This Year in Pictures

I hardly ever post pictures or write about my everyday life so I thought I would make up for it today!

Enjoy a walk through our year in pictures.

We did a ton of work on the house this year!

The insulation monster tried to eat me!

Eric being the handyman. We had to take up all these boards in the attic to put down more insulation so we would be warmer this winter. It is working so far! It was worth the clogged up lungs and furry bodies.

I have painted almost every room in the house! Pardon my backside!

Eric's parents helped us a lot. Here, Doug is examining his work in our closet. It turned out great!

Which color do I choose? I picked one of these colors for one of our bedrooms.

Some great friends came to visit! Here I'm trying to ice skate with Jen and Lily.

It snowed & snowed!

I tried some gardening... from this to ....

this... to....

THIS!!! I had no idea these things could get so big!!! And they got even bigger!!! I grew all kinds of peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, peas, green beans, lettuce, squash & zucchini. I planted a lot of herbs in pots as well. It was so much fun!

Also, I visited with friends in Beaufort, South Carolina.

I love live oaks!!! Beaufort is teeming with them!

Then, my sister got married!! :) It was a gorgeous wedding! Welcome to the family, Joey! :)

In November, we went to Arizona to visit a friend who has a ministry for refugees. We helped with an English camp that weekend. It was great fun! Thanks, Cherie!!!

We enjoyed the beauty of our area and discovered some great parks.

A great Christmas picture!

Sick at Christmas. :( We got this recliner and its match at a garage sale for $10 total! We need to do a bit of work on them as you can tell and they don't match our walls but they are comfy. Cricket especially likes them!

And... it snowed some more! We had a very, very white Christmas and in fact, it's snowing right now! :)

So this ends the photo tour. There are so many more pictures that I had to leave out! I will try to post more throughout the year instead of putting them all up on one day. There are two big things we couldn't really take pictures of that we want to celebrate!

1) We finally found a church that we are excited to join!

2) We've finished all the paperwork for adoption and are now just waiting for a phone call that says, "We have a baby for you!" So you could say we are "expecting" or that we are "paper pregnant." We are very excited!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Scripture Storyline

Are you looking forward to the New Year? Would you like to start it out with a new Bible reading plan? The pastor of our church has worked long and hard on a year-long Bible reading plan that gives commentary and application for each day that you read. Thought-provoking and well-written, it is an excellent way to start the year and to encourage a daily time with the Lord.

Enjoy! Here is the link: http://www.scripturestoryline.com/

Some Thoughts on Freedom

Over the last few years I've been reading a lot about the period of the American Revolution. I've been curious how the ideas of freedom as the 'founding fathers' saw it, i.e, the individual rights of man as well as a collective political and social freedom, match with what the Bible says with regard to freedom and our rights.

I've discovered through my reading that many of the founding fathers, even those who were professed atheists or deists, saw the definite need for virtue within a society and on an individual level in order for personal, political and social liberty to succeed within the context of a democratic or republican government. Our freedom cannot stand without a sense of social decency and respect for fellow citizens, otherwise we infringe on their freedom. Our freedom cannot be at the expense of someone else. It is a sacrificial freedom, one that gives sacrificially on an individual level as well as a societal level for the good of all so that liberty is maintained. Complete freedom to do and say as we please on an individual and corporate level will be the undoing of a republic. For a democratic republic to work there must be a give and take of freedom for the good of the whole. It requires responsibility and selflessness. These virtues sometimes limit freedom on an individual level but for the whole, freedom continues.

I've been reading through I Corinthians via the Scripture Storyline and have discovered the very same principles laid out by Paul. There was a debate about whether it was permissible as believers to eat the meat sacrificed to idols. In summary, Paul agrees that we have the freedom in Christ to eat whatever meat or to drink what we desire but we must ask ourselves if it is beneficial or helpful to the rest of the body of Christ? Will someone else in the body be bound and strangled by your freedom? The goal is not to do as you please now that you are in Christ but to help the body of Christ to grow in maturity and unity and love and to draw others to Christ. We must be careful with the freedom given to us through grace. We must be willing to give up what we think is permissible for the sake of a brother or sister in Christ. Paul had experienced immense hardship for the sake of the body of Christ and so that some might be saved. Think of what Christ gave up for our sakes! Our focus should not be on ourselves and what we are free to do in Christ but on Christ Himself and be willing to lay down our rights and freedoms so that someone else may be free in Christ and grow to maturity unhindered.

So whether it be for the sake of a nation or for the sake of the body of Christ and a person's salvation, we must be careful and selfless with our freedom. It is not to be taken lightly and not to be had at the expense of someone else's liberty.

You Are Not Your Own

Here is an excerpt from Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest.," Nov. 1. It summarized a lot of what I 've been learning and wanted to share it with you. Blessings!

"Ye Are Not Your Own." 1 Cor. 6:19

"There is no such thing as a private life - 'a world within the world' - for a man or woman who is brought into fellowship with Jesus Christ's sufferings. God breaks up the private life of His saints, and makes it a thoroughfare for the world on the one hand and for Himself on the other. No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus Christ. We are not sanctified for ourselves, we are called into the fellowship of the gospel, and things happen which have nothing to do with us, God is getting us into fellowship with Himself. Let Him have His way; if you do not, instead of being of the slightest us to God in His redemptive work in the world, you will be a hindrance and a clog.

"The first thing God does with us is to get us based on rugged Reality until we do not care what becomes of us individually as long as He gets His way for the purpose of His redemption. Why shouldn't we go through heartbreaks? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son. Most of us fall and collapse at the first grip of pain; we sit down on the threshold of God's purpose and die away of self-pity, and all so-called Christian sympathy will aid us to our death bed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, and says - 'Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine.' If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart."

a Small Note on Prayer

I read something in the Tim Keller study on the book of Mark this morning that I thought I would share with you.

Direction in Prayer:

"Jesus' prayer [in the garden] is a model. a) He is honest about his needs and feelings (let this cup pass from me). There is no 'denial' - no effort to say the 'proper Christian thing.' Wonderful spiritual reality. He lets his heart's desire be known. But, b) he shows the goal of prayer is not to bend God's will to ours but to conform our will to God's He is after strength and will to do God's will. Now real prayer will have both honest pouring out of the heart and yet an unwavering spirit of submission. To lack the former makes prayer superficial; to lack the latter makes prayer selfish.

Remembering and Glorifying

A few weeks ago, the sermon in church, focused on seeking satisfaction in God. The guest speaker pointed out ways that we can become one who loves God more than life, completely satisfied in Him, consumed with a holy passion for God. One of those ways was to remember what God has done in the past. We encourage remembering in our lives by writing down what God has done, meditating on it, reviewing it and frequently telling others. This in turn fuels satisfaction in Him. God reminded me of a big something today and put some more pieces together for me so I thought I would share it with you as a means to help me remember even more that I might be more satisfied in Him and Him be more glorified in me.

God usually reminds me of His past work in my life through songs. There is just something about a song that tunes my heart to Him in a different way than anything else, especially if I am reading the Bible while I am listening to music. (That is why I have posted so many entries with songs!) So, this afternoon I was being a bit crafty and listening to some Keith Green music. I decided that it would a good time to memorize some verses while I was cutting and gluing. Sure enough, as I had the Bible open while listening to some poignant words of praise, God reminded me of a specific time in my life that I am realizing more and more was one of those major pivotal points in my walk with the Lord from which many other things stem.

It was mid October 2001. That day I had been volunteering in New York City with the Salvation Army along with some others from my church in Georgia. We were assigned the task of listening to some of the victims of the 9/11 attacks in order to determine ways to help them, whether that be just with a hug, with financial help or with counseling. It was a really tough day. That night I spent some time journaling and felt burdened in my heart to pray to really, really know the Lord, deeply. I asked Him to reveal more of His character to me, to grow me so much more. He heard me and was faithful to be begin to answer in less than 18 hours.

The next day I worked at "ground zero." The day before we had walked around the perimeter trying to put some pieces of the tragic event together and pray. It was difficult to hold back the tears then. However, walking into its interior was quite a different experience. The destruction and smell of death were beyond description and terrified me.

In those moments as we slowly made our way into the heart of those 16 acres I literally felt my knees begin to buckle. We had come to bring smiles, compassion, warm hearts, listening ears, food and practical help to the men working there. What good would I be if, after only 10 minutes of trudging through the muck, I was about to pass out or lose my lunch? I prayed quickly for God to give me what I needed in order to do what He had brought me there to do. He immediately strengthened me and, in a way, numbed me to everything that overwhelmed my senses. He gave me some neat and unique opportunities that night to just be a light and be the "sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him" in that place.

The Lord taught me a great many things on that night and other times I spent there. But one thing stands out the most. Those first terrifying steps on that gray October day began a years-long journey deeper into the heart of God's character. Was I terrified of what more the terrorists could do? No, I was terrified of God. If man could devise such unspeakable destruction of enormous man-made structures and of man, what could God in His wrath and power do? My little Sunday School image of God was blown to pieces very quickly. I had God wrapped up in a little box of love, mercy and grace, someone to whom I could run to and crawl in His lap. I was confronted with some very different aspects of God's character like His wrath, His sovereignty, His justice and His power that I had seldom even thought to explore and as I wrote above, I was terrified. God, in future months and years-even up to the present day, would require that I not just explore but grapple and wrestle with who He really is and what He is really about as well as confront ugly things in my own heart. I asked for it. He took me seriously. And praise God!

Little did I know at the time what would be required of me. I am understanding more and more that in order to know God more I have to relinquish myself. I see now that much of my experiences since 10/01, stem from that prayer and have been an exercise in surrendering more of myself to Him, making my life more about Him and less about myself. I have found such freedom and peace in this and much of the insecurities I used to struggle with have dissolved. Inevitably as I do give up more of myself, He fills in the gaps with more understanding of who He is.

Also in discovering and digging deeper into the hard things of God's character, He's given me a fuller and richer understanding of God's love, grace and mercy in relationship to the other aspects of His character. This in turn gives me all the more reason to praise Him because I understand that He is all the more worthy. Not that my understanding of Him makes Him more worthy but my knowing Him better shows me more of His worthiness to be praised.

The journey, often difficult but filled with blessings, has completely transformed my whole life, my understanding of the Lord, how I think, how I desire to spend my days. I recognize now, more and more, that much of what I've experienced in my life since that day is a result of His faithfulness to reveal more of Himself to me and thus breaking me of myself. I barely knew what it meant to glorify God eight years ago but now as I remember God and what He has done in my life in order to give Him glory I see how understanding Him more only draws me to give Him glory and I delight in it all the more.

Here's the song that caused me to remember. Aspects of it made me think of what I prayed that night. Praise God for His faithfulness!

Rushing Wind by Keith Green

Rushing wind blow through this temple,

blowing out the dust within,

Come and breath Your breath upon me;

I've been born again.

Holy Spirit, I surrender.

Take me where You want to go

Plant me by Your living waters

Plant me deep so I can grow.

Jesus, You're the One

Who set my spirit free.

Use me Lord,

Glory Your holy name through me.

Separate me from this world Lord,

Sanctify my life for You

Daily change me to Your image.

Help me bear good fruit.

Everyday You're drawing closer

Trials come to test my faith

But when all is said and done

You know, its been worth the wait.

Jesus, You're the One

who set my spirit free

Use me Lord

Glorify Your holy name through me.

Rushing wind blow through this temple,

blowing out the dust within,

Come and breath Your breath upon me

I've been born again.

Project Patricia

Hi sewing friends and those who want to reach out the ladies in Africa.

This post is to inform you of a unique missions ministry you can be involved in right here at home! Project Patricia is ministry in conjunction with Master's Community Church in Kansas City designed to provide reusable feminine protection to ladies in Africa through missionaries in their areas.

Project Patricia has many orders to fill. Would you like to participate in this project? Here are ways you can help:

• pray
• make a donation of materials
• make a monetary donation
• You can host a Project Patricia workday at your church or with a ladies group - although men have been known to participate in these work days too!

If you are interested, click on the link to how you can help to find out more!

http://projectpatricia.org/pb/wp_a4be2fa5/wp_a4be2fa5.html

Saving Money on Groceries

Hi all you frugal wanna-bes.

I found this website called kitchen parade. On her site she has a blog series about saving money on food. I thought it was excellent and wanted to share it with you all. The link is below. Once you read through this first article, you will find links to the rest of the articles. So far there are 4 posts on the topic. Happy shopping!

http://kitchenparade.com/2008/07/how-to-save-money-on-groceries.php

Another Thomas A Kempis Quote

Endeavor to be always patient of the faults and imperfections of others for thou has many faults and imperfections of thine own that require forbearance. If thou are not able to make thyself that which thou wishest, how canst thou expect to mold another in conformity to thy will?

Thomas A Kempis

Who is Thomas A Kempis? Click to find out!

A Great Prayer

I found this while looking through some old journals. I think I'll keep it more handy.

"Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts that cannot be dragged down by false loves;

give us courageous hearts that cannot be worn down by trouble;

give us righteous hearts that cannot be sidetracked by unholy or unworthy goals.

Give us also, our Lord and God, understanding to know you,

diligence to look for you, wisdom to recognize you,

and a faithfulness that will bring us to see you face to face.

Thomas A Kempis, 14th Century

Having Faith in Prayer

"Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you." Mark 11:22-24

I read these verses today and pondered it a bit and read some commentary by Tim Keller. I learned a lot that really encouraged me. Often we read these verses and think that perhaps if I believe hard enough that what I pray for will be granted. And often when what we pray for isn't granted we attribute it to not having enough faith. But doesn't this put the focus on ourselves rather than on God?

Context is so important! First, Tim Keller makes a good point. Jesus prayed fervently for the "cup" to pass from him in Mark 14:35-36 but was turned down. Does this mean that Jesusdidn't have enough faith? I hardly think so! Second, this passage follows two passages having to do with God judgment on sin. Jesus is encouraging the disciples that though sin in prevalent, He still hear them. And lastly, Mark, in his usual brevity, is making a simple statement about the "endless possibilities" of prayer. "For the one who really trusts God, there is no end to what can be accomplished." He has the power to grant any request we ask.

And He also has the wisdom to not grant what He has the power to grant. As we pray we must trust not only His power to give us what we want but in His wisdom to know what I need or don't need and when. When we pray we aren't just to have faith in God's attribute of power, but in all of His attributes - His sovereignty, His wisdom, His love, His mercy, etc.

"If I refuse to believe that God could turn me down, that is itself a failure on my part to trust that His wisdom might be greater than mine."

God invites us to put faith in ALL of Him and, in doing so, attempt great things for Him and move toward them with confidence.

What encouragement this brings to me! Another lesson on trust to add to my ever growing repertoire!

Constitution Week

This week marks the 222nd anniversary of our Constitution.

Here are some quotes to commemorate it.

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” Patrick Henry

If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. Thomas Jefferson

The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. Thomas Jefferson

Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people.

John Adams

The essence of a free government consists in an effectual control of rivalries. John Adams

We have no government armed in power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. John Adams

To Give or Not To Give

Over the years and even more so recently, I've pondered whether I should give money to the homeless person on the street corner or to beggars that walk the streets in foreign countries and even in our own land. I feel a great tinge of conviction in my heart when I just drive by going on about my happy, well-provided for life.

The argument from many has been that they will just use it for sordid means. Yes, perhaps. Maybe that is more than likely the case, but how do we know? How do we discern? Sometimes it is easy to tell, but sometimes it isn't.

Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give you a drink?' ... Then the King will answer them, saying, ' Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" Matt. 25:35-40

When we give we are serving the Lord. My thought has been that sometimes we just don't know the motives and intentions of people but is it up to us to make that judgment? The person who approaches us is in definite and obvious need regardless. Should we not give and let God work it out?

Well, my thoughts were put to the test the other day. We were shopping at Home Depot and I happened to be perusing the bushes outside by the parking lot while Eric went inside to get some electrical material. A man approached me who was obviously in need, though not too destitute looking. He told me a story that sounded legitimate about needing money to get back to the Salvation Army and to buy a few legitimate, inexpensive things at the store. I felt this tugging in my heart to put action to what I had been pondering. I wanted to offer to take him to the Salvation Army or to the store to get the other things he said he needed but I didn't feel like I was in a position to do that with Eric in the store where I'd have to track him down. So I gave him some money, probably more than I should have but I didn't have smaller bills.

I went inside and told Eric and he scolded me. He said that guy had approached him before with a similar story, though not exactly the same one, which led me to believe that it wasn't true at all. I was utterly discouraged. I felt like I had done the right thing and now I realized I had been scammed! I was really bothered by it. But Eric agreed with me that God knew my heart in it and that is what matters.

The next day, Eric discovered that the car we had driven to Home Depot had a flat tire. Somehow our tire was damaged in the Home Depot parking lot. So Eric took off the wheel and took it up the street to Sears. The repairmen fixed the flat and wrote up the bill. However, they said not to worry about it, that it was a really cheap part and it didn't take much of their time!!! Who does that? Especially in this recession? And do you know how much the bill was for that we didn't have to pay? The same amount I gave the guy in the Home Depot parking lot!

So, the trip to Home Depot resulted in either giving up money for the man in the parking lot who was less than truthful but needy nonetheless, or giving up the money to Sears. The money we have is not our own. God will do with it what He will. And, God rewards those who follow His prompting even if it doesn't make sense to us.

Of course I will always try to do as the Spirit leads me but I might use a little more wisdom and thought about how to best help next time. In Jesus example no money was given, only the tangible resources that were needed. So perhaps it is better to offer to take the person to a store or drive them where they need to go which, by the way, is what Eric had offered to the man in the parking lot when he had been approached by him. The needy man declined. However, there are people with legitimate needs who are not trying to swindle us. Perhaps the best way to give to them is through an organization or ministry that reaches out to them or through food and clothing donations or through volunteering.

Regardless, the Old and New Testaments are wrought with commands, instructions and requirements to give to the poor. It is not an option. You cannot get through the Pentateuch or the prophet books without recognizing this. To neglect this task is to bring judgment upon ourselves and even our nation (as in the case with Israel), to neglect the Holy Spirit and to disobey the Lord. Be faithful and compassionate and wise with what God has given. It isn't ours anyway.

Ransomed

I've been doing a study for some months now by Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC on the book of Mark. It is very in-depth and I have learned some really incredible things and been reminded of truths that have longed been tucked away. I've been meaning to post several blog entries regarding key concepts I've learned or reviewed that had some kind of new spark to them that I wanted to share. Hopefully I will get around to writing about those.

I thought I would get started by sharing what I was reading about today. It is a review of the basic gospel but it was so refreshing and I learned a thing or two. It is from Mark 10:45. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many." Jesus had just finished describing about his upcoming death to the disciples for the third time. They were still not getting it. They were still thinking of the Messiah as the one who would come to usher in the new kingdom, an earthly one, and they wanted a piece of the power and prestige as Jesus' right & left hand men. Jesus, in verse 45, is telling them that He first must come as the suffering servant referred to in Isaiah 53. So, Jesus had been telling them that He was going to suffer and die; now He is explaining why He must do so - as a ransom for many.

I've always thought of ransom meaning that someone has been kidnapped and someone else must pay a very large and unreasonable sum to release the captive. The one kidnapped is incapable of paying because they are held in captivity. However, upon further reading in this study, "ransom" actually meant in those days to purchase someone out of slavery and refers mainly to prisoners of war - to bring a prisoner of war who has been captured by the enemy out of his slavish captivity.

Here are some things to be gleaned from this verse - Mark 10:45.

1. Jesus could have come to be served. Jesus, the Messiah, "God with us" had every right to expect to be treated with honor and dignity and glory and with all the other rights and privileges afforded the King of kings. He came to build His kingdom and could have taken it and His glory by force at that time. Many expected that the Messiah would come to set them free from Roman "captivity." That is what the disciples were hanging onto. However, in actuality, He came to build His kingdom in a much different way than the way earthly kings bring glory to themselves. His was a plan of service.

2. We are enslaved by something that we need to be ransomed from- Not the "captivity" of the Romans over the Jewish people, but rather a captivity of our hearts. He wasn't concerned with political captivity. He was concerned about His creation's much longer standing spiritual captivity to sin, death & the Law. See Romans 3-6

3. There is a price for that penalty that must be paid in order to release slaves. Ransomed does not just mean that the person sneaks in at night and conducts the slaves to freedom, or creates an elaborate escape, or a battle plan; it specifically involves a price to be paid. (Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.") Jesus paid it all for us. We don't have to pay anything or do anything nor could we if we tried. Nothing we could pay or do would be enough.

4. This verse tells the sum of the price - Jesus' life! "...to give his life a ransom..." His enemy had taken His creation and enslaved them. He came to take them back by paying the ransom for sin with His own sacrificial death. A ransomer, who has much to give, experiences loss and poverty so that the slave, who has nothing, can be free. (II Cor. 5:21 "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.")

5. This word "ransom" implies that a new relationship is formed between the ransomed and the ransomer. If someone gave up all He had out of love for your sake, would you not give your all back to Him out of love and gratitude and serve Him willingly and joyfully and follow Him faithfully?

6. It assumes that there is real evil and real sin and real guilt and real divine justice. Jesus death is senseless unless we are truly in bondage & honestly in need of being ransomed. Modern people don't recognize the real problem & extent of evil & sin on a global and individual level and that justice must be honored. Ancient people had difficulty understanding the concept of a loving God that would come to make the perfect payment Himself. Instead they strove to appease a begrudged and capricious god or gods who could never be appeased.

There are many other words to describe the gospel - justified, made righteous, bought, reconciled, redeemed, propitiated, triumphed over, made new. However, it all involved some sort of substitution on the part of both man and God. Man tried to substitute himself for God, to be like God, to bring glory to himself - the essence of sin. However, God came and substituted Himself for man, dying man's death for us, accepting our penalty - the essence of salvation.

"God presented Him as a sacrifice...so as to be both Just and Justifier of those who believe." Romans 3: 25-26

This is a summary of the notes from the Tim Keller study with my thoughts thrown in here and there.

Words Aptly Spoken

I have been really bothered lately by some of the comments that are posted after news articles (Op Ed, etc) and blog entries that are primarily written for the Christian public. I am not bothered by the dissenters, especially those who phrase their words intelligently and respectfully. Is that not what the comment section is for in most cases? To write our opinion? What really bothers me are those who dissent without tact or respect or appropriateness, to the dissenters. It is not the dissenting that bothers me. Dissenting is inherent for the function of our nation. Without dissension their is no democracy. However, it is the manner in which it is done that irks me.

For example, here are two comments posted after an article on words banned from public schools that elides into a discussion of the elimination of the word "sin" from public discourse and even by some pastors. It was not a news article per say, but simply a commentary on the writer's observations as well as a fairly forthright discussion of salvation by grace.

First commenter: This post is an excellent argument for ensuring the word “sin” is purged from our public school curriculum. Sin, salvation, grace and hellfire have absolutely no place in our public schools."

The response: [The person above] is a sinner who is going to hell to suffer eternal seperation from God if he does not accept the salvation that God graciously offers to us all. No amount of denying or changing the words used will change the truths they describe.

I am not saying that what commenter #2 said is not true. Perhaps it is. We cannot know the condition of someone's heart by one comment we disagree with. However, even if we know for certain it is true, is it appropriate at that time to write that comment in that way? Are those words written in that way going to convince the first commenter of his need for a Savior? And to the topic at hand, is it going to convince him to rethink his views about the words used in public schools? If I were the first commenter, that comment would convince me even more about what I had written. That is just me though. Perhaps it might just be what he needs.

I see comments and even whole blogs like this all the time and it drives me nuts! About half of these are written with more harshness, disrespect or even anger and are often written grammatically incorrect and irrationally or unfounded. This drives me crazy! How is this going to draw someone to Christ whose ire is already raised by what was written in the original article or post?

Dont' get me wrong. I do not believe in watering things down to make them sound more tolerable and less offensive with regard to the gospel. However, I believe that there is a time and a place and a way to talk about it that is more likely to draw someone to Christ rather than push them away and make them more convinced of what they already believe.

I've experienced first hand how our response can make a difference to someone hostile to the gospel. One of the professors that I worked under as a GRA while I was in grad school was an atheist and seemed to find pleasure in trying to disprove and bring down all manner of religion, especially Christianity. This was much of the focus of his intro level World History class. I was appalled at how some of the students who professed to be Christians responded! I cringed! Many of them spoke in anger (the prof's words stirred anger in me as well), often shouting completely from emotion, showed they had a weak foundation of understanding and were unable to articulate themselves and their beliefs intelligently (this professor was brilliant). Oftentimes I left the class more frustrated at what the Christians had said than at the professor. I could see him mentally and visibly blowing these students off.

However, he would listen to me. He said he respected me on an intellectual level because I was a grad student (though I felt completely inferior to him intellectually) and I had his ear. But I think also it was because, after seeing his response to the other students, I tried to respond to him respectfully, calmly (though his intelligence greatly intimidated me, and I was boiling inside at times by some of his comments to the class) and rationally instead of with my emotions. (Also extremely difficult. I cried later!) After class I would share my thoughts with him and some crazed student would butt in and shout scripture with a hateful tone and go off on some irrational tangent. Instead, I tried to really think about what the prof had been saying and what I wanted to say in response and have something to back me up whether from the Bible or history or both. He had little respect for the Bible but still appreciated that I at least knew where things were in the Bible that answered what he had been discussing. He would listen to me. Not only that, he shared more deeply with me what he really believed from which I found his atheistic tendencies were more fragile than he portrayed to class. He was sincerely curious about my faith and the mission work I had done. He invited me to have more discussions with him after class about these things. Often times he baffled me to the point that I could not give an answer but he was okay with that as opposed to me trying to save face somehow. Even though sometimes he made me so upset by his comments in class, I grew to appreciate his personality and to respect his intellect. I think this made a difference as well. As I prayed for him and his family, my compassion for him also grew.

I write all this to say that we as followers of Christ need to be bold and courageous and forthright but we need to be wise and speak or write our words in a timely manner, prayerfully, calmly, respectfully, without sarcasm or exaggeration, intelligently, with foundation (if the need for news or historical facts are involved) and with love and grace (even if we are angry). This, I think, will do far more to gain the ear of someone and draw them to Christ. If you are a follower of Christ, let it be known not just by the words you speak or write but also by the way in which you do so. I myself am highly opinionated (in case you didn't know!) and quick-tempered so this is often a challenge for me and requires much prayer! God has been challenging me lately to be more quick to listen and to be much more careful with my words.

"Let you speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to respond to each person." Col 4:6 (Think of the role of salt in food - it makes it more flavorful, enjoyable and palatable.)

" If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all the mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." I Cor. 13:1-2

Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer

I've been thinking of putting this on my blog for a long time now - at least a year and a half! My how time flies! This is a song that I listened to in Lebanon over and over and over again because of what was going on in my own heart regarding starting a family as well as because of some of the stress of living in Lebanon and the difficult transition over the last year (though I wouldn't change a bit of any of it). For some reason, perhaps because there is so much emotion wrapped up in it, I just haven't been able to post this song. When I hear it, it is like I feel a tenderness with Christ and share something really special with Him that no one else could know. I have listened to it and wept uncontrollably and at other times with great joy though even now I struggle to listen to it without tears welling up and memories flooding my mind. It has encouraged me so much. It gives me such great hope and I have found that the "journey" has brought so many blessings, the 3 greatest being that there is a sweetness with Christ that I've never known before (He really has drawn me nearer), I have an unexplainable peace and I feel more in love with Eric than I ever thought I could love someone. Though I'm a little worn and the journey is a little scary sometimes, where He leads, I follow, gladly, with anticipation though admittedly sometimes with a bit of hesitation. "What's around the next bend, Lord? Dare I ask? .................. Oh yes!"

Jesus, draw me ever nearer

As I labor through the storm.

You have called me to this passing

and I follow, though I'm worn.

[Chorus]

May this journey bring a blessing

May I rise on wings of faith

And at the end of my heart's testing

With your likeness, let me wake

Jesus, guide me through the tempest

Keep my spirit staid and sure

When the midnight meets the morning

Let me love you even more.

[Chorus]

Let the treasure of the trial

form within me as I go

And at the end of this long passing

Let me leave them at your throne.

May this journey bring a blessing

may I rise on wings of faith

And at the end of my heart's testing

With your likeness, let me wake.

This song is found on the Keith and Kristen Gettys cd - "In Christ Alone." Great friends gave us this cd just a couple of weeks before we left for Lebanon and it was one of the greatest blessings while we were there and since we've been back. Like I said earlier, not just that one song above, but all the songs at different times get played over and over. Try it out. I know you won't be disappointed.

Happy Late 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!!! Umm, well, maybe this is a little late! I actually started writing this on the 4th. Does that count? :)

Over this past year or so I have been reading about the Founding Fathers and the American Revolution. I have been enamored with it for some reason. As I watched the fireworks this year, I almost teared up as I recalled the sacrifices these men made to bring about the birth of a new nation. Did you remember that by writing and signing the Declaration of Independence they were making themselves known as traitors? They were committing an open act of treason against one of the longest running and most powerful empires in existence at that time. If any of them were caught they would have been hanged. Many of them lost their fortunes and their health as a result of their revolutionary endeavors to break away and form a government with roots in philosophical, "enlightenment" ideas many of them had been raised on and dreamed about. Sometimes I think we don't ponder these things enough.

Something to ponder. We may not like the "other party", whichever side that may be, but we should be thankful that we can have safe political dialogue. And elections, though sometimes the outcomes are highly contested or very disappointing, do not erupt in violence in the streets or even the threat of it. And not only should we be thankful, we should pray for those nations that do not enjoy the political freedoms that we do, that they will be ruled in peace and justice.

As a tribute to this holiday is an excerpt from the introduction of a book I am currently reading, Founding Brothers, by Joseph Ellis. It is very fitting for the recent celebration.

What distinguishes the American Revolutions from most, if not all, subsequent revolutions worthy of the name is that in the battle for supremacy, for the "true meaning" of the revolution, neither side completely triumphed. Here I do not just mean that the American Revoltuion did not "devour its own children" and lead to blood-soaked scenes at the guillotine or the firing-squad wall, though that is true enough. Instead, I mean that the revolutionary generation found a way to contain the explosive energies of the debate in the form of an ongoing argument or dialogue that was eventually institutionalized and rendered safe by the creation of political parties. The source of the disagreement... involv[es] conflicting attitudes toward government itself, competing versions of citizenship, differing postures toward the twin goals of freedom and equality.

But the key point is that the debate was not resolved so much as built into the fabric of the national identity... Why is it that there is a core of truth to the distinctive iconography of the American Revolution, which does not depict dramatic scenes of mass slaughter, but, instead, a gallery of well-dressed personalities in classical poses?

First, the achievement of the revolutionary generation was a collective enterprise that succeeded because of the diversity of personalities and ideologies present in the mix. [It is] not because any of them was perfect or infallible, but because their mutual imperfections and fallibilities, as well as their eccentricities and excesses, checked each other...

Second, they all knew one another personally, meaning they broke bread together, sat together at countless meetings, corresponded with one another about private as well as public matters. Politics...remained a face-to-face affair.

Third, they managed to take the most threatening and divisive issue off the political agenda. That issue, of course, was slavery, which was clearly incompatible with the principles of the American Revolution, no matter what version once championed. (Could they have tried to abolish slavery and manage to keep the nation? ) ... The revolutionary generation decided that the risks outweighed the prospects for succes; they quite self-consciously chose to defer the slavery question by placing any discussion of it out-of-bounds at both the national and federal level.

Fourth, they developed a keen sense of their historical significance even while they were making the history on which their reputations would rest...If they sometimes behaved like actors in a historical drama, that is often how they regarded themselves. ..We are the audience for which they were performing; knowing we would be watching helped to keep them on their best behavior.

The Horse and His Boy

I just finished listening to The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis on CD while painting one of our guest bedrooms. What a great book! I have read it before a couple of times and again I was moved to tears by Aslan's protection, providence and will, a picture of Christ over our individual lives and His creation as a whole. I read that this book is about finding one's home. The two talking horses from Naria who were stolen and sold to the people of Calormen. They were free creatures in Narnia so life in Calormen was like slavery. They sought the opportunity to escape and find their way back home to Narnia. The two children who are with them and are a means for them to escape, have never been to Narnia but have their own cruel, slave-like situations they are trying to escape.

As the book is indeed about the journey to reach Narnia, the original home of the horses and the intended new home for the girl, Avaris, and the boy, Shasta, I think it is much more about the invisible hand that guides our lives and world events. One of the allies of Narnia is under siege by the Calormen, but Aslan has complete control. He had planned for many years how the kingdom would be saved, even by the most unlikely person who in the end turns out to be someone quite different than even this person thought he was. (You'll have to read it for yourself - I am not giving it all away!!!) His life was rough in the beginning but it was all for a purpose far greater than even himself.

We know God works all things out for good to those who love Him but I think often we may make that "good" too small. Surely God will bring good in our lives through whatever we go through in life but what if God has had it planned since creation to have a far greater purpose like the salvation of another person, or a whole family or even a whole people group? When we think of God's providence we must think much bigger than ourselves. I was listening to a sermon by John Piper (also while painting) the other day about Jesus building His church and it made me think about the Horse and His Boy. Jesus said, "Upon this rock I WILL build my church." It is not of matter of maybe it will be done. He WILL do it and oftentimes it might be through ways we could never have imagined, when it seems absolutely impossible. Though the Horse and His Boy is not about building the church it is about a kingdom that Aslan sought to protect and did it in a way that would seem unlikely and unimaginable. "His ways are not our ways."

Here is my favorite part of the book. Shasta had been separated from the group of warriors on the way to fight against the Calormen who were attacking the allies of Narnia. Shasta was lamenting over his bad luck throughout his whole life and feeling left out, left behind and lost.

"And being so very tired and having nothing inside him, he felt so sorry for himself that the tears rolled down his cheeks.

"What put a stop to all this was a sudden fright. Shasta discovered that someone or somebody was walking beside him. It was pitch dark and he could see nothing. And the Thing (or Person) was going so quietly that he could hardly hear any footfalls. What he could hear was his breathing. His invisible companion seemed to breath on a very large scale... and he had come to notice the breathing so gradually that he really had no idea how long it had been there...

"The Thing (or Person) went on beside him so very quietly that Shasta began to hope he had only imagined it. But just as he was becoming quite sure of it, there suddenly came a deep, rich sigh out of the darkness beside him. That couldn't be imagination! Anyway, he had felt the hot breath of that sigh on his chilly left hand...

His horse was unreliable to make a run for it "so he went on at a steady walking pace and the unseen companion walked and breathed beside him. At last he could bear it no longer."

"Who are you?" he said, scarcely above a whisper... "You're not -- not something dead, are you? Oh, I am the unluckiest person in the whole world!" Once more he felt the warm breath of the Thing on his hand and face. "There," it said, "that is not the breath of a ghost. Tell me your sorrows." He told him of his hard childhood and the rough journey thus far.

"I do not call you unfortunate," said the Large Voice. "Don't you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?" said Shasta. "There was only one lion," said the voice. "What on earth do you mean? I've just told you there were at least two the first night and --" ...

"I was the lion." I was the lion who forced you to join with Avaris. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you could reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, as child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight to receive you."

"Who are you?" asked Shasta. "Myself," said the voice, very deep and low so that the earth shook... Shasta no longer felt afraid that the Thing would harm him but "a new and different sort of trembling came over him. Yet he felt glad too."

A light came on them and revealed the Thing. "He turned and saw, pacing beside him, taller than the horse, a Lion...after one glance at the Lion's face he slipped out of the saddle and fell at its feet. He couldn't say anything but then he didn't want to say anything and he knew he needn't say anything. "

"The High King above all kings stooped toward him. Its mane, and some strange and solemn perfume that hung about the man, was all round him. ..." After a bit the Lion was gone and Shasta wondered if it was just a dream. "But it couldn't have been a dream for there in the grass before him he saw the deep, large print of the Lion's front right paw."

The Lion is padding by our side and He leaves his heavy footprints and His breath everywhere. Do we see the evidence? Do we look for it? He WILL do what He says He will do and it WILL be for His glory and our good.

The Nature of God

Here is something rather long and rambling but extremely encouraging. I thought I would share it with you. I left some parts out and paraphrased some for clarity. May the nature of God be your comfort and courage and hope today.

How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. When you know the sovereignty of God and His Lordship over all things, seen and unseen, when you are able to confess Him as the supreme ruler over all things and to confess Him that He is supreme Lord and you are His possession, then at that point you are the happiest of people. You could not get any happier. Nothing could happen that could be so wonderful that it could possibly be better than the happiness you have in the Lordship and supremacy of Christ.

When you know that you are situated in the heart of the most powerful person ever to live, then you can't be more happier than at that point. When you are able to step back into His rest and live in the high tower of His name so that when the enemy comes raging against you, He cannot fine you, that is joy, that is happiness.

How blessed is He whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord. The one who made heaven and earth, who made the sea and all that is in it. The one who keeps faith forever. When all your confidence is in the one who made heaven and earth , when everything you need in life is utterly dependent on the goodness, the mercy, the kindness, the love, the grace, the power of the one person who is supreme God above all gods, when your present and your future and your health and your destiny and your life depends totally on the God who works for weak, twisted and deceitful people then you simply have to be the happiest people on the face of the earth because your happiness is built totally on the knowledge that the God who gives favor to weak selfish people, He has given you a unshakeable conviction and confidence in His ability to bring change and power to bear on your life. Therefore, the most wonderful thing that you will ever do with your life is to trust it to the nature of God, to put it in the hands of a God who totally loves you and is deeply committed to you and and delights in helping you. It is the most happy feeling to totally trust the best, the most honorable, the most powerful, the most integrous, committed and faithful covenant maker who is also the most decent person who ever lived, Jesus. Being completely reliant on His character and integrity is the source of your great happiness.

We rest in Your nature. You never change. Everything comes down to us from the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. You say with absolute confidence "I am the Lord. I change not. I am the same yesterday, today and forever."

Beloved we are learning to live in the paradox of God that He is consistent but He's also unpredictable. He's consistent in His nature. You seldom know what He is going to do next. But you always know where you are with God because He never changes. When Moses said, "God please show me your glory," maybe he was expecting some great light and display of power. And God said, "okay then... I will make my goodness to pass before you." Because the glory of God is the nature of God, that God is good. He's good, He's unfailingly good. God is Good! He is good. He never changes. He will always be good. Yesterday He's good, today He's good and tomorrow He will always be good. He will never change His heart toward you, no matter what you do. He cannot be anything other that what He is. He is a covenant-maker and a covenant-Keeper and He is good.

He is also unpredictable. You never know what He is going to do next. And God has called you to see the invisible and do the impossible. God has not called you to do the things you can do. He's called you to do the things you would never be able to do in a million years.... Only He can do it. But He has called you to live in His faithfulness and His consistency and He will come and do all the things that need to be done. So beloved you cannot find security in what God is doing because God commits you to the outrageous. There is not security in that place. There is only security in who God is. This great God that we serve will throw us into situations beyond us with no other thought than that His great heart will sustain us. and the answer of God to everything, every excuse you make why you cannot do something, the answer is always be the same. When you look into His face and you see the twinkle in His eyes and the grin on His face and He says, "Nevertheless. I will be with you. I will be there." He the great God who sends us out as lambs amongst wolves. Why? Because the Lion is padding by our sides.

The only way we will do what He has called us to is that we are secure in the nature of God... the only way we will seize the moment, to advance the kingdom, to swim against the odds, is if you and I are resting in the consistent nature of God, that you and I have a testimony of what God is really like living in our hearts in such a powerful way that it drives everything. "I am the Lord. I never, ever change."

Beloved, do not be distracted into your journey of the nature of God because it is the source, the wellspring of all your joy, peace, revelation, anointing, your power. And when you learn how to rest in the nature of God and He comes walking with the impossible You will be the one who gets out of the boat to join Him. You won't be one of those wondering or thinking about joining Him. There will be this instinctive, intuitive need to put you leg over the side of the boat and start walking on a substance you have not business being on except that He is drawing you there. It is your destiny beloved. To walk in the nature of God.

He is going to make you perfect in His nature, stamping the image of Jesus on you. That is what the desert is about. Hosea 2:14-15 says, "I will captivate her heart and draw her in the wilderness to speak kindly to her." Out of that place of the desert God will give you the vineyard of fruitfulness. He knows the plans He has for you, the things He wants you to accomplish. He will not rest Himself until you have a revelation of what He is really, really like. Then He will back it up with experience. He is faithful.

From this day on for you there is not such thing as a good day or a bad day. Only days of grace. And some days the grace of God allows you to enjoy what is happening and some days the grace of God allows you to endure what is happening. But don't think about good and bad anymore. Just enjoy the grace that is present. And out of that grace there will be an expectancy. "I know you are going to do something today. I just want to be alive to You so I can see it wait for it, speak it out, live in it, experience it, worship you in it, glorify Your name in it. There are no good days anymore. There are no bad days. Just days of grace, ah? Days of Grace. That you might know Him and rest in Him and live in Him move in Him, worship Him, represent Him

About Me

This is a picture of my husband and I in front of our old house before we sold it in September of 2007. Since then we have been overseas for 8 months in the Middle East and then traveling to and fro throughout the southern Midwest and Southeast, living out of suitcases and staying with gracious and wonderful friends and family, and finally we have settled down in Overland Park, Kansas, a pretty suburb of Kansas City.

I am originally from Georgia. My wonderful husband, Eric, is from New York and Iowa but lived in Oklahoma for 15 years. We have been very happily married since January 2005. You might ask how in the world we met. Quite simple! We met in the Middle East! Isn’t that the most sensible answer? Our first unofficial date was at a Starbucks on the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. We were married 7 months later! Here are a few interesting tidbits about me.

We now have a son named Wesley Joseph born February 16, 2010. He is the cutest thing ever! He is such an amazing gift. We waited 4 and 1/2 years for this precious treasure. He is a happy little guy that gives us such delight.

I love to read and write, two things I used to not be very good at and didn't do very much. I like to create things and I am a teacher at heart. I absolutely love history, so much so that I got a Masters Degree in it a couple of years ago. Traveling adventures and learning new languages bring me much delight! I adore my hubby! He is my perfect mate, so steady and calm, quite the opposite of me. And most of all, I love Jesus. It is my desire to know Him more and more and to bring others along with me, to not settle for ho-hum Christianity that has nothing real behind it except the right things to say and do. I want to live my life as did Jim Elliot (slain missionary to the Aucas in Ecuador), to not be satisfied with the "usual."

I dreamed as a young girl of traveling all over the world. God has been so gracious to lead me on some awesome adventures overseas to places like Belarus and Lebanon - even to live there for a while. I've also been to Mexico, St. Lucia, Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, Austria, Germany, London and Paris at least for a few hours up to a week or two and to at least half the states in the US. This is truly something the Lord has put in my heart given that no one on either side of my immediate or extended family has ever left the country except for maybe to Mexico.

Favorite Quotes

• You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy for you to believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose that you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn't you then first discover how much you really trusted it? … Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief. –C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

• He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jim Elliot

Favorite Books (Ones I read over and over)

• The Letter to the Philippians by The Apostle Paul
  
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot
• The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis
• A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
• God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew
• John Adams by David McCullough
• Little House on the Prairie Series Laura Ingalls Wilder
• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Favorite Movies (Ones I watch over and over!)

• Pride & Prejudice
• Amazing Grace
• Chariots of Fire
• The Lord of the Rings
• Narnia
• Sense & Sensibility
• Singing in the Rain
• The Parent Trap
• Anne of Green Gables

Favorite Things to Do

• Read History, Classical Education, Theology, the Bible, Biographies, children’s books
• Play with Wesley - I love his giggles!
• Write blogs, emails & children’s stories
• Play outside with plants
• Go on hikes or walks in the woods, in the mountains
• Sew, Crochet, Cross Stitch, make cards, paint,
• Peruse Book stores & libraries
• Chat with friends
• Talk about Jesus, discuss theology, missions and history!
• Find and cook new nourishing and frugal recipes.

Things I've Always Wanted to Do

• Have a large family
• Tap Dance
• Be a chef
• Go to Africa
• Run a children’s bookstore
• Start a classical school for underprivileged children
• Write children’s books
• Go on an archaeological dig
• Travel back to Jane Austen’s time give or take 100 years.