sunrise
sunset
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
weren't for you
We had such a sweet morning here with just our two Bundles. Brother came bounding in to our room by 6am after a quick peek downstairs. I stood to pour my first cup of coffee between presents being unwrapped and Brother yelled for me to look at his new toy. I returned his glee. Suddenly I had memories of my own childhood eager to share my excitement with my own mom asking her to notice each gift I had received. I couldn't just appreciate it for myself. I wanted her to enjoy the moment with me. Wouldn't it be amazing if we bubbled over with joy from the Holy Spirit eager to share every gift we have been given with the people in our lives?
I am humbled.
My mother-in-law gave me a book for Christmas called the Castaway Kid. She picked it up to read with someone else in mind and quickly realized that I would enjoy it in light of the journey of foster care we have ahead of us. I was touched by the inscription she wrote on the inside cover for me. I turned the book over to read some quotes from recognizable names about the title on the back side. One review mentioned crying after reading the first page. Tears welled in my eyes by the third sentence. But not for the reason you might think. Just a few lines into the book and God opened my perspective to something big...not in so many words of course.
"You know all those scriptures/songs/quotes about FEAR I have been showing you lately? They weren't for you."
Gulp.
On Christmas Eve, My Love was sitting in front of the fireplace under four handmade stockings with our sweet gifts from God in his lap reading a book and all I could think about was we might need more stockings for next year and I hope his arms can open wider.
I am gearing up to learn how to really pray. To ABIDE. There will be bundles coming into our home next year with only memories and experiences of FEAR and I want to know everything God has to say about that because honestly I can' relate.
At church this Christmas morning we sang a song called Hosanna with two lines that I cling to this holiday and into the New Year.
'Cause when we see You we find strength to face the day
And in Your presence all our fears are washed away, washed away
I want to see the Lord. I want strength for each day. I want to be IN His presence. I want to feel fears washing away from every Bundle Baby I hold in my arms because of His love. Do big things, Father, for your kingdom in and through me.
I am humbled.
My mother-in-law gave me a book for Christmas called the Castaway Kid. She picked it up to read with someone else in mind and quickly realized that I would enjoy it in light of the journey of foster care we have ahead of us. I was touched by the inscription she wrote on the inside cover for me. I turned the book over to read some quotes from recognizable names about the title on the back side. One review mentioned crying after reading the first page. Tears welled in my eyes by the third sentence. But not for the reason you might think. Just a few lines into the book and God opened my perspective to something big...not in so many words of course.
"You know all those scriptures/songs/quotes about FEAR I have been showing you lately? They weren't for you."
Gulp.
On Christmas Eve, My Love was sitting in front of the fireplace under four handmade stockings with our sweet gifts from God in his lap reading a book and all I could think about was we might need more stockings for next year and I hope his arms can open wider.
I am gearing up to learn how to really pray. To ABIDE. There will be bundles coming into our home next year with only memories and experiences of FEAR and I want to know everything God has to say about that because honestly I can' relate.
At church this Christmas morning we sang a song called Hosanna with two lines that I cling to this holiday and into the New Year.
'Cause when we see You we find strength to face the day
And in Your presence all our fears are washed away, washed away
I want to see the Lord. I want strength for each day. I want to be IN His presence. I want to feel fears washing away from every Bundle Baby I hold in my arms because of His love. Do big things, Father, for your kingdom in and through me.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
his prayer for me today
Colossians 1:9-14 NLT
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,[a] 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom[b] and forgave our sins.
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,[a] 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom[b] and forgave our sins.
Friday, December 23, 2011
weak heart
Will someone please remind me to read this post again some day?
(Sidebar: Do you know Katie's story? Watch it here.
Single. Early 20s. 14 adopted daughers. Living in Uganda indefinitely. Let that sink in. OK, back to me.)
You know, when you come across a particularly pathetic "woe is me" post I will have written in the future. I expect one is coming. That is why God wants me to write this one. So I can be reminded by someone that there may be many little ones coming through our home of whom He will say to me "not this one". He may be calling me to stand in the gap to merely love on, pray over and kiss to pieces many precious babes only for a time. My heart is weak, Lord. Hold it in your hands so that it will beat with your strength and purpose.
I feel like God is preparing me to learn how to pray like I never have before. To pray with blind faith and complete surrender knowing full well that I won't have any answers given to me in this life.
Breathe.
(Sidebar: Do you know Katie's story? Watch it here.
Single. Early 20s. 14 adopted daughers. Living in Uganda indefinitely. Let that sink in. OK, back to me.)
You know, when you come across a particularly pathetic "woe is me" post I will have written in the future. I expect one is coming. That is why God wants me to write this one. So I can be reminded by someone that there may be many little ones coming through our home of whom He will say to me "not this one". He may be calling me to stand in the gap to merely love on, pray over and kiss to pieces many precious babes only for a time. My heart is weak, Lord. Hold it in your hands so that it will beat with your strength and purpose.
I feel like God is preparing me to learn how to pray like I never have before. To pray with blind faith and complete surrender knowing full well that I won't have any answers given to me in this life.
Breathe.
a common thread
I am eating a plate of hot eggs and toast while Cars 1 plays in the background. My Love is outside on this brisk bright blue morning helping on day four of our fence build. We hired a friend to come down to do the work for us. The irony was not lost on me as I sat in our nice warm house making cookies with my kids while he was outside in the wind and misting raining building our property boundary this week.
Every afternoon our friend would come in for lunch. The kids would make him smile and laugh and he would share stories of his life. There is virtually nothing about the decades behind him that I can relate to. And yet despite memories of suffering and pain that he shared, we do have one huge thing in common. A thread that sews the fabric of our friendship together. By God's grace we both have been saved.
The Enemy does not want us to share what God has done in our lives. SHARE! TALK! WRITE! Even if you think there is no way this other person in your life could possibly understand the journey God has walked you through, tell them any way. God unites all kinds of people into friendship. Stories of His love and grace bless others.
Today I finish my breakfast thankful, humbled, and blessed. We have an amazing God who desires us to boldly speak to those in our world of his amazing grace.
I encourage you to share today with even the most unlikely of people you may meet. For every interaction with another human being is a divine appointment.
Every afternoon our friend would come in for lunch. The kids would make him smile and laugh and he would share stories of his life. There is virtually nothing about the decades behind him that I can relate to. And yet despite memories of suffering and pain that he shared, we do have one huge thing in common. A thread that sews the fabric of our friendship together. By God's grace we both have been saved.
The Enemy does not want us to share what God has done in our lives. SHARE! TALK! WRITE! Even if you think there is no way this other person in your life could possibly understand the journey God has walked you through, tell them any way. God unites all kinds of people into friendship. Stories of His love and grace bless others.
Today I finish my breakfast thankful, humbled, and blessed. We have an amazing God who desires us to boldly speak to those in our world of his amazing grace.
I encourage you to share today with even the most unlikely of people you may meet. For every interaction with another human being is a divine appointment.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
suit of armor
Two days ago I got a text from a friend who I haven't seen since we stopped at her home for dinner on our road trip across the country 2 1/2 years ago. And yet somehow it feels like she lives right next door. She has four sisters like me and our soul connection grows deeper from there. Her text was in reply to a recent post I wrote about spiritual warfare and I answered by admitting that there can't be any gap in the armor. ABIDING is the only way to be fully clothed for battle. This feels like a battle. Apparently the reference I made to a passage in scripture was a repetition for whatever God was already teaching her. He is cool like that. Fellowship AND accountability are imporatant, people. Even across the miles.
Yesterday I opened up my One Year Bible where I did the reading for September 28th on December 20th. And there perfectly planned was Ephesians 6:10-18. Isn't He awesome?!
Today I was back in Isaiah and read 59:15-17a.
Are you prepared for whatever the enemy might fling at you today? Because if you are trying to live a godly life you will be attacked. Showing up to fight the enemy with just two little fists (the equivalent of a relationship with God that you once had in the past) and whatever cute outfit you picked out to wear on December 21, 2011 you might get battered and bruised in the storm. Some days require a full suit of armor. These are the days of our lives.
Yesterday I opened up my One Year Bible where I did the reading for September 28th on December 20th. And there perfectly planned was Ephesians 6:10-18. Isn't He awesome?!
Today I was back in Isaiah and read 59:15-17a.
Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who tries to live a godly life is soon attacked. The LORD looked and was displeased to find that there was no justice. He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with mighty power and justice. He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head.Seriously God?! I didn't even know references to the armor of God were in Isaiah and this scripture seems to apply to my day perfectly. I mean, if the LORD put on armor to do the will of the Father shouldn't it be good enough for us too?
Are you prepared for whatever the enemy might fling at you today? Because if you are trying to live a godly life you will be attacked. Showing up to fight the enemy with just two little fists (the equivalent of a relationship with God that you once had in the past) and whatever cute outfit you picked out to wear on December 21, 2011 you might get battered and bruised in the storm. Some days require a full suit of armor. These are the days of our lives.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
all aglow
I was vacuuming the family room yesterday evening when I saw this beam of sunlight illuminating a box in our coffee table.
I turned off the machine and bent down to find God calling
A Bundle Boy puts his head in the box as he wonders what I am doing and absorbs the light into the side of his face. A game of peek-a-boo with a bright smile.
A move to the other side of the table brought the discovery of a Bundle Girl knelt down low like her Mommy. A vision of humility.
I lifted my eyes from this new perspective and saw God's Word aglow in the shelf above it.
The staples to the start of my day are asking to be reached for even at day's end.
I stood up and looked out the windows into our back yard. And in all His glory He painted me a beautiful night sky behind our house like he does EVERY evening. I am thankful I slowed down enough to turn and see it. To acknowledge his mighty power and to choose to live with a heart of gratitude in this moment.
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