Praying for Our Children

How many of you moms out there would rather donate a kidney than have one of your children be mistreated or rejected or watch them come up short? I don't think it matters what age they are or even how well they handle disappointment. I just take it personally when one of my kids is hurt or overlooked but, sadly, the scales don't always balance. This morning on my commute to work, I thought about a situation affecting my family right now and involving one of my kids.  By the end of the week, this child is likely to be either very happy or very disillusioned. I know how I think things should turn out, but I am really seeking God about how I need to respond either way.

In times like these, I believe God wants us to meditate on His Word and seek the greater lesson for our children, rather than worry about outcomes. Most of the scriptures I thought about this morning, I did not know word-for-word. I also didn't know the exact reference for many of them. I just did the best I could at recalling them and trusted that God knew my heart. After meditating on each truth, I prayed something simple but specific. Specific and relevant to my child's situation.

• "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." (Prov 13:20)  Lord, please surround _________with the right companions. I desire that above any temporary successes he/she may experience.
• "Let another praise you and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips." (Prov. 27:2)  Lord, may ___________ gain favor in the sight of those in authority over him/her. Let them see effort and integrity and strength of character, not just talent and skill. May my children be slow to speak about their own abilities, knowing that you are their Advocate and that you are trustworthy. You will raise them up at the proper time.
• "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes." (Deut 10:17)  Father, You are the Final Authority over all authorities. You have the last word and cast the final vote. Your Will is not swayed by popular opinion or politics or people's changing priorities. Accomplish Your Will in this situation. I'm not asking You to show partiality because that is contrary to Your character. I only ask that Your Will be done. Please dispense grace to ____________, to accept Your "yes" with humility or Your "no" with confidence and thanksgiving.
• "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God --that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:27-30)  Lord, I confess that my desires are often short-sighted and do not match up with what You deem to be of value. Please forgive me for this, and help me love only what you love. Lead my children, by Your Spirit, to pursue Christ...always first...to choose the things You would choose and to have no desire for things that do not please and honor You.
• "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering..." (Isa. 53:3)  Please remind ______________ at just the right moments, God, that Your Son was rejected by his own people. He did what was right, but that did not prevent His suffering. Remind _________ also that Jesus knew His mission was greater than short-lived acceptance. He had a calling to glorify His Father at all costs. We have the same calling. Help us live beyond these ordinary moments in full awareness of eternity, knowing that Your Word says we have been "rejected by man but chosen by God and precious to Him." (1 Pet 2:4) What an honor it is to be precious to you, oh God! Help ________ know how precious he/she is to You.

By the time I got to the office this morning, I was spilling over with hope and joy for my child because I had been reminded that God is in control and He is always working on our behalf. I looked up references for the verses brought to mind in the car and am blogging today in hopes that I can encourage a mom who is just about ready to give up on praying for her child or give in to the discouragement that so often comes with parenting. Don't do it! Before I left the house this morning, I was right there with you, almost convinced that the only choice I had was to wait until the end of the week and then react to whatever happens.  My child, who so often takes his/her cues from me, would then do the same. When I recognized that the enemy wants to rob us of today because he knows Christ has already secured our futures, I refused to wait passively. In the waiting, I will pray. I will listen for God's voice. And I will try to teach my child to do the same.

~Maria

Do for just ONE

I listened to a message by the prolific Pastor Andy Stanley yesterday. Now, as those of us who attend a church service regularly know, there are usually nuggets of information that we take away each week that really speak to our heart. Little pieces of scripture or a one-liner that resonates with our own life, our own experience or our own need for encouragement. Yesterday, my husband and I were both moved by Andy Stanley's bold declaration because it felt so polar opposite to what we have expected..and accepted...from other pastoral influences. 
I encourage you to watch the message~ you will be inspired, I promise! 

 I'm going to paraphrase the gist of his 36 minute sermon into just this:
Just because we can't do for everyone does not give us the excuse not to do for one. 


Of course we all remember people telling us~ for as long as our memory serves~ that we can't be the exception. Why? Because it wouldn't be fair. "If I do that for you, then I would have to do that for everyone."

I don't know about you but I truly accepted that explanation until now. After all, I'm definitely not interested in anyone being treated unfairly. But it's not as simple as that; simplifying life into an if/then scenario is the entirely wrong angle. Fortunately, I haven't necessarily lived by that force fed rule~ something must have clicked inside of me long ago that the "fair" response lacked any real truth or substance.  For instance, several years ago, I assisted in a middle school classroom. One of the students was a young man who came from a highly dysfunctional home, lacking in every type of support imaginable. As a result, his social skills were delayed and I noticed he spent lunch periods alone and, often, without food.  No, he wasn't the only child in that school with needs, BUT he was the only child that I became aware of who didn't mind hanging out with a teachers aide in the classroom and sharing a lunch. Different kids would wander in and out of that room every lunch period to catch up on homework or study for a test but this one child was there every day because his needs were being met with a sandwich and some idle conversation with someone who cared. In other words, I didn't choose to do nothing just because I couldn't accommodate everyone. 


Several months ago, while promoting a benefit for an enormously worthwhile cause that had stirred a lot of interest within my church, I heard and accepted "I can't allow you to place informational flyers for this event behind the information desk because if I do it for you, I have to do it for everyone."


Well, the truth is this.
You could have. You should have.
It was the right thing to do. 


That one erroneous and misguided explanation from a decision-maker within my church changed my outlook on what my church was all about. When I went on to explain that this was an outreach being placed on the hearts of a small group OF this church, his response was startling. "Do you know how many requests we get for outreach support? We can't possibly do them all." 


Well, the truth is this.
I wasn't even asking for money. I was asking for some counter space. 
You could have done for one what you couldn't do for everyone. 


Don't lose sight of the big picture, friends. Don't let the words "if I do it for you, I have to do it for everyone" be part of your vocabulary. Start with doing something for just ONE. You can't make a difference for anyone if you're not making a difference for someone. 


Blessings,
Amy

God Speaks!

A friend of mine posted in Facebook last week that he wonders what would happen if we all just said a prayer for the very first person in our line of sight. He asked if everyone reading his post would just stop right there and pray, whether they knew who they were praying for or not. It reminded me of a time that AL and I went for a little weekend excursion.

So most of you guys know that AL and I love to ride our Harley. Since neither one of us had any obligations one weekend (and this does NOT occur often), we decided to take a short two day trip to Orlando on the bike and just be-bop around town. Considering my career in the motor vehicle accident serious injury field, you can bet that there are certain highways that make me a little nervous. One of those being the road to Orlando, good ol'e I-4.

I am very confident in Al's ability to drive safe and keep us from harm but there is always that "other" driver. I usually have no problem whatsoever falling asleep on the back of the Harley only to awaken when my helmut "clunks" the back of Al's helmut. It is a certain sign to Al, that I have once again fallen asleep. It's really easy to do, with the hum of the wind in your ears and the rumble of the exhaust.

Well, I really didn't want to fall asleep on I-4 this Saturday morning. I also didn't want to distract Al with talking and carrying on a conversation, so I was trying to think of a way to keep myself entertained and not fall asleep when I had this wonderful idea! I decided to pray for every occupant of every car or truck that we passed or that passed us. I started this at about the Plant City exit. Each vehicle that we came across, I prayed individual prayers. There was the older couple in the blue Camry. I prayed for their health and that they are able to enjoy retirement and that they have a relationship with God and can lean on that when times get tough. I prayed for the teenager in the green Volkswagon Jetta. I prayed that he would have a relationship with our wonderful God and make the right choices in his life for his future. I prayed for a young family with an infant in a car seat, that they would bring up their child to know God and that their marriage would be blessed. I prayed for a business man on a cell phone in a black BMW (nice car!) who looked like he was working/driving/stressing on a Saturday. I prayed that he knew God and that above all things, God is in control and that he had time to stop and smell the roses with the important people in his life. I continued on in this manner until we reached Kissimee. I probably prayed for over 100 strangers!

The traffic started to pick up and I was losing my place. Cars were passing by... and there was the white van and then the red truck....and .... and wait, I want to pray for the Publix driver of the Semi..... and then there were five other cars that got away. I was getting all messed up so I decided that I was done. We were almost at our destination. Now let me just mention that the sky was an endless sea of clear blue. It was the most perfect riding weather we have had as far as I can remember. I could see the sky for miles. So here I am, sitting on the back of the bike, traveling through Kissimee, all done praying and thinking, "man, it sure would be nice to get some kind of sign that my prayers were acknowledged. I know we are not supposed to ask God to "prove" that he hears us but I really just wanted something little. I mean, I had just prayed for 45 minuted straight for a ton of strangers that I will never meet. I started to look for the little metal fish that Christians put on the back of their cars. I figured I would take this as my sign.................boy, did I have another thing coming!!

As I am looking for a little fish sign, I notice that there are 2 strange lines up in the sky. Not clouds but just lines, then I realized that an airplane was creating the lines. I watched a little bit longer, wondering what he was doing....who knows how many fish I was missing but I was very curious as to what this pilot was doing. He started his third line and it was clearly going to be a smile. Ok, this is too cool and I have been really quiet so as not to distract AL but GOD IS TALKING TO ME!! I was so excited, so I lean forward and tell Al to look at the smiley face drawn by the pilot and I tell him about the prayers and the sign and I am ready to flip off the back of the bike. Well, the pilot kept going and the next thing we saw was a "J" !!! I said to Al, "Oh my gosh, if that is gonna say Jesus, I am gonna have a heart attack!!"

Sure enough, he spelled out Jesus and then he completed his sentence, "Jesus loves u"....So now we have Al trying to watch the sky, and the traffic and his hysterical wife on the back of the Harley BEGGING him to pull over......WE HAVE TO GET THIS PICTURE!!!! ..... this was one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me...here I was looking for a small little "sign" and God decides to send me a message that could probably be read by the entire city of Orlando. It was so cool! We pulled off the interstate into a bank parking lot and shot a couple pictures. This one was the best.

By now, Al and I are pulled over into a parking lot and taking pictures and just exclaiming how wonderful God is. We were absolutely beside ourselves. People were walking down the sidewalk, cutting through the parking lot, looking at these two crazy bikers making a big deal about this wonderful sky, it was all so awesome! Well, we get back on the bike to continue to our destination and Mr. "Send- Peggy- A- Message- Pilot" is still going strong and of course we were really curious....................the next letter was a "P"............I was about to faint right then and there on International Boulevard..........I was sure he was about to spell PEGGY and that I was about to meet my maker.......... ...he continued on to spell Praise God.... wow was that close! It was awesome.

When God speaks he uses unsuspecting people to get his message across. That pilot will never know how exciting this was to us, and the 100 or so people that I prayed for will never know that they were thought of on a Saturday morning. We never really know what ripple in the ocean our actions cause. Maybe some of the pedestrians that day were "caused" to look up at the sky because of the big deal AL and I made in that parking lot. Who knows. But God loves me and he loves you too. He said so.

The Big 7

I'm not able to articulate why certain subjects pop into my head but this morning, as I intended to blog about something else entirely, the 7 deadly sins just kept rolling around in my otherwise foggy, not-yet-caffeinated brain.
Where in the world did they come from? Am I committing all 7?

You are probably aware of the following factoids but let me bring you up to speed on the historical significance and then we'll talk about these little (big?) thorns in our side.

• Initially, Greek monastic theologian Evagrius of Pontus first drew up a list of eight offenses and wicked human passions:. They were, in order of increasing seriousness: gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia, vainglory, and pride. 
• In the late 6th century, Pope Gregory the Great reduced the list to seven items, folding vainglory into pride, acedia into sadness, and adding envy 
• He decided the most serious to least as follows: pride, envy, anger, sadness, avarice, gluttony, and lust. The criteria? Based on the degree from which they offended against love. Interesting! 

This last point is where I want us to zero in. The 7 deadly sins were ranked according to how flagrant their offense was against love. Of course, the bible repeatedly tells us how important love is (1 Corinthians 13:13, for instance) but do we live our days focused on not offending the gift of love? Love for our Creator, for our family, our friends, the oppressed, etc.?




Let's first look at pride. Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise and is otherwise known as vanity. C.S. Lewis says this, "A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you." Wow.

So, as food for thought, here are some reference points to see if your prideful spirit is in check. (Oh, this thorn really is sticking in my side this morning.)

Do you have a need to out perform anyone else? In terms of appearance, finances, accomplishments...?

Do you thrive on being the center of attention?

Are you resentful of criticism?

Is it tough to apologize?

Are some tasks too menial for you?


I'm not going to leave you all beat up and battered today. No, lift your head up! When we know better, we can do better. We can start by turning our focus on others; recognizing their accomplishments and watching them shine. We can do something for someone without any need for kudos. We can reach down and give someone a leg up. God sees what we're doing and that's more than enough!

Start small on making needed adjustments and watch the joy in your heart increase tenfold.

Be blessed!

Amy

It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To!

I've been working slowly and thoughtfully through a book during my quiet times called Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. The book's premise is that many of the struggles Christian women face are rooted in the lies that they have come to believe over time - lies about God, relationships, self-worth, emotions, sin, and priorities, for example. The further along I get in my study, the more I am learning about why I react to things like I do or why I've always struggled with a particular sin as opposed to some other. It's really pretty liberating, and God's been faithful to grow me in those areas that I've been willing to bring into the light. This week has been tough though. I'd place it under the heading of "Things-You-Need-To-Know-About-Yourself-But-Really-Don't-Want-To Hear". Yesterday, I dug deep into the lie that tells me "I have my rights.".

Though I adamantly denied placing any kind of expectations on God for His blessing and favor, my emotions and behavior indicate that I definitely believe I have a right to certain things. And since I had already decided when I started reading the book that I wasn't going to lie to myself about anything presented, I thought that I may as well do a little homework to see if expecting things of God and claiming my own rights are one and the same thing. Two "exercises" helped me get real.

First, I started making a list of things to which I believe I have a right. For example:

I have a right to have my husband and kids help out around the house.

I have a right to a good night's sleep.

I have a right to be understood.

I have a right to time off from work and an occasional vacation.
I have a right to be treated with respect.

(And, of course,) I have a right to be angry when my rights are violated.

As I looked over my list, I realized that most, if not all, of these "rights" hinge on the blessing of God. Does that mean there is really little, if any, difference between claiming my rights and demanding them of God? I think the two are more similar than most of us care to admit.  The Bible says that it is God who holds all things together; it is His Spirit that moves in the hearts of men; all authority is under His feet, right? So when things don't go as planned, and I get mad, am I holding God responsible? The question prompted another reality check, so I thought back to the last three (3) times I got really mad at God. It took a little time, but you know what I discovered? Pride. The bottom line in all three situations was that I was angry with how things turned out because it inconvenienced or slighted or hurt me. I had worked so hard. Life wasn't fair (to me). Things made no sense (to me). Why did that have to happen (to me)?

The Old Testament tells us about a prophet named Jonah who serves as a powerful example for us on this subject. If you've never read this book in The Bible, stop now and go read it. I'll wait for you. Jonah believed he had a right to minister where he wanted to minister, and it was NOT Ninevah. Ninevah was an awful place, he thought, and "those people" were pagans." Jonah believed he had a right to hate the Ninevites, even to wish God would judge them harshly for their sin. Instead, God forgave them, and Jonah was ticked! He had a pity-party and temper-tantrum all rolled into one. Rather than feel sorry for him or stroke his wounded ego, God got straight to the heart of the matter when he asked Jonah, "Do you have any right to be angry?" (Jonah 4:4). He had to ask the question again in verse 9. Poor Jonah was clueless. And often, so am I.

DeMoss states in her book that the key to living the Christian life is found, not in insisting on our rights, but in yielding them. That is exactly what Jesus did. He traded His home in heaven and His position at the right hand of The Father to take on the form of man. He came to people who did not receive or understand Him. He humbled Himself, even to the point of death on a cross. ...Kinda makes my right to a good night's sleep look pretty lame. Maybe next time my loud neighbor keeps me awake, I should just stop and pray for him. And maybe the next time another one of my rights is violated, I should just let it go. I should look for a way to model Jesus to my world, instead of pouting and setting a bad example. It's something I'm determined to work on...I'll keep you posted on my progress.

~Maria

High Fashion

I'm a jeans and sweatshirt kind of girl. In my family, my sister was the one who cared about clothes, while I was always much more concerned with comfort. If you knew us both then or know us now, you know that not much has changed in that regard. Still, I have to admit that, despite my disinterest in color palettes or what's-in, I love putting on something new. Shoes. A sweater. Jeans. A skirt, top, or scarf. It makes no difference. Wearing something new can almost make me care about "looking good."

You may be shocked to learn that God cares about what we wear. Yep, it's true. Oh...Don't worry. This isn't a blog about modesty or whether it's OK to sport shorts and flip flops to Sunday morning worship services. God's concerns run much deeper. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." It shouldn't surprise us then that He has something to say about the fashion of our hearts. Take a look at what I read this morning in Colossians 3.

"...So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. 

Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires.
Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater,

             worshiping the things of this world...

You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.

 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 

Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and

 become like him...Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves,

 you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,

 kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.

For as members of one body you are called to live in peace." (vv 5-10, 12-15)

The Message (which I, incidentally, LOVE) puts verse 9 this way:

"You're done with that old life.

It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire.

Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe.

Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it.

All the old fashions are now obsolete."

Don't you appreciate the vivid word-picture that Paul painted for us? How do we not get it? Christ didn't come just to make us look better. He came because we were spiritually dead and bankrupt! Why is it that, having been given spiritual life, we continue to wear the old clothes in which we were buried? It's time to throw out the garments of pride, greed, anger, and all the rest, and begin consciously and carefully outfitting our hearts each day as God has designed.
Total, uninhibited access to my heart is what Christ commands. Because I want to experience a fresh move of God in my life and have it spill over into my marriage, my home, my work, and my church, I am committed to whispering this simple prayer each morning and throughout my days --beginning today. If you feel led, I hope some of you will join me.

Clothe me in Christ, Father, by the power of Your Spirit. Amen.
~Maria

A Trip to the Inside

I leave tomorrow.  I will fly through Paris (drool out the window and wish it were an 18 hour layover) and land in Riga, Latvia.  I will be flying there with 22 orphans who will be returning from their winter host trip.  It is going to be a big, heavy, emotional, powerful, and beautiful trip.

I will be staying for 12 days with two other amazing women and I will be interviewing and photographing more orphans for the summer host program with Project One Forty Three.

I will be going to orphanage after orphanage, meeting child after child who wants and needs the same things: love, a family, a chance, to belong, to be wanted, to be rescued.  I will meet them, love on them, and leave.

I need much prayer... much prayer.

I had a dream the other night.  We were looking for a house and the realtor took me to the craziest place.  It was in the middle of town and there was this huge wall and gate.  The gate opened and our car went inside and it was an entirely different world... right there in the middle of mine.  Everything was run down and stores were empty.  The sky was gray and there was smoke everywhere and people walking everywhere and garbage was everywhere.  It was horrible.  Tall dark buildings were everywhere and they were apartment buildings.

I could not believe the realtor had brought me there.  I was mad and confused.  Did he not know me better than that?  Did he really think I would want an apartment here?  I felt like he was wasting my time and then it got worse.

He took me to an apartment and this sweet woman opened the door to show me and try to sell me her apartment.  It was filthy.  I could tell she had tried to clean it up for me but with little success.  Many of the walls only had a layer of paper in holes separating the cold from outside.  I walked through to be gracious to her.  Then I politely thanked her and told her she had a lovely home.  "So you will buy it," she said.  "No, I can't it is not big enough," I replied.  She looked at me with imploring eyes and then started trying to convince me it was big enough.  I could hardly hear her for the sound of the thoughts running through my head. 

Earlier, one of the realtors in the office had made a comment about her taking her own life... they feared she may commit suicide.  So as she stood before me in panic, "needing" me to buy her apartment to live, wringing her hands and imploring... all I could think about was, "You are here now, you see this, you know this, you are now responsible... this is your responsibility... you can't just walk away now."

I woke up tired.  You know those dreams that just zap all the energy out of you?  I started telling Don my dream and it hit me.  We have been looking for another house and so I was confused at first about what it meant but then it hit me.  This dream was not about houses.  It was about my trip.  It was about children.  About lives.  About hope.

I was about to go in... to the inside.  We have adopted three children, we have hosted three, we sponsor three, and we have been child advocates for years.  But I have never really been "inside".

I was about to be way responsible.  I felt a weight of heaviness and dread.

The next night, we worshipped with a dear group of believers and they prayed over me.  One precious woman spoke words that smacked me.  "You are not responsible.  You will go love them and you will come back and be their voice.  But you can trust God with the rest."  I sobbed.  I needed that so badly.  And the LORD knew it.  And He gave it to me. Peace.  Sweet Peace.

And even though I am going "inside"...  I will love them and look for opportunities to share Christ with them.  I will photograph them.  And I will leave.  I will return and I will be their voice and I will try so hard to find host families for them.  But I do not hold the weight of responsibility.  It is in the LORD'S hands.  They are in the LORD'S hands.  He is WAY WAY bigger than I am!  I will obey and do my part... the part He designed for me.  And He will do the rest.

Please pray for me.  Please let the Holy Spirit guide you in prayer and pray every time you think about it.

Thank you... much much love,

Dawn

I'm Interested if YOU are

This is for the girls who are married or want to be. Can we talk football?
If your man loves football (and I realize there are many who couldn't care less about it), then I hope you watched some NFL playoffs and the BCS Championship over the last few days. Why? Well, for one thing....your husband likes it when you take an interest in things he enjoys!

Imagine the day you take your husband/boyfriend to the mall and instead of finding a massage chair in the middle of the mall to park his fanny in or instead of groaning every time you head to the dressing room, he actually cheered you on to a wardrobe touchdown! Let's imagine him smiling instead of grimacing when you literally jump up and down, squealing in delight about the 50% off sale going on at Macy's. What if he actually dragged you to the shoe department and bought those sky high heels you've had your eye on for months...just because?
Admit it. We like it when he cares about what we care about. In all honesty, he could feign interest but if he did it with a good attitude, we'd appreciate the effort.

Some of us have gotten a little lazy.

Instead of seeing his interests as an opportunity for inclusion, we complain. Maybe it's not football....maybe it's some other hobby he has that you despise. Maybe (oh, how I detest this word....) we have nagged him about his hobby. Guilty as charged. It just so happens I LOVE football but I resent the time my husband spends in the gym and I let him know it. Often.

Ladies, we don't have to be joined at the hip with our guy every moment of the day but maybe we should reconsider if we're pushing away the people we love most.

Get in the game! Surprise him by caring about what he cares about~ there's no greater gift!

Be blessed,
Amy

Made for More

Can I just be honest? There's this "thing" on my heart right now that I am having trouble relinquishing. I know I should let it go and, more importantly, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I know I can. Trouble is (and forgive me for ending this sentence with a preposition, Mike Brooks), I really don't want to, and that leaves me more than a little frustrated with myself. Will God eventually force me into it, back me into a corner until I have no choice but to cry, "Uncle!"? I think not. Instead, His still, small voice whispers to me about eternity, and I'm left knowing how wrong I am to allow bitterness to grow even the smallest root in me. It happened again last night. My husband looked at me and said (about something entirely different), "You know, in the big scheme of things, this does not matter. God's Will is bigger than our plans." He didn't whisper it, but he might as well have.

Rick Warren, author of the The Purpose-Driven Life, has this to say:
"'The wise King Solomon once wrote: “He [God] has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people can’t see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT). In other words, it seems God has purposely frustrated us. He made us with a capacity for eternal things yet kept us from the full knowledge of what He is up to. And why would He do that unless He wanted us to seek after Him and perhaps find Him? (Acts 17:27)"

I have to admit that I don't walk around thinking about eternity all that much, but I don't really think that's what God wants me to do. If He did, why bother giving us an earthly existence at all? Rather, I think He wants me to live with an eternal perspective, to be constantly aware and tuned into the fact that this life is not all there is and that most of the things I worry about or am preoccupied with are fleeting, momentary, and transient. Devoting my time and energy to transient things, wishing people would change or holding grudges or wanting to always be right or fill in the blank here, when I could be doing something meaningful...Well, it's hardly a fair trade. God is in the business of redemption, of making beauty from ashes. This is what He says he wants to do for us.
        "...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
         the oil of joy instead of mourning,
         and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
         They will be called oaks of righteousness,
         a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." (Isaiah 61:3)
His purpose for you and me in this life has something to do with preparation for the next, and with growing us in such a way that--by virtue of our forever relationship with Him--we reflect His light and love to those around us. While I am of no good with my head in the clouds, I'm also useless if my life is bogged down with meaningless concerns and pointless priorities. We must balance the here and now with a certainty of the there and then.

Warren asks another question that I've been chewing on for a couple of days now: “Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing today?” (Purpose-Driven Life, day 4)  I haven't arrived at a final answer, but I know it includes a renewed commitment to spend more of my resources, including my time and energy, on things that endure. My day-to-day existence needs to be driven by an eternal viewpoint, making me more responsible with things that matter and less preoccupied with what doesn't. It's time to get serious about this.

~Maria

You Have a Core Story

I wrote this on my personal blog this morning and decided to share here, as well. To those who follow both blogs, my apologies for duplication! 

This past weekend, I went to my second favorite place on earth, Barnes and Noble. The interesting thing about B&N for me is that I mostly find myself walking through their doors when I’m in need of escape and, oftentimes, during a shadowy trial in my life. In times of need, I return to my first love. Books.
Even though I own a Nook and could download most any title effortlessly without the commute, nothing satisfies like a hot cup of Starbucks (greatest business duo on the planet, incidentally) and a pile of hardbacks while nestled in an uncomfortable chair tucked in a corner. 

I somehow find peace there, in the midst of people who speak too loudly and children who run unsupervised. That’s an unexpected irony for someone like me, my natural tendency moving in the opposite direction from those who are “laid back”.

It turns out that I came across a book last weekend which was fascinating even after reading the jacket, helping me to identify why I’m not laid back.  This book has challenged me and I’m not out of the first chapter! The premise is that we all function as adults, be it positive or negative, as a direct result of our Core Story. Each and every one of us have the personality that God created in us but we also carry the story of our upbringing, the events of our childhood, and the lives our caretakers modeled.
As I have mentioned here before, I love my parents. They provided a meticulous upper middle class home and none of my basic needs were unmet.
I had the ice cream sundae childhood in comparison to many but I may have been missing the “cherry on top”. My Core Story lacked faith in anything greater than man and my Core Story lacked affection, honor and even integrity. Most importantly, maybe, above all things is this: My Core Story lacked security and peace…. and I wonder why I am not the laid back person I long to be?

I’ve learned that passivity and peace were actually personality traits God blessed me with before the world around me had its way. I remember that little girl, quietly content and absorbed by books and aspirations. I’m just beginning to remember who she was before she chased validation from the wrong people and places and before she had her heart broken.

Really broken, not childhood crush broken.

My “cherry on top” as an adult is that I have hope to regain who I was meant to be when my Creator set about my blueprint. I have the promise that my Core Story can be conquered; in fact, I can use the deficits to my advantage according to this author..and though I don’t know how yet and can only dare to imagine the possibility of it actually happening, I am going to try. And I will keep you posted.

James 3:18 (Amplified Bible)
And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God’s will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts].

Be blessed!
Amy 

Laying it down and letting it fly!

I went to counseling this morning.  Yes.  I-went-to-counseling-this-morning. 

For a while we have struggled with the behavior of one of our children and it has been such a constant struggle that I am simply empty.  Being so empty has left me ready to snap like a dry twig in a hurricane.  And I have... snapped.  Then I have super glued it back together only to snap again under pressure.  I have prayed and searched and prayed and searched and what I needed was not coming.  Yes.  I prayed.  And I still was left wanting... needing... searching.

We found a counselor who can see me/us and our daughter separately.  And already I feel hope.  Already I know that God has led us here and has plans to reveal things to us through this precious woman of God who is stepping into our ugly with experience and light.

This morning I was telling her that I have an overall guilt that I made mistakes in the past that have contributed to our daughters behavior and lack of attachment/connection.  This guilt of things I think I may have done wrong leave me in a tangled mess and anxiety of how to do things now.  Is she being manipulative or is there a real need?  Is she trying to control or is there a real need?  Does she understand what I am saying or not?  Do I extend grace to her now or let the consequence come?  Did she forget?  Do I give her grace for another chance or do I let the consequence come?  Does she need more time alone or more time one on one?  This process alone leaves me frazzled.

And she said to me words that I understand but that are hard to live.  "Lay it down."  The guilt I feel is from the enemy who wants to not only bind me up in all that should have/could have/then she would have mess stuff... but to also steal any joy I can have in relationship with her now.  And the now is what can change.

"Lay it down."  How do I lay it down?  Sometimes it moves me to tears.  What does it really look like to lay it down... the guilt of things that may or may not be contributing factors to what we are dealing with today.  How do I really let it go and tell the enemy to leave with his lies and attack me no more? 

Well, accepting the truth of where the guilt comes from... the enemy and father of lies... is step one.  Realizing that I have authority over him as a child of God is step two.  Believing I am free in Christ is three and rebuking him is four.

It's funny sometimes how God can "show" us something so suddenly.  Instead of laying it down... the Lord has given me an idea.  I am going to let it fly... fly away.  I am going to get a helium balloon and I am going to write down the lies that the enemy has told me of my time with her right after we adopted her and I am going to let it go... to fly away.  And I am going to carry it no more.  And when the enemy tries to write it on my heart again, I am going to not so kindly remind him that it has been written and flown away... to wound me no more.

I am so happy we have found this counselor.  I am humbled how God can use others to speak His love and truth to us in such a tangible way.  I look forward to what else we discover together.

Do you have something to lay down or let fly!?  I encourage you to embrace it and let it go... today!

Much, much love... Dawn

POST EDIT~~~  I just wrote down the lies I have entertained on a silver balloon.  I went outside and let it go.  The wind quickly caught it and it started spinning in circles as it floated away.  Laughter was given to me as I watched it dance away and I was left with joy.  I PRAISE the LORD for taking it from me.  And I am so thankful for your sweet comments.  This morning, when the counselor watched me process "laying it down"... she said to me, "This scripture just came to my mind for you... Therefore there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus..."  It was Romans 8.  To see it here again tonight is such a sweet confirmation from the Father and I will embrace it.  THANK YOU for your love and encouragement!

Religion, To Be or Not To Be

I'm all worked up and need to share. This is an excerpt from a previous opinion I have written.

Christianity...it's not about religion or rituals or activities to exonerate ourselves for our human-ness. It is a personal relationship with God, the Father, and knowing how deeply He loves us. It is the inner desire for my family, friends and co-workers to see Jesus in me.

Yes, I sin every day, not as a plan, but as a default. It is my personal responsibility to keep myself in check and strive every day to "clean the glass" so that you can see Jesus in me more clearly. There is no gray in this world. It is black and white. You cannot appreciate the love of a Father or the beauty in the sky, or the oceans or the mountains and not know that our Creator is a Master. The bible could not have survived and stood as strong as it has if it was just some fairytale, despite the fact of innumerable translations.

There is a power beyond explanation that washes through my soul and through my heart knowing that I was created by purpose and not some accidental pollination. I know that to see hypocrisy and greed in a church is one of the most damaging things to our legacy and it makes me hide my head in shame. I have a lot of issues with organized religion and could go on with you for days about our personal experience. It was damaging and painful and when church hurts, it can burn right through to the core. Religion isn't really an "out" because more than not, religion will find a way to make you feel bad...not good enough, not worthy, not clean.

It is not about religion. It is about God, He knows the heart and He knows why you are there. I go to church to worship, to share my gifts, to learn and to fellowship. It is accountability to a certain degree. It is definitely not my excuse to misbehave the rest of the week. Faith comes from within and covers you like rain when you need it most. When a Christian, or a pastor, is called down to his knees with sin and shame, I think of it as target practice. Satan gets the most points for how many people he can make think, "see, and he said he was a Christian". No one is out of reach to "evil" that can be used to destroy faith in others. Why does God let bad things happen to good people? I don't believe he does. It is the way of this earth and when and if bad things happen to me, He will be there to get me through it. He said so.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-29

What's going on in the Ladies Room?!

There is something about women that men cannot and will not understand. I don't really understand the why's either, to be honest, but the fact is this: women friends chat about real life in the ladies room.

Secretly, I think men are terrified when they see their wife slip off to the restroom with a friend. First of all, there's the delay involved. Yes, our conversation will be extensive and we will be M.I.A. until our situation is either resolved or, at the very least, verbalized and dissected. Secondly, we may return from the restroom upset but we don't want you to notice. Our emotions have been purged and we prefer for you to ignore the obvious and tell us how much you missed us while we were gone. Thirdly, because men tend to avoid chit chat in public restrooms, they believe our discussions must be of dire importance. Relax, men. This is not necessarily the case. Real life is neither critical or whimsical~ it's cyclical. It just depends. For instance, if we're at a Kenny Chesney concert, we go together because we don't want to be bored. If we go during a double-date, we might be talking about you. (Sorry, I'm just sayin'...)

The reason WHY depends on the situation...

The point is this...the venue is unimportant. So what if there's multiple stalls, two sinks and an annoying hand dryer? Find a place and get real with someone. Confide, share and talk.
Many churches strongly urge their parishioners to become involved in small groups and it's not because the church is attempting to distance themselves from the responsibility of ministry. Smaller, more intimate settings give us the opportunity to truly connect with other people. The reality is that most of us don't have a Pastor at our fingertips to guide us, support us, offer accountability, etc. but a small group of people or even ONE person can be what's missing in your spiritual walk. Have you prayed for God to show you who might be your prayer partner(s)?

Like a real talk between friends in the bathroom, we need real talks with our sisters in Christ (and the men in our lives need it, too!). Since the very early church, cell groups were encouraged to break bread together, share their faith and have fellowship.  Sisters, my prayer for you today is that you become connected with another believer. God will do some amazing, powerful work in our lives when we do.

Acts 2:46-47
Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts, praising God, and enjoying the good will of all the people. And every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.

Amen!
Be blessed!

Amy