Friday, August 29, 2008

"Mommy, what's in ____________?"

Tonight Bryson is up past bedtime. We've been doing school while the other kids nap, since he is no longer sleeping during naptimes. But today he actually slept because we'd had a fun day at Aunt Yvonne's playing in the pool, so he was pretty tired. So rather than go back and forth to the boys' room because he explains to us that he's "having difficulty falling asleep and that he wants us to pray over him again (and again and again and again and again)," I decided to allow him to do some schoolwork... and I'll tell ya he's especially eager to hang with the grown-ups while the "little kids" are asleep, so he's thrilled to practice his letters.

Anyway, I love the one-on-one time with him. He's fun to be with. He plays and works well by himself. He focuses and concentrates excellently when he's on his own. He is super bright (I know, I'm totally his mom, so I'm totally biased) and he is super inquisitive. I love it!

He's always asking me what things are made of and how they are made and I LOVE IT! He thinks exactly like I do. I always wanna know the why's and how's behind how things work, how things are made, what the dentist is doing exactly when I'm hearing all that drilling and smelling all that smoke, you know that kind of thing.

Tonight, Bryson is by my side as I work on my to-do list for the coming week and he's working on his handwriting and connecting the dots and mostly sharpening pencils. He LOVES using the little pencil sharpener (got 'em 6/$1.00 at Dollar Tree, he and I were both THRILLED!).

And he asks me, "Mommy what are markers?" Ink. Strong Ink.
"Mommy what's in pens?" Ink.
"Mommy what's in pencils?" Graphite. "Graphite?" Yes.
"Mommy what's in crayons?" Wax. And color.

And I had a flashback of one of my favorite snippets of Sesame Street. I used to love watching how an orange crayon was born at the Crayola factory. So I thought to myself, "Find it on Youtube." And I tried a couple searches and found it!!!!! I was so excited (jumping up and down inside, you know, that kind of thrill you get when you can't wait to see your child's reaction to something really cool...)!

We watched it a few minutes ago and he thought it was "awesome, let's watch it again..."

So I had to share it here, too. Tell me you remember this and loved it, too!

You gotta meet Viv

This is my bestie from back in the hood, from back in the day. We've been friends for 25 years. I am soooooo laughing out loud, really loud. That is something pretty special when you can say you've been friends for a quarter of a century. Crazy. I love this girl. She inspires me. She encourages me. She can talk me down and build me up. Spend a moment (or many) over at her blog. You'll be refreshed because Magic Can Happen in a Moment.

Loveya, Vivi!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Praiseworthy?

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9

My mom gave me some wisdom a couple years ago when we were talking about communicating with our spouses. She had watched a bible study on one of those evangelical programs and the teacher was preaching about words and how we use them. We would be wise to ask ourselves 3 questions before we speak:

Is it kind?

Is it true?

Is it necessary?

And if we cannot say yes to ALL THREE, then it's best not to speak. Thanks, Mama, for sharing that nugget of wisdom with me. It's kept my mouth closed many many times. (Sigh.) See below for an e-devotion that a friend forwarded me last year.

Every Careless Word
5/29/2007
"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak,they will give account of it in the day of judgment." MATTHEW 12:36
Jesus spoke plainly about our idle words, yet His warning often goes unheeded. Jesus said that for every idle word there will be a time of accounting in the day of judgment. We would expect Jesus to condemn profane and vile uses of the tongue, but idle words? Idle words are things we say carelessly, without concern for their impact on others. We too quickly assume that the sins of our tongue are minor sins, sins that God will overlook. Yet Jesus was fully aware of the devastating nature of our words, for the idle words that come from our mouths give a lucid picture of the condition of our heart (Matt. 15:17-20).
The Book of Proverbs encourages us to speak less rather than risk saying something offensive (Prov. 17:28). Often when we have nothing significant to say we are tempted to speak injurious, idle words. The more time we spend in idle chatter, the greater the likelihood that we will say things that are harmful. James cautioned believers to be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19). We are in much less danger of saying something offensive when we are listening than when we are speaking!
Think carefully about the words that come from your mouth. We should speak only words that uplift and bring grace to others (Eph. 4:29). Do you need to speak less? Do you need to be more careful about the kind of humor you use? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you evaluate whether your words build up others or whether they destroy and hurt others.

Wow... apparently this is my focus for the week. Things keep coming to mind and I'm so encouraged to press on.

Pray Vigilantly. Speak Graciously.

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

Col 4:2-6 NKJV

“Be courageously persistent” or “hold fast and not let go” in persistent prayer… staying awake, alert for specific needs about which to pray. NLT says: Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity to share Christ. Speak what is spiritual, wholesome, fitting, kind, sensitive, purposeful, complimentary, gentle, truthful, loving and thoughtful.

Just as salt not only flavors, but prevents corruption or decay, as it acts as a preservative, our speech should act not only as a blessing to others, but as a purifying influence within the decaying society of the world.

-- Macarthur Study Bible

I’ll tell you what, I am praying this morning! I shouldn’t be surprised when the enemy tries to lie his way into our minds, especially with such a bold-faced nasty lie first thing in the morning. I shouldn’t be surprised that Satan is showing up. God has begun a new work in us and so of course the enemy shows up to try to trip us up right out of the gate. Please continue to pray for us!

Yesterday Bryan shared with me how the Lord answered one of our prayers. We had asked the Lord to “PLEASE!!!!” give us each the gift of discernment as we minister to each of our kids in the youth group. So often we get a call of distress or a text of confessing a particular sin and it’s our prayer that we will see the root of the problem so that we can offer more than a bandaid. We want to be able to pray effectively for that young person, but also encourage them in a practical way by helping them see the real root of the issue. We wanna know what to say!

And the Lord said to us… “Pray. Pray with an alert mind and with a thankful heart. God will open the door, He’ll provide the opportunity, He’ll provide the Word and show us what we ought to speak.” He said to us, “Walk in that wisdom among your little flock, especially with those who are struggling, especially with those who are on the fence, especially with those who are on the other side of the fence dabbling with compromise. And speak what is spiritual, wholesome, purposeful, truthful. Be salty for these kids, walk in wisdom, and you’ll know how to answer each one.”

Thank you, Lord, for being so specific! I loved what the Macarthur Study Bible said about speech. Gracious speech is a topic we consistently talk about in this home. So I’m going to be putting these passages up in my bathroom for Bryan and me to see each time we brush our teeth. I’m going to teach my kids about salt. I’m going to train myself to speak only what edifies the listener! So we can always seek to be a blessing to others, not only by how we live, but by what we say.

Eph 4:29 has always been one of my getting’ thru daily life kind of verses and it confirms what the Lord’s been showing us in Colossians:

29Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it. Amplified Bible.

God says to me this morning, "Speak what is spiritual, wholesome, fitting, kind, sensitive, purposeful, complimentary, gentle, truthful, loving and thoughtful."

And I say, Lord, strengthen me for the day ahead. Help me to see the needs of my kiddos and meet them lovingly and patiently. Help me to be a wife and mommy who builds up her husband and children. I need your Spirit today, God, fill me afresh so I can pour out grace and mercy on my family and be an encourager for my husband.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Confession Session

Bryan and I have been having some good talks lately. We’ve been digging deep and getting a lot of things off our hearts. (Does your communication with your spouse ebb & flow like ours does?)

Anyway, we have been on our knees confessing our inadequacies and our tendencies toward self-sufficiency. Aaaaghhh. We are both such DIY people and once again we’ve found ourselves beyond the steps the Lord’s laid out for us and we’re shoutin’ over our shoulders, “Come on Jesus, catch up and help us!” (Do you ever get into that mess?) Like I mentioned in a previous post… we are trying to get back to the heart of what’s really important to us, back to a healthy, spiritually nourishing and emotionally nurturing family routine.

We’ve been asking Jesus for His wisdom. And His strength to simply LISTEN to His Voice and then obey. We need His wisdom for training up our babes and for gearing up for homeschooling. We need His wisdom on how to teach our high school kids and His direction in planning for the school year (teaching/serving/fund-raising/fun activities, etc). I need His wisdom for managing the home front more effectively… meal planning, living frugally, being a good steward of my time.

And THEN… THEN we need hearts of humility to die to self. Cuz once the flesh is dead, then the spirit can joyfully obey. Oh, don’t you wish that one day you could just die to self and that the nasty ol’ self-centered, selfish part of you would just be put down, for good. And so the next day and the next and the next, you’d be free! I do… But it doesn’t work that way. (That’s how God draws me to Himself. He desires relationship. He wants to relate and interact with me and I need His strength and His fellowship to put off the old girl that keeps trying to overtake my spirit. It’s a moment by moment struggle for me. I’m thinking that if He fixed me once and for all, I’m such a DIY-er that I’d tend to be like shooop, gone, thanks Jesus, seeya in Heaven. But for whatever reason, God wants to hang out with me, kickin’ it with Kell. And for goodness’ sake with YOU, too! Amazing.)

Anyway. So we’re pleading with God to grant us repentance! And we’re both crying out, “Help me to die to self!” That’s what we talked about Sunday, me and my man. One of the passages of the Word we are clinging to and praying over each other these days is from Colossians 3…

8But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…

12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

I wrote Bryan a letter last weekend after I spent a considerable amount of time with the Lord confessing a bunch of junk that’s been going on in my heart. I just have had junk in my heart and it was cluttering up my spirit and affecting the way I related to Bryan. Grrrrrr. I was so frustrated with myself.

You know, I love how we can just go before the Lord and lay it all out… and He listens. I love how I can tell Him EVERYTHING and even include my rationalizations and justifications… and He listens.

Then it’s my turn to listen. He shows me such mercy. I love how patient the Lord is with me. Oh… I love it, it’s my favorite thing about Him right now.

So I got all that cleared off my chest and out of my mouth (out of the mouth the heart speaks… the heart is the wellspring of life… confess your sins and He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness… you know all that good stuff) and then the Lord has some air time in which to speak to me, now that the junk’s all exposed. He reminded me (gently) that I had encouraged another wife to read Colossians and pray that over her marriage and to die to self die to self die to self die to self. Oh yeahhhhhh, well now, I’ll be eating a huge slice of humble pie. Why don’t you just give it to me straight, Lord? (He does.)

And I’ll tell you what, I prayed through that passage and had to start from scratch in my confession session. And this time, the Lord wanted me to expose my cluttered up heart to you-know-who.

That’s why the letter got written, printed out, and given to my husband to read, ponder and discuss with me. And then came the really good talk! God’s so faithful.

James 5:16 says, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." And I’m already seeing so much fruit. And a fresh vitality in my little ol’ heart.

So I’m just gonna pray again! I’d love it if you’d beg the Lord to continue working in me, too! My hope is in Christ!

Father God,
help me to change and be conformed to your image
and be transformed by the renewing of my mind
through Christ Jesus in spite of how weak I am.

Help me to submit to Bryan by respecting him and honoring him
so that he may joyfully PHILEO me
with a gentle, tenderhearted meekness,
so that our children can obey us in everything
because they’ll see us
walking hand-in-hand & arm-in-arm,
in righteousness, in fruitfulness,
in that active, awesome, affirming AGAPE love.
So they not only “do as we say”, but also “do as we do”,
so they don’t stumble from the Way on our account.
Oh! May they follow us as we follow Christ!

I’m desperate for You, Jesus,
to show up in our marriage and begin a new season of growth.
Empower my husband with Your strength,
Your love, Your wisdom because YOU are the Sufficient One.
Give us hearts of humility, let us be quick to forgive, and even quicker to pray.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Dads&Daughters.org

Fathers Are Different Than Mothers
http://www.dadsanddaughters.org/

Fathers are different than mothers. It’s so obvious that we don’t even stop to think about what the difference means. As a mom, your relationship with your child develops quite literally from the inside out. For nine months, you and she are together in a physical symbiosis that defies comprehension. On the most elemental level, you share in the unfolding miracle of the baby’s creation, and the day of birth is but a first important milestone in your already established connection.

Fathers, on the other hand, come to their children from the outside from the very beginning. Dads can participate in the progress of mom’s pregnancy; they can place hands in strategic spots to feel the kicks and jabs, listen to the swooshing heartbeat through a stethoscope, and now, thanks to the marvels of technology, dads can watch videos of their child floating gently within her embryonic world. But a father’s experience is always filtered; no matter how he participates, a father never holds his child inside his own body. His first real contact with his child is when he picks up his newborn and cradles her in his arms.

In some profound way, Dads’ biological placement, in the process of birth, mirrors the challenges fathers face throughout their children’s lives. For most mothers, the primary struggle of parenthood is stepping back far enough to allow the child room to grow and develop. The challenge for most fathers, on the other hand, is coming in close enough so that they can build a strong and lasting bond.

Adapted from The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Being a New Dad by Joe Kelly and used by permission.

A friend forwarded the link to this website to me because daughters and their daddies have been on my heart lately. I think the relationship a daughter has with her Dad soooooooooooo defines her. I know this from my own life experience of losing my Daddy at 17... I have a father-figure hunger that was not satisfied until the Lord said, "Hey... I AM Friend. I AM Saviour. But I'd love to be FATHER, if you'll let me in." I say "have" a hunger because, honestly, I still find myself craving affirmation and encouragement from my husband, from my uncles, from my brother, from J.R., from our pastors, from our peers. I just do. The father-daughter relationship is foundational in the development of character and security in every girl.

I also see this in ministry, as I listen to the struggles of my teenage girls. Many of the issues that they struggle with can many times be traced back to how close she is with her Dad and whether she's getting godly love, affection, and adoration from her Papa Bear.

Daddy lifting Kennady up...
so she can "fwy" like a butterfly at her 2nd birthday party in 2006.

It's my heart to see that Bryan loves on our three daughters in a way that will enrich their little hearts and make them feel safe and cherished... that they know he thinks they're perfect in every way. Every girl wants her Daddy wrapped around her finger, right? :) Our sweet girl Kennady wants to be Daddy's princess... and she'll always need his encouragement and him speaking into her life, sculpting her character, lifting her up, pointing her to The [perfect] Father.

"For most mothers, the primary struggle of parenthood is stepping back far enough to allow the child room to grow and develop. The challenge for most fathers, on the other hand, is coming in close enough so that they can build a strong and lasting bond."

So, what do you think about the above quote? Do you think it's accurate? How has the relationship with your Dad defined you and your life choices? If you're a Mama, do you have a hard time giving your children room to define themselves? Do you think you encourage your husband to step in and step up, and do you give him the space to do so?

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;

Psalm 144:12

the Cornhuskers

Bryan brought home sweet corn from the farmer's market. It was our first corn of the summer. He got the kids all set up at the table to shuck it while he fixed dinner. I thought how fun for them, so of course, I grabbed the camera.

But the real fun started when the kids decided to put all the husks in a pile... and then, well, you know... they played like this for a good 20 minutes. Sometimes it's good for me to just let 'em be kids and not stress out over the mess. They had fun.

Bryan said, "Yup... They're true Cornhuskers."

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

How Beautiful the Feet...

How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,

“ Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7

So, one might presuppose that I love feet. I do love feet. Conditionally. They must be feet with Trenkle toes. Feet without Trenkle toes, not as much. I do love my kids’ feet, especially when they’re itty bitty. You can bet that I’ll be smoochin’ Baby Karsyn’s feet til she’s about two. That’s when they start being kid-feet and not baby feet. You know, baby feet are like puppies. They’re cute and cuddly and kissable when they’re small and playful and then they grow up to be dogs and they get all hairy and smelly. (Hey? Did I just crack the code on why people call their feet “dogs?”)

ANYWAY. That’s not my point(er). Sheesh, just kidding.

ANYWAY. (for reals this time)

Fact #1: I love baby feet. And I love baby fingers and baby ears (my kids were all born with fuzzy ears) and I love baby smiles. I love babies.

Fact #2: When I’ve been in the Word since Karsyn arrived, I’ve been in the Psalms.

Fact #3: I read Psalm 18 a few days ago and knew this was what the Lord wanted me to meditate on and, well, then I ended up sharing it my girlfriend’s baby shower the other day. Because it mentions feet! (Refer to Fact #1 to reiterate why that is significant for a baby shower.)

31 For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with
strength, And makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.

35 You have also given me the shield of Your
salvation; Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36 You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.

39 For You have armed me with
strength for the battle.

Fact #4: According to biblegateway.com, the word “feet” is mentioned 228 times in the NKJV. So when I asked my husband, “Guess what the Lord has been showing me!” He said, “What has the Lord been showing you?” And I said, “The Bible mentions feet 228 times!!!” He did not jump up and down with me. He rolled his eyes! (He abhors feet, he does NOT think they are cute or pretty AT ALL.)

Most of the Old Testament references to feet fall into two categories. God was either crushing His enemies under His feet or He was setting people on their feet.

I thought that was pretty significant. Over and over again The LORD God was setting people on their feet, giving them a place to stand.

On a rock. On The Rock. On a path. On an enlarged path. The Bible says He establishes my steps, that His word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. He keeps my feet from falling. He makes my feet like a deer’s. (I had to recall why deer’s feet are cool for Jesus – it’s because He created deer with surefootedness. Deer can climb to the high places without slipping. Ever read “Hinds' Feet on High Places”?)

And then the verse in Isaiah 52 is one that I’ve loved… “how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news!”

I love that. God thinks our feet are beautiful. And it’s because He’s given them purpose. Our feet have a purpose in the kingdom! To take the good news everywhere we walk. Right now I mostly walk around in my house (still in my jammies from 3 days ago, but hey), I mostly walk in front of my children (to lead them), or behind my children (to guard them), I mostly walk beside my husband (to support him) or in front of him (as he cherishes me as his bride), all the while taking the good news of the Gospel. And you probably won’t find me preachin’ it up on the streets with a blowhorn, ya know, but I’ve got my family with me most of the time and it’s my joy as Mama to teach my kids about the Good News with every opportunity

18 “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deut 11:18-20).

And just as a sidenote, maybe a blowhorn would be a good investment with these squirrely kids of mine, gotta keep track of ‘em somehow – those grocery carts keep shrinking!

We followers of Jesus talk about our “walks” a lot. We’ll ask a friend, “How is your walk with God right now?” or “How close is your walk?” Walk walk walk. And I’m sure you’ve read that poem Footprints, right? Well, this got me thinking (yay, God! one coherent thought… I still have a few braincells in there somewhere!)…

The Bible says to hide God’s word in my heart and soul and teach them to my kids when I… “walk by the way.” It’s the parents’ “job” to teach our kids out to walk, to take those first steps. So we’re holding our tot’s hands and helping them balance, all the while we are taking steps, too. But much to my kids’ dismay, babies are not born ready to stand and run when they get home from the hospital. (Bryson was 2, almost 3, when we brought Kev home and he kept asking us to “Let him out of the carseat, mommy, so I can see him walk!”)

(Kev, 3-days-old, on Bryson's lap, 2006)

No, newborn babes are not ready to bear their own weight on their legs. We carry them for a season. We carry them thru infancy. For the first year of Karsyn’s life, there’ll be my set of footprints and Bryan’s set of footprints until she can walk and then there’ll be 3 sets, as we walk beside her.

Just as the Lord carries us thru seasons. I don’t know how it is for other mamas, but when I’m carrying my child in pregnancy, it’s a real spiritual experience, I feel so intimately connected to the Lord as we partner together in nourishing the babe in the womb. And those first hours after birth, too, are so special and intensely intimate and worshipful. And then I’m not sure when it happens exactly but I go in to bare minimum survival mode where I’m doin’ real good if I make time to read a Psalm or two. That’s when I know the Lord is carrying me. Just like I’ll be carrying my infant until she can walk.

Psalm 119:58-60
58 I entreated Your favor with my whole heart;
Be merciful to me according to Your word.
59 I thought about my ways,
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
60 I made haste, and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.

It’s Bryan and I’s job to teach our kids how to walk physically AND spiritually. To point them down the right path, to turn our feet to God’s “testimonies” – His Word… The Truth, The Way, The Life!

And it’s not a super easy thing. There’s lots of opposition to parenting biblically – lots of distractions, you know? The world is full of distractions that can keep us from putting the emotional and spiritual needs of our family first… work, money, hobbies, self… mostly self in my case. (I tend to lose track of time, spending it on the frivolous instead of on the necessary.)

It’s a battle. Shepherding our children’s hearts is a battle. Being the wife God asks me to be for Bryan, there’s a battle. Making time to spend with the Lord, there’s a battle. Getting up and getting myself and four babes dressed and fed and make it to a 9am appointment, there’s a battle. Life is full of busy-ness and distractions of all sorts, but God strengthens us for all of it.

39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle.

He’s given us armor! Spiritual armor – we just have to put it on daily, so that we can EFFECTIVELY and VICTORIOUSLY walk the path He’s enlarged before us.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Ephesians 6:14-16

Amen! (Gird my waist with truth? That’s having the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God ready. The breastplate of righteousness, guards my heart, where His Word is hidden. Shod my feet?… that’s being like a Boy Scout, ready to take the good news everywhere. And the shield of Faith, when held up against the enemy, protects me from Satan’s lies and my unbelief.)

And I’ll tell ya, there are days, when I am just exhausted. Every ounce spent and I don’t have the strength to put my armor on! And as I was reading thru the 228 Bible references to “feet,” I came across Hebrews 12:12-13…

12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down [weakened, exhausted], and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Can you picture it? I can… all slumped over, yesterday’s mascara smudged under my eyes complimenting the already dark circles, hands limp, back achy from carrying a fussy baby in a front pack for 3 days (not that I’ve experienced any of this…since… well, never mind). Well, after finding this verse, it’s like the perfect pick-me-up when I’m at my weakest physically and emotionally and spiritually… Make a straight path for my feet… be healed! Which trail should my mrs.trenkle toes tippy? To the Life. To. The. Life.

And the Life is Jesus.

There are lots of times the word “feet” is mentioned in the New Testament, especially in the Gospels. In the Old Testament, God was setting people on their feet. In the Gospels, we see people, again and again, at the feet of Jesus.

Falling at His feet.
Weeping at His feet.
Washing His feet with tears.
Kissing His feet.
Anointing His feet with fragrant oil.
Begging.
Sitting.
Thanking.

That’s where I wanna be. Cozy at Jesus’ feet. And I pray that as I’m watching my kids grow by leaps and bounds, as I’m smoochin’ their toes and tickling their feet that it’ll be a physical reminder be at His.

I want to stand on the Rock that is Christ. I want to walk the paths He’ll make straight for me. I want to armor up. I want to turn my feet toward His testimonies. And then meet up with the Father… at the feet of Jesus. Yeahhhhhh, that’s where I want to be.

Jesus’ feet was a place for the humble of heart.
For the contrite spirit.
For unabashed, unashamed worship.

Because if I’m at His feet, then I’m on my knees.

As a mama and a wife, that’s the place to be.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Blessing - BREAKING - Giving

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

"Bring them here to me," He said.

And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Matthew 14:13-21

After the wedding my hubby decided it was definitely time to get back to our family routine. It was a tearful ceremony for him. He/we love both those kids, so we teared up out of joy. But I know we also felt moved because of the vows made and the commands the Bible gives about how husbands ought to lead their wives and wash them daily in the water that is the Word of God.

Newborn life is so crazy. It takes us awhile to transition. We've been sporadic about our prayer time. And we haven't had any dinnertime family worship for months. So Monday evening after dinner, we busted out the children's Bible for family devotions. Dad decided to read "Feeding the Five Thousand" to us.

The kids sat in rapt attention as Bry told them about the boy who brought a sack lunch that had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. But there was no food to be found in the rest of the crowd. A crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children, so probably 20,000 people. (The kids eyes got big.)

The disciples told Jesus to send them away, that there was no food. But Jesus told them to not send them away, but to find some food and give it to them. The kids loved how Jesus told everyone to line up and sit down. (Sounds like when we do "school!")

"How'd He do that, Dad?" when Jesus blessed the food and then broke it and somehow every single person ate enough to make their bellies full. With baskets and baskets of leftovers! It's a miracle! Jesus takes what we offer up to Him and multiplies it so that others can be blessed and edified.

Just like when...

Last Monday after an evening of family photos we grabbed a bite at Burger King. We were all chowing down on some grub when a guy came over to chat with Bryan. I thought he was somebody Bryan had met at the office. But Bryan had never met him before. He was so friendly and just gushing over our family and how blessed Bryan was to have such a big, beautiful family. The guy's name was William and he kept telling us again and again that he loves us and Jesus loves us. (He was a little tipsy.) The kids enjoyed his company and I chatted with him while Bry took one of the kids to the potty. When Bryan came back, William went back to his chair. He kept getting up to refill his coffee and so I peeked over the plants to see if he was eating. No food, just coffee and water.

So I asked Bry to go up and order him a meal. He was so nice, ya know? So he shared some of his fries with the kids and we gave him info on where to find RCF and when the service times were and made him promise us that he'd see us again.

The next day we drove to Bandon, since Lauren wanted to spend the day at the ocean. The first thing we did was pull in to a family style restaurant to fill our bellies. We ordered from the kids menu for our 4 children with teeth... mac/cheese and ham, mac/cheese and ham, mac/cheese and ham, grilled cheese and fries. Bry had a lunch portion of calamari steaks/fries. I was still car sick and the only thing that sounded okay to me was a baked potato. But they only had mashed potatoes on their menu. So I ordered those and ate a few bites (only to realize to my dismay that they were INSTANT -- Idaho girls do NOT eat instant spuds -- yuck).

As we were "enjoying" our meal (you with kids know that it's a circus trying to keep the kids sitting, eating like humans and not baby animals, to not quarrel, to not gawk over the booth at other diners, etc etc), a lady stopped by our table on her way back from the restroom and commented what a beautiful family we had. And how she had grown up in a family of 9 and so she could relate to our family of 7 dining experience. But "God bless ya," she said, "family is such a gift. Enjoy each other."

And when the waitress checked in with us the final time to make sure everything was okay and did we want dessert, she also told us that our check had been paid by another customer who wanted us to have a great day together.

WOW. Jesus just showed up and covered a $50 meal ticket for us. Thru that lady. We were like way blessed and way blown away. Lauren thought that was so cool. Yay, God! She got to see Him at work in such a tangible way.

So back to Monday evening...

We were able to remind the kids that one night we bought William a meal and the next day Jesus bought us six meals because of that nice lady. And how Jesus multiplied the food! Kennady was so excited. It was so cute, she said, "Thanks, Dad! For telling us that Bible story!" Like her little soul just got watered.

So then we asked what each of the kids were thankful for. And most of the time it's a toy they're currently mesmerized with and don't go anywhere without. But this is what they said:

Kennady: "I'm thankful for Grampa Rob."
(Okay... hadn't even talked about him recently.)

Bryson: "I'm thankful for Uncle Rob."
(Okay... same thing.)

Kevan: "Jesssssss."
(As He signs with his hands "Jesus.")

And at that point the dam breaks... I've just got tears streaming. Family devotions absent for much too long and the first night we spend together talking about real stuff, good stuff, life-giving stuff. My kids are getting it, receiving it, and thanking us for it and thanking Jesus for things, scratch that, PEOPLE they love.

Mom: "This." That's all I could say. I was thankful. My thirst was quenched.

Bryan shared more with me the next day...

5 Loaves and 2 fish. Limited resources. But Jesus uses them. Our weakness is His strength.
Notice that in between Jesus' blessing and His giving, that there is breaking.
Before the Lord can use a person greatly, He must allow him/her to be broken deeply, to the core. Eliminating pride and ego while doing it, so that the compassion and tenderness of the Spirit can be ignited.
Jesus doesn't focus on what we lack -- He asks us to offer up what we have.

What is it that you have? What's your measley little lunch?

Christ will turn it into a feast.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Sayin' our Good-byes...

Check the pink sweatshirt.
(From her shopping spree.)

Check the kids clinging to her legs.
(If it were up to them she'd never be free.)

(Well at least I tried.)
Not easy to do with a heavy SLR camera.
Not a great pic, but I do like the thought behind it
and that at least we're all looking at the camera.