty laptop.  I feel so out of practice.  I opened up email again...I responded to Facebook messages...I renewed a few books that (ooops) somehow never made it back to the library before we left.  I'm feeling somewhat caught up with things now and for the first time since we have returned home, I have set my alarm for five am.  Here we go normal!  I figured I had better start getting ready for next week.  I think we finally have our sleeping schedules adjusted.

We had a great time in California.  We candidated at a church and spent just about every day happily getting to know new friends from the church.  We also enjoyed some great food which was an added bonus! ;)  And we were amazed at the big, juicy, California strawberries we bought from a vendor's stand across the street from the church.

We had everything we could have possibly needed.  A comfy place to sleep...and to everyone who asked we told them "Yes, we all fit in that trailer!"  :)  It was a lot like camping, only when we woke up in the morning we walked across the parking lot to a building with games, books, movies and toys...and a playground.  The kids enjoyed themselves.

[the Preschool play area]

My husband taught Sunday School on two Sundays, and he preached Sunday morning and evening as well.  I know I may be a bit biased but hearing him speak is always a treat for me. :)  I love his heart for God and for people and how much he treasures God's Word.  Where would we be without God?!  

Even though I do not know what the outcome of the church vote will be on April 21st, I cannot help but pray and dream of all the ways in which we could serve God there.  

At an "Open House" for the Christian Academy that is a part of the church, one of the parents asked me if I am ready for all of the challenges of being a pastor's wife.  I compared it to parenting.  I said, "Before becoming a parent we try to be as prepared as possible for it but there are some things that we just have to learn by doing."  

I am excited about what God can do.  I know I will need God's grace and I will pray hard through every challenge.  I will grow, I will be stretched and I will turn to God for help.  

Of course, since my life may be about to undergo a major change, I am on pins and needles to hear the results of the voting and ultimately learn whether or not this is the place that God has for us.  I am confident that he will carry out the plans that he has had from the very beginning.  I serve a great and awesome God and that is one thing I can always be sure of.

[By the way, I really wish I had taken more pictures.  

Most of these were taken the first day we were there.  

I guess that is an indication of how busy things were for us! ;) ]

When a family sings together

My husband and I had talked about it for some time.  He wanted to get a set of hymnals for our home.  One that Amera could use at the piano and others that we could all share.  We are thankful that we had even one hymnal before.  But having three has greatly improved the time we spend together singing.

A few evenings ago, after we had eaten dinner and sat around the table together, we opened these hymnals.  There is nothing like opening a hymnal and singing together as a family.  I always come away from it sensing that bonds have been strengthened.  The bond between us and our God and the bonds between us as a family.  It is like glue holding us together.  

With every verse of truth we sing, I am encouraged, fortified and blessed.  

Do you ever get silly little songs in your head?  Maybe a little song from a movie?  I do!  And my kids do as well.  Sometimes they'll start singing it or repeating one line over and over and over again.  Until finally one of the older people in the house will say "Okay, that's enough."  We can hardly stand to hear the pointless phrase again.  Well, not so with hymns.  We want more.  And that is what I kept saying that evening.  Just one more?  I wanted to hang on to this time we were spending.  All those holding hymnals would flip through the pages searching for the next song to sing.  "How about this one?!"  "I really like this one!"

These are the words we want to imprint on the brain waves.  These are the tunes I want to have on my mind when I wake up in the morning and when I go to bed at night.  These are the choruses that I want to fill my heart to bursting throughout my day so that I can't help but sing when I'm doing the dishes.  These are the lines that contain doctrine so rich and deep that beautiful lessons of God are taught through their message. 

It brought joy to our home.  How could it not?  How can you be a grump when you're singing with all your heart?  Yes, some of our younger kids still need some encouragement to join in.  For now, they are observers and once in a while, if they get the chorus down, they join in a little bit.  I don't have to worry so much about any lack of enthusiasm from small children.  They'll catch on eventually.  

And it's times that we spend like this...all of us together and singing around our table that my heart will never forget.  In fact, it's something my heart will always hold on to. 

Sunday afternoon with the boys

Everyone came home from church and slacks and button-up shirts (for the guys) were traded for T-shirts and whatever comfortable pants could be found.  Manny, decked out in dinosaur jammies and feeling like some sort of "dino-mite" little dude comes running out into the living room very excited and ready to play.  He even stood in the middle of the room and roared the biggest T-Rex roar a three year old can muster.

I had stayed home from church with Isabel.  She and I were "sick buddies".  After everyone left for church she didn't do much except snuggle on the couch with me and watch an episode of "Baby Einstein".  She soon feel asleep and was transported to her crib.  My morning then consisted of rotating between reading, sleeping and crocheting.  I finished a blanket, I finished a book...I was glad to have something to do with my hands and mind while I sat, immobile in a comfy chair.  

So there I was sitting in said chair when these guys piled into the chair next to mine.  It's sights like this that make a woman who isn't feeling well get up and get her camera.

I love Javi's toothless grin.  I love Manny trying to make some sort of funny face by pushing up his eyebrows.  I love the happiness all over my husband's face as he is in "daddy heaven" with his boys.  He tickles them so well it's practically on the verge of torture.  ;)  Believe me, I know.  He does the same thing to me sometimes!  The difference between the kids and I?  I usually beg him to stop because I can hardly take it anymore...but I don't think they can ever get enough.  :)  They laugh and squeal and enjoy every second.

I love these guys and I love watching them play together.  It's pure bliss to me.