Declaration

God is Good!

Our pastor spoke on this after the passing of one of our church members on Wednesday.  He put aside the scheduled sermon and addressed the confusion, the struggle of having someone so young, so loving and in so many ways, a picture of Christ, taken from her family and friends so soon.

The first thing he stated was "In spite of the fact that I really don't know what to say, I want to declare that God is Good."

And He is.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:2

"He rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:19

When tragic things happen, we often hear it said, how could a loving God let something like this happen?  We don't have all the details.  We don't know everything He knows. 

In times like these we can trust Scripture, that God has a purpose and a plan for all of us.  God is with us when we are brokenhearted, that he will save us when we are crushed.  That he is our helper even while he is our creator.  That he rescues us because he loves us, he delights in us.

He delights in you and me. 

He is my Lord and Savior, my deliverer, my rescuer.

God is Good!

In His Grace...

Every Moment is Precious

My husband said it on Friday morning:

Every moment is precious.

The night before, we found out that an acquaintance we knew at church passed away Wednesday morning in her sleep.  She was 36. 

She had an almost 2 year old daughter, a 5 year old son, a 12 year old step-daughter, a loving husband, loving parents and a loving sister.   She was having no known health issues. 

But she is gone.  Gone to be with her Father in heaven. 

We don't understand God's plan, we can't see it all as He can.  We can't make sense of it.  But her husband spoke at church this morning - just five days after waking up and not being able to wake up his wife. 

He said it well - God still loves me and I still love God.  We don't understand it, but that doesn't change the fact that God is a loving God.  We can't make sense of it, but that doesn't take away from the fact that God is with us, every day, every moment.

It also puts life in perspective.  Every moment is precious.  Forgive those you need to forgive, let go of those things you need to let go of, live every day like its' your last. 

We don't know when our time will come. 

Love like there is no tomorrow.

In His Grace...

Yes to Jesus

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." John 1:12-13

I have been enjoying reading my son's Jesus Storybook Bible to him every evening.  He can earn anywhere from 1-3 chapters depending on his behavior during his bedtime routine.  He almost always chooses his Bible as one of the books to read.  I love it!

We finished it tonight and at the end is a paraphrase of John 1:12-13:

"For anyone who says yes to Jesus

For anyone who believes what Jesus said

For anyone who will just reach out to take it

Then God will give them this wonderful gift:

To be born into

A Whole new Life

To be who they really are

Who God always made them to be -

Their own true selves -

God's dear Child."

Say yes to Jesus - your life will never be the same.

In His Grace....

Dealing with Disappointment

About a year and a half ago, I was given a diagnosis that means it would be highly unlikely that I could get pregnant again.  We have one little man who is now 4 years old.  We both grew up with one sister each and had thought we would have another child so that our son would have a sibling.  While having a sister as a child had its' ups and downs, she is now my best friend.  I had hoped we could provide something like that for our son.

We started trying for a second child when our son was about 18 months old.  While conceiving him was easy, as time passed, it became apparent that would not be the case a second time.  I started having abdominal pain and after having some tests, found that I would most likely not be having any additional children.  I didn't dwell on it.  I thought I had moved on.

Until I attended a Beth Moore webcast with a friend who is also the children's director at our church.  During a break in the webcast, my friend asked if I wanted to talk or pray about anything.  She knew what I had been going through.  She knew where my heart was.  She said it was okay to be disappointed, it was okay to grieve.

Later that evening, as I discussed it with my husband, the tears and the sobs came.  The frustration of having that decision taken away from me, the disappointment of not being able to have a second child.  It was difficult.  But it was cleansing.

Since that evening, I have moved on.  That doesn't mean that I don't sometimes envy those around me with two children.  It doesn't mean that I don't ask God about His plan.  But it does mean that I am trusting in Him "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding". 

It means that I am confident that His plan is better than anything I could come up with on my own.

In His Grace...

Emotion versus financials

We met with one of our pastors this morning to discuss a biblical view on our house situation.  We bought a home just after the market peaked back in 2006.  This has led us to be underwater with our mortgage.  While so many people we know have decided to do a short sale because they were underwater even though they could afford the house, ethically I struggle with this. 

As our savings dwindles (replacing a car, paying for additional education for my husband, having our dog diagnosed with Lyme disease and glaucoma) we have been discussing the idea of a short sale.  Our pastor expressed the struggle very well this morning. 

I have been struggling with the emotional attachment I have to our house - our home - versus the need to make a smart decision regarding the finances.  I love our home and the neighborhood.  I really don't want to move.  But if I am letting that keep us from making the best financial decision for us, then I am hindering the well-being of my family.  Somehow, I need to separate my emotions from the financial decision. 

The only way I can do this is through prayer and asking for God's help.  I am an emotional person.  I become attached to things, to people, to animals, to all sorts of things. 

One of the elders at our church said that I have a tender heart.  God made me this way for a reason - I have yet to discover that reason but I believe I will. 

For now, I will pray for God's help with this difficult decision.

In His Grace...

Bless the Lord

A while back, one of our pastors spoke about blessing the Lord.  We are always asking for blessings from Him, but really shouldn't we be looking for ways to bless Him?

Since that sermon, I have been looking for ways to bless the Lord.  Here are a few things I came up with:

• Share His love with a friend or neighbor
• Listen to worship music with your kids (don't be afraid to sing along)
• Let someone in a hurry go in front of you when you are in line at the grocery store
• Give the right of way to someone else while you are driving (using all safety precautions of course)
• Pay a bridge toll for the car behind you
• Forgive someone that has wronged you
• Make a meal/snack/dish for someone that needs help
• Make time for a friend going through a hard time
• Listen - truly listen - to your spouse
• Do something for your spouse you really don't feel like doing

These are just a few things I thought of that bless the Lord as we give of our time, our money - or just of ourselves.  Sometimes it is easy to do these kinds of things and sometimes it is difficult.  I am challenging myself every day to do at least one thing to bless the Lord.

I can do this....

but only In His Grace...

Sovereign

I have been reading the old testament since the end of last year.  One thing that seems to come up repeatedly is God's sovereignty. 

"I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord..." Psalm 71:16

"...you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes." Daniel 4:25

"The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor." Isaiah 61:1

Sovereignty is not something that comes up regularly in modern day discussions.  My Bible definition is "supreme in power or authority (usually of God)". NIV  But I know that Scripture tells us that He is still sovereign, even today, thousands of years after the Old Testament was written.

I find it comforting that God is sovereign, that He reigns supreme, now and forever.  I may not understand it all, but I will continue to look to Him, thank Him and praise Him for his power and authority.

In His Grace...

Morals

As we drove home from visiting my parents this weekend, we saw an automobile stopped on the side of the highway.  Standing just in front of the car was the driver, a young man, urinating.  Not behind a bush, not hidden behind a rise or down a hill.  Just standing alongside the freeway, full daylight, urinating. 

No privacy, no shame.

Where has the moral code gone?  The idea that some things are not acceptable to do in public? 

Perhaps it has gone the way of so many other things.  I remember when swearing wasn't allowed on the radio or television, nudity wasn't seen on TV (unless you had cable that had "those types" of stations), there was at least an attempt to show respect for others in public.  But that seems to be disappearing and it saddens me to see this. 

I am raising a little man and I shudder to think all the things he will see as he grows up in this day and age.  He will be exposed to so much regardless of my attempts to shelter him.

With God's help, we must lead him toward God, toward morals, kindness, love, compassion, patience, selflessness, gratitude - everything that our society is not.  It is our responsibility to "train [our] child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

I pray that when he is old he will not turn from it.

In His Grace...

Asking Why?

We visited my parents this weekend.  Although they are past retirement age, they still own and run a small business.  Until the last several years, I think they were still enjoying it.  But at the ages of 80 and 74, they are not feeling the energy and determination they once felt.  It is wearing on them.  I can see the evidence and it is difficult to watch.

This is compounded by the fact that they cannot seem to hire/keep good, reliable, hard-working employees.  I truly don't know if it is the employees or how my parents view them, but they have gone through quite a string of people since my husband and I left in 2006.  I found I was not able to work with/for them either.

So after my father came to the house for lunch on Saturday and announced that his primary employee had left and he wasn't sure if that employee would be returning, I found myself asking God, Why?  Why haven't they been able to sell the business?  Why can't they find good employees?  Why can't they keep good employees?  How long will they continue to work so hard?  What is your plan for them God? 

I am not alone in asking this question. 

"Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?  Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" Psalm 10:1

"How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?" Psalm 13:1

David wrestled with questions to God throughout the Psalms.  We know it wasn't because he did not believe in God, nor did he lack faith and confidence in God's plan.  However, sometimes it helps to ask the questions and seek the answers by talking over the problem with God. 

I find that by asking the questions, I can more easily hand the problem over to God.  I know that I have voiced my concerns, stress, upsets, disappointments and I know that He has heard me.  This enables me to release the issue.  While I do not understand God's plan, I do know that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

I will continue to place my trust in Him.

And pray.

In His Grace...

Submit

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy...husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself.   After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church..."  Ephesians 5:21-29

Marriage can be difficult.  It takes work - sometimes a lot of hard work.  At times it can be wonderful, at other times it can be hard.  The things we say, the things we do.  Sometimes we take action when we shouldn't, other times we should take action when we don't.  It is a challenging but rewarding lifetime job. 

Toward the beginning of August, my husband and I joined a small group.  The very first study our group opted to do is called Fireproof Your Marriage and it is based on the movie Fireproof that was released several years ago.  One of the first verses we were to read and discuss in this group was Ephesians 5:21-33. 

At one time, this verse would have made all the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  I didn't understand why God would say that wives should submit to their husbands.  Are the men better than the wives?  Do they have a more important place in God's view?  Why should I submit to my husband when society had been training me that I was equal?

But I was taking it out of context.  When you read this entire section of scripture, God does instruct women to submit to their husbands.  But hand in hand with that, he instructs husbands to love their wives.  He uses the analogy of all that Christ did for the church, that he loved the Church so much that he "gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" Ephesians 5:25-27.

So what does it mean to submit and to love? 

According to my NIV Life Application Study Bible, to submit means that "the man is the spiritual head of the family, and his wife should acknowledge his leadership."  It goes on to say though that "real spiritual leadership involves service.  Just as Christ served the disciples, even to the point of washing their feet, so the husband is to serve his wife." 

And the description of love is also important "He should be willing to sacrifice everything for her, He should make her well-being of primary importance and he should care for her as he cares for his own body." 

When my husband is doing these things, then why on earth would I not submit to him? 

My Bible goes on to say "A wise and Christ-honoring husband will not take advantage of his leadership role, and a wise and Christ-honoring wife will not try to undermine her husband's leadership."

God intended for the two things, submitting and loving, to go hand-in-hand.  If you take the submit out, it doesn't work.  If you take the love out, it doesn't work.  But when two people love each other enough to submit (even when you think you are right and he is wrong) and to love (even when she is being grumpy and difficult) then you have what God envisioned in the marriage relationship.  Two people being selfless - doing the opposite of what our flesh tells us to do and giving of ourselves to make it work.

I can do this...

Only In His Grace...

A Learning Experience

I am almost finished - I have Zechariah and Malachi to go.  It has been a long, sometimes difficult, but rewarding experience reading through the Old Testament from front to back. 

I mentioned before that I felt challenged to do this by an author that spoke to our church one day. I felt a nudge to do it.  And so I started, I think it was in December of last year.  There have been times when I read chapter after chapter, enjoying the story within it.  There have been other times when I struggled to read one chapter a day - 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles and Lamentations seemed particularly long to me.

It was refreshing to read Psalms in a healthy state of mind.  The last time I read Psalms in its' entirety I was battling depression. 

Proverbs has so much insight, so many useful tidbits of instruction, so much guidance from a loving God. 

It has given me perspective, history, understanding and greater comprehension of so much that I thought I was familiar with already. 

I am looking forward to the New Testament - the message of hope within the pages, the transforming love of Jesus.

In His Grace...

The Lost Word

"Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it." Amos 8:12

My primary bible is a NIV Life Application Study Bible.  At times I find myself reading all of the explanations and information in the footers at the end of each page.  At other times, I solely read the word of God and no explanations are necessary. 

As I have made my way through the old testament this year, I have gone back and forth.  But last week as I was reading Amos, I found myself reading the explanations.  About Amos 8:11-13, it says "The people had no appetite for God's word when prophets like Amos brought it.  Because of their apathy, God said he would take away even the opportunity to hear his word.  We have God's word, the Bible.  But many still look everywhere for answers to life's problems except in Scripture..."

As I read this, I realized, I do this.  I still look for answers from others, from books, from the Internet, often before I go to Scripture.  I have been doing this recently and found myself sinking toward a darkness that I cannot describe.  It is when I do not fix my eyes and heart on my heavenly Father, when I do not look to Him for guidance first that I begin to sink. 

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness..." Matthew 6:33

I know this, and yet so often I forget. 

Next time, I pray I will remember.

In His Grace...

In my weakness, God is strong

It has been a difficult week. 

I sometimes wonder as I struggle to find my own way in my walk with God, how can I possibly be an encouragement to others?  How can I lead anyone to God when I am struggling to follow him myself? 

But after our small group yesterday, after we got home and had dinner with our little man, after getting him off to bed, I was doing the dishes.  Does anyone else have epiphanies while doing dishes? 

Here is my epiphany:  In my struggle, God is sure.  In my brokenness, God is whole.  In my weakness, God is strong.  "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13. I cannot lead anyone to Christ but I can sow the seeds.

He does not expect me to be perfect.  He does not expect me to have all the answers.  He does not expect me to know it all.  He only wants me to sow the seeds.  He wants me to share what I know of His love - His perfect, all-knowing love.  His unending, never-giving up love. 

I do know His love. 

It has changed me. 

In His Grace...

Trusting in God

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

I am not a writer.  By trade, I am a bookkeeper which is pretty different from being a writer.  When I first felt the nudge from God to start what I call my faith blog, I did what comes naturally...I argued with Him...for a couple of years.

How can I encourage others in something that I am still learning myself?  Why would God want to use me in an endeavor like this?  What it all came down to is in this verse.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart"...I had to trust Him.

"...lean not on your own understanding"...I couldn't lean on my logical thinking, I needed to lean on Him.

"...in all your ways acknowledge Him"...I needed to look to Him every day for the ability to do this.  By doing this, acknowledge in a public way that I am looking to Him in everything I do.

"...and he will make your paths straight"...I am not sure what is meant biblically by this, but for me it means that my relationship with God has grown in leaps and bounds since I started writing.  He opens my eyes, ears and heart to so much more of His wondrous love every day.  I have been so blessed just by taking the time to write my thoughts on the struggles, joys and encouragements of my faith walk.

Trust in Him...He loves you!

In His Grace...

God's Grace

I felt the prompting to start this blog but truly had no idea what use it might be.  I have yet to share it with friends and family (except my husband).  I still don't know where it might lead or if God has a bigger use for it and me.

Yet I have noticed changes in myself.  As I open my eyes, ears and heart to find things in my everyday life and relate them to what I know of scripture, God is blessing me! 

As I continue to write and ask Him daily for guidance, I notice that irritations bother me less. 

As I share my thoughts on God's work in my life, remaining calm at my job is not so difficult.  My perspective is changing.

As I continue to work to be thankful, my attitude changes for the better. 

As I continue to work to do what I think God is prompting me to do, I have noticed that if I am grumpy and lose my temper with my spouse, I can more easily ask his forgiveness.  I also find myself searching for the source of said grumpiness and look to give it to God.  To find His perspective on what is truly bothering me and rearrange my thinking to line up with His. 

God is changing me as I look to give Him glory.

All from this little blog.

In His Grace...

Growing in God

Every morning, my son gets out of bed.  He marches into the living room to play.

And every morning I must work to get him to help me make his bed.  It can't wait.  We can't just go play in the living room for a while before coming back in to make the bed.  We can't lounge on the sofa and read a couple of books first.  We can't make and eat breakfast while the bed remains unmade.

Why?

Because of our oldest cat Lucy.  She loves our little man's bed.  Once he is out of it, she is in it.  In the effort to do not more laundry but maybe just a little less, the bed must be made the instant he gets out. 

Part of me resents this.  Yes, I will make the bed that day.  But really?  Does it have to be right now?  Can't it wait a few minutes? 

The times I have waited a few minutes, the next thing I know, Lucy is snuggled down in the nice clean sheets.  And there I go doing more laundry.

I had a negative perspective on this whole process for a while.  But then, over time, I realized that it is just an opportunity to work on my inherent laziness and be more productive in my day. 

I have started thanking God for these types of things - little things that make me change my habits.  Things that give me a reason to better myself, be a better wife, be a better mom, be a better employee, be a better friend.

It will be a lifelong journey.

In His Grace...

God's Promises

My mood is a lot like the weather today - gloomy, overcast and gray. 

My husband has started his annual change in work schedule.  He works in wine production which means that for about 3 months of the year, I don't see him much.  It happens every year.  I know it's coming every year.  I try not to let it bother me every year. 

And every year I struggle.  Every year I find myself gloomy for a bit.

So today, I thought I would take a look at some of God's promises.  Like in Isaiah 41:10, he says "So do not fear, for I am with you;  do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (italics mine)

And in Jeremiah 29:11 he says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (italics mine)

In Proverbs 3:5-6, he tell us to "Trust [in Him] with all your heart...and he will make your paths straight."  And in Philippians 4:6-7, he tells us "Do not be anxious about anything...present your requests to God.  And the peace of God...will guard your heart and mind..."

I need His peace.  I want his peace.  So I will try to put aside my feelings (feelings aren't very reliable anyway) and lean on His promises to me.

In His Grace...

God's Reputation

I am constantly challenged by the sermons at our church.  I love the pastoral staff and am so thankful that they are prayerfully seeking God and working to do His will every day.  This past Sunday, our pastor said something that resonated with me.  He said, "we are holding God's reputation in the palm of our hand." 

As a Christ follower, God has given me the gift of eternal life.  But He has also commissioned me to take His message to the World.  In so doing, I am His representative.  Here's an analogy:  If you eat at a restaurant and your server is having a bad day, her bad attitude reflects poorly on the eating establishment.  If you have a bad enough experience you may not go there again. 

If we reflect God's love poorly to those we encounter and they know we call ourselves Christ followers or Christians, they may not ever give God a chance. 

Wow!  Sobering, isn't it?

I don't want to be a person that leads people away from God.  I want to lead them to our loving God.  I pray that I will pause and think of this the next time I am about to say or do something that I know will reflect poorly on God. 

I pray that I can show God's love to others every day.

In His Grace...

Lack of Consideration

When we are self-absorbed, we simply cannot be considerate.  I think being considerate and being selfless go hand-in-hand.  The definition of considerate is solicitous: mindful of the needs, wishes, and feelings of others.   

We are commissioned by God to be considerate, to put others first,"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10

Yet we are hard pressed to do this even with those we love, let alone neighbors, acquaintances, friends, strangers.  Our sinful flesh leads us in the opposite direction.  Wanting our own way.  Wanting to put ourselves first, our own needs first. 

A great example of this is something as simple as using your turn signal when driving.  How many times have you been behind another car that for no reason at all, starts slowing down, maybe comes to a complete stop?  There is no signal, no obvious sign that they are making a left turn.  Or maybe you are at a four way stop sign and the person opposite you does not have their turn signal on.  You assume you can go at the same time as them.  Except, they are turning left and when you drive into the intersection, they lay on the horn because somehow you should have been able to read their minds and know that they were planning on turning?

There are so many little things we can do every day to show consideration to others.  Yet we don't.  We don't take the time or make the effort, even if it takes hardly any effort at all, to do something that would benefit others instead of ourselves. 

I challenge you, just as I challenge myself, to take the time to do something, no matter how small, for someone else today.

In His Grace...

Perspective

We live in a valley.  There are two main thoroughfares that run north and south in the valley.  They are, for the most part, one lane in each direction.  There are a lot of tourists, especially in the fall.  Thus, on any given day, if you need to drive on one of the roads, you will most likely find yourself behind a tourist...driving 10-15 miles an hour below the speed limit.  Having lived here for close to nine years, I am used to it.  I expect it.  It may be irritating, but that is just how it goes.

This past week, as I was driving to a client's office, I was in a small line of traffic behind a leisurely tourist.  I was the second car in the line and there were several behind me, most notably a pickup truck directly behind me.  Whether or not I wanted to go faster, I could not, because there were two cars in front of me.  That did not stop this truck from getting very close to my rear bumper. 

At one point, I heard someone honking their horn.  It was just after we had passed a somewhat dangerous intersection so I figured the honking was happening at the intersection - maybe someone cut someone else off.  And it wasn't just a polite, little toot.  It was laying on the horn.

As we proceeded up the road, I heard the honking again...and I realized it was the truck behind me...honking at the person in front of me.  I was amazed.  We were averaging about 45 miles per hour which is about 10 miles per hour less than the speed limit.  But truly, at this time of the year, you cannot go anywhere in the valley without ending up behind someone on vacation and taking their time. 

As we came up to a stop sign, the road widened.  The pickup truck passed me on the right, pulled up next to the "slow" car, said something to them and continued on his way.  I could see the reaction of the driver of the car in front of me in their side mirror.  It was one of slight amusement and puzzlement.  They continued on their leisurely way.

I tell you this story to come to the point that it is important in our everyday lives to keep perspective on situations that may arise.  As Lysa Terkeurst said on an Unglued webcast, if driving slowly behind a tourist was the worst thing that happened to me that day, what a blessing.  By driving more slowly I could enjoy the beautiful creation around me.

To use an old cliche, I pray that we all take time to stop and smell the roses.  I challenge you that if something slows your day down, look at it as an opportunity to enjoy more of what God has for you each and every day. 

In His Grace...