looking to God

"Our desire, therefore, is not that we might be without trials of faith, but that the Lord graciously would be pleased to support us in the trial, that we might not dishonor Him by distrust."

George Muller, 1840

He is Risen!

Happy Easter!  If you have time today, this post by my friend Erin was a blessing to me and I hope to share it that it may bless others.  Easter is our reminder the story did not end at a grave, but continued beyond one.  Our Savior lives!

remembering the truth about God

There are days...

-when there is more information than I can take in

-when there are more tasks on my "to do" list than I can get to

-when life demands more strength than I have

-when the hurts here and around the world are more than I can bear

-when problems are bigger than I can solve

-when just looking at the piles on my desk or not being able to find a lost paper is enough to overwhelm an already overtaxed mind and soul

Things were never lower in Israel's history than when Jeremiah penned these words:

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'"

Waiting, resting, trusting, and knowing that when I feel burdens too big for me, it my opportunity to look to the God who is big enough.

Palm Sunday

Hosanna, loud hosanna

The little children sang;

Through pillared court and temple

The lovely anthem rang;

To Jesus, who had blessed them

Close folded to His breast

The children sang their praises

The simplest and the best.

 

"Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to the King!

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to the King!"

 

From Olivet they followed,

Mid an exultant crowd,

The victor palm branch waving

And chanting clear and loud;

The Lord of men and angels

Rode on in lowly state,

Nor scorned that little children

Should on His bidding wait.

 

"Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to the King!

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to the King!"

 

"Hosanna in the highest!"
That ancient song we sing,

For Christ is our Redeemer,

The Lord of heav'n, our King;

O may we ever praise Him

With heart and life and voice,

And in His blissful presence

Eternally rejoice!

 

"Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to the King!

Hosanna hosanna, hosanna to the King!"

 

 

beyond rewards and punishments: the Heart of discipline

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son...God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." Hebrews 12:5-6, 10

 



Long, long ago, in another galaxy far, far away, before I had kids, I was trained to be a special education teacher.

I remember my college days with fondness.  The further along I went in my field, the more interesting this line of study became.  The classes on child development were insightful, information about learning disabilities and behavior disorders drew me in deeper, and the professors were skilled as they imparted their expertise to me.  What intrigued me the most, as my knees shook at the thought of being responsible for a classroom full of behaviorally challenged children, were the classes on behavior management.  Terms like variable reinforcement, rewards, and timeout became part of the toolbox I could carry with me into a career to help children with special challenges and help me to maintain some semblance of order in my classroom.  For 3 1/2 years I used these strategies while loving on students, working through tremendous behavior challenges, and helping little ones learn.  Granted, I had children in my classroom who most certainly had read every book on behavior management already and were working to rewrite them, but I was a teacher and could leave these things behind at the end of each day.

Then I became a parent.

My early parenting days were what I expected, filled with normal things like playing, trips to the park, snuggles, and enjoying library books together.  When behavior became an issue, I continued to pull my trusty behavior management tools out of the toolbox.  While not a perfect system, I often was able to elicit the response for which I hoped-- an obedient child.

As we added to our family, behavior challenges crept in that I wasn't expecting.  When Rachel was my sweet little toddler, she began to make it quite plain that there were certain situations, (especially those involving loud noises) of which she was highly intolerant.  I remember reaching into my trusty bag, promising rewards if she would just go into the echoing, noisy room for Vacation Bible School, or the sanctuary where we needed to attend a funeral service.  In addition to the uncomfortable sounds, she protested loudly to things like cutting her fingernails, brushing her hair or especially putting it up in any kind of pony tail, and wearing certain clothes.  My tools failed me.  No promises of good or threats of punishment were going to convince her to comply to my simple request to obey. 

When our youngest child arrived on the scene, things became intense.  Whether it was the texture of foods, loud noises, food sensitivities, or once again the cutting of fingernails, or even simple duties I would ask him to perform, his protests were long and easily heard within a one block radius of our house.  He would often lash at out those around him, was impulsive and had an overabundance of energy, and was extremely non-compliant.  By age three I was barely able to manage his behavior, even with strong and consistent reliance on behavior management techniques.  He could barely control himself for any length of time, often expressed anxiety, spun around, plugged his ears and shouted, and seemed uncomfortable in his own skin. 

What I did not fully understand at the time was that my youngest children both have forms of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), a term that I do not even remember from my college days.  Rachel was first diagnosed with a mild form as a preschooler, and we have recently come to understand that while her symptoms are subtle to the untrained eye, they are still very much there and do still affect her.  It is only recently that I really began to look at Josiah more closely through the lens of sensory issues (although due to Rachel's experience I have long suspected he had them), and began to see how pervasive they are to every day functioning...and behavior.

But what strikes me most is what I am discovering in my research on SPD.  The website Sensory Smart Parent states, "When a child's behavior is due to sensory processing issues, punishment and reward do not work as motivators."

I had to read that again.  And then slowly, reluctantly, I eased up my grip on my toolbox.

But what does work with children who have SPD?  For starters, they are helped most when taught coping skills.  When you take time to separate their emotional and physical needs from their behavior, and teach them to process what is going on in their bodies, they begin to develop their own tools for managing behavior.  How does this happen?  You have to enter into their world, talk to them about what they are experiencing, and help them find ways to manage. 

As a Christian parent, I am taking this lesson to heart.  For too long I have relied on a system of punishment and reward to shape my children's behavior.  That is not to say these things do not have their place.  In the Bible, God Himself disciplines His children with promises of blessing for obedience and the threat of curses for disobedience, especially throughout the Old Testament but also in the New.  However, through the gospel He shows us what is behind His discipline: a desire to reach our hearts.  He entered our world through the person of His Son and adopted us into His family. He disciples us, walks beside us through challenges, and equips us to overcome sin in the power of His Holy Spirit, which is the Person of God Himself, come to dwell within believers.

Slowly, God is showing me that parenting isn't simply behavior management.  It is about discipling my children, tending to heart issues, showing how the gospel speaks to daily living, including the challenges of sensory issues.*  Together we have seen God give my children courage to face anxiety-provoking situations in answer to prayer, although that is admittedly not always how He chooses to work. He's also given guidance in helping us to come up with plans that help my children to manage their own unique needs so they can self-regulate their behavior, and He continues to walk with us daily on a journey we weren't expecting to take.  The supernatural patience, the new understanding and consideration of other's needs, the forgiveness extended when we do sin against each other, the relationships we are building with God and each other through difficulties are far more valuable than making sure I have a specific behavior outcome. 

Slowly, according to His plan for us, I trust we are being made holy.  As we go through hard things trusting our kind Father is using them for our good, our lives are conforming to His standards.  We are learning the joy of being His children, and experiencing the relational love He expresses to us through His perfect discipline.  He's reaching our hearts.

*The sensations of SPD itself are not issues of the heart, (much like a child's irrational fear over getting a shot is not pure defiance), but they certainly do give us opportunities to address heart issues.

Strength in Weakness, interview from World Magazine

Because all too often I do try to "gussy myself up before God," and this may encourage others who are just a bit like me:

The apostle Paul said, "Boast in your afflictions."  Don't be ashamed of them.  Don't think you have to hide them and gussy yourself up before God in the morning so that He'll be happy with you and see that you're really believing in Him.  No, no, no.  Admit you can't do this thing called life.  Then cast yourself at the mercy of God and let Him show up through your weakness because that's what He promises-2 Corinthians 12:9

-Joni Eareckson Tada

You can read the rest of the interview here.

real hope in broken world

It is a discouraging world that we live in.  Devastating headlines in the morning paper, chronic or terminal illness in someone we love, frustrations, disappointments, anger, and loss loom around us.  It can be easy at time to lose sight of joy and give in to despair.  Where is God in this?  What kind of world has He put us in, anyway?

King Solomon was a man who faced the questions of life head-on.  Though clearly a wise and wealthy man, he expressed his disillusionment with the human existence in the book of Ecclesiastes. One word, one phrase reflected the cry of his heart as he puzzled over the complexities of life in a fallen world: vanity, vanity of vanities.  All is meaningless under the sun if this life is all there is.

Yet a closer examination of the book shows Solomon had another view in mind as well; that of life viewed through the lens of an eternal God with an amazing plan.  There are glimpses of that view in his book as well.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven;
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace." (Ecc. 3:1-8)

Solomon studied the rhythms of life and expresses early in the book how futile it can feel to those born into this world.  Early in his poem of Ch. 3, that is seen in "a time to be born and a time to die," and later as well in "a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to keep and a time to throw away."  We can sense the weight of the curse: death, destruction of relationships, and decay.  But if one pays close attention to the rhythms of life, there is something else there.  Sometimes, there is healing.  Things torn down make way for something to be rebuilt.  Weeping turns to laughing, and mourning turns to dancing.  There is a reversal of the curse.  Things are set right, and hope dawns new in our soul.

That is the hope of the gospel, and it is how to be set free from the weight of disillusionment.  When circumstances take unimaginable twists, when sin is exposed in horrific ways, we take comfort in the hope of redemption.  Christ entered our broken world as our Savior, took the weight of our sin and its curse on Himself, and broke it forever when He rose again. 

The time for redemption shall come!  The rhythms of this fallen world will be ushered in to an age that cannot be measured by time and in which Christ will reign.  There will be no more death, no more sorrow, and the relationship between God and His people will never be marred by sin again.

O Glorious Day!!

learning His kindness

"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:4-7

There is something very human, completely erroneous, and ugly in me.  It's this desire I have for self-righteousness. 

When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be the one who did right, never got in trouble, the one the teachers would talk about in the teacher's lounge because I was so good.  (I have been a teacher, and can now assure anyone who wonders that they do not talk at all in the teacher's lounge about the kids who are GOOD.)

When I became a mother, I wanted nothing more than to be a good mom.  Of course!  Who aspires to be a bad one?  But I thought I had that figured out.  I'd studied kids (other people's), took child development classes in college, taught school for a few years, and had high hopes for my children.

Then I had some.  And I was not a good mother.

I love my children dearly.  But from the time they were wee infants who did not know when to stop crying once their need for nourishment was satisfied in the night, to the days of toddlerhood when they asserted their demands, to the days of elementary and even middle school years, they have tested my patience, pushed me to my limit, and even driven me over the edge some days.

And thus I found out I am not good. 

Instead, I found I am selfish, easily irritated, lazy and sloppy about too many areas of my life, short sighted about what truly matters, and that those things among others cause me to act in ways that are not always good. at. all.

"For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."  Matt. 9:13

In my early days of parenting, the gospel went from my head to my heart.  I realized more fully that Christ died for MY sins, that in Him alone would I find the resources to give my children what they needed (and the wisdom to not give them what they didn't!), and that He could help a selfish woman to joyfully pick up His cross and follow Him in a surrender of self-denial for the sake of the little ones entrusted by Him to her care.  Even though I didn't do that perfectly.

I still put on the self-righteous mask more often than I would like.  It took years of painful self-consciousness while leading in a local ministry before I realized that what really mattered at the end of the year was not my perfect execution each week, but that women would leave my group desiring Christ more fully than when they came into it.  That was something I could never do in my own power.

These days, I spend time daily (so very daily) with my children, trying to do this thing called home education.  It's been fun to blog about because there are some very sweet rewards, but I don't have many awesome ideas about how to go about it (so I am thankful for those who do and share them with me).  I constantly face my shortcomings as a mom, housewife, and teacher.  My kids do not speak 5 languages, sit angelically while receiving the lessons I am imparting to them, or stay as organized as I would like (I realize I am not alone here.)  I struggle to get meals on the table they can eat, and do not always have the best attitude about our limitations.  The Lord has used this time at home to strip away all my props and show me once again that my only righteousness is that of the Savior who clothes me in His, that my resources for this journey are in Him, that the outcome lies in His hands, and that He is more than enough.

His kindness becomes more evident with every passing day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

PROCLAMATION OF THANKSGIVING

PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN - OCTOBER 3, 1863

 

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God..."

"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People."

"I do therefore invite my fellow citizens...to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or suffers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union."

"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed."

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

truths for bumpy Rhodes

 In the midst of a busy household, I've been trying to listen for the quiet voice of God as He speaks to my heart.  This fall I've been troubled that I've not been able to give all of the kids more direction in their spiritual lives.  Making sure we are in the word and praying together as a family each morning before we start our day has become a bigger priority.

 

Enter some ideas He's given recently.

 

Stones of Remembrance

After crossing the Jordan River at flood stage in Joshua 4, the people of Israel were instructed to remove stones from the middle of the river as a remembrance of God's mighty acts among them.  He wanted this to be a testimony to their children and the generations yet to come.

 

We cut out stones and wrote down some of the mighty acts of God in our lives.  This exercise went from being mainly academic straight to my heart when I read my children's stones.

 

 

Josiah's stones

 

Rachel's stones

 

My stones

 

 

God's Names 

 

For Bible we began to work through the book God's Names by Sally Michael.  Each child is constructing a poster of His names as we learn them. 

 

Josiah's poster--he says he thinks about the names of God at night when it is dark and scary.

 

"Enlarging God in a sinful world" complete with magnifying glass on Rachel's poster. How these children touch my heart!

 

(Both of Micah's projects are still in progress.)

 

Eric has been experiencing some intense leg pain in a muscle behind his knee.  Last week the doctor sent him to the hospital, suspecting a blood clot could be the cause.  As anxiety rushed through my body, the names of God and His mighty acts entered my mind just as quickly.  The remembrance of both quieted my fears and focused me on the One who has all things in His hands no matter the outcome. 

 

Good news, no blood clot.

 

I was later able to share with the kids how our discoveries had been a comfort to me.

 

These lessons are far from academic.

the one worthy Goal

My Goal is God Himself

 

My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;
'Tis His to lead me there—not mine, but His—
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

 

So faith bounds forward to its goal in God,
And love can trust her Lord to lead her there;
Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard
Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.

 

No matter if the way be sometimes dark,
No matter though the cost be oft-times great,
He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark,
The way that leads to Him must needs be strait.

 

One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay;
One thing I do, I press towards my Lord;
My God my glory here, from day to day,
And in the glory there my great Reward.

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today: November 10, 2012

Outside my window...it was a rare, warm, beautiful November day, perfect for raking leaves, which we did at two separate homes today.  We have no trees in our yard.  Have rake, will travel!

I am thinking...that this friend has got it right.  And repenting of throwing up every fun curriculum tool I've found to use with my kids.  The precious moments together, as we learn more and more about God's amazing world, have been the most valuable part of this journey.

I am thankful...so thankful, to find that God truly can be trusted to give the equipping and emotions as He has called me to new ministry areas. 

In the kitchen...after one year, gluten free is becoming our new normal.  There is no doubt this has been Josiah's best year yet, and my attempts to reintroduce gluten for myself over the past couple of weeks have meant digestive discomfort and eczema flare ups.  It is nowhere near as horrible as some may experience, but showing me it's well worth the trouble.  Today's new recipe was banana muffins, and Eric was the chef.  They tasted great.  Our biggest problem is that the kids eat faster than we can bake.

I am creating...shh...something that has to do with the book of Jeremiah.  Trusting that whatever happens with it, God will reveal His heart to me more fully and allow me to share His truth with others.

I am going...to hold on to God for dear life as we pray and follow His leading on high school decisions.  Everyone has their own opinions, and they are all very helpful, but it has shown us how necessary it will be to listen for His voice.

I am wondering...how to make gluten free hamburger buns.   This is reminding me of a recipe I need to look up.

I am reading...Spiritual Mothering by Susan Hunt.  It is a gem of a book.  That reminds me, I need to finish two more chapters by Monday night.

I am hoping...to see some very dear friends over Christmas break.  Whenever I see them, it's as if they still live just down the street.  Some friendships are like that. What a blessing.

I am looking forward to...a little boy's first birthday party with just friends.  And I love google.  There is no way I could come up with such fun ideas on my own.  His theme is airplanes.

I am learning...as I seek to discern God's will, what He is doing often has far more to do with what is in my heart than the choice between one decision or another.  When I sense He may be uprooting idols, dealing with sin, or reshuffling priorities, I aim for the hard choice and trust He will do what He will do.

Around the house...we sometimes find that replacing light bulbs can become a full time job.

A favorite quote for today..."I am the Lord's servant.  May it be to me as you have said."  Luke 1:38  This verse spoke to me years ago, and I continue to cling to it.

One of my favorite things...is homemade chili in the crockpot for supper, and the hug from Josiah for making his own special batch, which he ate with much relish.  Hooray for stage 2, even if a little goes a long way!

I am pondering...how to shave some money off our grocery bill.  That may make some other entries make more sense.  Or cents.

A few plans for the rest of the week: come up with a gluten free birthday cake recipe, rather than spend $6.50 on a mix, so that my son can have a rocket ship cake.  Then figure out how to decorate it with natural food coloring and candy that he can actually eat.  It's a tall order, but he will be thrilled no matter what.  You gotta love kids.

A peek into my day...

Cousins, sharing a love of dinosaurs at the science center!

living on this side of redemption

We were feeling pretty triumphant.  My husband had just had a physical, and his numbers were incredible!  His cholesterol had dropped by over 40 points with HDL on its way up and LDL down, and his triglycerides had dropped by an even more incredible number into the normal region.  It has been years since his labs looked this way, and it seemed that good health was something we could celebrate.

Then about a week later, he woke up with digestive discomfort, symptoms similar to the ones that sent him to the ER in February.  This time we knew his heart was not a concern, so we waited things out to see if they would get better.  The doctor eventually prescribed an acid reducer and did some blood work.  Life went on but the pain didn't go away.

After more tests and three more weeks of waiting, the verdict came last Friday.  While he doesn't have gallstones, his gallbladder is not functioning.  We're waiting to talk to a surgeon, but it sounds like it's going to have to come out.

Middle age is upon us, and our weeks of waiting and my own worrying has meant plenty of time to think.  While we hope for many more years of serving Christ and good health to do so, our bodies are beginning to wear out.  The curse of sin resulting in the death of the body is becoming more real.  And it has made me think how sin-wrecked our daily existence really is.  It is a bit like the CD player in our van.  We got so used to it not working, we quit thinking about it.  Isn't that a bit like this life?  Things are not what they should be, but we are so used to heartache and pain that we continue to plod on, thinking this is about how things should be.

Headache?  Take a pill and wait for it to go away.

Pet fish died?  Flush it down the toilet and buy a new one.

Bad day at work?  Come home, find some good fun or entertainment, and push it out of mind as best you can until tomorrow.

Drought?  Pull out the garden plants, make adjustments to the food budget, and hope for a better growing season next year.

All of that seems reasonable until the pain is more than we can easily bear.

Disease, pain, and death, all inescapable yet somehow we must push through, until our own time to part from this world will come.

It sounds morbid, but it is reality.  Life is not all pie in the sky, and pain is real.  So is my sin and the weight of the curse.

However, I'm finding that in moments of pain, the gospel becomes all the sweeter.  There really is something wrong with this world, and the brokenness we all experience will one day be set right.  For every burden and tear, there is the promise of future redemption and joy.  That is the hope we have when we trust Christ has taken our punishment and will return one day in triumph over sin. And disease.  And death.

If pain is a reminder that all is not right with the world, it is a welcome one.  Because right around the corner is the gospel, reminding me that our best days are yet to come, when sin is defeated and sweet fellowship with our God is fully restored.  Perhaps it will help quell the longings for this world and give me more for the next one.

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved..." Romans 8:22-24a

the wonder of it all

Wake up.

Get Breakfast.

Clean up.

Teach school.

Snack.

Clean up.

Teach school.

Lunch.

Clean up.

Teach school.

Snack.

Clean up.

Supper.

Clean up.

Pick up house.

Evening activities.

Clean up.

Repeat.

It is hard sometimes, as a mother, to not get trapped in the mundane.  It seems our work is done only to be undone, fatigue sets in, and life crawls along.  Then we blink, find our children have grown, and wonder where all that time went and what we did with the endless hours that once stretched out before us with such promise.  What seemed it would last forever is gone far too soon.

I'm so grateful to the Lord that when I start to lose my wonder and vision in training up my children, He sends a little message into my life to shake things up and make me gaze in awe again at what He is doing.

These arrived in our mailbox on Wed.  Josiah claims they are the first real caterpillars he has ever seen.  Surely not!  They really don't do much at first except eat, crawl, and grow.

Josiah could hardly leave them alone, and left his butterfly chart out so they could see what they were going to be when they grew up (See Painted Lady picture in lower right.)

There is a sense of wonder when you watch a caterpillar molt for the last time and then see the new exoskeleton harden into a chrysalis.

Those eyes say it all!

Now we are waiting...

And that is what much of childhood is.  Growing, yes eating!, and waiting as we see how God molds and transforms young lives.  Whether prayerfully anticipating the new birth, or for the work of sanctification to unfold, we hold our breath, knowing all we do as parents is somehow caught up as part of God's greater story written into the lives our children as He graciously redeems failures and uses obedience, molding and forming lives to be used for His glory as He sees fit.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." (2 Cor. 5:17)  Sometimes all we can do is hold our breath, powerlessly wondering how it will all turn out.  One day, those young ones who seem to change almost imperceptibly will burst forth and spread their wings.

God spreads out His word to us, giving glimpses of what we will be when we grow up.  "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known." (1 John 3:2)  "We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet...the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality."  The Lord is powerfully at work and will carry to completion what He has set out to do according to His good plan.

May we never lose the wonder of the gospel.  It took 5 caterpillars to help me recapture the awe, and remember that the journey of raising children, and partnering with Him in the work of the gospel in any life, is never mundane in His eyes.

summer reading

Ah, summer.  It is a great time to change gears, find a new pace, and most of all, find a quiet corner with a good book.  There have been so many good reads at my fingertips, I have found it hard to read one book cover to cover without delving into several at once.  In so doing, I have experienced what Ann Voscamp so aptly described as finding that books "begin to have a conversation with each other."

Here's what is whetting my reading whistle right now:

Right Brained Children in a Left Brained World by Jeffrey Freed and Laurie Parsons

Admittedly, this book is about 15 years old and in some ways already outdated (his description of Apple's goals by the year 2005 are a bit eerie to read), but it was a fascinating exploration of right brained thinking.  There are some nifty ideas for teaching the subject areas to children who think in pictures rather than words.  I have one or two right brainers here, so it will come in handy to review when school begins again.

You Lost Me by David Kinnaman

This Barna researcher sheds a fascinating light on why young adults may be leaving the church.  Sometimes it seems he may be asking more questions than he answers, but the questions he raises are good ones.  So much thought-provoking, soul-searching data, which seems to take the temperature of our church culture quite accurately, even as we struggle to come up with a diagnosis and treatment--which is truly impossible without the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit's discernment.  Once again, the subject of brains being inundated with images comes up, as we are raising a generation of young people who are increasingly picture/image oriented.  I'm encouraged to know that God has given us both His word and His image through the incarnation of His Son.  I trust He will bridge the gap as He equips His church to declare the message of salvation to this generation.

The Shaping of A Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot

I have read this one before, and am enjoying even more the second time through with my children at much different stages now.  It is encouraging to read how God took two ordinary people who were sold out to Him and equipped them to raise a family who then carried out such a godly legacy.  One of the most exciting things I have discovered is a way to organize prayer requests that really works, after at least 10 years of being in process!  Elisabeth's father advised his son to have 3 categories, and organize requests under things prayed for each day and then under Monday, Tuesday, and so on.  My three categories are ministry, people, and personal, and now I have a plan that includes praying for each member of our extended family, friends, and our supported missionaries at least once each week.  It's been refreshing and delightful to bring these things before the Lord, and amazing to watch how He is answering.

Invitation to Silence and Solitude by Ruth Haley Barton

This is refreshment to a soul that is thirsting for the renewal of time alone with the Lord.  Based on Barton's own journey of solitude as well as insights from Elijah's experiences, there is so much here to drink in.

What about you?  What are you reading this summer?  Please leave a comment, because the summer is only half over!  Besides that, I'd love to hear what you are enjoying and have it here to share with others.

Scripture Memory

I love this simple, inexpensive idea for scripture memory from Simply Charlotte Mason, and the video that walks you through the set up!  They also have a list of verses to memorize if you need help getting started.  What a great habit to start this summer, if it's not already in place!

The journey of sanctification

For those who (like me) might at times become discouraged or confused about their part in the process of sanctification:

"You are not under the law, with its inexorable Do, but under grace, with its blessed Believe what Christ will do for you.  And if the question be asked, 'But surely there is something for us to do?' the answer is, 'Our doing and working are but the fruit of Christ's work in us.'  It is when the soul becomes utterly passive, looking and resting on what Christ is to do, that its energies are stirred to their highest activity, and that we work most effectually because we know that He works in us...

This connection between Christ's work and our work is beautifully expressed in the words of Paul: 'I press on, if so be that I may apprehend that for which I was apprehended by Christ Jesus...'

Paul's expression, and its application to the Christian life, can be best understood if we think of a father helping his child to mount the side of some steep precipice.  The father stands above and has taken the son by the hand to help him on.  He points him to the spot on which he will help him to plant his feet as he leaps upward.  The leap would be too high and dangerous for the child alone; but the father's hand is his trust, and he leaps to get hold of the point for which his father has taken hold of him.  It is the father's strength that secures him and lifts him up, and that strength urges him to use his utmost strength."

-Andrew Murray, Abide in Me

when you put it that way...

Rachel has discovered the antidote for aging:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

She wrote this on her father's birthday card so "he wouldn't feel as bad about being old."

Gotta love kids.

sharing a most treasured book

I've been waiting a long time to share this book with my children.  Now that we are finished with our Core read-alouds, we have time to tackle it!

My mom read Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard to my brother and I, when I was about the same age as my daughter now.  I loved it!

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like Hinds' Feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine High Places."  Habakkuk 3:19

"...the High Places of victory and union with Christ cannot be reached by any mental reckoning of self to be dead to sin, or by seeking to devise some way or discipline by which the will can be crucified.  The only way is by learning to accept, day by day, the actual conditions and tests permitted by God, by a continually repeated laying down of our own will and acceptance of his as it is presented to us in the form of the people with whom we have to live and work, and in the things which happen to us.  Every acceptance of his will becomes an altar of sacrifice, and every such surrender and abandonment of ourselves to his will is a means of furthering us on the way to the High Places to which he desires to bring every child of his while they are still living on earth."

-from the Preface to the Allegory

If we think of High Places as prosperity and peace, they are unattainable in this world.  However, if High Places are considered to be power to overcome selfish tendencies in spite of adversity, to love even when it hurts and to learn to consider it a small thing not to be loved in return, to offer grace and forgiveness in spite of sin, then those heights are accessible to the child of God by trusting and submitting to the life of Christ dwelling within.

Maybe I loved it as a child simply because I could identify so well with a character named Much Afraid, who shrank back from companions like Sorrow and Suffering.  How little she knew of the Shepherd's ways when she began her journey, nor how trusting Him through it would truly transform her.

*Not because transformation is the goal...it is the result of taking part in the journey.  Showing forth the beauty and trustworthiness of the Savior...that is the aim of this traveler!  And when it is not...well, God has a way of putting that right, too.



discouraged? take heart, the Lord is in it

There are many secret griefs in the inner heart that can never be truly shared with another human being, yet are laid bare before the eyes of a God who knows and understands us better than we know and understand ourselves.  So often we find ourselves in circumstances not of our choosing, learning nuances of things we hoped we would never have to understand, and burdened by weights we never hoped to bear. 

There are times I wish that I didn't have to think so hard about what kind of food gets placed on our table each day, when I long to be back serving in a ministry I dearly love, and when I could simply cast aside the lure of sin as if it were some light weight instead of the humanly impossible entanglement it can sometimes be when I neglect the strong power of Christ to overcome.  In short, I'd really like everything to be easier and a whole lot less painful.

"Practicing joy" is more than just a blog name for me; it is my goal.  Perhaps it is no coincidence that the words below came to me this week from a Bible teacher in the midst of a study on 1 Peter, the very same book with the verse on my blog header.  May this piece minister to others as it did to me!

This Thing Is From Me

1 Kings 12:24

My child, I have a message for you today; let me whisper it in your ear, that it may gild with glory any storm clouds which may arise and smooth the rough places upon which you may have to tread. It is short, only five words, but let them sink into your soul and use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head.

"THIS THING IS FROM ME"

Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you, concerns me, too? For "he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of Mine eye." Zechariah 2:8. "You are very precious in My sight." Isaiah 43:4. Therefore, it is My special delight to educate you.

I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the "enemy comes in like a flood" that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.

Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background? This thing is from Me. I am the God of circumstances. "Thou earnest not to thy place by accident, it is the very place God meant for thee." Have you not asked to be made humble? See, then, I have placed you in the very school where this lesson is taught; your surroundings and companions are only working out My will.

Are you in money difficulties? Is it hard to make both ends meet? This thing is from Me, for I am your purse-bearer, and would have you draw from, and depend upon Me. My supplies are limitless. Philippians 4:19. 1 would have you prove My promises. Let it not be said of you, "in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 1:32.

Are you passing through a night of sorrow? This thing is from Me. I am the "Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." I have let earthly comforters fail you, that by turning to Me you may obtain everlasting consolation. 11 Thessalonians 2:16-17,

Has some friend disappointed you? Was it one to whom you poured out your heart? This thing is from Me. I have allowed this disappointment to come that you may learn that: The best friend to have is Jesus, He will hear you when you call, He will keep you lest you fall. The best friend to have is Jesus.

I want to be your confidant. Has someone repeated things about you that are untrue? Leave them to Me, and draw closer. unto Me, thy shelter, out of reach of "the strife of tongues." For "I will bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." Psalm 37:6.

Have your plans been all upset? Are you bowed down and weary? This thing is from Me. You made your plans, then came asking Me to bless them, but I would have you let Me plan for you and then I take the responsibility, for "This thing is too heavy for thee, thou art not able to perform it thyself alone." Exodus 18:18. You are only an instrument, not an agent.

Have you longed to do some great work for Me, and instead been laid aside on a bed of pain and weakness? This thing is from Me. I could not get your attention in your busy days, and I want to teach you some of My deeper lessons. "They also serve who only stand and wait." I want you to learn to sing:

I am not eager, bold or strong, All that is past;
I am ready not to do, At last; at last!

Some of My greatest workers are those shut out from active service, that they may learn to wield the weapon of all-powerful prayer.

Are you suddenly called upon to occupy a difficult and responsible position? Launch out on Me- I am trusting you with the "possession of difficulties," and "for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto." Deuteronomy 15;10.

This day I place in your hand this pot of holy oil; make use of it freely, My child. Let every circumstance as it arises, every word that pains you, every interruption that would make you impatient, every revelation of your own weakness, be annointed with it. The sting will go as you learn to see Me in all things. Therefore, "Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day . . . for it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life, and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land." Deuteronomy 32:46-47.

--Laura Barter Snow