Words

From My Heart Out of Ann's Lips, Spoken Softly yet Moving Me to Make the Commitment

“When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger.“ Ephesians 4:29 (NCV)

"Stronger. Stronger.

I had looked around the table and into their eyes. Into them. I had held them in my one hand, them pinked and swaddled, and I had made them strong with the milk letting down and the love, and I had witnessed the stretching of the spine, the first tottering steps and I had squealed wonder and I had offered the hand. Mamas make strong.
When we had finished the Bible reading, we reach for hands to pray, I feel little fingers again and couldn’t I do this again?
Just for today:
 Couldn’t all the words out of my mouth only be the strengthening words? Words that nourish their bones and muscle their hearts.
 What if I tried to change nothing in children but I focused on only this: Only speak words that make souls stronger.
Like oxygen, couldn’t just speaking strengthening-words change the whole of the atmosphere

We breathe grace. This oxygen changes everything.

The tongue is the tail of the heart. And a lashing tongue is the symptom of an anger riddled heart. It’s always the heart that whips the tongue hard and breaks the backs weak.

And I thought then that I was finally getting it: If Grace always pulses the heart, and love’s the blood coursing tender through veins, the tail of the heart, that tongue, it caresses and it strokes and it revives the soul until small ones stand up David-tall before Goliaths.

That is the heart-made gift I could give my family this year. To only speak Words that make them stronger.

That under the tree I could give them the gift of words that make them tall and strong... trees of their own with roots deep down into the grace and love and heart of Christ.

Words. Could there be a greater gift to give in honor of the Word made flesh?"

I find my heart aching as I think about all those moments I have spoken to my babies (those souls who are a part of me, breathing their first breath from my womb, seeing God's design as I relate it to them) with harsh words, needless words, exasperated and tired tones that leave my mouth sometimes before I even realize it.

My heart longs to relate to them more how much I love them, to build them stronger as Ann wrote about above.  To build them up tall and strong before God and the world, that they might contribute to God's army.  

How do I do this while instructing, correcting, implementing discipline and teaching them the straight?  Can those two things go together?  Jesus perfected the breathing of love and building tall along with teaching, instructing and showing the way. To be like Jesus....Oh to be like Jesus.  Help me Jesus to be more like you, to speak words that build my children, express love and joy to them, that tell them how blessed I am to have them. 

I reiterate this word from Ann: "How can a mother be frustrated her child is not as she longs him to be, when she herself is not as she longs to be?"

Then I ponder the question that nags me, "Do I try to change them?  I had not considered it in that way because I know I love them so deeply it hurts. I believe I love them for exactly who I God made them to be. But, in my meditation of Ann's words I consider I may have mixed in the pot with teaching, instructing, disciplining and showing the straight and expecting who they are to change.

As I strive to draw out of them the raw and put into them good, from Him who shed His blood for them, I must find a way to speak words that build and grow making babies string.  And I must allow Jesus to do the same with me, draw out the raw and put in the good, the God made.  

That I might Speak words, whether in teaching, instructing, disciplining, building up or drawing out, WORDS THAT MAKE SOULS STRONGER.

TheGiftofWords

Christmas Preparations

This year preparing for Christmas has been haunting me.  Thanksgiving came quickly this year and although I was thinking of Christmas I wasn't quite ready to begin the Advent celebration.  The burning of our fifth child's birth came quickly also, answering my cries to Christ that he, my boy child, come while our daddy was home rather than away.  


Ann Voskamp put out a great Jesse Tree collection this year that I was ready to print and start and had no paper or toner in either printer.  If you know me you know I don't like to get behind on things and I was irritated that I was unable to start on the Advent weekend.  I can't get behind because I fail to catch up. The days pass quickly with the warming of the sun on the grass then it fading into the West casting shadows on the backyard while their feet leave imprints in the grass, small yet growing prints.


How could I capture the Christmas spirit without all the "tools" in my arsenal to teach my little ones about Jesus and His glorious birth.  They are so small that often I wonder if their hearts even truly receive my spoken words but I know God's word does not return void and their gentle, quiet spirits breath Him in as they were designed to do and they somehow grow to know Him.  


Do I need tools?  Is the Jesse Tree the only way to show them Jesus this Christmas?  Can we discover Christ's love for us without the tree, the lights, the advent calendar, the cold as our weather has been exceptionally warm here?  I heard God faintly whisper, YES, I AM.


Through words; spoken, read, prayed, breathed, repeated, posted, and whispered to each other we can see Jesus amidst the Christmas doing.  




Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, The Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. He needs his brother as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation.”
It is in the shadows oft his truth that we find, feel, see, touch, and experience Jesus this Christmas.  We remind each other of what Christmas is all about when we speak of the God child sent by God to be our hope and salvation.  My prayer becomes that my children experience these conversations concerning God's Word with us. That they explore God's unending grace, love, and divine plan through the teaching of words about Him.  
We've since put up the tree, the lights sparkling around our cross outside posted to the front of the house as a beacon of hope, our Christmas cards done and sent expressing God's Love for His people this year.  We've begun reading books about Jesus, talking and praying about Christmas, and seeking to find Him this holiday in places we have not yet searched.  









One Thousand Gifts

Thankfulness.  Still after all these months of praising the Lord for the blessings in my life, I find that I often struggle with keeping a positive perspective.  Why is that? Why am I so stubborn?  It reveals to me the depth of the innate darkness that can fill my heart if I am not daily seeking, praying, meditating and breathing in His power and might.

I must think I know something or experience something no one else does in order to preserve my pessimistic attitude. How else can I justify my flawed view of life under God's Grace?

I find it creeps up during the day as the kids get difficult, or when I become aware that my husband might be late, or When I am wiping up the floor for the 15th time that day after someone spills milk, or water, or juice.  I suddenly lose the ability to see my life through a positive perspective, forget I live in a free country, never mind that I can praise my Lord without question, and that happiness is something we enjoy just by living when it comes to a comparison between the US and other countries, or heck my life compared to someone down the street.  Yet, my attitude stinks over the small stuff.  I become complacent regarding the true joys in my life and the abundant blessings God has bestowed, even in my sinfulness.

My hearts longing is that I would find the path to be joyful even amidst the hardest parts of each day, to rise with peace, to move through time with my children with joy and let the difficult or challenging parts of my day roll off without mention, to take them in stride and view them in light of God's amazing Grace.

When I take even just a moment to reflect upon life and its journey through this Grace filled lens I see how absolutely, wonderfully blessed we are and that my challenges and struggles are light in comparison to much greater needs and worries in the world.  Then I consider that in order for my children to attain such a Grace filled perspective I must reflect it to them or they also will grow with the understanding that life, when challenging is not positive, which is so far from the case.  I must model for them the ability to PRAISE God at all times, to see His GLORY in light of all circumstances and to ALWAYS have a heart of praise.

Lord, create in me a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Lead me beside still waters and show me, daily the path to your righteousness so that I might find peace and joy in you.  Keep my eyes looking upward for my happiness rather than around me so that I can overlook the hardships of each day.  Give me your eyes to see and your ears to hear.  Thank you Father for your unending, unconditional Love!
Amen

Blessings
161.  Fall weather which inspires the holiday spirit
162.  Cool mornings, the smell of dew in the air
163.  My precious daughters instant "hi mommy" when she wakes from sleep
164.  Good friends who share God's truth
165.  God's perfect, flawless and inspired word
166.  Scripture's amazing ability to explain itself without error
167.  God's unending promises
168.  The smell of pancakes on Saturday morning
169.  A husband and daddy coming home after several nights away
170.  The joy our children share with one another when excited
171.  3 big brothers saying goodnight to little sister with kisses and hugs
172.  The movement of little brother as he's almost finished forming and preparing for birth
173.  God's perfecting Timing
174.  Sunsets in Arizona
175.  Fresh fallen rain





One Thousand Gifts

Of all the days to express Thanks to the Father for his Blessings and bask in the unmistakable Grace and Mercy He shows me daily.  It started rough, with much ado about getting dressed, wearing shoes, putting on socks, and taking a trip to the grocery store, which is so necessary from time to time! My patience already short before even approaching the sliding doors at the store. Stern warnings extended to small boys encouraging them to obey, listen, stay close, and speak softly (whispers not often accomplished from the excited mouth of babes).  I quickly prayed and asked God to help me find peace and patience while trying to glide quickly through the store with 4 small angels at my side.

It wasn't long before I could tell it wasn't going to go well.  Maybe those around me might think these babes do well in the store but from my point of view as their mother I knew they were testing every limit set before them.  A warning to keep hands to selves, a request to speak softly, a remark to stay still while I bagged some red, delicious apples for them. Isn't it All for THEM?!  And yet, I find that my 36 week pregnant body, my inability to truly bend over and discuss softly into their ear, and their attempt to find my weakness exhausts me to the core.

And yet, I am reminded, I ought not to expect anything else from them.  As I have recently read, yet again, from Ted Tripp "Shepherding a Child's Heart" they are sinners in need of the same savior I seek daily and request assistance from to keep my sinful heart at bay.  They will always need re-direction, they will always seek to test the limit, they will always hear the sterness from my voice and initially reject the limits set before them.  It is in their very nature to defy authority.  And, yet what a huge responsibility I have before me to teach them obedience to myself and their dad while reflecting the obedience I am commanded to God, out of love, that they too might learn to obey God. For it is not their obedience to me that is the end, rather the means to the end which is a LOVE and PASSION for Christ and to serve and obey God. I am only the model in which God uses to teach.

But, even with knowing this truth and seeking to teach them this obedience, passion and love to Christ, I am daily exhausted at times, moments of weakness, a paling of the Joy I ought to find in my task to raise Christ-fearing children.

In this broken moment I find how perfect God's love is.  How He never loses patience, fails to encourage, rises in Unholy anger and I often could although my desire is the opposite.  He beckons me to the cross, makes well my weakness and upholds me when I cannot go another step.  He humbles himself to wash my feet as I sit with tired legs unwilling to move.  He refreshes my very day.

Counting Blessings
140.  The sweetness in my boys even when they are naughty
141.  Their innocence to the need for Christ
142. The laughter they exude even in high volumnes
143. Christ's passion for a mother's ministry
144. Brotherhood among them
145. Learning opportunities (mostly for me)
146. Daily embedding of Christ into their hearts
147. The memorization of God's word
148. The purity of their passion
149. God's unfailing faithfulness
150. Rest (which can only be found in Jesus)
151. Holding her petite frame and pressing my face to her face
152. Blue eyes of a blonde haired boy smiling on moments after discipline
153. Reading books about our Savior and seeing them know Him even now
154. Hearing them sings praises in the car as we go about life together
155. Their squeals as the worker man comes through the door
156. The LIFE daddy brings to our home (as God designed it to be)
157. Moments with Jesus in the glimpses of quiet
158. My heart broken so that it might Grow
159. A warm dinner and candles lit with little faces peering at them
160. The land of the Free


One Thousand Gifts

This morning I started my new book, "31 Days of Praise" by Ruth Myers.  I didn't know what to expect. I had seen it recommended on Voddie's blog several weeks ago.  I decided to go ahead and order it because it sounded so much like what I was already on the path of doing inspired by Ann.

I stole a few quiet moments this morning in the time between breakfast and play with my children.  We were expecting guests so I had to plan accordingly.  Here are my thoughts and my prayers, as led by Ruth, through Christ's endless love and faithfulness.


... give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

~ 1 Thess. 5:18


My Lord thank you for reminding me each day of your unfailing Love, faithfulness, and complete and perfect nature.  I often forget and limit you to those limitations we have as created beings and forget to worship you as the Creator.  For you are the Alpha and Omega, always God from the beginning to the end.  How could I ever imagine putting my hope in anything other than You?  Why do I allow myself to be deceived by the enemy into thinking that I or he, or someone else has anything over You, the Lord God, who loves and comes to us, to be near to us, hold us, and comfort us at all times.  May I not be confused by my insufficient mind concerning your Glory, Deity, Love, Longsuffering, and Faithfulness to us as we find our way back to your heart.

God's Glorious Gifts as our Creator and King:  
Psalm 27:5; 91:1-2; Matthew 6:25-26; Psalm 23:1-2 Isaiah 62:5b; Zephaniah 3:17-18; Psalm 16:5-6; 107:9

132. Strong Shelter
133. Hiding Place
134. Loving Provider
135. Shepherd who guides and protects
136. My Champion who upholds my cause as His child and defends my highest interests
137. Bridegroom who delights in me
138. My God who is Mighty to Save; who rests in His love for me and rejoices over me with singing and shouts of joy.
139. My inheritance, my share in life, the One who satisfies my longing soul and fills my hungry soul with goodness.


Reasons for Praise:  Psalm 57:2; 138:8; 86:5; 103:8; Matthew 22:37; Jeremiah 32:41; Psalm 37:4; 36:7; 63:7

His love
His Wisdom
Acting on my behalf and accomplishing what concerns me and fulfilling your purpose for me as I call on you.
Your deep love
Your Compassion and Grace
Lovingkindness
Forgiveness, patiently considerate and generous
His desire for my love
His Delight in my heart as I delight myself in you


For my friends who may not know Jesus or have been led astray to follow another Jesus clothed in a liars cloth to appear like the King Most High, I beg of you to know Him and our Lord God as the Word teaches Him to be (the Bible).  Seek for Him and you will find Him.  Call out to Him and He will reveal Himself to you.  With a sincere Heart strive to find Him among the lies of the world and religion.  For you cannot be saved of your own power or will but only by the blood of Christ.  He came to fulfill the law that we might be satisfied in Him.  He goes to prepare a place for us and I hope to see you there when He calls us home. 


Makeover of the Heart

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:4

Something to remember: "God said He wanted to remove those walls. He wanted to take out that heart and breathe new life into it. He wanted to pour out His love on her, which He so freely gives. He wanted to heal her heart. He asked if she was willing. Would she allow Him to transform her heart?"

The story of Jabez shows us how abundantly God wants to Bless us. He wants to "give us Kisses from the King" and lavish His love upon us. As a requirement for seeking blessings comes the necessity to allow God's will to unfold in our lives as He holds us perfectly balanced in His hands. Blessings do not and will not come in OUR ways but rather His ways. We ought not ever think His blessings come from something we've done or earned but rather just resting in His salvation, through the Cross, and seeking a relationship with Him. It is a two-fold relationship. I disagree slightly with the study in that we can "let go and let God". I do not think this a true reflection of our relationship with Him. We must take hold of spiritual disciplines and inact our part of the relationship with Him in order to be blessed by God. I understand the meaning of the line but think it distracts from the "relationship" part of what we experience as Christians. We trust God, faithfully seek Him and His will, expect hardship as a Christian it is not always an easy road and we do not live in a "safer" place than the world. We just have the ONE who came to save, who holds us upon high, and blesses us abundantly from His will and how He sees fit!

Questions for Thought:

3. What is God revealing to you as you complete this Study?  How much I often don't take hold of my part of the relationship, such as spiritual disciplines through prayer, reading, quiet time, etc.  I let myself be taken by the distractions of the day rather than intentionally pursuing Him.  Yet, I expect somehow to be Blessed by Him. I know that even my salvation is a blessing and that He is blessing me beyond measure even when I fail to have "relationship" with Him.  But, without the relationship with Him I'm missing so much of the daily, simple, yet amazing blessings He gives.

5.  Write down your thoughts about David and Bathsheba and David being a "man after God's own Heart".  We just went over this in church on Sunday some as we talked about our flesh as seen in Joshua 8 and the pitfalls of our sinful nature and God's response to them out of Love and faithfulness.  David allowed his flesh to distract Him from his God and instead of instantly turning and pursuing God he fell to the flesh with Bethsheba.  The lust of his heart distracted him from his relationship with God.  This did not turn God away from Him. God was faithful to David and loved him enough to reveal his sin to him so that he could not continue in it.  David's relationship with God remained as he repaired what he had done and the distance he created.  I know that I do the same thing and day to day hope and pray that I might be rebuild the relationship between my Father and I as I allow myself to be distracted by "things" of this world and the flesh.

You can find the rest of the questions here.

One Thousand Gifts

In these last weeks, as our home has been solicited by change and what some and myself would consider financial upset, I feel and savor the Savior breathing on us. His hand has not left us nor forsaken us rather been guiding, teaching, stirring, and calling us to walk and serve with Him more.  All-the-more as my husbands schedule has been jolted by much time away and my calling is to now consider myself as a mother of 4 soon to be 5 at home alone for 3 days each week for what could be the next 12 long months.  I asked myself, "is not God walking with me?", "Why now, why this, solitary motherhood for so many days?". I can feel myself defeated under the darkness of Satan's voice within my striving to be Easter Heart.  The tears stir now just thinking about those lonely, hard, long days with him away.  And out of me, towards him, comes anger, not sadness. Vulnerability is not something I like to reveal. I'd rather disguise it under a blanket of anger and frustration.  But the truth behind the emotion is hurt and sadness. 

Yet, within these recent developments and moments of what I would describe as defeat, again I feel Christ's hand on us and His breath covering us in mercy and grace as we move foward with each day.  His light cast's out the darkness and I know there is Joy, Hope, Peace, Love, and Worship to be had in His presence.  I begin to try and fill my days with activities and disciplines that would remind us of His place in our Home that we might humble ourselves before His throne in order to be rejuvenated.  For it is not only that I suffers when he is away but my children are not the same.  They feel my weakness, see my tired eyes, and receive my defeat without me even knowing.  I have no intention of passing this on to them but rather to build them up, keep them busy, nourish them with love and discipline through Faith, and press on towards the goal.  But none-the-less they receive it and we all "suffer" some in his absence.

I am often rejuvenated by the light in their eyes, the love in their hearts and the comfort of holding them close to me.  At times to then be broken with their bickering, yelling, disappointment and obviously needy nature as they are small ones.  They cannot fill the hole in my heart or the tired in my eyes. Only Jesus. My savior.  Help me to find more Him. Help me to seek more of Him.  Help me to find each step to take in Him, so that I may fill them up, guide them correctly, love them unconditionally, and speak to them in Love.

God's mercies are new each morning.  His Love unconditional.  His forgiveness deep.  His encouragement satisfying.  Might I rest in it!  It is in my brokenness that he longs to create something beautiful.

The Path to Praising Jesus

121. Ultimate Rest
122. Quiet Moments to hear the Savior
123. His close presence
124. The Faithfulness of the Father
125. Broken hearts reformed to Love Him More
126. Forgiveness
127. Gentle, quiet mornings with open doors and smiling faces
128. Precious, growing children with whom I've been entrusted with their care
129. Growing Boys
130. Precious, snuggling, loving brown eyed girl
131. The stirring in the womb of God's true miracles
132. The broken in worship of the perfect One, made whole by His blood

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Walk with Him Wednesday-Parenting

 I confess that I am, at times, at least once a day, overcome by the volume that life gives off in our home.  God blessed us with boys, amazing, happy, crazy, wild from the earth, BOYS!  As a sign of God's grace and Mercy He then blessed us with a sweet, precious, amazing little girl, our only brunette baby with earthy eyes instead of crystal blue like her brothers.  And now, as she approaches 2 we find that she too has been created from the earth just like the boys and lives in a world where the Louder is the Better! And again, out of His abundant blessings, comes our 5th child....A BOY!!! 



I did not grow up with brothers but I was a tom boy, rough, wild, rugged, engaged in boy activities with boy-friends from the neighborhood.  It was only expected I suppose that the Lord give us Boys!  But, as I said, I confess that the noise in our home sometimes pushes my patience beyond what I think I can bare! 

In an effort to encourage our children to be happy, funny, and to enjoy laughter and play I pray each day for that extra ounce of patience I will need to endure the volume that comes with such activities.  I find, of course, that there are times to encourage and teach them to speak with soft, inside voices, and to refrain from screaming and squealing at every turn. I mean they have to be able to exist in the real world someday and that is a part of that process. 

They are true BOYS, through and through and that little, tiny, precious girl, I'm pretty sure she thinks she is a boy also!  For now, my husband and I allow her to think that and engage with her in those things she find of interest which often happens to be sword fighting, laughing loudly, dancing to music, wrestling, and the rest of the things she sees those CRAAZY BOYS doing from day to day.

Somewhere inside their extremely loud behavior and wild times there is an innocence among them all and a sweetness, although a noisy one, that we find irresistible.  This was an unexpected part of parenting for me and although I'm often reaching into the depths of my ability to withstand the noise, I find that this part of parenting can often also bring the greatest moments of joy!



Word Filled Wednesday

Walk with Him Wednesday

Parenting...oh the daily and momentary thoughts of my life. Even as I sit here now in a quiet house filled with sleeping eyes and peaceful hearts I feel the child stirring within my womb and consider my calling in his life.

Days and hours my husband and I have spent contemplating our calling as parents.  There is no question we believe children come directly from God, blessings in the purest form, given to us only to be directed back to the Father. Given to Him wholly and completely by continually inviting them back to God's throne.  It is our duty to reflect His Love, His Grace, His Mercy, His adoration for them. 

We've come to imbed into our hearts our calling as transformers, teachers, shepherds.  Truly to know what shepherding our children is about and to then put into practice, consistently and lovingly with kindness and tempered hearts, has been our hearts desire. Heart transformation in our children rather than behavior modification is our newly coined term. They must be molded into servants. 

How can we do that when we are sinful still? Their models?  God has called us so we listen and we go. But I often wonder if I spoil the very thing my heart desires to do in my children?  Can God call them unto Himself despite my fallen and redeemed state?

Patience I must pray for.  Kindness I must seek in times of trouble, mess, or frustration.  Understanding, listening, lingering, holding, seeking their hearts desire, redirecting, and refocusing.  Then to do it all again come morning.

I am my own mountain. If I could have confidence in what God has been teaching me, prayerfully seek His strength to do it, and then trust in His ways...
That is the key. Prayerfully Parenting my Children.  Why do I so often forget that.  Where does prayer go in my day?

My Lord has laid out a perfect plan for me to raise my children.  To offer them unto Him.  I must seek Him first in order to find it.

Father help me to parent in your light, in your path, with your kindness and grace. To keep voices soft, words eager to encourage and uplift, transforming hearts for you and unlocking biblical truths for my children.
Amen

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Blessings from My Father

Holy Experience has challenged me in ways I cannot explain. As I read Ann's words I come to my knees. I feel she is speaking into life My HEART.  On Wednesday she wrote this telling piece:


Sometimes we may have nothing to show for our work but much to show to our God.


Too often, sadly, I want product, others to see product, so they can see: I have worth. Stinking idols.

This, I think this is why I struggle to stop to pray at fixed times throughout the run of a day.  This is why I struggle to play and love and make kids memories and laughter the priority.  If I stop doing, will I have merit? Will I still exist if I stop the producing?

How do I forget that I actually exist more, fully, wholly, when I do that which I was made for?The things done in love, this the only work in our lives that will last forever.

So Abba Paul knew. The product is secondary…. Perhaps even pointless. It’s the prayers, the relationship, the love  while doing the work, that hold the meaning, the merit.  I have time to read another chapter, tell another story, make another batch of cookies because the process of prayer and love in our work is our only real product.

That process may not be seen when walking in the back door. Worship. Communion. Love. Prayer, hidden and intangible, it is the day’s true product, it’s ultimate purpose. 

Today, a thousand times again today, I will preach the truth to this soul prone to wander. I will seek the affirming smile of Father, of these kids.

I'll whisper the mantra that orders all priorities: 

Unseen. Things Unseen. Invest in Things Unseen.”
Could her words express my heart any clearer?  Could she find the words to say any clearer that I am only at a loss for?  And, why do I seem to fail in my own eyes each day to do what my Heart Aches for so much? 
My children are small but ripe and ready to infected with Christ's love, patience, graciousness, and mercy. I am challenged to make each day ripe and full with Him; His word, His love, His desire.  I sometimes let the days go idle by because I find the challenge too rich. I allow the quiet voice of God to disappear as I shout to myself.
Have I always been a quitter?  Where did my determination, energy, and loving care go?  We only get one time around with our children, one day at a time and that time passes by.  If I could only hold tightly to each moment and find something to inspire, teach, and breathe into their lives.
Reflecting upon God's blessings allows for a softness in my heart to recognize that I may fall short but God's holding me up, pressing me forward, urging my progress, and allowing things to develop, unseen (both in me and my children).
 
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
~ 2 Cor. 4:18
Blessings of the Unseen
106. Forgiveness
107. Unfailing Love
108. Tender Hearts
109. Hope Filled Eyes 
110. Hearts of Laughter
111. Joyful Spirits
112. Security and Safety 
113. Trusting 
114. Listening Ears
115. A Soul of Beauty
116. Innocence
117. Quiet, whispers of Faith
118. Soft whispers from God
119. Delicate Instruction
120. Stillness

 Job 5:8
..go straight to God... After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises.  
 

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Thursday Favorites



Since I'm back in the swing of things, so I hope, it's time for Thursday's favorites. I can't deny that today seems an odd day to meditate upon favorites considering I spent my morning grocery shopping! I literally just sat down after about a 3 hours process start to finish. But, if I dig down deep and put on my joyful eyes I'm sure I can think of at least 8 things that I LOVE about grocery shopping. Maybe!

Grocery Shopping
1. Checking in my older children at the Kids Korner where they can play and make crafts making shopping a fun time for them.
2. Spending time with my little girl, who is too little to go to Kids Korner, and talking with her while we walk!
3. Finding fun things on sale that my family will enjoy.
4. The quiet
5. Taking my time
6. Sneaking a sample from the candy bin...isn't that allowed so long as you put in $.05 or something?
7. Having a fridge full of groceries (even though they don't last too long).
8. Fresh Fruit
9. A plan for meals (whether I stick to it or not)
10. Having my boys help me unload when we get home. They are just starting to help mommy bring in the groceries!

Wow I found ten and I didn't have to think too hard! I don't want to forget that we are blessed we can afford groceries and most often get to pick and choose what we want without much ado. It is God's faithfulness that puts meals on the table. The Glory be His.

One Thousand Gifts

After 4 long months away I'm finally back and ready to settle into the routine of blogging again.  There has been much going on and we've stayed very busy and as I look back on it I realize I've simply napped through my blogging hours!  There was the morning sickness and the early aches of being pregnant while having 4 children.  Then vacations and events with the kids including a trip to Sacramento for the Easter Holiday.  Suddenly here we are 4 months ahead in the middle of what seems to be a scorching summer heat here in Phoenix, Arizona and the days and months are flying by.

I don't want the speed of life to keep me from taking time out to reflect on my Lord, my Loves, and the One whom I'm doing it all for.  Although it seems to easily wisk me away.  That is in fact why I started this blog.

So, I'm back and hoping today begins a new beginning to taking time out to Honor Christ and what He is doing in our lives. After all, He is daily providing, loving, soothing, planning, and preparing our lives.

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I have many thoughts in my mind today as I begin my journey here at Taking the Challenge again.  Over the past 4 months God has revealed himself to us daily and we've undergone quite a few changes.  He has reminded of us of His always faithful provision even when things may appear hopeless and covered us in His love.

On our way home from California in early April our "new to us" conversion van broke down just 80 miles outside Phoenix.  We could literally see the lights from the city taunting us in the dark from the side of the highway.  After much ado and lots of time in the shop our van needed a completely new motor.  This as you can imagine, is quite expensive but entirely necessary.  So we took what was almost half of our savings to fix our "new to us" van.  Only the quiet whispering from God that I managed to hear through the noise and laughter that is our children did we decide to hold on to our old van until we were sure the "new to us" van was properly working.  So, fortunately for us we had another vehicle to drive while our "new to us" van was being fixed.

Blessings number 1.  It took nearly a month to get our "new to us" van back from the shop.  All that time we were able to continue on with life and activities in our old van.  Praise God right.

Well no sooner had we picked up the "new to us" van, made a stop at the baby ultrasound shop to see that we were in fact having another Little Precious BOY, did the "new to us" van break down again.  My heart sank.  We had taken such a hit with the cost of replacing the motor I was just praying this break down was a simple problem.

I was in fact wrong.  The Transmission was gone and irreplaceable.  We would again have to tap into the rest of our savings to fix the "new to us" van in order to get it into running order.

Blessings number 2.  We had savings left!  This might seem funny but we are thankful we could even afford to do the repairs necessary on the van so that it was not an entire loss.

This put us in an extremely vulnerable state financially.  A place we hadn't been in a very, very long time.  It has been years since we've had absolutely no savings to speak of.  I began praying again that God would protect us from further expenses and show us the path to gaining ground.

If it wasn't the very next day that our Air Conditioner went out.  Not out like needed to be fixed but needing to be replaced completely.  Could the timing be any more challenging.

In trying to make a long story short, there have been several more instances over the past months in which we have seen God's provision in remarkable ways as we've endured much hardship.  It has been challenging to struggle financially as we have never struggled before and to also realize that it was not our savings that was keeping us from emergency but rather our Hope is in Christ and His ultimate provision in our time of need.  I confess that I had much confidence placed in our emergency fund that should have been solely in Christ alone and His plan for our growing family.

We have been forced to our knees, seeking God's will and plan, prayerfully and mindfully aware of our spending and our habits, and seeking to honor Him with our time, funds, and family.  There is still so much to be thankful for!

91. Steady and secure employment
92. A God that sees and hears all things related to our lives
93. His Love that stirs us
94. The children He has entrusted to us that we might teach them His faithfulness
95. Prayer
96. Hope
97. Grace and Mercy
98. Tomorrow
99. New Beginnings
100. Being Humbled by the Work of God in our lives and reminded that comfort can easily lead to complacency.  Oh to have a heart filled with JOY in all circumstances of life that we might not take even a second for granted.
101. Finding our purpose at the Cross
102. Glorifying Christ with all He gives us even when it might be little.
103. Stewardship
104. His Word
105. Victory in Jesus


Father thank you for helping me come face to face with the reality that YOU are ALL we NEED and through you we can do ALL THINGS. Continue to remind me daily that this world does not dictate blessings, abundance, and status but that YOU ALONE have determined our value, placement in the World and Daily pour out your blessings of Mercy and Grace upon us.  That every breath is a gift from you.  Help me to teach my children that it is not things, money, savings, travel, or the other items our culture has determined of value that make our lives JOYFUL and WONDERFUL.  That Father YOU are our purpose.  Help us to wage the battle against the evil one, against modern culture, against paganism, and relativism that we might change the world for YOU.


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Word Filled Wednesday

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Luke 1:38
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

One Thousand Gifts-An Easter Prepared Heart

I read the most amazing line this morning from Ann and wanted to share it with you and that is also might set the tone for the blessings we ponder this week.

"The donkey carried her swollen frame into the house of bread, to birth The Bread our souls were starved for, and again, a donkey carried His willing body triumphant into the house of God, to bleed the perfect Lamb that all our sin stain ached for. The backs of the humble carry God."

 

The pictures her words paint in my heart and my mind are vivid and real.  Only an image our True God could create in the minds of those He created in His image.  For so long ago, so many years before my mind could even fathom what Mary would look like riding upon the donkey in that time, in that place, in that glorious humble moment yet still somehow, God allows my heart and my mind's eye to see Christ, so beautiful and radiant.

She reminds us in her Monday's blessings that the wine comes from the compression.  That the sweetest victory came from Christ's crushing, that our most glorious reunion with God came from His most valuable sacrifice.  Meditating over what this means and how to teach my children about the God that gave it all for them that they would live with Him...


 The Path to the Cross
81. How rugged was and is the path to the Cross
82. Reunion with our maker and our heavenly Father
83. To bear fruit for Him that shed drops from His veins
84. To drink of the cup and remember
85. To break the bread to remember the Bread that was given to us in our desperation
86. To pray the prayer our hearts long to bellow to Him
87. Feeling to deeply the thorns in his head
88. Aching yet rejoicing as his Side was pierced as prophesied so many years before
89. An unchanging and unfallable God
90. Jesus


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An Excerpt Concerning Passover

Jesus in the Passover Cup and Bread

The power and meaning of communion has its roots in the Passover feast. When Jesus met with His disciples for His last Passover meal, He took the Passover cup and said, “This is my blood of the new covenant.” When Jesus took the Passover bread he said, “This is my body broken for you.”

The redemptive work of Jesus is seen in the Passover Cup.

1. The first cup is the cup of Sanctification. Jesus is our sanctification.

“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—“ 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NKJV)

2. The second cup is the cup of Freedom. Jesus has set us free from our bondage and slavery to sin.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2 (NKJV)

3. The third cup is the cup of Redemption. Jesus has obtained our redemption.

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:11-12 (NKJV)

4. The fourth cup is the cup of Praise. Jesus is worthy of all honor and praise.

“And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the
earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne
, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" Rev. 5:13 (NKJV)


When Jesus partook of the cup at Passover, He made this application regarding His death…

“Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:27-28 (NKJV)

The redemptive work of Jesus is seen in the Unleavened Bread.

1. The unleavened Matzah is striped. Jesus body received many stripes. “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)

2. The unleavened Matzah was pierced. Jesus body was pierced by a
Roman soldier’s spear after His death upon the cross.

“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately
blood and water came out.” John 19:34 (NKJV)

3. The prophet Isaiah makes these stirring statements about the coming
Messiah’s broken body…

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we
esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was
wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are
healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 (NKJV)

4. The Afikomen is a picture of Jesus’ redemptive work. The three pieces of Matzah speak to us of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the Passover service, the Afikomen (the middle piece of matzah) is taken, wrapped, buried, brought forth, broken, distributed and received. Jesus, the Son of God, came from heaven, died upon the cross, was buried, rose from the dead and received by all who believe.


5. The meaning of the word Afikomen is “He who has come.” Jesus, God’s Son and the promised Messiah, left His home in heaven and came to earth. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death upon the cross. Three days later He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. One day, He will come again and reign and rule in righteousness.


6. The bread was unleavened. Leaven, in the bible, is a type of sin. Jesus
was without sin.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor. 5:21 (NKJV)


“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the
form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made
Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in
the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the
death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given
Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and
those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philip. 2:6-11 (NKJV)

When Jesus partook of the unleavened bread at the Passover, He made this application regarding His body…

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Matthew 26:26 (NKJV)

Note: This is taken from my book "I Am Passover/Communion Collection" which brings together the meaning of Passover and the significance of communion. The book is available from DaySpring.com