Monday Gratitude

Psalm 100:1-5  A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

I am thankful for...

...a harmless snake on my back porch, apparently making a nest there.  We have a deal, the serpent and I.  You, serpent, eat all the mice who seek to enter my house, and I, (with my mice paranoia), will allow you to stay as long as you'd like.  If you are hiding a nest of eggs on my porch-that's-not-really-a-porch (just a patch of square bricks with grass and weeds growing in between), well then, your babies are welcome too.

- the keyhole in the van that functions less and less reliably.  We pray for the salvation of relatives and neighbors and then finally, the key turns and we are on our way.  Today we needed groceries and couldn't get out of the driveway for fifteen minutes.  It was hot in the van, especially for those in the back. We prayed--the three older kids and me--for as many people as we could think of.  When we could think of no more, we prayed for people we would see in the store. When that didn't work, we persuaded two-year-old Beth to pray that the van would start.  Peter told me he was convinced this would work.  I was out of ideas, so it sounded grand to me. He told her, "Beth, say 'Lord, turn the key please'."

Finally, the key turned and we were on our way.

Bizarre problem to have.  Annoying.  But I give thanks for that keyhole problem.  Any problem that leaves you relying solely on God to get from A to B is a good problem to have.  Having to pray for daily manna, daily sustenance of any type, is a good problem to have.

Do you know it has taken me two years and three months of underemployment to learn to distinguish a good problem from a bad one?  And the best part?  I've only got good problems!

- the act of hunting for blessings, drawing them out of the mundane.

- no mud in my yard.

- days and days of overheating giving way to pleasant temps in the seventies.

- four children out catching insects.

- three children hoping the snake is hiding some eggs, and that baby snakes will soon emerge.

- online friends who brighten my day, who share my burdens.

- a really good sermon on Sunday night.

- a yard with grass (okay, dandelion and clover have taken it over, but once its mowed, it looks like grass....it's green anyway....very green)

- day lilies will bloom soon.

- bird of paradise soon to bloom.

- lots of frogs and toads in the yard to delight Peter and Mary (probably why we currently have a snake taking up residence)

- more weeds to dig up and 70's temps to make it more fun.

- Kristen's kidneys doing better!  Don't stop praying!  Our prayers will defeat the enemy, who attacks every Christian mission, every time.  Every bold Christian act, even newly consistent prayer, is reason for spiritual attack.  The answer? More prayer!

- consistent prayer.  Not letting distance separate you from His Spirit is the secret to the abundant life in Christ! Now, why did it take me fourteen years to learn that?  Hmm. That part is not good.  Don't let it take you that long, friend! Pray. every. day.

Guest Post: Amy's Prayer Warrior Journey, Vol. 2

To read Vol. 1 of Amy's Journey, click here.


Hearing the Spirit

Continuing my prayer this week, I've realized how much easier it is to hear the Spirit speaking to me because I have put time into my relationship with the Lord--praising Him, thanking Him, and asking for help.  

This week the Spirit has revealed to me that I need to ask to be filled with the Spirit each night and morning and throughout the day.  I can tend to be a perfectionist and want to do things in my own strength.  The Lord has revealed this to me before, but it's a continual struggle.  

For His Glory

What's even more important is that I ask to be filled with the Spirit so I can do all things for HIS GLORY.  This was an ah-ha moment for me when I read one of Christine's posts and then heard it again at church Sunday morning.  I want to be a good wife, mother, sister, and friend, but I believe I was thinking of it in a more self-centered way.  I wanted to be better, more like Jesus, because then I would feel better, but it's not about me, it's about HIM.   

I heard the Spirit speaking because I made the time to listen. 

I must admit that one night I did not pray.  I really don't know why other than I was tired.  After I pray each night, I feel a sense of peace that often gets lost throughout my day of caring for children, the house, and some days, going to work.  I often forget to pray during the day and my scheduled prayer time brings me back to God.  I can't figure out why I would choose to skip praying because it was a choice.  I just didn't pray one night.  At all.  

I was so filled with anxiety the next day.  I struggle with anxiety at different times.  Change of seasons or other big changes seem to bring it on.  It's probably related to hormones too.  My anxiety often leads to fear, which is such a difficult thing to deal with.  I need to pray and read the Bible to help me gain the right perspective.  I know anxiety and fear are not from God.  He is not communicating to me through these feelings.  

Experiencing His Faithfulness, His Grace

When I spoke with my husband about my feelings, he asked if I had prayed about it.  The answer was "no."  I can't explain why I didn't other than my sinfulness, pride, selfishness.  I ended up praying earlier that night as my husband watched over the kids....because I needed the Lord's help.  This prayer was not as structured, but Jesus answered my prayer and my fears were relieved.  

I continue to pray for help in this area.  I am so thankful that Jesus always forgives and loves me, not for my actions, but by His GRACE.

caddishness of women; are you guilty?

I have a question for you.  

Warning:  It will make you defensive.  You might even get mad.


When was the last time you remember tearing down another woman with your words, behind her back?


Got the image in your mind now?


Okay, then, what preceded your comments?  


Did she just get a promotion, a bigger house, a coveted ministry position at your church?  Did her house look far more organized than yours?  Were her kids far less boisterous?  Is her husband better than yours, in some way?  Did she lose the baby weight?  Does she have money in savings and a fat retirement account....and she gives tons to charity?  Did she pay cash for her car?  Just publish a book?  Redecorate her house?  Did her cake get the most compliments at the church potluck?  Does she stay at home, while you work?  Does she work, while you stay at home?  


Women can be nasty, jealous, caddish. 


When something great happens to another woman, we think about how we measure up, and suddenly, we're frustrated. Next thing we know, some ungracious criticism flies off our tongue, landing like rotten fish on an innocent bystander's lap. (Hopefully the innocent bystander is just our husband.....to whom we apologize later.)


Not pretty.  


I told you this would make you angry.  Defensive.


But it's true.  Most of us can't deny it. 


I've been thinking about this topic these past few days because of a post Shaun Groves wrote about the caddy e-mails he gets in his inbox from women, about women, preceding or following Compassion Blogging trips. An excerpt of his post is in red below:

They come out of the woodwork during every blogging trip. Women – always women – posting and e-mailing and calling Compassion because they don’t like a woman – always a woman – I’ve chosen to take overseas.

Don’t you know…Her marriage is broken.
Her past is checkered.
She’s so dramatic.
She’s lying about not having a TV.
She’s fat.
She’s a hypocrite.
She’s a Republican.
She meditates.
She’s just plain annoying.

Suspicion. Assumption. Judgment.

Or is that my judgment? So hard to tell.Their words are not always without merit, mind you, but so often strike me as judgment nonetheless. Not the timbre of concern or love but hate – riddled with name calling and threats and depleted of all rationality by CAPITALS and exclamation marks!!!!!!!!

Now, I think few of us would be foolish enough to e-mail Shaun Groves about some woman we didn't like.  The stupidity and futility of such an act would not be lost on us, especially given that his only mission in life is to glorify God and release children from poverty in Jesus' name.

His post speaks of the extreme, the ridiculous, but it got a lot of women thinking (51 comments).

What's at the root of our caddiness.....even when it's only uttered in private to our husbands?

My conclusion thus far, after two days deliberation, is that we feel unduly frustrated by two separate scenarios:

1.  Someone is getting recognition, but we're not getting any recognition for our work, for our achievements.

2.  Someone is getting blessed, but we're still struggling along.

After narrowing it down, I then had to decide.....what are the spiritual problems involved?

1st spiritual problem:  We are seeking glory for ourselves.


Only God deserves glory.  It is only through Him that we accomplish anything worthy.  We are to value a lowly position.

Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.


Proverbs 29:23
A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.


James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.


2nd spiritual problem:  We are grumbling about what we have; we're discontented.

God is sovereign.  He gives and takes as He wills.  We're to submit to His will in all things.  We're to seek and find joy in relationship with Him...not through things...He is the blessing.

Hebrews 13:5
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" 


Psalm 16:11
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.


Psalm 36:7
How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.


Psalm 36:8
They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.


3rd spiritual problem:  We are seeking the things of this world.


1 John 2:15
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.


Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.


James 4:4
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.


James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


How can we stop?
Prayer is the only answer. We must have a rich, consistent prayer life.....to daily fill up our cups with Him.....to daily cleanse our souls.  Also, The Lord's Prayer contains some words most of us ignore:  Lead us not into temptation...but deliver us from evil.  We need to ask the Father to help us avoid sin.  That asking, that humbling of ourselves, must be a component of our daily prayer life.

Urgent Prayer Needed - Kristen Welsh

I don't know how many of you have been following Kristen Welsh's blog, We Are That Family.  She went with Shaun Groves to Africa in March, 2010 as a Compassion blogger.  It changed her life profoundly and she started, along with her husband and a young friend, Maureen, from Africa, a ministry called The Mercy House.  Maureen is now executive director of this non-profit, Kenya-based ministry, which takes care of pregnant girls in abject poverty and teaches them income-generating skills.  They are just now welcoming their first few girls into the ministry, after several setbacks.

Recently Maureen lost her only sister and her nephew to a preventable disease.

And now, another setback.

Kristen and her family were to leave today for Kenya to help with the start up.  But instead of getting on their plane, they are stuck.  Kristen is in the hospital with kidney failure!

Please pray for this dear family, and for young Maureen? They are so faithful to the Lord's call.  These setbacks are heartbreaking.

At the end of each of the Compassion trips, the leaders, including Shaun, give the bloggers a debriefing.  Shaun asks every time, "Now that you know, what will you do?"

I can't think of Kristen Welsh these days without tearing up. She has sacrificed and prayed and given it all, including the $1000 a month she makes through her popular, award-winning blog.  It all goes to The Mercy House now.  It hasn't been easy on her, or on her husband and three kids.

She has answered the call.  She has done something about abject poverty.  She didn't just go, grieve, get back to normal, and go on with the status quo.  She said in essence "God, change me.  Let me be your hands and feet".

Maybe you and I can't go to Africa, but we can remember this family now in their hour of great need.  Please pray fervently?

Because so few people have time to click on links, I am reposting Kristen's last two posts, which detail the prayer needs:

Today's Post:

We won’t be going to Africa today.

I was admitted to the hospital last night thru the ER with the beginning of kidney failure. Which. of course, was a total shock and something we were completely unprepared for.

Long story short, doctors believe the antibiotic I was on for a bladdar/kidney infection for the last week, coupled with dehydration caused my kidneys to stop functioning right (a rare side effect of some antibiotics).

Please pray that my creatine (kidney function) levels start going down with the iv therapy and that my kidneys start working properly again. About 10% of people’s kidneys don’t recover from this. Believing I’m in the 90%

I’m so mad at satan (and really  heartbroken).

But he will not win.

Thankfully, we had travel insurance and were able to postpone our trip.

Thanks so much for your prayers and love. I feel them.

Yesterday's post:

I stood in the kitchen a few night ago, the reality of what we are about to do, settling in. It wasn’t a heaviness really, more like an O MY WORD slapping me upside the head.

I asked my hubby: “Why don’t you think God asked someone else to do this? Ya know, like someone with a lot of money, someone who wouldn’t have to believe for every dollar.”

“Or someone who had global experience, older kids, an extrovert with a love for adventure (everything I’m not).”

My hubby hugged me. The O GOOD GRAVY feeling eased.

He didn’t say a word. Because bottom line: God asked and we said yes.

And I do feel a lot of peace, especially when I remind myself He used a donkey once…..

I’m not bold. If you know me in real life, it’s probably because you approached me. But from the very beginning when we shared this vision with you-still new and unfolding each day–we knew we could never do this alone. We knew we needed you.

Will you pray for us?

I don’t like to over-spiritualize stuff, but in the last week, I’ve had a kidney infection, my mother-in-law had emergency gall-bladdar surgery, and today, my mom slipped on water and had to have 5 staples in her head (which I will be removing in Africa)-plus, my hubby’s been out of town with his job (but on the way home now). Seriously?  I don’t think it’s a coincidence Maureen brought in our first girl today with two more needy, pregnant girls pending.

Please consider printing out this calendar/itinerary and ask God to use our simple family to encourage and equip the staff, to love on Maureen and the residents, to be Jesus’ hands and feet….

You can download and print the prayer calendar here:  Prayer Calendar

Thank you.

the blessing of a checkered past; gratitude thoughts

Gratitude Thoughts

Our mechanic finished work on the second car this morning. The dear man put in an alternator, fixed the driver's side door handle, and adjusted the headlights, all for $150.00.  We need to make that man some cookies!  What a blessing!

After dropping husband off to get his car, I took the kids to the library.  The boys were out of books, and the girls, on Thursdays and Fridays, can take advantage of the literacy center the library graciously offers.  All the photos included below are from the library's literacy room.  

Not having to rush through the trip--needing to get back quickly so husband could use the van for work--was. such. a. blessing.  My peace increased many fold.  The kids too, were more relaxed without the rush.

Every time we go to the literacy room we take clean up seriously--leaving it in perfect order.  The children sometimes ask why we're cleaning up things we didn't use.  I tell them if we don't, then the librarians have to straighten it before they can go home to their families (both librarians have young children). Many different activities are put out, containing small parts, so it takes time to find the right containers and decide which items go together.  Today, Peter said, "It isn't very nice that the other families left all the mess, is it Mommy?"

These statements bother me.  It sounds as though I'm raising judgmental kids.  I know kids go through developmental stages, including some in which they see things in black and white.  I suggested that maybe the two families had to hurry home for naptime, or someone had a messy diaper, or they knew a meltdown was coming. In short, I taught that we never know what people have on their plates.  Things aren't always as they seem.  

Raising Christian kids is challenging.  There will always be the comparison between what we want them to do, and what everyone else does.  They reason, if this is the right thing, than everyone else must be wrong.  Wrong = Bad   Right = Good

My work is cut out for me, in teaching them to look at it this way, instead:  

Wrong = Blindfolded; without truth  

Right = Seeing; Holy Spirit-filled

Of course, my children still have to choose to be holy.  Being raised a Christian doesn't guarantee they'll do that.  (Link is to a blog post by Sally Clarkson).

I was without faith until the age of 31.  I believed in God, and believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but I looked at the blessing of the Cross as something I had to earn.  I was really relying on myself for salvation, which was terribly frustrating. I didn't have the benefit of the Holy Spirit, so I lived for myself, believing that most people would go to heaven as long as they didn't do anything terrible, or hurt people purposely.  

God decided to put truth in me.  He gifted me with faith.  I didn't will myself to believe.  I didn't have a choice, since I was spiritually dead.  I'm a Calvinist, which means I believe God chooses us--gifts us with saving faith out of his Sovereign will--rather than that we choose him.  If you believe the opposite, you might be Arminian--basically, the theory that God chose those he foreknew would believe, of their own free will.  Arminians believe we have the ability to choose God, and only those who do, get saved. For a complete comparison of the two views, click here.

It's a mystery.  It will always be a mystery.

I can't even count all the times I've caught myself, over the last fourteen years, wishing I'd grown up as a Christian.  Less baggage, I tell myself.  Children raised in Christian homes from infancy...without divorce, alcohol, drugs, abuse, adultery, the love of money, etc., come out more whole--more balanced, especially in homes with spirit-filled, growing Christians, as opposed to stagnant Christians who possibly have one foot in the world.  

Don't misunderstand me; everyone is broken--an inescapable part of being human in a fallen world--but less generational sin usually means less brokenness.

But.  There's this.

Children from Christian homes struggle with humility. A Christian from childhood, they know not from which they've been saved.  

One of my recent nightly prayers is that all of us, including our children, will be clothed in humility.

Though not raised a Christian, I still struggle with humility. But the thing is, I can quickly get to a humble place when I think of my "blindfolded" years.  I know what I've been saved from.  Realizing this, I find myself coveting a Christian past less often than before.  My husband has been a Christian since the age of seven, and my own boys were even younger when they believed. In this house, I'm the only one with a "checkered" past. (Although, don't picture drugs, alcohol, and rock n' roll--I was a teacher, after all :)

That singled-out part can still make me sad sometimes--as though I don't quite belong--but I see the blessing in it now.  I have something to give my children that my husband never could.

Perspective.