hymn of (re)commitment

Come, All Christians, Be Committed by Eva B. Lloyd

Come, all Christians, be committed to the service of the Lord.
Make you lives for Him more fitted, tune you hearts with one accord.
Come into His courts with gladness, each his sacred vows renew.
Turn away from sin and sadness, be transformed with life anew.

Of your time and talents give ye, they are gifts from God above,
To be used by Christians freely to proclaim His wondrous love.
Come again to serve the Savior, tithes and offerings with you bring.
In your work with Him find favor, and with joy His praises bring.

God's command to love each other is required of every man.
Showing mercy to a brother mirrors His redemptive plan.
In compassion He has given of His love that is divine;
On the cross sins were forgiven; joy and peace are fully thine.

Come in praise and adoration all who on Christ's name believe.
Worship Him with consecration, grace and love will you receive.
For His grace give Him the glory, for the Spirit and the Word,
And repeat the gospel story Till all men His name have heard.

Their Turn

(A mother never knows what treasures may lie in the Friday folders the kids bring home from school!)

Jesus is Alive by Rachel

He was with his disciples in the garden to pray with him. But the disciples were asleep three times. Then the soldiers took Jesus to be crucified. The high priest and people that had prayest him now said crucify him! Jesus sufurd on the cross and then when Mary came to the tomb to put purfume and spices on his body an angel came to her and seed why are you looking for him hes alive tell everyone. Jesus is in heven and he's alive not dead. I think he's alive do you think he's alive.

Mother's Day by Micah

On Mothers Day I will give my mom a present. I will make her a really nice card. Maybe I will surprise her with breakfast in bed. Maybe we could go to one of her favorite stores and buy her a present there. I would get her favorite candy for her. I love my mom!!!!

Run to the Battle

Thank you to my dad who found this and sent it to me. Pair this song with scenes from Braveheart?!! May it shake us out of complacency.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL7cL_p5_84&NR=1

(I love the opening line of this song..."Some people want to live within the sound of chapel bells, but I want to run a mission a yard from the gates of hell.")

Consider the Cost

One of my favorite Steve Camp songs. I read he sat down and wrote this in one sitting, through tears. Someday Eric will teach me how to upload a video to my blog; in the meantime, here's the link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77dZmfmA-nk

Happy Winds-day!

Or more accurately, happy Easter! We surprised the kids with $5 kites I found at Wal-Mart, which flew better than anything I ever owned as a child. It was fitting we were able to try them out with Eric's parents as his dad really enjoys kites and brought one of his own. Micah and Rachel's kites were dragons and Josiah got a fish. There was some serious dragon training going on! As for the fish--Josiah was able to get it up off the ground all by himself. (And preferred not to have help, thank you very much!)

Micah getting some help launching his kite from Grandpa.

Josiah with Grandma.

"I do it-kite!!!!"

an interview

(While cuddled up in a towel, after a bath.)

Mommy: What's your name?

Josiah: I Josiah.

M: How old are you?

J: I two!

M: Are you a boy or a girl?

J: I a boy. (later changes his mind to girl and giggles)

M: What is your favorite food?

J: Brownies, and...chicken nuggets

M: What do you like to drink?

J: Water. Juice!!!!

M: What do you like to play with?

J: Toys!

M: What kind of toys?

J: Tractors!

(At this point the little boy being interviewed is distracted by the sound of his brother's race track and scampers off before his mom has a chance to dress him.)

15+ years ago

Today I stumbled across a Steve Camp song that I used to listen to in college. It is heartening to discover that what was once an ideal has become a walk of faith. I think of things I never would have dreamed of doing without God nudging me all the way: standing on the streets of New York City sharing the gospel with the lost, leading a Bible study, or even walking across the yard to talk to a neighbor I didn't yet know (yes, I was that shy!) Or the things I never dreamed I would need God's enabling to fulfill: rocking sleepless babies, doing endless laundry, finding grace and joy in the mundane tasks that can make up my day. I am not the person I ought to be, the holiness I strive for at times seems quite out of reach, but God is faithful to grant what is required of His servant when she does obey what He asks. I now long for greater faith, greater obedience, in order to live a life that truly exalts Christ...what will that look like in 15 years?! And whose life might be touched for Christ as a result?

Whatever You Ask by Steve Camp
Lord, I see the things You ask of me;
faithfulness, holiness and purity,
I love Your truth;
I long to show it to the world for You.

So, Lord, I need Your help to understand
the other person that I sometimes am.
I never want to live a day that I can't say to You,

"Lord whatever You ask,
I want to obey You, to let my life beat with a servant's heart."
Lord whatever You ask,
I know that You can give me wisdom and courage to equal the task.
Whatever You ask.

I face so much, it steals away:
the will to make the time to serve or pray.
And there are days I don't take up Your cross and follow You.
But I have learned that I can talk with You.
You know everything that I'm going through.
If I'll just ask, I find that You're right there, providing me
with the strength I need.

Lord, whatever You ask, I want to obey You,
to let my life beat with a servant's heart.
Lord whatever You ask,
I know that you will give me wisdom and courage to equal the task,
Lord whatever You ask.

a plea

Born out of the crucible of trials

Dear Lord, would You please help me:
-to submit to You rather than my circumstances?
-to deal with problems rather than avoid them?
-to see Your larger purposes and not dwell on the pain of the moment?
-to die a thousand deaths to self if necessary, that Your life will emerge?
-to understand that more than a change in circumstances, I need a change in character?
-to recognize setbacks as a perfect part of Your perfect plan?
-to lean on Your strength when my weaknesses are exposed?
-to know You are as concerned with my heart as You are with my actions?
-to recognize that revealing my wrong motives is your way of loving me enough to discipline me?
-to exalt Christ, not self?
-to be willing to embrace all of life wholeheartedly for Jesus' sake, that You may work out Your salvation in me for the glory of God and the good of others?

ages and stages

Micah: Tenacious Tens

It is hard to believe we've been parents for an entire decade now, but when we look at our firstborn we have all the proof we need! Fourth grade has been a year of tremendous stretching for Micah as he's had to rise to his teacher's high standards of excellence, work out some tensions in friendships, and hold fast to the faith he has learned from infancy, which he desires to share with others. Like many boys his age, he loves anything involving video games, adding to his dragon collection, reading all kinds of books and magazines, and just being part of the action of life.

Rachel: exciting eights

Rachel has taken a turn this year into the world of girlhood with great gusto. She loves to wear anything sparkly and pink (though black does remain her favorite color), asks at times to wear a dress to school (never saw that one coming, but reading The Hundred Dresses together did help), and just hanging out with mom. She loves to be silly but has times of tremendous seriousness when it comes to matters of faith. When she asked to help with our Easter egg hunt last week, she went over my notes on the resurrection eggs at least six times to learn how to communicate the meaning to others. Who knows what God has around the bend for this girl who has, from age two, expressed love for people from other cultures and has longed to go to Africa to tell others about Christ?

Josiah: terrific twos

Whoever calls age two terrible is looking at the glass half empty! We've seen Josiah's emotions and behavior level out this year as recent adenoid surgery seems to have been a turning point in his health. It is amazing how different he is now that he feels well instead of sick most of the time!!! Josiah has a deep love for others (especially if they look old enough to be a grandma or grandpa), exuberant joy, and no fear!!!!! His children's leaders in BSF have commented on how much he loves to sing during hymn time. He also seems to have a bent toward cooking...this morning he asked if we could make muffins. I am so thankful for these precious years with my youngest still at home. Looking at my older two, I know they fly by far too quickly!

He is Risen, Indeed!

See, What a Morning (Resurrection Hymn) by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen as He said." -Matt. 28:5-6

See, what a morning, gloriously bright
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded, the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"
See God's salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!

See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life; stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!

One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honor and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with power and authority!
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!

because He lives

"Receive, therefore, every day as a resurrection from death, as a new enjoyment of life; meet every rising sun with such sentiments of God's goodness, as if you had seen it, and all things, new created upon your account; and under the sense of so great a blessing, let your joyful heart praise and magnify so good and glorious a creator."
-William Law

go ahead and say it

Maybe you, like me, have heard blurbs over the past few years that the term "Easter" first arose of out a pagan holiday to some sort of god of fertility. (Many websites will back this up.) Dr. James McDonald addressed that today on Walk in the Word. Research on the term turned up a (German?) root that means "to rise" or "risen." (Just as the sun rises in the east.) So when you say "Happy Easter," you are saying in effect "Happy risen." And that is truly what Easter is about.

Christ is risen. He conquered sin, death, and hell and now reigns and one day will return for His own. Happy Easter everyone!!

quick, call in the experts!

I'll never forget the sinking feeling I had laying in bed one night as our oldest son approached his ninth birthday. The way I saw it, we were halfway through our parenting (while he's still home) and there was so much more for him to learn! I looked ahead and saw all of the responsibility and convictions I wanted to pass on to my son and had no idea how to proceed. I spent some time tossing and turning with much restless thinking and worrying that continued on for several nights. I'm thankful that God gently reminded me He also knew what Micah still needed, and would guide our steps so long as we looked to Him.

Those thoughts and feelings have intensified over the past year as we have prayerfully decided to enroll Micah in public school next fall, and see Jr. High looming in the very near future. How are we going to arm him with all he needs to know to navigate through successfully? It can be an overwhelming burden to consider, but thankfully there is help from above and from those who have gone before us! Here are some great books I've been reading that have given help and ideas!

Money Management: Debt Proofing Your Children by Mary Hunt

As we look at the current state of our economy, it becomes pretty clear that financial responsibility is something every parent in this country should be talking over with their kids! I shared before that Ron Blue's book Your Kids Can Master Their Money is a good start to ideas to pass on money management to children in creative and fun ways. This winter I followed that up by reading Debt Proofing Your Children by Mary Hunt. When Mary and her husband found themselves swamped with thousands of dollars in credit debt, she heard the wake up call and seriously considered how to teach her boys to avoid her mistakes. Her ingenious idea is laid out in this book: by sixth grade both of her boys began recieving a monthly salary to cover agreed-upon expenses that increased as the boys matured. By the time they graduated from high school, both of her children were completely responsible for all of their own finances, had jobs, and quite a bit of savings to get started in the real world. One piece of advice that sticks with me: Don't tell your kids you're not buying something because you can't afford it, but instead say you are simply not choosing to spend your money in that way. We don't have control over everything we can afford, but we can control the choices we make with the resources God has given us!

Parenting Today's Adolescent by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
I thought I'd just read a book about adolescence to see what's coming and am so glad I did. Though this book is written for parents of teens, there is plenty of information to be gleaned for mid to late elementary parents as well! Dennis and Barbara share their knowledge gained from parenting six children and teaching sixth grade Sunday School. Their advice to me: get an early start in talking with your children about your convictions! And if you don't yet know what your convictions are, now is the time to get that settled. They highlight fourteen areas where teens struggle, what their Biblical convictions were as parents, and the convictions they sought to pass on to their children. I look forward to re-reading this book with Eric this summer so we can be on the same page about where we want our family to go from here in things like dating, busyness, attitudes, peer pressure, and other traps our children will face as teens. We've already begun to see some lively conversations develop at the dinner table as we bring up more topics the kids are already facing and seek to come to a Biblical perspective.

While these resources have been helpful, it is our reliance on the Lord's hand in the lives of our children that we trust the most. We know there will be many mistakes ahead of us and pray God's grace will see our children through.

seeing past the lollipops

In the checkout aisle this week, my 2-year-old spotted the lollipops. Bright rainbow colors enticed him and before I knew it, he was holding two and three at a time. I knew how many times we would be back at this store and pass the candy aisle, so several times this mommy told her little boy, "No, honey, not this time. Please, put them back." Dutifully he'd replace the lollipops in their holes and immediately pick up another to replace them.

It was finally our turn to check out. Knowing I was fighting a losing battle, we replaced all the lollipops and I plunked my little one in the cart, out of reach. You can guess what happened next. Loud shrieks of protest and screams drowned out even the sounds of the checkout scanner.

"What's wrong, honey?" the clerk asked my son. "Are you having a bad day? At least for now?"

At least for now. How many times have I allowed my whole day to be ruined by some temporary setback, some coveted privilege withheld by a Father who knows what is best for me? Or experienced moments of frustration that send me into a frantic tailspin, stirring up emotions that were wrongly acted upon, wreaking havoc on those around me and wrecking the peace that could rule my heart?

Not every trouble I face is fleeting, but many are. Can't I for once see past the moment to the bigger picture and hold my cool? My inner character is revealed by my response to not immediately having things happen just the way I want. Too many times I have acted like my 2-year-old.

In the grandest scheme of things, all our troubles are temporary. Paul said, "our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Cor. 4:17). Admit it: you're way past two. What glory will you let God produce in you today?