Titus 2 In Action

Ignite The Fire In Your Marriage - What Men Need

2012-02-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is the fourth message in my "Ignite The Fire In Your Marriage" series. If you missed any messages in this series, follow this link.

This week we continue talking about what men need:

Sincere Love

Love is a need we value most in our marriages. But as Romans 12:9 tells us, love must be sincere. Everything we do for our spouses has to come from a sincere heart of unconditional love.

My husband can tell when I am doing something for him out of obligation instead of love. I can tell as well, because I don't feel fulfilled; I feel resentful. But when I meet his needs out of sincere heart of love, I enjoy him and desire to do more things for him.

"Dear Children, we must show love through actions that are sincere..."
1 John 3:18, GW

Love isn't based on feelings. True love is based on knowing God unconditionally loves us and He is able to supply our needs. God meeting our needs means that our satisfaction and expectations should be in Him alone, not in what our spouses do or don't do for us.

A woman struggling in her marriage said, "I need to work daily to release my husband from having to fulfill me where only God can."

When our spouses aren't meeting our needs, we can still find fulfillment in knowing God loves us and meets our needs (Phil. 4:9). This will help us love our spouses freely without demanding anything in return.

To Be Pursued

Another need men shared was affection and intimacy with their wives. One man in my survey expressed, "I need my wife to still pursue me."

My husband expresses his love for me by being affectionate. Many times his complaint is that I'm always running around taking care of the kids that I don't stop and show him affection. I notice when I purposely show him affection, it draws him closer to me.

We should pursue our husbands, and show them we are still crazy about them.

"The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."
1 Corinthians 7:4-5

Understanding

"Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife." Proverbs 21:9

Another need men shared was for their wives to be more understanding, to not hold grudges, and not be quick to argue. Many arguments in marriages start simply because men and women perceive things differently.

I am still amazed how different my husband and I see things. We could be at the same place, at the same time, see the same thing happen, and yet see something completely different. Sometimes I'm dumbfounded to the point that I think one of us has to have lost our mind.

I can be positively sure I am right about something, and my husband's positively sure he's right. If we don't drop it, it causes an argument and turns into a big brawl.

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." 2 Timothy 2:23

Reverence For The Lord

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

The greatest thing we can do for our spouses is live in reverence to Christ. Women often view the Proverbs 31 wife as impossible to measure up to. Some see the focus as having to accomplish everything and be a perfect wife.

The kind of wife Proverbs is talking about is a wife whose total dependence is on God. Her whole being, her mind, her heart, her actions are aimed in one direction, God's. As a result, she is able to do it all. Not by her strength and might, but by God's power and strength. The proverbs 31 wife's heart is undivided toward God. That is the reason her household is blessed.

When I asked women in my survey what plays a major role in the success of their families, a majority attributed their success to putting God at the center of their families. One woman wrote, "Without having God in my life, my marriage would not have lasted this long. Without having the forgiveness and loving spirit that God has given me, I don't know if we would still be married."

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:10-12

*This series will continue March 2nd with: "What Women Need"

Be God's Valentine

2012-02-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Do you get any Valentines yesterday? Valentine's Day is a great day to write and receive love notes. There is nothing sweeter than having the one you love share their feelings with you. Getting love notes from your kids is especially sweet. Reading "You are the best mom ever" is a wonderful feeling.

But what if you are alone on Valentine's Day? Or if even with your family around, you weren't feeling the love? Remember that God is love. (1 John 4:8) And God wrote a love letter to us. It's called the Bible, and here are some excerpts from that love letter.

I love you. (John 3:16)

There is nothing you can do that will make me stop loving you. (Romans 5:8)

I will never leave you. (Joshua 1:5)

You are valuable to me. (1 Cor 6:20)

I rejoice over you with singing. (Zeph 3:17)

I will do more for you than you can ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20)

I want to encourage you and give you hope. (2 Thess 2:16-17)

There is nothing than can separate me from you. (Romans 8:38-39)

Be Mine. (1 Cor 6:19-20)

Hallmark holidays can be hard when you aren't in the perfect relationship. But then no relationship is perfect...except the one between you and God. Won't you be His Valentine?

Kelly Combs is a Christian wife, mom, writer and speaker. You can learn about Kelly by visiting her website at www.kellycombs.com

Baby Love

2012-02-13T05:30:00.012-05:00

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God ~ for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." 1 John 4:7-10

It was a simple sticky note.
Yellow.
Stuck to my Bible on my nightstand. And it said,

"I'm not your baby anymore. But I still love you, mama."

I rubbed it gently between my fingers fighting my hot cheeks and imminent tears, as I grappled with the reality that my sweet kindergartener was beginning to show her independence and ability. I thought back to earlier in the day when I lovingly and with great affection answered my youngest with the words, "Yes, baby." Obviously, my gently used moniker for our little one left her feeling less than great. Compelled to tell me the truth, she left the note to make her point. How often does God point out the truth, painful as it is...always ending with, BUT I STILL LOVE YOU. A precious message and life lesson I received from my tender child that day.

This child...a child whom love escaped for quite a time. Living in an orphanage the first eleven months of her life, thrust into a new home, new world, new family. Not yet ready to love with full abandon, she eased her way into committment and attachment. Slowly, like a flower opening petal by petal, she grew and emerged, blossoming into the loving girl I now see. I adored her before I ever knew her; she had reason to doubt love. She has taught me daily about God's love...in the threshold of parenting, we can most closely feel that unconditional love God has shown us in the love we hold for our children. It is possibly one of the finest representations of that original love that we can find. He loved us before we loved Him. It is the simple truth.

As a toddler, our daughter held onto raw emotions, causing us to seek deeper, stronger, more passionately God's truths and how to parent her without shattering her beautiful spirit. The first time she uttered the words, "I love you Mama", she held my face in her little hands. She was two and a half and we were visiting my older daughter's school as they rehearsed for the winter concert. Literally, a choir of angels sang as she melted into my own frame. I have to believe that my rejoicing resembles that of the Lord's each time a new son or daughter receive Him lovingly into their hearts. Oh how He must dance!

May it be that in gladness, sadness, truthfulness, and life, we can accept God's instruction and guidance all the while knowing BUT HE STILL LOVES US.

"God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:8

Are your lights on?

2012-02-10T05:00:00.008-05:00

This is how it looked as I drove the kids to school today. Thick fog - low visibility. Certainly not the best driving conditions.

It reminded me of our Christian walk.

We are expected to stay on the right path (road) which is narrow, the fog would represent the noise around us in the world (sin).

How should we, as Christians, navigate in such conditions?

First, pay attention to the road. I noticed how much more attentive and alert I became today. This didn't represent the usual driving conditions. Sometimes the chaos around us will sharpen our focus on the road ahead.

Next, turn on your lights. Unless an oncoming car had it's lights on, they would likely go unseen and risk causing an accident. I realized how all vehicles are equipped with lights, but turning them on in a fog is a conscious decision. We can turn on our spiritual lights by memorizing the word of God and then speaking it into our lives.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

Have you turned on your lights today? If so, please leave a comment and tell us what you did.

desperate only for Him

2012-02-08T04:00:00.001-05:00

What are we desperate for in our lives? More money? More power? More prestige? The truth of the matter is that most of us are desperate for things that are temporal and unimportant. We think that all these material things will make us happy. We think that if we finally attain certain success in our careers or personal lives that we will finally be content. But have you ever noticed that the more we get the more we want? That enough is never enough? We always want more. We always desire something better. We will never reach a point of satisfaction in our personal lives if our aspirations are based on material and worldly things. Our contentment in this life has to be solely dependent upon the Lord.

If we are going to be desperate about anything it needs to be about a revival in our hearts. A real, Holy Ghost revival that will change our lives in a very powerful way. Not a revival in the hearts of our spouses or our friends. Not a revival in the hearts of our children or even our churches. But a revival that begins deep in our own hearts. It has to start in our own selves with an intense thirst of our souls for life giving water.

Are you thirsty? We are possessors of a soul that cries out for something to quench that insatiable thirst of our spirits. Our souls cry out for water. Water that will saturate those dry places of need and desperation in our spirits. Life-giving water that only comes from our Lord.

Are you hungry? Our souls ever hunger for the bread of life. We need to allow the Nourisher of our Souls to feed us with the precious Word of God. May we devour the scriptures that they might quell those hunger pangs that so often besiege us.

We will never be all that God has purposed for us to be if we do not spend intimate time with Him. We must be spending time on our faces, bowed down low before Him, crying out for a filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to be desperately seeking to know Him fully. We need to never be satisfied with our walk but to be always striving for more. More of Him. More of His Word. More of His Presence.

The only thing that will bring us pure and permanent contentment is Jesus. Nothing but Jesus will satisfy our intense thirst and hunger for fulfillment. Nothing. We need to be desperate for Him and only Him.

He is all we need.

~~~~~~~~~

"Jesus answered and said unto her,
Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again;
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall
give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life"
(John 4:13-14)

Ignite The Fire In Your Marriage - What Men Need

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is the third message in my "Ignite The Fire In Your Marriage" series. Follow this link if you missed the last two messages in this series.

In the last message, I talked about the importance of communicating our needs with our spouses and being honest with our feelings. For the next several posts, I'll be sharing what men and women need, according to the Bible and a survey I posted for my book.

We'll start today with: What Men Need

Respect

"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1

Our husbands need to know that we respect them and are proud of them. Ephesians 5:33 says that a husband must love his wife as he loves himself, and a wife must respect her husband. My husband and I attended a Bible study on this verse years ago.

I have heard women misinterpret this verse and become defensive and say, "Well, a man should respect his wife too." My husband and I learned through this study that men and women see things differently.

For instance, when I build my husband up, by letting him know how much I appreciate him for being our provider, I am showing him respect, which he views as me showing love toward him.

This is how our husbands want us to show them love, by respecting them. I, however, see my husband show me love in more physical ways, like going out of his way to romance me, helping me with the housework and kids, and listening to me. His acts of love show me that he respects me. We are both showing love and respect, but in different ways.

One woman in my survey shared how she shows her husband respect, "I try to make sure he knows that I appreciate all that he does to take care of me, not just monetarily, but with the remodeling of our home and even car repairs."

Just a little "I appreciate all that you do" is what our husbands want. It will motivate them to be better husbands, better fathers, and better providers if they have us cheering them on through life.

Companionship

"Enjoy life with your wife (or husband), whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun..."
Ecclesiastes 9:9 (emphasis mine)

My husband is truly my best friend. We have a lot of fun together and we miss each other when we are apart. I've learned as with all friendships, to have a friend you have to be a friend. This especially applies to marriage. To be a good friend to our husbands we have to be considerate with their interests and not selfish with our own.

Warren Baldwin wrote a great post about men's needs, and understanding their interests. He wrote:

If a husband invites his wife to a ball game, a day hike or even a deer hunt, that is his way of saying, "I love you and want to be close to you." It may not have quite the romantic appeal to many wives that a movie and dinner out does, but realizing the husband's intent may help make the invitation a little more desirable (or at least bearable).

I see too many married couples living separate lives, doing their own things. This only pulls couples further apart. I don't exactly enjoy watching football or hockey, but I enjoy spending time with my husband. We should enjoy being with our spouses, no matter what we do. I've found the more I spend time doing what my husband enjoys, the more he spends time with me doing what I enjoy.

This series will continue on 2/17!

*Next week is National Marriage Week. I am giving away the Kindle version of "You Can Have a Happy Family" for FREE at Amazon ALL DAY Wed & Thurs (2/8-2/9). Be sure to download your free copy and re-ignite that fire in your marriage for Valentine's Day!

Angels All Around Us

2012-01-30T05:30:00.001-05:00

They're all above me
Beneath me
Before me
They're all around me
My Father's Angels all protect me everywhere ~ Bill & Gloria Gaither

Often our daughters sing this soft, comforting tune. Sometimes, closing their eyes and picturing their angels, sometimes heads bowed in gratitude. Sometimes, their joy in this truth revealed by the smiles adorning their precious faces. I am reminded that the Lord would not have us live in fear when these words ring forth. Such a simple principle...that our faith would far surpass our fear, yet, difficult to put into action, when we view the reality of our world.

Last week, God sent a huge reminder to our school. The children boarded their buses like any other day. Bus drivers waved goodbye and teachers smiled as they re-entered school after a long day. Not long after, a phone call would spark our administration into action. The driver on one of the buses had suffered a heart attack, leaving the bus unattended as it drifted into an intersection after being stopped at a red light. One of the high school students noticed the empty driver's seat. She left her own seat, approached the steering wheel, turned and applied the emergency brake, leading the bus to safety. Other older students gathered younger students and ushered them to the rear of the bus, as not to view the collapsed driver. They prayed together and remained calm as help arrived; the kind of calm that only God provides...the kind of calm that comes in the presence of angels who gather around a big yellow bus providing a hedge of protection that only God ordains.

"For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:11-12

In a worldly view, some may call this story good fortune. I cannot in good conscience underestimate the almighty power of a loving God who chose to employ His angels to keep some 30 students safe. The young lady who led that bus to the side of the road had just begun driver's education...no other cars hit the bus...prayers were lifted...the students called the school and 911, articulating the events with great clarity and amazing composure...God gets the glory for the events that transpired. His protection was evident.

"He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber." Psalm 121:3

As a general rule, we probably do not know the extent to which we have been held so dearly in His grip. We know the angels surround us, protect us and obey the wave of His hand. Joshua 1:9 proclaims, "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Today, I pray you will accept the peace and protection of our God and His angels. They are as near to us as our breath is within us.

Thank you, Lord for the protection you provide. Thank you for sending your angels to keep us from harm. Keep us mindful of your promises and open to your strength and peace. Please, Lord keep those angels coming!Amen.

"He goes before us, follows behind us, and hems us safe inside the realm of His protection." ~ Beth Moore

2012-01-25T05:00:00.001-05:00

"But the Lord your God ye shall fear;

and He shall deliver you out of the

hands of all your enemies"

(2 Kings 17:39)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's funny how God can give you a Word that you already knew, but somehow just weren't putting it to practice. A Word that you may have heard before, but just didn't connect the dots correctly.

The enemy, satan, has really been having a good time messing me with me lately. I have allowed him to play some mind games with me and convince me of some things that absolutely were not true. Things that deep down I knew weren't true, but just let him convince me otherwise. He loves to tell us lies about ourselves to make us doubt what we know. To make us focus on our unworthiness instead of on His Worth.

In our quest of seeking a Higher plane with God, we must learn to recognize the devil's schemes and not allow him free reign on our property. God has given us so many promises in His Word that we can cling to. He has blessed us beyond measure and He wants us to have good things! It is time for us to stop the devil in his tracks. It's time that we take back from the devil what is rightfully ours. If we are ever going to grow in the Lord, we have to recognize who we are in Him. We are victorious through the power of God. Satan has no hold over us. Our God will deliver us from the hands of our enemies. The battle has already been won.

Thank you, Lord, for the power that you have given us over satan. Help us to remember who we are in You. Help us to recognize the schemes of our enemy. Help us to put our trust and our faith in You. May we continue to seek you and a higher, more intimate relationship. You are everything we could ever ask or imagine. You are God.

Building Character

2012-01-23T02:19:00.002-05:00

Building Character

Character is our internal make-up. As I write this I’m also watching a special on quarterback Tom Brady called The Brady 6. We know Tom to be one of the greatest professional football players ever. How many of us know that he was a high school bench warmer for a team that didn’t win a game? He only began playing when the starting quarterback quit.

The NFL drafting reports said Brady lacked speed, strength, and the ability to avoid a rush. They also said he couldn’t throw a tight spiral Six quarterbacks were drafted ahead of him in 2000, and he was picked 199 overall. Not a very outstanding start. But there was something about him.

One thing that did not show up on the reports was Tom Brady’s heart. The scouts, coaches and team owners simply could not read, or thus comprehend, the drive Brady had to be the best quarterback ever.

Tom’s success as the general on the football field is not the result of native talent or skill. It is the result of internal make-up. Tom has great character in the game of football.

Great talent means he expends whatever time or energy it takes to improve his game. He practices harder than anyone. He treats each practice as an actual game. He puts pressure on himself that no one else does. He feels he has to win his starting spot everyday. So he works to become better, better, and even better.

The character Brady displays in athletics works in any and every field of endeavor. It certainly has application for us spiritually. Peter wrote, “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ... Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” 2 Peter 1:5-10 (ESV)

What Peter is writing about is developing our character. God in his mercy and grace saves us. But we are called upon to grow in the grace we have been given. It is not a matter of earning our salvation. But it is a matter of developing our hearts, minds and bodies to reflect the nature of God’s very being. Peter identifies the nature of this character as faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. These are eight important internal traits of a person seeking to be all that God wants him to be. They are not a matter of skill or talent; they are a matter of applying ourselves diligently to be more Christ-like. These are not matters simply for the specially gifted; they are for all of us.

John Luther wrote, “Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece - by thought, choice, courage and determination.” (Story’s for the Family’s Heart, 101). We develop the inner traits of character by how we think, the choices we make, the courage we develop to face and overcome our own weaknesses, and by determination to never give up on God or ourselves.

Every NFL team had numerous opportunities to pick Tom Brady in 2000, but it wasn’t until the 6th round, at draft number 199, that the New England Patriots announced, “We pick Tom Brady.” It would be two years before Tom had the opportunity to prove the true nature of his character to everyone. Today, after numerous NFL records and 3 Super Bowl rings, no one has any doubts.

Several college and NFL personalities were interviewed for the The Brady 6 special, including coaches who passed on picking Brady. One of them, former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci, said about his teams failure to pick Tom, “We didn’t open up his chest and look at his heart.” Funny, because that is just what God does, because he knows that’s where he’ll find our character.

Warren Baldwin

Ignite The Fire In Your Marriage - Honest Communication

2012-01-20T05:00:00.004-05:00

We continue our series on igniting the fire in your marriage. Follow this link if you missed the first message in this series.

To ignite the fire in our marriages, we must pursue our spouses' hearts by making an effort to meet their needs.

My husband and I have had many rough patches in our marriage. There were times when I honestly didn't want to pursue his heart. If your marriage is at this point, don't give up hope. God can re-ignite a fire in your heart and change your desire for your spouse. Pray and ask God. He is faithful to change your heart.

In the meantime, do it on purpose, even though you don't feel like it. My husband once shared with his co-worker some of nice things I do for him. His co-worker retorted, "I wouldn't do that for my husband! I'm not his servant!" My husband responded that I enjoy doing those things for him, and he enjoys doing things for me as well.

Meeting our spouses' needs doesn't mean we become their slaves, giving them everything they want. Marriage is about giving and receiving. And just like financial giving, we have to sow in order to reap.

To meet our spouses' needs we need to communicate with them. "Honest" communication is vital for a healthy marriage. I emphasize the word "honest" because it won't do our marriages any good if we are communicating with our spouses, but not being completely honest.

Last week, my husband and I had a long, meaningful talk together. With having four children, it's often hard to find time alone to talk to each other. We hadn't had a long talk in awhile, and I felt a little wall slowly building up between us.

During our talk, we shared some things that we had been holding in, that bothered us about our relationship. We were able to talk about our needs and be honest with our feelings. As we were honest, we felt that wall come down and our hearts draw closer together.

My husband expressed how nice it was to be able to be honest with his feelings and struggles. In the past, he wasn't able to be honest with me, because I wasn't understanding. I would get angry when he shared anything I didn't like or agree with.

It's important to allow your spouse to be honest without judging them or taking offense. Give your spouse the freedom to be open with his struggles, needs, and desires. Pray and ask God to help you be compassionate. God was the only one who was able to change me. He can do the same for you.

Sometimes our spouses' needs may not be what we want to give them, but as long as their needs are fitting in the Lord, we should pursue to meet them.

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10, KJV

Come back in two weeks as the series continues...

*If you desire to have a godly marriage, order "You Can Have a Happy Family" on Amazon. It's lowered to only $8.04 for paperback and $5.99 for Kindle (free for prime members). I promise your marriage will be blessed!

Expanding Your Territory

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! 1 Chronicles 4:10

Have you ever prayed that God would increase your territory? No, I don't mean physical territory, but the space of your influence. God has given you a sphere of influence. It starts in your own home, then it goes out to your neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Those around you see what you are doing, good or bad, and they judge your faith because of it.

Jabez prayed for more territory to increase his influence. Jesus also expects us to increase the territory of our influence. In Acts 1, he tells the disciples, "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” He didn't expect them to only share his message in their local Jerusalem. No he expected them to carry it to the ends of the earth!

What are you doing to increase your influence for God? Volunteering locally at schools, churches or civic events can be your Jerusalem. Getting involved building houses for Habitat for Humanity or giving food to the food bank can be your Judea. Donations for Haiti relief or donations to that missionary who visited your church literally spreads your territory to the ends of the earth!

What are you waiting for? Pray like Jabez, enlarge your territory and when you see the difference you can make for God...you will be blessed!

I'm excited to share that on Friday I will be increasing my own territory, with a guest post at the blog of Michael Hyatt, Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishing. I'd love for you to visit me there Friday (1/20) at www.michaelhyatt.com.

Fixing What's Broken

2012-01-16T05:30:00.002-05:00

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14

So, here we are.

A new year.

Bright with promise, hope and anticipation of what God will do in each of our lives.

And perhaps...harboring an old wound, living with an unmended relationship or refusing to yield our own will to that of a loving God desiring to see healing and health.

My husband fixes things.

Recently he brought home a friend's cabinet that needed to be reduced in size. I could not see how that cabinet could ever be reduced in size and still yield the same beauty it possessed in it's original state. I wanted it just as it was, but the truth was that it could no longer function as it was. He sawed and removed, sanded, replaced...he worked hard. Running his hands over the smoothed out smaller version he sat back in satisfaction, knowing that it was now functional AND beautiful. It had changed, but for the better.

Sometimes relationships are like this. When we build a relationship, we build a union. Because these unions are made of imperfect people, it stands to reason that relationships sometimes go awry. Maybe it was a comment, an arguement or just a general falling away from each other that caused unhealth in a relationship. In our human state, we cannot always see how the relationship could be mended or repaired. We don't see it ever being functional again. But our Heavenly Father sees the beauty of investing ourselves in His plan and after careful prayer and consideration, if he is calling you to repair a relationship, act. Of this we can be sure, His tools are always ready.

Often, we allow ourselves to be stopped.

Frozen.

Pride,fear, anger...all of these cease our forward moving steps. Like our power tools unplugged, these joy-robbing deterrants stop the healing process. Billy Graham notes in his newest book, Nearing Home that this "stuck-in-the-mud" place can lead to regret, an even deeper wound.

As God's refining power rebuilds our hearts, allow the master of forgiveness to show you gently and with great love how to forgive others. Ask Him in prayer how to saw away bitterness and replace it with healing. Ask Him for discernment in your toolbelt, as to be sure of the right timing to extend grace and forgiveness. When we fix what is broken, we may not get the exact relationship that was once there, but soft hearts poised to healing will yield uncompromising joy.

Like prayer that is not answered the way we had hoped, not all relationships will be able to be reconciled. And some relationships are not meant to be repaired. The Lord will be our guide. However, if called to do so, approaching the other party with pure intentions and with love, we should always strive to live in peace.

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18

Goals - One Day at a Time

2012-01-13T05:00:00.016-05:00

Goals are not so easy to meet. We want them to challenge us and improve our lives, but boy do they get in the way when things get busy.

Here are a few tips to help you (and me) reach our goals by the end of 2012:

1. Be realistic. Don't set goals so lofty you need a miracle to reach them.

2. Be prayerful. Once you have goals in mind, take them before the Lord.

3. Be specific. Be sure to write down the specific steps needed to reach those goals.

4. Be committed. Research has shown that people who actually read over their goals on a daily basis are 80-90% more likely to reach them, so get into the habit of reading them over daily.

5. Be flexible. By February, most of us will have missed it on at least one goal. Don't throw them all away, instead ask the Lord to give you fresh resolve and start fresh that day. You still have many more months to be faithful to reaching your goals.

6. Reward yourself. As you meet goals consistently, reward yourself. Buy a book you've been pining for, or go for a peaceful walk with the Lord, basking in His creation. Pat yourself on the back because you did it with His help!

"And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." Habakkuk 2:2

reflections on my week in Nicaragua

2012-01-11T09:56:00.001-05:00

Are you seeking to have a more personal relationship with God? Are you seeking higher things in your spiritual life? Are you wanting more and more of your Savior?

Spend a week in a third world country and His grace and His majesty and His mercy and His power will be revealed to you in a new and bigger way. Spend a week without the 'conveniences' of America and you will find yourself more dependent upon the necessities of God. Spend a week with precious children that have a hunger for something more than food and you will have a much deeper appreciation of the abundance of our bibles and study books and availability of things that we can use to increase our knowledge of Him.

Our God has blessed us to the full. We have been given such a huge portion of His measure of Grace. He is so good and we are so lacking in our reverence and fear of Him. We need to push all our worldly possessions to the side and take a real close look at what is really important in our lives.

When I boarded the plane in Managua, Nicaragua yesterday afternoon, I was ready to get home to a good HOT bath, clean running water and the modern conveniences of home. When I landed in Jackson, MS to begin the 2 hour drive home, I was saddened at the thought of hot water and all those modern conveniences that we think are necessities. I was ready to go back to the land of simplicity. The land of depending on God for your comfort. The land of communing with Him and being satisfied with just Him...

Are you seeking a higher and more intimate relationship with God? Get back to the basics. Quit striving for more things and strive for more of the Lord. He is everything. He is all we need. He is.....

Ignite The Fire In Your Marriage

2012-01-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

As I was getting ready to share the different needs men and women have, I was preparing a series on my other blog about igniting the fire in our Spirits. I thought that topic would be great to use for marriage as well. What better way to meet our spouses' needs than through a heart that is truly blazing for them.

Our hearts are usually on fire for the Lord, but not so much for our spouses. When in fact, we should be as excited being one with our spouses as we are being one with Christ.

After returning from our honeymoons, the blazing hearts we have for our spouses start to simmer down as life goes on. Once we start to have children, the fire that is left often gets extinguished as the kids take precedence over our relationships with our spouses.

But with God's help we can re-ignite that fire in our marriages and set our hearts blazing again for our spouses!

Igniting the fire doesn't mean we have to feel romantic toward our spouses 24/7. My husband and I have 4 children ages 2 to 10. With all the commotion in our home, we don't exactly have a lot of time for romance. Our kids are constantly active. A day doesn't go by where someone doesn't get hurt, something doesn't get broken or spilled, and a fight doesn't break out over a toy.

At the end of the day, when our kids are in bed, my husband and I don't break out the candles and wine and gaze into each others' eyes. Rather, we usually snuggle up together and then gaze at the inside of our eyelids while passing out in exhaustion.

But that doesn't mean we are not on fire for each other. Our fire is enjoying being with each other during the chaos life throws at us. Our fire is having a marriage filled with unconditional love. Our fire is trusting that no matter what happens, we will stand beside each other until death do us part.

I believe this is the type of fire in our marriages God desires for us—marriages that will continue blazing even through the storms in life.

I am doing this Ignite The Fire In Your Marriage series bi-weekly on Fridays for as many weeks as the Lord leads me. I believe this will be a powerful series that will ignite that fire in your heart, first for the Lord, and then for your spouse, so your marriage can stand strong through the storms in life.

Don't forget to come back on Friday 1/20 as the series continues. Until then, God bless!

The Size of Your Faith

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

I love the televisions specials at Christmas. Frosty and Rudolph, A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story. But my absolute favorite is Miracle on 34th Street.

My favorite line from the movie is "Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to." Of course, that line was spoken in regard to Santa Claus. But truly, isn't that what faith in God is about too? The writer of Hebrews said something similar, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (11:1)

God calls on us to believe in him, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. This can be hard to do when the world tells us it's not true. I love the quote from the man who Jesus questioned about his faith. "I believe, help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) This man didn't speak platitudes of his great faith. No, he truthfully admitted he had doubts. And Jesus healed the man's son.

It isn't always easy to have great faith. But Jesus says we can do great things if we only have the faith the size of a mustard seed. So whatever your faith today, big or small, know that God can do great things in you. Keep believing. And God can make that tiny seed grow.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T05:00:00.031-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Writer's at Titus 2 in Action!

May God richly bless you and your family

during this special season of joy as we celebrate Jesus' birth
and the upcoming new year 2012!

Love, The Thompson Family

The Combs Family

The Baldwin Family

The Beals Family

The Herring Family

Merry Christmas from Jason and Amanda Beth

Flee From Adultery

2011-12-16T05:00:00.001-05:00

I planned on using the next few marriage posts to discuss the different needs men and women have. But since I will not be posting again until January, I am going to save it for the new year.

I wanted to share something my husband did recently that made me so proud of him.

My husband is a straight forward, tell you like it is, man. I've always admired that about him. There is no sugar coating with him. If you are doing something wrong, he'll tell you.

Recently one of his co-workers, who is married, showed my husband a rather explicit email he received from his ex-girlfriend. The man proudly showed it off as if implying, "Isn't that cool?"

Of course, my husband didn't hold back his opinion. "Are you crazy?" my husband yelled, while reminding him of his wife and children.

A few days later, my husband overheard his co-worker whispering on the phone at his desk at work. My husband knew he was talking to the woman, so he started sending him warning messages that popped up on his computer.

"Run!" he wrote. "Flee from it!" he warned. "Don't throw away your family" he reminded him. He then wrote a message illustrating his family as the light and the girl as the darkness, while admonishing him to choose the light.

After the man got off the phone, he came up to my husband and, with gratitude, thanked him for snapping him back to reality. He is a non-believer, but he surprisingly acknowledged Jesus in my husband for showing him the light.

Later that evening, my husband received a call from his co-worker's wife. Though she wasn't too happy with her husband, she was thankful my husband stopped him. She was grateful my husband didn't sit back and silently watch her husband be led astray by the seductive words of his ex-girlfriend.

"With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life." Proverbs 7:21-23

I am so proud of my husband for not keeping silent. I praise him for using Godly wisdom and fighting for that family.

"Brothers, if someone is caught in sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently." Galatians 6:1

If you are "flirting" around with temptation today, flee from it! Run and don't look back! The more this man "flirted" with the temptation, the more it blinded him from reality. If God hadn't used my husband to be the voice of reason, I'm sure he would have fallen into the deadly trap that would have cost him his family.

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins man commits are outside the body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body." 1 Corinthians 6:18

Christmas is about Presents....

2011-12-14T08:05:00.001-05:00

"What did you get for Christmas?" No doubt, that question will be asked a lot in the next few weeks. Let's face it, Christmas is about the presents, right?

No doubt, my family loves gift giving! We sponsored a young man through social services and bought his Christmas gifts, as we have for the past several years. We send gifts to children through our church mission, and make donations through our school. And of course we give and receive gifts from each other. We love presents!

But the truth is, many folks think Christmas is JUST about the presents. And that isn't true. Christmas is about Jesus. We do love to give gifts. But the gifts are to draw our attention to the gift of eternal life we received through Jesus coming to earth as a baby on the first Christmas, growing up, dying on the cross, taking our sins with him, rising up from the dead and conquering death for us all.

Presents are what the wise men brought to young Jesus to honor him. Gifts are not a bad thing. But when you think Christmas is only about the presents you get confused. Christmas is about Jesus, and the fact that he came to earth, and gave us His presence. And through the Holy Spirit we can always have His presence with us. Christmas really is about presence!

Faith like Mary

2011-12-12T22:24:00.015-05:00

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Especially at this time of year, I find myself in a whirlwind of planning, preparing and perpetually worrying. I don't mean to worry, truly, I mean to be joyful and remember in each moment the truth about Jesus, His birth and the MAGNITUDE of this event in the hearts of Christian people everywhere. I mean to be prayerful about the unsaved being saved and about lives being changed as a result of our precious Savior. I mean to trust Him, however I can see my faith billow in the breeze as earthly things and life impede our big picture of Jesus and His life in it's entirety.

As I fret and fritter about, concerned with bows, baubles and Christmas dinner, the Lord stirs in my soul a sweet reality that Mary, Mother of Jesus was not busying herself with fret or worry when the angel Gabriel came to her. A woman (quite honestly, a teen) Mary does not falter as the angel reveals to her that she would be conceiving in the most inconceivable way! Her reaction was not that of disbelief or resistance. No, this young lady, a virgin from an obscure village in Galilee revealed unusual faith and amazing humility. How can I justify my selfish desires for the "perfect Christmas" when Mary so eloquently and peacefully showed her faith, above all things, as Jesus entered the world? I can't.

This year, our family has experienced any number of technical difficulties. Each one inconveniencing us and challenging us financially. We have replaced car parts, appliances and technological devices; we have handled health issues and vocational hiccups. Each event has greeted us with an inital panic replaced quickly by God's assurances that our needs will be met. Faith like Mary..."I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said. "Mary's servant heart and unexplicable trust make her a magnificent role model for our busy lives. I pray today that I will have faith like Mary. I pray that regardless of what comes to me, that I will be able to say with conviction that I am His servant.

Not only during this Christmas season, but all year long...is your faith like Mary's? Do we falter in the unexpected or shine beautifully reflecting the peace that passes all understanding?

May you bask in the peace that comes only from Jesus himself. Blessings for a peaceful and joyful celebration of our savior.

In His love,

God is the power!

2011-12-07T09:19:00.000-05:00

My precious grandson, Bryton, uttered some deep truth a few months ago when we were riding in the car together. A truth that God had been laying on my heart for several days. A truth that I certainly know but at times live like I have forgotten. A truth that I needed to be reminded of that day.

As we were discussing the 'ugliness' of the devil, I was attempting to answer deep questions on a 4 year old level. Bryton wanted to know why the devil wasn't in hell and therefore be unable to mess in the lives of Christians. I tried to explain to him that for now the devil was able to roam around the world freely with God's permission, but that one day the 'ole devil would be cast into hell forever and would never be able to bother us again.

Bryton looked up at me with those sweet green eyes and said, "Why isn't he there now, Nana, God has the power"

Indeed, God has the power. In fact, God IS the power. I don't know why there are seasons in my life where I neglect the truth of His awesome and mighty power. Things get too hard for me and this flesh that I live in, but things are never out of the ability God possesses to rule over them.

"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh;
is there anything too hard for me?"
(Jeremiah 32:27)

Too many times, I put limitations on God based on my own knowledge and ability. But He reminded me, through me sweet grandson, that God has no limitations! God's power always triumphs and I need to learn that control belongs solely to Him. No matter what trials we are facing and no matter what temptations are set before us, God is our answer. His POWER is the trump card in our lives!

Thank you, Lord, that you are the power source in our lives. Help us to remember that you are all we need and that we need to relinquish full control of our lives to you. You are the power.

Seeking Higher,

Thoughts on the Movie Courageous

2011-12-05T16:16:00.006-05:00

Thoughts on the Movie Courageous

Occasionally a movie both entertains and challenges you. Courageous did that for Cheryl and me when we watched it at our local theater last week.

As a husband and father I was challenged to reassess my roles in both of these relationships. Do I honor my wife as I should? Am I consciously attempting to lead her closer to God? I was also encouraged in my role and inspired to keep at with joy. The role models in the movie for being a better husband were not based on guys who were doing it perfectly; they were guys who struggle with the every day issues of life. In the movie they failed, they suffered heart break, they wandered from active faith, and they had to realign their lives with what God wanted for them. They were very believable characters the rest of us guys could relate to.

Photo compliments of Jenny Ann Photography

All three of my kids are raised, so the parts of the movie that addressed parenting to younger children addressed a situation in my life that is long gone. But, that didn’t keep me from reflecting on my continuing role as a dad. Even though my kids are raised, and the nature of our relationship has changed (with the two older ones we are enjoying more of a friend relationship now than parent-child), I am still their dad. As such, I still have a responsibility to them to function as a husband to their mother and a father to them, though in a different fashion now. I am not responsible for their decisions and behavior, but I can still influence them. Courageous encouraged me to think about these things in a fresh and exciting way.

Photo compliments of Jenny Ann Photography

I appreciated the fact that Courageous addresses the role of a father in a way that is not condescending or judgmental. It is hopeful and encouraging. While the movie is about dads there is something for everyone. Men, women, teenagers and even children will enjoy Courageous and benefit from it. If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t wait much longer!

Warren Baldwin

Men's and Women's Needs

2011-12-02T05:00:00.004-05:00

After Thanksgiving dinner last week, a few of the ladies and I decided to brave the crowds and go out Christmas shopping.

While we were driving to the mall, we got on the discussion of how funny it is when our husbands try to give us what they need, thinking it's what we need.

One of the women shared how she's worn out from going to school full-time. When she comes home from class in the evening, her husband can't keep his hands off her.

She jokingly expressed, "You want to turn me on? Do the dishes. That impresses me." We all laughed and agreed that helping with household chores and the kids is what helps us feel more affection for our husbands.

It's interesting how different God made men and women, and how different our needs are. And unless we learn what our spouses need, we will naturally try to give them what we need.

I have noticed this in my marriage. Many times I try to do things for my husband to show him my love. I do his laundry, make his lunch, clean up the house and have dinner ready when he comes home from work. Though he enjoys having clean clothes and meals prepared, he'd rather have my attention and affection. That is what draws him closer to me.

I, on the other hand, feel loved by my husband when he goes out of his way to help me around the house. When he surprises me by organizing the pantry or folding a basket of laundry, it shows me that he cares about me because he's thinking of me. Though I enjoy his attention and affection, I'm more drawn to him when he helps me.

How about you? Have you noticed that your needs are
different than your spouse's needs?

I thought for the next couple posts on marriage (12/16, 12/30), I would share the different needs men and women have. When I ran an online survey for my book, I discovered the needs men and women shared were clearly different.

I believe God gave us different needs to compliment each other, not to frustrate us. As we learn about our spouses' different needs, and lean on God to help us meet their needs, we will draw closer together and truly be one with our spouses.

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Genesis 2:24, KJV

Advent - Waiting

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

The season of Advent began on Sunday, (Nov 27). Advent is defined by the arrival of something that was awaited, something we were waiting for. The world was waiting for a Savior who arrived on Christmas, and we Christians are waiting now for his second coming.

Waiting…what does that word mean to you? Sometimes it can be nerve-wracking; in a small way - like waiting in line in the grocery store when you're in a hurry, or in a big way - like waiting for that phone call with the test results. Sometimes it can be exciting like waiting for your vacation or birthday. The Bible says we should be ready, waiting for Jesus to come again. What exactly does that mean - - waiting?

Dictionary.com offers several different definitions to the word wait. Which definition expresses how you are WAITING for Jesus to return? The first definition is “to remain inactive until something expected happens.” Like waiting for a bus. So are you inactive, just living your life the way you want, until Jesus comes?

Another definition is “to remain neglected for a time,” like a matter that can wait. Are you neglecting Jesus, not giving a thought to him or his second coming?

The third definition is “to look forward to eagerly.” That is a great definition of the attitude we should have as we wait for Christ.

But, if you dig deeper, you’ll find some archaic or ancient definitions of the word wait. One is “to be in readiness for”…we are to be ready for the return of Christ. Do you think you’re ready? If you knew Jesus was returning tomorrow, what would you do today? Why aren’t you doing it?

Finally comes the definition “attend upon, as a sign of respect.” We should be attentive to Jesus. How? By reading his word (the Bible), praying, and following his will as a sign of our respect. That is the real meaning of waiting for Jesus to come again. So which definition of wait will you use?

And how will it define you?

"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return…. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not
expect him." Luke 12:35-36a, 40

Boomerangs

2011-11-28T05:30:00.000-05:00

"We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth." 3 John 8

Not long ago, a girlfriend of mine, who is especially generous, presented me with a bag. It had pretty tissue in it and proclaimed on the front, "laugh!". Enclosed in the bag was a gift. It was not a huge gift, but it was a meaningful one. How beautiful, my friend knows me well enough to pick up some special things just for me. As she shops or runs errands for her precious family, she remembers me, picking up and item here or there to bless my days. She called the bag..."Our Boomerang Bag", wherein we place special gifts to bless the other. We trade the bag back and forth. Such an amazing tradition, I feel fortunate to be part of an incredibly hospitable kindess.

With our boomerang bag being a conscious effort of exhibiting great love for a friend, I think of all the events that clearly show us our Heavenly Boomerangs. We may hear folks conveniently say, "Wow, that was a coincidence." But, I strongly hold fast to the truth and the hope of God's providence rather than subscribe to the notion of coincidences.

Four years ago, God set in motion a chain reaction of loving gestures that did not see the boundaries of time, finances or location. My husband and I needed a friend to accompany my husband to China to receive the magnificent gift of our younger daughter. My girlfriend, Gerry, understood well our need and she and her husband, Jim prayed about "who" would make the stressful trip. Her husband, never having met us, offered without hesitation. We were so grateful! We came to learn that Jim's scheduled vacation time fell directly over the time of our trip. That is no coincidence...it is none other than the mighty hand of God.

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.Hebrews 13:2

This year, Gerry and Jim's daughter and son-in-law have had the joy of becoming parents, mixed with the fear and reality of special needs their son was born with. Friends from our China travel group joined us in praying for Jim's entire family. One friend even worked with me to try to surprise the young couple with plane tickets for a trip they are taking to have a procedure done. We learned quickly that the Lord did not want us to take care of the tickets. He did, however, orchestrate a way we could help. That same friend has a dear friend who lives very close to the hospital performing the procedure. This gentleman and his wife offered, without pause, to pick up our friends, guide them to their hotel and bring them dinner. Boomerang...so often a kindess we wish to extend bounces out there, only to scoop up a blessing and bring it carefully home. If we are unwilling to make our needs known or if we keep hidden that which others require, we may miss the gift of boomerang blessings.

"Freely you have received. Freely you have given. "

How many of us have been blessed only to return the blessing, without even thinking? I pray I boomerrang in the daily of everyday life. God calls us to that kind of love. I learned that important truth when we accepted the unthinkable, serendiptious response of a virtual stranger to travel around the world. That man, now, a treasured friend, entertained angels. Sometimes, we will do the entertaining and sometimes we will be entertained. It is the nature and very essence of the boomerang blessing. It may be as simple as a phone call or as complex as clearing a calendar to meet the needs of another. Regardless, when God speaks to our hearts boldly to bless and be blessed, He knows our need to experience both. Created in His likeness, each moment should be an attempt to live out His Word in our relationships.

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." 2 Corinthians 9:12

Can I Be Thankful for This?

2011-11-25T05:00:00.002-05:00

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

It's Thanksgiving week once again and time to give thanks to God for your life.

When I'm healthy and money is flowing and my kids are making good grades, it's easy to give thanks. But when someone in my house is sick, and bills are piling up, and the kids bring home a bad grade, it's not natural to be thankful.

But God doesn't ask us to do what's "natural". Instead He asks us to act out of faith and a knowledge of His word. The verse above clearly states when I'm supposed to give thanks - and for what. Give thanks in every circumstance.

It's one thing to just accept a bad circumstance, but to actually give thanks for it is quite another thing.

All across the internet, people are doing this giving thanks thing. It's on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc... But not once have I seen one of them give thanks for a bad circumstance. I'm not judging them, after all, just this morning I realized I'm guilty of falling into the same pattern of giving thanks.

Today, I will begin with a conscious effort to give thanks for all circumstances.

Today, one of my kids woke up with a fever, tummy ache and headache. I had to stay home from Bible study, and miss play practice at school (I'm directing a Christmas play at my kids school). Today, I thank you, God for my sick child, and your plans for me to stay at home to love on her and focus on YOU.

Wow, giving thanks in all circumstances really causes you to release control of your life to God. It's really an admission that He alone is in control. You should try it.

are we a mixture?

2011-11-23T00:05:00.001-05:00

Are we guilty of being a mixture? A mixture of the Holy and the profane? Do our lips profess to be something that our hearts declare otherwise?

God has called us, His children, to purity. He desires for us to be completely holy. Completely righteous. Pure and undefiled. God's Word tells us over and over to be separate from that which is unholy and unclean.

We who have been sealed with the Holy Spirit are set apart to be different. Sanctified. Holy. The Word tells us to guard our hearts and our minds. To walk worthy of our calling. To be Holy as He is Holy.

When we allow the world to lord over our thoughts and actions, we are guilty of becoming a mixture. We can't be half world and half Christ. We can't be mostly Christ with a little of the world mixed in. We have to be all or nothing. All in or all out. Pure and Holy. Unmixed.

The only way we can keep ourselves from being a mixture is to keep ourselves grounded in the scriptures. We must spend time every day at His feet and in His Word. Seeking to know Him deeper. Striving to be more like Him. Desiring to walk closer to His side. Allowing God to be Lord over our thoughts and actions and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Allowing Him to purify and sanctify us and make us Holy.

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved,

let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the

flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God"

(2 Corinthians 7:1)

New Contributing Author on Marriage Matters

2011-11-18T05:00:00.009-05:00

Hello everyone! My name is Amanda Beth. I am the new bi-weekly guest contributor for “Marriage Matters” here at Titus 2. My husband, Jason, and I have been married for 15 years. We have four beautiful children, ages two to ten.

My husband and I had a rough relationship for the first half of our married life. Ten years ago, I was buried in sin and desperate for change. I was in a pit and had no clue how to get out. That’s when I turned to God. He lifted me out of my pit and slowly began to transform me, my marriage, and my family.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

—Psalm 18:16-19

Two and a half years ago, God called me to write my first book about my journey to find contentment in my marriage and my family. I am still amazed how God used my testimony and turned it into a teaching tool to help other families find healing and contentment in their homes.

The book is titled “You Can Have a Happy Family – Steps to Enjoying Your Marriage and Children.” It is available at: Amazon , Barnes & Noble, and CreateSpace. It is also available on my website amandabeth.net and my blog sharingtruths.com.

Even though God has done an amazing work in my family, we still have our struggles and He is still working. My prayer is that God would use my upcoming posts to encourage you that you are not alone.

I want to thank all the contributors here at Titus for inviting me to be part of their wonderful blogging family. I am looking forward to this opportunity to share what God has taught me in my marriage.

God bless you,

In this season of thanks...

2011-11-14T05:30:00.000-05:00

"Enter God's gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5

There was a girl who came to our wedding with her hair tied in bright pink knots. The wife of my husband's dear friend, she became known adoringly among my friends as "Pink Knots". It would have been easy to judge Pink Knots or misunderstand her, but to know her is to love her. She posesses a boldness and honesty hard to find in our culture. Pink Knots is the perfect combination of candor and compassion, she is usually the first to volunteer when there is a need or someone is hurting. Ten years have passed since our wedding and just last year, she and her husband and their two children moved quite a distance away. Fortunately, social media allows us to be closer in distance than perhaps we were living just around the corner.

When I suffered my first stillbirth, Pink Knots cried for our baby and came in the middle of the night leaving food on our doorstep and prayers in our hearts. Many did not know what to do, but Pink Knots reached out in a way I will never forget. It remains indellibly etched in my heart the kindness she showed during great sadness. I know I have learned priceless lessons from her about not serving man and about being thankful. She lives in a rural area where she and her husband hunt and enjoy the beauty of the vast expanse of land they have been blessed with. Hard workers, she and her husband take nothing for granted. Her attitude of gratitude has blessed me.

A few years ago, Pink Knots began on her Face*book page a series of Thanksgivings she titled "100 days of Gratitude" where she consciously found reasons to give thanks instead of complain or allow herself to be burdened with the heaviness or hardship of life. I loved this idea and so, about 75 days ago, I embarked on this journey myself. It is hard to place into words what this experience has done for my own relationship with the Lord. I find my prayers have changed, my quiet time has changed, my days are brighter, my service more meaningful, relationships are deeper, the little things look little and the big ones get prayed for more frequently. Why? Simply because in each and every circumstance, there is reason to give thanks.

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:18

The consistency of looking for the blessing rather than focusing on the hardship is a constant reminder of God's goodness as the author and perfector of our faith and our lives. Sarah Young writes of the Lord's longing desire for us to seek Him and chat with Him in the book, Jesus Lives "Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me (the Lord) and talk it out. Trust me by opening up consistently. Do not wait until you are already discouraged. As we talk about these matters, remember to thank Me. Your communion with me will bless you in another way also: You will find in my presence irrepressible joy. Whether or not I (the Lord) change your circumstances, you will discover I have given you a new song - a hymn of praise."

Could you be more purposeful in giving thanks everyday and in every situation? I have found so many opportunities I was missing to thank God for His grace, mercy, teaching, and for His love. Even in the hardest times, I can thank Him for being right there in my hour of need, for meeting me where I am, and for being the Alpha and the Omega when I am simply his little child.

What are you thankful for today?

Sticks and Stones

2011-11-11T05:00:00.001-05:00

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me!

Bullying is a current day issue - one that's been around for a long time. Even in Biblical times bullying played out. Many people bullied Jesus. Luke 22:63-65 tells of one such incident:

"The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, 'Prophesy! Who hit you?' And they said many other insulting things to him."

These were painful words unjustly spoken to a perfect savior.

How did He handle it? Even in the midst of persecution, Jesus asked His father to forgive them, stating how they didn't know what they were doing (Luke 23:34).

I've been bullied. In the 7th grade, I became the object of bullying on my bus. Every day before and after school, I endured relentless verbal abuse.

I thought of the above phrase, but having lived it, knew that it wasn't true. Their words did hurt. They ended up having an effect on my psyche for years to come. I didn't find complete healing from the pain of my childhood until I went to counseling and allowed God to teach me how to truly forgive. But the scars of those wounds will always be there.

This week, a 9th grader at our public school had her arm sprained by a school bully. According to the news, she has been enduring verbal abuse for two years now.

Should we teach her the above phrase and expect her to move on, unscathed by the event?

NO!

Proverbs 18:21a says, "The tongue has the power of life and death."

Romans 10:10 says, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Our words are filled with power. Words will either edify or destroy the listener.

When we know of someone who is being bullied, we need to acknowledge the pain they've experienced and direct them to God. He is the only one who can heal the wounds of the soul.

And to the bully, we need to teach them the power of words, too. They need Jesus just as much as the one being bullied. The real reason people bully is because they are hurting inside.

Be careful to choose your words wisely, and teach these truths to our children. There's great power in the tongue.

do you need revival?

2011-11-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

Does anybody need a revival in their hearts? Could you use a little reviving in your spirit? God's Word gives us the perfect antidote to our dead spiritual lives.

"If my people, which are called by name, shall humble

themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from

their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and

will forgive their sin, and will heal their land"

(2 Chronicles 7:14)

Everyone who is reading this could use some reviving in their spiritual walk. We will never outgrow the need for going deeper with our Lord. God knew that our journey with Him would be ongoing and that we would need a little spiritual CPR along the way! His precious Word gives us the formula and a promise to go along with it.

First, we have to humble ourselves. Fall on our faces in raw humility of who we are and come to terms with our great depravity of spirit.

Second, we have to pray. While we are on our faces, we cry out to God and pour out all that is within us. All that he already knows, but is waiting for us to confess.

Third, we have to seek His face. As we are pouring out to Him our deep confession, we need to be seeking His will and His way for our lives. We need to hungering and thirsting for more of Him.

Now, this fourth step is where most people fail to go. If we are to be completely revived in Him, we must turn from our wicked ways. That means, whatever it is that we poured out to Him while on our faces, we have to turn from. We have to put it down. Place it at His feet and never pick it up again.

Revival will never happen in our lives if we aren't willing to do these four things. All four of these are necessary if we want to revive our spirits and grow closer to our Lord. We have to dig deeper and seek higher and He will reveal Himself to us. He will heal our land..

"Seek the LORD and his strength,
seek His face continually"
(1 Chronicles 16:11)

Family Time

2011-11-07T02:38:00.003-05:00

FAMILY TIME: QUALITY TIME = QUANTITY TIME

A college professor told us about the rigors of his routine as a Ph.D. student. He was in the library early in the morning, staying all day. After supper he either returned to the library or studied at home for hours. This routine continued for several years.

One of the students in our class asked him, "Did you have a family then?" "Yes," the professor replied. "How and when did you get to spend any time with them?" The professor smiled and said, "It’s not quantity time that counts, it’s quality time."

Quantity versus quality time is a tension for all families. There is a difference between the two. Quantity time refers to the minutes and hours we spend in each other’s presence. Quality time refers to the significance and importance of that time together.

Both quantity and quality of time is important. Quantity is important because it is the incubator of opportunity for meaningful conversation and events to occur. The eight hours working together boxing fund raising items in our garage prepared Cheryl and me to relax and reflect on what we appreciated about each other. The four hours of chasing a diapered kid around the house nurtured the moment when he or she threw their arms your neck and squealed, "I love you mommy, I love you daddy." The threads of quantity and quality intertwine. Unravel them, and you lose both quantity and quality.

I question if you can ever have much quality time without quantity. Quantity prepares and incubates the birth of the meaningful.

The holiday season is coming upon us, and beckons us to spend both quality and quantity time with our families. Let's not scrimp on either one!

Warren Baldwin

The Widow Next Door

2011-11-04T04:00:00.005-04:00

I notice my husband, Jeff, standing very still at the living room window. At the moment, however, I am busy chasing our two-year-old son. On my second pass through the living room, I see Jeff putting his shoes back on.

He had only been home from work a few minutes.

“Where are you going?”

“The garbage trucks came by two days ago, but Kay’s trashcans are still on the curb.”

Jeff says this with a sense of urgency that I fail to understand.

“That’s nice, Honey, but could you bring them in for her after you help me get this boy into the bathtub?”

“Denise, she has M.S., remember? Maybe the cans are still out there because she’s having one of those spells. Maybe she needs help.”

I feel silly. Here I am, the person who is in this house every minute of every day, yet I am not the one who notices our neighbor’s trashcans still sitting on the street.

Jeff knocks on her door.

After a few minutes of no response, I assume she’s not home – even though her car is in the driveway.

“Come on, Jeff. Let’s get her cans for her and go home.”

But Jeff insists on giving Kay more time.

“She has to move slowly,” he says, “so we have to give her extra time to answer the door.”

I realize he’s right. Again.

A moment later, Kay opens her door. She looks tired, but she assures us that she’s fine. She’s just having a rough couple of days, physically speaking. We exchange numbers, though, so she can call us if she ever needs anything.

* * * * *

This happened more than five years ago. Everything was okay, but I learned an important lesson. We have a responsibility to our neighbor, in a real and tangible sense. And Jeff was much more attuned to this need than I was.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:

to look after orphans and widows." – James 1:27a

God calls His people to care for widows and orphans.

Over the years, I have observed Jeff, on more than one occasion, caring for widows and orphans. Because Jeff is an orphan himself, he has an expanded heart for those who have lost someone through death. Kay is a widow in her mid-fifties. She lives alone, and she lives with Multiple Sclerosis.

Through my husband, God has opened my eyes to see needs around me that I previously couldn’t see.

This past Sunday night, our doorbell rang. Kay brought over a large bag of candy and asked us to pass it out to trick-or-treaters. She doesn’t have the strength to get up and answer the door every few minutes when more kids come by, but she wanted to participate in the neighborhood’s festivities in some way.

So on Halloween night, she kept her porch light on, and she posted a sign on her door that directed foot-traffic to our house, where we dispersed candy from two different bowls: hers and ours.

It was such a small thing. But it made me smile.

Our relationship with our neighbor is due to my husband noticing something everyone on our cul-de-sac, including myself, missed. But Jeff realized its larger significance. And he took the time to care.

Is there someone on your street you could reach out to?

Do you know a widow who your family could include?

Holding On & Letting Go

2011-10-31T05:30:00.001-04:00

" To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." 1 Peter 2:21

The pediatrician passed us and then turned to do a double take. He called out to my elder daughter and myself. And his words cut me to the core.

"WOW, no more little girl..."

At the tender age of 9, I know she is still a little girl, but the Lord is preparing my heart. Just two weeks earlier, I had immersed myself in the tedious task of cleaning out our older child's closet. I discovered that there were pieces of her life I desperately wanted to hold on to. I kept some outfits, locks of hair, first pieces of art, her first transportation tag from kindergarten, etc. As I carefully packed away precious moments that were fading in my forty-something memory, the deep pit of my stomach ached as I wrestled once again with the undeniable reality that holding on will be counter productive as our children age. In His timing and with His guidance I will learn to "let go".

This prompted another thought...what else am I holding on to? And so I ask you, what are you holding on to? Are we harboring pride, pain, bitterness, greed? Any one of these are counter productive to OUR growth.

I often need to be reminded of the things I am holding on to and of God's beautiful teachings on why and how we can release those, making us free, content and joyful. Holding onto precious keepsakes of our children is sweet and even comforting, however clinging to the things of the world, (the earthly dangers that the Lord has specifically instructed us against) present a plethora of unease and peaceLESSness.

So how does the Lord instruct us?

Regarding "pride"

This is what the LORD says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God
so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him,
because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

Regarding "bitterness"

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away
from you, along with all malice." Ephesians 4:31

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you." Matthew 6:14

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God,
for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19

Regarding "greed"

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matt 6:19-21

As I contemplate these things, I find myself grateful that the Lord has addressed these issues...we know better. Though it is not easy to let these go, it is even harder to hold onto them. In that spirit, what can you let go of today?

Dear Lord, show me the areas I need to let go. Father, take those things and fill the voids with your perfect peace. Continuously remind me, Lord to release that which holds me back or stops my growth. Grant me your will Lord and not my own. ~Amen

Fall Back

2011-10-28T09:29:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year once again. Time to set our clocks back an hour (on Sunday November 6). Time to get out our fall and winter clothes, and time to hunker down for the upcoming winter.

On November 6th, the newscasters will remind everyone to check the batteries in your smoke detectors. Just a good time to prepare.

How about your spiritual walk? This might be a good time to check your spiritual batteries, and put on your armor. How about falling back into God's arms during this upcoming season in your life.

A new season is coming - we can smell it in the air. Are you ready?

During autumn, I've noticed the animals eat more. I suppose they do it to keep warm in the pending cooler temperatures.

This might be a good time for us to eat more spiritual food, too. If we are full of God's word then we will be ready when seasons of trials come our way.

Let's learn from nature, and be prepared for the next season - winter.

Do you want...?

2011-10-26T05:00:00.001-04:00

Do you want to walk closer to our Lord?

Bow your heart before Him.

Do you want to grow in intimacy with our Savior?

Bend your knee to Him.

Do you want to have an ever growing and mighty relationship with our King?

Devour His Word.

Do you want an elevated glimpse of His glory?

Upon rising each morning, pour out confession to Him. Repent and cleanse your heart of all unholiness. Purify your thought process with prayer. Determine to walk purposefully in His ways and pursue Him in all things. Seek Him with all of your heart and long for Him with a deep yearning.

If you desire these things, God will make Himself known to you! He wants us to want Him! He longs for us to long for Him! He wants to be found by us!

Thank you, Precious Lord, for giving us seeking hearts. May we search for you with all of our hearts and never be satisfied with our spiritual walk. May we always be hungry for more...

"And ye shall seek me, and find me,

when ye shall search for me with

all your heart"

(Jeremiah 29:13)

Winner of "You Can Have a Happy Family" Announced

2011-10-24T15:02:00.004-04:00

Winner of You Can Have a Happy Family Announced

“Your spouse completes you and together you are one. As God works in both of you, you will start to see how you fit together. We tend to only see what is in front of us right now. We often don’t look ahead to see the big picture God has drawn out for our families. We need to look beyond our problems and see our marriages as God sees them, restored and whole. I may not have a perfect marriage now and I am definitely not perfect, nor is my husband, but I look ahead to what God can change us to be. Amanda Beth, You Can Have a Happy Family, 60.

I asked Amanda two questions about her book, You Can Have a Happy Family. The questions and her answers are below.

1) What inspired you to write this book?

The Lord inspired me. I was leading Bible studies in my home when I felt a strong leading from the Lord to write this book. My husband and I had a rough relationship for the first half of our 15 years of marriage. Once God worked in our marriage, people started noticing. My husband and I were often asked by others how we had such a happy marriage and family. We would always tell people that it was all God. But I felt it left people wanting to know more. That's when I knew God wanted me to share the steps He took us through to help us find true contentment in our home.

2) How do you hope this book will encourage Christian families?

My hope for this book is that the reader would know how much they are loved by the Lord. I pray that this book would give people hope and encouragement in their marriages and raising their children. I want the reader to walk away certain that God is fighting for their marriages and families. He truly wants nothing but the best for us.

Amanda Beth
Author, You Can Have a Happy Family
_________

I am always looking for good resources for families. Right now my wife and I and another husband and wife are showing a video series on marriage to a young couple engaged to marry in June. There is a booklet accompanying the series with a Bible study on marriage and interactive questions. The next week we discuss our answers and then view the next video. It is encouraging to the two married couples, and even more so for the young couple. Biblical and common sense teaching on marriage and family is so important.

Amanda Beth’s book is a good resource for families. It could be used for personal reading or a small group study. You will enjoy it.

And now, the winner of the drawing to receive a free copy of Amanda’s book is ...

MamaDoveOnABox.

Thanks everyone for participating! And in a few weeks I plan on having another give away on Family Fountain.

Warren Baldwin

Grace or Discipline?

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

"I forgot my lunch. Will you bring it for me?"

I couldn't help but sigh. I guess the fact that my daughter called while I was unloading the dishwasher, her job, that she'd also "forgotten" to do before she left for school. And the fact that I had asked her, before she left, "Do you want me to pack your lunch?" But she had wanted to do it herself. Now she was calling for me to pack and bring her lunch which would force me to change my plans.

"Can't you buy your lunch?" I asked. She didn't like what they were having. I signed again and said, begrudgingly, that I would bring her lunch. "Nevermind, I'll just buy." Now I'd hurt her feelings. *sigh!* I told her it was no problem, and that I'd see her by lunchtime.

Grace? Discipline? Which applied here? Should I have made her buy her lunch, teaching her a lesson in responsibility? Should I have cheerfully agreed, showering her with grace? There are no easy answers!

She isn't characterized by forgetting her lunch, in fact this was her first time, and she has a brand new Vera Bradley lunch box she wanted to bring, so I guess I made the right decision. Although I did inform her that next time she forgets, she will be buying her lunch.

I'm thankful for a heavenly father who knows just when to give discipline, and always acts in grace. I'd elaborate more, but now, I need to pack a lunch and run an errand.

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. 2 John 1:3

Our Ichthus is Backwards!

2011-10-17T05:30:00.004-04:00

and other admissions of a Christian mom!

We had a deep long discussion, the children and I...about the fish. It goes this way...no, wait, it goes that way...no, wait...
When I felt they adequately understood which way the ichthus should go on the rear of our family car, I shooed them to the front yard to have their daddy affix the fish. I didn't give it much thought, until the children were huddled around the back of the car before we left to go to school. The younger one smiled happily at the handiwork of she and her daddy, the elder child, with the slightest hint of attitude breathed heavily with a small stomp of her foot. The problem? The fish.was.on.wrong.

A former version of myself would have immediately gone storming to find my husband, but the "me" that God is working on, is relegating responses like that to my past and seeking to find more Christlike approaches to all things. I left the fish, as is, not moving it, because it is a great reminder of when I swim against the current, against a great big God, who seeks only to love me.

That small fish reminds me that in my desire to "change" the way that the fish appears, it is me and not the fish that needs to change! The positioning of our fish reminds me of my lack of perfection and more importantly, God's perfect plan that we would depend more heavily on Him, than on our own thoughts and abilities. That little fish is an outward reminder of an inward struggle, a visible bookmark that even with the best intentions, sometimes it doesn't turn out the way we envision. And so, our grace is necessary.

Just as HIS grace is necessary. How often do we require His grace?

"All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:15-18

What is the Lord using in your life to change your heart? How can we be less concerned with outward appearances and more concerned with inward growth? Praying that you and I are able to find those unseen eternal events that radically change our reactions and our story.

Are you Ready?

2011-10-14T05:00:00.029-04:00

For years, my husband and I have toyed with the idea of buying a beachfront house. Going to the ocean is our favorite family vacation. Other than the obvious exorbitant cost, the other thing holding us back: Hurricane Season!
If we did have the money, I think we'd get over our fear of a hurricane and buy one. So how would we keep ourselves prepared for the pending storms?

1) We'd keep wood handy for battening down the hatches.
2) We'd have about a weeks worth of food and water in our beach house.
3) Insurance.

Next, we'd enjoy every moment of every day on the beach. Even though you know a hurricane will eventually come, none lives in constant fear of them. Once you are prepared, you simply enjoy and relax - until you see the storm on the horizon. But even then, you have the supplies you need to weather the storm.

It's the same with our spiritual walk. We want to live each day drawing closer to God in a good relationship. But, trials are coming, so we should prepare for them by:

1) Reading and memorizing scriptures.
2) Praying daily - developing a relationship with God.
3) Doing Bible studies and talking to other Christians.
4) Journaling.

Then, when a trial is spotted on the horizon, we brace ourselves and pull out our spiritual supplies. We draw closer to God and weather the storm together.

remember YHWH

2011-10-12T05:00:00.001-04:00

When Jonah receive a Word from the Lord, he didn't heed it. He didn't embrace it. He ran from it. His journey that should have led him to Nineveh instead led him deep inside the belly of a whale. All alone. Imprisoned in the darkness and cast out of the Lord's sight.

While the waters were compassed about him, Jonah prayed. He had the Word hidden in his heart and he drew strength from this. From his deep pit of despair and distress. Jonah remembered YHWH.

Jonah knew that God was a God of mercy. In the isolation of his incarceration inside the whale, Jonah became submissive and repentant. And he knew that the prayer was heard by Jehovah in His Holy temple.

"When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; and

my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple"

(Jonah 2:7)

Jonah desired the same mercy that he was trying to keep from the people of Nineveh. He desired God to bestow on him something that he wasn't willing to bestow on others.

God had compassion on Jonah. Compassion that we should strive to have on others. God reached down and lifted Jonah out of his place of despondency and grace him generously.

When we find ourselves in the midst of discouragement and deep in a pit of sin, we must remember YHWH. We need to call on His name in prayer. Recognize our sin and spend time in confession. Repent and turn away from those sins. And then we need to strive to walk in Him and submit to His authority.

Remember the Lord. Cry out to Him. God hears the cry of His people.

God's Given You The Best

2011-10-10T02:02:00.005-04:00

God’s Given You the Best

“The man said, ‘This is not bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.’ for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they became one flesh.” Genesis 2:23-24

After Jesus quoted this is Matthew 19:5 He went on to say in verse 6, “so they are not longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” I don’t know how we can take that any other way. God places a high value on marriage and so should we.

Trust that no matter how bad your marriage is, God can and will change you and your spouse if you will trust and allow Him to. Change your thoughts to what God can do. When our thoughts and actions are in agreement with God, nothing is impossible.

Malachi reveals God’s ultimate plan for our marriages. “Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.” Malachi 2:15

Satan works hard to try to destroy our marriages because he knows God’s plan for us is to raise up godly children. He knows the power in two hearts, surrendered to God’s will, and the positive impact their generations will have. God’s plan is to take us from where we are in our marriages and bring us together as one. Satan’s plan is to convince us we need to find someone better.

Some spouses think they need to find someone better because they married someone they were not warned not to. God warns us not to be unequally yoked before we get married, and He warns us in many other ways for our own good. He gives us these warnings because He knows ahead of time the heartache and problems we will face.

However, it doesn’t say anywhere in the Bible that we should get a divorce when we realize we made a mistake and married someone who wasn’t God’s first choice for us.

David in the Bible is a perfect example. He married Bathsheba after he committed adultery with her and had her husband killed. Do you think it was God’s will for David to have another man’s wife? Second Samuel 11:27 says, ‘David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.”

David acknowledged he did wrong and repented. God used their second son, Solomon, to be the direct line to Jesus. I believe God purposely did that to sow us that He sees light in every darkness.

God can bring light out of every wrong thing we have done. He can take any wrong and turn it around for our good if we turn to Him. ‘If I say, Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become dark around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Psalm 139:11-12

God works with us in whatever situation we are in. He calls us right where we are. His commands are always His first choice for us. He gives us these commands because He sees what we can’t see, and He knows what’s best for us.”

From You Can Have a Happy Family (pp.58-62), by Amanda Beth. Used by Permission.

Note: Amanda’s book is an excellent treatise on marriage and family. It deals with practical issues in a biblical and common sense manner. You will enjoy it. Amanda has given me an extra copy to share with readers. Anyone who comments here will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of You Can Have a Happy Family. Amanda maintains a couple of blogs, Sharing the Truths Behind the Truth and Enjoying Your Family.

Prayer

2011-10-07T06:00:00.002-04:00

As I study the book of Colossians, I am struck by the fervor with which Paul prayed. In the third verse, he says, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you." Yet, when Paul wrote this letter to the church at Colossae, he had never met them personally. He had only heard about them from their pastor, Epaphras. This means that Paul was praying for people he had never met.

I don't know about you, but I have a hard enough time making sure I spend enough time in prayer for the people I do know!

Of course, there are times when I pray for people I don't know personally. Sometimes I pray for the people our missionary friends come in contact with, especially when we receive another e-newsletter from around the globe. I also pray for some of you, my "blogging friends," whenever I read about a particular situation you may be going through. For the most part, though, I go about my days as "busy" as everyone else, trying to squeeze in some quiet time at night when everyone is in bed asleep.

So Paul's words are keeping me awake these days. He prayed. A lot. And for people he didn't even know. I'd like to be more like Paul when it comes to prayer.

Naturally, when I pray there are some names that are first to mind: Jeff, Simone, Brynn, and Parker. I don't think it's possible to pray too much for the people we love most. It's probably not possible to pray too much for anyone. After all, Paul said to "pray continually" (I Thessalonians 5:17).

So I think I'll sign off and go do just that.

Who are you praying for today?

Would You Be A Martyr?

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” John 15:18-20 NIV

The national news has recently reported about an Iranian pastor who is facing execution for converting others to Christianity and refusing to denounce his Christian faith.

As I read the stories about this pastor, I can't help but wonder would I be willing to die for my faith? This man is just 32 years old, and has two young children. Yet, according to all accounts, he is risking and may in fact lose his life for his faith.

Biblical and historical accounts tell us that John the Baptist, Peter, Thomas, James and most of the apostles were martyred. But as Americans we take for granted the religious freedoms we are given every day.

So today I challenge you with two questions:

1. Would you be willing to give your life for your faith?

2. If it were a crime to be a Christian, would there even be any evidence to prosecute you?

It's something to thing about, isn't it? Pray for the Christians throughout the world today.

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

2 Timothy 3:12 NIV

There's No Place Like Hope

2011-10-02T22:51:00.013-04:00

Several weeks ago, the Lord had laid upon my heart one of my co-workers. She was sad and lonely and when probed for answers, she said simply, "I have lost hope." My heart was broken for her and I felt helpless. Though, her name sat on many of the pages of my prayer journal and my heart was poised to intercede on her behalf, she wasn't feeling it. My mouth uttered pleas to the Lord to provide her with just a glimpse of His glory in her life. A smidgen...simply a smidgen. That can't possibly be too much, right?

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

During my moments of quiet solitude with the Lord, he reminded me of my own valley and the way He showed up with distinctive instructions to bring me back to Hope! I was in my twenties, watching my marriage fall apart and desperately seeking God's direction for my life. A youth pastor nights and weekends, I needed additional income as well as benefits to sustain my modest lifestyle. After a particularly harrowing visit to the pharmacy, where I learned how expensive my Chrohn's medication was without benefits, I left the pharmacy with the medication once my parent's charge card was billed. Hurting, embarrassed and fearful, I can honestly say, I was searching for Hope. In between the giant drops of rain, I ran to the car and sat there...for a long time...wondering how I had arrived at this place.

And I cried. And cried. And cried.

As though my prayers were being answered in that very moment, the Lord firmly instructed me to "go to the administration building." My tears ceased and I found myself in a full fledged arguement with the Lord. Which administration building? Why? I did not see how this had anything to do with my situation...and yet, the Lord was offering me HOPE.

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26

In my flesh, this seemed crazy. However, I knew unequivocally it was the Lord speaking to my heart. He was spending time with me; He was answering my call for help. I was obedient. I went. I was hired for a job that would prepare me for many, many things in my life; all the while He allowed me the benefit of remaining in a ministry position proclaiming His name.

Sometimes, His silence is our answer. Sometimes, His immediate movement of our feet is our answer. Sometimes, there is a waiting period. Regardless of the timing or the answer, HE has complete and total control over the hopeless moments in our lives. HE is the answer.

Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5

This is my prayer for my co-worker and for anyone seeking hope. There really is no place like HOPE, that beautiful place of confident expectation. Hope is not boxed in by circumstances or earthly notions...hope is rooted in the surety of Jesus Christ. Be blessed this day as you build your HOPE in HIM!

P.I.L.

2011-09-30T05:00:00.001-04:00

What's your purpose in life?" My brother asked me - for the umpteenth time.

"I don't know!" I blurted back at him, annoyed at his persistence with such a futile question.

Growing up with an older brother obsessed with such global questions seemed a little confusing to me.

Now that I'm an adult and have children of my own, I find myself asking them the same question, only with a twist, "What do you want to become when you grow up?" Ironically, I still find myself musing at my purpose in life (but don't tell my brother!).

Until three years ago, being a wife and mom to six kids would have been my answer. But now, I realize God has a different definition for my life's purpose.

"He has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time," (2 Timothy 1:9 NIV)

We are here to become His holy vessels. In each one of us, it will look quite different, but we are all going through trials of various kinds so that the trying of our faith will produce steadfastness. Once steadfastness has its full effect, we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (Paraphrase from James 1:2-4)

That's why pastor's can say, "no matter what you do, do it unto the glory of God." No matter what path we take or what curves life may throw our way, we are all striving to become holy vessels - lacking nothing. In this way, we will be ready to spend eternity with our perfect Savior!

Now I just need my brother to ask me that question once again..."What's your purpose in life?"

When he does ask me, I'll be ready and confident with my answer: "To become God's holy vessel."

remember

2011-09-28T11:59:00.000-04:00

I have been doing a study by Priscilla Shirer called "He Speaks to Me". It has been such a great study tool to really help me get deeper in the Word and focus more on preparing myself to hear from God. Part of this process of preparation involves committing ourselves to a sanctified lifestyle which will in turn cause us to desire full surrender of ourselves to Him. She list 4 important reasons that we should willingly surrender our lives to God.

These 4 reasons were given by Joshua to the Israelites as he had them assembled at Shechem to remind them of the faithfulness of God.

1. Remember the Call

God had called Abram away from his past lifestyle and into a calling of service. We, too, must remember when God placed that call on our lives, out of darkness into the light of His Glory.

2. Remember the Promise

Joshua reminds the people that God made a special promise to the seed of Abraham (Joshua 24:3-4). He promised that He would make him a great nation and bless him through his seed. God makes those same promises to his children today through the Holy Scriptures. Power resides in remembering God's promises.

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall

be able to separate us from the love of God,

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

(Romans 8:39)

3. Remember the Protection

We can all look back and see the mighty Hand of God's protection in our lives. Sometimes it was evident at the time and sometimes it is only evident to us as we look back at the situation. But God always has His Hand of protection upon us. He doesn't always protect us FROM things, but He always protects us THROUGH things.

4. Remember the Source

In Joshua 24:13, he reminds the Israelites that all the things that they had received were not of their own making. God alone was the source of all that they had. He alone is the source of every good thing that happens to us. He is the source of all our victories!

We have no excuses for not living a holy life without compromise. None. It is urgent that we make the choice to fear God and to serve Him and fully surrender our lives to Him. We need to be Seeking Him Higher each day of our lives.

Home Dynamics

2011-09-26T10:17:00.002-04:00

Home Dynamics

Businesses and churches often work with a game plan to achieve their goals and be successful. Game plans involve:

1) Identity

Sounds simple, but a clear understanding of one’s identity is critical. A business has to know if it makes shoes or bakes bread. A church has to know if it honors Christ or not. Identity leads to the next item in the game plan.

2) Purpose

Purpose is the fulfilment of one’s identity. If it is a show or bread company, they will produce those products.

3) Vision

Vision grows out of identity and purpose. Vision is the view for the future. Businesses ask how they can better produce their product, publicize their company, and market their product. Churches may envision reaching a particular neighborhood or segment of the population with the Gospel. Vision is where you see your self in one, five or ten years.

4) Function

Function simply means the company or church is now doing what it’s identity, purpose and vision leads them to. For a church, it would be preaching, teaching, leading others to Christ and maturing them in faith. For a business, it might be producing a product or shipping someone else’s product.

How does this apply to home dynamics? Businesses or churches can slip into daily routines and habits and never answer the larger questions of who are we? Why do we do what we do? What is our vision for the future? And what is the best way for us to do that?

Families can avoid those questions, too. Family life can become a series of routines: going to school, rushing to school and athletic functions, going to work, watching tv in the evening, going to church on Sunday. But where is the family heading to? What is the family becoming?

It is healthy for mom and dad to have some definite objectives for all their activity and function. A long drive to a ball game can become a meaningful event if the parents include some heart-felt discussion of an important spiritual or moral issue; church can become an opportunity for genuine spiritual revival and spiritual growth; school can become a conscious stepping-stone to advanced study or career preparation.

With definite identity, purpose, vision and function, families can become more than just harried robotans rushing, rushing, rushing, without any sense of cohesion or underlying purpose. They can become a unified whole moving toward something worthwhile, such as a closer-knit family, a place where Jesus is honored, and a community preparing for heaven.

Family can wander around in uncertainty and indirection, or it can march toward higher levels of relationship and function. The difference is often in the game plan we follow.

Warren Baldwin

Money Makeovers and Attitude Adjustments

2011-09-23T04:00:00.001-04:00

During our first year of marriage, Jeff brought home a book called “Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey. (It must have been a first edition or something.) Needless to say, Jeff devoured it. He is, after all, an accountant.

I, however, cannot say that his newfound delight peaked my interest very much. (Forgive me; I think I was busy reading some seriously theological stuff at the time, like the Left Behind series.)

I remember the basic financial principles though. They were something like, “Blah, blah, blah. Emergency fund. Blah, blah, blah. Snowball. Blah, blah, blah. Debt free.” Yep, that about sums it up.

In all sincerity, though, I thought it sounded very nice. Very responsible and all that. Very Jeff.

But, like I said, I didn’t really get into it with quite the same fervor. It was more Jeff’s speed. And I was more than happy to let him go about his merry way, planning our finances and our future, while I moved on to another book series. (Forgive me; I think it was Harry Potter.)

Fast-forward to a crashing economy and a three-year run of company-down-sizing.

Um, gee, what can I say? I’m glad I married an accountant. Actually, I’m glad I married Jeff. He had the foresight, not to mention the self-discipline, to prepare us for darker days.

Our church is currently offering Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. It’s a 13-week series to help people get on track with their finances. We’ve enrolled, and I have to say that my attitude is different this time. While the information is the same, I am much more willing to participate in the program’s plan, and I am no longer defaulting to Jeff’s strengths and letting him take on the bulk of this responsibility.

Have you participated in this program? Or one similar to it?

Meditation

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Just mention the word meditation to a Christian, and you're liable to see them get all worked up. After all "we" Christians shouldn't meditate...should we?

What does the psalmist say?

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2

I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.Psalm 77:12

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. Psalm 119:15

These are just a few of the references to meditation in scripture. This is not to be confused with Eastern meditation which focuses on clearing or emptying your mind. Christian meditation is all about focusing your mind on God, his word, and his law.

In my Sunday School class, last week we did a meditation exercise. We read a story from scripture, and then focused on it. Everyone had their own quiet time. In this case, we read John 6, Jesus feeds the 5000. Some people may have imagined themselves as the boy who donated his lunch, others as one of the disciples, still others as a member of the crowd.

Another option, was just to imagine yourself as you, but imagine that you had an encounter with Jesus. Imagine that he says, "What can I do for you?" Meditate deeply on what you would answer. Then imagine you say to Jesus, "What can I do for you?" Meditate on his answer to you.

Some might call this pure imagination. But Robert Foster (who wrote Celebration of Discipline - The Path to Spiritual Growth, the study we are working from) says, "To believe that God can sanctify and utilize the imaination is simply to take seriously the Christian idea of incarnation."

I had a neat experience doing it, and will blog about it Friday on my personal blog at www.chattykelly.com if you'd like to come visit.

Whether you do or not, what do you think about Christian meditation? Have you ever tried it? Would you be willing to? Why or why not?

The First Thing...

2011-09-18T22:41:00.014-04:00

My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.Isaiah 26:9

As the sun makes it's way into our windows, we drowsily awake facing the new day and new mercies God has provided. Our dog, once relegated to her crate overnight has now earned the joy of sleeping at the end of our bed. She spreads out, gently tapping us as the night wears on; checking to assure herself that we are still there; she is safe. I liken this to the way we check in with God.

Hello, God, you still there? Do you see me? Hear me? I sleep better when I know you are there, watching, protecting, loving...

In the morning our precious pup rolls over as soon as one of our toes hits the carmel colored carpet. She begins a morning routine of wagging her forceful tail, in anticipation of a loving belly rub. Thwap, thwap, thwap, thwap...it becomes louder and louder. One can't help but notice the pure joy with which she greets the day, seeking first her trusted father to walk her and spend time with her. So, this begs the question... what is YOUR first? Do you greet the Lord with joy? Do you seek to spend time with him, nestling carefully in His word first before all else?

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

I did not used to begin my day this way. I would bolt out of bed, usually later than I anticipated, flying in seven directions forgetting to pray, neglecting to seek out my Father in Heaven, ignoring his tender pleas, "Come spend time with me." And as with any relationship, how can it flourish when we are giving our seconds, thirds or even lasts instead of giving our first?

Imagine the Lord's joy when we greet him in the morning, eager, ready asking Him to spend time with us...anxious to give Him our first. Like the unbridled joy of a vibrant, faithful friend, so we too should greet our day and our Lord with our first act of love, seeking His face and His word.

What is it you are putting first? If you are not already, try spending your first moments with the One who can prepare you for all the moments in your day.

are you ready to worship?

2011-09-14T09:20:00.000-04:00

Are we living our lives like we truly believe that God is our Lord and Master? Do we reverence Him and respect Him like He is so deserving of? Are there times that we are simply going through the motions but not really giving Him our whole heart and our full devotion?

It is easy to get caught up in the religiosity of our lives and not focus on the spirituality of our purpose here. We can just find ourselves going to church because "that's what we do" and not going because we have a deep and intense longing to be in the House of the Lord.

If you find yourself in this place right now, it is not the end of the world. It's just time to get things right. Spend some much needed time in prayer. Some serious face-down, flat on the floor kind of prayer. Cry out to God and ask Him to forgive you for your negligence of His Holiness. Earnestly confess and repent. Then spend some time thanking Him for the many blessings He bestows on you daily! Begin to utter praises to His Name. Praise Him for who He is. Praise Him for His mighty Creation. Praise Him with all that you have within you. When you rise from the floor, you will be different. Purpose within yourself that it is time to be more passionate in your pursuit of God. Begin each day in a time of praise. God will move in your life and next Sunday, you will find yourself running to the church house ready to worship your King!

"Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.

Praise ye the Lord"

(Psalm 150:6)

Seeking Higher in all things of Him,

TREASURE in Marriage

2011-09-12T10:34:00.002-04:00

Treasure in Marriage

In her book, Discovering the Treasure of Marriage Dr. Debbie Cherry teaches distressed and angry spouses to like each other again by teaching them to treasure their husband or wife. Each letter in the word T-R-E-A-S-U-R-E stands for positive thought or action we can take toward our spouse to give them our heart and value them in our own.

T = Think Positively about your husband or wife. Intentionally overlook irritating behaviors in him or her and focus attention on what is good.

R = Respect your spouse. To respect means to hold in high regard and treat with consideration and care.

E = Enjoy the company of your partner. “Rejoice in the wife (or husband) of your youth” (Prov. 5:18). Remember when pleasure and laughter was natural to the relationship? It can be again.

A = Attend to the needs of your spouse, serving them and offering genuine praise.

S = Shield your husband or wife from hurtful words and behaviors (maybe even from you). “Love always protects” (1 Cor. 13:7).

U = Understand your spouse’s needs. Give the attention it takes to learn what those needs are. The golden rule for marriage is: “Do unto others as they need you to do.”

R = Romance your mate. Think about your spouse when you are apart and show love when you are together. When is the last date you had together?

E = Edify your partner. “Encourage one another and build each other up ...” (1 Thess. 5:11) ought to apply as much to marriage as any other relationship! One way to edify is to show appreciation. (Pp.66-76)

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” means we have control over where we place our affection. We have the power to decide to give our husband or wife our positive energy. We can treasure them and our hearts will follow. The joy and pleasure that characterized the early days of our marriage can thrive today when we honor our spouse as treasure from Heaven.

Warren Baldwin

It’s That Time of Year Again

2011-09-09T18:55:00.005-04:00

It’s that time of year again when my husband’s birthday is just around the corner. Normally, I love planning birthdays. I love creating or thinking up “just the right gift.” However, Jeff, who is typically a most amiable fellow, can be very difficult to plan a birthday for.

When Jeff says he doesn’t want anything for his birthday, he means it. He doesn’t want stuff. Not anything. Nada. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. He’s the least materialistic person I know. But this can make for tricky birthday planning, especially when the kids really want to give Daddy something for his birthday.

For several years, I evaded this annual dilemma with the arrival of a new hobby. Jeff took up woodworking, which meant a whole new world in terms of tools required. Thus, every birthday, anniversary, and Father’s Day allowed the opportunity for me to find yet another piece of machinery for his workshop. The kids and I had a lot of fun with this, and I secretly suspect that Jeff did too.

These days, though, his workshop only requires the occasional saw-blade replacement. So I am back to square one when it comes to gift ideas. What do you get someone who doesn’t want anything?

Of course, the focus of any birthday celebration shouldn’t really be the presents. We’ve tried to emphasize this in our family as we have created our own family tradition for birthdays.

Yet, I must confess, it came about rather by accident.

Several years ago, I took the kids, who were toddlers at the time, to the nearest Party City. As we strolled the aisles, trying to pick out some festive – albeit masculine – birthday plates and napkins, my kids went chimpanzee on me when we came to the Little Einstein section of birthday paraphernalia.

This is obviously what they would have liked for their own birthday party, but they were convinced that Daddy would want the same thing. Needless to say, I went with it.

Daddy came home from work that night to a birthday dinner served on Little Einstein plates, complete with matching tablecloth, napkins, and cups. The kids loved it. So did I. And so did Jeff.

Our family birthday dinners have remained such ever since. The kids are no longer interested in Cinderella or Diego, but we still go with a new cartoon character for a themed family birthday dinner every year. And since there are five of us in our family, we do this five times a year.

So Jeff’s birthday is up next. The kids are voting for a Star Wars birthday. Again. It’s one of our favorites. But then there’s always the final question: what do we get him? He still doesn’t want anything.

I’m thinking we’ll probably give him the same thing we got him last year (and the year before): a Costco-sized jar of jellybeans, a mega-pack of his favorite chewing gum, and another case of his butter-free popcorn. We will have our Star Wars dinner, open our traditional “gifts,” and then watch a family movie while giving Daddy his own bowl of yucky popcorn.

Celebrating our birthdays the way we do is one of the things I’ve come to love most about our married life together. We’ve given each other permission not to stress about the whole gift-giving thing. And we’ve made it fun in a silly sort of way. The kids love it. Deep down, we do too.

Do you have a birthday tradition?

Not Laboring in Vain

2011-09-04T21:51:00.013-04:00

"Unless the Lord builds the house, it's builders labor in vain." Psalm 127:1

When I met the man who would become my husband, he had one thing on his mind...his house. He was deep in the throes of building a beautiful home on a quiet little street. Eventually, he would finish the house and we would marry making our sweet Victorian house into a home. We have welcomed two children in this home, and mourned the losses of three others. This year, our youngest will have her kindergarten pictures snapped on our homey wrap around porch, the same place her older sister had hers taken when she was five.

Big old trees surround our property and an old, historic carriage house stands somewhat precariously at the forefront of our little patch of Heaven. Ten years have elapsed, our home now needs work...painting and fixing and hammering, oh my! But I would not trade our humble abode for a perfect one, without the dents, scratches and history.

This house knows how far I have come and how much I have grown to love where God planted us. When our elder daughter came along, I was preoccupied with the thought that our home was not the home I had dreamed of. I had different visions for the kitchen, ours a large farmhouse kitchen that blends unknowingly into the dining room. I had different visions for the steps, ours white with a beautiful Victorian runner adorning each wooden tread, I dreamed of oak hardwood. Needless to say, there were many years I coveted the homes of others and secretly stashed Homes magazines pouring over the pages looking for our perfect home. But God knew all along...He knew this was our home. Over and over, He would provide for me confirmation that He ordained this home to be our own. With prayer and a resignation of my pride, God showed me time and time again to love and nurture this home and not jump ahead of Him.

....I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4: 11b - 13, NIV

As I prayed about my worldly desires and my dream home, God reminded me very clearly, "I am your dwelling place." POOF! Just like that, God had managed to soften that hard place inside, that place that was dishonoring the labors of my husband's hands and the plan God had clearly orchestrated. In an instant, I felt the selfish desires slip away and began to see the beauty and provision in our home. It was in this home that my husband and two children learned how to pray, this home makes light work of driving the children to school and myself to that same school for work, it was in this home, that we consciously changed our lives, doing devotions each day and reading our Bibles consistently.

Ultimately, it became clear to me that the Lord does not desire for us to become attached to our worldly posessions. As special and meaningful as it is that my dear husband built the home we live in, truly it is not a home until we fully recognize the critical role God played in building this home too. Until we submit completely to His will, we are laboring in vain.

So, especially today, I ask, where are you laboring in vain? Are there areas of your life not fully committed to our precious Lord? Each day, I begin with prayer asking God, what is it you have for me today, Lord? I desire to serve Him with a joyful spirit and stand content with where He has me...is He the Lord of your home this day?

an intentional walk

2011-08-31T09:01:00.000-04:00

I daresay that most of us who read here desire in our hearts to go deeper with God. I would like to think that all of us are seeking to go Higher with Him than ever before. Our relationship with our Lord should be one that is constantly growing. Constantly changing. Constantly moving forward closer and closer to His side.

If we look back at our spiritual walk and we don't see that we are any closer to Him today than we were at this time last year, there is something wrong in our relationship with Him. If we are ever going to be all that we can be for Him and through Him and of Him, we have to be walking in the Spirit daily and we have to be on the path leading to Him.

Do you want to go deeper? Seek Higher? Our growth in our God is contingent upon our nourishment of His Word. We will only grow in knowledge through the fervent study of the Holy Scriptures. We must make a daily effort to spent quality time with God in His Word. The more we do this, the greater hunger we will develop for it. The greater our hunger for Him and His Word, the more we will devour it and nourish our spiritual lives with it.

As we sit before Him, let's sit with hearts wide open, eyes focused on Him and spirits ready to receive. Let's pray that He will speak to us and enable us to comprehend. Pray that He will reveal the hidden manna from His Word to us and that we will grow in our intimate, personal relationship with our God.

His desire is for us to KNOW Him like never before. Let's be intentional about our spiritual walk and purpose in our hearts to nourish ourselves with the Word daily.

"For He satisfieth the longing soul, and
filleth the hungry soul with goodness"
(Psalm 107:9)

Seeking Higher,

Don't Be a Delilah

2011-08-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you're not familiar with the story of Samson & Delilah, you should go pay a little visit to the Old Testament book of Judges. Samson's story starts in Chapter 13, but it is in Chapter 16 we meet Delilah.

We're told Samson, a man of great strength, was in love with Delilah. He told her the secret of his great strength...it was his hair, it had never been cut. And she told the Philistines (his enemies), and they cut his hair, and gouged out his eyes, and bound him with shackles, sending him to prison.

Samson loved Delilah. But she betrayed him by sharing his weaknesses. How about you? Are you sharing your husband's weaknesses? Oh, perhaps not with his enemies, but with your friends?

Proverbs 31:11 says, "The heart of her husband trusts in her." When we share our husband's weaknesses with others, we are in fact weakening him further. Keeping his weakness between you and your spouse will strengthen your marriage.

That isn't to say that as women we don't sometimes need a trusted girlfriend to share our issues with. That isn't what this post is about. But certainly you know who your trusted girlfriend is. It isn't the group of gals together at your ladies night out. It isn't even in your group Bible study. You can ask for prayer in a general manner without specifics. The Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit can intervene with others are praying for us, and don't need the details. As wives we must respect our husbands.

Finally, stay away from the proverbial scissors. We may not cut our husband's hair and take their strength - but we may cut them down, and in doing so steal their strength in our own eyes, and in theirs too.

Your husband, like you, is God's dearly beloved. Are you treating him as such? Don't be a Delilah.

525,600 minutes

2011-08-22T05:30:00.002-04:00

LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.
Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. Psalm 39:4-5

525,600
That is how many minutes are in one year.

One.single.year.
What are we doing with those minutes?

A recent storm took our power for just a few moments. Everything stopped. The computer was forced to rely on battery power, the radio stopped, no warning, just yielded to the silence of our home, the washing machine ceased it's spinning and the air shut down.

Though the clock remained still, quiet, dark...time was still passing. Not even the rage of the storm could stop time. Time is something that stops for no-one. We can’t reverse it, neither can we regain it…what we have and what we do with it is fully within our hands.

In making the Sabbath Day Holy, or set apart for no work or labor – God was trying to show us the importance of making time for Him. As a child, I attended church every single Sunday. As an adult, it seemed natural to carry on the tradition. Truly, one hour per week...who cannot commit to that? There are 8766 hours per year, only 52 of them brimming with the expectation of worship. So, a challenge still remains – will we set aside time for our Lord and Saviour? Are we saving our time for Him, strictly for church, or are we spending time with Him daily in His Word and in prayer?

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." Mark 1:35

It amazing that for things we ‘want’ to do- time very seldom is a factor. We rearrange, reschedule, cut short, cancel, we make all the necessary changes to make ‘it happen’. But for God…the first fruits are not always reserved for Him. He just always seems to get the ‘timeouts’ of our life. Just a few seconds here and there, and then we wonder why life is passing us by. He calls us and we forgo calling Him back. He sends us His people tired, needy and desperately craving His truths and we busily hurry by them, missing the opportunity to share Him with them. What are you doing with your minutes? I know mine are painfully misaligned. I certainly don't mean it to be that way, however if my time is short, then I want to be serious about making changes to embrace the Lord every.single.day.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

This summer, God has quietly led me through the first part of a year-long journey through His Word. I look forward to our quiet time together and anxiously scroll through the readings eager for His wisdom and prayerful about what He is doing in my life. In encouragement and love, I share with you that "I don't always get it." However, the Lord has made it clear to ALL of us that our understanding is not His understanding. Ultimately, I do desire to understand clearly, however, for this minute, I am at peace spending critical time with the Lord each day, trusting His guidance and wisdom to make ALL of my minutes more meaningful, with His purpose and not my own.

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm 90:12

With Him, life goes from being just good to great; discernment helps me manage my time better. He has shown me how I need to prioritize differently. Our minutes need to "count", my minutes with Him make the rest of the minutes worthwhile. If I can do "it", whatever "it" may be, to His glory and serve Him gladly; 525,600 minutes hold great purpose.

We are assured that if we seek Him readily, he seeks us also.

What are you doing with your minutes???

do you want more??

2011-08-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

Do you want to know God in a more intimate way? Do you desire to have a deeper, more personal relationship with our Creator? Do you just want to seek Him higher?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, God is ready for you to take the steps necessary to make this happen! God pursues us and His desire is for His to purposefully pursue Him right back! He wants us to have a deeply intimate relationship with Him and when we are earnestly seeking this, He will NOT disappoint us.

The WORD tells us in Jeremiah 29:13, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart". Dear friends, He is telling us that when we seek Him we WILL find Him!! How awesome is that thought! He wants to be found by us. His heart is yearning for us to yearn for Him!

I don't know about you but that just fills me with such a deep longing to go face down and begin this seeking process right now! Oh, I want to be a true seeker of God. I want to be passionate about my pursuit of Him.

If this is your hearts cry, start each day in fervent prayer with our Lord. Pour out your heart to Him and tell Him your hearts desire. As you seek Him in purpose and prayer, He WILL be found by you...

What Makes a Dad

2011-08-15T11:36:00.007-04:00

What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain, The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun, The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature, The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages, The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring, The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity, The depth of a family's need,

Then God combined these qualities, When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so,

He called it ... Dad

~Author Unknown~

Pretty high praise for a dad here! And I like it! I don't know if we are always that deserving of the praise provided here, but for those dads who ...

- place a priority on the home

- work hard to not let work encroach upon family functions

- honor their sons as young men

- honor their daughters as young ladies

- honor their wives as best friends, lovers, life partners, one flesh

- honor God above all ...

this praise may be fitting.

The bad fathering we see done, and the generational problems that ensue, might cause us to question the wisdom of the above poem. But when we see a dad playing ball with his kids, catching them at the bottom of the slide, carrying them around on his shoulders, and walking into the worship assembly with them, we know a masterpiece is still possible.

Warren Baldwin

(Note: Photo compliments of Amy Free Photography

The Crucible of Marriage

2011-08-12T04:09:00.004-04:00

In the beginning, God announces, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). So God makes Eve for Adam.

Then Paul comes along in the New Testament and proclaims, “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am” (I Corinthians 7:8).

So . . .

It is not good to be alone.

But . . .

It is good to stay unmarried.

What are we to make of this apparent contradiction?

I appreciate the way Gary Thomas spoke to this paradox. In his book, Sacred Marriage, he says:

If you want to be free to serve Jesus, there’s no question – stay single. Marriage takes a lot of time. But if you want to become more like Jesus, I can’t imagine any better thing to do than get married. Being married forces you to face some character issues you’d never have to face otherwise. (21)

Thomas makes a valid point. If we want to serve Jesus, then remaining single frees us to do so more than we could if we were married. But if we want to become more like Christ, transformed into His image, then marriage is a sacred, God-designed relationship to help accomplish this.

Of course, we can still serve in the kingdom as married folks. And, of course, unmarried folks can become transformed into the image of Christ.

The real point being made is the nature – the intended purpose – for the marriage relationship.

Throughout the Old Testament, the analogy of marriage depicts God’s relationship to the people of Israel. Then in the New Testament, the analogy of marriage depicts Christ’s relationship to the church, His bride.

The marriage relationship is how God describes His love for us. Thus, in our own marriages, we have the blessed opportunity to love God by loving our spouse. As Thomas explains:

The real transforming work of marriage is the twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week commitment. This is the crucible that grinds and shapes us into the character of Jesus Christ. (22)

Perhaps thinking of marriage as a crucible sounds harsh. Or painful. That’s because it can be. But the beauty of marriage is what comes out of the crucible. A heart molded by God’s hand. A love shaped by Christ’s sacrifice.

To marry, or not to marry, is not the question. Rather, what do I envision the purpose of marriage to be? Do I see marriage as a means to my own happiness? Or do I see marriage as a way to love God and love another person and become transformed in the process?

What are your thoughts on God’s purpose for marriage?

The Widows and the Orphans...

2011-08-08T05:30:00.004-04:00

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

I often refer to the above scripture as it relates to our family. As an adoptive mama, I am fiercely protective of our choice to adopt and also prepared for questions. I love that scripture has called us to this task and does so in several areas of His Word. But, what about the widows?

Who are they?

Where do they live?

Is this really our responsibility?

Well, simply, yes. And they are close by, I assure you.

I recently visited my grandmother in the nursing facility of her home. Due to our schedule, we arrived just at lunchtime and I considered leaving, as not to disturb her during mealtime. My grandmother does not know who we are...she brightens with great aniticpation when we enter, with certain familiarity, but struggles with what significance we have in her life. She LOVES seeing the children, an area she disliked when her memory served her faithfully.

Truth be told, we have only been in my grandmother's life for 20 years. She married my grandfather after my grandmother had gone home to Jesus. I have been blessed with TWO wonderful grandmothers in this life. So, even though my grandfather has now also gone home to be with Jesus, I still feel called to visit and spend time with this remarkable lady.

On the day we arrived at lunchtime, she was seated with three other lovely ladies. The conversation turned to the children and remained there for quite some time. During a particularly spirited part of the conversation, one of the women reached out to one of my children and asked quite boldly for a hug. And then she replied with sadenss, "No one comes to visit and it has been a really long time since I have been hugged."

Needless to say, this was HUGE push from God for our family to more clearly see how He wants us to care for the widows around us. I have them in my family, in my neighborhood, in the home where my grandmother resides. Are there folks hurting in your community? We can take them a special gift, sit and spend time, read to them, pray with them. I share this because it may be that God is calling you to tend to someone needing a hug this very day. Will you outstretch your arms?

"...so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 14:29

Unconditional Faith

2011-08-05T05:00:00.050-04:00

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

Have you ever heard the phrase "unconditional love"? As a married woman I'm quite familiar with it. I've learned to have unconditional love for my husband and children using God's example. I'm not always great at it, and I find conditions creeping up from time to time. But those are the times when God gently reminds me to show His love (which is always unconditional) to my family, and I quickly change my tune.

I remember the first time God told me my faith was conditional. It was 2005 and my nephew had just died of cancer. I got angry at God for choosing not to heal him, when we had been praying with faith for his healing. I had a whole arsenal of scriptures to prove He had to heal my nephew! Only He didn't. My nephew went to heaven, there is no question about that. But with no understanding of why God chose not to heal, I went numb to prayer. I wasn't sure how God's word could be true. After all, I had faith that God would heal.

It was during this dry time when God first whispered to me, "Your faith is conditional."

How can faith be conditional? I thought. To have faith means to believe, right?

God began to show me that just as my love could be conditional - based on the actions of my loved ones, so my faith had been conditional - based on whether or not God acted the way I told Him to.

OUCH!!! He was right!!! Because He chose not to physically heal my nephew, I got angry and my faith became conditional.

In the years since this revelation, I've watched my faith go back and forth between unconditional and conditional, but now I see it happening and quickly remember to focus my faith on God and not the outcome I'm hoping for.

How's your faith?

a heart like David's

2011-08-03T12:36:00.000-04:00

"I will praise thee, O LORD, with my
whole heart; I will show forth all thy
marvelous works."

"The LORD also will be a refuge for the
oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will
put their trust in thee: for thou,
LORD, hast not forsake them
that seek thee"
(Psalm 9:1,9,10)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love how King David got right to the heart of the matter. He always got straight to the point and always went deep into the precious heart of God. He was surely anointed of our God. And because of His open and sincere heart, God spoke power through the heart and lips of David.

The Lord is our refuge and when we earnestly seek Him in prayer, He will not forsake us. He will not abandon us. He will hear our cries and attend to us.

If we are to go higher with God, we have to make sure that our hearts are open and receptive to His Word and calling. We have to make sure when we petition Him, our hearts are bare and truthful and sincere. When we come before Him in all humility and are truly seeking His perfect will for our lives, He is more than able and willing to fill us with His mighty Spirit. We need to come before Him like King David did. Humble, repentant and with a servants heart. Eagerly seeking and ready for God to do a mighty work. When we pour out to God, He will pour out to us.

Happy Birthday

2011-08-01T11:43:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday

“Happy Birthday, Dad. I hope you’re having a good day so far.”

Thanks, Jenny.

“Want to go out with mom and me for lunch for your birthday, Dad?”

Sure, Kristin!

“What book do you want for your birthday? Something by John Ortberg, or a book about Tim Tebow?”

Either one, Wes.

These are all calls I’ve had from my three kids in honor of my birthday. It’s a good feeling.

Family rituals are important for establishing cherished traditions and allowing the children to be fully integrated into the family’s life. Each nuclear family needs those rituals, and it is healthy for the extended family to share them, as well (such as enjoying holiday meals together, occasional reunions, etc.).

For years Cheryl and I made a big ritual out of our kids’ birthdays. Now it is coming back to bless us.

Thanks, kids.

Warren Baldwin

Marriage: It's Not a 50/50 Sort of Deal

2011-07-29T03:08:00.006-04:00

Like most couples, Jeff and I went to pre-marital counseling during our engagement. The pastor who married us had recommended someone he respected. And I’ll never forget our first meeting.

After the introductions, I noticed the many books sitting on his shelves. To my delight, I had read quite a number of them. I wanted to make a good impression, so I started book-dropping. That is, I casually pointed to the binding of several books nearby and mused aloud that I had read them.

I kept going too, until I came across one book that gave me pause. I had read it years earlier, but I never liked it at all. Something about the book’s premise never sat right with me. But I was young, and I didn’t know how to articulate what I really thought of this book’s message. Besides, this particular book was a major Christian bestseller. What did I know? So I kept my opinion about this book to myself, and I mentioned that I had read this one too.

Then the counselor kindly interrupted my self-aggrandizing monologue and said that he believed the book was counter to Christ’s teachings. I was shocked. Counter to Christ? As in opposed? I asked the counselor, “How do you mean?”

“Well,” he explained, “I try to read every book on the topic of Christian marriage that publishers release, but I was disappointed to find that this book focuses on the different ways that husbands and wives can, and should, meet their spouse’s needs.”

Right. I knew that already. But why is that counter to Christ’s teaching?

The counselor went on to explain that Christ was God (I knew that already too, but I guess the counselor wanted to start with the basics). Jesus could have demanded that people worship Him. He was God in the flesh after all. But that’s not what Jesus did. Jesus laid down his rights to the throne. Jesus came to serve, to give His life for ours. Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant . . .”

I knew the counselor was now quoting the second chapter in Philippians. It’s one of my favorite passages. But as he continued, it was as though I was hearing the familiar words for the first time.

“. . . And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”

The counselor didn’t finish until he had quoted the entire passage. I stood there motionless. The words flowed from somewhere deep within him. And they were more than mere words. They were Truth. And Truth resonates in our spirit.

Marriage, as our counselor explained, is not about giving 50/50. It’s not a you-scratch-my-back-and-I-will-scratch-yours kind of relationship. Marriage is not meant to be self-serving. It’s not solely about having your needs met by your spouse. Yes, we have God-shaped needs. And, yes, the marriage relationship is designed to meet some of those needs to some degree.

But only God can fill the deepest longings of our soul. And God wants us to look to Him as the ultimate Source to fill those vacuous places that ache within us. If we go into marriage expecting our spouse to meet our every need, we will be disappointed. No human spouse can do what God alone can do.

That first pre-marital counseling session was life-changing for me. The counselor put into words what I knew deep down to be right. And he helped Jeff and me to build a solid foundation for our future marriage – one that requires selfless sacrifice and service, not selfish demands and expectations.

What lessons did you learn from pre-marital counseling?

Or what lessons did you learn early on in your marriage relationship?

Witnesses

2011-07-27T08:55:00.004-04:00

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” Hebrews 12:1 NIV

Who are your witnesses? If you work in an office, it's your co-workers. As a mom, your children are your witnesses. Your spouse is your witness. Your friends are your witnesses. We are surrounded by witnesses, that is those who see and perceive our actions. As Christians, we should be showing the world Jesus.

In the verse above, the witnesses actually refer to those in faith who have gone before. These are the witnesses that bear testimony about what they have seen, so that we may know the truth. We are to have the courage to have faith because of the great men and women who have gone before us and shown their faith.

But when I read the verse I think about who is witnessing what I do. Am I inspiring faith in them, or am I showing them my sinful nature? When I read the Bible, I am inspired by the witnesses of the past. When people see me I want them to witness my faith, and to be inspired.

Who are those that inspire your faith? And whose faith are you inspiring?

No surprises!

2011-07-25T05:30:00.003-04:00

"The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:5b-7

Have you ever been really surprised? The kind of surprise where your heart leaps anxiously out of your chest and you can feel your breathing quicken? Surprises like these fall into categories for me, good and bad. Birthday parties, good...heart attacks, bad...divorce and infidelity, bad...a financial windfall, good...a promotion, good...death, bad for those of us left; good for those going to be with Jesus. This post today is a surprise to me. I had a whole post already prepared with scriptural reference and a cute story to accompany, however God surprised me and gently led my typing fingers in another direction. I will save the other post for another day.

This year, our family planned to have a "kid party" for our five year old daughter. She had never had a kid party before and her older sister has enjoyed many. When we shared our thoughts with our older daughter, she met our plan with eager anticipation and began making her own contributions to her sister's celebration. We were so impressed with her desire to bless her little sister that we considered having a smaller scale friend gathering for her also, even though it "was not her year". Their birthdays being very close together, we try to be creative about scheduling events for them, especially during the very busy, end-of-school year reverie. So, my husband and I openly planned our younger child's party, but quietly, in the background, planned a surprise for the elder of the two. The day of her big surprise came, and do you know what? This mama was surprised with a sick child, 102 degree temperature and a strep throat! At least she did not know what she was missing! Phone calls to the parents, rescheduling and voila, her surprise was back on...a few weeks later.

The big day came again, things went completely as planned and as her friends jumped out and embraced her in this huge circle of love, our daughter, shocked and confused just stood there, slightly shaking and no real ability to show any reaction. She was truly surprised, and she panicked. What we thought was a great surprise really scared her nine year old system and left her rather numb until after the event had ended. She asked us never to surprise her like that again. Our child was unnerved by the excitement and did not see the value in the surprise factor. Our best intentions played no role in the outcome, however when asked later what she thought, our elder daughter admitted that she was amazed and overwhelmed that we would all strive to surprise her. Despite her dislike for the surprise of it, she was able to grasp the tender love poured out on her in friendship and fellowship.

We got an even bigger surprise when we arrived home and tried to view the video of the big moment. My husband had mistakenly hit the wrong button and there was no footage of what we anticipated at all. Surprise!

In our lives we are forced to deal with surprises all the time. We pray one way and God answers another or we anticipate our plans having priority and then God asks us to do something different. We face these surprises with a gift, though; the assurance that God has no surprises. There is nothing that happens that surprises God, nothing.

"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." Jeremiah 29:11

Just as He knows the grains of sand on the earth and the number of hairs upon our heads, our God knows the plans for our life before we ever opened our eyes or took our first steps. Jeremiah assures us that the Lord wants us to have hope and a grand future in Him.

When surprises litter our path, whether good or bad, it is comforting and reassuring to know that HE has it figured out. We may not know in which way to proceed but He has and will number our steps in accordance to His will. Our job is to listen to Him, follow Him and heed His voice. We seek Him when we diligently read His word, pray and remain still. We can trust Him. It is as simple as that....four words...we can trust Him. No surprise is too big, He knows them all and desperately wants us to trust His heart and His desire to prosper us and give us hope.

Have you ever been really surprised? How did God use that to bless you, change you, prosper you and give you hope? I challenge you today to remember a surprise that God used to show you His plan for His purpose.

give us ears to hear

2011-07-20T16:54:00.000-04:00

"Oh, give me Samuel's ear,

An open ear, O Lord,

Alive and quick to hear

Each whisper of Thy Word;

Like him to answer to Thy call

And to obey Thee first of all"

(James Drummond Burns)

If you desire to hear from God, lower the ambient noise of your life and listen expectantly for those whispers of God, your ears will hear them. - James MacDonald

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If we are ever going to go higher in our relationship with the Lord, we have to be always listening for His voice. We need to be quiet and still before Him and let His voice penetrate the noise of the world around us. God is always speaking, we just need to be ready and willing to hear. Oh, Lord, give us ears to hear!

The Hazards of Marrying a Handyman

2011-07-15T04:00:00.222-04:00

When I met Jeff, he was an accountant.

When I married Jeff, he was an accountant.

But when our washer broke down, Jeff turned into a handyman.

I didn't know what happened. Jeff had the machine pulled apart within minutes - parts strewn across the laundry floor. And he had this look of consternation about him. A serious manner overtook his usual joking self.

You would have thought Agent 007 was on the job.

Suddenly, he needed more tools, which devolved into a two-hour detour of scavenging through the garage. Once said tools were acquired, the repair commenced.

To my amazement (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), he fixed it. Well, I mean, he mostly fixed it. There remained a certain temperamental attitude with the machine after that first fix. Closing the door required a sort of hip-to-door action while one hand simultaneously pushed the starter knob.

But hey, it worked.

After Jeff successfully repaired the washer, though, it became something of a personal matter to him that it remained thus repaired. Any subsequent break-downs were forever-after perceived as a personal affront to him. It was as if our washer had become our very own Moby Dick. There, lurking amongst the sloshing laundry water, a menacing creature was ready to take Jeff down at any given moment. And Jeff wasn't about to give in.

By the umpteenth break-down, and years of hip-bruising door-maneuvering on my part, I was begging my handy husband to ditch the machine, once and for all, and buy a new one. But Jeff wouldn't hear of it.

In fact, by this time, Jeff had all but convinced himself that he had missed his calling as a numbers-and-spreadsheets-kind-of-guy. He thought for sure that a destiny of repair-work beckoned his true name.

But I was now living in a house where an eclectic assortment of household appliances only sort of worked some of the time. Even our brand-new trash compactor would only receive trash, and not actually compact it, because of some cross-wiring incident. And I won't even get started on the abysmal state of install-them-yourself sprinklers in our backyard that have consumed countless hours of digging because the-one-who-shall-remain-nameless refuses to ever call someone, like a landscaper, for help.

But I digress.

These are merely a few of the hazards of marrying a handyman. However, I am frequently reminded of how much money we have supposedly saved with all of these do-it-yourself repairs.

He may be right. Only God knows.

So I confess. I pray for patience often. I've even been known to pray for my appliances on occasion. Hey, don't fault me here. I firmly believe that Jesus can fix anything - even my washer.

I probably pray a number of "please-fix-it" prayers.

Lord, please fix my short fuse.
Lord, please fix my faulty wiring.
Lord, please fix my connectors.

I wonder if Jesus ever gets tired of His bride always asking for Him to swoop in and fix stuff? You know, petty stuff? And quickly, too, if you don't mind?

With a Roman soldier's hammer and nails, Jesus already fixed everything.

Of course, some prayers feel as though forever is delayed. But I think He's been trying to teach me something about waiting.

Waiting for certain situations to get fixed.
Waiting for certain relationships to get fixed.
Waiting and then waiting some more.

My dear husband, with all of his handy antics, has taught me a lot about waiting. I wish I could say that I have never griped like an Israelite in a desert. But I can say that I have lived to see a Jordan River of my own part waters.

And the waiting was worth it.

What are you waiting for today?

Is God Enough?

2011-07-13T08:52:00.003-04:00

In the past couple of weeks, my family experienced a terrible tragedy; a six-month old infant died, and the family was left shocked, saddened and confused.

At a time like this, you are left wondering why. Why would God allow such a terrible thing to happen to someone so young? Where was God? And is God the same "good" God he was before?

I am reminded of the words of Peter in John 6, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" At that time, many disciples decided that the teachings of Jesus were too hard, and were leaving him. I can relate. This loss represents a really hard teaching. Yet, where else is there to go? Jesus holds the words of eternal life. And if I can cling to them during this hard time, I know that I will see that baby again, in his glory, one day.

Is God enough? Yes. Even in this, God is enough. Praise the Lord.

Decisions, Decisions!

2011-07-08T05:00:00.002-04:00

"I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me." --Charles Swindoll (Bold Mine)

I love this quote - and I hate it!

Choice of attitude is simple, yet it requires action on my part. My human instincts are to go with the circumstances, let my moods flow freely with my surroundings. But I will lose every battle this way.

To choose to be satisfied in all circumstances is powerful, but in my own strength I am not capable of making this decision every time. How about you? Do you always choose the right attitude in every circumstance?

Is all hope lost? Absolutely Not! Lets look at what the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) "And he said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Paul wrote this after receiving a thorn in his flesh. While we don't know exactly what the thorn was, it certainly stood as a constant reminder of his need for Christ. He had a decision. Let the constant pain bring him down, or decide to lean on God and have a good attitude. He, of course, chose the latter, but only with Christ's help.

We, too can choose the right attitude every time, if we learn to lean on Christ at all times.

How can we lean on God? By reading and memorizing scriptures as well as daily communion with Him in prayer and praise.

Today, I choose to lean on Christ for the right attitude. May my weaknesses bring Him glory as I give it all to Him!

His will... not our own.

2011-07-06T05:00:00.001-04:00

'"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything

is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom

we must give account"

(Hebrews 4:13)

~~~~~~~~~

Too often, in our quest for the will of God in our lives, we try to make God conform His will to our desires. We have the tendency to formulate our own plan based on what we think He wants for our lives and then we expect Him to just bless it and walk with us in it. Our prayers go from asking the Lord to reveal His will for the direction we need to go, to showing Him the map we have sketched out and asking Him to meet us there.

This will never work out for the good in our lives. We can never expect to be in the will of God until we have surrendered our lives to Him in every area. When we are fully purposed to walk in His ways and to go where He leads, then we must be willing to set our hearts toward finding His plan for us. We need to be focused on the purpose that God has ordained for our lives and be totally ready to walk in obedience no matter what it takes.

God's will is not about us. God's will is all about Him. We just have to be prayed up and earnestly seeking to hear His voice. He will reveal His will to us when He is ready for us to know it. Then and only then can we begin to take the steps necessary to make it a reality in our lives.

Seek Him with all your heart. He will speak and He will guide and He will be found by us.

This Son of Mine

2011-07-04T00:19:00.001-04:00

THIS SON OF MINE

"How’s life," I asked my friend, a college sophomore.

"It’s ok I guess. Kind of tough at times. It’s scary out there."

I appreciated his honesty. Only a couple of years before he had been a standout high school athlete, a class favorite, a popular personality. Life was very different for him now, though. In only two years of college he changed majors and universities. He also left the spiritual orientation of his parents and entered the college party scene.

What happened? He told me. He was scared. He was out of his local element. Though his parents’ standards and rules were a bit confining, they did provide structure and orientation for him. Away from home and his parents’ influence, the structure and guidance receded, leaving him standing on his own. He simply wasn’t ready for that level of responsibility.

I’ve known this boy for years and I think that as he matures he will grow out of the dislocation and aloneness he is feeling now, and will assume the morals and spiritual outlook of his parents. I hope he will. I base my belief on another story of a boy a lot like him.

A young man born into a wealthy family grew dissatisfied with his home situation. He told his dad, "I don’t want to wait for you to die. I want my inheritance now."

We can only imagine the pain that must have gripped this father’s heart as he looked deep into the eyes of his son and saw the discontent, the yearning for excitement, the lostness. The dad knew what was going to happen, but he couldn’t stop it. If he spoke he probably said something like, "Good bye son. Remember."

But the boy didn’t remember. In fact, the boy forgot at least three things. One, he forgot who he was. He was the son of a good man who cared for his family and provided for their needs. From what we know, he wasn’t abandoned or abused. He was honored as a son. He had identity.

Two, he forgot where he was from. He was from a family that was successful and prominent in the community. As a hardworking man the dad was respected, and this respect would be passed on to the sons. This boy had a foundation.

Three, he forgot where he was going. Because the son was born into a family that provided him with an identity and a foundation, he also had a future. He would help with the family estate. Even though the older son would receive much of the inheritance, the younger son would still be gifted with a portion of the dad’s holdings, a respected place in the community, and the opportunity to provide well for his own family. Ah, what a future lay ahead of him!

But the son forgot it all: who he was, where he was from, and where he was going. Because he forgot these important aspects of his life, he wandered from home into a world that is tough and scary. The pursuit of pleasure dulled any pain of conscience, but soon this pursuit gave way to the humiliation of poverty and want. Loneliness, hunger and guilt gnawed at him until they chewed right through his pride. Then he remembered.

He remembered who he was, where he was from, and where he was supposed to be going. Then he went home. There he was greeted by his father who cried, "This son of mine is home!" as he ordered the celebration to begin (Luke 15:11-24).

I pray my friend will find his way home, too. I think he has just forgotten his identity, his foundation and his future. He is searching for them futilely right now, looking for meaning in all the wrong places. But when the loneliness and spiritual hunger gnaws at him long enough, he will lift his head in awareness and say, "I will set out and go back to my father."

That is my prayer for my friend, and for all the young people in that terribly difficult period of transition. I pray that they will remember, and come home.

Warren Baldwin

Happy Independence Day! Thanks to all those who have served.

Him vs. Her

2011-07-01T04:00:00.007-04:00

In many ways, my husband and I fall squarely within traditional, stereotypical roles. Jeff goes to work while I stay home with the kids. But there are some things we do differently from the "norm."

For instance, Jeff knows exactly how much paprika is needed while I am busy trying to decipher a recipe that looks, to me, more like hieroglyphics. Jeff can also grow real life vegetables from actual dirt while I am busy trying to figure out how to drag the hose that far.

On the other hand, I am comfortable changing the oil in our car while Jeff is trying to . . . oh, wait, he can do that too. Well, I can balance the checkbook while . . . come to think of it, he does that better too.

In fact, I am hard-pressed to find something I am better at. And wrapping presents (with neither the tape nor the paper-creases showing) doesn't count. The truth is, my husband is good at a lot of things. (It's rather annoying sometimes.)

Have you ever found yourself trying to compete with your spouse at something? Anything?

I can attest: it's not a great way to go. For starters, it pits you in a race against your spouse. And you're supposed to be on the same team! For another thing, it doesn't foster an attitude of appreciation for the unique benefits that each of you bring to the marriage.

I may not have received a W-2 form in nearly a decade. And I may not be a very good cook. There very well may be a number of household-kinds-of-tasks that I would much prefer parceling out if I could. But I can say that I make our house a home. In lots of little ways. I enjoy it too. Making our home "homey" makes me smile.

In all honesty, Jeff and I work pretty well together. That is, when I'm not griping about how much better he is at stuff than me. We need each other. He couldn't do what he does every day unless I did what I do every day.

Have you ever found yourself competing with your spouse over something silly? What did you learn from it?

The View From Here

2011-06-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not, this beautiful picture is taken right outside my back door. One would think that with a view like this, I'd be outside enjoying it every minute. But over time I've come to take it for granted.

When my husband & I moved into this house 15 years ago, I had my coffee out on the back deck every morning it was over 60 degrees. We often ate dinner outside too. After the first year, life happened. We got busy. I got a promotion at work, his company took on a big project, next we had kids. And suddenly this view was forgotten.

Isn't our relationship with God like that sometimes? When our relationship is new we are so excited and want to spend so much time with God. Quiet time every morning, we enjoy our coffee with God. Then life happens. We get busy, and certainly our kids - especially babies keeping us up at night - interfere with our relationship with God. How can we get it back?

Friends can help. When a friend says to me, "Wow, the view here is amazing" I get reminded to enjoy it more. A friend can also be an accountability partner for your relationship with God, becoming a Bible study or prayer partner.

Schedule it! When often schedule a deck party so that we could enjoy the view with some friends. The same is true with God. If you schedule your quiet time every morning, or your Bible study every week you'll make it happen.

Get your kids involved. All it took was having dinner on the deck one night and now the kids want to eat out there every night. They too enjoy the view! And now that I do daily devotions with them, they can't wait for it to happen and ask if I forget.

It doesn't take much work to renew my interest in enjoying my view. And it doesn't take much work to renew your relationship with God either! Why not get started today?

With God in your life, you'll enjoy a new point of VIEW!

"Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice. Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they're bursting with health."
Proverbs 4:20, The Message Paraphrase Bible

When Disappointments Come...

2011-06-27T05:30:00.002-04:00

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

"I have to check the calendar." How common a phrase is this? Oh how blessed we are that our calendars overflow with the fruit of family and friendships, activities and events. We make our plans, carefully gliding our Sharpie markers over the white space of our lives, marking the important dates and the times we are to be somewhere special. We build expectations of the revelrie we will share and expectations of how we will handle our own special events. It is those expectations that have the potential to rob us of our joy.

Think back to some of your most critical expectations, perhaps a special friendship, a marriage, a birthday party, your prayer life. In every facet of our lives, we design our expectations and though sometimes, they turn out exactly the way we planned, sometimes God has something different planned. Since I only have one day a week with a significant time frame to clean and prepare, I carefully map out that day with a firm agenda in mind. On one such day, the phone rang, smack in the middle of conquering mount laundry and scrubbing the whitest bathroom in our home. I had a choice to keep to my "firm" agenda or to answer the call that could potentially throw me way off track. Fortunately, the phone call,a wonderful diversion and blessed time of fellowship did not throw me off track, quite the opposite, it energized me and propelled me forward. This was not my expectation, and I was pleasantly surprised. I could have viewed the interruption as a disappointment, instead it was a blessing.

Disappointments happen; not just interruptions or changes in plans...true disappointments. A loved one dies suddenly, a marriage falls apart, children get sick, vacations get cancelled, financial burdens threaten to destroy...real life losses. So, as we seek God's purpose and put aside our own expectations, how do we keep our joy amidst the disappointments? We look to the cross where a curse becomes a blessing. The grace of God abounds even in the difficult times or "disappointing" times. When our eyes are closely fixed on the character of God and His deep desire to provide for us in all circumstances, it lessens the chances of our hearts being bitter or remaining disappointed when our prayers are not answered our way or when our expectations are not met.

Recently, our nine year old daughter became ill just in time for her school's Field Day. She had looked forward to it for weeks and was disappointed that her fever would render her unable to attend. I was surprised at her ability to healthily cope with her sadness. She said she had wanted to play games and be with her friends, but that God had a better plan for her to spend a quiet day alone with her grandmother playing like they did when she was little. She was able to find God's goodness and grace in this situation. When the day was over she rejoiced in all the happy moments. I learned an important lesson from my daughter that day. I spent the day at school lamenting and missing her, I had a certain amount of bitterness welling up within. God quieted me and my disappointment with the joy of a child and her grandmother. Sometimes, it is our job to surrrender our expectations, making room for God's perfect plan, even when it does not match ours.

"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:15

are you going in circles?

2011-06-22T05:00:00.001-04:00

My oldest daughter and her family left last Saturday headed for Pennsylvania where her husband will be working for 6 months. It was a long trip from Louisiana especially with 4 children ages 1, 3,5 and 8. On their second day of traveling, my grandson Eli, who is 5, told his mama "I think we are driving in circles. I keep seeing that same Cracker Barrel". Of course, she had to explain to him that there are many Cracker Barrel's around and that they were not driving in circles. But as she told me this story and we laughed about it, the Lord began speaking to me.

Have you ever felt like you were going in circles in your spiritual life? Has the Lord ever dealt with you on certain aspects of your walk and you think you have been obedient, but then you find yourself right back in the same mess again?

There are times when we think that we have allowed God to work in our lives to resolve certain attitudes or actions that are anything but godly and holy. We tend to be under the assumption that once we have acknowledged our sin and confess it to our Lord, that we have taken the necessary steps to totally circumcise those ungodly and unholy behaviors from our lives. But that just isn't the case. It not only takes admission of sin and confession of sin, but it also takes true repentance.

Repent is the translation of a Greek verb metanoeo, which means 'to change the mind'. If we honestly have a repentant heart, then we have changed our mind in respect to our sin, to God and to our self. When we honestly desire to be like Jesus, we desire to do whatever it takes to make that happen. We have to change the way we think and the way we act. We have to completely turn away from those sinful areas of our lives and turn to a life of obedience in Christ.

If we fail to do this, we are just going to keep passing that same Cracker Barrel. Over and over again. And we will keep repenting of the same sins over and over again. We will be making no headway in our quest to follow after God and walk in His ways. We have to give it to God and surrender our will to His. Allow Him to help us make the necessary changes in our lives so that we can walk like Him, talk like Him and follow Him all the days of our lives.

Exemplary Leadership

2011-06-20T20:50:00.001-04:00

Exemplary Leadership

James Kouzes and Barry Posner, in The Leadership Challenge Workbook, list five ways for people to provide healthy and consistent leadership.

1) Model the way
It is easy to teach how to live, but can we model the level of character we are teaching about?

2) Inspire a shared vision
Good leaders invite the people they are leading to have a stake not only in the organization as it currently exists, but in what it can become.

3) Challenge the process
If we look about us we might see things currently being done that are not effective. Questions might spark some ideas or make us aware of where and how we can do better. “Am I getting the results I would like?” is one such question.

4) Enable others to act
Leaders don’t do everything for everybody. Rather, they teach others how to care for themselves and fulfill their mission in life.

5) Encourage the heart.
Learning how to act on our own can be discouraging at times, so the leaders stand by to encourage them.

These five practices of exemplary leadership can be applied to businesses, community service clubs, and churches. It can even be applied to families.

Moms and Dads who do their jobs well are functioning with the five practices of exemplary leadership. If they teach their children to tell the truth, and they tell the truth themselves, they are modeling the right way to live.

If they share their view of the Christian life and encourage them to pursue that in their future, they are fulfilling number two, inspiring the shared vision.

If they question themselves at least occasionally about how well they are filling their role and how they could do better, they are challenging the process and are opening themselves up for more growth for themselves and their children. Questioning themselves doesn’t mean they are needlessly harsh or doubt their own value, but that they ask how they are doing and how they can do better.

Fourthly, healthy parents enable their children to act. They teach them proper behavior and as they mature and grow, give them rope to move and act. And when children move and act, they will make mistakes and even experience some rebellious streaks. Moms and dads will have to step in and reprimand and punish. But they will also step in with necessary encouragement so their hearts will not become discouraged (that’s number five).

Whether they are always aware of it or not, parents who function for the health of their family and children are practicing exemplary leadership. Thanks, moms and dads!

Warren Baldwin

Saying Grace

2011-06-17T04:00:00.004-04:00

I can't say that we say "grace" before every meal - at least not where Corn Flakes are concerned. And most meals that come in a bag from a drive-thru window probably don't get "blessed" either. Perhaps they should.

But I can say that every evening, when our family gathers for dinner, we say "grace." Like many families, we pause to give thanks for God's goodness. And we ask His blessing.

About a week or so ago, my middle child sweetly asked if she could have the honors. Of my three kids, Brynn is the quiet one. Generally speaking, she'd rather let someone else do the "talking." So I was tickled when she actually wanted to say a prayer before dinner.

With great solemnity, she folded her small hands and asked in her most serious voice . . .

"Dear God, please help Mom's chili to taste good. Amen."

Well, I guess there's no hiding the fact that I'm not exactly known for my stove-top skills.

At my house, saying "grace" is more like an opportunity to give me grace. Lord knows I need it. Especially when it comes to cooking.

It makes me wonder. How often do we "say grace" to one another? In the little things. The inconsequential things. Extending grace - to people. Giving thanks - for people.

I think I need to practice "saying grace" throughout my day. Intentional grace-saying.

What would our marriages look like if we practiced speaking grace to one another throughout our day?

The picture is from a painting by one of my favorite artists - Norman Rockwell.

In Honor of the Dads...

2011-06-13T05:30:00.004-04:00

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;" Psalm 103:13

I was sixteen or seventeen. Funny, there are some details I can't recall of an evening I vowed I would NEVER, EVER forget. Regardless of my age, it was the events of this timeframe in my life that have stuck with me all these years. The love of my life (as high school romance goes) had broken my heart. His eye was caught by a tall, leggy blond up the street and somehow my petite, raven haired self no longer made his heart go pitter patter. My parents comforted me, turning on every light in the house that late fall night.

Sad and lonely, I would spend my normal date nights at home. My dad and I fell into a routine of watching movies after dinnertime, while my friends continued their date night rituals with their boyfriends. One such night, we rented the movie Ice Castles. A classic, in my opinion, we cried through pretty much the whole movie. Yes, WE cried. My dad, an engineer by trade is a gentle, loving man, who learned very young that his soft spots are very soft, and he has always yielded to the way God has afforded him the beauty of deep emotion. At one point my dad even shared his heartfelt desire to be a pastor...though this never came to fruition, my dad has served in multiple capacities in the church and has always honored my mother and his family in congruence to the scripture. He is a Godly man and I believe this has made an enormous impact in the life of his daughter.

A few weeks later, I sang and played an instrument for the high school Christmas concert. After we played, we were relegated to the audience while other groups had their time on stage. I had seen no program and had not viewed the other groups performances until that evening. The select choir took the stage and I heard the familiar chords of the theme from Ice Castles. I panicked. I knew I would cry the ugly cry if I stayed, so my only option was to exit the auditorium until it was over. I stealthily executed a perfect departure, and somehow even managed to keep my long taffeta skirt quiet as I slipped out the door. As the door slammed shut behind me, I turned to find my dad there just behind the door, his eyes wet with emotion and he admitted he'd never have made it through "that song" and with a wink, he embraced me as only a father can.

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4

I have told and re-told this story. I was blessed to have a dad who was there, always there. He travelled weekly for work and yet, I never recall a time he wasn't there. Like my Heavenly Father, my earthly father has always been available. So, I pause and think about the God I love and the man, created in His image who so many times embodied the love that Christ taught him first. I am so thankful my dad has always been an integral participant in my life and not a casual observer.

Like this, the Lord meets us behind the door, in our seat, walking along...everywhere. He delights when we wake in the morning eager for His Word and His gentle embrace. He hears the chords of a familiar song and rushes to us, waiting to lavish us in His love and comfort us, if necessary. Even if our earthly fathers are not able, for whatever reason, to provide love and blessing; our Heavenly Father is! He willingly and openly provides us with our every need. This Father's Day, I celebrate my own dad; a great man. And I celebrate a merciful Father, ready for our undivided attention and willing to give us His undivided attention.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1

Under-qualified

2011-06-10T05:00:00.016-04:00

The great commission: Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV bold mine)

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you've probably heard of the great commission. I grew up hearing it preached from the pulpit. "Go and tell everyone!" So why did I grow up confused about these orders from Jesus himself?

I felt under-qualified!

I knew my life was a light to others (well I hoped it was), but actually leading someone to salvation - okay that's where the nerves kicked in (insert scrunched up face and fingernail biting!) What would I say to an unsaved person? How would I pray for them? What if I forgot something?????

God showed me something amazing this year. He used a new friend in my Bible study to teach me the simplicity of salvation. You see, she had gone forward at a Baptist camp when she was 11 or 12 and accepted Christ as her Savior, but the years had allowed her to drift away.

Being part of our Bible study catapulted her back into the Lords arms. But now she was asking me, (insert scrunched up face and nail biting!) "Am I really saved?"

SOS!!! HELP LORD!

Immediately God had me quote (as best I could) Romans 10:9-10, If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

I realized for the first time how simple salvation really was. No magic prayer, no right or wrong words. Just a belief followed by a confession.

It was a precious time of conversation, and we concluded she was indeed saved, but a re-dedication was in order. The very next Bible study, she stood up in front of 150 ladies and confessed that Jesus was Lord of her life!

We all applauded and I cried! These were tears of joy and excitement, not only because my friend had declared her salvation, but because God showed me the simplicity of the great commission!

I've had an opportunity to share this knowledge with one other lady who also needed to confess with her mouth Jesus is Lord! WOW, the sky is the limit now!

Here I am, Lord send me!!!!!

let's have church!

2011-06-08T05:00:00.002-04:00

Too often, we think of church as someplace we go on Sunday morning and and occasionally on Sunday nights. And if we are really good Christians, we go on Wednesday night for prayer meeting. I know there are a lot of places that don't even have church on Sunday nights. We even have a church in our small parish that is actually going to vote on whether or not they will continue having Sunday night services! That just floored me when I heard it. It's hard to imagine that we would even consider not having church on Sunday nights because our attendance wasn't big enough. If only 10 people came, it would be still be beneficial to those 10 to have church!

Our problem is that we have too many other things to do and too many other distractions in the world. So church has become something that we just kind of 'fit into our schedule'. We go if there isn't a ball game or a dance recital or something good on television. We have let the world become what is important in our lives and we have started pushing our spiritual lives to the wayside.

If we are going to grow in our spiritual walk with Christ and if we are going to become closer and more intimate with our Lord, we have to put Him first in ALL things. Church needs to be our number one priority on Sundays, Sunday nights and Wednesday nights. We need to be excited about the privilege we have of being able to worship openly and freely. We need to have the attitude that we get to go to church instead of we have to go to church.

We started an extra 'prayer and share meeting' on Tuesday or Thursday nights in our congregation.We hold our meetings in someones home and we just gather together (everyone is invited) and read scripture, share praises or problems and then we pray. We pray for each other, for those in need and most importantly we pray for the lost. Our small group has doubled since our first meeting and we have had such fabulous times of sharing and prayer. Some people don't understand why we would meet for a 'fourth' time during the week, but they don't understand how powerful the gathering together of fellow Christians can be! We have grown closer as a body of Christ and are beginning to reach out more to others. We have learned to be more sensitive to those who are hurting or in need. We have developed a deeper burden for those who are lost. We feel like we are growing in our relationship with Jesus and therefore we will be better able to minister to those around us.

I challenge anyone who is ready to take that next step to a closer relationship with our Savior to begin a 'prayer and share meeting' in your own church fellowship. There is no better time than now to start really learning what church is all about. It's not about us. It's not about meeting just 3 times a week. It's about a new excitement in our lives as Christ begins to draw us and beckon to us to spend more and more time with Him. It's all about Jesus.

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto

love and to good works: Not forsaking the

assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of

some is; but exhorting one another: and so

much the more, as ye see the day approaching"

(Hebrews 10:24-25)

Parenting Principles

2011-06-05T23:43:00.003-04:00

PARENTING

Parenting isn’t easy. My dad often told me that the toughest job I would ever have would be to be a parent. It is a task we will be studying and re-evaluating the rest of our lives. Just when we think we have mastered a certain aspect of parenting, our kids throw us a curve. In fact, children have a way of throwing us curves on a daily basis!

It is freeing to me to think that there is not a list of “Seventeen Things You Must do to be a Perfect Parent and Have Your Children Turn Out Well.” Even if someone were to write such a book, our children wouldn’t read it! So, they won’t know how they are supposed to respond when their father or mother does point number seven or point number fourteen!

Of course, there are principles of parenting that God revealed thousands of years ago in his Word and we can read and apply today. Good parenting involves familiarizing ourselves with these principles and applying them as best we can in our family context. Principles of parenting offers freedom for the parent to respond to the need of each child within the framework of God’s will. A list of seventeen or any other number of rules for perfect parenting is not really parenting; it is manipulation. Parenting is a relationship built on trust; manipulation undermines that trust and foils relationship.

Please check back to read more because in upcoming weeks I will discuss the following principles for parenting:

1) Balancing love and control
2) Using action instead of anger in disciplining.
3) Disciplining with consistency, firmness and love.
4) Patience
5) Kindness
6) Teach-Discipline
7) Family bonding (Prov. 4)
8) Teaching responsibility

Warren Baldwin

Note: Thanks to everyone who inquired about our daughter, Kristin. She had 3 surgeries in 5 weeks (two of them major), and spent 18 of 30 days in the hospital. She missed her last 6 weeks of school, except for 3 days when she got to attend for 1/2 of the day. Still, she was able to walk at in the ceremony and still graduated with high honors. God is good! Thank you all. WB

This Side of Eden

2011-06-03T04:00:00.002-04:00

Before Adam and Even were cast out of Eden . . .
Before they hid from God in fear . . .
Before they took hold of the forbidden fruit . . .
Before they changed the cosmos with their choice . . .

. . . The two of them must have enjoyed some amazing walks together.

Adam must have been thrilled to share the beauty of the garden with Eve.

Taking her by the hand, Adam must have delighted in showing Eve the Pishon River as it twisted through the garden, rushing past gold-filled land (Genesis 2:11).

I wonder if Eve smiled as Adam explained to her the names he had given each animal.

Time together. Just the two of them. And then to have their Creator join them at times, talking about their day, enjoying new discoveries in the garden.

Years later, I wonder how often Adam and Eve reminisced about the days they shared in Eden.

Did they tell their boys stories of what it was like there?

Or were they too busy toiling the land, working for the food they needed from the next harvest?

Had the sin that separated them from their early days also distanced them from each other?

None of us have perfect memories of a time gone past, for we are all on this side of Eden. But most of us can remember our early courtship, a time filled with sweet wondering and long walks. How often do we pause from the rush of daily toiling? How often do we choose stillness and quietude, taking the time to be together? It never happens on its own. It takes intentionality. Purpose.

For our first date, just the two of us, Jeff took me hiking on a trail just north of Pasadena. For Los Angeles County, it's surprisingly beautiful there, tucked away beyond the city, nestled against the foothills. The wooded path - padded with soft earth and draped with evergreen on each side - leads to a waterfall. The hush of the water calls from a distance.

Sometimes I think about that waterfall. I think about the hike. The rocks we balanced across. The feet we dangled in chilled water.

It's been more than a decade now. More than. We've been back a couple of times. Once with a baby wrapped snug against his chest. The sound of bees nearby made us flee. Such walks were no longer as easy as they once were.

But I have been thinking about that hike lately. I'd like to see it again. Is it the same as I remember?

For our marriage, and for any marriage, I think it's important to trace those early steps, to remember. And most importantly of all, to invite our Creator to walk with us, both there and then, and here and now.

What was your first date?

Freedom

2011-05-30T05:30:00.001-04:00

Every single day, I am grateful. Grateful for my life, for my family, for the love of a precious savior, but also for my freedom. Were it that I lived elsewhere praising and trusting God may be difficult and even deadly.

We had acquaintences, years ago, who chose to serve God in China. We would send them Bibles and necessities they could not find readily. Our packages had to be sealed a certain way and no where on the parcel could there be words like "God, Lord, Jesus, etc." We could email them and I had to pay careful attention to the words I used, including trying to give scripture without really giving scripture. Though it grieved us at home, we also recognized that God was forging a way and people were being saved because of the blessing of our missionary friends there in Asia. We also were well informed that their safety depended upon our discretion, this my friends, makes me daily aware of our freedom that could easily be overlooked.

When we adopted our daughter in China, I sent a baby book in English and in Mandarin. The nannnies at her orphanage were so gracious to fill in as much as they could for us. I was so thankful. I found myself carefully checking the book to ensure they would not be offended by our faith and our trust in Jesus. After waiting two years for our child, I did not want our adoption stalled because we were Bible believing Christians...but the truth is, I also needed them to know we prayed for them as they cared for our child and so many other children. As He always does, He gave me the words that would be a blessing and not a hindrance.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

Both of these examples lead me to the point of this post.
Freedom...our military...honor and remembrance.
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines...it does not matter the branch of the service, it matters the sacrifice they make so that we are able to worship in our churches, our homes, our cars, our entire lives. Their protection of our freedom is a treasure. As we ponder the freedom we have, I think Memorial Day can be a reminder of the freedom we have in Jesus Christ also. He paid the ultimate price, conquered death and His promise for eternal life to all who believe in Him denotes complete freedom. Like our patriotic freedom, this freedom costs me nothing, but it is not cheaply bought. Just as our soldiers serve to make us free, so did Jesus serve to make me free. For eternal freedom we must be born again, transformed into righteousness by the blood of Jesus Christ, and set free from sin and death. When put in those terms, we would be completely remiss to forget anything that has granted us such magnificent liberties.

So today and everyday, God Bless America! Thank you to Jesus for the ultimate price, thank you to our soldiers and their families for the daily sacrifice that protects and grants us our national freedoms. May they truly know the depth of our gratitude...

"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

I Say It + Action = I Am

2011-05-27T05:00:00.002-04:00

Being over 40 has it's problems. One I've noticed is weight gain. Since Christmas I've gained... (You didn't really think I'd tell you, did you?)The point is, I've gained weight.

Summer is fast approaching and the thought of putting on a swim suit has caused me to panic! Weight Watchers, I thought. About a year ago I lost 10 pounds using the Weight Watchers approach, so I signed up online. Two weeks later, my weight had not changed. Then it occurred to me joining Weight Watchers doesn't cause you to lose weight - unless you actually make changes to your diet and use their
system.

Similarly, I tell people I am a writer. Professing to be a writer doesn't mean I'll be published. First I need to commit to writing, next I must do some research to find a compatible market. At that point, Lord willing, I can say with conviction that
I am a writer, and I'll have published pieces to back me up.

How about saying I am a Christian? I know plenty of people who profess to be Christians, but their lives tell a different story. If I call myself a Christian, I
must be committed to praying and reading the Bible regularly. If I only
committed to observing the Weight Watchers diet on Sundays, I would never lose
weight. It's the same with professing to be a Christian. I must do the work to
ensure Jesus is the Lord of my life. Then I can say with honesty, I am a Christian, and others will see the fruit in my life.

John 15:5 (ESV) "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart form me you can do nothing."

Mathew 7:20 (ESV) " Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."

How We Met

2011-05-20T04:00:00.000-04:00

When I was in my mid-to-late-twenties, my church put on a musical production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” It’s the story of Joseph straight out of Genesis but set to modern music. As a teenager, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and then later thrown into prison on false charges.

Some people say they’re having a bad day, or even a bad year, but Joseph was having a bit of a bad life.

There was a time when I could relate. It was more than a tough season or a rough patch, and like Joseph, it started during my latter teen years.

In the midst of this dark season, I did something so unfathomably inexplicable that I am still at a loss for any kind of sound explanation as to why. But for whatever reason, I decided to audition for the upcoming production at my church – even though I hadn’t danced since I was twelve years old.

The story of Joseph has always resonated deep within me. God delivered Joseph from the dungeon so that Joseph could save the people of Egypt from a severe famine. And when Joseph was later reunited with his brothers, he said to them:

“And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good
in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”
– Genesis 50:20, NASB

There’s just something about this verse that lingers . . . in my thoughts, in my spirit. During the months that I rehearsed with the cast, I prayed that someday the words of this verse would be true of my life too.

God is still in the business of redemption, restoring wholeness to the lost and broken.

Joseph saw the bigger picture. He caught a glimpse of earthly sufferings from heaven’s perspective. God had a plan all along.

I sang this story.
I danced this story.
Week after week.
Month after month.

Rehearsing this story gave me hope.

The whole cast became friends.

And I didn’t know it at the time, but a few years later, one of those cast members would ask me to marry him.

The Joseph Show. It’s how we met.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the story of Joseph – the story of broken dreams and long-awaited redemption – is what brought us together. God had a plan all along.

I can now say the words of this verse, and mean it.

What brought you and your spouse together?

I'm Not Athletic

2011-05-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. Galatians 6:4

"I'm not athletic."

"Wait a minute," my new neighbor stopped me, "You're not athletic, you're not domestic, you're not...." She trailed off, and suddenly I felt very embarrassed. I'd only spoken with her 3 or 4 times since she moved into the neighborhood, and her comment made me realize I'd said something I "was not" every time I'd spoken to her.

The truth is, I'm not athletic. She was sharing about her hobby of running, and doing a high powered exercise program similar to what the Navy Seals do. I realized in that moment that subconsciously I must have been feeling inferior to her. And in my normal "chatty" way, I verbalized it, without even meaning too. "I'm not athletic."

Still, there are so many things I can do, and I am such an upbeat person, I was embarrassed that I'd been showcasing my cannots, instead of my cans. Who cares if I'm not athletic? Here is the truth. I don't love athletics, but I have been walking 4 miles on a regular basis, and am feeling pretty fit. No, I'm not a domestic diva, but I am a great deal finder when it comes to clothes shopping. I'm a good writer and a great mom. I am a faithful, respectful and loving wife. I am a loyal friend.

There are so many things I'm not. But there are so many great things that I am. SO I will do as the Galatians verse suggests. Instead of comparing myself to what other people are, I will focus on what I am.

Toes in the Sand

2011-05-16T05:30:00.004-04:00

"Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

It is almost here. SUMMER. I rejoice in the longer days, weeping willows, playgrounds, swimming pools and most of all, toes in the sand! There is something so majestic, so magnificent about the pull of the ocean and the tingle of the sand between our toes.

I took our two young daughters to the beach last week, just for a day. While they loved the rides and boardwalk, they asked repeatedly if they could put those sweet pink toes in the sand. We were able to honor that request. And though the entire day was filled with memorable moments, the most memorable was the sound of my children's laughter as they drew in the sand and stood, wind blowing their hair back breathing in God's creation. The older child drew very clearly a Jesus fish in the sand. The younger dabbled closer to the water's edge and wrote her name in big bold letters in the pale landscape. I watched as the water lapped against her masterpiece, fading it with each small wave. And I prayed that her heart would never allow the tide of the world wipe away the truths that God has hidden in her precious heart. But, I also prayed that like the sand washed clean with the tide, that we would never take for granted how our own sin is wiped away by the grace and mercy of Jesus.

When we approach God with our sin, confessing, repenting, trusting His response, we wipe the sand clean. Miraculous,yes! Deep wounds threaten to shake our resolve, sin breaks our hearts, but an ocean of forgiveness awaits us.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

So, I challenge you today to get toes in the sand, toe to toe with the sea, ready to draw those transgressions on the sand, ready for the well of truth to wash over those transgressions. Accept the smooth sand God wants to provide, accept His perfect love and forgiveness. What a blessing to be toes in the sand!

want a downpour of revival?

2011-05-11T05:00:00.000-04:00

I think that most Christians would love to see a revival in their churches. But we have to realize that revival begins with us. We can't expect a true revival to break out in our churches until we experience a true revival in our own hearts and lives. But the thing that is hindering us from experiencing such a downpour of revival is sin. Not other peoples sin or the worlds sin, but our own sin.

We tend to think that sin is just the 'big' sins like murder, stealing and adultery. But the truth is, we are all guilty of sin. Sin is any failure to conform to God's standard from His Word.

"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23)

Sin is our nature and we have to be constantly on guard against it. Sin will take us places that we don't want to go and keep us longer than we want to stay. In the book 'Downpour', James MacDonald gives us 5 'intents of sin'.

1. Sin will pursue you. Before Cain murdered his brother Abel, God told him that sin was crouching at the door. Cain didn't heed the warning and sin pursued him and won.

2. Sin will disappoint you. Hebrews 11:25 tells us that the pleasures of sin are only for a season.

3. Sin will trip you up. Hebrews 12:1 says that we are to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Satan knows our weakness and he will aim at that target every time. Indeed, sin will trip us up.

4. Sin will enslave you. Romans 6:16 tells us that we are slaves of the one whom we obey, either sin, which leads to death or of obedience, which leads to righteousness.

5. Sin will expose you. We must not be fooled. Numbers 32:23 says, ' Be sure your sin will find you out".

Even though most of us know that these things are true, I think we need a reminder of it sometimes. We need to remember how easy it is to let ourselves slip down that slope of sin and how eager the devil is to make it slippery!

There will always be sin in the world. But we have the choice whether or not to partake in it. Let's be vigilant in the fight against the darkness of the world and focus on the One who brings us into the light. Let's confess our sins, repent and turn away from them and then be ready for the downpour of revival that will come.

What Parents Do

2011-05-09T01:19:00.003-04:00

What Parents Do

Every once and a while a parent does something that makes them realize they made a right choice. Our daughter Kristin has had 3 surgeries in the last 4 weeks. She spent one 8 night, 9 day stretch in a hospital. I stayed a couple of nights and Cheryl stayed everyone. In her third trip to the OR and hospital, which began Thursday, May 5, Cheryl and I both spent the night.

I was in a chair by her bed, feeling quite weary. At 1 am she slipped her hand through the bed rail, grabbed my hand and said, "Thanks for staying, Dad." Right then I didn't need any more sleep that night.

I forgot my last post, and this one is going to be very short. I'm writing it in that same chair at 12:30 am. Cheryl's here being a mom; I'm here being a dad. Many of you readers have done and will do it. It's what parents do.

Warren

Refraining from “I Told You So”

2011-05-06T04:00:00.003-04:00

At two months of age, our infant daughter had already outgrown all of her newborn clothes. Being born at nearly ten pounds will do that.

So Jeff and I agreed on the amount we could spend on new baby clothes.

Armed with stroller and wallet, I entered the mall. I planned to visit a few fun stores before heading to Target. And by “fun” I mean “high-end.”

Oh my. The stuff available for baby girls makes grown women croon. This one store in particular specialized in coordinated ensembles – the socks, shoes, headbands, bibs, and receiving blankets all perfectly matched the designated outfit. By the time I bought every matching accessory, I had spent the entire amount allotted from our budget.

Guilt plagued me all the way home. I could have purchased ten separate outfits from Target for the price of this one charming set.

Knowing that I would never be able to convince my ever-so-frugal-accountant-of-a-husband of the necessity of such a purchase, I began to rationalize my actions and prepare my defense.

Honey, we’re having baby pictures taken next week, so I got this whole get up so Brynn would have something special to wear in the photos. Just imagine how cute the pictures will be with these matching hair bows and socks!

Plus, we’re going to that barbeque this weekend, and we’ll be seeing friends who haven’t met our little girl yet. Brynn can wear this outfit when our friends see her for the first time!

“Uh-huh,” was all he could say.

On the day of the big barbeque, I dressed Brynn in her fancy duds. Pure delight filled me. Then, while still in the car, our sweet cherub filled her diaper. She filled it so full, in fact, that it overflowed. Mustard-colored poop pushed its way up her back and squeezed down both of her legs. For some reason, it wouldn’t stop either. The stuff kept coming, and I couldn’t contain it.

As soon as we arrived at the barbeque, I rushed towards the bathroom with Brynn, hoping nothing dropped on the way. The clean-up job required an entire box of wipes.

A total and complete disaster.

Thirty minutes later, Jeff knocked on the bathroom door. “Are you guys okay in there?”

With faucet running, I managed to say, “Yeah, we’re fine. Go back to the party.”

Through the door, he whispered, “I know what you’re trying to do. And you don’t have to. Just put the clothes in a plastic bag and join the party.”

Devastated, I opened the door. Jeff found the once-beautiful outfit soaking in the sink. No detergent on earth could act as a magic cure.

Utterly ruined.

If ever there was a time to say, “I told you so,” it was at this moment.

Instead, he picked Brynn up, kissed my forehead and never brought it up again.

Needless to say, I never shopped at that store again either. It wasn’t worth it. Not with our budget. And if a circumstance happens to arise when I feel the urge to tell him, “I told you so,” I remember that day.

5 Things About Marriage

2011-05-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

Today is my 15th wedding anniversary. Though I was 28 when I got married (old by many standards), I feel like I was just a kid. I know I still have a lot to learn, but here are some of the things I have learned. I hope they may help you as they've helped me.

1. The number one cause of conflict is unmet expectations.
How can this knowledge help you? First, your spouse can't meet an expectation they aren't aware of. Rather than sulk about your unmet expectation, share you expectation with your spouse. AND, most importantly, be willing to change your expectation if your spouse can't meet it.

2. Pray for your spouse's relationship with God.
Yes, there are lots of things we'd like to change in our spouses. But it's selfish to pray for God to change something about them, so that we don't have to change, or grow. Instead, pray for their relationship with God. Because a solid relationship with God WILL produce change in the sinful areas of your spouse's life. And the other areas? That's where you have to pray you will change, and be more accepting.

3. Marriage is work, expect it.
If you work outside the home, you know that if you ignored things at work, you might lose your job. As a parent, you know that if you don't spend time with your kids, they won't be raised properly. Why do you think your marriage is different? Work at your marriage. You won't get anything out of it, if you don't put anything into it. Date nights, or quiet time together after the kids go to sleep - to talk together (not watch TV) are important.

4. Don't dishonor your spouse.
I remember when my husband and I were attending a party. One of the guys started a conversation about what celebrity woman he'd found attractive. As various men chimed in, my husband remained silent. And when pressed by the group to respond, he said something to the effective of , "I only have eyes for Kelly." The guys may have boo'ed him, but I was honored, and esteemed. Honor your spouse.

5. Love is not a feeling.
You will wake up some mornings and not "feel" in love. How you act during those times defines you, and your marriage. It defines your character. I love my husband always, even when I don't feel "in love." And because of that we have 15 years together, and with the help of God we will have many more. Amen.

What marriage tips do you have? Share them in the comments section today.

A Simple Smile

2011-05-02T05:30:00.005-04:00

"So, then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7

I was moving very quickly. My husband had arrived home late and I was hosting special guests just two short hours after his arrival. I flew down to the grocery store and know I would have earned a blue ribbon in speed shopping if management were taking into consideration the stealth with which I maneuvered my cart aisle to aisle. Praying the
entire way, I slid expertly into checkout line 7 in record time.

Unloading my cart, I placed on the belt a beautiful strawberry shortcake and a chocolate cream cheese confection that I really just wanted to dive into, scraping off mounds of icing and promptly forgiving myself for being so impulsive. But alas, I left the cakes covered up neatly and stared ahead of me. Tapping my fingers, I was not in the mood for idle chit chat. I had things to do. The line was moving slowly and I found myself looking around, something I might not have done if my pace had been kept, instead of the Lord's.

Though she tried several times, it was several moments before I truly noted the elderly woman behind me, trying to drum up a conversation. She began, "When are you serving the cake?" We giggled together and I explained that I was hosting some incredibly important children...daughters with the same history and similar story as our younger daughter, adopted from China.

I mentioned with great joy how God had blessed our family. Always a risk, entering such a power packed conversation, knowing there was little time, I felt God's gentle spirit leading me to share just a tad bit more with this kindly woman. She came closer to pat my hand several times as I answered her intimate questions there in checkout line 7. She shared a bit herself, praising God for sustaining her life four years ago, even after doctors assured her and her family that she was not long for this world. She praised Him openly, as did I. The bagger watched us intently, trying to understand our relationship and shot questioning glances at the cashier.

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1Peter 3:15

The conversation was warm and enchanting in that short span of time, but it was what came next that completely and totally convinced me this was a post for others to read. Somehow leaving one another felt awkward and wrong. We reached to hug one another and embraced for a few moments, it was probably shorter than it felt. But we were aware of the stares from the checker and bagger who finally inquired out loud if "knew" one another...to which we both answered almost in unison, "we are sisters." She, more mature and having navigated the joys of motherhood and grandmotherhood...I, at the beginning stages, relishing in the joys of each moment. Yet, a common denominator in our thanksgiving for the blessings extended by a great and awesome God.

We were fortunate that no other customers piled into Line 7 for it afforded us extra time to enjoy one another and to make an impact on two young grocery store employees. My packages, bagged and I, not quite in as much a hurry as I'd been, I began out of the store, when she touched my sleeve, just once more, and explained how she volunteers to feed and pray for other elderly folks not as capable as she. She said her dad had given her a gift very young in life. He used to say that a smile makes a difference. She said MY smile made a difference, that she wanted to talk to me because I smiled at her. I am not sure I even remembered I had done so, but she went on to say that each and every patient she encounters,she passes along something her dad gave her...she reached into her purse and handed me a small piece of paper, her last one. But she was willing to pass it along and she asked me to also pass it along. I assured her I would.

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart..." Proverbs 15:30

The bagger followed me and asked, "So, are you going to pass it along?" More times than he can imagine. The small paper said this,

A SMILE

A smile costs nothing , but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor, but that he can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine for the sad and it is natures best antidote for trouble. Yet, it cannot be bought, begged or borrowed; for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired or too in a rush to give a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has none to give.
~Author unknown

We know not who we encounter. So often, God asks us to share His Glory, Praise His name and offer Him to those around us. I cannot think of a more beautiful way to share Him than in our smiles. Next time you find yourself in aisle 7, look around...does soemone need your smile?

Think on This

2011-04-29T05:00:00.043-04:00

My son wasn't his normal happy self as I brought him home from school the other day. By the time we reached our driveway, a mere 15 minutes, he was about to explode with anger at his siblings - another out of character thing for him.

Instead of continuing with my planned activities, I chose to go for a short walk with my boy and let him vent about his day. Immediately, the anger turned to hurt as he recounted some injustices at school.

I did the normal half listening and half praying thing as he unravelled.

We ended up on our swing set. His venting ended and I had nothing to say. The truth was, he had a rough day. So now what? I thought.

God put this verse in my mind:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8 (KJV)

I shared it with him and suggested we take turns verbalizing something we were thankful for. Not naming things from the past or future, but the here and now. I said I was thankful for the blue sky. He reluctantly followed my lead.

Immediately his mood lifted. I hadn't "solved" his problems, but we no longer focused on them, and they no longer held the same power over his mood.

What an amazing lesson for me. I will keep this illustration in mind as I encounter difficult days in my future. God's word is Living and it works.

PS. I'm thankful that you took the time to read my post today!

to be Holy as He is holy

2011-04-27T05:00:00.001-04:00

If we are called by His Name, we must reflect the very nature of God. We must strive to be Holy as He is Holy.

As soon as we accept Him as our Savior, He begins a process of purification in our lives. God begins to reveal our sinful nature to us and convict us of the way we fall short of His glory. As we start to see the depths of our depravity clearer and more readily, He begins to replace that sinful part of our lives with one of righteousness. And cleanliness. And holiness.

The closer we are drawn to the side of Jesus, the closer we become to looking more like Him. We begin to circumcise our hearts of all unrighteousness and fill them with those things that please the heart of our God. We begin to walk worthy of our calling.

"For God hath not called us unto
uncleanness, but unto holiness"
(1 Thessalonians 4:7)

Sweet Jesus, as we strive each day to walk in your righteousness, strengthen us to resist those things that take our eyes off of you. Give us hearts like yours and fill us with the desire to be Holy as you are Holy.

Passing the Baton

2011-04-22T04:00:00.001-04:00

During my brief middle school career in track and field, I discovered that I didn’t enjoy running the relay race. Something about being dependent upon teammates bothered me. I didn’t want to lose just because someone else on my team was either too slow, or worse, dropped the baton.

I preferred sprints. All by myself. Win or lose, there was no one to blame but myself. Of course, the last time I participated in a track and field event, I was about twelve years old. And, clearly, I had a lot of learning to do when it came to the value of teamwork.

Few things, if any, can be accomplished on our own. Interdependence is a necessity in life, especially so when it comes to marriage. Jeff and I continue to learn the art of teamwork.

This weekend I left for a writers’ conference, and I passed the baton to Jeff. He graciously took some time off of work so he could taxi the kids around and be Mr. Mom for a few days. What a blessing. I couldn’t have experienced all that was in store for me without my husband tending to everything at home. Teamwork.

There will always be moments, sometimes even seasons, when we need to pass the baton. But that is the beautiful thing about marriage. We have each other. We’re a team.