Well, Craig left this past Thursday for his mission trip to Romania. The team has many stories to tell, I'm sure, and I can't wait to hear them! I know that poor Craig is still missing his personal luggage so I'm sure his clothes are starting to get pretty stinky! :) But they are all having a wonderful time and learning tons, I know! Craig was performing a puppet skit today for the kids at the orphanage so I'm anxious to hear how that went. He loves that sort of thing!
I have volunteered to help out in Reach the Nations with Shannon and Kathy Ramsey in Stone Mountain next week. We will be having fun with Internationals and Refugees as well as underpriviledged kids from the area playing soccer and basketball. This is SO very much outside my comfort zone since I'm not a sports person, but God convicted me last night that I need to get outside this comfort zone a tad! :) I am excited to learn more about exactly what we're going to be doing. Shannon is supposed to call me today to give me more details. Depending on if we can get a sitter, Craig might be joining me as well. We will pray and see what happens.
Adalynn has chosen this week to decide to start using the potty. Great, right? Um, not really. She is refusing to wear a diaper--only big girl panties--which would be fine if she had actually used the potty more than 3 times so far. Not much fun cleaning pee and poop off of everything!! Why does she choose the week that Craig is in another country to decide to start doing this?? Oh the joys of being a mother! LOL. (Actually, I LOVE being a mommy---even when it's disgusting!)
We start the last week of Eileen's swimming lessons tonight. I hope it's not a repeat of Thursday where Merrick cries the whole time because it's not fair that he's not swimming and then Eileen doesn't obey when it's time to leave and I've got grumpy, crying children walking out of the YMCA facility! Pray for peace over that situation please!
We plan to start 2nd grade this week. We're going to take it slow and make it fun!!! She's going to learn so much this year, regardless, because everything is NEW!! I am so excited to go through the book of Matthew verse by verse and memorize with her some really awesome passages of Scripture! I am also excited to read the missionary biographies that go along with each country/region we're learning about. Eileen has such a missionary heart already and Exploring Countries and Cultures will only help to cement that love for other people deep within her. I'm so glad I was introduced to My Father's World and I hope we can use it for our entire school career until college!
Okay well these were just totally random thoughts for today!! Hopefully I'll have something worthwhile to write about another time!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Love
For whatever reason this has been on my heart and mind lately and I wanted to share it.
The Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:16). He did not create love and He isn't "made of" love but He IS love. God's Word is always teaching us about love. Love God, love our neighbor...my favorite set of verses on love, though, have always meant something else to me and probably to most people. They are read at wedding ceremonies and mostly looked on as how a husband and wife should love each other. Now, they very much can be used that way. But if God IS love and His love is perfect, whole and not based on performance or being loved in return--if He is true love--then these verses are talking about Him.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 state the following (NIV):
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Now since God IS love, let's replace love in that verse with God since they are synonomous and therefore, one in the same and let's really ponder on each part of the verse--these are God's attributes.
God is patient,
He most certainly is. Just look at how many times he forgave Israel and turned them back
onto the right path only to have to go and forgive them again. More personally, think
about how many times He has forgiven us and turned us back onto the right path only to have to go and forgive us again. :)
God is kind.
"I am the Lord, who exercises kindness..." (Jeremiah 9:24) In numerous other references,
the Bible talks of God's "everlasting kindness" towards us and it also tells us to express
kindness to others.
He does not envy,
He does not boast,
He is not proud.
He is not rude,
he is not self-seeking,
he is not easily angered,
he keeps no record of wrongs.
Psalm 103:12 says, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our
transgressions from us." There's wonderful song by Casting Crowns called East to
West that speaks of this very things.
In Psalm 130:3-4, it says, "If you, O Lord, kept a record of sings, O Lord, who
could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared."
God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
He always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
God never fails.
When you think on each statement in light of it talking about God, it really makes a huge impact. Sure, we can aspire to live these things in our relationships and we should. But none of us can ever live up to it. We are not perfect. We are not love. Somewhere along the way, in every relationship--no matter how good--one person fails another, one person gives up hope, one person breaks trust, both people keep record of the other person's wrongs, both people are rude and self-seeking and easily angered. Both people lost patience and kindness with each other. These are things that happen from time to time in every relationship--especially marriage relationships! It seems that we lack these things the most towards those we love the most. Why is this? God made us in His image and we have a huge capacity to love. But we are only flesh. We are not perfect. We make mistakes and we forget to love others as God loves us. We even feel some people (or groups of people) are unworthy of our love (or even unworthy of God's love). Do we forget that we are all God's children? Do we forget that we are all made in His image and that Christ died the same death for me as for everyone else? Do we forget that way down the line we are all brothers and sisters anyway and therefore, not all that different to begin with? Do we forget that those who have hurt us or who have hurt someone we love are just people who have probably been hurt somewhere else and that no matter what they've done God loves them and He tells us we should too? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighboar as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39) Someone then asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29) Jesus then goes on to tell the story of the "Good Samaritan" in which a man was robbed and beaten and left to die and different people pass him by on the streets--a priest and a Levite--both people who should have had compassion enough to help this poor man. Then a Samaritan comes by--traditionally hated by Jews because they were unclean and "half breeds"--and THIS MAN helped the hurt man. He even went above and beyond what he needed to. Jesus said this is how we should live. No matter who needs our love, we are told to give it. There is not anyone who doesn't deserve it. There is no ethnicity that doesn't deserve the same love that God gives to us. There is no country that is less worthy to hear the Word and Love of God than we are.
"For God so loved the WORLD that he gave is one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) God loves the whole world. Not just a select few.
Now...who's going to go show them love and tell them about God's love?
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Showers of Blessings
Since posting the last blog, God has given us direction on a few things we've been asking about. There are, of course, things we are still waiting on, but those will come in His time. I was happy to at least have a few questions answered. :) Not quite a billboard, but hey--it's a start!
However, the REAL reason I'm blogging tonight (as opposed to getting my kids in the bed) is because yesterday (and continued today) I experienced something so GOD!!
Yesterday, we had a yard sale to raise money for Craig's upcoming mission trip to Romania. Our goal was set at $300 although we hadn't told anyone that amount. The sale went extremely well. We had tons of people stop and lots of people buy things. One lady, in particular though, will forever stick in my mind.
In a natural course of conversation yesterday, I would tell just about everyone what we were trying to raise money for. This one lady was so excited to hear about Craig's trip and our upcoming plans for missions. She knows some people with YWAM in California and was so happy to hear about what God is doing in our lives. She said she would pray Ezekial 34:26 over us--that we would receive showers of blessings. She said this 3 times. Then she also said to look up Numbers 6:24-26. Before she lefts, she said again, "I will pray for showers of blessings for you. In fact, I will pray for a double blessing for you." She asked my name and said she would pray.
Here are the verses she gave me:
Ezekial 34:26
I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.
Number 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Wow--she doesn't know us and yet she prayed for God's blessing to be poured down on us in showers and for God to give us peace. She also prayed for double blessing...and we got it, in financial terms anyhow.
We made a little over $300 at our garage sale yesterday. Well, today 2 different people have given us money that together total $300. :) We were not in any way expecting that--in fact one of the checks was from someone we didn't even know was back in the States and didn't know they even knew Craig was going on a mission trip!! God is soooo good!
I am so thankful to that lady for praying double blessings on us! She will probably never know how she blessed us just by giving me that Scripture and then praying for us. I, probably, will never know her name! But this is just another example of how we never know how our words and prayers will affect someone else. We should seize every opportunity to share Christ's love because it will ALWAYS have a tremendous effect! Prayers never go unanswered. The Word of God never comes back void.
Thank you Jesus!!!!!!!!
However, the REAL reason I'm blogging tonight (as opposed to getting my kids in the bed) is because yesterday (and continued today) I experienced something so GOD!!
Yesterday, we had a yard sale to raise money for Craig's upcoming mission trip to Romania. Our goal was set at $300 although we hadn't told anyone that amount. The sale went extremely well. We had tons of people stop and lots of people buy things. One lady, in particular though, will forever stick in my mind.
In a natural course of conversation yesterday, I would tell just about everyone what we were trying to raise money for. This one lady was so excited to hear about Craig's trip and our upcoming plans for missions. She knows some people with YWAM in California and was so happy to hear about what God is doing in our lives. She said she would pray Ezekial 34:26 over us--that we would receive showers of blessings. She said this 3 times. Then she also said to look up Numbers 6:24-26. Before she lefts, she said again, "I will pray for showers of blessings for you. In fact, I will pray for a double blessing for you." She asked my name and said she would pray.
Here are the verses she gave me:
Ezekial 34:26
I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.
Number 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Wow--she doesn't know us and yet she prayed for God's blessing to be poured down on us in showers and for God to give us peace. She also prayed for double blessing...and we got it, in financial terms anyhow.
We made a little over $300 at our garage sale yesterday. Well, today 2 different people have given us money that together total $300. :) We were not in any way expecting that--in fact one of the checks was from someone we didn't even know was back in the States and didn't know they even knew Craig was going on a mission trip!! God is soooo good!
I am so thankful to that lady for praying double blessings on us! She will probably never know how she blessed us just by giving me that Scripture and then praying for us. I, probably, will never know her name! But this is just another example of how we never know how our words and prayers will affect someone else. We should seize every opportunity to share Christ's love because it will ALWAYS have a tremendous effect! Prayers never go unanswered. The Word of God never comes back void.
Thank you Jesus!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Why am I Worried Again?
It seems I am a worrier by nature. My mom worries about everything all the time. I'm not quite as bad as that, but as I get older (not old--just oldER) I find myself worrying about more things. These days I worry about direction. When there are so many choices to make and none of them are "bad" choices, how do you know which choice God wants you to make? How do I know by choosing one of them that I won't be making the wrong decision?
Do you ever wish God would speak to you through billboards? Maybe huge neon signs that say, "You should choose...."
I think it's just like God that this is what the kids church lesson was about on Sunday. Here we are teaching the kids about seeking direction from God--praying, reading the Bible when we have tough decisions to make. And what do you know? It seems that I am so bogged down with trying to make the right decision, that I (instead of letting God) am trying to make that decision. We taught that no matter what that decision is, that God is always trustworthy. He will never make the wrong choice for you. He will not fail us.
Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God knows what decisions we are facing right now. And He knows exactly how it will all play out. I know that I can trust Him because not only does He know my future--but His plans are to prosper us...soooo how do I know what it is He wants us to do? Why am I so scared about making a decision?
1 John 4:18 (New International Version)
18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
I know I should not be scared. I know God is in control. I guess my problem is, I'm not always sure how to hear Him out of all the other chaos all around me.
Lord, please help me to seek you in all I do. Please take my burdens from me and allow me rest. I know that in seeking you, I will find the peace you offer. Help me to trust in You with all my heart instead of leaning on my own understanding. Help me to seek your desires instead of my own. Help me to remember to be anxious about nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let me make my requests known to you and Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, will guard my mind and heart in You. Thank you, God, that I can rely on you to never steer me wrong.
In Jesus' name.
Amen
Do you ever wish God would speak to you through billboards? Maybe huge neon signs that say, "You should choose...."
I think it's just like God that this is what the kids church lesson was about on Sunday. Here we are teaching the kids about seeking direction from God--praying, reading the Bible when we have tough decisions to make. And what do you know? It seems that I am so bogged down with trying to make the right decision, that I (instead of letting God) am trying to make that decision. We taught that no matter what that decision is, that God is always trustworthy. He will never make the wrong choice for you. He will not fail us.
Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God knows what decisions we are facing right now. And He knows exactly how it will all play out. I know that I can trust Him because not only does He know my future--but His plans are to prosper us...soooo how do I know what it is He wants us to do? Why am I so scared about making a decision?
1 John 4:18 (New International Version)
18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
I know I should not be scared. I know God is in control. I guess my problem is, I'm not always sure how to hear Him out of all the other chaos all around me.
Lord, please help me to seek you in all I do. Please take my burdens from me and allow me rest. I know that in seeking you, I will find the peace you offer. Help me to trust in You with all my heart instead of leaning on my own understanding. Help me to seek your desires instead of my own. Help me to remember to be anxious about nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let me make my requests known to you and Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, will guard my mind and heart in You. Thank you, God, that I can rely on you to never steer me wrong.
In Jesus' name.
Amen
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