Truth To Live By

God doesn't love us because we're good.

God loves us because He's good!

~ Mark Driscoll

This Week

Let me start by saying I don't know what is wrong with my blog and the gray off-centered frames!  Any suggestions?

This week is a busy one.  Tomorrow night I have my monthly Bible study. 

Tuesday night Roddy and I will have a 2 hour adoption information meeting with our Social Worker.

Wednesday night the social worker will be coming over at 5:00 to do our home study!  Yikes!  We're being graded as to whether we are fit to adopt and also how many we can adopt.  Will you pray for my nerves?

Monday through Wednesday I'll be getting the house ready for the social worker to come over.  Jessica already told me she's not going to be checking to see if I cleaned the tubs or organized my cabinets under the sinks, but I'm cleaning 'em anyway!

Thursday night my friend (mom of 6) is going to be sharing her organizational/simplifying tips.

Friday night we're going to pick up a FREE trundle bed.  A friend was going to donate it if no one wanted it, so I snagged it.  Did you read FREE?  Hello...answer to prayer!!  We put on our "Needs" list in my adoption binder "2 bunk beds."  A trundle will work, right?

Speaking of adoption binder....Just about the time I was starting to feel a lot less overwhelmed about our adoption paperwork, our binder from the agency arrived.

Good grief!! We're supposed to read it at least twice and study it like we're studying for an exam.  Not my words, the agency's.

Look at all those tabs!

And it came with a check list of ALL the new things to be done for the dossier. Thankfully Jessica gave me a heads up so I've been working on some things.

And guess what?  I've been praying that God would allow this to be the fastest adoption the agency has seen ~ meaning paperwork would be processed extraordinarily fast with no hiccups or delays due to errors, or anything.  These kids have been in the orphanage a year already.  I want them home ASAP!  Well, I sent off for our birth certificates and marriage certificate on Tuesday.  We got them back Saturday!  FOUR DAYS!  I expected at least a couple weeks.  Thank you, God!!! Isn't that exciting?

We've also started a "Bring the Children Home Fund."  So while the kids and I have been working on cleaning out their rooms, we've been putting any money we find into the box. 

Then, one day last week Roddy came home and told the kids he got a bonus for meeting his quarterly goal.  $200!

God is good!

Will you pray with us for the paperwork to be completed seamlessly and in record time? And will you pray for God to continue to meet the financial needs for the adoption?  And for the home study this week.  The woman doing it is a Christian, homeschooling, adoptive mom of three.  That does put my mind at ease...a little. (I'm a perfectionist, remember?  I want an A++)

Thank you so much!

Would you? Do You?

Would you expect to find only fit, buff, healthy people in a gym?

I hope not.

Do you expect to find only healthy people at a doctor's office?

Of course not.

Would you expect everyone in the grocery store to know how to cook?

Do you expect everyone in a sewing class to know how to sew?

Then why would we expect everyone who goes to church with us to be fit, buff and healthy spiritually? 

Why do we expect fellow believers to know how to overcome all temptations when we know that we, ourselves, struggle with sin daily, hourly!?

I think it's easy when we don't struggle in an area to wonder why someone else does?  It's easy look down on someone who is financially illiterate and we consider to be poor stewards of God's money just because we don't struggle in that area. 

It's easy to condemn someone who can't seem to get their house in order and it's always a mess just because we don't struggle in that area.

It's also easy, in our insecurity, to look at someone who appears to have a perfect marriage and, with jealously, find fault with them for something else.

Or to look at someone who can actually make it out of the house without looking frazzled and disheveled because her children are obedient and helpful, and, with jealousy, pick apart another area in her life.

We each live in our own little bubbles. We have no idea what others struggle with physically, spiritually or emotionally. 

I find the need often to remind myself to take the beam out of my own eye before I look at someone else with disdain for the speck in theirs.  I'm thankful God is doing a work in my life to help me understand that everyone of us is at a different point in our spiritual walks. 

Just as God has created each of us unique, He has a unique plan for each of us to know Him, trust Him, love Him.  I want to be a follower of Christ who is willing to pray for, understand and encourage those around me.  I don't want to be critical and tear others down.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV and ESV)

Didn't We Pass the First Time?!

I was only a few weeks away from delivering Iris (our fifth) when Roddy was downsized! He was the better salesman but politics saved the other guy. We were also a few months away from closing on a house we were having built. At this point we'd been married almost 10 years.

Did we freak out? It would be reasonable, right? We needed insurance to deliver this baby, we needed income to pay bills and be able to close on the house we'd been waiting for over a year for. But we had seen God's faithfulness throughout the years in more minor situations and had full faith that He would take care of us again.

Sure enough, within two weeks Roddy started work with a competitor. God is good. All the time!

Fast forward almost three years. Things were going great. Roddy was learning a lot and had been promoted to Sales Manager.

But just after Thanksgiving, without any warning, Roddy was demoted from Sales Manager to Salesman. And the next week, he was called into the office and told to turn in his company car keys and cell phone immediately.

When Roddy called and told me someone was driving him home, I did cry. I thought, "Lord, didn't we pass the first time? We never doubted You and trusted You to take care of us. Why are we going through this again?"

But I sucked it up and remembered what He had done for us before and got to work making a banner with the kids to put on the garage door so when he pulled in the driveway he and the guy driving him home would see it.

It said, "You're the BEST! We love you!"

The next Sunday we were sitting in church. I don't remember what the sermon was about but I must have been thinking about our situation. All of a sudden, it became crystal clear to me...

All I need is Jesus!

If I have nothing else, but I have Him, that's all I need. I don't need a house or backyard. I don't need a bunch of clothes or furniture. All I need is Him.

What weight was lifted from my shoulders.

Here's the exciting part of the story. None of this surprised God.

A couple weeks before Roddy was demoted, he was on plane coming back from a business trip. He had been bumped to a different flight and the plane was crowded except for his row - he was the only one sitting in a row of 3 seats. A gentleman from the back ended up moving to his row. They ended up talking and the gentlemen gave him a business card and said, "If you ever want to change industries, give me a call." He was the VP of the company.

Roddy put the card in his wallet and didn't think anything about it...until he was fired. He called the number on the card, set up a meeting and a month later started working for the company he's with now.

Once again, God proved that He will provide.

Fear Factor

Several weekends ago I went to a seminar called Refuse to Be a Victim. The purpose of the seminar is to make people more aware of their surroundings in order to avoid becoming a victim of some kind of violence.

I consider myself pretty careful. I lock my doors as soon as I get in the car. I don't run errands by myself at night. Things like that. I think God gives us common sense and we need to use it. But as careful as I am, I don't consider myself fearful.

I trust God to take care of us. If I ever do have a twinge of fear, I immediately say a prayer and trust that God is going to control the situation.

Well after this little 4-hour seminar, I left fearful. And I didn't like it. I said to myself, "I need to go home and read my Bible." It's my security blanket.

And it was the one thing that was left out of the seminar. Expectedly so, since it is a program of the NRA. I don't have issue with that. But it was a fellow Christian teaching it. So while I appreciated the information, I can not get away from the fact that although I certainly think we should be careful and aware, etc., we should NOT live our lives in fear. As followers of Christ, we know Who is in control!

An opportunity arose last year for the men in our Sunday School class to take some men from the Coalition bowling. These were men going through one of their programs. Our guys were going to pick them up and return them at the end of the evening. One of the men was so worried about "something" happening. If people didn't serve because something might happen, we'd have no missionaries overseas or downtown!

Please hear me...I am not a careless person who will stop on the side of the road to help any and every stranger. I wouldn't go to the Coalition and pick up a homeless man by myself to bring him to church. I don't let my kids play outside unsupervised. We don't run with scissors or lollipops in our mouths!

But there has got to be a point when we, exercising appropriate caution and listening to the Holy Spirit, put our lives completely in God's hands and trust Him to take care of us in any circumstance.

I think my sister-in-law put it best when my brother was in Papua New Guinea last month. She said, "Being in the ministry is the safest place for us to be in."

Well said, Kara!

(My handsome brother with the natives. He bought the bow and arrows from that gentleman after it was used to kill dinner!)

Oh How He Loves Us

Just sit back and soak this in...

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us oh.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.

And Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way...

Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

The Body of Christ

Have you ever looked at your foot and criticized it for not being able to write?  Sound like a really stupid question?  It is. But go with me on this.

Have you ever looked at your hands and judged them for not helping you breathe?  Of course not!  It's obsurd.

God designed our members (body parts) for specific purposes to serve our bodies.  In the same way, He created each member of the body of Christ with his/her own purpose to serve that body.

So, just as it would make no sense to criticize an elbow for not serving our body as our eyes do, it would be ridiculous to criticize ourselves, our husbands, our children or our fellow Christians for not serving the body of Christ as someone else does or as we think they should.

We each have a function...

...some to minister through music.
...some to change diapers.
...some to encourage with notes in the mail.
...some to feed the homeless.
...some to live in foreign lands.
...some to homeschool.
...some to foster children.
...some to adopt special needs kids.
...some to organize large functions that bless many.
...some to minister one-on-one.
...some to take care of sick parents.
the list is practically endless.

This, of course, does not mean we are exclusive in our ministries.  I can pick up objects with my toes.  This is very helpful when I already have my hands full.  (I know you really wanted to know this about me!)  I have friends who minister through music and to the homeless.

And sometimes our functions change as the seasons in our lives change.  A little over ten years ago I had no children in my home. It was my husband and me. In 5 1/2 years God gave us 5 children who are now my primary ministry along with my husband.

My point is this...whatever situation you are in, be content, and be thankful.

Be thankful for the way God made you but also be thankful for His creativity and variety in the way he made others who are different from you.

How I function as a member of the body of Christ, how I minister with His love, how I walk out my faith will differ from others.  Not better. Not worse.  Just different.  And accepting the vast differences in the many members of the body of Christ is as sensible as accepting the differences in teeth and ears.

I'm thankful I've been reminded of this recently.  And I want to pray for eyes that see myself soberly.  For eyes that see the members of the body of Christ as individuals with gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. It's just makes sense.

God is Good...All the Time!

All the Time, God is Good!

I'm basking in the amazingness of my God!! The One True God!

You see, the devil showed up tonight!

In an attempt to ruin our evening of serving, he channeled himself through the food service manager at the WRCC. But God showed up and thankfully the Holy Spirit that lives is me was stronger than my flesh because I didn't fight back the way my flesh wanted to. All praise to Him.

Other than the rough start, the rest of the evening was awesome! I loved serving and spending time with the women and their kids. One of the moms said she was so thankful she could just sit and relax because normally they have to walk through the line themselves and get everything. Tonight they sat and we brought them whatever they needed.

We had about 20 adults and 30 kids volunteer so it was a little crazy and crowded but everyone was so great. They went with the flow and jumped in wherever they were needed - even the kids. They were such hard workers. I know several of the kids from different families were asking when they could come back and do it again!

The other highlight of the night was that we were able to give away some of Jackson's Bibles. We brought all of our Women's and Children's Bibles and ~drumroll, please~ 25 Women's Bibles and 16 Children's Bibles were taken...41 in all! Yea!!

One of the women told me that about 3 minutes before she walked into the dining room, she told her friend she needed a Bible!! She said, "I had no idea you would have them here." I said, "But God did!" This is the God we serve!! How personal and perfect is He?!

So the devil showed up, but God won!!

Give Thanks!

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;

make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

tell of all his wondrous works!

Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

Psalm 105:1-3

Pride

One Thanksgiving we were asked by our Bible study leader to come to our meeting prepared to share something we were thankful for.

One of the things I shared I am still very much thankful for today:

I am thankful that God doesn't reveal to me everything that is wrong with me all at once.

Boy, would that be overwhelming! I mean I've come a long way, but compared to Jesus, I have a loooonnnnnnggggg way to go!

Normally He's working on me in a few areas, and currently one of those areas is pride.

I am learning that pride has many forms. One of those I faced today.

Here's how it went down...

My mom and dad's church owns the property behind our house. The kids go to Awanas there on Sunday nights and we participate in other events there as well.

I decided to do a Beth Moore Bible study with my mom on Tuesday mornings. They are not offering childcare but said my kids could hang out in a room across the hall from us. The church also has a preschool/daycare but that particular room is normally empty. I thought it was so nice for them to accommodate us.

So I planned out the 2 hours that the kids would be on their own and explained what I expected from them. After getting them set up, I headed across the hall.

Since today was the first day, we didn't actually begin until about an hour after we got there. Meanwhile the kids were in their room doing their thing. Well just as the Pastor's wife was getting ready to start the video, a lady came in and I said, "I saw you check on the kids, are they doing what they are supposed to be doing?"

She said, "Yeah, I just told them not to go into the other room."

The room next to theirs is joined by a bathroom. The teacher in that adjoining room had asked her who the kids were that were peaking in her room.

I looked at the Pastor's wife and said, "You can start without me." And headed to the kids' room.

Long story short, they had only peaked into the bathroom but never even set foot in it. Somehow the teacher noticed and made it sound like they were peaking in her room. No big deal. The kids who had done it were disciplined because they weren't supposed to be up from what they were doing. I wasn't upset with them, though. I totally expected a learning curve the first couple weeks.

But I was upset with the lady who told me about them. Pride had reared it's ugly head because she had told me (not intending to be rude) so that the other 10 participants heard and I was worried about what they thought of my kids.

See, I have no problem when it comes to what people think of my beliefs or convictions. Doesn't phase me in the least.

One thing I do care about is what people think about me as person or about my kids. I don't care about clothes, or keeping up with Joneses. I don't have to have a nice car or even one without a dented bumper (you'd have to see mine to get that).

I also care if I'm liked. I really want to be accepted for who I am. Deep down I think if people really knew me, they wouldn't actually like me and so I don't always feel like I can be myself.

I know this is wrong. I shouldn't worry about what people think. It only matters what One thinks of me. And if God likes me and accepts me, I shouldn't care what anyone else thinks. Still working on that, though.

I also want my kids to have a good reputation - not a perfect reputation but a good one. I don't want them accused of doing something they didn't actually do and then having people think that they are causing trouble.

That's what bothered me today. But, thankfully God helped me get over myself. I realized the root of my problem - pride! After a few minutes of grumbling in my head, I prayed that God would help me forgive the lady for announcing it to the group and then immediately asked for forgiveness for being more concerned about what people think instead of concentrating on what was true (that my kids love their mommy enough to obey --mostly-- what I asked them to do for 2 hours without adult supervision --mostly--).

And He did help me. He helped me forgive (even though really the lady didn't do anything wrong) and He forgave me.

I love my God! I love that He wants me to get over myself and my pride! I love that He hasn't given up on me! That He is so patient and loving and forgiving!

Hallelujah Service

We had a hallelujah service in school today. It was actually during our math lesson.

You know how each math procedure (+, -, x and division) has a method to check if your answer is right? Like in division you take the quotient and multiply it by the divisor then add any remainders. If the answer to that matches the dividend you did the problem correctly.

Well today in Emma's math lesson she learned how to check addition, multiplication and division problems by casting out nines (9s). When I first read over this back in July I thought, "What in the world!!??" But as I was actually working through it today, I got so excited. I think I need to explain so you'll understand. I'll give you the run down.

Take this simple problem for example:

239 (addend)
+195 (addend)
434 (sum)

1. cross through the nines in each addend.
2. cross out any digits within an addend that add up to 9 (in this case there aren't any but if one of the addends was 635, you'd cross out the 6 and 3).
3. add the numbers left in the addends (in this problem they are 2+3=5, and in the second addend are 1+5=6).
4. add those numbers (5+6=11).
5. add the digits of your answer in line 4. until you have a single digit (1+1=2).
6. now cross out any 9s or digits that add up to 9 in your original sum (434 has no digits that are to be crossed out).
7. add the digits remaining (4+3+4=11).
8. add the digits of your answer in line 7. until you get one digit (1+1=2)

If the answer in line 5. matches your answer in line 8. you did the problem correctly!

This works EVERY SINGLE TIME no matter the problem! Division and Multiplication have one slight change in the procedure and if you really want to know let me know. But isn't that amazing!!!???

Emma was checking problems like:
75,264
87,915
60,352
95,715
+83,972 and 90,673 divided by 83!

The God of this universe is so amazing!! He created math. And only He could have the mind to set so many things in perfect order that you could eliminate nines and check answers!!!

So as I'm bubbling over with enthusiam about this simple but amazing revelation, I had to share with the kids what Roddy read to me last night. It's from the book by Dinesh D'Souza called "What's So Great About Christianity."

"...Kepler's third law (scientific laws are called laws because they can be proven to occur over and over - so this is not a theory or guess here) states that the square of the time of a planet's revolution is proportional to the cube of its mean distance from the sun."

Did you get that? Every planet's cubed mean distance from the sun is proportional to it's revolution time squared!

God did this!! Not chance! Not evolution! Not cosmic chaos! This is perfect order created by a perfect God! Oh my word, I get excited just thinking about it again!

Yea, God!!!!!!!!

Hallowed Be Thy Name

Got a question for you. I was prompted to ask based on this post.

First, do you use the Lord's name in vain? Do you say, "Oh my ~~~!" (I can't even type it.) If so, why?

Once when I was very young I heard some friends use the expression. So like most kids, I tried it out too. My dad was careful to correct me and said we shouldn't even say gosh. I took it to heart. So much so that I would rarely even say God in respectful conversation about Him.

Third Commandment:

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain,

for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

Second, should we say something to those who use His name in vain? If so, what?

Should we say anything to unbelievers?

I would love to have a Christ-like, God-honoring response especially to believers. So think about it and let me know what you think. Thanks!!

Blessings for Blessings

Luke 6:38 Jesus said,

"Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."

I almost cried when we got the mail yesterday. Emma received a package and Jay an envelope. When they were opened they revealed blessings for their blessings.

Some one of you sweet people blessed Emma with a brand new, never before opened Bible. Just like the one she worked so hard for and gave away.

And Jay's wallet is full again with money (more than he gave) that was wrapped in a sweet note which read,

"Jackson, God bless you for helping the children of Haiti." and was signed, "A friend of God's."

Makes me want to cry again. Truly you are a friend of God's!

Thank you!

Making Sense of Loss

I was thinking today that if we really knew what Heaven was like, and if we really understood the awesomeness and magnificence of being in the presence of God, we'd never question why He chooses to take people Home. If we really knew what was waiting for us, we'd never chose to stay. And we'd never chose for others to stay when they have the opportunity to go...even as much as we'd be left with the sorrow of missing them.

(Photo from a day at the park.)