The Adventure

The day was planned.  Whatever you want to do, Daddy, was the invitation.  It is Father's Day, so let's do what Daddy wants, right?

A little background information:  My husband and I are perfect for each other.  Perfect opposites in a lot of things.  Adventure seeking, being one of them.  I'm just not...  seeking adventure.  I like safe.  I like home.  I like routine.  Normal.  And if you know D, you know that he LOVES adventure, roller coasters, the unknown, flying by the seat of his pants...  Yep, opposites!

So, I'm called to be HIS helper and to adjust to him, so I pray A LOT!
 
Daniel started planning this canoeing adventure last year.  He bought a canoe.  Oh, I was irritated!  If he buys a canoe, then we might have to go canoeing.  How can I go canoeing?  We don't have enough canoes for everyone.  How can I take a new baby, a little girl and everyone else canoeing?  What if the boat tips?  What if someone needs me and I can't get to them?  Of course, I never expressed these feeling out loud.  That would sound like I was afraid.  I prefer, responsible, cautious, prudent...  These words sound so much holier than FEAR.

So back to plan to honor my dear husband on his day.  He wants adventure.  I WILL smile.  I WILL keep my doubts to myself.  I WILL trust that God is big enough to handle this.  We went to Walmart to pick up a few things and we picked up a couple life jackets for the boys.  Faith doesn't equal foolishness.

The day came.  We were ready!  We were on our way!  It seemed a struggle.  Why would the devil care about a silly day at the lake?  Flat tire on the trailer.  Fix it in Rose City at the hardware. On our way again!  Unload the trailer.  Fishing poles, 2 canoes, 2 kayaks, food...  We are set!

Father's Day Beauty

Canoes in the water.  Kayaks in the water.  Ryan and Rose in the kayaks.  Kathryn, Gabriel and Anya in one canoe.  Daddy, Mama, Elijah, Bella and Lukasz in the other.  How am I going to paddle AND watch that baby like a hawk?  How is Lukasz going to hold Elijah still?  What if he stands up?  Falls out?  Of course, I don't say these things.  That would sound like I was afraid.  I prefer, responsible, cautious, prudent perhaps...  Definitely much holier than...  FEAR.

But my son, the one that is my barometer.  The one that is too immature to mask his true feelings, is wrestling with his baby brother.  "You HAVE to sit, Elijah!  Daddy, he's moving!"  Eli is fussing.  "Let me GO!"  He seems to say.  "I know that I am missing this adventure, sitting still.  I can't see the water.  I can't touch the water.  I want to experience it all, my first time in a canoe."  Of course, I'm in front.  I am trying to see, to help, but I can't without tipping the canoe.  And there is seaweed down there.  I cannot see the bottom.  Tipping the canoe is NOT an option.  So, I sit still.  I adjust my weight.

Daddy steps in, "Lukasz, let him go.  He'll be alright.  He'll be fine."  Really, I think.  Let a baby wander, explore in this little boat.  "Okay... but I don't know..."  Prudent, maybe...  Cautious...  Nah, just fear...

Lukasz still fussing.  Now Eli is rocking the boat.  His excitement.  One side to the other.  On his tippy toes trying to reach that water spraying up.  He's reaching it!  I peak at his sweet face, the joy of water on his hand, in his face.  I wish I could capture his look of sheer exhilaration on this little man's face...

Lukasz still fussing.  "I want to go back.  He's rocking the boat.  I don't like canoeing.  I'm never going again."

Now, I step in.  "Lukasz, what are you afraid of?"  Does he know I'm talking to me?  "Let's say he falls in.  He has a life jacket on.  He'll float.  No fish are going to bite him or eat him.  Daddy will grab him.  He might be more careful next time.
It's O K A Y..."

Calm...  Peace...  I start to notice the trees, the spray of the water on the canoe, the stillness, the BIG large mouth bass we floated over, the tree fallen, the island...

The other side of the lake...  The other children...  They are caught.  The wind pushing them.  Inexperience.  Youth.  They can't stop going in circles.  I'm laughing a little.  Letting go of control.  God's got them.  They have to learn that.  We paddle away.  Hand Ryan a tow rope and say, "Bring em back."  We head to the beach.  Don't look back.

Lukasz about kisses the ground when we are back on land.  The land lubber.  :)  I smile.  Breathe.  Thank you, Lord, for this.

Here they come.  Rose and Kathryn paddling the canoe.  Counting strokes.  Working together.  Slow progress.  Gabriel in the center, giving directions.  Ryan towing Anya, in her glory, my adventure girl!  Thank you, Jesus, for this.

Later in the day, "Hey Anya!  Let's go for a kayak ride, just you and I!  It'll be fun!"  And it was!

In His Grip,
Laura

If you have not read "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann VosKamp, seriously...  The Lord has used this author's journey into thanksgiving to "undo" me.

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

But By The Grace Of God...

Most times, I would prefer to stay in my own little world, my own bubble, and just ignore what's going on around me.  I have enough to keep me busy, with our new baby, toddlerhood, homeschooling, chickens...  You get the idea.  It is so EASY for me to stay here, be busy at home, and not venture out.  My dear hubby does a lot of the grocery shopping for me, so it's really easy.

There is definately a season for staying home more often.  New babies, harvest or planting time, sickness, weather are all good reasons to hunker down and focus more on the home life.

When I do venture out, I find God is drawing me out of my shell and showing me the world out there.  I must confess, I would like to squeeze my eyes shut and retain my peace.  It's kind of like when those uncomfortable commercials come on with pictures of starving children on them.  I'd like to just flip the channel and pretend that starvation is not a reality in this fallen world.

BUT, Jesus lived a compassionate life amongst the hurting people.  He loved them and comforted them and brought healing in their midst.  As a Christ follower, I am called to do the same.  I have had a tendency in the past to go "amongst" them and judge them for the position they are in or be so busy that I completely ignore the stranger in the check out line.  We are called to "entertain strangers" because we may be entertaining an angel unaware.  The Lord has been changing my proud heart and teaching me to love.  We live in a small town and we are a larger than normal family.  We are known in Walmart, Neimans, farmers market, etc.  I want those people.  The check out ladies in Walmart to KNOW that Jesus loves them.  It has taken the Lord to show me how important it is to smile, to talk to people, to get to know them a little bit.  Then watch Him work.  Hurting people are every where.  The desperation and pain I see in their eyes and hear in their stories renders me speechless.

Daniel and I were in Walmart the other night.  We were on a date with just Elijah.  As we were checking out, one of the check out girls came up to take over.  I was wondering how her baby was doing, but didn't say anything.  She said something about it being the 5 month anniversary of something, I couldn't hear.  Daniel asked her if her baby was going to be 5 months old.  No, it was the 5 month anniversary of her baby dieing of SIDS the next day.  Mouth drops open.  Tears form.  Oh my gosh, I am so sorry.  We saw her every week.  And had no idea.  Maybe I judged her for her uncombed hair or her general apathy.  Maybe I didn't go in her lane on purpose because she made me uncomfortable.  God is teaching me to love.

And then, we have the extreme weather, hurricanes, massive tornado outbreaks, floods and droughts assaulting the earth.  I read a story today of a mother who decided to try and ride out the storm this past week.  A foolish decision, certainly, but maybe she really had no choice.  I don't know.  Her house started to flood.  She packed her 2 and 4 year old in her SUV to try to outrun Sandy.  Her babies were ripped from her arms.  She frantically ran from deserted house to deserted house to get help, to no avail.  She spent the night on a porch of an abandoned home riding out the storm.  I cannot even imagine the pain of this mother.  And the comments I read after the story were OUTRAGEOUS!  We all have our opinions and our ways to place blame and maybe they are even true, BUT let's have some compassion.  Let's weep with those who weep and pray for these people.
As we were reading Ezekial the other morning.  (I am being obedient and reading this book of the Bible.  I KNOW that all of God's Word is inspired, but I struggle with some of these books!)
I read this...
Ezekial 9:4-6
And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.  And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:  Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary.  Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

As we see and hear the abominations that are going on in our towns, our states, our countries...  What is our response?  I am praying that my response will be one of love & compassion & heart wrenching & weeping for the people around me.  God cares immensely about our hearts response to abortion, homosexuality, drug addicted people, the people displaced by Sandy, the people you come in contact with, the people I come in contact with...  Only by the grace of God, I am saved and the Lord has decided that today, my home is going to stand.  Today, my children are going to live and thrive and be healthy.  Today, God is living in our home.  Today, we are imperfect, flawed and yet, still forgiven and loved.  Only by the grace of God!

May we have the heart of Jesus and cry out, "Father, forgive them!  They just do not know what they are doing!" 

It's important to notice in Ezekial, that the judgement started at the church...

In His Grip,
Laura

Basking In The Son

Oh my, yesterday was a beautiful day!  The sun was shining.  The wind had died down (at least at our house).  It was the perfect day to be outside, playing, working in our garden.  We even had a picnic.  It was just that wonderful!  About mid afternoon, however, the clouds started to roll in.  Just slight cloud cover in the beginning.  Sun.  Coat off.  Clouds.  Coat on.  Coat off.  Coat on.  Then the clouds stayed for good and my coat stayed on.  My mud boots went on.  It was down right cold.  (For me anyways)  Anya was still running around in a dress and shorts.

My relationship with Jesus is like that sometimes.  I just LOVE feeling His presence and seeing Him work in our lives.  I love it when He just blesses my heart with a word of encouragement or a kiss from my dear husband or one of my babies.  I feel His light and love surrounding me, just like the sun surrounded us yesterday.

And then sometimes, I allow sin to fester. I know that my attitude is wrong, that my words were harsh, that I'm working in my own strength, not His.  And I can feel the clouds.  It might be only slightly uncomfortable at first.  I'll just do something nice to make up for it.  I'll just eat that piece of chocolate to make myself feel better.  Maybe I'll take a long nap.  And pretty soon, the clouds are thick.

And I MISS THE SON!  Oh, how I wish I could feel the warmth on my back, in my spirit.  I wish I could hear His voice and see His hand print in my moments.  He is so faithful and full of grace.  He just wants me to fix my gaze upon Him.  Praise Him.  Love Him.  And He will break up the clouds.  The warmth of His love will shine down on me again.

Just like yesterday, the sun never went away.  The clouds just covered it.

My prayer is that I will apologize quickly when I have sinned against my family.  That I will have a spirit of humility and grace and mercy and meekness.

Lord, I need you every hour.

Looking forward to another beautifully sunny day tomorrow.
I will make it a point to look up and enjoy the radiance of God's glory.

In Love With Jesus, the Author & Finisher of my faith,
Laura

This is a new favorite song of ours.  Be blessed, my friend!
I Give Myself Away by William McDowell

Loving Sacrificially

I recently read "Kisses From Katie" by Katie Davis, a young missionary in Uganda.  What makes her story so compelling is the "unorthodox" way in which she does things.  She just doesn't "make sense".  She has NO training.  She went there when she was 18, not even knowing the language.  She went with her parents' very reluctant blessing.  She has adopted 13 daughters to date.  Her ministry feeds 1600 children a day, 5 days a week.  She didn't have a plan.  She didn't have the money.  But she has been obedient to her Savior.  She humbly admits that she didn't plan this, this wasn't her plan, but it's God's heart for her life.  The other compelling thing to me is her capacity to LOVE, I mean really love. She sacrificed everything, her family, her comfortable home, her boyfriend and friends to go to the other side of the world and pour out her life as an offering to her Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

I am challenged by her example.  Do I pour out my life for those around me?  Do I LOVE like that?  Do I sacrifice for my husband?  For my children?  What ways can I LOVE more? 

I think of myself way too often. 

I forget what an awesome honour & blessing it is to be chosen to be a mother.  To be a wife.  It seems so common.  Everywhere I look there are wives & mothers.  BUT, my desire is to be a blessed wife & mother.  I want my husband & children to be blessed by my words, my actions, my training, my teaching. 

Proverbs 14:1  Every wise woman buildeth her house:  but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Titus 2:4  That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding bass, or a tinkling cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Love, charity IS really the most important thing.  AND I cannot do it on my own.  I must FIRST Love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind THEN love my neighbor as myself.  Jesus has to be first.  Without Him loving them through me, I can't love the way He wants me to.  I cannot build up my husband or encourage my child.  I can't teach them to the love the Lord with all their heart if I'm not pursuing Christ with all of mine. 

Such an awesome responsibility and the greatest privilege. 

Matthew 18:5 And Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

By receiving children into our home, we are literally receiving Christ.

May I remember that and treat them as special and honored as I would Christ.  Love them sacrificially.  So that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

In His Grip,
Laura

It's All About Perspectives

I looked around the room.  All looked to be normal & in order.  It looked peaceful to me.  We were ready for Daddy to come home.  But, Daddy didn't feel see or feel peace at all when he came in.  He saw the box by the front door, the shoes scattered, the papers on the counter, the basket of clothes in the living room.  He saw everything that I didn't.  Admittedly, I am not detail oriented.  The kids & I are here all day, every day.  I have been praying for quite some time about how to make Daddy's homecoming more peaceful for him.  I was doing everything I knew to do.  We were both frustrated.  The power of prayer.  God reminded me of how detail oriented Daniel is.  He has walked into church & afterwards referred to the "lady wearing the fancy shoes".  Huh?  Who in the world are you talking about?  I just didn't see.  Every day, he was walking into our home, and seeing everything.  And becoming overwhelmed.  Kind of like a little boy who watches too much t.v.  He was overstimulated & agitated.  This little insight into how God made my husband has been life changing.  As the kids & I are cleaning up, preparing for Daddy, we remind one another to look on the floor.  What did we "just not see" the first time around?  A few extra minutes has made such a difference.  

I started praying about the small changes I could make in our entertainment area.  The t.v. looked like a shrine.  It was cluttered.  I hated it.  After some prayer,  a talk with D, we decided to move the t.v. cabinet (actually an old dining sideboard) into the kitchen and move an antique shelf that a friend gave us to the t.v. area.  What to put the dvd's in?  I searched online.  Nothing.  I went to Walmart.  Nothing.  I prayed.  I had several little baskets in our linen closet that worked perfectly for our movies.  The dishclothes that were in them were moved to the sideboard.  Perfect.  And free.  

This is just the beginning of our journey to declutter & simplify.  We have a big pile of stuff to be sold in a garage sale some time soon.  My sewing area is in need of major attention & our shelves down in the basement need to be cleaned off & taken down.  BUT, this is a journey & I am just super excited about the progress.  I am excited that I am able to serve my husband in this way, even though I never really saw the clutter.  It never really bothered me. But it's not about me or my preferences or feelings.  It's about God & His glory.  It's about obedience to God's Word.  He clearly states my calling here on this earth.

^{Titus 2: 4-5  4}That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

 ⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 

It turns laundry & organizing into a heavenly task with eternal value.

In His Grip,

Daniel & Laura

Jenny's Pearl Necklace

Jenny's Pearl Necklace

Author Unknown

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her piggy bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores. She went to the neighbor, Mrs. McJames, and asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother had told her that if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then may I have your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then will you give me your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay, Honey. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. When she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace. With the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that He can give us beautiful treasure. Isn't God good?

Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing... God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

A note from Laura

I read this 5 years ago & have kept it. I ran across it the other day and just couldn't throw it away without sharing it. What a reminder of how Jesus is Lord & I need to be willing to let go of people & things that are not God's best for me. Maybe I should just let go instead of wrestling all night & ending up with a limp. :)

In His Grip,

Laura

I Just Wanted To Hear Your Voice, Honey

Our family went over to a sweet, older couple's house last Sunday. It was totally last minute. Both hubbies forgot to mention that we were stopping by after church. :) But it was so nice. We sat outside. The kids got to play & run & catch frogs. The women chatted & the men "discussed" the business at hand.

But one things sticks out in my mind & in my heart. We were talking about fathers & daughters. He said that he still calls his 1st born once a week, "just to hear your voice, honey." My first reaction was a little envious twinge. But my second & strongest was that sweet reminder that my Father in heaven just wants to hear my voice. Prayer, to me, is not a set of ritualistic words that I must say so that "God will hear me properly" and then He'll do what I say. What if I had the audacity to believe that I am the "one that Jesus loves."... He just wants to hear my voice??? I please Him??? Just like a Daddy I know, rushing in as soon as he hears his little girl fuss & saying, "Daddy's home. I've gotcha. Hi Izabella." That's how God feels about me, his daughter.

I used to have a bumper sticker that read, "I'm a princess because my Daddy is the King of Kings!"

^{I John 3-1} Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:

^{Zephaniah 3: 14-17} Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

^{Hosea 3-14} Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

^{John 21-7} Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"

In His Grip,
Laura

The Beauty Of The Lord

As I "walk along the way", I have the privilege of seeing "The Beauty Of The Lord" all around me. Of course, that's when I'm paying attention. As I've watched this summer FLY by, I wonder how often I've been too busy to notice Him.
One occasion that sticks out clearly in my mind. I bribed the kids... If you do really well with all your chores, we'll go to the beach later. We finally made it to the point at 7 pm. It was chilly. It was windy. But I promised. As I sat there feeding the baby, watching the girls play in the waves, the boys play in the sand, I was anxious. I had so much to do. It was almost past their bedtime. I'm cold. We should have come sooner. Daniel has my camera. The video camera doesn't have batteries charged. I went from enjoying them to thinking to enjoying them to being ready to go to enjoying... You get the idea. I stood up and turned around and looked up. There was the sun, just the rays, peaking through the clouds pointing right at the light house. In that moment, God spoke directly to my anxious heart, "Be still & know that I am God! Relax. I'm here."
God is so amazing...
We went to the beach another time.
It was beautiful.
But that one cloud...
We waited out the first shower in the pavilion. The sun came out. We went down to the beach. I sat down. The kids ran into the lake. It started to down pour. It started to hail. I started to laugh. It stopped raining. The sun came out. A dear friend brought coffee. Daddy called. He came to fly kites. The kites got tangled. The kids had fun.
God is amazing...
I watch Daddy, playing with his little girls, telling them how beautiful they are. I watch him swoon over his littlest one. I remember him 6 years ago, scared to death to be a daddy to little girls.
God is amazing...
I watch our lives change, our hearts change, like a butterfly coming out of a chrysallis, struggling to be set free from the chains that bind us... God is working in the struggles... Helping us to see Him... Helping us to relax & enjoy the journey... Helping us to be thankful for each other... Helping us to look outward, to be servants, to be "doers of the Word", to love others, to speak the truth...

I will declare the beauty of the Lord... He's all around...

In His Grip,
Laura

Rock A Bye Baby

Oh, the joy of having a new little baby again. Her sweet smell. Her sweet smile. The joy of nursing this little one, connecting with her, nourishing her, helping her to grow. I absolutely LOVE to rock Bella to sleep. She has her "position", like she is in her sling. On my hip, left arm tucked, head on my chest. As if on cue, she is asleep in 5 minutes or less. As a side note, this comes in very handy in church. :) I'll often sing her a little song as she doses off. Then it's off to bed for her much needed nap. She is oblivious to the world around her, cuddled in her little sanctuary, her crib, safe & secure.

What about me? What about you? Are we asleep, oblivious to the world around us, huddled in our little sanctuaries, safe & secure?

Have you been rocked to sleep by a complacent spirit that lays like a wet blanket over the modern church of America?
Revelation 3:15
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou was cold or hot.. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Have you been rocked to sleep by the sweet words of a pastor who tell you what you want to hear?
2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Have you been rocked to sleep by the lullabies that you sing on Sunday morning that sound really pretty,are about how God does great things for us & have a nice beat, but are far from Scriptural?
Have you heard the new song "Love Has Come" by Mark Schultz? I LOVE this song! It has a great beat. It feels good. But as I continued to listen, something wasn't right. "Every knee shall bow. Every tongue confess, that God is love & love has come for us all. Every heart set free. Every one will see. That God is Love & love has come for us all." That sounds beautiful, but it is WRONG!
Philippians 2:5-11
⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Every knee will bow, every tongue confess when Jesus comes back NOT as this worldly love that we think of but as righteous, just, perfect love.
Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Those types of songs are so dangerous because they are part truth & they sound good. And they are deceiving many people into believing that God is love, love in their mind, human love. Therefore, they have no worries because "a loving God would not send anyone to hell."

Are you safe & secure in your little sanctuary? We have Sunday School, Sunday am & pm service, Wednesday night service, men's Bible studies, women's Bible studies, and the list goes on of programs & classes that are available to the church body any night of the week in any town across the country. We are well fed, fat & happy, if we want to be. But are we going out?

Jude 1:21-23 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

In our life, we have experienced this. We went to a church in town. They had a great worship team. The pastor could give a good message, a few Scriptures taken out of context, a half dozen different versions of God's Holy Word to make it easier to understand. *sarcasm* Daniel was involved in the men's group & I led a women's Bible study. BUT, something was wrong. We couldn't tell you what. We just knew that something was missing.
Through a series of events, God made it very plain to us that needed to leave. When we were invited to this church in "the ghetto" of Northeast Michigan, we went for my ma in-law. We walked in. Nothing unusual. Pews. Hymnals. Baptists in suits. But when the pastor started to preach, he held up his Bible and asked us to stand because this was God's Word and it is Holy.
I am reminded of the song, "We are standing on Holy ground. And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. For we are standing in His presence on Holy ground."
We left the church changed. My heart soared that day.

Since then, God has gradually removed the "wet blanket" of complacency and set aflame this burning desire in our hearts to rescue others from the same fate.
God has put us under the teaching of a man who doesn't care what we WANT to hear, but tells us what we NEED to hear. He is bold & zealous & God has used his words to startle our sleeping spirits, to awaken our consciences, to put us on full alert. There is not a Sunday that goes by that we aren't squirming in our seats, not because we can't wait to get out of there, but because the Holy Spirit is there, testifying that we must change. We have sin that God wants to remove. We lust after things. We are silent when we should speak. We compromise our beliefs so that we will be liked by our Christian friends. You know, it would be pretty hard to get Izabella to sleep if I kept poking her every couple of minutes.

Oh, the music... it has become an idol in this country. We will change churches, start new churches, spend unGodly amounts of money on equipment, all in the effort to have a good worship service, so it's pleasing to our "itching" ears. God says, "make a joyful noise". The heart of the worshiper & the truth of the words are far more important than whether we like this "style" of music or not. Worship is supposed to be about Him, how great He is, how worthy He is.

For me, this has been the hardest reality. I enjoy Bible studies. I enjoy fellowshipping with other believers, talking with friends, being actively involved in church. I am much more comfortable there. I'm accepted. I belong. But, I started to realize that I could easily spend 4 hours a week in some type of church activity all in the name of Christian service. I did not have time to serve my husband & be his helpmeet. I did not have time to disciple my children in the way God has called me to.
I did not have time to serve the people in my life that need the love of Jesus.
The perfect analogy for this is the Dead Sea. It is continually
fed by the rivers & streams coming off the mountains in the area, but NO rivers drain out of the Dead Sea. So, as water evaporates, the sea becomes saltier & saltier making it deadly. No fish or sea life can survive in the Dead Sea, only certain bacteria & one type of algae.

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.

I have been so comfortable living my own life, doing my "church" thing, for so long, that I truly became oblivious to the world around me. The fact that families live in cardboard boxes, that babies actually die of starvation, that people are isolated & lonely all around me didn't bother me. Until now. Now, I see their faces in the lines at Walmart. The people are starving for human contact, just eye contact, just conversation, just to know they are not invisible. Now, I ache for them. I must move past the "ache", the "pain", and "be a doer of the Word". I'm slowly starting to give up "my life" and let God direct it. He has told me where to go, who to call, what to do. He can be so bossy and insistent some times.

As we were talking the other day, my wise husband said something like this to Ryan. Don't look to do something "big" for God. One person matters. That young man at church who is just a train wreck. He's hurting so badly that no one wants to be around him. Love him. That's "big". He matters to God.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

Ephesians 5:14-17 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

My prayer is that this message will be taken as it is intended. I am so far from where God wants me to be. He and I have so much work to do. I must speak the truth. I speak it in love. I love you. I love Jesus. We must pick up our cross & follow Him to be His disciple.

In His Grip,
Laura

Oh, The Thinks You Can Think

I have loved Dr. Suess FOREVER! I loved to read "Horton Hatches The Egg" as a child, loved to read "Fox In Socks" or better yet, pick it for Cheryl to read when I was a teenager working at a day care and love to read any Dr. Suess book to my kids today. If I get to pick the book, you can bet that at least ONE Dr Suess book will be in the mix.

I loved the imaginative illustrations when I was little. I loved to improve my speech and see how fast I could read it as I got older. Now, I love seeing the "bigger picture" behind so many of his stories. I don't know whether they are Dr. Suess's bigger picture or just what "I" see in them. Doesn't really matter to me. It's cool!


Today, I was reading "Oh, The Thinks You Can Think" again, when I actually noticed the front cover. It is a picture of these Suess birds, walking one by one, eyes closed, in a circle. Huh... Isn't that what happens if we're not paying attention? If we are just going through life, believing what everyone else is saying, doing what every one else is doing...

When we first started the process of homeschooling our Rosalie, I called every one I knew that was homeschooling to get their opinion on what curriculum was best. I remember one very wise woman that said, "Why don't you ask the one that called you?" My first thought was, "I called you." Then I got it. God called me to homeschooling. He has a plan for our family. Ask Him what we should be doing. Since that day, I've tried to do just that. Although I LOVE to talk about curricula & what is working for people, I know that God has a plan for OUR family that will be different from every other home school family out there. Every time I start to compare myself to what others' "school" looks like, I get anxious, confused and discontent.

I don't want to follow others path, walk with my eyes shut, going around in circles.

I want to think for myself, pray for myself, seek for myself what is the right way for our family to go. Then go!

Think left and think right and think low and think high.
Oh the THINKS you can think up if only you try!