The Lazy Christian

Yes, I'm still on vacation. But I just had to take a second to send you over to Rachel's blog because I'm guest posting there today. How about you stop by and check it out?

Five Lazy Ways to be an Encourager

P.S. I've been missing you...Let's catch up soon! Say, Tuesday?

Share the Love

Ever struggle with jealousy when you see others succeeding where you're struggling? No? It's just me? Well then, you probably won't need to read this post. But I sure did!

When Grown-Up Sibling Rivalry Rears Its Ugly Head

If you're a developing speaker (like me), you've probably wondered the same question I posed...How in the world do I generate word of mouth when I'm speaking only a few times a year? Sheila answered my question in one of the most informative blog posts I've ever read!

How to Use Photos to Get the Word Out

So how 'bout you go check out these posts, mkay?!

Because I got nothin' for ya today. Nope. Lazy day. Baking cookies via a big, rolled tube of dough and watching TV.

Internet Buddies

I have made some of the best friendships long distance! Some women I've met through their blogs and don't yet know in person, some bloggers whom I've had the privilege to meet, and others whose paths I've crossed at conferences and such.

Angela is a friend I met a She Speaks last year, and I thank God for bringing us together on the final eve of the conference. We've made a real heart connection over email this year, and even had a whole morning encouraging one another on Skype. Her ministry is growing beautifully, and I'm so excited for what God is going to do through her!

Today, I have the honor of sharing a post over on her blog, Rethinking My Thinking. It's a part of her series on Wrestling with God - the marriage part. I pray that my story encourages you. You can read it here.

While you're there, please say "Hi!" to Ang and take some time to read a few of her posts. I know you'll be blessed.

Does God Speak to You?

Do you 'hear' God's voice?

Does God speak to you?

Do you believe God speaks to His people?

Tell me what you think. I really want to know!

Here are some great posts I've read lately about listening to and having a relationship with God...

I Love You, by Danielle (aka Mama Bird of Mama Bird Muses & Babbles)

If You Know Him, You Hear Him, by Sarah (aka Kingdom Mama of Kingdom Twindom + 1)

The Unsaved Christian, by Lysa TerKeurst

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This post is part of a weekly Lent series, Without Question, where we are taking time to ask God the questions that are on our hearts and listen for His answers. Anyone is welcome to join - for just one post or for the entire series.

To participate, simply write a blog post (or if you don't have a blog, leave a comment) about what God has been speaking into your heart. In your post, provide a link back to this post. If you wish, you can also insert the WQ graphic in your post. Then insert the URL for your Without Question blog post in the McLinky below.

Making Marriage Work

I was going to post about marriage today. The joys, the struggles, and some things I've learned along the way. I'll save that post for another day.

Nothing I have to say today could possibly communicate as well as these posts...

How I See It - Do you sometimes find that you and your kids are caught up in a flurry of work around the house, while your sweet husband enjoys his perch on the couch, remote in hand? Does it make you a wee bit resentful? Yeah, me too. Jen puts it all back into perspective.

Affair proof your mind - Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "I wish my husband was more like hers?" Or perhaps taken it a step further and found yourself attracted to a man that's not your man? Lysa offers some pointers on keeping our hearts and minds turned the right way.

Think reading the Bible is a waste of time?

When you carry the Bible, the devil has a headache.


When you open it, he collapses.

When he sees you reading it, he faints.

So let's read the Bible - every day - so that he keeps on fainting.

(Maybe one day he'll have a stroke and never wake up.)



* As sent to my by my girl Bobbie. Author unknown.

Does God Really Talk to us?

I figured there would be one or two people with that very question following my Conversation with God. I was all ready to sit down and do my best to explain how God speaks to us. And then I read this...

The Bible is God's language. His native tongue. In the Old Testament alone, the writers explicitly state 3,808 times that they are conveying God's words. You will have a very, very difficult time hearing God's voice if you don't familiarize yourself with His language.

The more you read, hear, speak, write, memorize, study, seek to understand, teach and sing God's word, the more you will discern His voice when He speaks to you.

And I thought to myself, "Wow, she is way smarter than me on this subject! After all, hearing the voice of God is Sandy's "thing." She's super-good at explaining it, plus she's a fantastic writer! It's much better to send people to her blog if they want to understand this whole concept of hearing God speak." So that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Not sure if God really speaks to us? Or don't get how He speaks and how we hear? Want someone to makes sense of it all? Visit Sandy at God Speaks Today. She's revisiting some good teachings on this very subject. If you follow her blog, you will discover that the learning never ends!

Click and Visit

This morning I got to be "class mommy" at Kindergarten. This afternoon I get to be "napping mommy." This weekend I will be "daughter" at my Mommy's house, which means I get to be fed really well! And Monday I get to be "stay at home with 5 kids who are off school mommy."

So I'll see you on Tuesday! If you're Canadian, happy Thanksgiving!

And hey, rather than leave you here with not much of anything, why don't you link up to your best post from this week (or this month, whatever)? Then we can spend the weekend visiting one another. :)

How to Help an Angry Mom, part 4 - Guest Post con't

Here are the earlier posts in this series:
Why are some moms so angry?
What's the husband/fathers role in helping an angry mom?
How can we get discipline back under control?

And for today, What is child training and how do we do it? courtesy of Jenny.

I would like to add a couple of notes to my previous post…

1. When children learn to obey the majority of the time, they earn the right to respectfully appeal with something like, “Yes, Mom, may I finish this first?” or whatever is appropriate for the situation. However, appeals can’t follow every directive.

2. Never spank in anger. When you send the child to wait for you, that is your time to gather your thoughts, pray for wisdom and ask God to help you handle the situation calmly and lovingly. If you get frustrated because your child won’t admit what they did, take a break. It will give him/her time to think and you time to refocus. Gal. 6:1 reminds us if anyone is caught in a sin (i.e. disobeying parents), we are to restore them in a spirit of gentleness.

3. I mentioned checking your motive. Let me expound. If your motive is to pay your child back, to get out your frustration, to gain obedience because it is more convenient for you or because of any selfish reason, your motive is wrong. Teaching children the self-control to say no to themselves and yes to you will one day translate into them saying no to themselves and yes to God. Don’t we all wish we had more self-control not to say whatever we’re thinking, not to eat foods we know we shouldn’t, not to spend money we know isn’t within the budget? Self-control is a gift. And we can give this gift to our children through loving, consistent discipline which is aimed toward the child’s benefit, not ours.

4. I know that there are some who would read “spank in love” and scoff. That is just not something that is conceivable to them. I can understand that. Sin has tainted what biblical discipline should look like. People have been hurt and therefore have abandoned the truth of God’s word. Proverbs says, “Every word of God proves true.” Colossians 2:8 warns us not to be taken captive by the world’s hollow and deceptive philosophies because God has made foolish the wisdom of this world (I Cor. 1:20).

So on to Training and Encouragement…

Consistency in discipline is vitally important but

No amount of discipline will make up for a lack of training!

What does that mean? It means that you can give consequence after consequence but you will see a significant difference if you take the time to teach your child not only what to “put off” as Eph. 4 tells us but what to put on. Don’t athletes practice, practice, and practice some more before actually going out to compete? So why not give our children time to practice obeying during a fun, non-confrontational training time?

During training time, you can teach your kids what you mean by first-time obedience. Tell them what you’ve seen them doing: talking back, grumbling, ignoring, etc. You can even act out what you’ve seen them doing. This usually makes a huge impact and the kids think it’s hilarious seeing Mom and Dad acting like them. Next, explain using Scripture such as Ephesians 6:1-2 and Phil 2:14 why what they’ve been doing is wrong. Carefully explain and/or act out what you would like to see. Then let them know what the consequence will be if they don’t obey cheerfully, right away, all the way and no matter what.

Now it’s practice time! Give them a task to perform.

Example) “Becky, please take these two toys and put them where they belong.” Becky says cheerfully, “Yes, Mom.” When she finishes, she comes back and reports, “Mom, I put the toys away. Is there anything else I can do to help?” You encourage her with, “Thank you, Becky, for obeying cheerfully and right away!”

You can also use this time to practice all kinds of things like how to resolve an argument with a sibling, the best way to ask for a toy, how to sit quietly in church, what to do when a friend says something unkind, how to look an adult in the eye and carry on a conversation. Whatever you want to work on, use this time to practice it. The more you want to work on, the more often you schedule training time. If you have littler ones, you may want to set aside two nights a week. For older kids, once a week or every other week might do.
I will say try to make it a set night if possible. It will help you to remember and actually do it if you know it’s “Tuesday Training Time.”

I love how Mrs. Duggar puts it, “Practice makes progress!” That’s what we’re looking for, progress…not perfection.

Lastly, don’t forget to praise, encourage and thank your children when you see respectful, loving behavior. When someone praises you for something, doesn’t it make you want to do it again? And if we’re only correcting what we don’t like, they will become discouraged. They need to be assured that they are on the right track. “Thank you, Lucy, for showing love to your sister by sharing that toy!” “Wow, Cameron, what a kind boy you are!” “Good job, Molly, obeying so quickly! Thank you.”

While teaching first-time obedience calmly, consistently and in love will bring peace and order to your home, it is equally important to remember when Jesus said there was no greater commandment than to "'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength [and to] love your neighbor as yourself.'"

If our children are outwardly obedient but inwardly defiant, or outwardly respectful to you and others but don't love others, it is worthless. We lead first by example, then through teaching what the Word says and allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in their lives. Parenting is not a part-time job. It takes a lot of time, patience, love, and proactive, intentional teaching and training. What an awesome responsibility is ours. I want to be found faithful.

It’s been almost seven years since my husband and I were first introduced to the godly parenting information that changed our lives and the vision we have for our family. I don’t know where we’d be without it. I am so very grateful that God led a woman at our church (who is now my mentor) to facilitate a parenting class which was a series of videos by Reb Bradley of Family Ministries called Biblical Insights into Child Training. Since then I have worked with Mr. Bradley and even had the opportunity to have him stay with us recently. I love this man’s heart and am so grateful he has used his God-given gifts of wisdom and teaching to share with parents a biblical, practical, and counter-cultural way to raise up warriors for Christ. Thanks to him, I understand what the Bible means when it says that children are a blessing and reward.

By the way, Mr. Bradley has a new series called Parenting Teens with the Wisdom of Solomon. It's invaluable!

Thank-you, Jenny! I can personally attest to the effectiveness of diligent child training and discipline. (Because of Jenny taking the time to personally address some struggles our family was having, we tried out her (Reb's) methods. For some silly reason, we have strayed from that lately, which probably explains yesterday's post... Back on track!)

I would love to hear if you are going to start something new in your family because of any of the posts in this series! What are you going to try doing differently?

Enough Yelling Already

There has been WAY too much yelling going on in our house this past month. I don’t know about you, but when life gets kinda crazy, so do I... (keep reading)

I'm guest posting at Kingdom Twindom +1 today, so go on over and read the rest of the post there... And while you're there, hang out and read a little more. Sarah (aka Kingdom Mama) has five little monkeys (just like me, only a LOT younger) - two sets of twins + 1. She and her man (Papa Bear) have been to hell and back, and if you take the time to read a bit about how God completely redeemed their marriage, I KNOW you will be blessed!

How to Help an Angry Mom, part three *Guest Post*

Introduction
Part One
Part Two

I was blessed a couple years back to find a friend online who has a gift for parenting. (Seriously, she's not just good; she's gifted!) And it's a gift that she willingly shares with anyone who asks! Jenny currently has five gorgeous children whom she home schools. She and her husband, Roddy, have invested their lives in training their children. This spring, their family of seven will grow to a family of eleven - yes, eleven!!! Jenny is expecting blessings #6, 7, and 8 (not in her womb, but in her heart - their three daughter will be coming home from Ethiopia in the winter/ spring). Blessing #9 is also on the way, and is expected to make an appearance in April - this one is coming the traditional way, bringing Jenny the need for extra rest and eventually providing her with an attractive waddle.

For moms who struggle with anger, one of the feelings that overwhelms us is the sense of us and our children being "out of control." Getting it back under control takes some hard work, but it is work worth doing! If you are an angry mom, ask God to give you the energy and focus to try something new (trust me, these methods actually take less energy than yelling). If you are married to an angry mom, ask the Lord for the wisdom to begin this new thing in a way that will encourage and inspire your wife to follow suit.

I have been the recipient of Jenny's personalized advice for my family situation numerous times. If you do what she says, things will begin to change - I promise!

I was sitting on a transportation system at an amusement park not too long ago when the mom next to us angrily say to her son, “You have not obeyed me all day! I’ve had it! In fact, you haven’t listened to me in six years!” And she went on to inform him that he was going to start obeying right then.

What this mom didn’t know is that she was the one who taught her son not to obey. We’ve all done it. But we don’t even know it.

There are so many things that contribute to Mother Anger…fatigue, busyness, disorganization, hormones, isolation, pride, wrong expectations…the list is lengthy. But when it comes to the area of discipline, I think the biggest frustration is uncertainty. “What is the right thing to do?”

And if you are a follower of Jesus, you know you can’t just accept any old parenting philosophy. We know that our children have been entrusted to us by God.

I don’t know about you, but I want to please my Maker. I want to parent biblically. And I know that my God is not a God of confusion but of peace (I Cor 14:33). But you see, the world has bombarded us with messages that tell us the Word is not sufficient to answer all our questions. We need the “experts” to tell us what is best for our children. And those experts have left us in confusion and turmoil. We are frustrated and our children are frustrating

Personally, I think the One who made us and our children is the One we need to tell us how to parent. That said, what does God say and how do we apply it practically, daily?

And how did the frustrated mom at the amusement park accidentally teach her son to disobey? More than likely through inconsistency, lack of training (on her son’s part) and criticism.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother...
~Ephesians 6:1-2

Did you notice this verse does not exclude two year olds or strong-willed children?

You know it’s frustrating to have to repeat yourself over and over again. Do we really have to count (1…2…3), threaten, bribe or yell to have our children obey us? Can we speak calmly and sweetly and expect our children to obey the first time? The answer is yes.

In our home obedience must be done Cheerfully, Right Away, All the Way and No Matter What. Anything else is considered disobedience. When our children obey in this way, they are honoring us and will be blessed by God. I want this for my children.

The consequence for disobedience for children under 10, is a calm, private spanking (Prov 29:15).

Example) When you ask your child to do something and they don’t do it with a good attitude, right away, thoroughly and without excuse or comment, all you do is say (calmly), “Bobby, meet me in your room, please.” Don’t have a conversation at this point.

When you get to the room, you might say, “Did I ask you to put away your toys?” Bobby answers, “Yes.” Mom says, “Did you obey cheerfully (or whichever applies)?” Bobby says, “No.” Mom asks, “So what has to happen?” Bobby says, “I need a spanking.”

Spanking is about restoration, not alienation or abuse. Hug your child. Pray with him or her. Then teach them how to apologize specifically…”I’m sorry, Mom, for not obeying cheerfully.” Forgive him and make sure you both have a good attitude before leaving the room. Then, go back to your originally places and ask Bobby to clean up his toys again.

For children older than 10, there needs to be a consequence that relates to the disobedience. If you have told your child a time warning, “Five more minutes of computer time,” but when it comes time to get off, she argues, stalls, or huffs and puffs, the consequence could be missing her next computer time.

Important: No consequence should be extreme or about pay back. Three weeks off the computer would be extreme. Always watch your motive.

Consistency is key! If we ignore disobedience some of the time and discipline for it other times, our children will be confused and will always hope for the time you won’t bring a consequence. Discipline becomes more about the mood mom is in than about the fact that God has called children to obey and honor and has called parents to train them up (Eph 6:4).

And how much better to take care of an issue the first time, before we’re frustrated from repeating, threatening, etc. Having the mindset that nothing else is more important than training your children and dropping whatever we’re doing to take care of them will have eternal rewards.

So, discipline is obviously important but...

No amount of discipline will make up for a lack of training!

...more about child training from Jenny coming soon...

In my post Sort of ObedienceI mentioned that my children seldom obey me the first time I ask them to do something. I do believe we will be printing off a poster (as a reminder for the kids and ourselves) that quotes, "Cheerfully, Right Away, All the Way, and No Matter What!" Thanks Jenny - as always, you have inspired me to change my inconsistent ways. I can't wait to learn about training our children!

The High Calling

Hey friends,

Did you notice the new badge on my sidebar (just below my facebook badge)? I've joined up with a network called High Calling Blogs (thanks to my dear friend Angela for sending me over to check them out).

Why? you ask. Well, I have a few reasons.

First, I love connecting with like-minded Jesus-followers on the world wide web! I like to hang out and read posts that encourage me and challenge me in my walk with the Lord. This is a good place to do that!

Second, I believe in their vision - to use new media tools to create opportunities for people to encounter God for the transformation of daily life, work, and the world. That is one of the very reasons I started this blog (besides wanting to leave a heritage for my children) - to extend my reach in ministry to women. Who better to help me walk the path that God has called me to than a bunch of other bloggers following after their high calling?!

Third, because I believe that partnering with a couple of quality, Godly, well-established Christian communities will be helpful to me as I work to build and grow my platform. Without a wide and strong platform to stand on, many a good writer's work won't make the cut. I am passionate about helping other mothers finding freedom from anger; I believe that my life and faith experiences will help show them the way to freedom; I want them to have the opportunity to read Mommy, why are you angry? - and getting that book published, unfortunately, requires that I do more than just write the book (I've got to "sell" it, too).

I hope that you will pop over to High Calling Blogs to see what their (our) community has to offer. I am thrilled to consider myself "part of the family" now!

A quick thank-you...

to Tracy at My Slice of Sanity for featuring my recent post on anger. I am humbled and honored. :)

Why I Didn't Cry

We were in the washrooms at the airport - my new friends Angela, Shannon, and I. The bathroom attendant was an outgoing woman named Celese, inviting us to "Choose [our] own seat and relieve all [our] pressures." As Angela waited for Shannon and I to finish our business, she chatted with Celese.

It came into the conversation that we had just left a Christian women's conference. Celese exclaimed, "I knew you were sisters! When you came in I could tell there was something different about you girls! The whole atmosphere in this place changed when you girls came in - you smiled and talked to me. I've been here doing this all day now, and hardly none of these women even looked my way." At her words, my heart soared (we brought Jesus with us and she felt it!) and broke (this friendly woman had been met with rejection for hours).

I came out of the stall in my freshly donned exercise pants and tank top (after all, I had no intentions of spending seven hours of flying plus two hours of layover in slacks and a blouse). I stepped out bearing my brightest smile for our hard-working friend. She looked at me, reached her hand out, and began to rub my tummy!

I tried to step away and save both myself and her the embarrassment, but it was too late. She rubbed and exclaimed her excitement about my "condition." Fiercely keeping that smile planted on my face, I told her, "No, no. I'm not pregnant. I'm just chubby." She didn't believe me, so I said it again. In an awkward moment (for both of us, I'm sure), she took her hand from the jiggly fat stores on my belly and stepped back. Though her comment stung, I did not want to allow my typical reaction (shutting down and being angry and upset) to creep in and mar her impression of what Jesus girls are like.

As my two new friends and I strolled the concourse looking for a lunch location, my emotions warred within me. My typical reaction would be hurt, defensiveness, anger. My typical reaction would typically lead me to stuff my face in an an effort to dull the emotional ache. My typical reaction would be a dialogue in my head convincing myself that I should give up any efforts to be healthier, because they just don't seem to get me anywhere.

But the words of Lysa TerKeurst echoed in my head, "Typical reactions will give us a typical reach. God-honoring reactions will give us a God-sized reach." So I took those thoughts and feelings that were running through my mind and body and asked myself (and my Jesus) if there was anything true or beneficial that I needed to take from that whole uncomfortable experience.

In the few minutes it took us to get to a restaurant and find our seats, I was able to put those nasty thoughts and feelings aside. I turned them over to Jesus and said, "Here - you take these. I don't need them or want them. They're no good for me." And He did! When we ordered our meals, I felt virtually no temptation to order the hugest, greasiest burger on the menu. There was no aching void inside of me crying out to be filled. It was already full to overflowing!

I have been on a journey these past few weeks - a journey to eat better, get healthy, lose weight. But this time I am not walking into battle unarmed and alone, I am stepping onto the battlefield with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I have the privilege of being one of thirty women given the opportunity to review and "test drive" Lysa's new book, Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food (releasing in December, 2010). All I can say is that it is really helping!

How do I know that it's helping? Well, it could be that I have successfully lost six pounds so far. Or maybe that there is a difference in my desire (the book has helped me to find my "want to"). But honestly, the biggest indicator to me that this book is helping me is the fact that those words in the airport did not damage me. They did not define me. They did not influence my actions and reactions for days or weeks to come.

The numbers on the scale - they don't define who I am. The hurtful comments of others - they don't define who I am. The fit (or lack of fit) of my clothes - that doesn't define who I am. Comparison with others - that doesn't define who I am. Who I am is defined by only one thing: Whose I am. I am His, and that is the only thing that will determine my identity AND my reactions.

Window Shopping

Here are some must-reads from last week that I simply had to share!

Another (incredibly well-written and poignant) perspective on the journey my friends are walking.

Two great words of encouragement that I desperately needed this week.

Nine one-liners to live by.

The Night I Met a Man Named Mr. Moon

Today, I have the very special honour of introducing you to my friend Danielle. Though we have never met, I consider her friendship just a real as if we spent every Tuesday morning having coffee together.

Danielle blogs her thoughts at Mama Bird Muses and Babbles, and shares her family escapades at Our Own Little Nest. She is a homeschooling Mama Bird to four small children (they are gorgeous, by the way!) and she's got a handsome and hard-working hubby! I'm sure that's one of the things that drew me to her (not that her hubby is handsome, but that his work requires her to do the whole parenting thing single-handedly more often than is ideal). On top of all her super-ness, Danielle is also a business-woman, creating beautiful and original designs at Danielle Designs.

Without further adieu, I will invite you to grab your Kleenex box and enjoy hearing about how God has been moving in Danielle's world lately!

I turn down the bread aisle and scan the shelves for my favorite bread.

What time is it anyway?

7:45. I need to get the kids from Vacation Bible School in 30 minutes.
Hurry.

I locate the bread I want, and as I start piling loaves into my cart, the cheerful old man sharing the aisle with me strikes up a conversation.

"You know, my doctor told me I needed to stop eating so much bread because of my high blood pressure. He told me I can only have one slice at breakfast time, but you know that's just not enough to fill me up."

He chatters on, and as he's doing so I notice his unkempt gray beard, his scraggly gray hair, his thin plaid shirt, his raggedy blue suspenders. I smile and exchange pleasantries as he continues on, this time about ice cream, all the while thinking about how I don't have time for this.

I'm SO going to be late. How do I ditch this guy?

A few moments later, someone I barely know comes walking down the aisle, and I cringe inside.

I hope she doesn't think I know this man, or that I'm friends with him.

I finally find enough of a break in the man's stories to excuse myself and wish him a good day. A wave of guilt comes over me, but I shrug it off.

Oh well.I'm a busy mom. I don't have time to chit chat with him.

I look at the clock and realize I really need to hurry so I'm not late picking up the kids, and I grumble to myself.

Great.a rare hour away by myself, and I have to rush because an old man doesn't know when to take a hint and stop talking.

I get some beef and ham from the meat counter and head to the last aisle. As I'm loading gallon after gallon of milk into my already full cart, I notice the old man shuffling towards me with his almost-empty cart. He eyes all my groceries, then says with a smile, "It looks like you have a pretty big family."

"Well, I have a husband and four kids, and two of them are growing boys so this milk'll be gone in less than a week!" I laugh and busily load more necessities into my cart, hoping he'll see that I don't have time to chat.
Wrong.

"Oh! Four kids huh?! Well.I'm just an old bachelor." His voice trails off like he's ashamed of what he's just admitted, and I'm not sure how to respond.

I reassure him, "Hey there's nothing wrong with that either!"

"Yeah." He stops to think what to say next, or maybe he's working up the courage to admit a sad truth, but his expression prompts me to slow down - and then stop - so I can listen to this man who has seen so many years. He looks me in the eyes, and with a smile that fails to hide the sadness, he continues, ".but in my old age it sure would be nice to have family around me."

And for the first time, instead of looking at his eyes, I look into them. I watch as the rims redden and wetness threatens to take over. He blinks and gets nervous, and I do the same. My throat tightens, my nose starts to tingle as I fight back the tears, and I realize that I'm not here to get groceries. I'm here for this man. Or maybe it's the other way around.

And the words that come out of my mouth surprise me, because I know they aren't my own, but the Spirit's.

"Well, you should have dinner with me and my family sometime! Do you live here in town?"

He looks at me as if he hasn't heard me right. "What?"

I repeat the question, and he tells me he lives in Attica. I smile even bigger as I realize what God is up to. I tell the man that we also live just north of Attica, way out there in the country, and that I'm going to call him and invite him for supper. His humble, quiet response breaks my heart.

"Oh, you wouldn't want to bother with an old man like me."

And I look into his eyes, no longer seeing the defects for which I had judged him before, and I tell him gently, "It would be no bother. We'd love to have you. Please.what's your name so I can call you?"

He shares with me his name - Mr. Moon - and I assure him that I'll be calling him. He smiles at me, and the look on his face makes me think he's seen an angel.

I tell him goodbye and as I drive away from the store, I sob. Tears stream down my cheeks.

Tears of regret. How could I have been so judgmental? Tears of shame. How could my thoughts have been so callous? Tears of redemption. Thank you, Savior, for a second chance to love that man. Tears of gratefulness. Thank you, Father, for a family with whom to grow old. Tears of excitement. Lord, how will You use us in the life of this man? How will You use this man in our lives? Tears of appreciation. Thank you, God, for helping my blind eyes to see little better tonight.

I think again about the way Mr. Moon looked at me, as if I were an angel.
And I wonder. With all that I've learned about myself and about the love of God - all because of brief interaction with this old man - is it possible that he is the angel?

Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
-Hebrews 13:1-2

Or, I wonder, is God showing me how to love someone that I initially deemed unlovable? Is God teaching me how to love "the least of these"?

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' -Matthew 25:34-45

Tonight, I met a man named Mr. Moon. He needed a bath, a haircut, and new clothes, but that matters not.

For he's a human being.
With feelings.
A soul.
A heart.
Hope.
Made in the image of Almighty God.
A person.
Just like me.

Danielle, words cannot even express how thankful I am for you! Beautiful. Your words are the piece de resistance on this week. Thank-you for sharing your poignant encounter!

Trading Arm Pit Noises For Estrogen

Today I'd like to introduce you to someone very special to me. If I were Elijah (which I am NOT), she would be Elisha. I had the great privilege of "passing the mantle" of women's ministry leadership into her capable hands.

Stacy is a wife, homeschooling mom to three beautiful (and well-behaved) kids, and a true friend. If you want to get to know her better, you can read some old posts over at her blog, my simple walk. If we're lucky, maybe writing this guest post has gotten her creative juices flowing and she'll start writing for her blog again. ;)

About a year ago I inherited a wonderful women’ s ministry. At the time I didn’t understand what God was doing. Honestly I still don’t get it...even though He continues to tell me with a very bold and loving voice. One of those moments occurred just recently.

I have been a full time volunteer in the children’s ministry for a very long time. I have three children who are there and I whole heartedly support this ministry and for me that means being actively involved in it. I was a leader with our 56er’s group. The grade 5 and 6 kids. It was a great experience, but I can say I questioned my better judgement after the first month. I am a pretty structured person with a fairly small funny bone. Needless to say a table full of 10-12 year old boys was a little challenging for me. I wondered what I had got myself into. As the year progressed, I began to think maybe I should be in the nursery holding babies instead of talking about all the different noises I can make with my arm pit! I wasn’t going to quit and back down though and was trying to decide if I should give it another year.

In the meantime my new role in the women’s ministry was taking form and my mind was spinning. I would be organizing ticket sales in the cafe for a women’s event and headed upstairs to lead a group of kids. At some point, honestly I can’t recall when, I began to ask God to rearrange my day so that He was my priority. I didn’t want my time with Him to be another task on my list, and I didn’t want to feel like He was always sitting in my living room on the couch waiting for me, all the while I was busy “doing” things.

As the year came to an end, I was called in by the children’s coordinator. She told me that she felt like I needed a break from children’s ministry and since I wouldn’t give myself one....well she would do it for me. She said that God called me to lead the women and I can’t do that while trying to pull my thoughts and heart in three different directions. I was in awe. Little did she know that I had been praying for the Lord to rearrange my day, but thank goodness for her obedient and willing spirit.

On the way home that day the song Oh How He Loves came on. I was in tears.... and belting out this song American Idol style as I drove home. God was telling me that He loves me so much, he was taking a burden away from me that He knew I couldn’t do myself. He also once again told me that he placed me in leadership over the women of my church. He loves me and he wants to teach me. He is gentle with me when I refuse to get the message, and wants to wrap me up in his love.

If you have never heard that song before....you need to. It is one of the greatest ways I think God has chosen to tell us how much he loves us. Thank goodness for obedient hearts and a God who loves us like a hurricane and keeps us tucked safely away in the eye of it...most of the time.

Thanks Tyler for the chance to share that moment with God.

Stacy, thank-you for sharing the way God has been speaking to you. If I could pick one thing that resonated with me, it was this:

I began to ask God to rearrange my day so that He was my priority. I didn’t want my time with Him to be another task on my list, and I didn’t want to feel like He was always sitting in my living room on the couch waiting for me, all the while I was busy “doing” things.

My heart, too, longs for relationship with my Jesus to be deeper and more meaningful than simply another task I cross of my list.

Burning Coals

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each wit six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send" And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

~Isaiah 6:1-8

It's been five months since I read this passage. Five months since I fell on my face before the Lord in repentance. Six months since I proclaimed this to be my year of consecration. Yesterday, as I stood in church and let the words of the prophet Isaiah flood over me, I sensed the Spirit asking me for a halfway point progress report.

He knows where I've made strides, where I've but taken a few steps, and where I've not moved at all (or fallen back to where I started). He doesn't need me to present Him with a report card. Yet I clearly sensed Him asking, "Tyler, how have you been doing? Are you any closer to the holiness I desire in your life than you were at the start of this year?"

My answer, a feeble, "Well, I think so." Conviction. "A little bit." More conviction. "I guess I could have put more effort in, been more intentional." Even more conviction. "Oh Lord, woe to me! I am a woman of unclean lips! In spite of my desire to do better and be better I continually fail. My lips spew forth impatience, selfish words, profanities." And I know in that moment that the impurities that spill from my mouth are but an overflow from a mind filled with filth and a heart set on selfish desires.

Once again, I will stop and turn. Turn away from the evil that I repeatedly find myself drawn into; turn back towards the God who loves me. And I will try, once again, to follow Him, be like Him, and serve Him.

Thank-you, Sandy, for giving us the opportunity to share how God speaks to us this summer.

Tithers Are Recession-Proof

I came across a post this morning that echos loudly every thought I have on the matters of tithing, giving, and personal finances. While the post was written toward those considering adoption, the truths Linny shares are relevant for all of us.

Below is an excerpt, but make sure you visit A Place Called Simplicity to read the whole post and a multitude of other fantastic posts about God's hand in the life of this family! (The post, written in January of 2009 and entitled "Middle of the Night Thoughts" is down the page a bit, below the blog intro called "Our Boatload of Dreams.")

Yes, the economic system in our world is in serious, major, humongous trouble. BUT God's economy is plentiful. Yes, people are losing their jobs (our sweet son-in-love, Ryan, lost his job last Wednesday) BUT Almighty God is the ultimate Job Placement Agency. Jehovah Jirah is still on the throne and He is the meeter of all needs.

If we were to do a study of God's principles an over-riding theme is that God deeply loves three specific groups of people and we are commanded to care for them. The poor, the orphan and the widow.

So call me crazy: BUT I do not think that when the economy is struggling that the King of Kings changes His plans and says, "oh I didn't realize that the dollar would be worth far less and you guys would lose your jobs and so yeah, don't worry about the poor, the orphan and the widow. I didn't realize that this economy would go 'bust' and yeah, ummm so, you guys really better button up your giving and hang on to every penny you get."

Absolutely not!!! He has called us to care for the poor, the orphan and the widow - period! Dw and I firmly believe that no matter what - His commands are not optional!! In fact, we are of the notion when times get tough - give more away!! When you are wondering how you are going to pay for something - give even more away to the poor, the orphan or the widow.

There is something about God watching our hearts and seeing that we are trusting HIM not the savings account, our home value, or our IRA. He says, "Give and it will be given to you - pressed down, running over..." Does that make sense? Only in GOD'S economy.

Recently I was talking to a group of friends. There is a popular notion out there that "when I get alot of money (the lottery/strike it rich in business) then I will finally be able to really do something big for God." But I think that is a very wrong game plan. God is watching our stewardship NOW. He says, "When I gave you little, what did you do?" Have you hoarded it? Have you kept it for your own pleasure - because after all, you 'earned' it and you 'deserve' it? Are your 'needs' really needs? Have you been generous with the small amount you have?? I think the word "generous" is key. Dw and I are totally convinced that He is watching our stewardship and if we are faithful and generous in little - THEN He will pour out His financial blessings BECAUSE He knows that you are trustworthy - you are doing what He wanted you to do in the first place - faithfully and sacrificially giving to the needs of the poor, the orphan and the widow - even when you had little.

Dw and I are convinced that tithers are Recession/Depression Proof. Remember David in the Psalms said: "I have never seen the righteous forsaken or His seed begging bread." It does not mean that times won't get "crunchier", but He is the provider!!

Dw and I are totally convinced that He is watching our stewardship and if we are faithful and generous in little - THEN He will pour out His financial blessings BECAUSE He knows that you are trustworthy - you are doing what He wanted you to do in the first place - faithfully and sacrificially giving to the needs of the poor, the orphan and the widow - even when you had little.
So the game plan?? Get out of debt! Give to the orphan, the widow and the poor. Stop needless spending. Give to the orphan, the widow and the poor. Downsize your home to have less mortgage (or no mortgage). Give to the orphan, the widow and the poor. Cut up your credit cards and pay them off. Give to the orphan, the widow and the poor.

And THEN watch and see our Miracle-Working, Mountain-Moving, Awe-Inspiring, Gasp-Giving God provide supernaturally for you!! It's gonna' be so stinkin' amazing!!

Does it get any more real, straight-shooting, down-to-earth, say-it-like-it-is than this?! And based on our personal experience, every single word is absolutely accurate. Don't believe me (or Linny)? Go ahead and test it out...

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "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

5QF

My friend Mama Bird has been answering questions on Fridays for a few weeks, and this week I could not resist joining in on Five Question Friday.

1. Do you know how to play a musical instrument?

Long ago, in a life far, far away, I briefly played piano, clarinet, and flute. I still do a stellar version of "Heart and Soul" on the piano. I've regretting giving up on piano for many years, but my pre-teen self was not too keen on the strict practice regimen.

2. What is your pet peeve while driving?

Texting while driving is my most recent pet peeve. But for years I have been driven crazy by the fools who brake for green lights as if they are yield signs!

3. Would you rather have a housekeeper or unlimited spa services?

Housekeeper. Absolutely. I had a housekeeper briefly when we moved, and the saddest thing in the world was when I had to take over my own housework. Even now, it brings a tear to my eye.

4. Is there a song that you hear that will take you back to the moment, like a junior high or high school dance?

Grade 7, Jennifer D. and I, anytime we were together (but especially walking around the school yard at recess.



5. What song best represents your life right now?

As I journey with my friend Deb (aka invisigirl); as I wait and hope and pray for provision for She Speaks; as I pray for so many friends and family bearing burdens (financial, cancer, teen pregnancy, unsaved loved ones), this song is the one that dominates my thoughts and prayers.



And if our God is for us,
Then what can ever stop us?
And if our God is with us,
Then what can stand against us?

Our God is greater,
Our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other!
Our God is healer,
Awesome and Power!
Our God! Our God!