He Could Have...

      I LOVE FALL... It is the most beautiful time of the year. Yes, I love Spring, with beautiful flowers and wonderful, sweet smells and I love summer, sitting under a tree full of bright green leaves. And I do love a good snow in the winter, But Fall, Wow, how beautiful. I am amazed at all the different colors of the trees, red, orange, yellow, to dark colors, almost black. And I am amazed that one tree have so many colors. Like the tree in my in-laws yard. It is flaming red on the outside, and bright yellowish-orange on the inside. Just Beautiful.

I think God is so amazingly creative when it comes to fall. He really shows off. Fall is the time that the growing season ends and the trees begin to go dormant. Now this is all a part of God's plan for the life cycle of a tree. God could have just allowed the tree to go dormant, allowed the leaves to shrivel up and die. But no, He thrills us with a beautiful display of color. Crowds flock to the mountains to see the beauty. Droves of people travel to the New England states to see the patchwork of nature.

God could have designed the leaves to dry up and fall off the trees, He could have made the rain without the gentle sound, He could have made the ocean without the sand, He could have made the winter without snow. He could have made people as adults, not as cute little babies that grow. He could have made full grown dogs, not just puppies. But He chooses to thrill us with His creativity, to bless us with His beauty.

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

ONLY 5 loaves and 2 fish....

     He was probably no more than 9 or 10, walking along, swinging that lunch basket with the noon meal tucked inside. The crowd on the hillside was buzzing with excitement to hear Jesus. Curious, as most boys are, he walked over to join them. Soon, several men comb the people, looking for something specific. When they spot his basket, they ask if they can use it. He wanted to be helpful,  and offers all that he has. What happens next is the biggest surprise of his life. Those men take his small offering and feed 5000 men. "What? Five Thousand men? How can that be?" The men said it would take 8 months wages to feed everyone. He gave an ordinary, common, everyday lunch. He gave the only thing he had in his possession. And Jesus used it for something great. Because of this miracle, there were many that believed this Man was the Prophet, the Messiah, that the scriptures had promised. This little boy certainly believed. And every time he looks at that empty lunch basket, he is reminded of what happened that day on that grassy hill.

   
     Five loaves of barley, two small fish, a small amount. No outstanding talent, just a voice willing to worship, a few good recipes you are willing to cook, a smile that makes people feel welcome. Sometimes we don't feel like we have much to offer, but the Lord can take whatever we are willing to share and multiply it five thousand times to be used for His Kingdom. No gift given is too small for Jesus to multiply. No talent too unworthy to share. He uses all that we are willing to sacrifice for His Glory.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." I Peter 4:10
   

Who's Thirsty?

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who only wanted to talk about themselves? It's human nature to want the lime-light, all the time. It's certainly a practice in self control to keep the conversation focused on the other person, caring for the needs of the other person.

Jesus begins the conversation at the well with the Samaritan woman by focusing on His physical need. He asks her for a simple drink of water. She replies by asking why would He ask her for a drink of water, after all, she feels she is not worthy to give him a drink. But Jesus, quickly turns the conversation to her. The One who deserves all the lime-light, all the attention, quickly turns the spotlight to shine on her. And He begins talking about her needs. "If you knew who you were talking to, you would have asked me for a drink. This conversation is really not about my needs, it's really about your needs." I can just hear The Lord adding, "Dear Woman, you are the one who's thirsty."

I love the tenderness of Jesus at the moment. A Jew by birth, confronting a Samaritan woman of less than noble birth, a woman of less than noble character, a woman who had been married 5 times and living with another man. He sees her spiritual needs and offers a drink of Living Water. He offers her salvation. Salvation that she accepts, and because of her belief and personal testimony, many others receive salvation as well. Jesus started this conversation for this very purpose. He started this conversation for her eternal needs.

Jesus sets an example for us, an example of using our conversations to encourage others and ultimately offer the same Living Water from Jesus. Our conversations should not be focused on ourselves, but on the well being of the other person. Believers can become discouraged. In our conversation, we can encourage our fellow believers to continue the work for the kingdom. A simple 'hello', 'I'm thinking about you', or 'I've missed you' can be a great encouragement to someone. Everyone, believers and non-believers, need a splash of the Living Water.

I encourage you to use your conversations wisely.

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." -John 7:37-38

Mile Marker 16

David and I have hit another milestone in the parenting journey. Jordan turned 16 a few weeks ago and he is now a licensed driver. Whew, what a mental adjustment David and I have had to make. These past few weeks we catch ourselves planning our days around who will pick up Jordan, How Jordan will get to work, 'Poor Jordan must spend the day at home by himself while we work'. We have to constantly remind ourselves that Jordan can drive himself to work. He no longer needs his parents for transportation. So, we now wait up for him to get home at night. Well, we stay awake most of the time.

This past weekend Jordan went to the park to hang out with friends who were camping. And he would come home at night and sleep. It's always been a rule in our house that when our children come home at night, that they come to our room and 'check in'. Between working, training for a half marathon, and just 'living life', David and I were pooped. So we went to bed early and immediately fell asleep. The next morning I woke up in a panic. "Where was Jordan?" "Had he made it home safely?" Too many horrible scenerios ran through my head. David had gotten up at midnight and found Jordan in his bed, safe and sound. Thankfully.

In many ways, our parent/child relationship on earth is so similar to our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Only, The Lord is a much better parent than I will ever be. God doesn't fall asleep on His Watch. He says he will never leave us. Psalm 121:4 says, "He will neither slumber nor sleep." Henry Blackaby says, "The Lord is your constant protector. He never tires of watching over you." In my weariness, I fell asleep. I did not wait until I saw the lights come down the driveway, I did not wait for the door to open. I was simply tuckered out and I was not there when my boy came home. But the Lord never tires of watching over me, he never tires of watching over Jordan. His eyes never get droopy, His head never bobs. He is always there.

He never sleeps.

Happy Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day. It's one of my favorite 'holidays'. And I know it's supposed to be a romantic holiday, and it is, but to me, it's so much more. When I was growing up and in school, the roses and balloons sent to school were put in a room because there were so many, and students would walk through the room and find their flowers that were sent by their boyfriend. It was a big deal to get flowers from your boyfriend on Valentine's Day. And you felt special. I remember walking through that room, sometimes I got flowers, some years I didn't.

But I always remembered being loved on the Big Day. You see, my Mom always got us a little gift or card on Valentine's Day. She always made it a point to celebrate the day. At breakfast, before school, she would have a card or a pencil with a crazy fuzzy thing on the top and some candy for us, to show us how much she loved us. And my father, would always come to school, get me out of class and bring me a box of chocolates. Those fuzzy things, cards, and chocolates meant so much to me. My parents always made Valentine's day special for me, because they love me. So, now that I'm a parent, I try to do the same thing for my children. David and I love them dearly.

Today was especially special. Today is Sunday. Today I worshipped my God who loves me so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross for me so that I could have eternal life with Him. He loves me so much that He has blessed me with a wonderful husband of 21 years, two incredible boys that God has entrusted me with to love and raise. He has given me parents who love me, brothers and sisters that are the best. He surrounds me with family and friends. God has demonstrated His love to me in so many ways. So what would be more fitting than to spend Valentine's Day worshipping a Great God.

So, to my Husband, my sons, my parents, my family and friends, Happy Valentine's Day. I love each of you. And Thank you for loving me.

Y2KX

I know, Iknow, it's already 3 days into this new decade, the year 2010. But I still have a hard time believing it is really 2010. I mean, it sounds so futuristic. But, alas, it is 2010. I remember where I was in 1999 when we celebrated the last decade, the year 2000. I spent the evening with friends, eating M&M's, date balls, and other great things, and I was giddy with excitement. The host of our party home worked for a communications company and because of the Y2K concerns, was not at the house when we rang in the new year, but 'out on the field', ready to address any problems that arose because of Y2K. There were so many preparations that had to be completed before we rolled into the year 2000. That communications company worked tirelessly to make sure nothing would crash and leave many without means of communications. People stockpiled food. Many worried about their money in banks. Computer programmers worked for months on end. It was a crazy time in our country.

So when 2010 came, I thought about the lack of preparation we did this year. We don't know what this year will bring, although most hope this year is better than last. Most people make resolutions for the new year. Most resolve to be better people, do more for others. I do not do well making New Year's resolutions, but I did think about what 'preparations' I needed to make for this year, and I came up with two.

One of these days, years, decades, millenniums, our Lord and Savior will return. And I want to be ready. I used to fear I would not recognize His face if He returned. I know, that sounds crazy, but I didn't feel I was a mature Christian and would miss 'it' if He returned. I now know that a child of God will not miss Jesus' return. I want to be ready when He returns. How can I prepare for that great and blessed event?

First and formost, I need to pray. I need to keep the lines of communications open with my God. I need to talk to Him every day, every hour, and be quiet and still and listen to His voice.

Second, I need to read and study His Word. The Bible is so precious to me, more precious than it has ever been. I have a fire and a passion to read it. With great bible studies and Sunday School lessons, I hunger for His Word and am challenged by what He says to me.

Our Sunday School teacher issued a challenge to us today. Read through the bible this year. His wife has done that the past two years, and he is doing that this year. And he has asked us to read it with him. If we were to all do this, what great changes would happen in that class.

One local church is being challenged by their pastor to read Proverbs in January.

One pastor suggested in a sermon to take one book and read and study it and become an expert on that book. If you are thinking, "I can't become an expert on a book in the bible." Think of all the people who have written commentaries on books. How do you think they became experts? They studied their copy of God's Word and listened to what God had to say to them.

This may be a bold statement, but I believe that if we study our bibles more and pray more, all the 'other stuff' will fall into place. All the other resolutions, be a better person, be nicer to my family, etc. will be accomplished.

I want to be ready for Jesus' return. I want to look into His eyes and know my Savior. And until He returns, I want to be ready for whatever 2010 and this decade bring. This decade will bring lots of changes in our family. We will probably have a few additions to our family, i.e. daughters-in-law, grandchildren, maybe even a new niece or nephew. There will be some great times, and there will be, unfortunately, some sad times. I want to be ready to handle each situation with the wisdom that comes from God's Word and from constant prayer.

I want to be prepared.

So, how did you prepare for 2010?

That Fifteenth Year....

Parenting comes in stages, ages, and seasons. The hardest year to me has been that 15th year. Jordan received his permit in August and he now drives me most every where I go. Now, when Justin was 15, he drove like a wild man, fast, crazy, close on the bumper to the car in front of us. He scared me to death every time I got in a vehicle with him. Jordan, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. He takes his own sweet time. He drives with some caution. He parks far away from the front door of stores. And he DRIVES THE SPEED LIMIT. Sadly, the rest of the family does not adhere to those rules. But Jordan is very aware of the speed limit and will contantly brake to keep from breaking the law. Good for him. I am glad he is following the rules.

But it drives me crazy. I mean, can't we go any faster. It seems as though we are creeping along at a snails pace. And it seems like we need to leave the house much earlier to reach our destination on time. I mean, I could drive there in half the time. And as I sit in the passenger seat and wiggle and squirm, and bite my tongue, I am learning a little bit of patience. (And no, I didn't pray for it). But I am learning patience. Jordan is doing the right thing, He is driving the speed limit. He is following the law.

Isn't that how we are with God sometimes? We are ready to move on with our lives. We pray for a job, a raise, a new house, a friend, most anything we pray for, and we expect God to give it to us immediately. But He takes His time to answer our prayers. He knows what is best for us, and He knows the perfect time in which to give us what we want or need. He is in control. And while we squirm in our passenger seats, creeping at a snails pace, it seems, we are able to learn the things God wants us to. We learn patience, love and trust for God, and we know that God has our best interest at heart. He has a plan for our lives and His timing is perfect. Jeremiah 29:11