There are some days when my "to do" list gets so long that I don't even know where to start. This usually happens because I skip a day or two of doing the regularly scheduled tasks. Last week, I pretended that I didn't need to do housework. This week, I looked at my house, looked at my list, and felt frazzled.
I spent my morning running errands (read: avoiding housework), but when I arrived home the disaster was still here to greet me. I still wasn't sure where to start. Laundry was logical, because there's always laundry to be done. But making the decision between bathrooms and vacuuming froze me in my tracks. I did neither.
I decided instead to start with something small. The shoes at the back door had been getting on my nerves, as they were randomly tossed into a huge 60-shoe pile. They were not paired up, they were not in rows, and there was no sense of order. I spent less than 5 minutes putting the shoes in order and instantly felt less frazzled.
I still wasn't ready to tackle an hour-or-longer job, so I headed to the kitchen. I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. I tidied the counters. I took out the garbage and recycling. This took me about 15 minutes. I looked around and smiled. The sense of urgency and the weight of an overwhelming "to do" list had disappeared.
I even managed to get a couple more tasks done, with no small thanks to my blessing of a childcare provider who also doubles as a laundry putter-awayer.
Yesterday I remembered a few important things about myself. If I feel stressed inside, I need to take a look around me for the source of the chaos. If I don't know where to start, I should do something small but satisfying. Hard work is always easier with a little help. And I don't need to accomplish everything in order to feel that I've accomplished something.
These same truths can be carried into our spiritual lives.
Feeling stressed or anxious? Look around to find the source of the chaos. Is there a Bible sitting on a table covered in dust? Is the TV constantly tuned in? How long has it been since a prayer was uttered?
Don't even know where to start? Start small - say a prayer, open that dusty Bible, read a verse or two, think about what the words mean for you today.
Wondering if it will be too hard to get back on track? Find help! Join a Bible study group so you don't have to go it alone.
Then enemy loves to make us feel too busy. He knows that if we become overwhelmed we will lose sight of the small things. Many of us have a tendency toward "all or nothing" thinking - if I can't get it all done, if I can't do it all right, I may as well not bother. Just remember, you don't have to accomplish everything in order to feel that you've accomplished something. Choose just one small thing, and maybe another. That little accomplishment will be enough to push back the enemy and draw you toward God's peace.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Just Me
Before reading this post... If you haven't seen them yet, two posts went up yesterday to commemorate our two April birthday girls - Megan and Shea.
Now, I would just like to clear the air a bit. My friend, Bobbie, was certain that Shea's birthday post was going to double as a pregnancy announcement. Let it be said, on the record, that I do not ever expect to be making such an announcement again.
I am fully aware that God can do whatever He chooses, and He may choose to heal the 2nd surgical procedure just as He did the first. But the more time that passes the less likely it seems. And I am beginning to be okay with that. Once we're done with diapers, I am fairly certain I won't want to return to that stage in our lives.
Real life right now is busy, bordering on hectic. Pat's hours of work have been beyond ridiculous - not that I'm complaining, because it's only for a short season in our lives and only once every 4 years or so. Regardless, that is leaving me as the sole caregiver, housekeeper, chauffeur, affection provider, and disciplinarian. There are moments where I might just be feeling a little overwhelmed. (Yes, you can feel free to pray for us!)
Therefore, five is enough. Especially when one has special needs, one has oppositional defiant disorder (Mom-diagnosed only, not professionally), and one has mischief running through every vein. If you're counting, that only leaves two children NOT making Mommy insane!
I realize that this post was mostly me venting. Not at all inspirational, not well-written, not fun or funny. Thanks for being here andlistening reading. Sometimes it's really good to just spill it all out to a girlfriend. ;)
Now, I would just like to clear the air a bit. My friend, Bobbie, was certain that Shea's birthday post was going to double as a pregnancy announcement. Let it be said, on the record, that I do not ever expect to be making such an announcement again.
I am fully aware that God can do whatever He chooses, and He may choose to heal the 2nd surgical procedure just as He did the first. But the more time that passes the less likely it seems. And I am beginning to be okay with that. Once we're done with diapers, I am fairly certain I won't want to return to that stage in our lives.
Real life right now is busy, bordering on hectic. Pat's hours of work have been beyond ridiculous - not that I'm complaining, because it's only for a short season in our lives and only once every 4 years or so. Regardless, that is leaving me as the sole caregiver, housekeeper, chauffeur, affection provider, and disciplinarian. There are moments where I might just be feeling a little overwhelmed. (Yes, you can feel free to pray for us!)
Therefore, five is enough. Especially when one has special needs, one has oppositional defiant disorder (Mom-diagnosed only, not professionally), and one has mischief running through every vein. If you're counting, that only leaves two children NOT making Mommy insane!
I realize that this post was mostly me venting. Not at all inspirational, not well-written, not fun or funny. Thanks for being here and
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Unexpected Blessings are the Best Kind
This is a story about a big surprise. Now, some people don't like to be caught unaware - but that's not me! I LOVE to be astonished! Surprises are unexpected blessings, things of joy, miracles, full of excitement, extra special, and they make my heart happy. (Yes, feel free to throw me a surprise party. Just make sure lots of people show up.)
Not quite seven years ago (October of 2003, to be exact), we thought our family was complete. It wasn't a difficult decision for Pat to get the surgery because I was struggling with post-partum depression and we both believed that we were maxed out. But then my medication kicked in, family pitched in, and life felt closer to normal. And that decision that had seemed so easy became a burning regret deep in my heart. I was too ashamed to tell Pat of my regret (I mean, he had a sharp knife cut things down there!), but I did take it to God in prayer. Fervent prayer!
To my great joy (and Pat's), I came to him in August of 2004 with the news that our family was not complete after all! On April 13, 2005 we greeted the baby I had spent 10 months praying for - our beautiful fourth child and third daughter.
I consider Shea to be our miracle baby, a gift from God, an answer to prayer. The Hebrew version of her name, Shai, means gift. I chose her name before knowing the meaning, then searched and searched for a middle name that meant gift or blessing - until I stumbled across the meaning of her first name. God knew her name before I did!
I cannot imagine our family without Shea's big, blue eyes and infectious giggle. I praise the Lord that His plans prevail over ours (Proverbs 19:21). Whenever I fear that I may have messed things up, I need only to look at my precious Shea to be reminded that God can redeem any mistake.
As Shea grows up, I am so thankful that she isn't "growing into" her eyes. They continue to be breath-taking blue and so wide. When I look into the depths of those gigantic blue pools, I always think of the Precious Moments figurines, and I know that Shea is our precious one! Five years ago, God answered our prayers with the gift of a real, live precious moment that would last a lifetime...
* While this birthday post may have arrived a couple weeks late, rest assured that I did not - not for one moment - forget about the day and the moment of Shea's birth.
Not quite seven years ago (October of 2003, to be exact), we thought our family was complete. It wasn't a difficult decision for Pat to get the surgery because I was struggling with post-partum depression and we both believed that we were maxed out. But then my medication kicked in, family pitched in, and life felt closer to normal. And that decision that had seemed so easy became a burning regret deep in my heart. I was too ashamed to tell Pat of my regret (I mean, he had a sharp knife cut things down there!), but I did take it to God in prayer. Fervent prayer!
To my great joy (and Pat's), I came to him in August of 2004 with the news that our family was not complete after all! On April 13, 2005 we greeted the baby I had spent 10 months praying for - our beautiful fourth child and third daughter.
I consider Shea to be our miracle baby, a gift from God, an answer to prayer. The Hebrew version of her name, Shai, means gift. I chose her name before knowing the meaning, then searched and searched for a middle name that meant gift or blessing - until I stumbled across the meaning of her first name. God knew her name before I did!
I cannot imagine our family without Shea's big, blue eyes and infectious giggle. I praise the Lord that His plans prevail over ours (Proverbs 19:21). Whenever I fear that I may have messed things up, I need only to look at my precious Shea to be reminded that God can redeem any mistake.
As Shea grows up, I am so thankful that she isn't "growing into" her eyes. They continue to be breath-taking blue and so wide. When I look into the depths of those gigantic blue pools, I always think of the Precious Moments figurines, and I know that Shea is our precious one! Five years ago, God answered our prayers with the gift of a real, live precious moment that would last a lifetime...
* While this birthday post may have arrived a couple weeks late, rest assured that I did not - not for one moment - forget about the day and the moment of Shea's birth.
Another Landmark
Megan, today you are seven. Some days, I am amazed that either you or I have made it this far! You are so like me, with your fiery personality and your tendency to react before fully processing things. Girl, you and I are experts at pushing one another's buttons!
In honour of your 7th birthday (and your great love of Miley's "7 Things" song), I want to tell you 7 things I love about you:
1. You are so expressive! There is never any question as to what you are feeling. You get your face, your voice, and your whole body into it. Once you get over your stage fright, you are going to be one fantastic actress!
2. When given a special job to do, you are not satisfied with anything less than your best! You are so cheerful when helping, and often you are my most willing helper.
3. I love listening to you talk with the adorable little lisp that comes from missing your two front teeth.
4. When you smile, your eyes smile. They turn into glittering half-moons that clearly show everyone you are happy.
5. You are fiercely loyal. No one better mess with your baby brother, your sisters, or even your older brother - or they will experience your fury! I just love how strongly you stick with your family.
6. You hold a special name for a special friend, and I often see glimpses of her in you, Megan Christine.
7. One example of #6: I love the way you make your bed - blankets perfectly lined up and smooth, each teddy bear stacked and aligned according to size, pillow in just the right spot... It surely wasn't me who inspired that in you!
You are my sunshine girl. I thank God for placing you smack dab in the middle of our family, because that spot could never be filled by anyone else. Happy birthday, Sunshine!
* I discovered a big mistake today while scrolling through recent birthday posts - somehow I missed a post commemorating Shea's birthday from earlier this month! You will find it posted in just a couple hours.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tiny Talk Tuesday - 04/27/10
One of my lovely children to me:
Mom, you have a HUGE zit on your cheek!
Gee, I didn't notice. Thanks for pointing that out!
Mom, you have a HUGE zit on your cheek!
Gee, I didn't notice. Thanks for pointing that out!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Parenting is Tough
Have you ever heard the saying, "You can deal with it now, or you can deal with it when she's 16?"
We had one of those "its" to deal with this weekend.
Megan (almost 7) is a leader. You know how I know this? Because she will not allow anyone to boss her! Nope, not a soul. Not even her parents. When she's older, and if she's received proper training and encouragement, she will be an amazing leader. Her charismatic personality draws friends like flies. Once she develops the skills to tamp down her short fuse and her tendency to be oppositional, there is no telling what the girl will do for the Kingdom!
As parents, we (meaning Pat and I - hopefully you are better at this than us!) tend to operate in a cyclical manner. For a while we are strict and firm, offering clear guidelines and distinct consequences. As we see troublesome behaviours easing up, our strictness eases up in kind. We float along effortlessly for a time. Then the behaviour of concern creeps up again. We then take a deep breath and tighten up our parenting belts once again.
You think we'd learn to just always be consistent! But consistency is hard work and requires superhuman effort (on rough days), so the allure of taking a break is difficult to resist. I think it's fair to say that we have been on a little consistency break these days. Sigh.
Back to the "it..." While I don't think it's fair for me to give out specifics of Megan's struggles, I will tell you this much - they were plentiful, and they involved more people than just the parents. There have been issues - while small in and of themselves - that, once stacked up, amount to a very big pile of disrespect. Very Big.
To us, disrespect is a heart issue. One that must be dealt with swiftly and with unflinching firmness. And while it broke our hearts to make this decision, we informed our almost-birthday-girl that the big sleepover/movie-going party she had planned to celebrate her upcoming special day would not take place.*
Seeing Megan's tears nearly undid me. After all, who wants to break their own child's heart? But through all our discussion and prayer on how to deal with a situation that appeared to be getting out of control, Pat and I had two verses resonating in our minds...
Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his child, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.
I do acknowledge our own responsibility in this big "it." If we consistently adhered to the first passage, it is unlikely that we'd have run into a pile up of disrespect. If we consistently trained our children, without taking little breaks, I am certain that heart issues would be dealt with before they ballooned this way. I pray that God gives us the strength, wisdom, and patience required to truly train our children.
But, I also recognize that, regardless of where the trail of responsibility tracks back to, failing to discipline at this point is as much as telling our child that we hate her. Harsh words, I know. Our love for her is so great, though, that we cannot risk allowing this character issue to take root. Which is exactly what would happen if we were to allow our compassion to overrule our discipline.
Man alive, this parenting thing is tough with a capital "T!"
* Before I get all sorts of flak for being a "mean mom" (ahem, Grandma) I would like to clarify that the birthday party will still take place, but has been revamped to no longer include going to a movie or friends sleeping over. The revised party will be the basic hot dogs, cake, presents, home kinda party. We felt that this compromise of sorts would send a clear message about our expectations, while still showing love and compassion.
Of course, I welcome your thoughts on the matter and/or stories of how you've dealt with parenting issues. Just don't beat me up and call me mean! :)
We had one of those "its" to deal with this weekend.
Megan (almost 7) is a leader. You know how I know this? Because she will not allow anyone to boss her! Nope, not a soul. Not even her parents. When she's older, and if she's received proper training and encouragement, she will be an amazing leader. Her charismatic personality draws friends like flies. Once she develops the skills to tamp down her short fuse and her tendency to be oppositional, there is no telling what the girl will do for the Kingdom!
As parents, we (meaning Pat and I - hopefully you are better at this than us!) tend to operate in a cyclical manner. For a while we are strict and firm, offering clear guidelines and distinct consequences. As we see troublesome behaviours easing up, our strictness eases up in kind. We float along effortlessly for a time. Then the behaviour of concern creeps up again. We then take a deep breath and tighten up our parenting belts once again.
You think we'd learn to just always be consistent! But consistency is hard work and requires superhuman effort (on rough days), so the allure of taking a break is difficult to resist. I think it's fair to say that we have been on a little consistency break these days. Sigh.
Back to the "it..." While I don't think it's fair for me to give out specifics of Megan's struggles, I will tell you this much - they were plentiful, and they involved more people than just the parents. There have been issues - while small in and of themselves - that, once stacked up, amount to a very big pile of disrespect. Very Big.
To us, disrespect is a heart issue. One that must be dealt with swiftly and with unflinching firmness. And while it broke our hearts to make this decision, we informed our almost-birthday-girl that the big sleepover/movie-going party she had planned to celebrate her upcoming special day would not take place.*
Seeing Megan's tears nearly undid me. After all, who wants to break their own child's heart? But through all our discussion and prayer on how to deal with a situation that appeared to be getting out of control, Pat and I had two verses resonating in our minds...
Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his child, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.
I do acknowledge our own responsibility in this big "it." If we consistently adhered to the first passage, it is unlikely that we'd have run into a pile up of disrespect. If we consistently trained our children, without taking little breaks, I am certain that heart issues would be dealt with before they ballooned this way. I pray that God gives us the strength, wisdom, and patience required to truly train our children.
But, I also recognize that, regardless of where the trail of responsibility tracks back to, failing to discipline at this point is as much as telling our child that we hate her. Harsh words, I know. Our love for her is so great, though, that we cannot risk allowing this character issue to take root. Which is exactly what would happen if we were to allow our compassion to overrule our discipline.
Man alive, this parenting thing is tough with a capital "T!"
* Before I get all sorts of flak for being a "mean mom" (ahem, Grandma) I would like to clarify that the birthday party will still take place, but has been revamped to no longer include going to a movie or friends sleeping over. The revised party will be the basic hot dogs, cake, presents, home kinda party. We felt that this compromise of sorts would send a clear message about our expectations, while still showing love and compassion.
Of course, I welcome your thoughts on the matter and/or stories of how you've dealt with parenting issues. Just don't beat me up and call me mean! :)
Friday, April 23, 2010
Things that Make Me Happy
1. Clean floors.
2. An empty email inbox.
3. Sorted papers.
4. Sunshine.
5. The sound of children playing (and not fighting).
6. Taco night. *
7. Family movie night. *
8. Laundry clean, folded, and put away. *
9. Tired puppies.
10. Clean bathrooms.
Today was a productive day. :)
* Will happen shortly.
2. An empty email inbox.
3. Sorted papers.
4. Sunshine.
5. The sound of children playing (and not fighting).
6. Taco night. *
7. Family movie night. *
8. Laundry clean, folded, and put away. *
9. Tired puppies.
10. Clean bathrooms.
Today was a productive day. :)
* Will happen shortly.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Incoherent
I have a million post ideas in my head. I have been sitting here for 40 minutes, starting and deleting posts on several topics. Fact is, my brain is so very full right now that I can't find a way to pull out something coherent.
So I have decided it's best to direct you toward some other writer's thoughts - people who are able to be coherent. Okay? I promise to try harder tomorrow. ;)
Katie is a young woman who was called by God to do something unimaginable. Her story inspires me, breaks my heart, frightens me, and convicts me. I recommend scrolling down to the post dated Tuesday, February 23. If you let it, that post will change your life!
Having trouble knowing what God's will for your life is? Can't "hear" His voice? Walking through some big storms that you don't understand? Sandy is teaching a series that you don't want to miss!
So I have decided it's best to direct you toward some other writer's thoughts - people who are able to be coherent. Okay? I promise to try harder tomorrow. ;)
Katie is a young woman who was called by God to do something unimaginable. Her story inspires me, breaks my heart, frightens me, and convicts me. I recommend scrolling down to the post dated Tuesday, February 23. If you let it, that post will change your life!
Having trouble knowing what God's will for your life is? Can't "hear" His voice? Walking through some big storms that you don't understand? Sandy is teaching a series that you don't want to miss!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Our Greatest Weakness is NOT Knowing Our Own Strengths
For my BLAST course, I have been reading Now, Discover Your Strengths (Buckingham & Clifton). The premise of the book is based around two core assumptions:
1. Each person's talents are enduring and unique.
2. Each person's greatest room for growth is in the areas of the person's greatest strength.
Is it going too far for me to say that I think EVERYONE should read this book?!
So often we focus on all the things we need to "fix" in ourselves that we lose sight of the fact that God has placed unique talents, abilities, and passions in each one of us. There is nothing more affirming or empowering than to spend a few minutes reading true words about what you're good at.
An added bonus (especially for a girl who loves doing surveys, inventories, and assessments) is that the book comes with a code for an online Strengths Finder evaluation, which helps to identify your top 5 strengths.
Since you already know way too much about me, you are probably dying to hear what they are. Right? ;) Here they are, all changed to first person since I'm talking about myself. Okee-dokey?
1. Relator - I am pulled toward people I already know. I don't necessarily shy away from meeting new people, but I do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around my close friends. I am comfortable with intimacy. For me, a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust myself to that person and share openly (even if it means I risk being taken advantage of).
2. Strategic - This perspective allows me to see patterns where others may simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, I play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened?" This helps me to see around the next corner, discarding paths that lead nowhere, that lead to resistance, and that lead to confusion until I arrive at the chosen path - my strategy. Armed with my strategy, I strike forward.
3. Arranger - I am a conductor.When faced with a complex situation involving many factors, I enjoy managing all of the variables, aligning and realigning them until I am sure I have arranged them in the most productive configuration possible. I spend time mulling over just the right combination of people and resources to accomplish a new project.
4. Empathy - I can sense the emotions of those around me and feel what they are feeling. Intuitively, I am able to see the world through their eyes. I do not necessarily agree with each person's perspective, nor do I necessarily feel pity for their predicament. I do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but I do understand. People tend to be drawn to confide in me.
5. Communication - I like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. I want my information to survive, to divert other's attention toward my idea and then capture it and lock it in. This is what drives my hunt for the perfect phrase.
Now, didn't that make you want to run out and discover your own strengths?!
Wanna meet my friend, Deb, whose strengths are so different from mine that it's shocking?
P.S. This review was completely unpaid and unsolicited, done of my own free will on a book I paid for. Just so ya know. :)
1. Each person's talents are enduring and unique.
2. Each person's greatest room for growth is in the areas of the person's greatest strength.
Is it going too far for me to say that I think EVERYONE should read this book?!
So often we focus on all the things we need to "fix" in ourselves that we lose sight of the fact that God has placed unique talents, abilities, and passions in each one of us. There is nothing more affirming or empowering than to spend a few minutes reading true words about what you're good at.
An added bonus (especially for a girl who loves doing surveys, inventories, and assessments) is that the book comes with a code for an online Strengths Finder evaluation, which helps to identify your top 5 strengths.
Since you already know way too much about me, you are probably dying to hear what they are. Right? ;) Here they are, all changed to first person since I'm talking about myself. Okee-dokey?
1. Relator - I am pulled toward people I already know. I don't necessarily shy away from meeting new people, but I do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around my close friends. I am comfortable with intimacy. For me, a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust myself to that person and share openly (even if it means I risk being taken advantage of).
2. Strategic - This perspective allows me to see patterns where others may simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, I play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened?" This helps me to see around the next corner, discarding paths that lead nowhere, that lead to resistance, and that lead to confusion until I arrive at the chosen path - my strategy. Armed with my strategy, I strike forward.
3. Arranger - I am a conductor.When faced with a complex situation involving many factors, I enjoy managing all of the variables, aligning and realigning them until I am sure I have arranged them in the most productive configuration possible. I spend time mulling over just the right combination of people and resources to accomplish a new project.
4. Empathy - I can sense the emotions of those around me and feel what they are feeling. Intuitively, I am able to see the world through their eyes. I do not necessarily agree with each person's perspective, nor do I necessarily feel pity for their predicament. I do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but I do understand. People tend to be drawn to confide in me.
5. Communication - I like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. I want my information to survive, to divert other's attention toward my idea and then capture it and lock it in. This is what drives my hunt for the perfect phrase.
Now, didn't that make you want to run out and discover your own strengths?!
Wanna meet my friend, Deb, whose strengths are so different from mine that it's shocking?
P.S. This review was completely unpaid and unsolicited, done of my own free will on a book I paid for. Just so ya know. :)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
My Will or His?
What is God's will?
What if God's will isn't convenient?
What if I cannot seem to discern His will?
What if I just can't do what he's asking of me?
~ all quotes from: Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, study guide (pp. 123, Blackaby & King) ~
In decision-making time your greatest difficulty may not be choosing between good and bad but choosing between good and best. You may have several options that appear to be equally attractive. At a time like this, begin by saying with all your heart, "Lord, whatever I know to be Your will, I will do it. Regardless of the cost and regardless of the adjustment, I commit myself ahead of time to follow Your will. Lord, no matter what that will looks like, I will do it!"
What if God's will isn't convenient?
If you cannot say that [above] when you begin to seek God's will, you do not mean "Thy will be done" (Matt. 6:10 KJV). Instead, you mean "Thy will be done as long as it does not conflict with my will." Two words in a Christian's language cannot go together: "No, Lord." If you say no to God, He is not your Lord. If He really is your Lord, your answer must always be yes, Lord. in decision making, always begin at this point. Do not proceed until you can honestly say, "Whatever You want of me, Lord, I will do it..."
What if I cannot seem to discern His will?
...When God gets ready for you to take a new step or direction in His activity, it will always be in sequence with what He has already been doing in your life...
What if I just can't do what he's asking of me?
...Truth stands...to say, "Believe Me. I will never give you an order without releasing My power to enable it to happen. Trust Me and obey me, and it will happen."
~ all quotes from: Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, study guide (pp. 123, Blackaby & King) ~
Monday, April 19, 2010
Get Serious
In church yesterday I was amazed to learn that Muslim children memorize the entire Koran at the age of 6! I imagine that their parents spend countless hours reciting passages to the children, diligently training them in the tenets of their faith.
It got me reflecting on how diligent (or not) I am at instilling faith in Jesus Christ in my kids. We say a prayer of thanks before meals (most of the time). We say prayers at bedtime (usually). I help them practice their school memory verses (sometimes).
But do they really know the Word of God? Do they think of what the Word tells them to do when they encounter difficulty? Is it imprinted, permanently etched in their hearts and minds?
Heck, do I set aside time 5 times per day to focus solely on prayer or worship? I'm lucky if I get in one good session in the early morning hours (generally).
I wonder how many of us give our religious practices the same consideration as Muslims give theirs...
No wonder the rest of the world doesn't take Christians and Christianity seriously - tossing prayer out of schools, using the Lord's Name in vain as common language, perverting Scripture to suit immoral agendas.
Isn't it time we get serious?
It got me reflecting on how diligent (or not) I am at instilling faith in Jesus Christ in my kids. We say a prayer of thanks before meals (most of the time). We say prayers at bedtime (usually). I help them practice their school memory verses (sometimes).
But do they really know the Word of God? Do they think of what the Word tells them to do when they encounter difficulty? Is it imprinted, permanently etched in their hearts and minds?
Heck, do I set aside time 5 times per day to focus solely on prayer or worship? I'm lucky if I get in one good session in the early morning hours (generally).
I wonder how many of us give our religious practices the same consideration as Muslims give theirs...
No wonder the rest of the world doesn't take Christians and Christianity seriously - tossing prayer out of schools, using the Lord's Name in vain as common language, perverting Scripture to suit immoral agendas.
Isn't it time we get serious?
Friday, April 16, 2010
Two Dogs are Badder than One
Bad idea to set puppy's pillow out on the deck to dry. Insane puppy pillow fight is inevitable. Much raking of the yard to follow. Ugh.Thursday, April 15, 2010
Oh, To Be on a Tropical Island...
I realize that my blogging this week has been erratic. The only excuse I have to offer is giddy excitement on behalf of my parents. In about two hours from now, they will be high in the skies above Canada, making their way West to the ultimate destination...
I have barely been able to sleep! Can you imagine what a mess I'll beif when I get to go there?!
I have barely been able to sleep! Can you imagine what a mess I'll be
Have fun, parents! We can't wait to see you, your suntans, your photos, and our gifts! ;)
P.S. Don't worry about your puppy. We'll take good care of her while you're away. Hehehe.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Would You Brush an Old Man's Hair?
I heard this story on video recently, via Beth Moore's Loving Well retreat in a box. I woke up thinking of it this morning, and thinking of my dream, asking myself how many hair brush experiences I've missed out on and how many of my neighbours I have not helped. I'm still asking God about that dream, "Who is my neighbour, Lord? What are you trying to tell me????" Now, with this story on my mind, I can't help but wonder if I would step out and brush an old man's hair. Or would I refuse, ignore the voice of God, and sit in my fear?
What would you do?
For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding Bible teacher, writer of Bible studies, and is a married mother of two daughters.
This is one of her experiences:
"April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville , waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.
The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting.
Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport...
An impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served up on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him.
Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man...
I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.
I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. 'Oh, no, God, please, no.' I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, 'don’t make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!'
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, 'Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane.' Then I heard it...'I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair.'
The words were so clear, my heart leap into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainier. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, 'God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man.'
Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. 'That is not what I said, Beth.
I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair.'
I looked up at God and quipped, 'I don't have a hairbrush.. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?' God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: 'I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works...' (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, 'Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'
He looked back at me and said, 'What did you say?'
'May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'
To which he responded in volume ten, 'Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.'
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, 'SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?' At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Long Locks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, 'If you really want to.'
Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, 'Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush.'
'I have one in my bag,' he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted.
I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair.
Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.
The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's.
His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.
I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him.
I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knee and said, 'Sir, do you know my Jesus?'
He said, 'Yes, I do'
Well, that figures, I thought.
He explained, 'I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior.' He said, 'You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride.'
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it.
Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She said, 'That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing.
Why did you do that? What made you do that?'
I said, 'Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!' And we got to share.
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way ... all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
John 1:14 'The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth'
Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, 'Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!' "
-Beth Moore
What would you do?
For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding Bible teacher, writer of Bible studies, and is a married mother of two daughters.
This is one of her experiences:
"April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville , waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.
The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting.
Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport...
An impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served up on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him.
Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man...
I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.
I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. 'Oh, no, God, please, no.' I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, 'don’t make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!'
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, 'Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane.' Then I heard it...'I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair.'
The words were so clear, my heart leap into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainier. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, 'God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man.'
Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. 'That is not what I said, Beth.
I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair.'
I looked up at God and quipped, 'I don't have a hairbrush.. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?' God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: 'I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works...' (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, 'Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'
He looked back at me and said, 'What did you say?'
'May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'
To which he responded in volume ten, 'Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.'
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, 'SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?' At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Long Locks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, 'If you really want to.'
Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, 'Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush.'
'I have one in my bag,' he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted.
I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair.
Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.
The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's.
His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.
I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him.
I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knee and said, 'Sir, do you know my Jesus?'
He said, 'Yes, I do'
Well, that figures, I thought.
He explained, 'I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior.' He said, 'You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride.'
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it.
Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She said, 'That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing.
Why did you do that? What made you do that?'
I said, 'Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!' And we got to share.
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way ... all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
John 1:14 'The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth'
Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, 'Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!' "
-Beth Moore
Monday, April 12, 2010
Can't Afford to Tithe? Try This...
Remember this post about tithing? An anonymous friend left the following comment:
#1 - Do you have a budget? I'm talking about an actual, practical, written plan for where your money goes. Because having a budget is a MUST.
Start by making a list on paper of all of your income and every expense. Make the list as exhaustive as possible - include things like home improvements and car repairs (even if you allocate $0 to them in your budget, you need to know that they are a possibility) and don't forget stuff like hair cuts and cleaning supplies.
If you are comfortable working in Excel, it's fairly simple to do up a spreadsheet that will help you track your income and expenses. If not, you can find many budgeting programs as free downloads online or you can even keep track on paper.
The important thing is to add a line for "tithing" to your expenses. For now, you can leave that line blank while you tweak the budget.
The goal of having the budget on paper is to help you see if there is a shortfall or a surplus. For the first month of your budget, get a receipt for every single thing you spend money on so that you will have a complete and accurate tally. At the end of the month, you will be able to see a few areas where your spending was higher than you expected; looking through the receipts with a highlighter will help you find purchases that were not necessities. (When my friend, Christine, taught me about budgeting - tip #1 is totally hers, by the way - she showed me that some areas that caught me were impulse purchases at the grocery store, using the convenience store for snacks instead of the grocery store, and late fees on movie rentals.)
If you don't have a budget and would like some help getting it set up, go ahead and contact me via email and I'd be more than happy to help. :)
#2 - Plan to tithe. Don't just think about it. Make a plan, commit to it, and stick to it.
In this context, I use the word "tithe" loosely. If you are currently not giving to your church or other areas where God is working (or are giving intermittently and randomly), the thought of jumping straight to 10% might make you nauseous. Find a number that doesn't make you feel like you're going to hurl, but is significant enough to make you tense. Perhaps $50 per pay cheque is that number for you. Maybe it's $100. Whatever the number, I encourage you to push it just a little bit higher than "comfortable." The fact is, being comfortable does not grow our faith. And tithing is not just about giving to God what is His (Matthew 22:21), it is also about walking in obedience and developing faith that doesn't waver when things look a little scary.
A couple things to help you stick to your plan. First, consider your tithe a part of your fixed expenses - like mortgage/rent, insurance, etc. One thing we did to help with this was to set up automatic withdrawal. Many churches now have the technology to directly debit your bank account for the amount you tell them, on the dates you tell them to take it. What I'm saying is this: pay God first, yourself second (that means groceries, gas, entertainment, etc. all come from whatever is remaining AFTER you have paid your fixed expenses).
Second, increase your tithe incrementally. If you start at $50 twice per month, for example, after two or three months push it up to $75. Keep going until you've reached an actual 10% - even if it takes a year or two to work your way up there.
#3 - Go ahead and ask God to show up!
When God gives us His directive to tithe, He actually tells us that it's okay to do it as a test. He tells us, "Test Me in this...and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it!" (Malachi 3:10)
By taking this huge step of faith, you are telling God that you trust Him to provide for your needs. Ask Him to take care of those areas in your budget that are not looking so good, and when you ask - expect Him to deliver! I assure you that God is just as concerned with your financial well-being as you are. (Matthew 10:29-32)
I believe that you (and I) will never experience true financial freedom - that we will never be out from under the heavy yoke of greed and debt - until we are tithing. God calls His people to radical obedience, often when it doesn't make sense (Abraham and Noah are my two favourite examples of that), so that His Name will be glorified. One of the greatest ways for us to bring honour to His Name is to share how He transformed our finances once we began to walk in obedience with our (His) money.
One of the greatest traps that Satan catches us in is the one of our own "need." We believe that we cannot give regularly and generously to the needs of others - the church, sponsor children, missionaries, door-to-door canvassers - because we are not even meeting our own "needs." I have learned that the opposite is true. Our own needs (spiritual and financial) will NEVER be met until we learn to pour out generosity towards the work of God all over our world. (Luke 12:15-25)
May God bless you as you seek to act in obedience to His will!
I desperately want to get into this habit, I just don't know how to break the cycle. Every week we are short money to buy food and gas. We can never "catch up" we can never "Keep up". I'm at my wits end. I don't know what to do.Ever since, her struggle has been on my mind. I hope that you are here, friend, and that some of the ideas I have may help you to take this step of obedience. But my advice comes with a warning label:
WARNING: Taking steps to obey God will require faith. Our faith is not built when it is not tested, so you need to know that this will not be easy. But you can also be completely assured that by taking steps in obedience, through faith, you will feel God's pleasure (which frequently results in untold blessings - both spiritual and sometimes right here in the physical).My friend, I have 3 tips that will help you find a way to tithe when finances are tight:
#1 - Do you have a budget? I'm talking about an actual, practical, written plan for where your money goes. Because having a budget is a MUST.
Start by making a list on paper of all of your income and every expense. Make the list as exhaustive as possible - include things like home improvements and car repairs (even if you allocate $0 to them in your budget, you need to know that they are a possibility) and don't forget stuff like hair cuts and cleaning supplies.
If you are comfortable working in Excel, it's fairly simple to do up a spreadsheet that will help you track your income and expenses. If not, you can find many budgeting programs as free downloads online or you can even keep track on paper.
The important thing is to add a line for "tithing" to your expenses. For now, you can leave that line blank while you tweak the budget.
The goal of having the budget on paper is to help you see if there is a shortfall or a surplus. For the first month of your budget, get a receipt for every single thing you spend money on so that you will have a complete and accurate tally. At the end of the month, you will be able to see a few areas where your spending was higher than you expected; looking through the receipts with a highlighter will help you find purchases that were not necessities. (When my friend, Christine, taught me about budgeting - tip #1 is totally hers, by the way - she showed me that some areas that caught me were impulse purchases at the grocery store, using the convenience store for snacks instead of the grocery store, and late fees on movie rentals.)
If you don't have a budget and would like some help getting it set up, go ahead and contact me via email and I'd be more than happy to help. :)
#2 - Plan to tithe. Don't just think about it. Make a plan, commit to it, and stick to it.
In this context, I use the word "tithe" loosely. If you are currently not giving to your church or other areas where God is working (or are giving intermittently and randomly), the thought of jumping straight to 10% might make you nauseous. Find a number that doesn't make you feel like you're going to hurl, but is significant enough to make you tense. Perhaps $50 per pay cheque is that number for you. Maybe it's $100. Whatever the number, I encourage you to push it just a little bit higher than "comfortable." The fact is, being comfortable does not grow our faith. And tithing is not just about giving to God what is His (Matthew 22:21), it is also about walking in obedience and developing faith that doesn't waver when things look a little scary.
A couple things to help you stick to your plan. First, consider your tithe a part of your fixed expenses - like mortgage/rent, insurance, etc. One thing we did to help with this was to set up automatic withdrawal. Many churches now have the technology to directly debit your bank account for the amount you tell them, on the dates you tell them to take it. What I'm saying is this: pay God first, yourself second (that means groceries, gas, entertainment, etc. all come from whatever is remaining AFTER you have paid your fixed expenses).
Second, increase your tithe incrementally. If you start at $50 twice per month, for example, after two or three months push it up to $75. Keep going until you've reached an actual 10% - even if it takes a year or two to work your way up there.
#3 - Go ahead and ask God to show up!
When God gives us His directive to tithe, He actually tells us that it's okay to do it as a test. He tells us, "Test Me in this...and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it!" (Malachi 3:10)
By taking this huge step of faith, you are telling God that you trust Him to provide for your needs. Ask Him to take care of those areas in your budget that are not looking so good, and when you ask - expect Him to deliver! I assure you that God is just as concerned with your financial well-being as you are. (Matthew 10:29-32)
I believe that you (and I) will never experience true financial freedom - that we will never be out from under the heavy yoke of greed and debt - until we are tithing. God calls His people to radical obedience, often when it doesn't make sense (Abraham and Noah are my two favourite examples of that), so that His Name will be glorified. One of the greatest ways for us to bring honour to His Name is to share how He transformed our finances once we began to walk in obedience with our (His) money.
One of the greatest traps that Satan catches us in is the one of our own "need." We believe that we cannot give regularly and generously to the needs of others - the church, sponsor children, missionaries, door-to-door canvassers - because we are not even meeting our own "needs." I have learned that the opposite is true. Our own needs (spiritual and financial) will NEVER be met until we learn to pour out generosity towards the work of God all over our world. (Luke 12:15-25)
May God bless you as you seek to act in obedience to His will!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Building Your Ministry, part two - How to Love on Your Team
Click to read part one - What Your Team Really Needs from You.
In developing a new ministry or in building up a ministry that's already running, a team of committed volunteers (and/or staff) are needed to make things happen. Finding people to join your team may not be as difficult as you think (but that's for another post on another day); but keeping people committed to the team, the ministry, you (their leader), and of course to the work God is doing through the ministry - well that task, it takes hard work!
I hope that my story (in part one) convinced you that the key to keeping your team committed is to make them feel loved. But those of us who are married, we have surely learned some difficult lessons about how difficult it can be to make someone feel loved (even if we do truly love that person).
You see, loving someone is not about me having feelings of love towards that person. Rather, it is about me finding ways to show love to that person - ways that he or she understand and feel my love.
I believe there are three keys to making your team members feel loved. Today, we'll sit a while on the first point.
#1 - Invest Time:
Do you remember your best friend in high school? Chances are good that people often referred to you as "attached at the hip." You did everything and went everywhere together. There was little doubt in either of your minds that you loved one another. The same can be said of our children, spouses, adult friendships. Time spent together is time well spent.
I asked the Lord how I could help the women on my team feel loved, and He clearly told me to invest my time in them. When I asked how I could possibly invest personal time in each of 7 women, our creative God gave me idea after idea...
- I began to set aside one morning per week (with the exception of busy weeks) to invite one of the women from my team over for coffee and a visit. We would spend about 2 hours just chattin' it up. (Obviously, this only worked for those on my team who were at home like me. With those who worked, it would need to be an evening coffee. For me, that took a bit more juggling and we needed to plan it further in advance, but it was always worth the time spent.) --> time spent, 2 hours per week
- If I thought of a woman on my team, I would quickly stop and take a minute to pray for her. Then I would take one more minute to email her, just letting her know that she was in my thoughts and prayers. --> time spent, 2 minutes a couple times per week
- Normally, while doing housework I would find myself in need of a distraction to help get it done (isn't that always the case?). Most often I would call my best friend, my mom, or my hubby to chat while I worked. I decided to replace one of those phone calls each week with a call to someone on my team. I don't know that my "regulars" ever even noticed that I was calling one less time, or if they did I'm sure they were appreciative of having one less distraction! --> time spent, none (because it was already being spent)
- Do you ever get out for a girls' night? My wish is to do it once per month, but the reality is it happens when it happens. I began inviting someone from my team out with my girlfriends and I for girls' night. --> time spent, none
- I usually attended our weekly women's Bible study and our weekly women's coffee group, not only because I was the women's ministry leader, but because I enjoyed the growth and fellowship. While at those events, I made a point of seeking out the women who attended that were also on my team and spending some time visiting with them. Some days, we would sit together the whole time. --> time spent, none
You get the point... Overall, I only increased my "workload" by a mere 2 hours and 6 minutes (roughly) per week. And after the first few weeks -which felt slightly awkward at times - my weekly coffee date morphed into a vital part of my social life.
Another interesting thing happened - the girls out at girls' night grew in numbers, until there were more "ministry girls" than other girlfriends. And wouldn't you guess, many of those "regular" girlfriends got so excited about all that they were hearing that they joined us in leading women's ministry!
Before anyone comes at me with the argument that work is work and we shouldn't have to "make friends" with the people we work with, let me say two quick things. First, ministry is not just "work." Ministry is God's work, and it is also (very often) unpaid volunteer work. Doing ministry is completely different from being out in the work force. (Not that I necessarily think it should be. The working world could probably learn a thing or two from the ministry world.)
Second, if you take a quick journey through the Bible and look at any good leaders you will find that the people they "worked" with LOVED them - they were friends. A few examples for you include: Moses and Aaron (also brothers, but hey), Joshua and Caleb, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and His disciples, Paul and Barnabus (until they disagreed), Paul and Timothy. These ministry partners didn't simply work together - they lived, travelled, and did life together. They were more than mere co-workers; they were friends.
Key points #2 and #3 on How to Love on Your Team coming soon...
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Just a small word of explanation...
Throughout this series, you will hear me frequently use terminology such as "my team" and "my ministry." Please, do not misunderstand my heart based on semantics! There has never been any doubt in my mind that the women's ministry I had the privilege of being a part of belonged wholly to God. It was and is His ministry. Just as the team of women He brought together formed His team.
The use of the word "my" is to draw a clear word picture - that the ministry God called me to lead was born in my heart - just as "my" children were born of my body, though I know and acknowledge that they belong to the King of Kings and He has simply entrusted them to my care for a time. As a leader, there is an element of responsibility towards your ministry and your team. "My" does not denote ownership, but an entrustment.
In developing a new ministry or in building up a ministry that's already running, a team of committed volunteers (and/or staff) are needed to make things happen. Finding people to join your team may not be as difficult as you think (but that's for another post on another day); but keeping people committed to the team, the ministry, you (their leader), and of course to the work God is doing through the ministry - well that task, it takes hard work!
I hope that my story (in part one) convinced you that the key to keeping your team committed is to make them feel loved. But those of us who are married, we have surely learned some difficult lessons about how difficult it can be to make someone feel loved (even if we do truly love that person).
You see, loving someone is not about me having feelings of love towards that person. Rather, it is about me finding ways to show love to that person - ways that he or she understand and feel my love.
I believe there are three keys to making your team members feel loved. Today, we'll sit a while on the first point.
#1 - Invest Time:
Do you remember your best friend in high school? Chances are good that people often referred to you as "attached at the hip." You did everything and went everywhere together. There was little doubt in either of your minds that you loved one another. The same can be said of our children, spouses, adult friendships. Time spent together is time well spent.
I asked the Lord how I could help the women on my team feel loved, and He clearly told me to invest my time in them. When I asked how I could possibly invest personal time in each of 7 women, our creative God gave me idea after idea...
- I began to set aside one morning per week (with the exception of busy weeks) to invite one of the women from my team over for coffee and a visit. We would spend about 2 hours just chattin' it up. (Obviously, this only worked for those on my team who were at home like me. With those who worked, it would need to be an evening coffee. For me, that took a bit more juggling and we needed to plan it further in advance, but it was always worth the time spent.) --> time spent, 2 hours per week
- If I thought of a woman on my team, I would quickly stop and take a minute to pray for her. Then I would take one more minute to email her, just letting her know that she was in my thoughts and prayers. --> time spent, 2 minutes a couple times per week
- Normally, while doing housework I would find myself in need of a distraction to help get it done (isn't that always the case?). Most often I would call my best friend, my mom, or my hubby to chat while I worked. I decided to replace one of those phone calls each week with a call to someone on my team. I don't know that my "regulars" ever even noticed that I was calling one less time, or if they did I'm sure they were appreciative of having one less distraction! --> time spent, none (because it was already being spent)
- Do you ever get out for a girls' night? My wish is to do it once per month, but the reality is it happens when it happens. I began inviting someone from my team out with my girlfriends and I for girls' night. --> time spent, none
- I usually attended our weekly women's Bible study and our weekly women's coffee group, not only because I was the women's ministry leader, but because I enjoyed the growth and fellowship. While at those events, I made a point of seeking out the women who attended that were also on my team and spending some time visiting with them. Some days, we would sit together the whole time. --> time spent, none
You get the point... Overall, I only increased my "workload" by a mere 2 hours and 6 minutes (roughly) per week. And after the first few weeks -which felt slightly awkward at times - my weekly coffee date morphed into a vital part of my social life.
Another interesting thing happened - the girls out at girls' night grew in numbers, until there were more "ministry girls" than other girlfriends. And wouldn't you guess, many of those "regular" girlfriends got so excited about all that they were hearing that they joined us in leading women's ministry!
Before anyone comes at me with the argument that work is work and we shouldn't have to "make friends" with the people we work with, let me say two quick things. First, ministry is not just "work." Ministry is God's work, and it is also (very often) unpaid volunteer work. Doing ministry is completely different from being out in the work force. (Not that I necessarily think it should be. The working world could probably learn a thing or two from the ministry world.)
Second, if you take a quick journey through the Bible and look at any good leaders you will find that the people they "worked" with LOVED them - they were friends. A few examples for you include: Moses and Aaron (also brothers, but hey), Joshua and Caleb, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and His disciples, Paul and Barnabus (until they disagreed), Paul and Timothy. These ministry partners didn't simply work together - they lived, travelled, and did life together. They were more than mere co-workers; they were friends.
Key points #2 and #3 on How to Love on Your Team coming soon...
------------------------------------------------------------------
Just a small word of explanation...
Throughout this series, you will hear me frequently use terminology such as "my team" and "my ministry." Please, do not misunderstand my heart based on semantics! There has never been any doubt in my mind that the women's ministry I had the privilege of being a part of belonged wholly to God. It was and is His ministry. Just as the team of women He brought together formed His team.
The use of the word "my" is to draw a clear word picture - that the ministry God called me to lead was born in my heart - just as "my" children were born of my body, though I know and acknowledge that they belong to the King of Kings and He has simply entrusted them to my care for a time. As a leader, there is an element of responsibility towards your ministry and your team. "My" does not denote ownership, but an entrustment.
When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. ~Luke 12:48b (NLT)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Putting a Bad Day Behind Me
Yesterday was a bad day.
Our Bible study leader wasn't there, and I was disappointed. I have missed her over spring break. Our discussion was different (stilted) without her to guide us.
Malakai ran away (far and fast) in the church parking lot. He ran past two other mothers and they just watched him. For the life of me, I can't figure out why people don't stop him! I mean, it should be obvious that a two-year-old is not supposed to be running in the midst of moving motor vehicles!
My allergies are going crazy. My nose was (and still is) itchy and sneezy all day. Super annoying.
After school, the three girls apparently made a unanimous decision to fight as much as possible and as loudly as possible.
I let it all pile up and it got to me! I was crabby, short-tempered, scowly, yelling, impatient, and feeling just plain tired. I was heavy on the yelling and threats, but far too light on the actual discipline and training.
This morning, as I reflect on what went wrong, all I know is that I want today to be different. Better.
I cannot control the circumstances around me. Ultimately, I cannot control my children's behaviour (though I can train them to behave well). Fact is, I cannot control my own emotions and reactions very well.
But I am reminded that He can. What He needs from me is simply my cooperation. I need to turn away from my sin (anger, impatience, yelling, laziness) and turn toward Him.
Faced with frustrations that could "ruin" my day, I can either choose to continue walking ahead (right into my sinful reactions) or I can choose to stop and make a u-turn.
I want to live a consecrated life. A life that is distinctly set apart for His purposes. I am learning that it is much less about the things that I do, and so much more about the things that I turn away from.
Today, so that I might cultivate the life God desires, I will turn around. I will seek Him. And when faced with all the stuff of life, I can ask Him to show me what to do.
Not doing what I want to do is not an act of my will. It is an act of submission to His will.
Our Bible study leader wasn't there, and I was disappointed. I have missed her over spring break. Our discussion was different (stilted) without her to guide us.
Malakai ran away (far and fast) in the church parking lot. He ran past two other mothers and they just watched him. For the life of me, I can't figure out why people don't stop him! I mean, it should be obvious that a two-year-old is not supposed to be running in the midst of moving motor vehicles!
My allergies are going crazy. My nose was (and still is) itchy and sneezy all day. Super annoying.
After school, the three girls apparently made a unanimous decision to fight as much as possible and as loudly as possible.
I let it all pile up and it got to me! I was crabby, short-tempered, scowly, yelling, impatient, and feeling just plain tired. I was heavy on the yelling and threats, but far too light on the actual discipline and training.
This morning, as I reflect on what went wrong, all I know is that I want today to be different. Better.
I cannot control the circumstances around me. Ultimately, I cannot control my children's behaviour (though I can train them to behave well). Fact is, I cannot control my own emotions and reactions very well.
But I am reminded that He can. What He needs from me is simply my cooperation. I need to turn away from my sin (anger, impatience, yelling, laziness) and turn toward Him.
Faced with frustrations that could "ruin" my day, I can either choose to continue walking ahead (right into my sinful reactions) or I can choose to stop and make a u-turn.
I want to live a consecrated life. A life that is distinctly set apart for His purposes. I am learning that it is much less about the things that I do, and so much more about the things that I turn away from.
Today, so that I might cultivate the life God desires, I will turn around. I will seek Him. And when faced with all the stuff of life, I can ask Him to show me what to do.
Not doing what I want to do is not an act of my will. It is an act of submission to His will.
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. ~Romans 7:18-20
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Q & A - Reader's Edition
This is not your typical Q & A, where I answer questions you have asked me. Rather, I have a question for you - my beautiful, intelligent, strong, wise, and witty readers. Today, I have but one question for you...
What in the world can I do to STOP my (naughty) two-year old boy from running away? (His favourite sprint lane is the one in the middle of the largest parking lot of the largest store, with the highest volume of traffic.)
Seriously, help me! If you don't care to help me, perhaps you'll care to help him. Because if this continues... __________________ (fill in the blank with pretty much any phrase that comes to mind)
What in the world can I do to STOP my (naughty) two-year old boy from running away? (His favourite sprint lane is the one in the middle of the largest parking lot of the largest store, with the highest volume of traffic.)
Seriously, help me! If you don't care to help me, perhaps you'll care to help him. Because if this continues... __________________ (fill in the blank with pretty much any phrase that comes to mind)
Monday, April 5, 2010
Review: Bibleman DVD
I recently discovered a book review site that got me excited. Hosted by Thomas Nelsen publishers, BookSneeze offers free books to bloggers who are willing to post reviews. Since I would be reading constantly anyway, and I get to choose the book I want to read/review (they don't choose for me), I figured I'd give it a try.
My first pick to review was a children's DVD. (Spring break was coming up, and being the planner that I am I know the value of stocking up on entertainment.)
Bibleman: Combating the Commandant of Confusion looks (based on the cover) similar to Power Rangers. My kids tend to enjoy PR (I don't get it, but whatever) so I thought to myself, "Why not get a DVD that's action-packed like PR but Bible-based?" I clearly missed the description "A Bibleman live adventure."
It was an adventure in boredom!
The DVD is a recording of a live presentation of Bibleman. As in, guys wearing action hero costumes and standing on the platform of a church, talking and acting for the kids in the pews. Perhaps they recorded a teaching session of VBS (Vacation Bible School)?
My three girls - ages 8, 6, 4 - walked away from the DVD after 15 minutes (and trust me, they would have gone sooner had I let them). My oldest boy - age 12 - sat a bit longer, but kept asking me, "Mom, when does it get better?"
If you're looking for some good DVD resources to entertain your kids, I suggest sticking to the tried and true found at your local Christian bookstore - Veggie Tales, Hermie and Friends, etc.
* Just a reminder that the Bibleman DVD was provided to me for free, for the purpose of review, via BookSneeze.
My first pick to review was a children's DVD. (Spring break was coming up, and being the planner that I am I know the value of stocking up on entertainment.)
Bibleman: Combating the Commandant of Confusion looks (based on the cover) similar to Power Rangers. My kids tend to enjoy PR (I don't get it, but whatever) so I thought to myself, "Why not get a DVD that's action-packed like PR but Bible-based?" I clearly missed the description "A Bibleman live adventure."It was an adventure in boredom!
The DVD is a recording of a live presentation of Bibleman. As in, guys wearing action hero costumes and standing on the platform of a church, talking and acting for the kids in the pews. Perhaps they recorded a teaching session of VBS (Vacation Bible School)?
My three girls - ages 8, 6, 4 - walked away from the DVD after 15 minutes (and trust me, they would have gone sooner had I let them). My oldest boy - age 12 - sat a bit longer, but kept asking me, "Mom, when does it get better?"
If you're looking for some good DVD resources to entertain your kids, I suggest sticking to the tried and true found at your local Christian bookstore - Veggie Tales, Hermie and Friends, etc.
* Just a reminder that the Bibleman DVD was provided to me for free, for the purpose of review, via BookSneeze.
Friday, April 2, 2010
How Can a Day of Death be Called GOOD?
We are in love with life, with living. Live life to the full! Embrace every experience! Don't miss out!
We fear death, we avoid it, we mourn it.
But what if we have it all wrong?
Isn't living life to the full really just a smokescreen that we use to disguise our love for the things of this world? We invest all of our days in preparing for what is next - save our money for education, or a house, or retirement; buy things to use at set times (ie, a vacation home for summer); looking forward to our kids growing up, our marriages getting better, financial freedom... If this is life - always waiting for what is next - no wonder death terrifies us.
But what if dying is the secret to living?
The death of a dream makes room for bigger, better, God-sized dreams. The death of our finances leaves us wholly dependant on God's provision. The death of selfishness sets us free from our own wealth.
Selfishness = stockpiling things for what comes next. Eventually, we have so much that we are held captive by it. We become prisoners to our future plans. We think we are living, but we are really just the living dead.
The death of selfishness sets us free from our own wealth. The death of Christ sets us free from our sin.
Embrace death, not this life. Live for eternity, not tomorrow. Death is good. Dying, done God's way, makes room for new life.
We fear death, we avoid it, we mourn it.
But what if we have it all wrong?
Isn't living life to the full really just a smokescreen that we use to disguise our love for the things of this world? We invest all of our days in preparing for what is next - save our money for education, or a house, or retirement; buy things to use at set times (ie, a vacation home for summer); looking forward to our kids growing up, our marriages getting better, financial freedom... If this is life - always waiting for what is next - no wonder death terrifies us.
But what if dying is the secret to living?
The death of a dream makes room for bigger, better, God-sized dreams. The death of our finances leaves us wholly dependant on God's provision. The death of selfishness sets us free from our own wealth.
Selfishness = stockpiling things for what comes next. Eventually, we have so much that we are held captive by it. We become prisoners to our future plans. We think we are living, but we are really just the living dead.
The death of selfishness sets us free from our own wealth. The death of Christ sets us free from our sin.
Embrace death, not this life. Live for eternity, not tomorrow. Death is good. Dying, done God's way, makes room for new life.
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ~John 14:24-25
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Who is My Neighbour?
I had a disturbing dream the other night...
We lived in a nice, little bungalow in a neighbourhood full of other nice, little bungalows. Our kids ran the 'hood, riding bikes up and down the street, shrieking in glee on their backyard trampoline. I didn't see my kids, but heard them. They must have been a bit older than they are now because I didn't have a sobbing two-year-old at the door begging to go out with the big kids. Maybe he was just napping. Who knows? Anyway...
Our next-door neighbours had a lot of kids, too. Four, maybe five. They wore dirty clothes, had unkempt hair, and never seemed to be supervised. I tried to get my kids to avoid playing with them, without actually forbidding it - because then I'd have to explain it, and my aversion wasn't something I could explain rationally. (My inner judgemental self apparently can't be kept at bay in dreams.)
We had just repaved our driveway and the cement was not fully dried (or is it cured?) yet. The neighbours turned on their lawn sprinkler and it was spraying over onto my fresh concrete. So I headed over to knock on the door and ask them to move it.
The door was opened by a woman that I somehow knew was not the mother. Behind her were two other women. Kids were playing and watching TV in the background. The house smelled faintly of dirt and urine. The women looked out of place, all put together with nice clothes, hair, and make-up in such a dirty house.
I don't remember how the conversation began - I don't think I ever asked about the sprinkler - but somehow we ended up with these women telling me that the woman who lived there was a single mother to these many children. They stopped over, found her not there and the children alone, and decided to stay and babysit. The children were very hungry, but the women could not find a single item of food in all the cupboards or the refrigerator. (It did occur to me, when I awoke, to wonder why none of these three well-dressed women headed out to the store for some food.)
All I can remember is thinking that I needed to find a way to feed these kids! My whole perspective on the family changed and my heart was filled with love for those dirty, little children and their absentee mother.
I woke up, recalling every detail of the dream. (It's interesting to note, here, that I have not had a dream that I can remember in several years.) Pondering the meaning of the dream, I asked God a few questions:
Is there someone in my life that I need to help?
Is it an actual neighbour on my new street?
Am I specifically supposed to be doing something to help a single mother (or more than one)?
Lord, who is my neighbour?!
The moment the question formed in my mind, I knew I had heard someone else ask the very same question...
I was reminded of my dream and inspired to share it after reading this post.
Now, I just need to figure out what to do, when to do it, and for whom.
Who is your neighbour? Does anyone come to mind that God is nudging you about?
We lived in a nice, little bungalow in a neighbourhood full of other nice, little bungalows. Our kids ran the 'hood, riding bikes up and down the street, shrieking in glee on their backyard trampoline. I didn't see my kids, but heard them. They must have been a bit older than they are now because I didn't have a sobbing two-year-old at the door begging to go out with the big kids. Maybe he was just napping. Who knows? Anyway...
Our next-door neighbours had a lot of kids, too. Four, maybe five. They wore dirty clothes, had unkempt hair, and never seemed to be supervised. I tried to get my kids to avoid playing with them, without actually forbidding it - because then I'd have to explain it, and my aversion wasn't something I could explain rationally. (My inner judgemental self apparently can't be kept at bay in dreams.)
We had just repaved our driveway and the cement was not fully dried (or is it cured?) yet. The neighbours turned on their lawn sprinkler and it was spraying over onto my fresh concrete. So I headed over to knock on the door and ask them to move it.
The door was opened by a woman that I somehow knew was not the mother. Behind her were two other women. Kids were playing and watching TV in the background. The house smelled faintly of dirt and urine. The women looked out of place, all put together with nice clothes, hair, and make-up in such a dirty house.
I don't remember how the conversation began - I don't think I ever asked about the sprinkler - but somehow we ended up with these women telling me that the woman who lived there was a single mother to these many children. They stopped over, found her not there and the children alone, and decided to stay and babysit. The children were very hungry, but the women could not find a single item of food in all the cupboards or the refrigerator. (It did occur to me, when I awoke, to wonder why none of these three well-dressed women headed out to the store for some food.)
All I can remember is thinking that I needed to find a way to feed these kids! My whole perspective on the family changed and my heart was filled with love for those dirty, little children and their absentee mother.
I woke up, recalling every detail of the dream. (It's interesting to note, here, that I have not had a dream that I can remember in several years.) Pondering the meaning of the dream, I asked God a few questions:
Is there someone in my life that I need to help?
Is it an actual neighbour on my new street?
Am I specifically supposed to be doing something to help a single mother (or more than one)?
Lord, who is my neighbour?!
The moment the question formed in my mind, I knew I had heard someone else ask the very same question...
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
~ Luke 10:25-37
I was reminded of my dream and inspired to share it after reading this post.
Now, I just need to figure out what to do, when to do it, and for whom.
Who is your neighbour? Does anyone come to mind that God is nudging you about?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Building Your Ministry, part one - What Your Team Really Needs from You
Through starting and leading a women's ministry for six years, in a church with a congregation of nearly 2000, I have had a few interesting experiences! Some fantastic, amazing, joyful; others bitterly painful. All of them were used by the Lord to grow me as His daughter and servant and to teach me how to lead His way. Lately, He has placed a burden and a passion on my heart to share the lessons I've learned. My prayer is that these lessons will be helpful to other women in ministry - that you might avoid the mistakes I made as well as use anything I did that worked well. I will share the bits and pieces with you as they come to me, in a multi-part blogging series (the number of parts to be determined by how much I find to say) that will appear in random intervals (whenever I feel inspired to say something). How's that for ambiguous?! ;) Thanks for joining me.
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In my early years of leading women's ministry, I had a problem keeping leaders on my team. Attending our team meetings was not a priority on most of their "to do" lists. Being available to serve at ministry events was an "optional" activity, it seemed, for everyone but a few hard core volunteers. Women from the team quit altogether at the drop of a hat - no notice, no explanation.
I wondered, "What the heck can I do to make these women care about this ministry as much as I do?" I believed that the core problem had to do with them. For reasons beyond my understanding, they were just not sold out on impacting women for Jesus. At least, not sold out enough to actually stick with it for the long haul.
There was one woman who left the team early on who always seemed to have a bone to pick with me. I was heartbroken by this, because prior to being in ministry together she was my friend. One day, I gathered up the courage to ask her what happened.
She said, "Tyler, you are really good at being organized, at planning, and at taking care of the details. But I'm not sure you're the right person to be the leader of women's ministry."
I thought to myself, "Of course you'd say that! You have never liked the fact that I am in this role. You have never respected me as a leader. You have a bone to pick with me!"
She continued, "Even though you're good at those things, you're missing an important ingredient. You don't care. You don't have the heart. You don't love us as people. All you are concerned about is that everyone gives as much as you do. When we have life circumstances that get in the way, you only care about how that affects the ministry. You simply don't care about us and our lives."
The conversation continued for nearly an hour, with many tears on both our parts. It was a devastatingly painful conversation. I had always believed that one of my gifts was empathy, yet she was telling me that I was terrible at it. I believed that God had placed a loud and clear call on my life to minister to women, yet she said I didn't have what it takes to be a leader.
I wept and prayed on and off for five days, begging God to heal my broken heart (read: to show me how wrong she was). But the pain in my heart did not ease. On the sixth day I reluctantly changed my prayers and began asking God to weed through her words for me - to show me what words I should ignore, but more importantly to reveal to me the parts of what she said that were true.
Almost immediately, I sensed His answer in my heart. He asked me, "Daughter, have you cared for these women whom I have placed in your charge and under your leadership?" I knew that the answer was no. But I didn't know exactly how to care for them better. Thus began my journey in learning to truly love the women on my team - for who they were instead of for what they did for the ministry. Though Satan intended the cruel words of a hurting woman to beat me down and discourage me, God could use them to grow and mould me.
Lesson #1 - Women need to feel loved. This is not only true in marriage, but in work and ministry as well. If you want to build a team that sticks together for the long haul, sold out for your (God's) vision, you must learn to love them in a way they understand.
Lesson #2 - All advice that is given to you - even that which is laced with vindictive intent - should be sifted by God. He will use every experience (especially the painful ones) to weed out the junk in our lives that prevents us from leading with excellence.
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In my early years of leading women's ministry, I had a problem keeping leaders on my team. Attending our team meetings was not a priority on most of their "to do" lists. Being available to serve at ministry events was an "optional" activity, it seemed, for everyone but a few hard core volunteers. Women from the team quit altogether at the drop of a hat - no notice, no explanation.
I wondered, "What the heck can I do to make these women care about this ministry as much as I do?" I believed that the core problem had to do with them. For reasons beyond my understanding, they were just not sold out on impacting women for Jesus. At least, not sold out enough to actually stick with it for the long haul.
There was one woman who left the team early on who always seemed to have a bone to pick with me. I was heartbroken by this, because prior to being in ministry together she was my friend. One day, I gathered up the courage to ask her what happened.
She said, "Tyler, you are really good at being organized, at planning, and at taking care of the details. But I'm not sure you're the right person to be the leader of women's ministry."
I thought to myself, "Of course you'd say that! You have never liked the fact that I am in this role. You have never respected me as a leader. You have a bone to pick with me!"
She continued, "Even though you're good at those things, you're missing an important ingredient. You don't care. You don't have the heart. You don't love us as people. All you are concerned about is that everyone gives as much as you do. When we have life circumstances that get in the way, you only care about how that affects the ministry. You simply don't care about us and our lives."
The conversation continued for nearly an hour, with many tears on both our parts. It was a devastatingly painful conversation. I had always believed that one of my gifts was empathy, yet she was telling me that I was terrible at it. I believed that God had placed a loud and clear call on my life to minister to women, yet she said I didn't have what it takes to be a leader.
I wept and prayed on and off for five days, begging God to heal my broken heart (read: to show me how wrong she was). But the pain in my heart did not ease. On the sixth day I reluctantly changed my prayers and began asking God to weed through her words for me - to show me what words I should ignore, but more importantly to reveal to me the parts of what she said that were true.
Almost immediately, I sensed His answer in my heart. He asked me, "Daughter, have you cared for these women whom I have placed in your charge and under your leadership?" I knew that the answer was no. But I didn't know exactly how to care for them better. Thus began my journey in learning to truly love the women on my team - for who they were instead of for what they did for the ministry. Though Satan intended the cruel words of a hurting woman to beat me down and discourage me, God could use them to grow and mould me.
Lesson #1 - Women need to feel loved. This is not only true in marriage, but in work and ministry as well. If you want to build a team that sticks together for the long haul, sold out for your (God's) vision, you must learn to love them in a way they understand.
Lesson #2 - All advice that is given to you - even that which is laced with vindictive intent - should be sifted by God. He will use every experience (especially the painful ones) to weed out the junk in our lives that prevents us from leading with excellence.
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire. ~Matthew 3:12Building Your Ministry, part two - How to Love on Your Team - coming soon.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
How Many Followers Do You Have?
In this internet world, we are quickly growing obsessed with the number of followers, friends, and fans that we have.
We have lost sight of what it really means to follow someone.
I'm sure you will find Ann's thoughts on what it means to follow Christ as profound as I did. And convicting. And inspiring. And just downright true.
We have lost sight of what it really means to follow someone.
I'm sure you will find Ann's thoughts on what it means to follow Christ as profound as I did. And convicting. And inspiring. And just downright true.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Be a Truth Seeker
In our world, there are so many versions of the truth. We hear that "what is true for one person may not be true for another." We are always looking for the truth, seeking what is real, but the world tosses so many easy substitutes our way.
Because of the way God created us, one thing we instinctively seek out is Him - the sovereign God who holds our lives in His hands. The world, though, says that such a God is too hard to find, so it offers us substitute gods (I call them easy, feel-good gods). I'm sure you've heard of them - the god within you (or, you are god), the god in everything around us...
These pretend gods are so appealing to us, because in our hearts (in mine, at least) we are lazy. And these gods are palatable. These gods don't require us to give over our lives in love; these gods don't require us to change our behaviours and attitudes; these gods don't require us to draw a line in the sand ethically. Unfortunately, these gods are impotent. The "god self" has no power to rescue us, to change us, to transform us.
There is one true God, one Sovereign Ruler, one Creator, on Saviour. Truth can only be found in Him. He binds up the broken-hearted, He heals the sick, He delivers the addicted, He convicts the wicked, He has mercy on the weak. He fills our hearts with joy and puts songs of praise on our lips. This power can only be found in Christ. And Christ can only be found in the Bible.
If you are searching for what is true and real, you will find a lot of books and movies out there. Many of them sound close enough to what the Bible says that we easily accept them. Many of them sound just that little bit "easier" than what the Bible says, so we embrace them. Many of them offer promises of freedom/change/contentment from whatever plagues us by following the prescribed steps contained within their pages. But you will not find truth there, you will not find freedom.
If you want a self-help book to quit yelling (I know I do), there is only One Book that offers the secret to really changing. If you want to quit smoking in ten days, the Bible is the Only Book that promises (and means it) real power to change. If you want to find a way to get over the pain and loss of a divorce, the path to truly healing those hurts and finding peace and joy is offered (with an absolute guarantee) in the pages of The Good Book. Any other book you read, podcast you listen to, or movie you watch - unless it directs you back to the pages of the Bible - is offering a cheap alternative that will only bring temporary freedom.
* This is a re-post from the archives.
Because of the way God created us, one thing we instinctively seek out is Him - the sovereign God who holds our lives in His hands. The world, though, says that such a God is too hard to find, so it offers us substitute gods (I call them easy, feel-good gods). I'm sure you've heard of them - the god within you (or, you are god), the god in everything around us...
These pretend gods are so appealing to us, because in our hearts (in mine, at least) we are lazy. And these gods are palatable. These gods don't require us to give over our lives in love; these gods don't require us to change our behaviours and attitudes; these gods don't require us to draw a line in the sand ethically. Unfortunately, these gods are impotent. The "god self" has no power to rescue us, to change us, to transform us.
There is one true God, one Sovereign Ruler, one Creator, on Saviour. Truth can only be found in Him. He binds up the broken-hearted, He heals the sick, He delivers the addicted, He convicts the wicked, He has mercy on the weak. He fills our hearts with joy and puts songs of praise on our lips. This power can only be found in Christ. And Christ can only be found in the Bible.
If you are searching for what is true and real, you will find a lot of books and movies out there. Many of them sound close enough to what the Bible says that we easily accept them. Many of them sound just that little bit "easier" than what the Bible says, so we embrace them. Many of them offer promises of freedom/change/contentment from whatever plagues us by following the prescribed steps contained within their pages. But you will not find truth there, you will not find freedom.
If you want a self-help book to quit yelling (I know I do), there is only One Book that offers the secret to really changing. If you want to quit smoking in ten days, the Bible is the Only Book that promises (and means it) real power to change. If you want to find a way to get over the pain and loss of a divorce, the path to truly healing those hurts and finding peace and joy is offered (with an absolute guarantee) in the pages of The Good Book. Any other book you read, podcast you listen to, or movie you watch - unless it directs you back to the pages of the Bible - is offering a cheap alternative that will only bring temporary freedom.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparable great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.No cheap alternatives here. No simple fixes. No feel-good solutions. But for those of us who believe, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Real, true freedom from the real (and only) truth source.
~Ephesians 1:18-20
* This is a re-post from the archives.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Let it Come Through Us
Hearing this song today reminded me of the great need in Haiti and how we can help.
As time passes, I pray that the people of Haiti will not be forgotten, but will continue to experience an outpouring of love and generosity from those of us who do not need to beg for our daily bread. May we not take our daily bread for granted...
KINGDOM COMING
LYRICS
2008 Copyright Shaun Groves (ASCAP)
O, God, what do we see and hear?
Your kingdom coming
O, God, what do we see and fear?
Your kingdom coming
Let it come to us
Let it come through us
CHORUS:
‘Til the sword is spared
And the bread is shared
And the dying’s done
Let your kingdom come
‘Til the rich ones give
And the poor ones live
‘Til the weak are strong
Let your kingdom come
O, God, what do we pray down here?
Your kingdom coming
Let it come to us
Let it come through us
REPEAT CHORUS
Mercy come, justice come
Healing come, peace, Lord, come
Mercy come, justice come
Your will be done through us on earth
O, God, what do we need down here
Your kingdom coming
Let it come
O, let it come
REPEAT CHORUS
Shaun Groves' song, "Kingdom Coming" and others are available for free download on his website. You don't want to miss the story of why he now speaks and sings for FREE...
As time passes, I pray that the people of Haiti will not be forgotten, but will continue to experience an outpouring of love and generosity from those of us who do not need to beg for our daily bread. May we not take our daily bread for granted...
KINGDOM COMING
LYRICS
2008 Copyright Shaun Groves (ASCAP)
O, God, what do we see and hear?
Your kingdom coming
O, God, what do we see and fear?
Your kingdom coming
Let it come to us
Let it come through us
CHORUS:
‘Til the sword is spared
And the bread is shared
And the dying’s done
Let your kingdom come
‘Til the rich ones give
And the poor ones live
‘Til the weak are strong
Let your kingdom come
O, God, what do we pray down here?
Your kingdom coming
Let it come to us
Let it come through us
REPEAT CHORUS
Mercy come, justice come
Healing come, peace, Lord, come
Mercy come, justice come
Your will be done through us on earth
O, God, what do we need down here
Your kingdom coming
Let it come
O, let it come
REPEAT CHORUS
Shaun Groves' song, "Kingdom Coming" and others are available for free download on his website. You don't want to miss the story of why he now speaks and sings for FREE...
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Really Random Facts
I was over at the LPM Blog this morning, and we were asked to participate in a little fun - post 10 tidbits about ourselves. Of course I did it, because I am a "joiner." After I commented, listing the same 10 things about me I think of whenever one of those posts comes up, I read through a few of the comments. Man, people are so much more creative than I am! Seriously funny things in there. I found myself reading a number of them and saying, "Me, too! Why didn't I think to put that down?" So I decided to steal all the good ones that apply to me and share them with you (because you all really want to know ridiculous, random things about me, right?) In addition to being a "joiner," I am apparently an idea thief. ;)
* I have an odd affinity for shopping for school and office supplies. (In fact, it's the only kind of shopping I enjoy.)
* I am completely directionally impaired. Sadly, it was only a few years ago that I learned the sun rose in the East.
* Using multi-coloured pens (or in the computer age, colour-coded labels) on my calendar makes me very happy.
* I spent most of my teenage years pumping gas.
* At the young age of 32, I have just discovered what eyeliner can do for me!
* At the slightly younger age of 31, I finally quit biting my nails to the quick. I do, however, continue to gnaw away at the cuticles.
* Do not read over my shoulder. Ever. Especially if I'm writing. Actually, if I'm writing you are safest to back out of the room and go far, far away. You may not ever read anything that is in progress!
* Toilet paper belongs OVER the roll. If I use your washroom, you will discover that I have corrected the roll for you.
* I still periodically have nightmares starring the alien from "Signs."
* I used to bite my toenails. The only thing stopping me now is Pat's disgust and my children's big mouths.
* I love making "To Do" lists. I usually add tasks to my list that I have already completed that day, just so I can cross something off right away.
* It is a bad idea to talk to me in the early morning before I've had coffee. I just can't help myself from glaring at you.
* As a child (an only child until the age of 12), I would entertain myself by pretending I was the narrator/star of a show on Discovery. I especially enjoyed narrating my cooking show while in the bathtub.
* If you touch my feet - even accidentally - I will kick you. I'm sorry; it's as instinctive as the sucking reflex in babies.
* The one thing I have always wanted to buy is a label maker.
* I never make my bed.
* I do NOT like new foods. Until my teenage years, I had never ordered anything but a grilled cheese and fries (with gravy on the side) from a restaurant.
* When I finish reading a good fiction novel, I will begin to panic slightly if there is not another book in my house.
* Though I have a degree in psychology, when asked about post-secondary education I almost always advise against a 4-year program.
* I cannot wear yellow or green or anything with those undertones. They make me look deathly ill.
* I cannot wear purple (or use it to decorate my house) simply because I hate it that much!
* In my first year of driving I hit a dog, a deer, and another vehicle. I also got 2 speeding tickets.
* Since then, I have backed into a concrete barrier and a fence. I have also gotten many more speeding tickets (thanks to the modern-day miracle of photo radar).
There you have it - 23 things about me that you have not likely ever found on this blog before. All true facts. As Amanda Moore has been known to say, "You are dumber now!" You're welcome.
If you can't resist finding out more useless information about yours truly, you will locate said facts here, here, and here.
-----------------------------------
Oh, and to answer the question in this post, Deb got it right! The thing that 5 out of 6 Canadians under the age of 18 have never used is....POSTAGE STAMPS! Go over and visit Deb's brand, spankin' new blog - Invisigirl - and cheer her on in this new adventure. 'Kay?
Here's the funny thing: The prize I had in mind was a book that I accidentally ordered and am too lazy to return. Given the fact that Deb accidentally ordered the same wrong book (on my advice), I am guessing she won't want a second copy. Deb, in lieu of that really great prize, you are the lucky winner of a visit from me and five raucous children in just two days! ;)
* I have an odd affinity for shopping for school and office supplies. (In fact, it's the only kind of shopping I enjoy.)
* I am completely directionally impaired. Sadly, it was only a few years ago that I learned the sun rose in the East.
* Using multi-coloured pens (or in the computer age, colour-coded labels) on my calendar makes me very happy.
* I spent most of my teenage years pumping gas.
* At the young age of 32, I have just discovered what eyeliner can do for me!
* At the slightly younger age of 31, I finally quit biting my nails to the quick. I do, however, continue to gnaw away at the cuticles.
* Do not read over my shoulder. Ever. Especially if I'm writing. Actually, if I'm writing you are safest to back out of the room and go far, far away. You may not ever read anything that is in progress!
* Toilet paper belongs OVER the roll. If I use your washroom, you will discover that I have corrected the roll for you.
* I still periodically have nightmares starring the alien from "Signs."
* I used to bite my toenails. The only thing stopping me now is Pat's disgust and my children's big mouths.
* I love making "To Do" lists. I usually add tasks to my list that I have already completed that day, just so I can cross something off right away.
* It is a bad idea to talk to me in the early morning before I've had coffee. I just can't help myself from glaring at you.
* As a child (an only child until the age of 12), I would entertain myself by pretending I was the narrator/star of a show on Discovery. I especially enjoyed narrating my cooking show while in the bathtub.
* If you touch my feet - even accidentally - I will kick you. I'm sorry; it's as instinctive as the sucking reflex in babies.
* The one thing I have always wanted to buy is a label maker.
* I never make my bed.
* I do NOT like new foods. Until my teenage years, I had never ordered anything but a grilled cheese and fries (with gravy on the side) from a restaurant.
* When I finish reading a good fiction novel, I will begin to panic slightly if there is not another book in my house.
* Though I have a degree in psychology, when asked about post-secondary education I almost always advise against a 4-year program.
* I cannot wear yellow or green or anything with those undertones. They make me look deathly ill.
* I cannot wear purple (or use it to decorate my house) simply because I hate it that much!
* In my first year of driving I hit a dog, a deer, and another vehicle. I also got 2 speeding tickets.
* Since then, I have backed into a concrete barrier and a fence. I have also gotten many more speeding tickets (thanks to the modern-day miracle of photo radar).
There you have it - 23 things about me that you have not likely ever found on this blog before. All true facts. As Amanda Moore has been known to say, "You are dumber now!" You're welcome.
If you can't resist finding out more useless information about yours truly, you will locate said facts here, here, and here.
-----------------------------------
Oh, and to answer the question in this post, Deb got it right! The thing that 5 out of 6 Canadians under the age of 18 have never used is....POSTAGE STAMPS! Go over and visit Deb's brand, spankin' new blog - Invisigirl - and cheer her on in this new adventure. 'Kay?
Here's the funny thing: The prize I had in mind was a book that I accidentally ordered and am too lazy to return. Given the fact that Deb accidentally ordered the same wrong book (on my advice), I am guessing she won't want a second copy. Deb, in lieu of that really great prize, you are the lucky winner of a visit from me and five raucous children in just two days! ;)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Stirring up the Embers
There has been a crazy dream stirring up in my heart. The first little spark of that dream appeared several years ago - a hint of things to come. Recently, I have sensed God blowing on the embers and fanning the flame.
Like I said, it's a wild and crazy dream...
You already know about the writing. It's a passion of mine. Writing what I see, feel, hear, and learn makes it real. If it's not written down, chances are it will slip away into the recesses of my mind. I have many stories - a lot of life lived for such a young thang (teehee) - but one particular account has been burning to be told, the anger story (and how God is writing the ending). Once it is permanently etched in the hard drive of my computer, though, I have no doubt that God will blow His wind on other stories. Tales of starting out a young marriage in a faith dichotomy, a young girl looking for love in all the wrong places who eventually finds what she was looking for in the only One who can provide it, walking through post-partum depression and surviving, an ill-equipped and inexperienced "baby" Christian starting a women's ministry that somehow (in spite of her and all because of Him) thrives... There are volumes just waiting to be poured out!
Chronicling God's work on paper (or hard drive), however, is not the only way to get a message out there. Though I resisted, I have long sensed God pulling me to share the message not only through my fingertips, but with my mouth. It is a terrifying prospect, accompanied by many conflicting emotions. Fear of failure. Fear of letting God down. Fear of fumbling so much that the listener can only focus on my ineptitude and doesn't see God's greatness. Fear of being good at it. Fear of growing prideful. Fear of public scrutiny and harsh judgement. Fear of letting all my baggage lay on the ground in front of others. F-E-A-R.
I can let fear win, or - with Christ's strength - I can conquer it. Here are some things that have inspired me to go with the latter:
* When Moses refused God's call and asked Him to send someone else, "The LORD's anger burned against Moses." (Exodus 4:14) I would rather not be the one to incite God's wrath.
* I was told that, when God calls us to "minister to the masses," we have a responsibility to pursue our calling and fine-tune our gifts/talents/abilities so that we can effectively reach a great number of people. (Thanks, Shannon Ethridge.)
* A friend, with similar passions and fears, is walking alongside me. (Having a friend on the journey always makes it easier, doesn't it?)
* A verse was given to me at the time of my greatest doubt. Proverbs 1:21, "At the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech..."
* A couple other friends are cheering me on: this one, this one, this one, and most importantly - this one.
One tentative step at a time, I will move forward, laying down the kindling, striking the match, then stepping back to let the wind of God to fan the flame.
-----------------------------
On her blog, Lysa TerKeurst (of Proverbs 31 Ministries in North Carolina) is giving away a scholarship for someone to attend the She Speaks conference (scholarship money from Cecil Murphy). She Speaks offers amazing teaching, practice, and peer critique opportunities for speakers, writers, and ministry leaders. On a little side note - if you have those passions in your heart and would like to develop your gifts, you absolutely MUST check it out!
I don't know if God has plans for me to attend that conference this year, but I do know that it cannot be done on my own strength (or finances - my priority for this year is to get my hubby back to Haiti, where his heart was left last fall). So I'm adding this post to the long list of women who would love to attend She Speaks, and leaving it in His hands. Trusting, too, that if He provides the scholarship He will also (somehow) provide the flight. And if not, resting assured that this step is not His next step for me.
Like I said, it's a wild and crazy dream...
You already know about the writing. It's a passion of mine. Writing what I see, feel, hear, and learn makes it real. If it's not written down, chances are it will slip away into the recesses of my mind. I have many stories - a lot of life lived for such a young thang (teehee) - but one particular account has been burning to be told, the anger story (and how God is writing the ending). Once it is permanently etched in the hard drive of my computer, though, I have no doubt that God will blow His wind on other stories. Tales of starting out a young marriage in a faith dichotomy, a young girl looking for love in all the wrong places who eventually finds what she was looking for in the only One who can provide it, walking through post-partum depression and surviving, an ill-equipped and inexperienced "baby" Christian starting a women's ministry that somehow (in spite of her and all because of Him) thrives... There are volumes just waiting to be poured out!
Chronicling God's work on paper (or hard drive), however, is not the only way to get a message out there. Though I resisted, I have long sensed God pulling me to share the message not only through my fingertips, but with my mouth. It is a terrifying prospect, accompanied by many conflicting emotions. Fear of failure. Fear of letting God down. Fear of fumbling so much that the listener can only focus on my ineptitude and doesn't see God's greatness. Fear of being good at it. Fear of growing prideful. Fear of public scrutiny and harsh judgement. Fear of letting all my baggage lay on the ground in front of others. F-E-A-R.
I can let fear win, or - with Christ's strength - I can conquer it. Here are some things that have inspired me to go with the latter:
* When Moses refused God's call and asked Him to send someone else, "The LORD's anger burned against Moses." (Exodus 4:14) I would rather not be the one to incite God's wrath.
* I was told that, when God calls us to "minister to the masses," we have a responsibility to pursue our calling and fine-tune our gifts/talents/abilities so that we can effectively reach a great number of people. (Thanks, Shannon Ethridge.)
* A friend, with similar passions and fears, is walking alongside me. (Having a friend on the journey always makes it easier, doesn't it?)
* A verse was given to me at the time of my greatest doubt. Proverbs 1:21, "At the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech..."
* A couple other friends are cheering me on: this one, this one, this one, and most importantly - this one.
One tentative step at a time, I will move forward, laying down the kindling, striking the match, then stepping back to let the wind of God to fan the flame.
-----------------------------
On her blog, Lysa TerKeurst (of Proverbs 31 Ministries in North Carolina) is giving away a scholarship for someone to attend the She Speaks conference (scholarship money from Cecil Murphy). She Speaks offers amazing teaching, practice, and peer critique opportunities for speakers, writers, and ministry leaders. On a little side note - if you have those passions in your heart and would like to develop your gifts, you absolutely MUST check it out!
I don't know if God has plans for me to attend that conference this year, but I do know that it cannot be done on my own strength (or finances - my priority for this year is to get my hubby back to Haiti, where his heart was left last fall). So I'm adding this post to the long list of women who would love to attend She Speaks, and leaving it in His hands. Trusting, too, that if He provides the scholarship He will also (somehow) provide the flight. And if not, resting assured that this step is not His next step for me.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Do You Know?
Question on the radio today...
Five out of six Canadians under the age of 18 have never used ____________.
Have fun guessing! I'll let you know the correct answer tomorrow. If you guess correctly, I'm sure I'll have to send you a prize of some sort. ;)
Five out of six Canadians under the age of 18 have never used ____________.
Have fun guessing! I'll let you know the correct answer tomorrow. If you guess correctly, I'm sure I'll have to send you a prize of some sort. ;)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Saturday Morning Visit - 03/20/10
Worshipping with 100+ sisters in Christ while on a weekend retreat.
9:20am
Alberta, Canada
To see an ordinary Saturday morning in Louisiana, go here.
Friday, March 19, 2010
True Confessions
The Tooth Fairy in this house is likely the most negligent TF you've ever heard of.
Megan has now lost 4 teeth.
The first one was easy to remember, because TF put a post-it note on the fridge to help remind her to exchange tooth for money. The second was special because the doctor pulled it out under anaesthetic just before removing her tonsils and adenoids. (TF has a special place in her heart for these kinds of situations and pays double for those teeth.)
Tooth #3, which was lost at school on Monday, was a little trickier. Now, before we get too down on TF, she did have the foresight to stop at the store and get a loonie (that's a Canadian $1 coin, for my US friends) that day. But that loonie was left, forgotten in TF's wallet until 3am, at which time a groggy Megan woke up and came to informsaid TF her Mother that TF had not yet come to do the exchange. The issue was dealt with the moment Meg fell back asleep.
Wednesday, while at school, Meg yanked out tooth #4. TF, once again, wisely ensured that she had a loonie on hand.
This post was written on Thursday morning at 6:55am. It was inspired by two big, brown, tear-filled eyes and a forlorn little girl's early-morning voice squeaking out, "The Tooth Fairy didn't come. She forgot about me!"
But before you feel too bad for her (or too judgemental about TF's slacking off around this house), you can know that she was reassured by these words, "Oh dear! You know, this isn't the first time that the Tooth Fairy has fallen asleep on the job. Just ask Braeden - I think the Tooth Fairy fell asleep and forgot about his lost teeth two or three times! But you know what she did? When she woke up in the morning and realized her terrible mistake, the Tooth Fairy always came while Braeden was at school. And with his money she would leave him a not of apology. So go make sure your tooth is still where it should be, because when that Tooth Fairy wakes up - is she ever going to feel foolish!"
Meg smiled, giggled a bit, and asked her mother to make sure that NO ONE enters her room while she's at school today.
Phew. Another bullet dodged. This double-identity stuff can get pretty hard core!
Megan has now lost 4 teeth.
The first one was easy to remember, because TF put a post-it note on the fridge to help remind her to exchange tooth for money. The second was special because the doctor pulled it out under anaesthetic just before removing her tonsils and adenoids. (TF has a special place in her heart for these kinds of situations and pays double for those teeth.)
Tooth #3, which was lost at school on Monday, was a little trickier. Now, before we get too down on TF, she did have the foresight to stop at the store and get a loonie (that's a Canadian $1 coin, for my US friends) that day. But that loonie was left, forgotten in TF's wallet until 3am, at which time a groggy Megan woke up and came to inform
Wednesday, while at school, Meg yanked out tooth #4. TF, once again, wisely ensured that she had a loonie on hand.
This post was written on Thursday morning at 6:55am. It was inspired by two big, brown, tear-filled eyes and a forlorn little girl's early-morning voice squeaking out, "The Tooth Fairy didn't come. She forgot about me!"
But before you feel too bad for her (or too judgemental about TF's slacking off around this house), you can know that she was reassured by these words, "Oh dear! You know, this isn't the first time that the Tooth Fairy has fallen asleep on the job. Just ask Braeden - I think the Tooth Fairy fell asleep and forgot about his lost teeth two or three times! But you know what she did? When she woke up in the morning and realized her terrible mistake, the Tooth Fairy always came while Braeden was at school. And with his money she would leave him a not of apology. So go make sure your tooth is still where it should be, because when that Tooth Fairy wakes up - is she ever going to feel foolish!"
Meg smiled, giggled a bit, and asked her mother to make sure that NO ONE enters her room while she's at school today.
Phew. Another bullet dodged. This double-identity stuff can get pretty hard core!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Writing on the Wall Headstone
Since this is the post that seems to be found on people's google searches over and over again, I decided it was time to revisit it - with a couple revisions. (Interesting how many people search "caption for life" on a regular basis.)
I recently told my husband that if we were to develop a family mission statement I would like it to include the phrase "radically obedient." Because obeying the Lord as soon as He speaks, without question, even when it seems insane (like Noah or Abraham), is a trait that I want to characterize our family's faith journey. That is how I would like to be remembered.
After much contemplation, I've decided that I would like my gravestone to say:
God led, she followed.
Except that I probably won't be the one who actually gets to decide what is written at the head of my burial site. No one says we can't offer suggestions in advance, though! ;)
What would you like your stone to read?
For inspiring this post, I'd like to thank Linda Ellis for her poem, "The Dash."
A good name is more desirable than great riches;Have you ever been in a course where everyone is asked to participate in one of those "life application" activities that involves capturing the essence of your character - who you are and how you lived your life - in short captions? Basically, it's a slightly morbid exercise in selecting the phrase that you would like to see embossed on your own gravestone. Then, of course, the instructor usually makes everyone read it for the rest of the class...
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
~Proverbs 22:1
I recently told my husband that if we were to develop a family mission statement I would like it to include the phrase "radically obedient." Because obeying the Lord as soon as He speaks, without question, even when it seems insane (like Noah or Abraham), is a trait that I want to characterize our family's faith journey. That is how I would like to be remembered.
After much contemplation, I've decided that I would like my gravestone to say:
God led, she followed.
Except that I probably won't be the one who actually gets to decide what is written at the head of my burial site. No one says we can't offer suggestions in advance, though! ;)
What would you like your stone to read?
For inspiring this post, I'd like to thank Linda Ellis for her poem, "The Dash."
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Big Guy
My first baby is twelve today. Hard to imagine that I have a pre-teen when I feel barely older than 20 myself! Happy birthday, Braeden!
Here are some signs that you - my firstborn - are growing up:
* I frequently find you leaning forward, staring at your reflection in the mirror above the bathroom counter. When I ask what in the world you are doing, your reply is always, "I'm looking to see if I have hair on my face yet. Right here, Mom (pointing above your upper lip), do you see it?"
* Family outings, while still enjoyable once you're there, no longer hold much appeal for you. It takes a great deal more effort than I'd like to get you to come along. I am just thankful that you still seem to have a good time when we arrive!
* Your love for video games and all other things electronic surpasses your love for your dog. Poor Daisy!
* I notice your shoulders broadening and your waist getting thicker with each new clothing purchase. Those ribs of yours don't stick out at all anymore!
* Every now and then, you seem to actually care if your hair is messy!
* You are a fierce protector of your younger siblings, and there have been a few times recently where I've had to remind you which one of us is the parent of those 4 little monkeys.
Son, I am proud of you! You truly are growing up, and if I'm completely honest, I have hardly a glimmer of sadness about it. I enjoy seeing you emulate your Dad in many things. I love to watch you lead your sisters with pride and confidence. And I especially love the fact that - even though you are "almost a teenager" (your words), you still gladly hugged me and said, "I love you, Mom!" when I dropped cupcakes at your school today. ;)
I almost forgot the #1 sign that you're growing up - you almost never let me take your picture anymore!
Here are some signs that you - my firstborn - are growing up:
* I frequently find you leaning forward, staring at your reflection in the mirror above the bathroom counter. When I ask what in the world you are doing, your reply is always, "I'm looking to see if I have hair on my face yet. Right here, Mom (pointing above your upper lip), do you see it?"
* Family outings, while still enjoyable once you're there, no longer hold much appeal for you. It takes a great deal more effort than I'd like to get you to come along. I am just thankful that you still seem to have a good time when we arrive!
* Your love for video games and all other things electronic surpasses your love for your dog. Poor Daisy!
* I notice your shoulders broadening and your waist getting thicker with each new clothing purchase. Those ribs of yours don't stick out at all anymore!
* Every now and then, you seem to actually care if your hair is messy!
* You are a fierce protector of your younger siblings, and there have been a few times recently where I've had to remind you which one of us is the parent of those 4 little monkeys.
Son, I am proud of you! You truly are growing up, and if I'm completely honest, I have hardly a glimmer of sadness about it. I enjoy seeing you emulate your Dad in many things. I love to watch you lead your sisters with pride and confidence. And I especially love the fact that - even though you are "almost a teenager" (your words), you still gladly hugged me and said, "I love you, Mom!" when I dropped cupcakes at your school today. ;)
I almost forgot the #1 sign that you're growing up - you almost never let me take your picture anymore!
Monday, March 15, 2010
NOT Me First?
Today's society has a "me first" mentality. Every time I have the television on, Loreal reminds me that "I'm worth it!" We live in a day and age where the woman who has NOT had a professional massage or pedicure is an anomaly (no judgement here, I happen to love both of those services and a couple others). Everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with messages (and just a general mindset) of "me, me, me, me." I deserve to be happy!
However, the Bible's message speaks in drastic contrast to the message of society...
jerk one who has treated me badly getting their due, should I be happy with their suffering or if [my] enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink? (Romans 12:20a)
How about if I have one of those friends that we all call a "taker?" You know the relationship - one friend is always making the phone calls, arranging time together, helping the other, nursing the other through crises; the other friend never calls unless s/he needs something, can't be bothered to spend time together unless it suits him/her, isn't available for the first friend's times of crisis... The world would tell me to give up, get rid of that friend, move on and find someone who will make the relationship mutually beneficial. The Bible tells me to give to everyone who asks of [me], and if anyone takes what belongs to me (or what I think I deserve) do not demand it back. (Luke 6:30)
When someone steals from me, should I hire a good lawyer and sue or if someone takes [my] cloak, do not stop him from taking [my] tunic? (Luke 6:29b)
If my husband has hurt me, should I, in turn, find a way to hurt him back? Or maybe just give him the silent treatment for a while? Or if someone strikes me [on] the right cheek (figuratively, of course), turn to him the other also? (Matthew 5:39)
It is totally confusing! But the Bible, in contrast to the general population of the rest of the world, seems to be telling us to put other people (even our enemies and those who have hurt us repeatedly) before ourselves. Over and over again, we find Jesus quoted instructing His followers to give up their own rights - to sacrifice. I don't know about you, but I am not particularly fond of personal sacrifice.
It was pointed out to me recently that the root word of sacrifice is sacred (thanks to Jill Savage, Real Moms Real Jesus). Being a word girl, I pulled out my thesaurus to help me understand what sacred really means: holy, blessed, revered, sanctified, consecrated. I realized that sacrificing does not simply mean "doing the right thing" out of obedience to Jesus. To sacrifice is to make myself holy. (Not to be mistaken for holier than thou!) Sacrificing by not doing what we really want to do, by putting others before ourselves, by forgiving even when we haven't been asked (and even when the person is not repentant) is more than just obedience to the Word of God - it is an act that will set me apart from this unholy world and make me sanctified...consecrated.
Personal sacrifice is more than a "What Would Jesus Do" mentality. Rather, it is a way of thinking that says, "I want to be made holy, and I am willing to put myself aside in pursuit of this holiness." Sacrifice cries out, "Purify me, Lord Jesus! Wash me clean of all my selfishness to the point that all I care about is being a beautiful representation of who You are!"
Instead of always telling my kids, "Just a minute" when they ask (the 100th time) for juice or a snack, I can sacrifice my own agenda and whatever I'm doing to immediately tend to their needs. (Maybe not always, but more often than I do.) Rather than be annoyed that someone didn't put the garbage out like he was supposed to, and make sure I let him know that he forgot, I can simply choose to take care of that task - even if it means sacrificing a few minutes of my time. When I see that girl who was mean to me for years and years, instead of stewing and brewing about her, I can sacrifice my pride and offer her a friendly greeting. I can even go so far as to sacrifice my thoughts and dedicate some precious prayers to her and her family.
Sacrifice won't be easy or comfortable. It pretty much flies in the face of societal norms. Some people may call us doormats or losers. But sacrifice will bring about a sacredness to our lives. Personal sacrifice will consecrate us for His purposes. For today, I will choose the sacred.
What about you? Is there an area in your life that you feel called to an act of sacrifice?
This post has been linked up to Rachel Olsen's devotional carnival.
However, the Bible's message speaks in drastic contrast to the message of society...
To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. ~Luke 6:29-30 MsgWhen I see some
How about if I have one of those friends that we all call a "taker?" You know the relationship - one friend is always making the phone calls, arranging time together, helping the other, nursing the other through crises; the other friend never calls unless s/he needs something, can't be bothered to spend time together unless it suits him/her, isn't available for the first friend's times of crisis... The world would tell me to give up, get rid of that friend, move on and find someone who will make the relationship mutually beneficial. The Bible tells me to give to everyone who asks of [me], and if anyone takes what belongs to me (or what I think I deserve) do not demand it back. (Luke 6:30)
When someone steals from me, should I hire a good lawyer and sue or if someone takes [my] cloak, do not stop him from taking [my] tunic? (Luke 6:29b)
If my husband has hurt me, should I, in turn, find a way to hurt him back? Or maybe just give him the silent treatment for a while? Or if someone strikes me [on] the right cheek (figuratively, of course), turn to him the other also? (Matthew 5:39)
It is totally confusing! But the Bible, in contrast to the general population of the rest of the world, seems to be telling us to put other people (even our enemies and those who have hurt us repeatedly) before ourselves. Over and over again, we find Jesus quoted instructing His followers to give up their own rights - to sacrifice. I don't know about you, but I am not particularly fond of personal sacrifice.
It was pointed out to me recently that the root word of sacrifice is sacred (thanks to Jill Savage, Real Moms Real Jesus). Being a word girl, I pulled out my thesaurus to help me understand what sacred really means: holy, blessed, revered, sanctified, consecrated. I realized that sacrificing does not simply mean "doing the right thing" out of obedience to Jesus. To sacrifice is to make myself holy. (Not to be mistaken for holier than thou!) Sacrificing by not doing what we really want to do, by putting others before ourselves, by forgiving even when we haven't been asked (and even when the person is not repentant) is more than just obedience to the Word of God - it is an act that will set me apart from this unholy world and make me sanctified...consecrated.
Personal sacrifice is more than a "What Would Jesus Do" mentality. Rather, it is a way of thinking that says, "I want to be made holy, and I am willing to put myself aside in pursuit of this holiness." Sacrifice cries out, "Purify me, Lord Jesus! Wash me clean of all my selfishness to the point that all I care about is being a beautiful representation of who You are!"
Instead of always telling my kids, "Just a minute" when they ask (the 100th time) for juice or a snack, I can sacrifice my own agenda and whatever I'm doing to immediately tend to their needs. (Maybe not always, but more often than I do.) Rather than be annoyed that someone didn't put the garbage out like he was supposed to, and make sure I let him know that he forgot, I can simply choose to take care of that task - even if it means sacrificing a few minutes of my time. When I see that girl who was mean to me for years and years, instead of stewing and brewing about her, I can sacrifice my pride and offer her a friendly greeting. I can even go so far as to sacrifice my thoughts and dedicate some precious prayers to her and her family.
Sacrifice won't be easy or comfortable. It pretty much flies in the face of societal norms. Some people may call us doormats or losers. But sacrifice will bring about a sacredness to our lives. Personal sacrifice will consecrate us for His purposes. For today, I will choose the sacred.
What about you? Is there an area in your life that you feel called to an act of sacrifice?
This post has been linked up to Rachel Olsen's devotional carnival.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Saturday Morning Visit - 03/13/10
7:55am, Alberta, Canada
My heart is happy to see the snow melting! Check out the progress from last week. (Apparently, our hilly little back yard gets a fair bit more sun than the neighbour's.)
Head on over to see Saturday morning in Louisiana. Feel free to join in with images from your own Saturday morning - wherever you are - and leave a link to your SMV post in the comments. :)
Friday, March 12, 2010
Is it Politically INcorrect to Treat My Kids Like Dogs?
As I begin to seriously consider diving back in to the adventure of potty training, I am reminded of some of the best parenting advice I ever stumbled upon... (Taken from "Dogs for Dummies.")
Here are the top 5:
#1 - Resolve that you must train yourdog child, and that training is not a one-shot deal, but an intrinsic and ongoing part of the promise you make to your dog child when you bring her into your life.
#2 - Never let yourpuppy toddler do anything you wouldn't want a grown dog teenager to do.
#3 - Remember that preventing bad habits is easier than fixing them later.
#4 - If you want yourpuppy kid to learn, you need to be consistent about what's acceptable behavior and what's not. Follow through with the ground rules, every time. No letting things slide because you're tired [or] because he's cute.
#5 - If yourpuppy two-year old has been running around for a long time and just seems bratty, he may be tired. If that's the case, put him down for a nap in his crate crib. Ignore his fussing. Chances are he'll be asleep in a few minutes.
Good stuff, right?
In short form, here is the puppy housetraining method:
- Use a crate/cage/kennel.
- Puppy stays in kennel all the time, unless under your direct supervision.
- Bring puppy out frequently to visit the bathroom zone, to drink, to be played with, and to bathroom again.
- Lock puppy in crate.
- Feed and water puppy on a strict schedule so that you can predict when it needs to "go."
- Praise with exuberance when puppy does what you want and where you want.
- As time goes on (a couple weeks, at least), your puppy will begin to tell you when it needs to go outside, and you can gradually lessen the amount of crate time and supervision.
- If puppy regresses, go back to the basics.
So, do you think I can move Daisy out of her crate for a couple weeks and move Kai in (with his potty, of course)??? ;)
Here are the top 5:
#1 - Resolve that you must train your
#2 - Never let your
#3 - Remember that preventing bad habits is easier than fixing them later.
#4 - If you want your
#5 - If your
Good stuff, right?
In short form, here is the puppy housetraining method:
- Use a crate/cage/kennel.
- Puppy stays in kennel all the time, unless under your direct supervision.
- Bring puppy out frequently to visit the bathroom zone, to drink, to be played with, and to bathroom again.
- Lock puppy in crate.
- Feed and water puppy on a strict schedule so that you can predict when it needs to "go."
- Praise with exuberance when puppy does what you want and where you want.
- As time goes on (a couple weeks, at least), your puppy will begin to tell you when it needs to go outside, and you can gradually lessen the amount of crate time and supervision.
- If puppy regresses, go back to the basics.
So, do you think I can move Daisy out of her crate for a couple weeks and move Kai in (with his potty, of course)??? ;)
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Oh, How the Times Have Changed
Long, long ago in a land far, far away...
I had a little webspace called "Bebo." It was an interesting combination of personal profile information and status updates (akin to facebook) and a blog (you know, like here). I believe that My Space existed at this time, but fb was a relatively new phenomenon.
Here is what I posted on my Bebo blog on November 7, 2007:
Facebook?????
Okay, I object! We already have one fantastic place to post all our info and blog - do we really need another? I don't do well with change, girls, and I'm also very loyal. The bebo folks have worked hard to develop this site and I don't want to turn my back on them (lol). All these facebook invites are stressing me out - is everyone abandoning bebo? Boohooo......
P.S. I still haven't totally got the bebo technology down - remind me how to invite friends (I tried, but it will only let me choose friends from my hotmail account - how do I invite friends from my contacts in outlook?)?
Three short years later, and I have 200+ "friends" and am taking a much needed break from fb for Lent due to my continual wasting of time there.
I guess it just goes to show - the new, shiny technology always wins out (no matter how loyal we claim to be). In three years you'll probably find me sitting with a (ahem, cough, sputter) Mac. *shaking head vigorously *
I had a little webspace called "Bebo." It was an interesting combination of personal profile information and status updates (akin to facebook) and a blog (you know, like here). I believe that My Space existed at this time, but fb was a relatively new phenomenon.
Here is what I posted on my Bebo blog on November 7, 2007:
Facebook?????
Okay, I object! We already have one fantastic place to post all our info and blog - do we really need another? I don't do well with change, girls, and I'm also very loyal. The bebo folks have worked hard to develop this site and I don't want to turn my back on them (lol). All these facebook invites are stressing me out - is everyone abandoning bebo? Boohooo......
P.S. I still haven't totally got the bebo technology down - remind me how to invite friends (I tried, but it will only let me choose friends from my hotmail account - how do I invite friends from my contacts in outlook?)?
Three short years later, and I have 200+ "friends" and am taking a much needed break from fb for Lent due to my continual wasting of time there.
I guess it just goes to show - the new, shiny technology always wins out (no matter how loyal we claim to be). In three years you'll probably find me sitting with a (ahem, cough, sputter) Mac. *shaking head vigorously *
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