A Letter From the Mission Field

Today was a long, hard day. There is much work to be done here among the natives. Each day brings a little progress, but then some days, it feels like we’re getting nowhere.

I’m tired. And I’m trying not to grow weary in doing good. But the long, laborious days remind me that I can do none of this in my own strength. Things are messy here, and messes require cleaning up. And the cleaning up seems never-ending.

Read the rest of the letter over at The Marathon Mom.


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Security From Yesterday

At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise from remembering the yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God’s grace is apt to be checked by the memory of yesterday’s sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them in order to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual culture for the future. God reminds us of the past lest we get into a shallow security in the present.

 

Oswald Chambers

Thankful Thursday: He Supplies My Needs

It's been a while since I've written a Thankful Thursday post.  I've certainly been thankful for much, but as you can see, I haven't posted anything in two weeks.

It's been very busy around here.  Busier than I'd like it to be during the summer.  And when I'm not busy, I'm just too tired.  I'm sure you've been here, right?

As I've reflected upon the things for which I am thankful, I am reminded that despite the busyness of life, and the fatigue of pregnancy and running a large family, God truly supplies all my needs. 

*When I am overwhelmed, He reminds me to lean on Him. (Zech. 4:6, Psalm 121:1-2)

*When I am tired, He reminds me to rest and not feel pressured to do more than I can.  (Matt. 11:28, Psalm 23:3)

*When I am too busy, He reminds me to focus on what's most important, paring down where I can.  (Psalm 46:10, Luke 10:38-42)

*When I am hormonal, He reminds me that it is temporary and that He has faithfully seen me   through the ups and downs before.  (2 Cor 4:17)

*When I am anxious, He reminds me to trust him in ALL circumstances. (1 Pet. 5:7, Prov. 3:5-6)

*When I am unmotivated, he reminds me that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.  (Phil. 4:13)


These are all feelings and emotions I have been experiencing over the last few weeks.  I've been here before.  And each time, He grows me a little more.  I've learned a lot from being in this season many times.  And for this, I am grateful.

In between the busy, the fatigue, the overwhelmed, and the anxious, I've also had much joy.


*I'm thankful for the growth of our sweet baby...and wonderful movement I feel every day.

*I'm thankful that all the kids love on my belly and look forward to this little one's arrival.

*I'm thankful for God's provision of our daily bread, our roof above our heads, and for energy at the very moment I need it.

*I'm thankful for the carefully chosen activities that nurture and benefit our children.

*I'm thankful for a phenomenal husband who takes such good care of me and the children.  And who, even now as I write, is upstairs reading to all the kids so that I can have a moment of peace.

*I'm thankful for a house full of children who wear me out and sometimes push me to my limits, but who bring so much joy, laughter, vitality, helping hands, and love beyond measure to our home.

Thank you Father!  You are good!

What are you thankful for this week?  Please share!  And if you blog, consider linking up with The Marathon Mom!

Thankful Thursday: Even The Fleas

Fleas? 

Last night at Bible study, our pastor shared a brief portion from Corrie ten Boom's story, The Hiding Place.  If you haven't read the book, there is a particular passage when Corrie and her sister were giving thanks for all things after reading 1 Thess 5:18.  At one point, Corrie's sister begins giving thanks for the fleas that infested their barrack.  Corrie didn't understand why in the world her sister was giving thanks for even the fleas.  You see, they had an incredible amount of freedom in their barrack.  They held worship services and were free to read their Bibles in the midst of an unimaginable situation.  The Nazis would patrol every other barrack, except theirs.  Because of the fleas the guards would not step foot in there. 

Our pastor used this illustration to remind us to be thankful in ALL circumstances.  He shared that his desire was to be thankful for even the fleas, no matter what his "fleas" might be....and encouraged us to do the same.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

I want to be thankful for the fleas.  I don't have fleas in my home (I'm so thankful!), but as a mom, I have lots of things to be thankful for.  It's easy to give thanks for my children, and good home schooling days, well behaved children, and food on our table.  But what about those other things....those fleas.  Though my fleas pale in comparison to imprisonment, and watching those around you die, these are the things for which I give thanks today....

I am thankful for this messy house because it means that a family lives here and I have a roof over my head.

I am thankful for fussy babies and whiny children because they remind me that I am the blessed mommy to nine of them.

I am thankful for sleepless nights because they are often my most heart felt times of prayer with the Lord.

I am thankful for terrible home schooling days because they remind me that I cannot do anything apart from Jesus.  They teach me a little more patience, and a little more grace.

I am thankful for the trail of toilet paper that runs through my school room (right now!) because...well I don't know yet, so I'll just be thankful.

I am thankful for morning sickness (no, I'm not pregnant) because it reminds me of the life growing inside. 

I am thankful for my children's disobedience because it reminds me of the responsibility I have to correct and shepherd them in the ways of the Lord.

I am thankful for my special needs son, Jonathan, because he reminds me that we are all created in God's image, and that I would gladly welcome a thousand more Jonathans into my arms.

I am thankful for stomach bugs and colds because they show us the body's incredible ability to heal, by God's design.  Through vomit and snotty tissues we learn compassion, servanthood, and empathy.

I am thankful for hard days, difficult circumstances, and fatigue beyond measure because they all remind me to cling to my Savior and draw me to Him in ways that only difficulties can.  We learn to trust more because we see His faithfulness as he leads us through it, and He is glorified!

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. James 1:2

I acknowledge that it's so easy to give thanks for even these things when we are not in the midst of experiencing them at the moment.  And at times, we just don't feel very thankful.   Like Corrie, we wonder why in the world we should be thankful for our circumstances.  But the Bible does not command us to feel thankful.  It commands us to give thanks!  This is my desire!  And I'm thankful for the reminder and encouragement.

..giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 5:20

What difficult circumstances are you thankful for today? 


*This post is linked with The Marathon Mom.

The Crowded Bed

It's 4 am.  The baby wakes.  Eyes half closed, I stumble to her crib and bring her back to my bed to nurse.  She eventually falls back to sleep, but I am too tired to even place her back in the crib.  I shuffle down in my bed, beneath my covers and lay her next to me.  I drift back to sleep.

What seems like minutes later, I awaken to a little one climbing up on my bed.  Surprisingly, it's Ethan, my five year old.  I can't remember the last time he came into our room in the middle of the night.  I grab him and help him up into my bed, thinking he needed comfort.  I whisper to him to be careful of Baby Amelia, and he snuggles in and drifts off to sleep. 

By now, I'm slightly awake and just lying there, thinking.  Thinking of many things.  Praying.  Praying for loved ones, for situations, for anything that comes to mind.  Before I know it, I hear the pitter patter of feet.  Another one of my precious babies is climbing into my bed.  I glace at the clock.  It's now 5 am and we've got three children squeezed in between my husband and me.  My sweet husband sleeps soundly, not even aware of our visitors.  But I lay there.  Wide awake, yet so tired.  My thoughts bordered on feeling a little irritated that my bed was full, and I would surely not get back to sleep. 

Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1

But as I lay there snuggling these babies, the irritation melted away.  I was suddenly filled with joy.  My heart was full.  For whatever reason, my kids awoke, needed to be close to us, and felt welcomed to come, knowing they would not be turned away.  What a privilege it was to hold my babies close, keeping them warm, knowing they were all safe and well.  They were at peace.  They were comforted.

I began to think about the truth of scripture, and how this mirrors our relationship with God.  When we are scared, need comfort, or reassurance, He welcomes us.  He welcomes us at any moment, day or night.  He doesn't get tired, or irritated by the hour.  He just welcomes.  He loves.  He comforts.  We are His children and He loves us more than we can imagine. 

"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;
And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:13

I am so grateful to be a mom.  I don't always show it, or appreciate it.  Some days I wonder why God entrusted me with these precious souls.  But He did.  And I am thankful.  It's moments like these, when my bed is overflowing with children, in the sleepy quiet of the night, that God reveals His deep love for me.  His child!  And just as my children come to us, without reservation or hesitation, I must go to my Father.  Only there, will I find comfort and peace!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.  2 Corinthians 1:3

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Rowdy Holiness

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It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

For a Christian mom, there is sometimes an expectation of how much or how little she should be committing to personal time alone with God. With myriad books and devotionals available, and the expectation that moms will schedule quiet time into their day, the pressure is on! We feel less holy if we haven't had our quiet time.

While this would present an ideal situation, and time with God is parmount in our walk, for a busy mom, squeezing a devoted, daily quiet time into your day is just plain hard!

Even the best laid plans often go awry. We plan to wake up at 5:00am instead of 5:30 for time alone with God, but the baby decides to wake up at 5:02. We plan to study the Bible during rest time, but the two year old dumps the bucket of laundry detergent all over the floor, and we must now attend to that. How about when the kids go to bed? But hubbies want to spend time with us too, so it can't happen then.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.  Psalm 145:8-9

God understands our days. He's called us to sacred mommyhood and knows that some days are just rowdy and unpredictable. Therefore, we must find times of holiness in the midst of the rowdiness. Holiness is a work of gradual development. It is carried on under many hindrances, hence the frequent admonitions to watchfulness, prayer, and perseverance. It's sactification!  It happens ALL day long!

If we're looking for moments to worship or spend time with God, look to our day. I can't think of a better environment for moms, rich with sanctifying moments, than in our own home! We're surrounded by holiness, if we're willing to see it.


It's in the wonder of a child's first discovery. It's in the tiny arms wrapped around your legs as you make lunch. It's in your children's faces as they read God's word aloud during morning Bible time. It's in a moment of loving correction. It's watching your older children graciously serve along side you. It's in the joy you feel as you look at your family around the table. The list goes on!

If we're willing to see, we'll see that those moments are meant for worship. They cause us to marvel at God's goodness. They recharge us and encourage us. They're moments of holiness in the midst of our hectic day.

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." Jeremiah 31:25

When the days are difficult, when we're weary, frustrated, and feeling alone, we can find worship in short moments of prayer. Those moments when we are crying out, we are communing with our Father. Even those are sweet moments of holiness. God wants us all day, not just at 5:00am for 30 minutes. Years ago, I read a book which referred to these very moments as "prayer droplets". What a perfect description for how we come to God throughout our day!

In my home, we are surrounded by rowdiness. Even when we are experiencing "quiet", diligent moments such as school or family worship time, there is rowdiness. I have many little ones, so that comes with the territory! There are toddlers getting into mischief, the baby is fussing,the dog is barking to go outside, etc. Indeed, there is rowdiness!


If I didn't find holiness in my day, or catch small moments of worship, I would be wandering, parched and dry.

Finding holiness, even through the rowdiness, keeps my soul quenched and my eyes focused on my Father. It's when I fail to see the holiness in my day that I stumble. And I thirst!

If your day affords personal time alone with God, what a gift! But if your day affords you only moments, or prayer droplets, find holiness and worship in these times and trust that God is pleased.

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt. 3:17

How do you find holiness in your day? Do you have a devoted quiet time? Or are you struggling to find moments of worship in your day?

Thankful Thursday: God's Provision and Refining

Why is that we are always so amazed that God provides for His children?

As Christians, we know that He provides.  But there are times in our lives when we may not see His provision as "abundant".  We feel like we're just scraping by and waiting for God to fill in the gaps spiritually, physically, emotionally, or financially.  With our finite eyes, we only see what's right in front of us.  We have moments of plenty...and moments that leave us wondering if God will truly meet our needs.

Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes, it may seem as though God is not meeting needs because He's not doing it on our time table, or the way we want Him to.  It's easy to slip into a period of questioning. 

These are the times we must cling to His word and trust that He is at work in our lives.  Trust that He knows what's best for us.  Trust that He's working all things together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).

Recently, our family has been going through a period of refining.  A period of waiting on the Lord for provision. 

We've had a string of financial burdens which have caused us to tighten our belts and pinch practically every penny.  Aside from planning a wedding, which in itself can exhaust resources, we've had major medical expenses; Jonathan's testing for his seizures, Genevieve's stay in the hospital, vehicle repairs, and Greg's pacemaker surgery to name a few.  With the economy already putting pressure on the budget, these added things cause us to scrutinize every area in which we can cut back. 

We've also endured a string of emotional burdens; Jonathan's seizures and tests, nearly losing Genevieve, and Greg's surgery.  These have caused us some heartache and worry.

But they also cause us to ask, "God, what are you doing in our lives?  What are you teaching us through this?  How will you provide for all these needs?"

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

The verse above is one that I personally have been clinging to over these last months.  God has shown us time and time again that He not only provides, but that He has a much greater plan than we do in how the provisions come to fruition.  In one sense, it's very easy to worry when things don't add up.  But in another sense, it's exciting to see how God will work in these situations because you've seen Him faithfully provide in the past.

We've been so humbled to see God at work.  He's used prayer, His people, our wonderful church family, and His word to provide for our every need.  Prayer has comforted and bolstered our spirits, His people have blessed us by modeling the hands and feet of Jesus, and His word has assured us and equipped us with important truths in times of doubt. 

God uses these times for our refining. When I've been tempted to wallow in pity, I'm reminded that refining is good.  Refining grows us closer to Him.  As Christians, isn't that exactly what we want?  To draw closer to Him?  Of course.  But refining isn't fun.  I don't know about you, but I've caught myself on more than one occasion asking God if He would please go and refine someone else..... 

How thankful I am that He loves me enough to refine me, for it changes me just a little each time.  Changes that have eternal value!

THAT'S what I want!  THAT'S what I'm thankful for!

...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 

What are you thankful for?  How has God provided for you recently?  Please share here.

And if you're a blogger, link up with The Marathon Mom.

Begin An Advent Tradition

What?  It's only August and you're talking about Advent already?

You betcha!

The reason?  I want you to have plenty of time to order these wonderful Advent books that our family has enjoyed for the past nine years. 

Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage, and Tabitha's Travels by Arnold Ytreeide are all beautifully intertwined stories that lead up to Jesus' birth.  Each character is lead on a different journey full of adventure and nail-biting cliffhangers.  Your kids will hardly be able to wait for the next day's reading.

Even though our older children have heard these stories numerous times, they still look forward to hearing them again every year.  And for our younger ones, it's a brand new story as they grow each year and begin to understand the beauty of Advent.  It's become a wonderful tradition in our family....one that we hope they'll continue in their own families.

You begin reading the story on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and read a section each day until you finally arrive at Christmas morning...the reading of Christ's birth.

Our first night of reading, we sit around the table with big mugs of hot chocolate.  It is such fun time for our family.

On Christmas morning, we eat breakfast first...must feed the vultures.  Then, we do nothing else, not even open presents, until we've read our final Advent story.  It really sets the tone for what Christmas means to our family as Christ-followers, and why we celebrate His glorious birth.

If you're not already reading these, I highly recommend them.  If you can only order one, begin with Jotham's Journey, and try to collect one a year until you've acquired all three. 

Your family will love these, and the time spent reading together is a time to be cherished!


















"With these books you will begin a rich tradition of nativity celebration in your household."


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Perspective

An eye-opening, yet beautiful reminder...

Perspective. Or How I'm Learning Not to Sweat the Small Stuff



ht: Granny