Celebrating Some Darn Good Blogging

Read this post and visit these gals, but don't forget to come back to this post and enter to win...

Every now and then, I find myself feeling a bit discouraged in blogging. Maybe my visits are down (stats are not always my friend). Maybe I've been busy or uninspired, blogged too infrequently, and lost readers. Or maybe I just feel like sometimes I'm wasting my time.

When those days get me down, I can always count on my fellow bloggers to life me back up. One thing that always brings a smile to my face is receiving a blogging award. They're nothing formal or fancy, no one regulates them; they are given by the very people who read blogs - other bloggers. Honestly, nothing is as encouraging as hearing someone say, "I read your blog. I like it. And I want to let other people know just how much."

I made a decision early in my blogging days that I would always accept every award sent my way, even if I became a famous super-blogger (bwahahahaha). Not because I feel it's necessary to fill up my sidebar with my own accolades, but because I believe it's important for us to encourage one another. And nothing is more encouraging than having another blogger link to you and send her (or his) readers your way. It's telling them, "I read this blog and you should, too!"

So here are some blogs that I read, and you should, too!

Just a note to the recipients: To accept your blog award simply save the picture to your computer, then upload it in a blog post where you accept it. You may also want to save it in your sidebar (because they look purty). In the post, make sure you link to the blog where you received the award from AND link up to a few (the number is up to you) blogs you would like to pass along some encouragement to. You'll want to email the people whom you are honouring, so they know they're being awarded.

I would like to pass this first award to a couple blogs that are lovely in my eyes:

Loni at Loni Bourne Photography - her blog is made beautiful by the photographic art she fills it with; she's also a real-life friend (and did my photographs for my bio).

Shauna at Shutterbugg Mom - That's Me! - another real-life friend who blogs amazing photos and thought-provoking words of wisdom.

Thank-you to Julie, who blessed me with this award (in June, 2009). Please accept my apologies for taking an eternity to receive it. :)

Award # 2 is going to a couple blogs that inspire me:

Jen at Pearls of Wisdom - a real-life friend, a new blogger, an inspiring writer.

Sarah (aka Kingdom Mama) at Kingdom Twindom - she's hard-core, gets right down into the nitty gritty, and finds God in the midst.

Jenny at The Wagner Family - homeschooling mom to five blondies, chalk full of wisdom on marriage and parenting.

Traci sent this award my way a while back. (She created it herself! Isn't it beautiful?) Your visits and your encouragement are a gift to me, Traci. Thank-you.

The third and final award, to those who brighten my day:

Danielle (aka Mama Bird) at Mama Bird Muses and Babbles - seriously, my day is not complete without a visit to her blog; I heart Danielle!

Bobbie at 40 Shades of Pink - a blog friend made real-life friend whose blog is full of her zest for life (and cooking and gardening - amazing).

Christine at Passionate Homemaking - my long-time (nearly 12 years) BFF; she took a little blog hiatus, but is finally back at it. I missed you (and miss you)!

Julie, I don't know why you keep on blessing me and encouraging me (when I'm such a slow recipient), but again I thank you! You are too kind.

This concludes my 500 post party (but there's still time to enter to win). Thanks again for stopping in!

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

Welcome to my little space on this here world wide web! Grab your coffee, have a seat, and visit a while.

In honour of the fact that I have been here for the writing of 500+ posts, and especially the fact that there has always been one or two of you reading and cheering me on, I'm having a little party. I don't know about you, but one of my favourite things about parties (besides the non-stop visiting) is the party favours!

For the 500 post party, we'll be sticking with the theme of "fives" all the way through. I'll tell you my five favourite topics to blab blog about, there will be five fantastic party prizes to be won, and you will have the chance to get your name put in the draw five times...

So, without further ado, my five fave topics of conversation (in no particular order, and excluding my family - because they are absolutely, unequivocally #1)...

I love talking about marriage. In particular, how we wives can single-handedly change our marriages (from bad to good or from good to great) by giving our husbands the respect they not only desire, but NEED.

Many of my posts talk about ministry to women. I heart women! The unique way that women have of relating to one another, the need they have to be in relationship with each other, and seeing women using their gifts to serve God - these are just a few of the reasons I will never be able to not do women's ministry in some way, shape, or form.

If you've been around this place a while, you also know that I write about anger in motherhood. I wouldn't say that I "like" writing on this topic, but I don't believe I have a choice.

Though you've only seen it mentioned a few times, you can expect to hear more from me about Haiti. It's inexplicable, but Pat and I have discovered a love for the Haitian people that is unmatched by our love for any other people group of God's beautiful world. And unless God says otherwise, we hope to be a part of the blessing of that nation - both financially and through hands-on work - for the rest of our lives.

You will also find that a good portion of the posts I put up have to with how God is working in my life. I talk about the tough work He does on my heart and I chronicle the many ways I see His hand in our everyday experiences. I need to write what I live and learn, because it is through the recording that Truth and experience take permanent root in my soul.

I bet you're wishing I'd hurry up and get to the party favours...

It will be my great pleasure to give away the following five gifts to Y-O-U:
1. Two copies of Lysa TerKeurst's latest book, Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl;
2. A gift card for Chapters/Indigo/Coles in the amount of $29.39 (for my Canadian friends);
3. One copy of Beth Moore's latest book, So Long Insecurity: you've been a bad friend to us;
4. A photocard design of your choice - in digital file so that you can print it at your convenience - created by the fantastic and talented Danielle! (Just a note that you cannot place your order until after Easter, as Danielle is shutting down her computer for Lent.) (Just a new note to let you know that Danielle is still taking orders. And get this - SHE IS DONATING THE PRIZE!!! So you can see why I heart her.)
5. Three blog awards to be passed on to bloggers that I love!

You can be entered to win one of the first four prizes by simply leaving a comment letting me know which one you hope to win. This comment will get your name entered ONLY in the draw for that prize.

If you would like your name put TWO draws, leave a 2nd comment telling me your second choice of the prizes. But, there's a catch... Your 2nd comment needs to include the answer to this question: what topic am I writing a book on and speaking to women's groups about AND why? Hint - the answer can be found by following up on my five favourite topics.

But I really would love for you to be entered in all four draws. I mean, how much fun is that?! If you really want that, too, you just need to love me. :) Leave a third comment letting me know that you have subscribed to the blog feed from Titus 2:3-5 (or that you have added yourself as a "follower") OR that you have sent a few friends to visit and join in the party by linking to this post in one of your posts (don't forget to leave me the link in your comment). If you happen to do BOTH of these things to love on me, I'll love right back on you by tossing your name in a fifth time! I will add that one to your first choice, increasing your odds of winning the gift you really want.

Because I love to blog and I love to read blogs, I'd also like to send you to look at a couple that are near and dear to my heart. I will save that for a post later today, though, because we've been partying here long enough (I'm sure your coffee is either cold or empty by now) and I really, truly want you to go say "hi" to a bunch of great bloggers.

Thanks for celebrating with me! I can't begin to explain the impact that writing for my blog and getting to know a few of you from this blogging world has had on life. I'm hooked for good!

Saturday Morning Visit - 02/20/10

Alberta, Canada
10:00am

My laundry front living room.

To see Saturday morning in Louisiana, visit Bobbie. To join in, post your own Sat AM Visit and leave a link in the comments. :)

I'm Throwing a Party, and It Just Wouldn't be the Same without YOU!

Without so much as a nod of my head, I wrote and posted my 500th post in this little internet space. I am disappointed that I allowed a special moment (to me, anyway) slip by without fanfare. But, given that I seem to run a couple days behind my blog plans on a regular basis (birthday posts, The God Chronicles*), I have decided to hold a celebration.

So on Monday, in honour of you - the rockin' few who keep on reading my babblings - there will be a par-tay!

There will be a few "best of" posts going up; there will be some long-overdue awards handed out; and there will be prizes! You are welcome to bring your own coffee and snacks. :)

Clearly, I don't have 500 things to give away (oh, but I wish I did - wouldn't that be fun with a capital F?!). How about 1 prize for every 100 posts? Count 'em - 1-2-3-4-5 things for you to win. Just for F-U-N! Prizes may include Lysa TerKeurst's latest book (two copies), "Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl," a CD of my first (and so far, only) talk on mother anger, a gift card for Coles/Chapters/Indigo, and a few other things I'll think of over the weekend.

Therefore, you are cordially invited to attend my 500 post par-tay on Monday, February 22. Come prepared to visit too long, drink too much coffee, laugh (or cry) too hard, and win too many prizes.

* Regarding The God Chronicles... I have decided to give this blog carnival its wings and let it fly away. (Yeah, I'm not so great with the metaphor.) I think it's fair to say that my carnival suffered from chronic lack of participation. Don't worry - I'm getting over it. It just no longer seems reasonable to host TGC as a carnival, given that my heart breaks each month when no one links up. (I said "getting" over it, not "gotten" over it, okay?) I will still post the God sightings in my life under the tag for TGC, and you are always welcome to join in by posting your own TGC and putting your link in the comments. But it will no longer be a regularly scheduled event (no longer, ha, it hasn't been since October) on this here blog. For those who did participate in TGC this past year - THANK-YOU!!! I love you all just a little bit more than my other readers. Kidding. Sort of. ;)

A Season of Sacrifice

In considering the season of Lent and doing a little bit of research, I have found it interesting to discover how many people believe that Lent does not apply to them; that it is purely a Catholic practice. Interested and intrigued, but not surprised. You see, in all my years as a Jesus follower I have attended some form of protestant evangelical church, and as far back as I can remember I have heard the word "Lent" during the Sunday sermon on the week just before Ash Wednesday. I must confess that I, too, believed that portion of the sermon as not applicable to me and my life.

I have begun to realize, though, that Lent is more of a mindset than a tradition.

Many people up give something for Lent, but it seems that they often choose something a little bit self-serving. For example, I cannot count the number of times I've heard people say, "I need to lose some weight anyway, so I'm giving up chocolate/sugar/soda pop/etc. for Lent."

The mindset of Lent does not look for self-serving, but rather for self-sacrificing.

On a tragic day in history, roughly 2000 years ago, the ultimate sacrifice was given. Jesus Christ, Son of the One True God, allowed Himself to be brutally beaten and murdered. He hung from a cross - the God-man who was perfect and flawless - and took the punishment for our wickedness, sinfulness, selfishness, pride, arrogance, hatred, greed, and cruelty. Praise be to God that Christ's death was only temporary (which is why we celebrate Easter) and He was raised from the dead.

As we come into the season of preparation for the ultimate sacrifice, should we not be preparing our hearts? What better way to prepare our hearts to receive the gift of Christ's death and resurrection than to sacrifice something in His honour?

Lent, as a mindset, asks the question, "Lord, what can I give up that will better help me to understand what You gave up?" It asks, "What is in my life that keeps getting in the way of me being like Christ?" It asks, "Who can I give to, out of love and obedience to my God, as an act of remembrance for what He gave for me?"

What we give up for Lent should not serve the purpose of "killing two birds with one stone." We should not look for "side benefit" results. Rather, what we give should inconvenience us. It should make us uncomfortable. Maybe it should even hurt a little bit. After all, while Christ hung dying for our sins, I do not imagine that it was convenient, comfortable, nor painless.

The result or side benefit we should seek after is to be sanctified (made more like Him, and less like the world). The mindset of Lent is all about the heart.

Changing Old Patterns

I have a fairly routine life. I like it that way. In fact, I need it that way. If I don't have a schedule, nothing gets done!

There is a time in my day - each day - that I tend to leave blank on the schedule. Nap time. (No, I don't typically nap - but I have a stinkin' adorable two-year-old who does.) I feed the two youngest kids lunch, I put Bam-Bam down for his nap, I set up a movie for his older sister, and then it's "me time."

Around 1pm each day, I make my lunch and sit down at the computer to enjoy it. The plan is to do some blog reading and/or facebook surfing while I eat and digest, then to get up and be productive again. But I really have nothing scheduled for that time slot... So most days I surf blogs and facebook until 3 or 3:30pm. That's two-and-a-half hours of which less than one full hour is being used well.

And that is why I've decided to give up facebook for Lent. (I even had Pat go on and change my password last night, because I know I am weak and too easily give in to temptation.)

I don't know that fb causes any separation in my relationship with God. But I do know that it keeps me from being productive. I am not taking care of my home, I am not writing, I am not exercising, I am not really even thinking. Therefore, it is successfully preventing me from doing two or three very key things that I KNOW are God's will in my life.

I have a tendency towards procrastination and laziness, so I am aware how easy it would be for me to find another mindless task to fill those afternoon hours. To prevent that from happening, I plan to establish a new routine. I will still sit down for my lunch and read the blogs I love, but once I am done I will walk away from the computer and go to the solitude and sanctuary of my room. There I will take some time for intercessory prayer (which I don't do near enough of anyway) - I will let God direct how long I spend there. And following my prayer time I will do one of the three above-mentioned activities: exercise, write, or care for my home. Five days a week for a little over six weeks.

Hopefully, at the end of the season of Lent, I will look just a little bit less like me and a little more like Him.

What is Lent all about?

Every year, I hear people talk about what they are giving up for Lent. And I think to myself, "What should I give up for these 40 days?" To be honest, I'm not sure I've truly abstained from anything for the entire Lentin season. In part, I think, because I've never really understood what Lent is all about.

So I went to one of my favourite, trusty sources of information - wikipedia - to find out what this Lent thing is really about. Because we all know that the internet is never wrong...

Given that I am insatiably nosey, I decided that I need to know if you folks out in blog world practice Lent (which I understand can involve abstaining/fasting from something OR adding in a spiritual discipline). So please, do my snoopy little heart a favour and answer my poll. And if you pick the first option, would you mind telling me what you are abstaining from or adding (in the comments section of the post)? Please? :)

(Belated) Saturday Morning Visit - 02/15/10

To see what Saturday morning looks like in Louisiana, visit 40 Shades of Pink.

Alberta Winter
Saturday, February 13th, noonish...

My Valentine

"Love, love will keep up together..."

I don't know about you, but I grew up believing that love was this special feeling we had for special people. I believed that being loved by someone special would make me happy. And yes, I believed that love was enough to keep us together.

I could blame the media, the Harlequin romance novels I read by flashlight under my covers, or the fact that my father was out of the picture and I was desperate to be loved. Combine those factors together, and the result is one reckless teenage girl. The sad thing is, no matter what I was willing to do to make a boy love me, none ever did.

Eventually, this one boy/man came along. We became a family. We thought we were "in love." And when it got so hard and hurt so much to be together, I kept asking myself, "Why isn't love enough?" The special feeling of being in love was rarely there, happiness was out of reach, and it seemed there was nothing we could do to stay together.

Somewhere in the midst of our mess of a marriage, I looked elsewhere to find a love that filled my heart and brought me little glimmers of happiness. I began to realize that I was wrong all along - my husband loving me enough to make me happy would never happen. There was only One who could answer my heart's desperate plea of, "Won't somebody love me?" As I spent more time in church learning who He was, I noticed that my aching heart was being soothed. I realized that it was okay for my husband to not make me happy. That wasn't his job. And I turned that job over to the Lover of my soul, Jesus.

Our marriage did not miraculously get better. Much time had past as hurts and resentments built up. We continued to talk of divorce - giving up. It seemed hopeless. Though we knew we loved one another, we just didn't feel in love anymore!

Again, somewhere in the midst of the mess, we resolved to make it work. How would it work? We didn't know. Would we remain unhappy forever? We hoped not, but thought it possible. Could we get past the damage we had done? We had no clue. The only explanation I have is God. The God that my husband did not yet know, the God who soothed by broken heart - He spoke to us. Miraculously, my man and I both heard the same message. Love is not a feeling, love is a choice.

We chose to love. When I felt overwhelmed as a young mother and he was away for work, I chose to love him for sacrificing that he might provide well for our family. When he came home and just wanted to relax and I hounded and nagged and begged for him to do what I wanted, he chose to love me for holding down the fort while he was gone. We chose love, and deleted the "d" word from our marital dictionary. We chose to say, "I love you" even though, more often than not, we didn't really like each other. Over and over, through five years of pain and emptiness, we just kept choosing to love.

The choice to love is not choosing to feel in love. It is not pretending to be happy when things are bad. It is not being a doormat. The choice to love is a choice to THINK loving thoughts, SPEAK loving words, DO loving things - regardless of where your feelings lie (and often, in spite of those feelings).

Ten and a half years ago, my valentine married me. Seven years ago, my valentine chose to love me - in spite of the fact that I did not and could not make him happy. My valentine and I have been "happily" married for about five years. (I put the word "happily" in quotes, not because we're not happily married - we are. But I believe the phrase happily married is a misnomer. We are happy that we are married to each other, absolutely! But even now - in a good marriage - we are not always happy. And that's okay.)

And I would not change one single moment of those ten years. If not for those years of mess and hurt, we never would have known how amazing it feels to be in love because you chose it.

Thank-you for choosing love. Thank-you, my valentine, for choosing me.

In Which I Almost Burst into Tears in a Room full of Men

Megan is what some might refer to as a "spirited" child. She is oodles of fun, has the best giggle and the brightest smile, she loves to help, she rocks out to all varieties of music, she taught herself to dance hip-hop style. The thing is, every little bit of that must be on her own terms. If someone else attempts to dictate their terms (even, or should I say - especially - her parents), her heels dig in so hard they leave little dents in my hardwood floors. When I ship her off to her tenth time-out in an hour, I say this little mantra in my head, "Having a strong will is good. No one will talk her into doing anything she doesn't want to do. She is a leader." And I know in my heart all these things are true.

We have run into a couple unfortunate incidents, though, where Meg's little size 11 heels have dug into someone else's floor - specifically, her teacher's. You see, there were certain activities that she did not want to participate in. So she didn't, doesn't, wouldn't, won't. Because of her spirited nature, our instinct as parents was to break her will (along the lines of breaking a horse in order to tame it). Unfortunately, Megan's response to our tactics was more akin to that of a mule than a horse.

So we began praying. (Yes, we probably should have done that much earlier on.) God, as He is faithful to do, answered. He had me in the right place at the right time in order to witness Megan's withdrawal and refusal to participate. And when I saw it, I knew that we had overlooked something much more insidious than a strong will. I saw shyness, discomfort, lack of self-confidence, fear, and anxiety.

So, we decided to try karate. Megan took to the training right away. That girl can punch!

In the class, because it's a parent-kid class, we also play games. The games, well, let's just say she didn't really take to those the same way. Thankfully, the Sensei didn't push and was fine with Meg standing back and watching us do chicken fights (not the kind you're thinking of!), play tag, bear crawl, and so on. She was also not particularly fond of doing the keyai (I've no idea how to spell Japanese words, but that is the word used to describe the shout that accompanies a punch/kick/block).

Last night, I had the incredible opportunity to witness God answering another prayer.

Halfway through the class, we took a little "fun break" and did some bear crawls and crab walks. By we I mean the whole class - including Meg. Later on, as we were practicing our kata (routine) I heard her keyai beside me. The Sensei wrapped the class up with a good ol' round of chicken fighting. Two boys went, then two men, then he called up Megan and another little girl. I held my breath, clenched my teeth, and used every ounce of will power I have to resist turning and looking at her. My Megan, she jumped up onto the mat, bowed to her opponent, and promptly kicked her butt! Well, technically she just knocked her off balance. She got paired with a boy later on, and I noticed only a millisecond of hesitation before she stood.

As I sat beside that blue gym mat watching my six-year-old daughter chest bumping an eight-year-old boy, it was all I could do to hold back the tears of joy.

I am certain that our Sensei, his helper, and the four dads in the class are all very appreciative of my restraint.

I now notice that my left punch is totally NOT about to hit my opponent in the solar plexus. Clearly, I have a bit of work to do on my form.

Just look at her! Is that not the face of a confident girl?!

Email Q & A

Occasionally I get an email asking a tricky theological question. Because I was a ministry leader, there comes with it an assumption on the part of others that I must know my Bible better than they do. (And I guess if they are not reading the Word regularly that may be true.) More often than not, though, when faced with a tough question I have no idea what the answer is, and I work hard to find it! I would encourage you to do the same - if someone asks you one of those difficult questions that seem impossible to answer (such as, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"), pull out your Bible with a concordance, find Bible commentaries that have been put out by reputable publishers (Zondervan, for one), and try to find an answer!

Now, before I go any further, please be aware of the following caveat: I am not a theologian and have not been trained in theology, Biblical studies, seminary, or any such thing. Any thoughts, ideas, opinions that I share on this blog may possibly be theologically incorrect (and I do welcome correction from those who know more than me - lovingly, of course). But I do give you my assurance that, when faced with a theological question, a great deal of prayer and Biblical research goes into any answer I offer.

This week's Q & A:

Question:
So I am dealing with a lot of questions I have about death right now and the more I search through the bible the more confused I become - I'm hoping you have a minute and can share your thoughts on this with me. Please? Do you believe we die and go to heaven or do we just die and that's it, we're dead, until Christ returns and THEN we're resurrected and go to heaven? Everywhere I search I can find scripture supporting that when Jesus returns living Christians will be transformed and the dead will be resurrected - but does that mean that when we die we are just dead until Jesus returns? I don't know why that makes me so sad! I guess it's because I really truly would like to believe that my loved ones who are gone really are 'in a better place', not just dead.

My Answer:
I believe that we die and immediately go to Heaven (Matthew 7:21 talks about entering the Kingdom of Heaven, which says to me that we can and will go there). (Also, when on the cross and the thief hanging next to Jesus asks to be saved, Jesus says, "TODAY you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:42-43) A few others I found to support my belief are: Philippians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Hebrews 12:23.

And my understanding is that the dead who are resurrected when Jesus returns are all those who were believers but died before Christ's death and resurrection. Now, I'm not sure about this, but I THINK that for Jesus's 1000 year reign on earth, those of us in Heaven also return to earth to reign with Him.

So here's my best explanation of why I believe this way... Prior to Jesus coming, there was really only one way for people to ensure their salvation - they had to live virtually perfect, sin-free, Godly lives. The only one I remember reading about was Elijah (2 Kings 2:11), who was so godly that God just took Him up to Heaven one day - he didn't even die! [I have since remembered that Enoch was also simply "taken to Heaven" - Genesis 5:24.] The others, who loved God but were also sinners, like David, Abraham, Noah, etc. - they are the ones who (I think) simply died and are waiting for Christ's return. (Just thinking out loud here - I guess there is always the possibility that they were taken up to Heaven after the resurrection as well. Not 100% sure.)

But when Christ came, His blood gave us a New Covenant. The old law (that's the Torah, or the first 5 books of the Old Testament) was gone (Romans 7:6, Luke 22:20, Hebrews 8:13 and 9:15), and the only law that remained was, "The only way to the Father is through the Son." (John 14:6) So I believe that if we go through the Son (accepting His gift of sacrifice for our salvation) we will go directly to the Father when we die.

I hope this helps, but I would definitely encourage you to do more digging on your own. I find Bible gateway a helpful tool for searching certain topics in the Bible, and I'm sure there are some books on the matter by respected theologians at your local Christian bookstore.

Proverbs 31 Wife

Want be the best wife you can be? The wife God called you to be? I know I do! And I found a little help...

Part I.

Part II.

Part III.

Thanks Jenny!

Grit and Determination

While we were visiting our friends in Louisiana, Pat and I got comfy in their living room and shared in the watching of an NFL game. Now, we've never really been NFL fans (nor CFL, for that matter). Hockey is more our (by our, I mean Pat's) sport of choice. But this game was a big deal - the winner was going to the Superbowl. As it turned out, for the first time in nearly a zillion years, the New Orleans Saints had made it to the big game.

It's funny how that little piece of relationship made such a difference for us. We (by we, I mean Pat) were glued to the TV set yesterday afternoon. There was a little bit of hootin' and hollerin' going on in our living room. Shouts of, "Who Dat?!" (The NO Saints have a whole song based on that little phrase.) Our whole family was so intent at watching the game that we completely forgot to don our Who Dat t-shirts last night. Don't worry, we'll all wear them today to rub it in just a little bit. ;)

Those of you who were watching probably saw video footage of the French Quarter after the game. Can I just express my great relief that we visited two weeks ago when everything was MUCH quieter around there? But here's something I bet you didn't know - the celebration is by no means limited to the city of New Orleans. From what I hear, most of the state is having a 24-hour long statuatory holiday in honour of the Saints' win. Businesses all over the place are shutting down so their employees can spend the day paying homage to their champions.

Wouldn't it be cool if we celebrated God's victories in our lives with a day-long party? I think we need to start a new tradition, one where we buy cake, wear beads, and pop the champagne open when God does something awesome. We can even run around shouting, "Who Dat?!" to everyone we see for the next several days (or weeks).

In the meantime, though, I will also celebrate with my friends. Because I watched portions of that game, between bits of housework and parental refereeing, and their our team worked hard for that victory!

Another little spiritual parallel comes to mind... Our victories in life, over our sin and struggles, are also won with hard work. Tenacity in seeking after God, perseverance in our time with God, fortitude in choosing to resist temptation, commitment to prayer. The things worth having in this life - like Superbowl rings and victory over the enemy - are won only through grit and dedication.

Now, without further ado, let's celebrate!

Saturday Morning Visit

Sleepover Aftermath



8:00am
Alberta, Canada

To see Saturday morning across the world, go visit Bobbie.

Things That Make You Go "Hmmmm"

Question posed to Grandma while we were away...

"Grandma, do I have to love satan?"

"Um, no sweetheart. Satan is evil and the Bible tells us that we should hate evil."

"But the Bible says I have to love my enemies."

"_______________________________."

Hunh.

This is not the end of the conversation (which I think was handled quite well - thanks Grandma!), nor are my quotes likely to be completely accurate. Sorry 'bout that. Nonetheless, I'd like you to fill in the blank with what your response would be. I need some material for future trick questions.

Inner Turmoil

Okay, perhaps turmoil is a bit of a strong word. Maybe struggle or confusion would fit better. But turmoil made for a better title. ;)

There is this inner battle going on inside of me (duh - inner battle) between jumping in and doing what I'm passionate about and waiting to hear clearly from the Lord.

Here is what I think I know:

- God called me to write this book that I have not been diligently working on, though I know I should. Whether or not I get a positive response from a publisher or agent, I must write this book. At the very least, for the benefit of my family, and hopefully for the benefit of other women and their families.

- I did some of my best and most diligent writing in the spring as I got ready for She Speaks. At the same time I was leading WOW and dealing with everyday life. Through that time (and other life experiences) I have found that two conditions exist to elicit quality writing (I don't know how quality in comparison to others, but it's my best quality). One is that I am in the Word and having my morning time with God daily. The other is pressure - it can be the slight pressure of having a number of tasks on my plate or time constraints. I just work better under pressure.

- I am wildly passionate about women's ministry. Over several years of being involved in virtually all aspects of WM, from serving at to planning events, from leading teams to mentoring leaders, I believe I have discovered my "calling" as it relates to WM. The thing that gets me so fired up that I can barely contain my excitement is the grassroots work. Setting the foundation of a ministry. Establishing a good, working organizational structure in conjunction with mentoring/equipping strong leaders (which includes helping those leaders develop a deepening passion for relationship with Jesus and the various skills needed to lead others effectively - such as diplomacy, prayer, knowledge of Scripture and its application, administration, relationship-building, and so on).

So I know I have been called to write. I know the conditions under which I do my best writing. And I know my heart's deepest passion.

What I am uncertain of is this - can I (or should I) pursue two callings and passions at once? Will I become overwhelmed? Will I neglect my duties at home? Will I end up more irritable and impatient with my children? Is there even a need for the skills and passion I have to offer at our new church? These questions have been constantly bouncing back and forth, up and down, like a handfull of little rubber balls has been dropped in my brain.

The biggest, most important question, though - the one that echos loudly above all the others - is this: What is God's will? Because more than anything in this world, more than my passions and personal desires, more than my hopes and dreams, I want the absolute assurance that I am walking in His will for my life.

But I do not hear Him on this. I am not getting a clear sense. And for some reason, I have not straight-out asked Him.

Fear? Pride? Selfishness? Laziness? I don't know. All I know is that I need to get over what it is and ask. Because the sound of all these little balls boinging around is making me a little bit crazy...

It's What You Do

I have seen examples in my children that the things I do hold much more weight with them than the things I say. Some instances are eye-opening and reveal to me changes I need to make (ie., when I hear my kids yelling at one another, I know that they are echoing my actions, and often my very words). This morning, though, I received the gift of seeing something I do right (not always, but apparently often enough that it's had an impact).

Wrapped in a blanket, cup of coffee in hand, Bible at one side and study book across my lap, I was having my morning quiet time. A little person emerged - far too early, in my opinion - and sat on the other couch. My little people know that mommy's quiet time is not to be interrupted, and that they must wait until I'm done or taking a break to ask me a question (and they must wait until I've moved to the office to blog before the TV gets turned on). For a minute or two, my child sat silently.

The next time I looked up, I noticed that the little person had sneaked away so quietly I hadn't noticed. I smiled, and assumed that there was some reading or colouring going on elsewhere in the house. Only a moment later, though, my offspring reappeared - plunked on the couch, opened up a children's Bible and one of my old Women of Faith study guides. Looking over, I noticed that the study guide was turned the the second chapter, and it appeared that chapter one had been completed in childish script.

Together, we spent the next half hour in silence, each completing our respective Bible studies.

She's Special

Yesterday, my first born girl-child celebrated eight years of living.

Do you remember when you were young, how the year-long wait between each birthday seemed to stretch into eternity? But now, as the mother of that child, I feel like I've barely had enough time to catch my breath since the last birthday.

I am struck by how much change can happen in a year, yet how much of the same remains.

Abbey is taller and her face is losing the roundness of a little child. While still slightly shy and reserved, she is growing into a confidence in who she is. She is growing up.

She continues to have a tender and sensitive heart, and is a bit more on the emotional side (not unlike her Mama). She still takes great pride and joy in being a helper, but now instead of following me around and begging to help she takes initiative on her own to do things that will bless her family members.

So different, yet the same. I am filled with delight at the person she is and the person she is becoming. And I am in awe of what a gracious God we serve - One who continues to work for the good of my children in spite of my mistakes. He asks me to care for them, love them, teach them, train them, but then He gently reminds me that He is ultimately in control.

He lets me follow Him around, doing my best to help, much like Abbey did with me when she was a small child. I remember her helping me bake something one time (yes, a rare occasion) and she made quite a mess. I knew, though, that her heart was fully in the act of helping me, so without a word to her I just reached around her and began cleaning up the mess. I didn't want her to be focused on the mess she had made, but rather on the special job she had done helping me. I am so grateful that God does the same for me.

Though I am often impatient, Abbey is one of the most patient children I know. Though I tend to raise my voice too often, Abbey has a gentleness in her spirit. Though I sometimes get so busy with daily living that I neglect to nurture her relationship with Jesus, Abbey is deeply in tune with the Holy Spirit. Though I left the work of teaching her to read solely on the shoulders of her school, she reads voraciously.

Through her, God shows me the glimpses of good in me. And even though all I've done is follow Him around and fumble at helping, He smiles with delight when I take all the credit for who she is.

Thank-you, Lord, for Abbey - she is so special! And thank-you, Father, for allowing me to take part in her growing up. Being her mother is a treasured gift.

Purify My Heart

It feels like a million years since I've been here. Sitting in front of my computer with my Blogger dashboard open is like coming home to my writer's soul.

Through an anointed teaching on Saturday evening (we were at the Breakforth conference), God spoke to my heart. He affirmed my desire to make this a year of consecration - a year dedicated to purifying myself to bring greater glory to His name. Anne Graham Lotz taught on her book, "I Saw the Lord" in which she relates a journey of repentance that the Lord took her on.

I realized that any effort I make to sanctify certain parts of my life will be wasted until my heart is fully right with the Lord. It's not necessarily that I feel that I am wrong with the Lord so much as I know that it's been a long time since He and I have had a soul-cleansing purge.

Therefore, my morning times will be spent getting things right with Him. I am asking God to reveal to me the unconfessed sins in my life, and one by one I am writing them down. I am not only writing down what my sins are, but the true name by which God calls those sins. For example, what I call overeating is - in God's Word - called gluttony; I also see it as disobedience (for I know that He has called me to stop my destructive eating habits) and as desecrating His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Once each sin is confessed, I commit to repent (turn away) and ask the Lord to help me and guide me in my new path. Then I read the words of Isaiah 6:1-8 and envision a searing hot coal removing that stain from my life.

It has been two grueling mornings thus far, and my list has 5 areas of sin. I suspect there will be a few more mornings yet (like a million!). But I know that it will be worth it.

For I cannot go out into this world, being salt and light, inspiring my children and others that I encounter to pursue Jesus, if I remain unholy, immoral, sinful, and stained. No, I don't aspire for perfection. I don't want to be "holier than thou" (I know how unappealing that can be). But if I am to grow in Christ, to bring Him pleasure, to bring glory to His name, and to be more like Him, I cannot continue where I am now.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 3:14

This post has been linked up to Kingdom Twindom's Bold Blogging Challenge. Thanks to Kingdom Mama for hosting us and encouraging us to seek boldly after the Kingdom of God!

You know you're having too much fun when...

...you completely forget about blogging for three whole days! (My bad.)

Here are a few fun facts for ya.

You can get really expensive hotels for ridiculously low prices (USA only) by bidding on priceline. Seriously. We stayed at a fay-an-cee Hilton in Houston for only $60 per night (regular price $179) - which is about the same price as staying at the Super 8! Over the course of four nights in hotels, we have saved a good $400. Or you could look at it this way - we've spent no more than we were willing to spend but got to stay in a bunch of 4 star hotels.

There are two main differences between cheap hotels and fancy ones. First - space. In fancy hotels you actually have room to walk around the bed. Second - service. In cheap hotels, if the front desk staff are feeling lazy, they will just tell you, "no, we don't have extra pillows here."

Good service costs. At least in America. The good people who help out with a friendly smile are working hard to earn their tips.

Okay, enough about hotels...

One of the most fascinating things we've done so far is to go on a Katrina tour. It is heartbreaking to see the number of abandoned houses that are just sitting there and falling apart. Many homes still bear the "Katrina tattoo," which is a spray painted "X" with letter and numbers in each of the 4 sections. The letters show who checked the house (NS - National Security, NOPD - New Orleans Police Department, etc.); some numbers indicate the date; other numbers the number of people found; and still other numbers to show how many were alive and how many dead.

Another devastating fact was to learn that the government has spent millions (or was it billions) on repairing certain things in the city - such as City Park, while neglecting to do anything to repair and restore a single one of the hospitals that was shut down by Katrina's damage. In our tour alone we saw three massive hospitals, all completely abandoned and vacant.

So sad. It just made me think about Haiti...

On another note, have you ever seen a 26 mile long bridge? We drove on one between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Wild, eh?! It's all swamp, so the only way to get people across it is for them to go over it.

And to complete the blog post of all sorts of things you never knew and many you never wanted to know... I would like to offer a public service announcement to all those considering eating nothing but rich, fried food for a week - this is a bad idea! You digestive system will never forgive you. Neither will your pants.

MIRL

M - meet
I - in
R - real
L - life

This handy little blogger term is used when you get to meet someone face-to-face whom you've only known through blogging/ email/ etc.

You may have noticed that I got to MIRL Beth Moore this weekend. And yes, that was in Houston right at her very own home church. For the past year, a bunch of girls who follow the LPM blog have been memorizing Scripture. This past weekend was our celebration event. I even got to meet some new friends. (Pictures coming someday soon...maybe.)

But there was an event this week that had me even more excited than Beth... After more than a year of correspondence via email, I had the opportunity to meet my dear blog friend (and book editor), Bobbie! Not only did we meet and hang out a bit, she and her hubby (and their dog) opened up their home to us. They took yesterday off work to play tour guide (read: that's why I was way too busy to blog yesterday). And they have been feeding us some of the most delicious, most fattening, most amazing food known to man!

So, without further ado, a picture of us girls having fun... (So sorry if you can't really see our faces, but it was the most gorgeous, sun-shiney day out and hardly any pictures turned out. But who cares - too much fun was had! I got to visit the antique district, see the levy, eat at Cane's Chicken, visit a plantation, drive around all day talking to a good friend, eat more deep-fried goodness for dinner, and sleep in the most comfy bed with the friendliest guard dog.)



This is us at the Rosedown Plantation. I cannot wrap my head around the rich history of the south. (FYI, we're no longer in Houston - I say we because Pat is actually with me, even though I forgot to mention that fact earlier - but are in the bayou of Louisiana. Today, we are on our way to a little overnighter in New Orleans. Or N'Orlens, as the locals say it.)

See ya'll later! :)

Saturday Morning Visit - 01/23/10

My friend Bobbie (who blogs at 40 Shades of Pink) ran across a fun idea for Saturday mornings, inspired by the Nie and You blog. Okay, I confess, we completely stole the idea!

I will post a picture of a typical Saturday morning here in Alberta. Bobbie will post one of her Saturday morning in Louisiana. Maybe you'd like to join us? (If you do, stick a link in our comments so we can come visit you.)


Vacation Edition:
Houston, Texas; 6:48am
from the hotel balcony

And a couple shots from Friday night...

Amanda...



Melissa...



Beth...

True Beauty

The Small Villages of Haiti Need our Help!

As Haiti is hit by numerous aftershocks and people give generously to the relief effort, another tragedy is happening in their country - the small communities throughout Haiti are not being reached by this generosity! The relief effort is solely focused in Port-Au-Prince, and smaller communities have been levelled and are running short on supplies.

If your heart is to assist in these neglected areas of Haiti, I would encourage you to give generously to Haiti Arise Ministries. They are situated in Grand Goave, which is a slightly larger small community situated in the middle of many little villages. Haiti Arise WILL focus their aid in these areas. They have already been offering care to many people from those areas.

And just as with the Red Cross and many other well-known charitable organizations, Haiti Arise is eligible for the grant from the Canadian government - where every dollar Canadians donate is matched.

Please continue to pour out your love on the people of Haiti by both praying and donating.

Be the Centre...

As I ready myself this morning for my first speaking engagement on mother anger, my heart is filled with prayers.

Lord, let my words be Your words...
Father, open the hearts of the women who need to hear that they are not alone...
Abba, keep me from being bumbling and nervous and doing things that might distract from the message You want the women to hear...
Jesus, let me not forget - not even for one moment - that this is all about You and bringing glory to Your Name...

When I Wander

I have sometimes heard - even been one of those who has said - when we are not walking in God's will for our lives, our ears become deaf to His voice. Somewhere, in the recesses of my mind, I have believed that God will not heed my prayers if I am knowingly in sin.

In the silent hour of this dark morning, though, I felt His presence.

And far, far away from His will is where I have been.

If our children are rebellious and disobedient, but they come to ask us for food, for a hug, to talk a minute - do we cross our arms and turn away, pretending as though we cannot hear their pleas? Of course not! If our love for our own children is too great to ignore them when they come to us, don't we know that our Father's love for us is that much greater?

For some weeks now - in spite of knowing the call on my life to commit each day to the Lord through prayer and praise, the reading of the Word, and listening for His voice - I have neglected my time of communion with Him. If His will for me is to spend time each morning in His presence, not doing so means that I am walking in sin. And yet, even in my sin, I hear His voice. Without a thought of repentance, continuing in my sin, I cry out to Him in prayer and sense His presence.

Though I have wandered, He comes with me. What a precious gift to find that I was wrong all along!

Humbled by His love and grace, my heart is turned. An extra hour of sleep no longer holds more appeal than communing with the God who loves me, hears me, and answers me - no matter how far I wander.

Call to Me and I will answer you... ~Jeremiah 33:3a

Saturday Morning Visit - 01/16/10

My friend Bobbie (who blogs at 40 Shades of Pink) ran across a fun idea for Saturday mornings, inspired by the Nie and You blog. Okay, I confess, we completely stole the idea!

I will post a picture of a typical Saturday morning here in Alberta. Bobbie will post one of her Saturday morning in Louisiana. Maybe you'd like to join us? (If you do, stick a link in our comments so we can come visit you.)


First cuppa coffee, email, bedhead... 7:22am.
Alberta, Canada

Ten Minutes Very Well Spent, I Promise

Nothing I have to say is nearly as good as this post about by Mama Bird or this post by Kingdom Mama. Wow.

Chances are my day will be spent in a battle between productivity and reading all the posts linked up to Bold Blogging.

Once in a Lifetime

Yesterday, we had an opportunity that may only come once in a lifetime. The Olympic torch was coming right through our little community! So I did what any good parent would do, and let my kids skip school for an hour to watch. ;)

Here they are, all bundled up for an hour in the winter chill. It was actually a fairly mild January day - only -9C (15F).

A media helicopter circled above us. (What a great shot, eh? lol)

No Canadian parade would be complete without numerous RCMP vehicles. (For my American friends, that's Royal Canadian Mounted Police. And yes, they do still ride horses. Though possibly only in parades.)

Good ol' Royal Bank of Canada, sponsors of the 2010 Olympics. These guys were handing out flags and pumping up the crowd.

An Olympic bus. Guess they needed to add a couple vehicles to make the parade longer.

Of course, Coca Cola is sponsoring the Olympics! And all the athletes will drink Coke for commercials, while secretly thinking that we all know Pepsi is better.

Yup. Coke = happiness. Definitely. ;)

Ooooh, look! Off in the distance. People running!

Closer now.

Right in front of us. Wooohooo!!!!

And...gone. (Funny, the lady beside me seems to think I was snapping a picture of her, so she gave me a nice, big, Olympic-cheer smile.)

Overall, I found it pretty anticlimactic. Especially since the torch looked a lot more like a rolled up tube of paper on fire than the torch I was expecting. But the kids seemed impressed. The only thing they weren't impressed with was that I dropped them back off at school.

For those interested, THIS is what the 2010 torch looks like up close. THIS is what I was expecting to see.

Hope for the Hopeless

It's difficult to think of anything to write when my heart is so burdened for the people of Haiti.

Since Pat went there in October, our hearts have been turned toward these people and this nation. As soon as we heard of the earthquake, our thoughts rushed to the many friends Pat has there and the mission that we support - Haiti Arise Ministries.

We were relieved to hear that Grand Goave (where HAM is located) was not affected, and the people we know are are safe. But so many are not...

One of the biggest tragedies is that there is no hope for restoration. There is no heavy equipment in Haiti - no bulldozers to push away piles of rubble. There are no landfills in Haiti - nowhere to put the rubble if (and that's a big if) they try to clean it up by hand. As for the bodies within that rubble - they will not be found, they will not be buried, and disease (more disease) will run rampant. And in just a few short months, hurricane season will be upon them...

I say there is no hope, yet I do have hope. Our God is the God of hope and restoration, and though the streets and buildings may never be the same, our God is right there in Haiti right now, calling the people to be restored to HIM.

The story goes something like this... A hundred years ago (or maybe two?) the political leaders of Haiti made a deal with the devil. They wanted wealth and success for themselves, and in exchange for this they turned over their nation to the hands of satan. So for those years, while corrupt leaders grew fat and rich, an entire nation was covered in darkness. Disease, starvation, voodoo, satanic rituals, garbage, filth, poverty, and child slavery ruled.

But now, that deal with the devil has come to an end. His time is up. And the spiritual battle for the hearts of the Haitian people is raging.

God is calling the people to Himself. What will it take for them to see His face, to seek His deliverance? Hurricanes, earthquakes, plagues? (I'm not saying that God is causing these tragedies, but I know - without a doubt - that He can use them for His glory.)

Please join us in praying for the Haitian people. Yes - pray for their health, safety, healing, rebuilding. But more importantly - pray for them to seek and see the face of God! Pray for them to turn from voodoo and run into the arms of Christ, spread wide on the cross for their salvation. Pray that the people who come to help in this tragedy are a light for the people of Haiti.

Because with Christ, nothing is as hopeless as it seems.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Megan is an eighty-year-old woman in a six-year-old's body. I know this, because only old women talk like she does.

Last night, as we drove home, she opened her window. It was +12C - unseasonably warm for January in Alberta. Enjoying the warm breeze on her face, Megan leaned her head back and sighed.

"Mom," she said, "This warm weather is so fabulous! Tomorrow, after school, we should all go for a nice walk. Wouldn't that be lovely?"

Sure, Grandma, that would be just lovely. ;)

Posers

'Lo and Behold

Somebody at our house is VERY enamoured with his Papa.

Kai tends to give everyone who enters the door a thrilled greeting, but he saves his loudest and most excited for Papa.

Not long ago I had all the kids at the eye doctor. Mr. Kai asked for my phone, "'Lo? 'Lo?" (He knows that playing with his Mommy's 'Hello' is something that he needs to ask for with his sweetest voice and smile. Because nothing was more important to me than him being good in the waiting room, I hit the lock button and handed it over.

He chattered and babbled into that phone for a few minutes, then came and handed it to me. (As if to say, "Here Mom, it's for you.") I played along and talked to the imaginary person on the other end. Eventually, I told him it was for him. He grinned and chatted some more.

I began asking who he was talking to. "Is it Daddy?" He shook his head no. "Is it Abbey?" He shook his head again and pointed at Abbey across the waiting room. (Duh, Mom, she's right here.) "Is it Grandma?" - this one has been the sure answer with four other children.

Finally, Malakai looks me in the eye and says, "No! PAPA!!!!" How silly of me to forget...

He walked off with the phone to his ear and I heard him talking:
"Hi Papa."
silence
"Yeah."
silence
"Bye!"

Like I said, that boy LOVES his Papa. And apparently he's observed a few telephone conversations in his day. :)

Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting...

My muscles are beginning to hurt. You know that distant uncomfortable feeling - the one that provides fair warning that in approximately 24 hours you won't be able to walk down your stairs or sit on the toilet without crying out in pain? But it's good!

Megan and I had our first parent/child karate class last night. I had no idea...

Over the course of an hour, the sensei somehow managed to trick us into working up a good sweat, doing about 50 push ups (in my case, not with the prettiest form), doing a good 100 crunches, and more.

I forgot how good it feels to hurt like that.

The best part, though, was watching my Muffin-girl. She was so intent, so focused, and totally awesome! She loved every minute of it and participated for the entire hour. At the end of the class the sensei handed out forms to order a uniform (it's called a Gii - no idea on the correct spelling of Japanese words). Meg looked at me with a light in her eyes that I haven't seen in a while and proclaimed, "I want one!"

Who am I to discourage her commitment to the sport? And, since she was fairly insistent that I must also be in uniform, I ordered 2. Next week we'll be punching and shouting in style. Oh, and push-upping and crunching...

The Law of Opposites, God's Way

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ~I Corinthians 13:1-2 NASB

I love my kids, but I am not so great at showing love to them. Love is patient - I tend to be impatient. Love is kind - I wouldn't say that I'm unkind, but I also can't say that I go out of my way to do nice things for them. Love is not easily angered - but I am all-too-often easily angered.

For the months of January and February, as part of my project with God, I have decided to focus on showing love to my kids. I am going to pay attention and take notes about their likes and dislikes, their personalities and love languages, as well as make note of situations where I am not kind, patient, or loving and figure out how to do it differently next time.

For so long I've just prayed, "Lord, please help me not to blow up," and hoped that one day I would miraculously be delivered from this struggle with anger. But with the help of a children's song I am learning that I need to counteract my anger. Counter-Act. Act in the opposite.

It's all About the Kingdom, a song from Seeker's Great Adventure says:
Overcome evil with...GOOD!
Overcome darkness with...LIGHT!
Overcome greed with...GIVING!

It stands to reason, then, that we could overcome anger with...LOVE. (If you have alternative suggestions here, I'm happy to hear them and add them to my list.)

So rather than waiting for change to just happen to me (and in me), I am going to begin living as if I've been changed - doing the opposite of what I'd normally do. I will counter-act the anger that so often bursts from within with love. And on this great, big, huge, massive project I will be one teeny-tiny step closer to the consecrated life.

Questions

I am fully uninspired this morning. I have been up between 6-12 times per night for the past 4 nights, and I am plumb tuckered out! So I decided the best thing I could do (for you and for me) is to pose a few questions that I wonder about. I would be just tickled if you took the time to answer. :)

1. Am I the only one who still has my Christmas tree and decorations out?
I have thought to myself daily since December 30th, "Self, you should really get that tree down and all the decorations put away." But the lazy in me keeps winning out.

2. How many cups of coffee do you drink in the morning?
Three cups is about perfect for me. If I only have one I end up with a headache, but if I have four my tummy starts to feel that "icky" feeling.

3. What time do you put your kids to bed? And what time do they get up?
I am fairly strict about our 7pm bedtime on school nights. Those who don't actually need as much nighttime sleep (anyone who napped) will wake up as early as 6am. The school kids are dragged out of bed at 6:45 - in order to catch the bus at 7:45.

4. Do you floss your teeth regularly?
I never have. I would say that I floss about once per month, and once per week for the month prior to a dentist visit. I know, pathetic.

5. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only keep the pages from one book of the Bible, which book would you keep? And why?
I'd have to say James. Every time I read it I find something practical and relevant. Love it!

Good Enough isn't Good Enough

You know, I kinda had a 'plan' in my head for how this consecrating stuff would go. I figured that God would nudge me on the 'small' things first (you know, maybe He'd call me to stop using curse words), and by later in the year (maybe next fall) we'd have worked our way to some 'big' things (such as anger). Has anyone else noticed that God always seems to have plans of His own?

Friday evening Pat and I went on a date. Our dinner conversation revolved around the kids and our parenting methods. We're finding that the honeymoon phase is over, and they're all showing signs of stress from all the life change. When children are experiencing stress in their lives that they don't understand and can't really verbalize, they blow off steam the only way they know how - acting out (or is it acting up?). Our two weeks of school holidays have been filled with bickering and tears (both theirs and mine), time outs (again, for them and me), and an overall sense of frustration.

Sunday's sermon was all about parenting - how to pass on a legacy of loving God. One of the things he mentioned was that our actions will influence the way our kids see God and think about Him. He also spoke about trying times as a parent, and how we can get so caught up in trying to 'fix' whatever is going on with our kids that we fail to ask ourselves the most important question, "What is God trying to teach me about myself in this moment?"

This morning, these words from James shouted at me from the page... My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:19-20)

Oh, and to top off all those little hints coming my way, I've had a sick child for three days (we're onto day 4 now). Which means there is a Mommy in this house who is VERY short on sleep (read: short on temper) and a boy-child in this house who is surely dying (read: big, whiny baby...just like a male; also read: trying Mommy's patience in a big way). So right out of the gate I'm getting some practical experience moments. I'd have to say that, so far, I'm at about a 50/50 pass/fail rate.

Sometimes I wonder why I keep on asking God to do the radical in my life! I mean, I'd really be okay if He just did the semi-radical. I'd still grow, I'd still change, it would be good. And not so dang hard! Yet there's this drive in me that cannot be content to settle for 'good enough.' I don't want to be a good enough mom or a good enough Christian. I want to be the best I can be. I want my kids to see my active pursuit of righteousness and desire that same thing in their lives. I want the world to see me and say, "Wow, that Tyler girl sure does love her Jesus!" I want GREAT; good enough simply won't do.

If only there were just a little bit less work involved...

The Year of Consecration

I spent the year of 2009 learning God's ways and His paths. Though I could literally pursue that theme for the next several years of my life, I felt the need to find a new theme for the new year. I thus declare the year of 2010 "the year of consecration."

Consecrate yourselves and be holy,

because I am the LORD your God.

~Leviticus 20:7

I found this verse, and it resonated so strongly that I could not ignore its call. I thought it might have something to do with being "better" than I am (and who doesn't want that), but I couldn't fully commit to consecrating myself without understanding the full meaning of the word.

Consecrated (adjective) - consecrate, dedicated
solemnly dedicated or set apart for a high purpose

As God's children, He has already set us apart for His high purposes. But all too often we sit there in the knowledge of being set apart without living in the reality and the solemnity of the consecrated life. We talk like the rest of the world, we act like the rest of the world, we look like the rest of the world - there is nothing different enough about us that makes us stand out. When I say "us" I actually mean "me," but it just makes me feel better about it to think that there are others out there like me.

This year, there will be no grandiose resolutions for me. I will not commit to losing 30 lbs (though I should); I will not promise to never say another curse word; I will not swear off yelling at my children or being crabby with my husband; I will not promise to "never do this/change that forever/be who I want to be and not am." I can't. Because the pursuit of holiness isn't something I can just DO.

In 2010, I will, however, commit to the relentless pursuit of holiness - one aspect of my life at a time. I will trust in God to show me what He wants to work on in me, and then I will not only let Him do the work, but I will actively participate and cooperate with what He wants to do. And one bit of my not-so-set-apart life at a time, I will commit to allowing Him to consecrate me.

Because if there's anything I want in this life, it's that I will look different, sound different, and BE different...set apart for His high purpose.