What Do You Do With Disappointment?

*You thought you’d be married by the time you turned 30, but it didn’t happen.

*You thought you’d have a baby by now & you’re still waiting after 5 yrs. 

*You thought you’d be accepted into that school or program but you weren’t chosen. 

*You thought you’d get the promotion but instead you were laid off. 

*You thought you’d have a healthy baby but your child has multiple disabilities.

The list of things that can disappoint us are endless whether it’s a simple interruption to your daily routine, cancelled plans, or a life-altering accident that leaves you with a debilitating condition.  Disappointment is undeniably unavoidable.  The longer you live the more disappointments you’ll most likely face.  Unfortunately disappointment can easily turn into despair and depression.  Many times when I get disappointed I quickly fall into the “Woe is me” pit.  I throw myself a pity party.  In those times, I get so wrapped up in the temporal that I refuse to think about eternal things that truly matter.  By God’s grace I pry myself out of that depressing party a lot quicker than I used to.  There are several promises that I strive to turn to and meditate on when I’m disappointed. 

Here’s a list of 6 of them: 
*The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me! (Psalm 138:8)

*God will supply all that I need at all times in order to abound in every good work! (2 Cor.9:8)

*Nothing can separate me from Christ’s love! (Romans 8:35-39)

*Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing!  (Psalm 34:10)

*Nothing can hinder God's plans for me! (Job 42:2)

*For those who love God all things will work together for good! (Romans 8:28)

God’s Word is our only lifeline from drowning in the sea of disappointment.  God is always doing much more than we can think or imagine through each of our disappointments.  Every promise of God finds its Yes in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20)!  Those of us who have put our trust in Christ can claim all His promises as our own.  He will never leave nor forsake his blood-bought children (Hebrews 13:5; Eph. 1:7)!  

No way; I'm NOT praying for that!

A few years ago as a mom of a young child with multiple disabilities, my prayer requests list for my son was like a grocery shopping list. There were major requests like, "Lord, please spare my son's eye sight during this glaucoma surgery. Please enable him to walk before he turns 3. Please stop his seizures before he stops breathing and goes limp." The list goes on & on.

During that time, I couldn't stand to be in prayer circles of other moms sharing their requests. I had a hard heart towards them and refused to pray for a picky eater, teething, potty training issues, or a sick pet. I would think, "Are you kidding; is that the most dire thing in your life you deal with?!?!"

Thankfully, the Lord began to show me that I had a pride issue of wanting everyone to suffer like me and not wanting anyone to have it better than I did. Also, He showed me my discontentment to the circumstances that He allowed in my life.

Praise the Lord that my heart has been softened and now I share the burdens of my sisters in Christ and strive not to compare my circumstances to them. God uses each of our unique trials to perfect us (James 1:2-4) and conform us to his image (Romans 8:28-29). Through His grace, we can lay aside our concerns and truly "rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15) even if their load is a lot lighter than ours and they receive the blessing that we've been longing for.

Trust Him; He is doing something greater than you could imagine (Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 55:9). Many times that greater thing is transforming our mind to know His good, acceptable, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). As we persevere through our difficult circumstances, May we find much joy in being God's beloved image bearers of Christ!

Staying Sober On My 35th Birthday

Lord, help me to stay sober...
As I recall that I'm but dust,
only in You should I put my trust.

Lord, help me to stay sober...
Instead of being caught up in the latest fad,
let Your presence alone make me glad.

Lord, help me to stay sober...
When I become consumed with what I can be eating,
remind me that my life is fleeting.

Lord, help me to stay sober...
Let the idols of my heart be destroyed,
So that freedom in Christ will be enjoyed.

Lord, help me to stay sober...
Because this life is almost over.
Then You will come for me
And I'll live with You for eternity.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7

No Beauty To Behold

Magazines, billboards, and television constantly display the image of worldly beauty. From hair styles, to make-up, to clothing, etc we all are bombarded with society’s view of beauty. We see images of the “perfect” complexion, the “perfect” hair color/style, and the “perfect” figure. There is even a beauty category for children; the world usually calls these children cute and adorable. As a mom of a child with mental disabilities and facial abnormalities, I am constantly reminded of the world’s view of beauty when we’re out in public. When we go places together, my daughter constantly gets comments on how cute she is. However, my son just gets stares or those awkward smiles of pity.

In a world where looks and appearance are everything, it’s very difficult to not feel isolated if you don’t fit the status quo. When you’re a family that has been affected by disabilities, you really feel the weight of the fact that you definitely don’t fit the world’s beauty standard. In my son's early years, I used to dread having to go out in public. I felt like my child was a magnet for stares and I would get asked personal questions as I mentioned in this post. Many times I would go into my car and weep. It’s been 7½ years now and it still bothers me, but the Lord has enabled me to be more prayed up and saturated with His Word when I’m about to enter those situations.

Focusing on biblical truths like the ones that I listed here has been a great help for me in not becoming an emotional wreck when we go in public with my son. The passage of scripture that encourages me the most says,

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isaiah 53:2-3

When I read that Jesus knows exactly what it’s like to not fit the world’s standard of beauty, my heart is truly encouraged. Whether you are a parent of a child with special needs or disabilities or if you just don’t fit the world’s view of beauty, I hope you will be encouraged today by knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ can relate. He endured more shame, rejection, and isolation than anyone has ever experienced. In spite of all that, He endured the agony of the cross on our behalf (Read the rest of Isaiah 53). Now that’s a Beautiful Savior!

At 25 Weeks

At 25 weeks of pregnancy, 7 yrs ago…
• I delivered a 1 lb 13 oz baby boy.
• I was told that my baby may not live past 48 hrs.
• I was in a complete state of numbness, disbelief, and extreme sadness.
• My sadness quickly turned into anger, frustration, and bitterness.

At 25 weeks of pregnancy, 3 yrs ago…
• I was full of anxiety.
• Although I was getting all good news about the baby, my worries overshadowed any joy.
• I did not allow myself to enjoy my pregnancy because I didn’t know how long it would last.
• I remember crying in my doctor’s office because I was overwhelmed with fear that at any moment my pregnancy would turn around for the worst. Praise God that my doctor was a believer & able to minister to me.

At 25 weeks of pregnancy, today…
• I feel the best (emotionally & physically) than I’ve ever felt during any pregnancy.
• When I’m not thinking on things that are worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8), my mind wanders to...
- "What if I have this baby early?”
- “What if this baby has special needs?”
- “How I’m I going to handle 3 kids who are all very dependent on me?”
• I must rely on God’s grace to help me to meditate on truth. As Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3:21-25, after he recalled his anguish, he remembered God’s character -

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”

• Whatever I must endure, God will ALWAYS shower me with His steadfast love, faithfulness, & goodness. I may not always think God’s plan is good for me, but it is. May God help me to rest in the fact that His thoughts & ways are greater (better) than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9). No matter what I go through, His goodness and mercy will follow me (Psalm 23:6)!

So, that’s where I stand today…

25 weeks, 6 days & counting!

How Many Kids Are Too Many?

This morning, Carysse and I went to the grocery store. While we were in the check out line I was intrigued by the cover of this week's People magazine. I refused to spend money on that magazine so I couldn't wait to get home to search out what "experts" are saying. Of course I wasn't shocked by the findings. Mostly all secular opinions think that this couple is absolutely crazy and unwise. But what do you think??? What does God think???

Many believers proudly recite Psalm 127:3 - "Children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward." However in many cases it's only because their gifts were favorable results. After they received the gifts they wanted, they were done. Likewise, after they received the gifts they didn't want, they were done. For example, after they have one of each gender, many couples say they're done. After that child with disabilities is born, many couples say they're done. After 2, 3, or 4 children many couples say they're done. So, what's the magic number? When do children stop being gifts and rewards? Is it according to us or the Lord?

Don't get me wrong or think I'm being too critical because I often wrestle with these same questions. But it seems like this is one of the topics that most of us believers take into our own hands. We trust God to lead and guide us in most areas but when it comes to this area, our actions say, "NO God, I have this under control. I can't trust You enough to let You have this area - Sorry!" So why do we do this? Do we truly believe that our God will supply every need of ours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19)? We have to understand that this verse says every NEED not every WANT. Can we really trust God to provide for every need of a growing family?

~

So, I'm back to my first question, "How Many Kids Are Too Many?"

“Why Lord?”

*Why does one teenager die in the car accident while another walks away without a scratch?
*Why does a faithful, believing father suffer with a debilitating disease while an uninvolved, unbelieving father lives to a ripe old age without any health issues?
*Why does one family birth 5 healthy, typical children while another family births 2 children with severe disabilities?
*Why does one house get totally destroyed in a tornado while the house next door only has to repair a fence?
*Why does one child live to adulthood while another dies of leukemia at a young age?
*Why does a disloyal, dishonest man still make six-figures while another man full of integrity loses his job and struggles to provide for his family.
*Why do millions of couples have abortions each year while many Christian couples desire to be parents but cannot conceive?

Unfortunately I could go on and on. God knows I’ve had a hard time trying to understand His sovereign plan. Although we live in a fallen, sinful world (Romans 5:12-14) and that Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), God is in control over all things that happen. Why does He allow so much pain and suffering? The answer: He has an ultimate good plan in it all (Romans 8:28-29). He's not about making us comfortable which is temporal; but He desires us to have Christ-like character which is eternal. Many times we will not like or understand what He allows, but we must remember that He is the All-knowing and All-perfect Creator and we are fleeting, imperfect creatures. For example, Job definitely knew about suffering and He questioned God. God responded, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2). Then God went on for 4 chapters questioning Job and describing God’s sovereignty. At the end, Job humbly responds by saying,
"I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? 'Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Job 42:2-3).

However, even knowing these truths doesn’t make it any easier to endure the sting of suffering. I like what Elyse Fitzpatrick has to say about God’s goals in our suffering. She says:
• God permits troubles so that we’ll experience His comfort and learn to comfort others and trust Him and not ourselves (2 Cor. 1:3-10).
• God permits tribulation so that we can grow in hope (Rom 5:3-5).
• God permits trials so that we will grow in holiness (Heb 12:10-11).
• Troubles are the seed-bed where faith grows (1 Peter 1:7).
• Experiencing God’s help through our trials strengthens us (James 1:3-4).
• God wants our character to reflect Christ’s (Rom 8:28-29).
• Troubles humble us and cause us to run to Jesus (I Peter 5:5-7).
• Our suffering produces God-focused rejoicing (I Peter 4:13).
(Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety p. 133-134)

In conclusion, the two things that believers must always remember when we are suffering are: 1) God is with us and 2) God loves us dearly! So, as each us endure pain in this short life, may we look forward to the day when God will dwell with His people and “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:4).

New Year's Resolutions

What do you resolve to do in 2010??? Many people make New Year's Resolutions (NYR). Of course, it’s the normal thing to do at the beginning of each year. I goggled NYR and found 54,600,000 results. If you’re into them, there’s lots of info out there for you. For myself, I can’t stand NYR!

I stopped making NYR a few years ago. For me, it was a set up to fail. For example, if my NYR was to eat right and lose weight, I would start off strong. I would avoid all tempting foods & places. The first week of January would be easy and I would think, “Wow, this isn’t too bad. I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner.” Then the 2nd week would come and I’d do pretty well. Then the 3rd week would come and I’d have an event to attend and eat many of the foods that I avoided the first 2 weeks. I’d feel disappointed and tell myself that it’s okay to take the rest of the month off and start again in February. Then Feb. would come and the vicious cycle started all over again. By March, I called it quits!

The reason why I think they’re a set up to fail is because as the days go on and you get further away from Jan 1 and you haven’t been consistent you think you have to wait until another "big" day to start. For example, if you start on Jan 1 and mess up, I think you’re more prone to say I’ll start again on Feb 1 and so forth. Likewise, if you make your big decision to change on a Monday and fail on Wed., you may say, “I’ll just start again on next Monday. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure hundreds of people have made NYR and stuck with them and were very successful. I’m only talking about the rest of us millions of people who’ve made them and failed.

So, what’s one to do? As I’ve mentioned many times in My Freedom Journey, it’s a matter of the heart. I actually started my journey on a Friday night in October ‘08. God called me that night to surrender my will to His and allow Him to do a work in my heart. Of course it would have been great to say that I started that year off right and began my journey on Jan 1, but that’s not the case. It wasn’t til late Oct when I started to see my sin of gluttony as Jesus sees it and my eyes were open to the truth and I desperately wanted to be set free. Has it been easy? NO WAY!!! I still sin in this area, but Praise be to God, I am not enslaved to food anymore.

~

If you choose to make NYR this year, I would suggest you look closely at a sin area in your life. Try these 6 tips:
1) Acknowledge that it is a sin (it’s not just a struggle, stronghold, or weakness).
2) Confess your sin to God.
3) Confess your sin to a trusted friend for accountability.
4) Pray for God’s strength to overcome this area.
5) Write down & memorize verses in the Bible that deal with this specific sin.
6) Constantly remind yourself of the Gospel - who God is, who you are in Him, what He has done for you, and that He is always at work in you!

In this New Year, may Jesus help each of us to, "walk by the Spirit, and not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

Carysse Graduated!!!

From Baby Storytime that is!

We actually had this last storytime at an elderly home. What a blessed opportunity to bring bright smiles to the residents' faces as they watched the kids sing, dance, and play. I’ve taken Carysse to storytime at the library since she was 9 months. It’s been a joy watching her love for books blossom over these 15 months. Now that she is 2, she has “graduated” out of baby storytime. This toddler stage is exhausting, but I desire to cherish every moment of it. I want to do more cuddling with her and reading to her because way to soon this stage will be over. Just being at the elderly home reminded me about the brevity of life.

So, I will read with my baby girl

While she is here in my arms

I don't want to miss even one book

'Cause all too soon we’ll reach the last chapter

And she'll be gone

No Rocks Gonna Cry Out For Me!

Yesterday, Kempton & I returned home from a great retreat with all the Pastors & Wives from our church. We spent 3 enjoyable days at the Miracle Lodge. We had such a blessed time glorifying the Lord through singing, praying, praising, walking, playing, laughing, and eating. There were many unique sights, but what caught my eye the most were the "Word" rocks that were in various places throughout the site.

Each morning, I would take a walk and stop by one of the rocks and pray. On one morning, my heart was heavy with various concerns, so I just stopped & leaned on the rock. Then I prayed the promise that was written on the rock and cried out all my burdens to the Lord. It was such a defining moment for me watching my tears roll down that rock. I felt so hopeful, joyful, & peaceful after that. The end of that verse says, "I shall not be shaken." At that moment, I knew the Lord was reminding me that He alone is holding me up and that, by His grace, I will not be shaken. PRAISE THE LORD! I'll probably never forget that moment when I cried out to the Rock on the rock!!!

By the way, here are a few other rocks that I saw...

As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives— the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." Luke 19:37-40

Freedom Bounds

Speaking of crayons, I remember how much I liked to color as a child. Now that I have young children, I get an “excuse” to color again :-). Staying in the lines was a big deal to me. I actually liked having those boundary lines which helped me to have a beautiful picture in the end. Many people have a negative view of boundaries. They see them as enslavement, restraints, & limitations. However, good boundaries are set so we can grow, thrive, and be safe which actually produces freedom. That’s what I’m reminded of when I read Psalm 16:5-6.

I enjoyed reading various commentaries on these verses. Many have expounded on them, but they all come to the same conclusion which I've summed up to --God is worth gaining, He is the One that sustains, and He is ALL that is needed!
For example, David (the psalmist) said, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot” (v.5). He means that God is all that he desires and needs. God is his chosen part. In Christ, all his joy, contentment, & comfort are found.
David also said, “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” (v.6). He is referring to the lines that God used to divide the land for the Israelites (Numbers 26:55-56). His “boundary” lines fell on a pleasant, desirable part and his beautiful inheritance is the Lord!

If you are a child of God, you have these same blessings (Eph 1:3-14)! Yes, there are boundary lines in Christ. However, these lines help us to put on the works of the Spirit & put off the deeds of the flesh. Only in Christ’s freedom bounds, can we fully obey Him, enjoy Him, and delight in His presence.

May these truths encourage you to look to Jesus during this Holy Week. He died so that you could live, and now you have a beautiful inheritance…YES INDEED!

Fight Songs

My hubby has always been an athlete and I have always been the one waiting for the game to be over…lol. He still remembers his High school “Fight” Song which actually ends with, “Fight, fight, fight!” Being the nonathletic person that I am, I asked him why it was called a “fight” song. He said that the song stirs the players up to overcome the opponent. As everyone sings it, you get charged up because you know that the whole school (staff, students, players, cheerleaders) are all behind you encouraging you to overcome the adversary and win.

Well, we weren’t playing in a game on Sunday night but we definitely felt encouraged to keep “fighting”. Kempton and I went to the Chris Tomlin & Israel Houghton concert (or should I say worship service). Boy, was I charged up! What an awesome time in the Lord! One of my favorite “fight” songs is Chris T’s “How Can I Keep From Singing”.

Spiritual fight songs champion the hope we have in God. They encourage us to overcome despair & defeat. They also help us to offer praises to God even in the midst of pain & trials. As we sing these songs with other believers, we all are recharged to press on and finish strong. No wonder the longest book in the Bible (by chapters) is the Book of Psalms which is a collection of songs, hymns, and prayers. Take a look at Psalm 28:7, 68:4, 98:4, 147:1, & 149:1. The list of Psalms can go on & on, but there are also other references to singing; such as Eph 5:18-21 and Col 3:16. As you can see, singing to our Lord is a big deal!

Praise the Lord for the ministry of those (like Chris T. and Israel H.) who write and sing songs that God uses to sustain our joy and hope in Him.

So, what are some fight songs that you like???

I Want My Life To Say...

"Jesus, I Love You More!"

*More than my loving husband
*More than my precious children
*More than my supportive family
*More than my caring friends
*More than my health
*More than my appearance
*More than my ministries
*More than my career
*More than my possessions
*More than my bank accounts
*More than my retirement funds
*More than my talents and gifts
*More than my hobbies
*More than my to do lists
*More than my computer
*More than my TV
*More than my "me" time

Etc, Etc, Etc....

I was meditating on this thought yesterday while I was driving. Then all of a sudden a truck drove by with an advertisement on it. It read, "Live Like You Mean It!" Wow, that definitely wasn't a coincidence, but a God-incidence! I needed that. I have a long way to grow in this area. But by God's grace, as I continue to grow in Him, I desire for my life to shout out, "JESUS, I LOVE YOU MORE!!!"

Cavities & the Cross

My mom regularly took my brother & me to the dentist. We would always get very good reports. Even as an adult, I would receive positive comments about my teeth. Throughout the years, I began to take pride in my teeth. I would brag and boast about them whenever a conversation about teeth came up.

I have come to realize that I did that because I wasn’t totally satisfied in Christ. When Christ isn’t your focus, you fix your eyes on superficial, temporal things for security. When you have a weakness or less desirable characteristic, you tend to flaunt your strengths or better qualities in trying to detour focus from your lesser qualities. That is why we must find our identity in Christ alone. Apostle Paul talked about how we shouldn’t boast in the flesh, but instead boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 6:11-16). When we do that, He increases and we decrease (John 3:30).

So, I had to learn this lesson the hard way. God allowed me to find out last week that I had not 1, not 2, but 3 cavities! And not only that, I had to have a root canal treatment (RCT) yesterday on one of them. What a humbling experience! Of course I prayed that I wouldn’t have to have a RCT. But the Lord knows best and He knew exactly what I needed. He chose what would be good for me and what would give Him the most glory. So, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn His statutes” (Psalm 119:71).

Praise the Lord for the cross…it is there that I find Total Forgiveness. It is there that I find Amazing Grace. It is there that I find my Merciful Savior!

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD." Jeremiah 9:23-24

Potholes & Tests

Living in MN, I have to get used to potholes. They’re everywhere; I’m guessing the snow, salt and oil from the cars take a toll on the pavement. Anyway, no matter how hard I try to avoid them, I still hit them! When I think I’m dodging a big one, I fall into a smaller one that I didn’t see. Wow, isn’t that how the Christian life is sometimes?!?!

You think you’ve been doing all you can to avoid old sin patterns, idolatry, & conflict then a “pothole” comes and you get off track. You become frustrated, aggravated, and irritated. Why are there so many potholes in life? Scripture gives us insight on the answers. The clearest answer I see is that many of our issues are only tests.

God tests us to see what’s in our hearts. To be tested by God is a good thing! Psalm 11:5 says, “The Lord tests the righteous…” For example, God tested Abraham to see if he would sacrifice his only son (Genesis 22:1-19). He passed the test with the assurance of the LORD saying, “Now I know that you fear God…” (v.12). God is all about the condition of our hearts. Our responses & reactions to tests reveal the good & evil in our hearts. Your heart is God’s target (Psalm 7:9, Jeremiah 11:20).

So, don’t be alarmed; don’t let the potholes in your life give you the pits. They’re just tests. You should expect them. Trust the Lord and rely on His strength to endure the hardships. God uses these tests to produce endurance and spiritual maturity in us (James 1:3-4). As a result, may He say to you, “Now I know that you fear God!”

Is there any room on your plate?

Most of us would say, "No!" I know that would be my answer. So, what's filling our plates? If you were to write down all your activities, would they weigh heavier on the self-focused side - all about me, myself, and my family or the others-focused side - looking beyond yourself to the needs of others. Let's take a look at some examples.

* Are you signing up for that 3rd PTO committee position or being a youth mentor at your church?

* Is your son/daugher involved in 3 different sports teams (school, club, city-wide) or volunteering at an after-school program or special needs camp?

* Are you involved in all types of Bible studies (your church one, BSF/CBS, & Precepts) at the same time or taking time to mentor a younger mom and visiting her to provide help?

* Are you involved in several Mom's groups & play groups or taking time to invite that unsaved neighbor over for coffee?

* Are you committed to your weekly time hanging out with your girl / guys friends or visting the nursing home, prison, or center for the disabled.

*Are you spending countless hours rabbit trailing through cyberspace of blogs, facebook, & myspace or writing a Thinking About You, Praying For You, or Encouragement card to someone.

OUCH! It's not that the former things are "bad" things, but are they "better" things for the sake of Christ and His kingdom. God is patiently trying to teach me this. I love just sitting and being spiritually fed. But the Lord is calling me to focus more on ministry to others. For example, this semester I made a very hard decision not to return to the MOMS group at my church. I love the ministry and it's so nourishing for my soul. However, I felt that the Lord was telling me to loosen up my schedule, in this season, for more random ministry opportunites. This Tues when I would have been at MOMS, a younger friend asked if she could come over to hang out before she leaves for the 1st time out-of-state for college. That time was a blessing to both of us! I was grateful that I was available.

Ask God to help you discern how you can best serve others in this season of your life. Believe me, He'll let you know what needs to remain on or be taken off your plate.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Phil 2:4

God Uses Our Children

Last Wednesday, the daily bible reading plan that I'm following said to read Matt. 6:1-24. I finished reading and thought,
"Yep, that's right, lay up treasures in heaven not on earth." Then I walked away just happy & carefree. About twenty minutes later, I heard a loud crash! I ran to see what was going on. Christian had gotten a hold of one of my favorite picture frames and dropped it.
I thought, "Oh NO, that had sentimental value; I got it on one of our romantic get-aways B.C. (Before Children)." Then I immediately had to laugh and smile at Christian & say, "God is using you buddy. My treasures are definintely in heaven!"
Our material possessions are our treasures on earth. Our treasures in heaven are built by our Christ-like responses, reactions, words, & deeds (Matt. 5:11-12; 6:1-18; 10:40-42).

So, that day I had to add my little piece to Matt 6:20 -

"Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal"...and where children don't pick up and break! :-)

~

May Christ be our ultimate treasure!

From Sunny TX to Snowy MN

Out of curiosity, I clicked on the Weather channel site to check out the Houston forecast and they had "light snow" tonight. I probably have enough snow in front of my house to cover most of Houston! Not to worry Houston friends, it'll all be gone tomorrow with your high of 59 sunny day! Ahhhh!

Now, let's take a look at the forecast for Minneapolis. Snow tonight, snow tomorrow with a high of 22 and low of 5. Brrrr!

I definitely wouldn't say I like snow. However, a couple of weeks ago, I was in a meeting and someone asked, who doesn't like snow. Several of us raised our hands. Then she said, from now on whenever you see snow meditate on this, "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Wow, what awesome truth! When I want to complain about the snow, I remind myself of Christ's sacrifice for me and thank Him for a visual that reminds me of His ultimate act of love. Us Minnesotans get about 6 months to ponder on this truth :-).

The God who is sovereign over the snow deserves our praise (Psalm 148:7-8).

Growing Pains

For the last 3 months, Carysse has often had teething symptoms (eg. fussiness, lose of appetite, waking up in the middle of the night). She's had symptoms, but no new teeth. I was starting to get concerned about my 18 month old only having 4 teeth. However, last night when I laid her down to put on her PJs, I looked into her mouth and saw 4 new teeth on the sides and back. I was so excited!

Then I thought, that is exactly how the Christian life is sometimes. We go through times of discipline and tests. In those times, we often become discouraged and think, "It's too painful, I don't see any change in me, I don't think it'll ever get better." Then one day, we realize that we're not the same as we were. We don't respond to circumstances like we used to. We have more joy, peace, contentment, and satisfaction in Christ. All these characteristics are evidence of God's work in us.

As we live a Christ-centered life, we must remember that...
1) God began a good work in us and He will see it to completion. (Phil 1:6)
2) God gives us what we need to approve what is excellent, in order to be pure and blameless. (Phil 1:9-10)
3) God fills us with the fruit of righteousness. (Phil 1:11)

So, we must cling to the Lord through the tests of our faith. He's disciplining us for our good (Heb. 12:10-11) so that we may be mature, complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).

Spectacular Sunrise

Yesterday morning, when I walked into my kitchen, I saw a reddish-orange glow shining through the window shade. I grabbed my camera and headed outside. Even though it was cold enough (17 degrees) to see my breaths, the sight I saw was breathtaking.

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When we see spectacular, breathtaking, & amazing things in creation, many of us stop and admire them. But we rarely let them be a pointer to the Creator of such things. God created all the beautiful, great sights we see--mountains, waterfalls, sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, etc. (Col. 1:16). When we see these things, we should use that opportunity to stop and glorify God and praise Him for the work of His hands (Rev. 4:11, Psalm 19:1).
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As you stare in awe of God's magnificent creation, let it be a moment to magnify the awesomeness of our Creator!