Nobody likes this part of Scripture - rebuke. We all want the love, encouragement, "you are fabulous and I love you like Jesus loves you" part of Scripture.
But we are COMMANDED to rebuke one another. To turn one another from sin. It is not pleasant, but it is an essential part of the Christian faith. Without holding up a mirror to one another we cannot grow. We cannot sharpen one another. Our race is hindered by the sin that entangles us.
And yet, we run from it like we are fleeing the plague.
In our Old Testament study, the boys and I read this passage yesterday. I have studied this a zillion times, but as always, the Lord revealed a piece to me exactly when I needed to see it. I LOVE when He does that!
The LORD is speaking to Moses through the burning bush in Exodus 4:
"Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." "
The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ?
Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."
Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses."
Now, that is a rebuke if I ever saw one!
The fabulous part of this is that even after the Lord rebukes Moses, He STILL expects him to obey and get it done! "Go" He says. "GO!" (Perhaps He wanted to add, "Stop whining while you're at it!")
He also says, "I will help you."
The Lord knows our weaknesses. He knows our sin. But He still has a plan and a purpose for us. And whatever He calls us to do, he EQUIPS us to do.
No more excuses.
No more delayed obedience. (Say it with me class, you should know it by now: "Delayed obedience is DISOBEDIENCE!")
When the Lord calls us to action He expects 1st time obedience. He does not expect perfection. Just an obedient heart, a willing spirit and humility to ask for wisdom to accomplish the task.
Rebukes are painful at the moment, but they strengthen us and mold us into stronger and more mature children of God. Look at Moses. Once he got over himself he accomplished great things for God's people.
What is God asking YOU to do?
10.29.2009
10.26.2009
Wisdom. (Part 1)
When I was young I marveled at older women who were wise. They seemed to have an answer for every question asked of them. Their discernment was accurate and impressive. They were so confident - as if they just knew that they knew.
I remember thinking, "I want to be like those women." And then I went on with life.
When I was in high school, I read the story of Solomon (I Kings 3:7-14):
"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David.
But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.
Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.
And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."
I was FASCINATED with this Scripture. All he had to do was ask? Was it really that easy?
James says so: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
Solomon was a child and yet he had the maturity to go before the God of the universe and ask for wisdom and discernment. And God honored his request and blessed him.
"God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.
He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.
Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom." I Kings 4:29-34
I thought about these verses for a long time. And when I was in college I made them my own prayer. I wanted to be wise. I wanted to know what I believed and why so I could give an account (I Peter 3). I wanted to have discernment to see past the silly, shallow things people offer so I could see their heart ... see their pain ... see THEM. I prayed for it all the time. In specific moments and in general.
Throughout my life I have had people say to me, "How do you know those things?" "I was 50 before I could think that clearly". "How are you able to figure people out so easily?" "Where do you come up with such good questions?"
And it was not until recently that it hit me: BECAUSE GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYERS! It has nothing to do with ME. It has everything to do with HIM.
I like being an "older" and wiser woman. I love seeing the Scriptures I have memorized and read countless times come flying through my mind at the exact moment I need them to encourage/counsel/rebuke/challenge another. All of the years I read Scripture, studied Scripture, memorized Scripture and sought Scripture have shown their fruit. But you know what? I want more!!! I have not arrived. I do not know everything - in life or in the spiritual realm. But I love that the more I know the more I WANT to know.
God says that those who ask for wisdom will receive it and will receive it GENEROUSLY. It is a promise! How awesome is that?
I read Solomon's story often and think about it more. He had a pure heart, a desire to understand, a desire to be wise. He was not perfect, he made big mistakes. But he asked God for the one thing that no one else did - and he received it - and was told that no one would ever equal him. How privileged, humble and grateful this man must have been.
I pray I will have a tenth of the wisdom of Solomon ... that the Lord will use me in the lives of others ... that I will continually seek to know more ... to understand more ... and to praise the Lord every day for His faithfulness to answer the cry of my young heart those many years ago ... "Lord, make me wise like Solomon!"
I remember thinking, "I want to be like those women." And then I went on with life.
When I was in high school, I read the story of Solomon (I Kings 3:7-14):
"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David.
But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.
Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.
And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."
I was FASCINATED with this Scripture. All he had to do was ask? Was it really that easy?
James says so: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
Solomon was a child and yet he had the maturity to go before the God of the universe and ask for wisdom and discernment. And God honored his request and blessed him.
"God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.
He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.
Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom." I Kings 4:29-34
I thought about these verses for a long time. And when I was in college I made them my own prayer. I wanted to be wise. I wanted to know what I believed and why so I could give an account (I Peter 3). I wanted to have discernment to see past the silly, shallow things people offer so I could see their heart ... see their pain ... see THEM. I prayed for it all the time. In specific moments and in general.
Throughout my life I have had people say to me, "How do you know those things?" "I was 50 before I could think that clearly". "How are you able to figure people out so easily?" "Where do you come up with such good questions?"
And it was not until recently that it hit me: BECAUSE GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYERS! It has nothing to do with ME. It has everything to do with HIM.
I like being an "older" and wiser woman. I love seeing the Scriptures I have memorized and read countless times come flying through my mind at the exact moment I need them to encourage/counsel/rebuke/challenge another. All of the years I read Scripture, studied Scripture, memorized Scripture and sought Scripture have shown their fruit. But you know what? I want more!!! I have not arrived. I do not know everything - in life or in the spiritual realm. But I love that the more I know the more I WANT to know.
God says that those who ask for wisdom will receive it and will receive it GENEROUSLY. It is a promise! How awesome is that?
I read Solomon's story often and think about it more. He had a pure heart, a desire to understand, a desire to be wise. He was not perfect, he made big mistakes. But he asked God for the one thing that no one else did - and he received it - and was told that no one would ever equal him. How privileged, humble and grateful this man must have been.
I pray I will have a tenth of the wisdom of Solomon ... that the Lord will use me in the lives of others ... that I will continually seek to know more ... to understand more ... and to praise the Lord every day for His faithfulness to answer the cry of my young heart those many years ago ... "Lord, make me wise like Solomon!"
10.23.2009
Book # 12
Were dinosaurs on the ark?
Do dinosaurs still exist?
It is full of details, scientific facts, and fascinating information. Written by a Creation Scientist who truly loves the Lord and His creation.
The boys and I said "Wow/amazing/interesting" countless times throughout the book and we even went into the backyard to measure out the largest dinosaur ever discovered - he would fill our yard fence to fence and go up 40 feet high! UNBELIEVABLE!
Boys, girls, old, young, this book is a MUST for every believer. You will be challenged in your thinking and in even more awe of the God who created all things.
10.20.2009
The truth about (our) marriage.
It was recently pointed out to me that I am always praising Dennis on my blog. This is a great thing of course, and something Scripture models for us as wives - to respect our husbands and praise him in the gates. What husband would not glow with confidence in these things?I know mine does!
However, my consistent praise of him makes it appear as though we have a perfect marriage, that he is a perfect man. He always serves me, loves me and adores me while I float around from room to room with a gigantic smile and not a care in the world.
It is time to pop that bubble!
I have a WONDERFUL husband. I have a loyal husband. He is faithful, incredibly hard working, he loves our children like crazy, he serves our family without being asked, he will do the most menial of tasks and does not complain, he is fun, intelligent, handsome, he loves the Lord and desires to continually grow in Him, we can talk about anything and rarely argue, he compliments and praises me, and he tells me often that he feels privileged to have me as a wife.
But it has taken us 16 years to get to this point.
I realized when this subject came up, that I do not address marriage much on this blog. It never occurred to me before so I thought about why. And the reason is simple. We are in a good place ~ the best we have ever been. I am not wrestling and struggling through marriage issues and I feel completely content and joyful in my husbands love and affection for me.
Now, had I written about our marriage 10 years ago it would have sounded more like this:
I have a WONDERFUL husband. He works hard, he is faithful, he loves me and he is a lot of fun. We rarely get to see each other because he works two jobs and is going to school. He is a football coach so from August to December I only see him about two days a week and even when he is home he is grading papers, reviewing football tapes or writing papers. The dumbest things make us argue and too many nights we go to bed not speaking. Some of his habits annoy me to the point of madness and I find I can have a very ugly tone when I speak to him. I do not like to cook, I am not wearing lingerie to bed each night to seduce him, I try to talk to him about deep, spiritual things and he just doesn't get it. I feel distanced from him and like I am #17 on his priority list. If I share these things with him he does listen and he does make an effort to change, but in time we fall back into the same patterns and the cycle begins again. We do not have fun. We never go anywhere because of his schedule and he is more worried about meeting the needs and expectations of his coaching life than mine. I would say we have a mediocre marriage at best.
Quite a contrast, isn't it? And if you look closely you will see that many statements have the word "I" or "me" in them. I was not mature enough to see that I had a choice to respond Biblically to my husband, to honor the Lord by honoring him, and that it was my role as a wife to be his help meet in every way, REGARDLESS of what he did. The Lord has changed ME and for that I am grateful. I am proud to say that I do not live with the man I married and he does not live with the woman he married. God has grown us and changed us - praise HIM!
Our prayer for our marriage in the later years has always been, "Lord, restore the years the locusts have eaten." And He has been incredibly faithful.
We work hard on our marriage. Every day is a CHOICE. A choice to love, to serve, give up self, be kind, meet each others needs, apologize and forgive. We do not succeed every day. But we succeed more than we fail and for us, this is a fabulous place to be.
However, my consistent praise of him makes it appear as though we have a perfect marriage, that he is a perfect man. He always serves me, loves me and adores me while I float around from room to room with a gigantic smile and not a care in the world.
It is time to pop that bubble!
I have a WONDERFUL husband. I have a loyal husband. He is faithful, incredibly hard working, he loves our children like crazy, he serves our family without being asked, he will do the most menial of tasks and does not complain, he is fun, intelligent, handsome, he loves the Lord and desires to continually grow in Him, we can talk about anything and rarely argue, he compliments and praises me, and he tells me often that he feels privileged to have me as a wife.
But it has taken us 16 years to get to this point.
I realized when this subject came up, that I do not address marriage much on this blog. It never occurred to me before so I thought about why. And the reason is simple. We are in a good place ~ the best we have ever been. I am not wrestling and struggling through marriage issues and I feel completely content and joyful in my husbands love and affection for me.
Now, had I written about our marriage 10 years ago it would have sounded more like this:
I have a WONDERFUL husband. He works hard, he is faithful, he loves me and he is a lot of fun. We rarely get to see each other because he works two jobs and is going to school. He is a football coach so from August to December I only see him about two days a week and even when he is home he is grading papers, reviewing football tapes or writing papers. The dumbest things make us argue and too many nights we go to bed not speaking. Some of his habits annoy me to the point of madness and I find I can have a very ugly tone when I speak to him. I do not like to cook, I am not wearing lingerie to bed each night to seduce him, I try to talk to him about deep, spiritual things and he just doesn't get it. I feel distanced from him and like I am #17 on his priority list. If I share these things with him he does listen and he does make an effort to change, but in time we fall back into the same patterns and the cycle begins again. We do not have fun. We never go anywhere because of his schedule and he is more worried about meeting the needs and expectations of his coaching life than mine. I would say we have a mediocre marriage at best.
Quite a contrast, isn't it? And if you look closely you will see that many statements have the word "I" or "me" in them. I was not mature enough to see that I had a choice to respond Biblically to my husband, to honor the Lord by honoring him, and that it was my role as a wife to be his help meet in every way, REGARDLESS of what he did. The Lord has changed ME and for that I am grateful. I am proud to say that I do not live with the man I married and he does not live with the woman he married. God has grown us and changed us - praise HIM!
Our prayer for our marriage in the later years has always been, "Lord, restore the years the locusts have eaten." And He has been incredibly faithful.
We work hard on our marriage. Every day is a CHOICE. A choice to love, to serve, give up self, be kind, meet each others needs, apologize and forgive. We do not succeed every day. But we succeed more than we fail and for us, this is a fabulous place to be.
10.18.2009
Encouragement
I spent a wonderful day with good friends and sweet women at our Women's Retreat in Murrieta Hot Springs. What a refreshment for my weary soul. God is so good to me.
The weekends topic was Encouragement - one of my favorite things!
The workings of the Lord will unfold over the next few days as I continue to process and pray through His challenges and insights, but I wanted to share one thing right away.
I was asked to write the questions for the Friday night room discussions and the Saturday morning reflection time. I did so a few weeks ago and thought nothing of it because it is natural for me to think in that realm. But when I sat down and read them in the midst of the retreat, after being challenged by the speaker and God's Word, they seemed to jump out at me as if I never saw them before.
I want to share them with you and ask you to really think about them ... look deep inside your heart and ask the Lord to reveal to you what He wants you to hear ... what He wants you to see. Sometimes, even when something is easy and natural for us, we can push it aside for "tomorrow" and neglect the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. To be the one to share that word of encouragement to a hurting, wounded, and weary soul. To be the one to offer a hug or a strong shoulder while a friend weeps silently. Or simply to offer a bright and cheery smile to say "Well done!"
Think on these things:
* Who is your Barnabas? (his name means "son of encouragement" and he encouraged and cheered on the apostles and the new churches during his ministry.)
* If your friends had to define your name, what would they call you?
* Do you purposely use your tongue to bring healing/encouragement/support to others?
* How can you increase the praises of God on your lips?
* Do you currently need a Barnabas in your life?
* Would others say you are a Barnabas for them?
* Have you been transparent and real with other women to allow them to see your hurts and needs so they know HOW to minister to you?
* How do you feel encouraged by your friends? (a note, an act of service, prayer)
* Do you truly grasp that God is your greatest cheerleader? He loves you enough that He let His Son die for you ... does that permeate all of your actions and thoughts?
* Who is someone the Lord has put on your heart that needs encouragement ... your hugs ... your phone call ... your friendship ... your love?
Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."
We have the power to build other up or tear others down with our words ... let us commit, today, to continually seek to build one another up, edify one another and encourage one another with an intensity and an urgency as if today is the last day.
Because it may very well be.
The weekends topic was Encouragement - one of my favorite things!
The workings of the Lord will unfold over the next few days as I continue to process and pray through His challenges and insights, but I wanted to share one thing right away.
I was asked to write the questions for the Friday night room discussions and the Saturday morning reflection time. I did so a few weeks ago and thought nothing of it because it is natural for me to think in that realm. But when I sat down and read them in the midst of the retreat, after being challenged by the speaker and God's Word, they seemed to jump out at me as if I never saw them before.
I want to share them with you and ask you to really think about them ... look deep inside your heart and ask the Lord to reveal to you what He wants you to hear ... what He wants you to see. Sometimes, even when something is easy and natural for us, we can push it aside for "tomorrow" and neglect the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. To be the one to share that word of encouragement to a hurting, wounded, and weary soul. To be the one to offer a hug or a strong shoulder while a friend weeps silently. Or simply to offer a bright and cheery smile to say "Well done!"
Think on these things:
* Who is your Barnabas? (his name means "son of encouragement" and he encouraged and cheered on the apostles and the new churches during his ministry.)
* If your friends had to define your name, what would they call you?
* Do you purposely use your tongue to bring healing/encouragement/support to others?
* How can you increase the praises of God on your lips?
* Do you currently need a Barnabas in your life?
* Would others say you are a Barnabas for them?
* Have you been transparent and real with other women to allow them to see your hurts and needs so they know HOW to minister to you?
* How do you feel encouraged by your friends? (a note, an act of service, prayer)
* Do you truly grasp that God is your greatest cheerleader? He loves you enough that He let His Son die for you ... does that permeate all of your actions and thoughts?
* Who is someone the Lord has put on your heart that needs encouragement ... your hugs ... your phone call ... your friendship ... your love?
Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."
We have the power to build other up or tear others down with our words ... let us commit, today, to continually seek to build one another up, edify one another and encourage one another with an intensity and an urgency as if today is the last day.
Because it may very well be.
10.16.2009
Book #11
DK Eyewitness books are fabulous! They have them a on a zillion topics and the pictures are engaging and of actual places/things/people rather than drawings. They are set up like encyclopedias .. snapshots of things with short descriptions next to each.Our boys take these in the car to look at all the time - even when we are only going to the grocery store!
10.12.2009
What do you cling to?
In the dark moments.
In the moments when you feel a lack of peace.
Your faith is questioned.
Your wisdom seems inadequate.
You realize the control you thought you possessed is without merit.
What do you cling to? Who do you seek? Where do you find your sure footing again?
Prayer.
A specific Scripture.
A special hymn or praise song.
What brings you back to a place of contentment and peace ~ the place you feel 100% secure and confident because you are resting in the arms of the Father?
In the moments when you feel a lack of peace.
Your faith is questioned.
Your wisdom seems inadequate.
You realize the control you thought you possessed is without merit.
What do you cling to? Who do you seek? Where do you find your sure footing again?
Prayer.
A specific Scripture.
A special hymn or praise song.
What brings you back to a place of contentment and peace ~ the place you feel 100% secure and confident because you are resting in the arms of the Father?
10.05.2009
38 years of blessings.
Today is my birthday!
As my eyes opened at 4:40 to get up for my P90x workout (after waking every 2 hours to care for a sick baby) my mind immediately went to the Lord. He has been so good to me, so today I am going to celebrate HIM!
38 praises to my God:
~ I woke up today. He has given me a fresh start, another day to serve others and love Him.
~ I am a daughter of the KING!
~ I have a husband who cherishes and adores me.
~ I have 6 sons ...each one uniquely created by God with a purpose that I have the privilege of seeing unfold day by day.
~ I have parents who raised me and love me and want the best for me.
~ I have Dennis' family who treats me as their own daughter and always make me feel loved.
~ I have a brother who has always stood by my side and loved me, even in the hard moments.
~ I have a sister who is generous and likes to be with me. She makes me laugh!
~ I have a sister-in-law who is thoughtful and includes us in her life.
~ I have cousins and aunts and uncles who have willingly invested in my life and helped shape who I am.
~ I have friends who pursue me and give of themselves to me so I can be a better woman.
~ I am blessed with a church that preaches the Word of God without apology and stands firm in truth regardless of what culture says.
~ I have 24 hour access to the living, breathing Word of God.
~ I was privileged to be raised in a Christian home with parents who saw the value of placing God's Word and God's truth in my heart at a very early age.
~ I have had the honor of being a child of God for 33 years, since the tender age of 5, when I accepted Jesus into my heart.
~ I was afforded opportunities to serve on mission teams and see up close what it means to share the Gospel with those who have never heard. You are never the same after an experience like that!
~ I learned responsibility and maturity through great jobs as a teenager ... being trusted and held to a high standard that continued throughout my life.
~ I have the joy of meeting with women once a month to study books that speak the truth of God's Word as it pertains to being a wife and a mother.
~ I am blessed, and still often surprised, that I have 7 former students who choose to spend time with me every other month and open their hearts and lives to me so I can walk alongside of them and love and encourage them through life.
~ Dennis and are able to serve in ministry together for the first time in 12 years! We love leading our marrieds group and feel a great sense of connection and encouragement from them.
~ I have a husband who works incredibly hard and sacrifices sleep and fun to keep me at home with our sons. I have always been and will continue to be grateful for such a gift!
~ I get to educate my boys at home!
~ I can see, hear, speak and make my body do what I want it to do. (even at 5 am!)
~ I am healthy. 38 years and I can walk and run and bike and pick up my kids ... I never forget how different life could be if these things were not possible ... I am blessed with good health.
~ I have people in my life who make me laugh out loud. A lot.
~ I love rain and wind and am grateful that I was created to enjoy them!
~ I have the privilege of studying Scripture every single day with my children. How I love seeing them "get it" and understand who their God truly is.
~ I am a mom. This is no small thing! It is a high calling, a difficult job, a position that is never retired, and an honor that deserves unending thankfulness to my God.
~ I get to see my children smile and feel their hugs every day.
~ I have people in my life who care about me, want to know how my heart is and will actually listen when I share. How valuable they are!
~ I have ears that are able to enjoy beautiful music and a mouth that is able to sing praises to the Lord.
~ I have a husband who is also my best friend.
~ I have friends who know my history and love me anyway.
~ I have new friends who are creating history WITH me.
~ The Lord has been faithful to convict me when I need to encourage another and does not let me rest until I am obedient. (A prayer I prayed in college 18 years ago!)
~ I was well-educated and therefore, am able to enjoy great literature, engage in critical thinking and deep discussions and process Scriptural truths.
~ I have grown in my personal maturity and more importantly, in spiritual maturity and I praise God for increased wisdom and understanding of His Word, of who He is and of human nature.
~ I praise, You, Lord, simply because you created me. You chose me, I did not choose You. And yet, my heart longs for You, for Your Word, for Your wisdom and for Your truth. Thank You ... for fearfully and wonderfully knitting me together with Divine perfection and having a plan for my life that You will be faithful to complete until the day You come to gather us to Yourself. Oh, what a day that will be! I love you, Lord. Thank you.
As my eyes opened at 4:40 to get up for my P90x workout (after waking every 2 hours to care for a sick baby) my mind immediately went to the Lord. He has been so good to me, so today I am going to celebrate HIM!
38 praises to my God:
~ I woke up today. He has given me a fresh start, another day to serve others and love Him.
~ I am a daughter of the KING!
~ I have a husband who cherishes and adores me.
~ I have 6 sons ...each one uniquely created by God with a purpose that I have the privilege of seeing unfold day by day.
~ I have parents who raised me and love me and want the best for me.
~ I have Dennis' family who treats me as their own daughter and always make me feel loved.
~ I have a brother who has always stood by my side and loved me, even in the hard moments.
~ I have a sister who is generous and likes to be with me. She makes me laugh!
~ I have a sister-in-law who is thoughtful and includes us in her life.
~ I have cousins and aunts and uncles who have willingly invested in my life and helped shape who I am.
~ I have friends who pursue me and give of themselves to me so I can be a better woman.
~ I am blessed with a church that preaches the Word of God without apology and stands firm in truth regardless of what culture says.
~ I have 24 hour access to the living, breathing Word of God.
~ I was privileged to be raised in a Christian home with parents who saw the value of placing God's Word and God's truth in my heart at a very early age.
~ I have had the honor of being a child of God for 33 years, since the tender age of 5, when I accepted Jesus into my heart.
~ I was afforded opportunities to serve on mission teams and see up close what it means to share the Gospel with those who have never heard. You are never the same after an experience like that!
~ I learned responsibility and maturity through great jobs as a teenager ... being trusted and held to a high standard that continued throughout my life.
~ I have the joy of meeting with women once a month to study books that speak the truth of God's Word as it pertains to being a wife and a mother.
~ I am blessed, and still often surprised, that I have 7 former students who choose to spend time with me every other month and open their hearts and lives to me so I can walk alongside of them and love and encourage them through life.
~ Dennis and are able to serve in ministry together for the first time in 12 years! We love leading our marrieds group and feel a great sense of connection and encouragement from them.
~ I have a husband who works incredibly hard and sacrifices sleep and fun to keep me at home with our sons. I have always been and will continue to be grateful for such a gift!
~ I get to educate my boys at home!
~ I can see, hear, speak and make my body do what I want it to do. (even at 5 am!)
~ I am healthy. 38 years and I can walk and run and bike and pick up my kids ... I never forget how different life could be if these things were not possible ... I am blessed with good health.
~ I have people in my life who make me laugh out loud. A lot.
~ I love rain and wind and am grateful that I was created to enjoy them!
~ I have the privilege of studying Scripture every single day with my children. How I love seeing them "get it" and understand who their God truly is.
~ I am a mom. This is no small thing! It is a high calling, a difficult job, a position that is never retired, and an honor that deserves unending thankfulness to my God.
~ I get to see my children smile and feel their hugs every day.
~ I have people in my life who care about me, want to know how my heart is and will actually listen when I share. How valuable they are!
~ I have ears that are able to enjoy beautiful music and a mouth that is able to sing praises to the Lord.
~ I have a husband who is also my best friend.
~ I have friends who know my history and love me anyway.
~ I have new friends who are creating history WITH me.
~ The Lord has been faithful to convict me when I need to encourage another and does not let me rest until I am obedient. (A prayer I prayed in college 18 years ago!)
~ I was well-educated and therefore, am able to enjoy great literature, engage in critical thinking and deep discussions and process Scriptural truths.
~ I have grown in my personal maturity and more importantly, in spiritual maturity and I praise God for increased wisdom and understanding of His Word, of who He is and of human nature.
~ I praise, You, Lord, simply because you created me. You chose me, I did not choose You. And yet, my heart longs for You, for Your Word, for Your wisdom and for Your truth. Thank You ... for fearfully and wonderfully knitting me together with Divine perfection and having a plan for my life that You will be faithful to complete until the day You come to gather us to Yourself. Oh, what a day that will be! I love you, Lord. Thank you.
10.02.2009
Book #10
If I say too much about this book you will have no reason to read it! (smile)I facilitated a book study last year and this was the book we read and discussed together. It is filled with the truths of motherhood form a Biblical perspective. It is incredibly encouraging, thought provoking and will inspire you to raise the bar higher in your approach to motherhood.
To give you a hint as to the premise of the book: (this is part of the announcement I gave at church to invite ladies to join me)
"We are not raising our children to get into an ivy league school, become CEO of a company or become an Olympic athlete.
We are raising them for eternity!
We can pursue those things and even accomplish them, but as Scripture says, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" At the end of the day, if our children do not have hearts turned toward the Lord, we have labored in vain."
Read it, read it! You will be glad you did! (And it makes an excellent gift for new moms)
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