Some quiet time with Corrie Ten Boom
Missed opportunities!
If only...
It is good to regret missed opportunities, but quite wrong to be miserable about them. You cannot look back across your past without seeing things to regret. That is as it should be. But we have to draw a subtle distinction between a legitimate regret and a wrong condition of heart. Give God your "if onlies."
Think of those laborers in the vineyard in the parable which Jesus told in Matthew 20:1-16. They all received the same wages, although some had worked the whole day and some had worked for only an hour. Compare that to a person's life. Some people enter the Kingdom right at the end of their lives. They may regret all those years when they were not serving Christ. But the important thing is that they are in the Kingdom. The thing that matters first of all, if you are a Christian, is not what you once were but what you are now.
I will restore to you the years
which the swarming locust have eaten.
Joel 2:25 RSV
Monday, August 18, 2014
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Mommy and Me...Thursday!
I am going to continue to use some old posts from our MOPS blog until we get more into a routine with our new blog.
Many of you are reading these for the very first time, some of you may have read them years ago and it seems familiar and then there is me (and possibly Wendy, Joy, Sarah, Hannah and other ladies I may feature) who are reading things like tonight's post and it causes so many emotions to surface because you wrote it and it's about you or your family.
I cannot tell my mom friends (especially of infants and soon to be moms) enough to CHERISH every single moment because pretty soon your little baby girl goes from being in your arms to Kindergarten (doing adorable things below) to in only a few weeks entering 5th grade!! I refuse to think past this year!
Pay SPECIAL attention to the very last quote in this post.
Mommy and Me...Thursday!
The past two weeks Brenna and Ethan have been playing school. Not one or two days a week, but every day! As soon as Brenna comes home from school, it's time for "school".
Miss Brenna also made a weather chart, school days chart, counting chart, and has the alphabet hung in her room for her students. Everyday she stands in front of these charts and teaches from them. The weather has to be changed to the current weather, the school day number has to be correct, and she better be able to find her pointer! (Sometimes the pointer is in Mr. Ethan's class room across the hall. Yes! Mr. Ethan has started teaching his own class . - Brenna also made charts for his room.)
It amazes me to see my children doing this. It truly does. A few days of "classes" later, Brenna asked me to make her some "tests" 5-1 = __, 5+3=___, etc. I had to make 5 the same. A light bulb went off while I was doing this. I looked at my husband and said, "I use to do this. I use to do this! She is being like me! I had tests, folders, and papers! I was the teacher!!"
Last night Brenna asked me to help her make an "answer book." I had been in the kitchen all day long making dinner, and canning salsa. I really did not want to do anything else, but plop on the couch. However, I remembered what I wrote in the MOPS newsletter, "take time to make those moments." I then remembered the words I said to my husband only 4 days ago "I use to do this!"
Brenna and I sat down and made her "answer book." The joy in her face coming straight from her heart;the joy I felt in helping her; the two of us bonding over something we shared in two different generations, now that is a mommy moment if ever there was one! Placed in my mind's memory box and I hope she placed it in hers!
"Sometimes you see yourself in your child and you know what, that is pretty cool!"
~JL Genovese
"While we try to teach our children all about life,Our children teach us what life is all about." ~Angela Schwindt
"If you haven't time to respond to a tug at your pants leg, your schedule is too crowded." ~Robert Brault
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Loving the man in my life...
(Words of wisdom from my mentor and friend...Joy Herman. This post was originally posted in April of 2011 on our MOPS blog.)
When our darling grandson was born last October, I was completely smitten. I confessed in a light hearted way to my husband of 30 years that for the first time in our marriage, I had fallen in love with someone else. He laughed and said, "That's not true! This has happened six other times in the past!" He was referring to our six children and how with the birth of each of them, my maternal love was so strong that I was just a bit neglectful of our romance for awhile.
The first time I heard the parenting principle "The best gift you can give your children is to love your spouse", I remember pondering it for a long time. That's a pretty strong statement, but it does makes a lot of sense. What better gift can we give our kids than the sense of security a happy marriage brings to a home? What more effective way is there to teach our kids love and forgiveness than to model it for them as parents? What legacy can we give our kids that would be more meaningful than two parents who are completely devoted to one another?
Many principles like that make great sense, but it doesn't mean they are easy to live out from day to day! Most of the time I am completely committed to living this principle. My husband is an amazing person and he has loved me unwaveringly through the good and bad times. There are, however, moments when I let tensions build up and the romantic feelings dip a little and it requires work to keep loving. I am fully aware that it requires work on his part to keep loving me sometimes because I have days of the month when I don't even like myself!
At times when loving doesn't come as easily, the life giving words of Scripture infuse me with new strength and resolve. One of my favorites is this passage from Colossians 3:12-14 -
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
I've said it before, but I just have to say again that the great thing about God telling us to do things, is that He is right next to us giving us all the resources we need to do them! Jack and I have followed these powerful words as a couple through some very tough times and it totally works! Sometimes we look at each other and our hearts are so full - God has brought us such a long way together and we really do love each other more deeply than we ever thought possible.
If you are still single and waiting for that man of your dreams, don't get caught up in looking for him. Use all of your energy to become the person God wants you to be. Pray for that man you are waiting for - that God will make him the person he should be. Then be patient until God brings that person into your life. My favorite verse I pray for my single friends is Psalm 84:11b, "...no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." The word "blameless" here doesn't mean someone who is perfect; it refers to someone who is following Jesus, confessing her sin and not compromising in areas that would not please God.
If you have tied the knot and are faltering at times when the romance seems lacking (I don't think I have ever had to put as much effort into this as when we had babies and toddlers!), remind yourself what a gift you are giving your children when you persevere in loving that man of yours. The benefits of sticking with each other may not always seem spectacular from day to day, but over the years you will see great rewards. The wise One who created marriage smiles on us as we fulfill our vows and He gives us the love we need so we can give our kids the great gift of a mom and dad who are truly in love!
When our darling grandson was born last October, I was completely smitten. I confessed in a light hearted way to my husband of 30 years that for the first time in our marriage, I had fallen in love with someone else. He laughed and said, "That's not true! This has happened six other times in the past!" He was referring to our six children and how with the birth of each of them, my maternal love was so strong that I was just a bit neglectful of our romance for awhile.
The first time I heard the parenting principle "The best gift you can give your children is to love your spouse", I remember pondering it for a long time. That's a pretty strong statement, but it does makes a lot of sense. What better gift can we give our kids than the sense of security a happy marriage brings to a home? What more effective way is there to teach our kids love and forgiveness than to model it for them as parents? What legacy can we give our kids that would be more meaningful than two parents who are completely devoted to one another?
Many principles like that make great sense, but it doesn't mean they are easy to live out from day to day! Most of the time I am completely committed to living this principle. My husband is an amazing person and he has loved me unwaveringly through the good and bad times. There are, however, moments when I let tensions build up and the romantic feelings dip a little and it requires work to keep loving. I am fully aware that it requires work on his part to keep loving me sometimes because I have days of the month when I don't even like myself!
At times when loving doesn't come as easily, the life giving words of Scripture infuse me with new strength and resolve. One of my favorites is this passage from Colossians 3:12-14 -
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
I've said it before, but I just have to say again that the great thing about God telling us to do things, is that He is right next to us giving us all the resources we need to do them! Jack and I have followed these powerful words as a couple through some very tough times and it totally works! Sometimes we look at each other and our hearts are so full - God has brought us such a long way together and we really do love each other more deeply than we ever thought possible.
If you are still single and waiting for that man of your dreams, don't get caught up in looking for him. Use all of your energy to become the person God wants you to be. Pray for that man you are waiting for - that God will make him the person he should be. Then be patient until God brings that person into your life. My favorite verse I pray for my single friends is Psalm 84:11b, "...no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." The word "blameless" here doesn't mean someone who is perfect; it refers to someone who is following Jesus, confessing her sin and not compromising in areas that would not please God.
If you have tied the knot and are faltering at times when the romance seems lacking (I don't think I have ever had to put as much effort into this as when we had babies and toddlers!), remind yourself what a gift you are giving your children when you persevere in loving that man of yours. The benefits of sticking with each other may not always seem spectacular from day to day, but over the years you will see great rewards. The wise One who created marriage smiles on us as we fulfill our vows and He gives us the love we need so we can give our kids the great gift of a mom and dad who are truly in love!
Friday, July 25, 2014
Life Is Short...
(This post was originally published in May of 2011 by Wendy Gaither on our MOPS blog! I thought it was a good one to start this blog out with!)
The other day, I heard a neat message on Klove radio (it's a nation wide Christian radio station if you've not heard of it. Find your local station here!) about a very cool video that has recently been released by the David Crowder Band. The song is called "SMS Shine" and the video is a compilation of thousands of hours of Lite Brite Pegs put into a stop action photography story.
Apparently, the David Crowder Band, along with over 80 people helping from their church, spent thousands of hours making over 700,000 Lite Brite pegs turn into over 120,000 different photo frames for the story told.
Curiosity had the best of me, and I watched the video. The first time I saw it, I spent my viewing time in awe of the work that was done. And since it was so good, I had to watch it again... and this time I paid attention to the story. It blew me away.
Have a look:
Did you see it? Wasn't it cool how they incorporated things from outside the Lite Brite coming into the story? Isn't it neat how the whole band attended the wedding in the background? As a designer, I was just drooling over this whole video concept. Story wise, I already loved this song from hearing it on the radio, but watching the video was more than moving.
David Crowder posts on his own blog that this video about the hope and comfort that God can be in the midst of the worst possible aches. "God shares in the suffering of life and brings redemption for everything that is broken, and this revelation causes, no, demands, that those of us who have experienced and participate in this great rescue, display such a thing to those who live unaware of a balm, a fix, an answer to and for all that is bent." (read his whole story of making the video)
When I watch this, which I've found myself doing a lot lately. I am reminded of two things- one is how short life really can be. Even if we're not experiencing exactly what this family does, isn't even 80 years a short amount of time to be here? It doesn't take tragedy to send us to heaven, am I making a difference for Him while I am here? James 4:14-15 says "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
The second thing I am reminded of is how amazed I am at the strength of people who seek refuge in the Lord through the toughest of times.
There is such a hope in Him! Proverbs 3:5-6 have been great verses for me to lean on these last few months of uncertainty in our lives:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
I yearn to make my life so that my path is indistinguishable from His path for me. I want to to a better job of seeking Him during both the tough and the good times. I want to give him space to shine His light so I can see it and for him to hold me close so I can feel love, too.
The other day, I heard a neat message on Klove radio (it's a nation wide Christian radio station if you've not heard of it. Find your local station here!) about a very cool video that has recently been released by the David Crowder Band. The song is called "SMS Shine" and the video is a compilation of thousands of hours of Lite Brite Pegs put into a stop action photography story.
Apparently, the David Crowder Band, along with over 80 people helping from their church, spent thousands of hours making over 700,000 Lite Brite pegs turn into over 120,000 different photo frames for the story told.
Curiosity had the best of me, and I watched the video. The first time I saw it, I spent my viewing time in awe of the work that was done. And since it was so good, I had to watch it again... and this time I paid attention to the story. It blew me away.
Have a look:
Did you see it? Wasn't it cool how they incorporated things from outside the Lite Brite coming into the story? Isn't it neat how the whole band attended the wedding in the background? As a designer, I was just drooling over this whole video concept. Story wise, I already loved this song from hearing it on the radio, but watching the video was more than moving.
David Crowder posts on his own blog that this video about the hope and comfort that God can be in the midst of the worst possible aches. "God shares in the suffering of life and brings redemption for everything that is broken, and this revelation causes, no, demands, that those of us who have experienced and participate in this great rescue, display such a thing to those who live unaware of a balm, a fix, an answer to and for all that is bent." (read his whole story of making the video)
When I watch this, which I've found myself doing a lot lately. I am reminded of two things- one is how short life really can be. Even if we're not experiencing exactly what this family does, isn't even 80 years a short amount of time to be here? It doesn't take tragedy to send us to heaven, am I making a difference for Him while I am here? James 4:14-15 says "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
The second thing I am reminded of is how amazed I am at the strength of people who seek refuge in the Lord through the toughest of times.
There is such a hope in Him! Proverbs 3:5-6 have been great verses for me to lean on these last few months of uncertainty in our lives:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
I yearn to make my life so that my path is indistinguishable from His path for me. I want to to a better job of seeking Him during both the tough and the good times. I want to give him space to shine His light so I can see it and for him to hold me close so I can feel love, too.
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