I have been thinking a great deal about this concept of redemption the last few days. I think it started from watching ESPN's Youngstown Boys. It was a documentary type program about Maurice Clarett and Jim Tressel. It was SO good. If you haven't seen it please check out ESPN to see if they are replaying it.
While watching the replays of the '02-'03 season, especially the Michigan game and the National Title Game, Dave and I got goosebumps several times. We forgot just how insane that season was! There were so many close games! It was low scoring back then. A few that stood out were the Purdue game where the final score was 10-6. 10-6 people! That was the famous "holy Buckeye" game. Then you have the Penn State game (I was at that game!)...13-7. We beat Wisconsin by only five, Illinois in OT, and the 12th ranked Wolverines by five points. That was the good ole days of defense! The Michigan score was 14-9. Back then there was not a Big Ten title game so we knew that if we could clinch the win in The Game we were headed to the NTG in Tempe. When the replays of the Miami game came on Dave and I were able to reminisce about the interception in the end zone, Maurice's strip, the pass interference call on Chris Gamble, the final score by Maurice Clarett, and the goal line stand. What a year that was!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6LiLngusVM
Your welcome.
Okay, enough of reliving the good ole days. The premise of the show is a close and personal look at the life of Maurice Clarett. If your not familiar with him here is the short of it. He took the football field by storm that season. He was a true freshman and was a rock star in Columbus, Ohio. Watching the replays I was reminded just how insanely talented he was. Really the sky was the limit for him. He was living a professional football life in college and soon fell out of favor in Columbus and was eventually kicked off the team. He sued the NFL for early entry in the league, but lost the case. He tried out for the Broncos a few years later and completely bombed at the combine. The story documents his downward spiral that eventually landed him in prison sentenced to 7-1/2 years and then his rise back up. If you are from Ohio you remember the sad mug shot of a once hero. It was sad. Buckeye football went on though and Maurice was all but forgot about.
Youngstown Boys doesn't go into too great of detail about what really changed Maurice's life. I was curious so I did some searching online and on Facebook and Twitter. His posts seem to be very inspirational with references to God. I also noticed on his personal website that he was doing guest speaking at churches all over Ohio. I found a few podcasts and videos. I watched them and was soooooo amazed. This guy found Jesus Christ and his life completely changed. His testimony is absolutely incredible. Actually his whole story is absolutely incredible. My mind cannot fathom growing up in the environment he did or living the life he did. In a testimony he gave at a church he talks about the process of finding Jesus and the men in his life that mentored him. He talks about finally understanding that Jesus could make him a new creation. He tells a story about not having a home and not being able to find one because he is a convicted felon. God worked it out and one landlord was willing to give Maurice a chance at renting her apartment. The whole story is so touching. There is something completely endearing about him. He also tells some pretty sweet stories about the '03 title run!
Redemption- 1. improving of something: the act of saving something or somebody from a declined, dilapidated, or corrupted state and restoring it, him, or her to a better condition
2. redeemed state: the improved state of somebody or something saved from apparently irreversible decline
3. atonement for human sin: deliverance from the sins of humanity by the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross
The dictionary gave me the definition for redemption that is above. After reading it I thought number three should be number one. It is the foundation for true redemption, for true change. Maurice explained how he believed in God, but couldn't come to terms with his past sin. He said he finally understood that Jesus Christ was what he needed. Number three on the list simply explains what the ultimate redemption is. It is the atonement of our sins, through Jesus' death on the Cross. Maurice also goes into great detail about how a mentor taught him to apply the Scriptures to real life, especially life on the other side meaning outside of the prison walls. He mentions how he felt completely hopeless and depressed. His circumstances appeared to be irreversible as the number two definition states.
You see we can't ever be truly improved without Jesus. We can act better and contribute to society, but that bridge between our sin and God can't be closed without Jesus. One of my favorite verses is 2nd Corinthians 5:17. It reads, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here." How great is that! I can say that I have never, ever experienced anything in life like Maurice Clarett has. I have no idea about that level of misery and depravity. The truth is though, sin is sin. Big sins and little sins are just something we label. In God's eyes sin is sin. Any sin separates from God. Redemption is such a beautiful word. When it comes out of Jesus' mouth it is a life-giving word. I would venture to say Maurice would agree.
http://184.154.122.108/~mycchur/mauriceclarett.php
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Words, Words, and More Words
Hey all! I hope you all are doing well. Christmas is sneaking up on us, isn't it? It's a wonderful time of year for so many reasons. The first of course, is celebrating the birth of our Savior. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I have been missing snow. I miss the feeling of Christmas with the snow, chilly weather, and cozy nights with the fireplace on. It just doesn't feel the same with a temperature of 70 outside. Today is 43 and drizzly...pretty much like Ohio weather minus the beautiful snow days.
I promise to get to my point, but have to give you the lead up to it so you can understand my thought process. Something AWFUL happened this weekend. It started at approximately 8 p.m. on Saturday night. If you are from Ohio you will totally get what I'm saying. Ohio State lost. I know, I know if your not an tOSU fan you probably 1. don't care, or 2. are glad we lost. Here is the deal though. I have no animosity to Sparty. Actually, I kind of like Sparty. _ichigan folk are torn between TTUP (That Team Up North, i.e. _ichigan) and _ichigan State. 'Little brother' ruined all our hopes and dreams of playing in the Title Game and to some extent, thinking we would never, ever lose as long as Urban Meyer was our coach. Quite frankly, I dreaded getting to the Big Dance and being embarrassed yet again. I could go on and on about how our defense stinks and Carlos Hyde should have been given the ball to get that 4th and 2 with about five minutes to go in the game.
I love ESPN and couldn't resist checking it out after our game. If your a Buckeye you are used to getting zero love on ESPN. I read a few articles about our game and I couldn't help but scroll down to the comments. I do this pretty often because the comments are usually pretty entertaining when the sarcasm isn't directed at my team. All the comments I read were not written by Ohio State fans. Some people were funny with their comments, but others were just down right sarcastic and mean. One person said they hated Urban Meyer and was glad tOSU lost. Another person speculated that Meyer would probably call 911 after the game because he thought he was having another heart attack. One poster said that Urban Cryer would probably fake another heart problem and quit because he knew his team sucked all in guise that he needed a break and time with his family. According to one person he knew his Gator team was terrible so he quit because he was "sick." Oh and he left the SEC because he was afraid of Nick Saban and he knew he could win in the B1G.
Before you think I'm too serious let me propose this. Maybe our words have power. Maybe they really matter. Some people claim to be "brutally honest" when in reality they are just being jerks. Contrary to popular belief we are not entitled to sharing our opinion. I 100% believe in freedom of speech by all means. What God has been showing me over the last few years is that our words are powerful. We are not entitled to spew out everything that comes into our heads. I have found this a huge challenge as my personal health trial has gone on and on. I get in crappy moods and just want to "vent." Usually my dear husband is the recipient of this venting. Poor guy. He wants me to share my heart with him, but he does hold me accountable for my words and the heart behind them.
Proverbs 18:21) The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
James 1:19) Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger...
Romans 14:11) It is written: "As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God."
The above Bible verses show us how important words are. The old saying "sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you" is so untrue. A hurtful word to a child can impact them for life. Jumping to assumptions about a person rather than really listening to their side of the story can break up a friendship. One day our tongues will acknowledge the Lord. Our words mean something. This morning I was listening to Joyce Meyer on my walk. She's such a hoot and is such an amazing teacher. The series was titled, "Your Mouth and God's Power." The premise of the teaching was that our words impact others around us and ourselves. She teaches that we need to get into agreement with what God says and not what we feel, think, see, or what others say about us. We may feel unlovable and worthless because something told us we were, but God says I am the apple of His eye (Deut. 7:6) and I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). There are some symptoms that I'm still dealing with that are very difficult. I can't even fathom not living with them. It seems impossible that they could be relieved eventually. Matthew 19:26 says, "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” So my time is better spent speaking what God says and not what I feel.
Joyce even described how I can actually block God's power and anointing in my life with my negative speech. She described a time when she was critical of a fellow preacher. She felt their preaching wasn't direct enough and they were not good at holding the sermon together to teach a main point. She voiced this to her husband. After that she started having a very hard time preaching. She just dreaded having to teach and couldn't wait until it was over. She had never felt this way before. Weeks went past and she couldn't shake the feeling. She prayed and prayed and God seemed silent. Finally her husband said he thought it had something to do with her critical attitude. She prayed and fasted the following day and God revealed the same thing to her. I thought that story was fascinating!
It was interesting to hear these sermons after reading all the hateful comments about Urban Meyer. Reading them really got me thinking about the issue. Hearing Joyce cemented what God was trying to teach me and still is. When I'm frustrated, discouraged, angry, whatever I must speak words of trust in God, faith, hope, and peace. I want my words to impact the people around me in a positive way. I want them to feel hope and peace. I want them to feel better about themselves and be encouraged. I have a loooooong way to go, but with God I can get there and so can you.
....and at least we beat _ichigan. :-)
I promise to get to my point, but have to give you the lead up to it so you can understand my thought process. Something AWFUL happened this weekend. It started at approximately 8 p.m. on Saturday night. If you are from Ohio you will totally get what I'm saying. Ohio State lost. I know, I know if your not an tOSU fan you probably 1. don't care, or 2. are glad we lost. Here is the deal though. I have no animosity to Sparty. Actually, I kind of like Sparty. _ichigan folk are torn between TTUP (That Team Up North, i.e. _ichigan) and _ichigan State. 'Little brother' ruined all our hopes and dreams of playing in the Title Game and to some extent, thinking we would never, ever lose as long as Urban Meyer was our coach. Quite frankly, I dreaded getting to the Big Dance and being embarrassed yet again. I could go on and on about how our defense stinks and Carlos Hyde should have been given the ball to get that 4th and 2 with about five minutes to go in the game.
I love ESPN and couldn't resist checking it out after our game. If your a Buckeye you are used to getting zero love on ESPN. I read a few articles about our game and I couldn't help but scroll down to the comments. I do this pretty often because the comments are usually pretty entertaining when the sarcasm isn't directed at my team. All the comments I read were not written by Ohio State fans. Some people were funny with their comments, but others were just down right sarcastic and mean. One person said they hated Urban Meyer and was glad tOSU lost. Another person speculated that Meyer would probably call 911 after the game because he thought he was having another heart attack. One poster said that Urban Cryer would probably fake another heart problem and quit because he knew his team sucked all in guise that he needed a break and time with his family. According to one person he knew his Gator team was terrible so he quit because he was "sick." Oh and he left the SEC because he was afraid of Nick Saban and he knew he could win in the B1G.
Before you think I'm too serious let me propose this. Maybe our words have power. Maybe they really matter. Some people claim to be "brutally honest" when in reality they are just being jerks. Contrary to popular belief we are not entitled to sharing our opinion. I 100% believe in freedom of speech by all means. What God has been showing me over the last few years is that our words are powerful. We are not entitled to spew out everything that comes into our heads. I have found this a huge challenge as my personal health trial has gone on and on. I get in crappy moods and just want to "vent." Usually my dear husband is the recipient of this venting. Poor guy. He wants me to share my heart with him, but he does hold me accountable for my words and the heart behind them.
Proverbs 18:21) The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
James 1:19) Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger...
Romans 14:11) It is written: "As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God."
The above Bible verses show us how important words are. The old saying "sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you" is so untrue. A hurtful word to a child can impact them for life. Jumping to assumptions about a person rather than really listening to their side of the story can break up a friendship. One day our tongues will acknowledge the Lord. Our words mean something. This morning I was listening to Joyce Meyer on my walk. She's such a hoot and is such an amazing teacher. The series was titled, "Your Mouth and God's Power." The premise of the teaching was that our words impact others around us and ourselves. She teaches that we need to get into agreement with what God says and not what we feel, think, see, or what others say about us. We may feel unlovable and worthless because something told us we were, but God says I am the apple of His eye (Deut. 7:6) and I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). There are some symptoms that I'm still dealing with that are very difficult. I can't even fathom not living with them. It seems impossible that they could be relieved eventually. Matthew 19:26 says, "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” So my time is better spent speaking what God says and not what I feel.
Joyce even described how I can actually block God's power and anointing in my life with my negative speech. She described a time when she was critical of a fellow preacher. She felt their preaching wasn't direct enough and they were not good at holding the sermon together to teach a main point. She voiced this to her husband. After that she started having a very hard time preaching. She just dreaded having to teach and couldn't wait until it was over. She had never felt this way before. Weeks went past and she couldn't shake the feeling. She prayed and prayed and God seemed silent. Finally her husband said he thought it had something to do with her critical attitude. She prayed and fasted the following day and God revealed the same thing to her. I thought that story was fascinating!
It was interesting to hear these sermons after reading all the hateful comments about Urban Meyer. Reading them really got me thinking about the issue. Hearing Joyce cemented what God was trying to teach me and still is. When I'm frustrated, discouraged, angry, whatever I must speak words of trust in God, faith, hope, and peace. I want my words to impact the people around me in a positive way. I want them to feel hope and peace. I want them to feel better about themselves and be encouraged. I have a loooooong way to go, but with God I can get there and so can you.
....and at least we beat _ichigan. :-)
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Whatever You Do...
Hey all! I have SO much brewing in my brain right now I couldn't possibly put it all on paper (or the computer screen). God has been super busy with me. Let's just say that for now. Something did come to mind this afternoon that I wanted to share with y'all.
Eli takes piano lessons each Thursday. The instructor comes to Eli's school and teaches. It's a private lesson built into his school day. It's great because 1. Mr. Little is a dear man, and 2. we don't have to go somewhere else for the lesson. It's super convenient. I have been known to spy on the session from time to time. Well, I should clarify...Mr. Little knows I'm watching, but Eli does not. Call me a hover mom if you wish, but I like to know if my little guy is being respectful and doing what he's supposed to be doing. A few weeks back Eli got in trouble in class for not listening and focusing on the instruction. Eli is six so no one expects him to sit like an adult, but what we do expect is that he be respectful and not a know-it-all. He sometimes has a better idea on how to do things. He also LOVES to talk. When I say "love" I mean it's his favorite thing to do on the planet. Time and time again Dave and I tell Eli that he is to be wise. Wisdom comes from listening to those who are more experienced than you. There is a time to figure things out on your own and a time to take the instruction of counsel. We teach him to listen more than he talks. The verses below are two that we reference often.
Proverbs 1:5) ...let the wise listen and add to their learning...
Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Back to the piano lesson. So today Mr. Little calls me to share with me that Eli did not behave in piano lessons again today. He wanted me to know that he got after him a bit and Eli started to cry. He said Eli was talking a lot and not allowing Mr. Little to show him how to play. When Eli got in the car he said piano went well, but that he was naughty a little. After chatting a bit I told Eli that there were going to be consequences. He told me that he wouldn't play Wii. I think he picked that because he doesn't really care all that much about Wii. Eli had to call Mr. Little on the phone to apologize and I also took away Floppy.
OH.MY.GOODNESS. He freaked out. Crying, nose running, trying to talk me out of it...the whole nine yards. He tells me that he's not happy and I'm supposed to make him happy. He asked if I cared he was unhappy. I explained that my job was to teach him and guide him so he can grow into a Godly man. He told me Floppy makes him happy. Ay-yi-yi. Dave is much better at consequences than I am. I don't give in, but I want to! I think it's the horse person in me. I'm used to making my horse stand in the middle of the arena until they drop their head after a less than stellar training ride. My mom used to tell me, "Anna, you have to have more time than the horse." So true in the horse world AND the parenting world. Back to the situation with Eli.
When we got home he asked if he could earn Floppy back today. There are occasions when we allow him to earn something back. Those are special occasions. I told Eli my mind was made up and Floppy had to stay in the car today/tonight. I then got blamed for causing him to not be able to snuggle with Floppy in bed tonight. It was brutal people.
When we got home Eli raced into the basement to do "something." I figured he was up to something down there, but he was very upset so I let him be. About five minutes later he came back up with a heart colored red with the words "Anna love." It was precious. I knew he was trying to win Floppy back. His face was pink and his eyes watery. I hung his offering up and told him Floppy had to stay in the car because disrespecting Mr. Little and acting foolish was not okay. He goes back into the basement and comes back with two more pictures. He tried so hard to change my mind. I picked Eli up and told him I loved his gifts more than anything, but he has to have the right heart when giving gifts. Gifts are just that...gifts. They are given because you love someone not to get something out of them.
After this situation I thought of our relationship with God. I can parallel so much of parenting with our relationship with God. I didn't tell you the above story to make you think I'm a perfect mother. Heck, I'm far from it and I know it! By the grace of God do I only have any inkling of an idea of how to parent this little human. How many times have I prayed or read my Bible or done any of those things to try and "butter" God up, so to speak. Even if I don't do it blatantly I wonder how many times it's in the back of my mind. I think that God will think I'm good or at least better than some other people I know.
I have gone through a really tough time the last 6-7 years and I have thought many times about what I could do to change God's mind. Is there anything else I can do to make God change the circumstances?! Maybe if I volunteer at church or maybe if I only listen to Christian music? What if I take Communion? or maybe I can do two Bible studies today or pray an extra five minutes? I fully understand that by His grace I am saved. I know I can't work my way into heaven with huge tithes, long Bible studies, or hours spent at church. I know there is absolutely NOTHING on this planet that makes me good enough for heaven. Yet when it comes to my trial I have felt that maybe just maybe there is something I could do to get Him to do something I wanted. Eli did something he shouldn't have. Sometimes we do things we shouldn't and therefore have consequences. Other times God allows troubles to come our way to grow us up in our faith.
After the situation with Eli today I will have a new and refreshed outlook on my offerings to God. Essentially everything we do is an offering to God. Whether we are cleaning our home or reading our Bible...it is for Him. I am going to really evaluate my motives and my heart before I pray, study the Bible, or do anything else for God. I want to do those things because I love Him and want to make Him smile.
Colossians 3:23) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters...
Eli takes piano lessons each Thursday. The instructor comes to Eli's school and teaches. It's a private lesson built into his school day. It's great because 1. Mr. Little is a dear man, and 2. we don't have to go somewhere else for the lesson. It's super convenient. I have been known to spy on the session from time to time. Well, I should clarify...Mr. Little knows I'm watching, but Eli does not. Call me a hover mom if you wish, but I like to know if my little guy is being respectful and doing what he's supposed to be doing. A few weeks back Eli got in trouble in class for not listening and focusing on the instruction. Eli is six so no one expects him to sit like an adult, but what we do expect is that he be respectful and not a know-it-all. He sometimes has a better idea on how to do things. He also LOVES to talk. When I say "love" I mean it's his favorite thing to do on the planet. Time and time again Dave and I tell Eli that he is to be wise. Wisdom comes from listening to those who are more experienced than you. There is a time to figure things out on your own and a time to take the instruction of counsel. We teach him to listen more than he talks. The verses below are two that we reference often.
Proverbs 1:5) ...let the wise listen and add to their learning...
Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Back to the piano lesson. So today Mr. Little calls me to share with me that Eli did not behave in piano lessons again today. He wanted me to know that he got after him a bit and Eli started to cry. He said Eli was talking a lot and not allowing Mr. Little to show him how to play. When Eli got in the car he said piano went well, but that he was naughty a little. After chatting a bit I told Eli that there were going to be consequences. He told me that he wouldn't play Wii. I think he picked that because he doesn't really care all that much about Wii. Eli had to call Mr. Little on the phone to apologize and I also took away Floppy.
OH.MY.GOODNESS. He freaked out. Crying, nose running, trying to talk me out of it...the whole nine yards. He tells me that he's not happy and I'm supposed to make him happy. He asked if I cared he was unhappy. I explained that my job was to teach him and guide him so he can grow into a Godly man. He told me Floppy makes him happy. Ay-yi-yi. Dave is much better at consequences than I am. I don't give in, but I want to! I think it's the horse person in me. I'm used to making my horse stand in the middle of the arena until they drop their head after a less than stellar training ride. My mom used to tell me, "Anna, you have to have more time than the horse." So true in the horse world AND the parenting world. Back to the situation with Eli.
When we got home he asked if he could earn Floppy back today. There are occasions when we allow him to earn something back. Those are special occasions. I told Eli my mind was made up and Floppy had to stay in the car today/tonight. I then got blamed for causing him to not be able to snuggle with Floppy in bed tonight. It was brutal people.
When we got home Eli raced into the basement to do "something." I figured he was up to something down there, but he was very upset so I let him be. About five minutes later he came back up with a heart colored red with the words "Anna love." It was precious. I knew he was trying to win Floppy back. His face was pink and his eyes watery. I hung his offering up and told him Floppy had to stay in the car because disrespecting Mr. Little and acting foolish was not okay. He goes back into the basement and comes back with two more pictures. He tried so hard to change my mind. I picked Eli up and told him I loved his gifts more than anything, but he has to have the right heart when giving gifts. Gifts are just that...gifts. They are given because you love someone not to get something out of them.
After this situation I thought of our relationship with God. I can parallel so much of parenting with our relationship with God. I didn't tell you the above story to make you think I'm a perfect mother. Heck, I'm far from it and I know it! By the grace of God do I only have any inkling of an idea of how to parent this little human. How many times have I prayed or read my Bible or done any of those things to try and "butter" God up, so to speak. Even if I don't do it blatantly I wonder how many times it's in the back of my mind. I think that God will think I'm good or at least better than some other people I know.
I have gone through a really tough time the last 6-7 years and I have thought many times about what I could do to change God's mind. Is there anything else I can do to make God change the circumstances?! Maybe if I volunteer at church or maybe if I only listen to Christian music? What if I take Communion? or maybe I can do two Bible studies today or pray an extra five minutes? I fully understand that by His grace I am saved. I know I can't work my way into heaven with huge tithes, long Bible studies, or hours spent at church. I know there is absolutely NOTHING on this planet that makes me good enough for heaven. Yet when it comes to my trial I have felt that maybe just maybe there is something I could do to get Him to do something I wanted. Eli did something he shouldn't have. Sometimes we do things we shouldn't and therefore have consequences. Other times God allows troubles to come our way to grow us up in our faith.
After the situation with Eli today I will have a new and refreshed outlook on my offerings to God. Essentially everything we do is an offering to God. Whether we are cleaning our home or reading our Bible...it is for Him. I am going to really evaluate my motives and my heart before I pray, study the Bible, or do anything else for God. I want to do those things because I love Him and want to make Him smile.
Colossians 3:23) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters...
Monday, October 28, 2013
A Change is Gonna Come
Happy Monday everyone! I just finished up my 31 day devotional that I was doing. I always get very excited when it's time to pick out a new one. I headed to the Christian bookstore this morning and found the perfect one. Stay tuned for my thoughts as I work through this new book.
Our time in Georgia is wrapping up soon. It has become home very quickly. There are many, many aspects of Georgia we will miss greatly. First and foremost we will miss our beloved Journey Community Church desperately. We are also able to visit with my dad a great deal which sounds funny. We actually see him more now than when we lived in Ohio! He is alone now and can pretty much come and go as he pleases. He and his dog, Sky, can hit the road often! We all just had a great weekend together. We had a fire outside, went biking, played Frisbee golf, ate great food, worshiped together at JCC, and enjoyed a big Buckeye win!
Changes are coming for our family. Change is hard. I'm not that good at change. Being a Procter and Gamble wife I have learned to roll with it. Like anything else there are pros and cons. There are so many places we could go. I think about it a lot. Sometimes I plan in my head what should happen. I have a perfect scenario.
If we go overseas it would be an experience of a lifetime. We could see the world! It would be an incredible experience. We could take Eli to see the Colosseum in Rome, the Charles Bridge in Prague, or to the beaches of Normandy. We could ski down the Swiss Alps. The possibilities are endless! There are obvious cons. Um, we would live a world away from family and friends! I would have to leave behind my sweet Jessie. Eli is also concerned about not being able to talk to other kids because of the language barrier. His schooling would be a concern also as he attends a Christian private school now. I also pause when I think about leaving the United States. I'm VERY patriotic and I absolutely adore this country. Even with her problems I just straight up love America.
There are some interesting places in the United States we could go. Maybe we would live in the west. That would be cool. We are complete mountain people and our dream home is a beautiful cabin on a lake in or near the mountains. We love being cozy! Mountain biking and hiking are a blast. Skiing is awesome not to mention how great it would be to live near the family condo in Deer Valley Utah. Snow isn't my favorite, but it is more acceptable in the mountains. Again, Eli's schooling is a concern and that is always on my mind when we discuss moving.
I also think a great deal about going back to Cincinnati, where we came from. A few years ago I would have been okay to never go back to Ohio. I didn't miss the dark, cold winter nights and minimal sunshine. I also didn't miss the dreary, rainy spring. Ohio was a painful reminder that my mom was no longer with us. It seems like as soon as I crossed the Ohio River my heart began to ache even harder in the waves of sorrow that would come over me in thinking about her battle with cancer. In the last few months my heart has changed towards returning to Ohio. Cincinnati is about three hours from our "home," but to us Cincinnati is also home. Dave lived there for five years when he attended the University of Cincinnati. We lived there for almost three years before moving to Georgia. My best friend lives in Cincinnati and I would LOVE to live near Jessica again. This time we would try to live even closer to her and her family...even the 15 minutes like before would be too far!
Speaking of Jessica I got the best note from her last night. It was so nice to just hear all about her and her life. We used to work out together, ride horses together, sit by the pool together, worship our God together, and let our kids play together...I miss that with all my heart. Even now when God reveals something big to me I want to tell Jess. I remember three years ago when I was in the ugly midst of my hormone fiasco she was so encouraging. In February 2011 my mom was dying from cancer. We knew she didn't have much time left...maybe just a week or two. Dave and I had planned a trip to Utah with Jessica and her husband Derek many months before. My dad encouraged me to go, go and just breathe. I felt awful guilty going for the four days we had planned. How on earth could I go to our winter paradise when my mom was in Ohio laying in a hospital bed literally dying? We went and it was good. It was good to sit for hours and just talk to my dear friend. It was nice to give my heart a break. I'll always remember that trip.
Okay, that last paragraph was off topic. Sorry. Jess, if your reading this...love you sunshine. Anyway, back to Cincinnati. There is something about going back that would be nice. There are great school options and I could still enjoy my horse. We would be much closer to our families which is a huge positive. It is familiar. It is a wonderful city to raise a family and there are many great churches to attend. In addition to the Tye's we have some other friends in the city that we would love to reconnect with. Beside all that everyone is an Ohio State fan there! That's not really at the top of our list, but it IS nice!
As I type all this the following Bible verse comes to mind. Leave it to the Proverbs to offer me some good, practical advice. My mom was a living Proverb. She offered practical and wise advice. I just spent five or six paragraphs talking all about my plans. It is hard not knowing what is next for Dave, Eli, and myself (and Olive the Corgi and Jessie the horse). The only thing I can do is trust God to show us where to go. I can plan and plan and plan some more, but He institutes my steps. He puts my steps into operation. It is His path I want to follow regardless of my plans. I'm not gonna lie...I have in my heart the perfect scenario. I know what I want. Life is about more than doing what I want. It's about allowing Him to establish my steps. My personal goal is to put myself in a position to listen to Him, to hear Him, and then to obey Him. So stay tuned!
Proverbs 16:9) In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
Our time in Georgia is wrapping up soon. It has become home very quickly. There are many, many aspects of Georgia we will miss greatly. First and foremost we will miss our beloved Journey Community Church desperately. We are also able to visit with my dad a great deal which sounds funny. We actually see him more now than when we lived in Ohio! He is alone now and can pretty much come and go as he pleases. He and his dog, Sky, can hit the road often! We all just had a great weekend together. We had a fire outside, went biking, played Frisbee golf, ate great food, worshiped together at JCC, and enjoyed a big Buckeye win!
Changes are coming for our family. Change is hard. I'm not that good at change. Being a Procter and Gamble wife I have learned to roll with it. Like anything else there are pros and cons. There are so many places we could go. I think about it a lot. Sometimes I plan in my head what should happen. I have a perfect scenario.
If we go overseas it would be an experience of a lifetime. We could see the world! It would be an incredible experience. We could take Eli to see the Colosseum in Rome, the Charles Bridge in Prague, or to the beaches of Normandy. We could ski down the Swiss Alps. The possibilities are endless! There are obvious cons. Um, we would live a world away from family and friends! I would have to leave behind my sweet Jessie. Eli is also concerned about not being able to talk to other kids because of the language barrier. His schooling would be a concern also as he attends a Christian private school now. I also pause when I think about leaving the United States. I'm VERY patriotic and I absolutely adore this country. Even with her problems I just straight up love America.
There are some interesting places in the United States we could go. Maybe we would live in the west. That would be cool. We are complete mountain people and our dream home is a beautiful cabin on a lake in or near the mountains. We love being cozy! Mountain biking and hiking are a blast. Skiing is awesome not to mention how great it would be to live near the family condo in Deer Valley Utah. Snow isn't my favorite, but it is more acceptable in the mountains. Again, Eli's schooling is a concern and that is always on my mind when we discuss moving.
I also think a great deal about going back to Cincinnati, where we came from. A few years ago I would have been okay to never go back to Ohio. I didn't miss the dark, cold winter nights and minimal sunshine. I also didn't miss the dreary, rainy spring. Ohio was a painful reminder that my mom was no longer with us. It seems like as soon as I crossed the Ohio River my heart began to ache even harder in the waves of sorrow that would come over me in thinking about her battle with cancer. In the last few months my heart has changed towards returning to Ohio. Cincinnati is about three hours from our "home," but to us Cincinnati is also home. Dave lived there for five years when he attended the University of Cincinnati. We lived there for almost three years before moving to Georgia. My best friend lives in Cincinnati and I would LOVE to live near Jessica again. This time we would try to live even closer to her and her family...even the 15 minutes like before would be too far!
Speaking of Jessica I got the best note from her last night. It was so nice to just hear all about her and her life. We used to work out together, ride horses together, sit by the pool together, worship our God together, and let our kids play together...I miss that with all my heart. Even now when God reveals something big to me I want to tell Jess. I remember three years ago when I was in the ugly midst of my hormone fiasco she was so encouraging. In February 2011 my mom was dying from cancer. We knew she didn't have much time left...maybe just a week or two. Dave and I had planned a trip to Utah with Jessica and her husband Derek many months before. My dad encouraged me to go, go and just breathe. I felt awful guilty going for the four days we had planned. How on earth could I go to our winter paradise when my mom was in Ohio laying in a hospital bed literally dying? We went and it was good. It was good to sit for hours and just talk to my dear friend. It was nice to give my heart a break. I'll always remember that trip.
Okay, that last paragraph was off topic. Sorry. Jess, if your reading this...love you sunshine. Anyway, back to Cincinnati. There is something about going back that would be nice. There are great school options and I could still enjoy my horse. We would be much closer to our families which is a huge positive. It is familiar. It is a wonderful city to raise a family and there are many great churches to attend. In addition to the Tye's we have some other friends in the city that we would love to reconnect with. Beside all that everyone is an Ohio State fan there! That's not really at the top of our list, but it IS nice!
As I type all this the following Bible verse comes to mind. Leave it to the Proverbs to offer me some good, practical advice. My mom was a living Proverb. She offered practical and wise advice. I just spent five or six paragraphs talking all about my plans. It is hard not knowing what is next for Dave, Eli, and myself (and Olive the Corgi and Jessie the horse). The only thing I can do is trust God to show us where to go. I can plan and plan and plan some more, but He institutes my steps. He puts my steps into operation. It is His path I want to follow regardless of my plans. I'm not gonna lie...I have in my heart the perfect scenario. I know what I want. Life is about more than doing what I want. It's about allowing Him to establish my steps. My personal goal is to put myself in a position to listen to Him, to hear Him, and then to obey Him. So stay tuned!
Proverbs 16:9) In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Barrel Prayers
Hey everyone. I hope this entry finds you doing well. If your going through trials please know you are in my prayers. In our culture doing "well" means not having any problems. It means being happy. I love being happy! Doing well to me personally means trusting in my God despite how I feel. Some days I am doing better than others and that directly correlates to how much I'm living in trust or not. Wow, that was off-topic!7'
Many of my recent Bible studies have had two similar themes. One is the story of Abraham and Sarah. The other is the concept of praying big, gigantic prayers. Our small group is doing a study together called "The Circle Maker." We had a super discussion this past week and I intend on buying the book. I'm also reading through a devotion on declaring good over your life and the lives of loved ones. Pastor Bobby recently did an awesome sermon series on praying barrel prayers. On stage he had a cup, a bucket, and a barrel. It was a great visual. I'm not going to lie...I typically pray cup and bucket prayers because I'm too afraid to prayer barrel prayers. What if God let's me down? What if I get my hopes up for nothing? What if, what if, what if...it's the devil's game. Today's blog is going to consist of my thoughts on these topics and hopefully in the end it will make some sense to you (and me).
Matthew 6:10) ...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Think about the above verse. How many times have you prayed that prayer? I have noticed that many denominational churches recite it quite often. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but can desensitize us to the realness of the words we are saying. Essentially it is saying that we desire His will above our own. Ultimately that's the goal here, right? We SHOULD want God's will above our own. That would entail a large amount of trust. I'm working everyday to truly desire God's will above my own. It is easier to do in some things and harder in others. For example, I am better at giving our living situation over to God and struggle more with giving my health condition over to Him. Dave's job could take us to The Czech Republic, South Africa, Utah, North Carolina, Ohio, etc. Now I would prefer some locations over others, but at the end of the day I'll go where He sends us. Now with my health...it freaks me out. I get terrified that I will have to live with some of these symptoms for the rest of my life. I mean when I say terrified I mean terrified. Is this Godly? Nope. Does Satan know my weakness? Yep. I am battling him day in and day out because I WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR. So my point here is that it's easier to say "Your will be done" in some things more than others.
Along those same lines how many times do we tack on "if it's Your will God" onto the end of the prayer? Is it done because we are like uber Christians and want to sound super holy to ourselves, others, and even God? I think so many times. If we get totally honest with ourselves we tack it on to provide God an escape route. I have done it. It's my way of praying without getting my hopes up that He will actually provide what I'm asking for. Really think about this. I will not pretend I get the whole God's will thing and when something is or isn't His will or how do I know it is His will so I can pray with authority and confidence. Yeah, I don't have it all figured out. What I know is that He wants us to pray with confidence that He is going to provide something above and beyond what we ask or desire. That is a barrel prayer.
Ephesians 3:20) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...
Another thought I have had recently is on the topic of my heart's desire and dreams I have buried down within me. Sometimes I think my dreams aren't worthy because they don't involve me becoming a pastor, worship leader, missionary to the jungle, Christian theologian, Christian author, mother of orphans, Mother Teresa, fill in the blank of some awesome title. They are just small things to me. They are too personal to share right now, but they are mine. I hold them very dear in my heart. They are a part of me. I have struggled with praying over these dreams because they are not good enough or holy enough. He is revealing to me a little at a time that they are important to Him because they are important to me. Is it even possible that He is the one who put them there in the first place?
Psalm 37:4) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The more time I spend with God the more my desires become His. My prayers change, my goals change, and my desires change. For example, I used to pray that God would take my health condition away, just take it all away. I still do at times, but now I try to pray more prayers about the process. I ask Him to give me courage and strength as I go through this trial. My heart's desire is that I face it head on without fear. My desire is to be brave and wise in the face of the enemy who is whispering 'this will NEVER get any better than it is now.' I desperately want to be strong and to not quit. Those are His desires for me too. So see how my desires are aligning with His? He knows every thought I have so He obviously knows I ultimately want to be free from this condition. I do not deny I want that, but I try to not make it the main point of every prayer. My character has changed so much in the last seven years or so. I am so glad God didn't leave me where I was even if that meant living a really tough life. He loves you too much to leave you where you are at.
We are to pray with boldness, expectation. Do not be afraid to pray barrel prayers. Yes, seek God's will in all you do, but don't deny yourself those hidden dreams that are buried deep within. Wrestle with God over them in prayer. Seek Him in all you do and in time, His desires will become your own.
Many of my recent Bible studies have had two similar themes. One is the story of Abraham and Sarah. The other is the concept of praying big, gigantic prayers. Our small group is doing a study together called "The Circle Maker." We had a super discussion this past week and I intend on buying the book. I'm also reading through a devotion on declaring good over your life and the lives of loved ones. Pastor Bobby recently did an awesome sermon series on praying barrel prayers. On stage he had a cup, a bucket, and a barrel. It was a great visual. I'm not going to lie...I typically pray cup and bucket prayers because I'm too afraid to prayer barrel prayers. What if God let's me down? What if I get my hopes up for nothing? What if, what if, what if...it's the devil's game. Today's blog is going to consist of my thoughts on these topics and hopefully in the end it will make some sense to you (and me).
Matthew 6:10) ...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Think about the above verse. How many times have you prayed that prayer? I have noticed that many denominational churches recite it quite often. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but can desensitize us to the realness of the words we are saying. Essentially it is saying that we desire His will above our own. Ultimately that's the goal here, right? We SHOULD want God's will above our own. That would entail a large amount of trust. I'm working everyday to truly desire God's will above my own. It is easier to do in some things and harder in others. For example, I am better at giving our living situation over to God and struggle more with giving my health condition over to Him. Dave's job could take us to The Czech Republic, South Africa, Utah, North Carolina, Ohio, etc. Now I would prefer some locations over others, but at the end of the day I'll go where He sends us. Now with my health...it freaks me out. I get terrified that I will have to live with some of these symptoms for the rest of my life. I mean when I say terrified I mean terrified. Is this Godly? Nope. Does Satan know my weakness? Yep. I am battling him day in and day out because I WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR. So my point here is that it's easier to say "Your will be done" in some things more than others.
Along those same lines how many times do we tack on "if it's Your will God" onto the end of the prayer? Is it done because we are like uber Christians and want to sound super holy to ourselves, others, and even God? I think so many times. If we get totally honest with ourselves we tack it on to provide God an escape route. I have done it. It's my way of praying without getting my hopes up that He will actually provide what I'm asking for. Really think about this. I will not pretend I get the whole God's will thing and when something is or isn't His will or how do I know it is His will so I can pray with authority and confidence. Yeah, I don't have it all figured out. What I know is that He wants us to pray with confidence that He is going to provide something above and beyond what we ask or desire. That is a barrel prayer.
Ephesians 3:20) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...
Another thought I have had recently is on the topic of my heart's desire and dreams I have buried down within me. Sometimes I think my dreams aren't worthy because they don't involve me becoming a pastor, worship leader, missionary to the jungle, Christian theologian, Christian author, mother of orphans, Mother Teresa, fill in the blank of some awesome title. They are just small things to me. They are too personal to share right now, but they are mine. I hold them very dear in my heart. They are a part of me. I have struggled with praying over these dreams because they are not good enough or holy enough. He is revealing to me a little at a time that they are important to Him because they are important to me. Is it even possible that He is the one who put them there in the first place?
Psalm 37:4) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The more time I spend with God the more my desires become His. My prayers change, my goals change, and my desires change. For example, I used to pray that God would take my health condition away, just take it all away. I still do at times, but now I try to pray more prayers about the process. I ask Him to give me courage and strength as I go through this trial. My heart's desire is that I face it head on without fear. My desire is to be brave and wise in the face of the enemy who is whispering 'this will NEVER get any better than it is now.' I desperately want to be strong and to not quit. Those are His desires for me too. So see how my desires are aligning with His? He knows every thought I have so He obviously knows I ultimately want to be free from this condition. I do not deny I want that, but I try to not make it the main point of every prayer. My character has changed so much in the last seven years or so. I am so glad God didn't leave me where I was even if that meant living a really tough life. He loves you too much to leave you where you are at.
We are to pray with boldness, expectation. Do not be afraid to pray barrel prayers. Yes, seek God's will in all you do, but don't deny yourself those hidden dreams that are buried deep within. Wrestle with God over them in prayer. Seek Him in all you do and in time, His desires will become your own.
Friday, September 27, 2013
The Truth Shall Set You Free!
Honestly, I have no idea where the time goes! I think I say this at the beginning of EVERY blog...if I don't type it I certainly think it. It is crazy to think it is almost October and the weather here in Georgia is finally cooling off. Football season in the south is totally different than in the north. It is odd watching our beloved Bucks when it is 95 degrees outside!
The last month has been a complete whirlwind. Dave has been guiding the Augusta plant through some major changes and has been traveling a great deal. Eli and I make the most of it though and become total flakes when Dave is gone with staying up late and eating pancakes at 8:30 p.m. on the couch while we watch T.V.! Stay tuned for news on some big changes for the Limbird family.
I am still recovering from surgery. The actual physical aspect of surgery was quick to heal, but getting my hormones optimal has been much more difficult and trying. Dr. Vliet and I are making progress and I'm still beyond thankful for her compassion and expertise. There are symptoms that were bothersome before surgery that are completely gone now! Praise God. I realize now just how much pain and discomfort I was living in. There are other symptoms that seem to be hanging on longer and we continue to petition the Lord for His guiding hand. The last week has been a HUGE week for me. God, in His kindness, has revealed some helpful insight into some major metabolic issues I am having.
John 8:32) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
I am a creature of habit and sliiiiiightly stubborn. I am also extremely determined and tend to be rather intense when I have a goal in front of me. I also try to not make excuses and can be hard on myself. Have you ever done something because you thought it was the right thing to do? Or have you continued to do something because you thought it was the right thing to do. When times get tough you buckle down and even go harder. That's me. For example, every time I go to the gym I'm total balls to the wall. For those of you who don't know, the origin of that statement is not vulgar. It has to do with the throttle and the knobs "balls" being pushed to the cockpit wall. Long story short, it means going all out. Aaaaaanywho, God revealed to me this week that what I have been doing to help myself has been actually hurting.
As the revelations began to unfold my initial reaction was doubt. I KNOW I am doing what I am supposed to be doing...even if it's not working and I'm sore and miserable. The next minute after I gave up my stubborn streak I literally cried out a thank You to my God. "Thank You God for this revelation" I kept saying to Him. As I contemplated the whole thing I began to see His mercy. I began to see that He was saving me from myself. Isn't that His nature though? Isn't that His ultimate plan. I am seeing a big picture here.
Often the truth is painful. Often it reveals just how limited we are. I think truth is revealed to every person in an intimate way. God knows exactly how to get to us, doesn't He? For me I truly thought I was doing the best thing for myself. I had no idea what else to do and I didn't know how to get out of it. I had backed myself into a corner. I had no answers. Through a series of events I began to see the answer come. I had been begging and pleading God for a miracle. God is never limited and can do anything He desires. If He knows a miracle is in order then poof, there it is. I have found though that He usually sets a series of events in order to allow the miracle to unfold (slooooooooooowly). When He shows us His truth it is a huge, giant relief. It is freeing and allows us to live an abundant life.
John 10:10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
In summary, the truth allows us to live abundantly. I am so completely excited to be free from ideas and habits I had. Like I said, I am a creature of habit and I don't give them up easily, but when smacked with God's truth I can say "so long" with ease! In His love He has showed me how to get out of that corner I mentioned earlier. Embrace the truth, crave it, desire it, and seek it with all you've got. Freedom from ourselves is a glorious thing. An abundant life is also a glorious thing. On a side note, I have officially given up my old gym habits. Mark it down!
The last month has been a complete whirlwind. Dave has been guiding the Augusta plant through some major changes and has been traveling a great deal. Eli and I make the most of it though and become total flakes when Dave is gone with staying up late and eating pancakes at 8:30 p.m. on the couch while we watch T.V.! Stay tuned for news on some big changes for the Limbird family.
I am still recovering from surgery. The actual physical aspect of surgery was quick to heal, but getting my hormones optimal has been much more difficult and trying. Dr. Vliet and I are making progress and I'm still beyond thankful for her compassion and expertise. There are symptoms that were bothersome before surgery that are completely gone now! Praise God. I realize now just how much pain and discomfort I was living in. There are other symptoms that seem to be hanging on longer and we continue to petition the Lord for His guiding hand. The last week has been a HUGE week for me. God, in His kindness, has revealed some helpful insight into some major metabolic issues I am having.
John 8:32) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
I am a creature of habit and sliiiiiightly stubborn. I am also extremely determined and tend to be rather intense when I have a goal in front of me. I also try to not make excuses and can be hard on myself. Have you ever done something because you thought it was the right thing to do? Or have you continued to do something because you thought it was the right thing to do. When times get tough you buckle down and even go harder. That's me. For example, every time I go to the gym I'm total balls to the wall. For those of you who don't know, the origin of that statement is not vulgar. It has to do with the throttle and the knobs "balls" being pushed to the cockpit wall. Long story short, it means going all out. Aaaaaanywho, God revealed to me this week that what I have been doing to help myself has been actually hurting.
As the revelations began to unfold my initial reaction was doubt. I KNOW I am doing what I am supposed to be doing...even if it's not working and I'm sore and miserable. The next minute after I gave up my stubborn streak I literally cried out a thank You to my God. "Thank You God for this revelation" I kept saying to Him. As I contemplated the whole thing I began to see His mercy. I began to see that He was saving me from myself. Isn't that His nature though? Isn't that His ultimate plan. I am seeing a big picture here.
Often the truth is painful. Often it reveals just how limited we are. I think truth is revealed to every person in an intimate way. God knows exactly how to get to us, doesn't He? For me I truly thought I was doing the best thing for myself. I had no idea what else to do and I didn't know how to get out of it. I had backed myself into a corner. I had no answers. Through a series of events I began to see the answer come. I had been begging and pleading God for a miracle. God is never limited and can do anything He desires. If He knows a miracle is in order then poof, there it is. I have found though that He usually sets a series of events in order to allow the miracle to unfold (slooooooooooowly). When He shows us His truth it is a huge, giant relief. It is freeing and allows us to live an abundant life.
John 10:10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
In summary, the truth allows us to live abundantly. I am so completely excited to be free from ideas and habits I had. Like I said, I am a creature of habit and I don't give them up easily, but when smacked with God's truth I can say "so long" with ease! In His love He has showed me how to get out of that corner I mentioned earlier. Embrace the truth, crave it, desire it, and seek it with all you've got. Freedom from ourselves is a glorious thing. An abundant life is also a glorious thing. On a side note, I have officially given up my old gym habits. Mark it down!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Where Freedom Comes From
Old Rugged Cross
- On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,The emblem of suff’ring and shame;And I love that old cross where the dearest and bestFor a world of lost sinners was slain.
- Refrain:So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,Till my trophies at last I lay down;I will cling to the old rugged cross,And exchange it some day for a crown.
- Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,Has a wondrous attraction for me;For the dear Lamb of God left His glory aboveTo bear it to dark Calvary.
- In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,A wondrous beauty I see,For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,To pardon and sanctify me.
- To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;Its shame and reproach gladly bear;Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,Where His glory forever I’ll share.I personally think a strong argument could be made that The Old Rugged Cross is one of the best hymns ever written. The refrain is gripping. To understand fully the refrain it is important to look at the man who penned it. The author, George Bennard, came from extremely humble beginnings. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio, shortly after the end of the Civil War. His father worked hard as a coal miner in Iowa. As a young person George met Christ personally. The local Salvation Army had Bible teachings and George had heard of them, but had never attended a meeting. His curiosity got the best of him and one day he walked five miles to hear the teaching. On that day he became a devoted follower of Jesus. He had plans! Big plans! He was going to go to theology school.What happened instead was very tragic. His father was killed in a mining accident. George was now the man of the house and had to put all his dreams on hold to take care of his mother and siblings. He worked all day and studied books on his own at night. When his responsibilities lessened he went to Chicago to work at the Salvation Army. He met his wife in the city and she also assisted in his ministry at the Salvation Army. He then became a traveling evangelist and became ordained in the Methodist Episcopal church. George came upon a very difficult time in his ministry. I couldn't find any sources that gave any more details. Suffice it to say, he probably became worn out spiritually, emotionally, and physically. He began praying that the Lord would show him a full understanding of the Cross. Pastor Bennard later said he felt as if the words from John 3:16 jumped off the page and began acting out the meaning of Redemption. While he watched the scene with his mind's eye the theme came to him. Over the next few months as he travel he would work on the song lyrics. It wasn't ready to present to anyone yet I'm sure he thought. When the song was finally completed to his satisfaction he sang to some friends. Immediately they were moved by the chords. They paid for it to be published. The rest is history.
How would a difficult time lead to his penning such incredible words? I think the refrain says so much. Since we know Pastor Bennard was feeling such pain and burden we can make even more sense of the words of the refrain. No matter our circumstances we must cherish the cross. The word cherish goes beyond like and even love. To me the word cherish has more feeling, more emotion. To cherish something (or someone) means to hold it dear, to protect and care for. Do I think of the cross as something I cherish? Of course I don't mean the actual wood, but rather what it signifies. I believe the reason why the cross wood was never found is because people would cherish the wood itself. It would be worshipped by some. Interestingly enough I just read where a part of the cross was possibly located in a chest buried at an ancient church. Anyway, I want to hold dear what happened on the cross. After all it happened for me. The cross signifies reunion and freedom. No matter our circumstances we can hold what happened on the cross dear. Even when it doesn't feel like He loves us we can look to the cross and know He does.
"Till my trophies at last I lay down," means until that day when I meet Jesus face to face. We all have so many trophies. I know I do. Success, that's a trophy. Health, is yet another trophy. Having popular, smart, athletic, perfect children (according to others at least) is a big trophy. Our cars are trophies as are our homes. Being able to take fancy vacations is a trophy. Having a certain size of clothes in the closet is a trophy. Being "happy" is a trophy. After all isn't that what life is all about!? Even doing Godly things can be trophies. Maybe you run a great non-profit, or go on mission trips, or are on the worship team at church. Romans 14:11 says, "'As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" On that day EVERY trophy you and I have will be laid down. I believe this concept gave Pastor Bennard perspective.Years ago I bought Dave a beautiful painting as a gift. The artwork has hung in a predominant place in every house we have lived in. It is a picture of a stormy ocean. The sky is dark and the water is extremely rough and scary looking. Floating out in the water is an old wooden cross and a man clinging to it. What a picture if life it is. "I will cling to the old rugged cross," writes Pastor Bennard. No matter the trials that come we have to desperately cling to the cross. What does clinging to the cross mean in real life? How is it applicable? It means to completely accept the power of the cross and all its greatness. For me clinging to the cross has meant leaning hard into God as I endure pain, loss, frustration, and discouragement. To cling to something also means to embrace it with force and to hold on to it with all your might. Clinging to the cross of Jesus is a word picture for holding onto God's promises and what they mean for our personal good and God's glory. There have been days when I have felt so miserable physically and quite frankly extremely frustrated with God that my good reason left me. I clung to His promises which is, essentially, clinging to the cross. Here are some of my go-to verses. - Proverbs 3:5-6) Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.Romans 8:26). In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.Romans 8:28). And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
In the end we are to be heaven minded. That is a difficult mind set to have when we can't see through the woods. What good does it do to look towards heaven when I am suffering so much now? It helps because it gives us perspective. One day every treasure we have AND every pain will be traded for a heaven. All authentic followers of Jesus Christ WILL exchange everything for a crown. One day I will hear, "well done good and faithful servant."
In closing, I hope this old hymn has taken on a new and fresh meaning for you. I know it has for me. Hymns hold a special place in my heart. Please let me know how I can pray for you or what this blog means to you.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Redemption
Hi all! We are fresh back from our summer Ohio trip. We arrived back in Evans at 8:15 this morning. Our trip home was much smoother than our trip up there last week. Dave traveled to central Louisiana or CENLA, as the locals refer to it, for work on Monday and Tuesday. Our plan was for him to fly to Atlanta and me to drive to Atlanta to meet Tuesday night. We were then going to meet and drive together to Ohio. Dave's flight was delayed twice and his arrival time was very late. He was concerned the flight would get cancelled. He decided to keep his rental car and head north. He did research on rental car return locations that would be convenient to meet at. He drove nine hours to Chattanooga and I drove four. We met at the airport at 3 a.m. and took off for Ohio. We arrived about noon on Wednesday. Dave drove 12 hours straight and was in the car for 17!
We had things to do though! We had to get to Ohio. For one Eli had been there the week before visiting grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles. We missed our little guy. The other reason was that my sister was getting married! Christy and I had things to do! One of our favorite things we did was time at the salon getting a pedi/mani courtesy of our awesome dad!
There was one word that kept coming to my mind the entire time we were in Ohio. The word is redemption. Romans 8:28 is probably one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
Romans 8:28) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Let me explain the connection between the events in Ohio, redemption, and Romans 8:28. What
I witnessed was a love story. We all have our own personal love story, but the one I witnessed was something a bit different. The characters in the story are very personal to me. My sister is my best friend. She's an inspiration and an encouragement. She and I leaned heavily on each other as we navigated the unchartered waters of burying a parent too soon. We are just very close.
Christy and Shane first met in the early days of high school in the mid-1980's. They dated and even went to homecoming and prom together. I remember Shane being at our house often. He even was lucky enough to work for my dad bailing hay! That is a hard job!!! Christy went off to college and they drifted apart. Life marched on. Christy got married. Shane got married and had children. Fast forward 20+ years.
Christy and Shane reunited after each of their marriages failed. I won't go into details on that, but both of them went through incredible pain and stress. Christy was moving on after her divorce and the death of our mother. Shane was busy raising three amazing kids. Their paths crossed and their destinies were changed forever. Both of them have a faith that only comes through fire. They both have a clear understanding of pain and continuing to do the right thing. God knew back in 1987 that on July 20th 2013 they would be married. How tremendous is that?! God allowed the circle of life to return back to Shane and Christy's beginning. Shane and Christy each love God and are living for Him. They are truly seeking His plan for their marriage and the raising of children. God has redeemed two lives in more than an eternal sense. He has blessed Shane with a graceful wife who loves his three children as if they were her own. Christy is a Proverbs 31 woman. God has given Christy a husband who will protect her from the harsh world. What I love about Shane is how he can make her laugh. He truly gives her joy. He will be the leader of the household.
Redemption is an awesome word. He has made each of their lives new again. They are whole. How true is this for any of us?! What we think is too big of a mess isn't too big for God. He can take bad and make it good. He can take brokenness and mend it. When we obey God He can make something beautiful out of ugliness. Obeying God is loving God. Being called according to His purpose means that we are seeking God's plan over our own. Christy and Shane are testaments to this way of thinking.
As our dad walked her down the aisle I had so many things going through my mind. The first thing I thought of was that Christy looked so beautiful and my dad looked so handsome. I then glanced at Shane. His smile was HUGE. As my dad passed her off to Shane I knew in my heart she was safe with him. My dad took his seat and I couldn't help but think of our mom. In my mind she should have been there, but God knows best I suppose. I could literally see her sitting next to Dad. She always loved Shane. My mom told me several times that Christy would be the best mom. It just didn't work out that way so we thought. Mom would be so proud of the mom that Christy is now.
Someone at the wedding told me that she lives every day like its her last and she wants to make the most of every day. While I would agree with the premise there is a problem with it. The problem is when we live every day like its the last we can mow over others. If our only goal is to be happy than we risk running over others. God doesn't tell us to be happy. He tells us to be holy. He wants us to be set apart. Romans 8:28 tells how to live our life. We are to obey God and live according to His
purpose. When we do that He will make all things new for us. He will redeem our situation for our good and His glory. That is what I saw happen Saturday night and it put such joy in my heart.
We had things to do though! We had to get to Ohio. For one Eli had been there the week before visiting grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles. We missed our little guy. The other reason was that my sister was getting married! Christy and I had things to do! One of our favorite things we did was time at the salon getting a pedi/mani courtesy of our awesome dad!
There was one word that kept coming to my mind the entire time we were in Ohio. The word is redemption. Romans 8:28 is probably one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
Romans 8:28) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Let me explain the connection between the events in Ohio, redemption, and Romans 8:28. What
I witnessed was a love story. We all have our own personal love story, but the one I witnessed was something a bit different. The characters in the story are very personal to me. My sister is my best friend. She's an inspiration and an encouragement. She and I leaned heavily on each other as we navigated the unchartered waters of burying a parent too soon. We are just very close.
Christy and Shane first met in the early days of high school in the mid-1980's. They dated and even went to homecoming and prom together. I remember Shane being at our house often. He even was lucky enough to work for my dad bailing hay! That is a hard job!!! Christy went off to college and they drifted apart. Life marched on. Christy got married. Shane got married and had children. Fast forward 20+ years.
Christy and Shane reunited after each of their marriages failed. I won't go into details on that, but both of them went through incredible pain and stress. Christy was moving on after her divorce and the death of our mother. Shane was busy raising three amazing kids. Their paths crossed and their destinies were changed forever. Both of them have a faith that only comes through fire. They both have a clear understanding of pain and continuing to do the right thing. God knew back in 1987 that on July 20th 2013 they would be married. How tremendous is that?! God allowed the circle of life to return back to Shane and Christy's beginning. Shane and Christy each love God and are living for Him. They are truly seeking His plan for their marriage and the raising of children. God has redeemed two lives in more than an eternal sense. He has blessed Shane with a graceful wife who loves his three children as if they were her own. Christy is a Proverbs 31 woman. God has given Christy a husband who will protect her from the harsh world. What I love about Shane is how he can make her laugh. He truly gives her joy. He will be the leader of the household.
Redemption is an awesome word. He has made each of their lives new again. They are whole. How true is this for any of us?! What we think is too big of a mess isn't too big for God. He can take bad and make it good. He can take brokenness and mend it. When we obey God He can make something beautiful out of ugliness. Obeying God is loving God. Being called according to His purpose means that we are seeking God's plan over our own. Christy and Shane are testaments to this way of thinking.
As our dad walked her down the aisle I had so many things going through my mind. The first thing I thought of was that Christy looked so beautiful and my dad looked so handsome. I then glanced at Shane. His smile was HUGE. As my dad passed her off to Shane I knew in my heart she was safe with him. My dad took his seat and I couldn't help but think of our mom. In my mind she should have been there, but God knows best I suppose. I could literally see her sitting next to Dad. She always loved Shane. My mom told me several times that Christy would be the best mom. It just didn't work out that way so we thought. Mom would be so proud of the mom that Christy is now.
Someone at the wedding told me that she lives every day like its her last and she wants to make the most of every day. While I would agree with the premise there is a problem with it. The problem is when we live every day like its the last we can mow over others. If our only goal is to be happy than we risk running over others. God doesn't tell us to be happy. He tells us to be holy. He wants us to be set apart. Romans 8:28 tells how to live our life. We are to obey God and live according to His
purpose. When we do that He will make all things new for us. He will redeem our situation for our good and His glory. That is what I saw happen Saturday night and it put such joy in my heart.
Monday, July 8, 2013
A Promise
Hey everyone! I hope this finds you all doing well. Things here in Georgia are...wet. The rain is crazy! I actually don't mind it though because I haven't felt like I was missing out on any summer sunshine as I recover from my hysterectomy.
I opened my computer today to blog, but had no idea what I was going to blog about. As I read through my previous blogs about my surgery and the backgrounds to my favorite hymns I had an idea. I hope it makes as much sense on your screen as it does in my head!
Assurance. What does that word mean? I love using a simple dictionary to make more sense of the Biblical texts that I'm reading. Sometimes I'll be studying my Bible and will come across a word that I think I know the definition of, but when I go to write it I'm at a loss. This happened last night during my study on patience. What does patience really mean? The best definition I found was this, "the state of endurance under difficult circumstances." The definition went on to talk about how a patient person perseveres in the face of a delay without acting out in annoyance. To have endurance means to maintain the power to last through an unpleasant process. Um well, maybe I'm not as patient as I thought. Back to the word assurance. I love this definition; pledge or promise: a declaration that inspires or is intended to inspire confidence. This definition came from the Bing dictionary.
Blessed Assurance was written by Fanny Crosby in 1873. She is probably one of the most famous hymn writers of all time. I remember as a little girl thinking the name Fanny was funny. Hey, I was eight! Fanny's heritage stemmed form the earliest Puritan settlers in the New World. Fanny became blind as a six week old baby. She began writing poems at age eight. The quote that I am including comes from Fanny being asked if she wished she hadn't been blind. Her response is unbelievable! "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me, " Fanny Crosby. Fanny was saved in 1850 and continued on her path of hymn writing. She was married soon after and gave birth to a baby girl who died soon after birth. This broke Fanny's heart. The rest of her life was spent writing poems, hymns and doing mission work. Please read her Wikipedia entry for additional information on her...there is a lot!
Blessed Assurance
vs,1
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
vs.2
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)
vs.3
Perfect submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in His love.
(Refrain)
A blessed promise. A blessed pledge. When I substituted one word for another the song's title took on even a greater meaning. One blessed pledge that I have clung to throughout my health ordeal and the death of my mom was the promise that He's always with me. I remember I was doing a study quite a few months ago on this topic. Read Joshua 1:9 below.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua helped return the Jews to their Promised Land. In the Promised Land God helped the Israelites conquer the enemies and make this land their home. There is some Biblical context for you. It's always important to read verses in their context then branch out and see how it applies to your life or in the lives of your loved ones. In the midst of this study I literally said out loud, "so what if your with me...this still STINKS." The last two years have been THE most frustrating and scary out of my whole hormonal hell journey. It's been downright hard...no way around it. I will say that it could all have been worse, much worse. I'm not complaining and please don't think that I am. My point is I was going through some of the hardest times of my life and was doing a study on how God's always with me and felt a little frustrated with God. Your with me, but this appears to not be getting better? I prayed and asked God to help me make sense of the questions that were in my heart. He said something very simple to me. I heard with my spirit's ears, "just think if I weren't with you...how hard would it be then?" Yep. It was like the most basic answer ever and I have never forgotten it.
He doesn't promise us a rose garden. Isn't that an old country song? In this world we will have trouble. John tells us this in John 16:33. I spent a great deal of my prayer time begging God that He remove this cup. I have begged and pleaded that He take it away. Instead of taking away my health problem He has promised His presence. I begged that He would take away the cancer from my mom's lung and brain, but He chose to take her Home to heal her. I don't get it. What I do get is that His presence is His blessed assurance. My mom clearly understood this principle. Lately I have been spending more time in prayer not begging for the cup to be removed, but for Him to place His wisdom on me so I don't miss one single lesson He has for me as I endure and persevere. I have focused less on what I want and more on just being with Him. It is true, no doubt, that Fanny's words ring true. "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood," are beautiful poetic words. In essence they are at the root of my point. Because of my faith in God I have this blessed assurance. Because I am His and He is mine I don't have to face pain and heartache alone. His presence doesn't always take away the thorn, but His presence means I don't have to endure without it.
I hope this entry speaks to you in some personal way. It flowed pretty easily from my brain to my fingers to the screen. I give all glory to God for this because I'm must His vessel that once was broken that was made whole again.
I opened my computer today to blog, but had no idea what I was going to blog about. As I read through my previous blogs about my surgery and the backgrounds to my favorite hymns I had an idea. I hope it makes as much sense on your screen as it does in my head!
Assurance. What does that word mean? I love using a simple dictionary to make more sense of the Biblical texts that I'm reading. Sometimes I'll be studying my Bible and will come across a word that I think I know the definition of, but when I go to write it I'm at a loss. This happened last night during my study on patience. What does patience really mean? The best definition I found was this, "the state of endurance under difficult circumstances." The definition went on to talk about how a patient person perseveres in the face of a delay without acting out in annoyance. To have endurance means to maintain the power to last through an unpleasant process. Um well, maybe I'm not as patient as I thought. Back to the word assurance. I love this definition; pledge or promise: a declaration that inspires or is intended to inspire confidence. This definition came from the Bing dictionary.
Blessed Assurance was written by Fanny Crosby in 1873. She is probably one of the most famous hymn writers of all time. I remember as a little girl thinking the name Fanny was funny. Hey, I was eight! Fanny's heritage stemmed form the earliest Puritan settlers in the New World. Fanny became blind as a six week old baby. She began writing poems at age eight. The quote that I am including comes from Fanny being asked if she wished she hadn't been blind. Her response is unbelievable! "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me, " Fanny Crosby. Fanny was saved in 1850 and continued on her path of hymn writing. She was married soon after and gave birth to a baby girl who died soon after birth. This broke Fanny's heart. The rest of her life was spent writing poems, hymns and doing mission work. Please read her Wikipedia entry for additional information on her...there is a lot!
Blessed Assurance
vs,1
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
vs.2
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)
vs.3
Perfect submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in His love.
(Refrain)
A blessed promise. A blessed pledge. When I substituted one word for another the song's title took on even a greater meaning. One blessed pledge that I have clung to throughout my health ordeal and the death of my mom was the promise that He's always with me. I remember I was doing a study quite a few months ago on this topic. Read Joshua 1:9 below.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua helped return the Jews to their Promised Land. In the Promised Land God helped the Israelites conquer the enemies and make this land their home. There is some Biblical context for you. It's always important to read verses in their context then branch out and see how it applies to your life or in the lives of your loved ones. In the midst of this study I literally said out loud, "so what if your with me...this still STINKS." The last two years have been THE most frustrating and scary out of my whole hormonal hell journey. It's been downright hard...no way around it. I will say that it could all have been worse, much worse. I'm not complaining and please don't think that I am. My point is I was going through some of the hardest times of my life and was doing a study on how God's always with me and felt a little frustrated with God. Your with me, but this appears to not be getting better? I prayed and asked God to help me make sense of the questions that were in my heart. He said something very simple to me. I heard with my spirit's ears, "just think if I weren't with you...how hard would it be then?" Yep. It was like the most basic answer ever and I have never forgotten it.
He doesn't promise us a rose garden. Isn't that an old country song? In this world we will have trouble. John tells us this in John 16:33. I spent a great deal of my prayer time begging God that He remove this cup. I have begged and pleaded that He take it away. Instead of taking away my health problem He has promised His presence. I begged that He would take away the cancer from my mom's lung and brain, but He chose to take her Home to heal her. I don't get it. What I do get is that His presence is His blessed assurance. My mom clearly understood this principle. Lately I have been spending more time in prayer not begging for the cup to be removed, but for Him to place His wisdom on me so I don't miss one single lesson He has for me as I endure and persevere. I have focused less on what I want and more on just being with Him. It is true, no doubt, that Fanny's words ring true. "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood," are beautiful poetic words. In essence they are at the root of my point. Because of my faith in God I have this blessed assurance. Because I am His and He is mine I don't have to face pain and heartache alone. His presence doesn't always take away the thorn, but His presence means I don't have to endure without it.
I hope this entry speaks to you in some personal way. It flowed pretty easily from my brain to my fingers to the screen. I give all glory to God for this because I'm must His vessel that once was broken that was made whole again.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
God, Dave, Family and Friends, and Even HGTV
I thought it was a perfect time to blog since I am bed-bound for the week. I am actually in Alexandria, Louisiana right now with Dave. My surgery was in Houston last Friday so we traveled from there to Alex on Sunday so Dave could work at the plant here for the week. We will go back to Houston Friday to see my surgeon then back to Evans.
Our trip to Houston went incredibly smooth. My appointment with the surgeon went so well. Dave and I immediately liked him and felt perfectly at ease with the decision. He answered all our questions plus gave us helpful additional information. After seeing him we walked over to the hospital for our pre-op appointment. All systems were go and we had to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. the following morning.
I slept off and on the night before surgery. I knew that God already knew the situation because 1. He knows everything and 2. I have prayed about a million times and fasted over this situation. He surely was familiar with it! I think of one of my go-to verses, Romans 6:28. It reads, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." I absolutely LOVE this verse. I thought of it often as my mom battled cancer. That situation was so painful and overwhelming and I ran out of words fairly early on. Same with my health issue. It has been so painful, all-consuming, and frustrating that its hard sometimes to come up with words to pray. I don't want to give up praying though. I heard once that the times when we feel we can't pray are the times we desperately need to pray. That's how I felt Thursday night as the time ticked down to my total hysterectomy. As I lay there
I just pictured myself wrapped on God's arms. No words were said between either of us...I just felt Gods nearness. The chorus from "Loss for Words" fits perfectly. You can read it below.
I am empty
You are holy
Come and fill my soul with who you are
In my silence You still hear me
In the quiet of this moment
I am heard
I'm overwhelmed
And at a loss for words
Friday eventually rolled around, eventually. The waiting was the hardest part. I told Dave my life will be split between pre-hysterectomy and post-hysterectomy! We only waited a few minutes before the nurse came to get me. It felt like an hour. As I entered the pre-op room to put the gown on I began to cry just a little bit. I hadn't cried over the situation because having it done was such a relief. Dave and I decided just after Eli was born that we were content with one child. We knew we didn't want to go through IVF again and were just so thankful for Eli. Because of this we found the decision to move forward with a hysterectomy an easy one because our interest is in improving my quality of life. When I teared up a little bit one thought came to mind, "I wish my mom was here." I just want to have my mom with me. Funny, huh? I guess we never get too old to want our mothers nearby when we are sick or life is hard.
As I crawled into that bed I felt so connected with God. He was right there with me. A few nurses came in and were great. Dave then was brought back. He's an amazing man. We have been through so much together. We joke that he should have had me vetted before he married me. When a person wants to buy a horse you have the animal vetted. This means that a vet evaluates the horse with a detailed exam and x-rays. The buyer then decides if they can live with the issues if any were uncovered. Anyway, Dave is the calmest person on this planet. I have never actually seen him out of control of his emotions. He is a Godly man. He is a devoted husband and father. He is the epitome of integrity. I have depended on him heavily through this trial. It has been hard on me, but also incredibly hard on Dave. He hasn't been able to fix it or change it. He has been as helpless as I have. Our marriage is stronger though because of the trials. I admire him for too many reasons to count. I'm honored to be his wife. He has made me a better person. His presence in the pre-op room calmed me beyond words. We met with the head of anesthesia. He was a funny guy! When he came in he said "hola, como este!" What made it funny was that he was an Asian gentleman! We also met with the anesthesiologist that would be with me during surgery. The nurse turned on the T.V. and said channel 22 was a channel on anesthesia. Um, no thank you! I had her turn on HGTV. I LOVE HGTV! We watched HGTV in the pre-op room, the hospital room, and pretty much solid in our hotel room. Good thing Dave loves it too!
As we waited for my turn in the surgery room we met again with the surgeon. Once again he was so calm and offered such encouraging words. The whole time Dave kept me updated on texts and messages. Of course my dad and sister were the first to send messages that morning. I received so many other messages from dear friends and other family members. The night before we left for Houston we had a cookout with our church small group. To be honest at first I didn't want to go to the cookout. My mind was on what to pack and mentally going over the details of the trip. The cookout was so nice though. Our friends are such great people and wanted to know the details and timing of surgery so they could be praying when I was in surgery. They wanted to be sure that Dave sent a message as soon as I was done. The support and love were awesome. My sister had a hysterectomy a few years ago so she's been a God-send. She is my best friend and always willing to listen. We have E-mailed each other practically everyday of the week for like ten years! She's awesome. My dad wanted to be there for surgery no doubt. He knew Dave was with me though. My in-laws are also amazing people. They love Eli so much. In fact, Lou Ann flew to Atlanta to pick up Eli the day before we left for Houston. Bob and Lou are two wonderful people and are so giving and helpful. Just knowing so many people cared also calmed me as we waited.
The anesthesiologist came in with anti-nausea medicine and then anti-anxiety medication for my I.V. I actually didn't even feel anxious...just ready to be on the other side. Then he came in with a "margarita" and that's the last I remember! As I look back I realize how God provided such amazing support. Aside from simply offering Himself He has given me the tremendous privilege of being Dave's wife. He has given me a father that has loved me unconditionally my entire life. I wanted to marry a man as awesome as my dad. I grew up seeing what a real man looks like. He taught me that I was invaluable and that any man would be lucky to have me. Because of my dad my standards for boyfriends and my future husband were incredibly high. I'm so grateful for my dad. My sweet sister...even though she is MUCH older than I am (you know I love ya sister) we have very close most of my adult life. We have weathered a lot of storms together. As our mother die of cancer we got each other. I knew her pain and she knew mine. We were a team getting dad through his bout of cancer soon after mom died. We have also laughed more together than any two people on earth! God has given me the best friends ever. Their support has gotten me through very tough times. I have old friends and newer friends...all of which hold special places in my heart. They wanted updated as soon as Dave knew anything. They have spent countless time in prayer for me, Dave, and my doctor. I love them dearly and hope to return the support to them that they have given me. To a MUCH smaller extent I'm even grateful for HGTV. I'm reading a book now called, "God is in the Small Stuff." I am trying to recognize small gifts from God. He overseas every detail of our life. I love houses, real estate, building houses, decorating, etc. and watching HGTV took my mind off what was happening in that pre-op and hospital room. I'm glad for that!
This blog entry is very long and I appreciate you reading it! I hope you were encouraged in some way to keep praying even when words don't come or you don't feel like it. I also hope you can look into your own life and recognize the people that have made an impact on you. You are loved and valued by God and those people He has put into your life.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Prayer...and Fasting
Hey everyone! I'm going to venture off my usual topic today. It's been a HUGE week and I
wanted to share what has been going on and a few other related topics.
This topic isn't taught much in churches. It's unfortunate. I never knew much about the practice. Fasting. I would usually cringe when I heard it. Pastor Bobby has taught a great deal on the topic and I appreciate it. He has called his congregation to take part in the practice. The Bible is full of lessons on fasting. Unfortunately, we have all but removed it. Even more, the practice is thought to be outdated and only for those super religious people.
I have read a few books on fasting and they have been very intriguing. One was authored by Derek Prince and the other by Mahesh Chavda. I would recommend them both! In Exodus Moses fasted while waiting for the Lord to speak regarding the Ten Commandments. Moses also fasted in Deuteronomy. This book speaks of the time before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. That was a tough forty years! In Samuel David fasted for the Lord to spare his child. This child was conceived with Bathsheba. The prophet Nehemiah fasted in the book with the same name. He oversaw the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. This was an extremely serious time in Jewish history because the Israelites were reestablishing themselves as a nation. Esther, Psalms, Isaiah, and Daniel all speak of fasting. All the stories are full of desperation. These characters are in desperate times. We can move into the New Testament and see the same pattern. The characters of these real stories fasted as part of their walk with the Lord. A Christian is a Christ-follower so we must look to Him as our example. Jesus fasted. I have picked out two New Testament verses that speak of fasting. The first verse is a simple lesson for us on fasting. It is a private matter. The second verse tells me that prayer is important, but adding fasting to it takes prayer to a whole new level. The story is cross-referenced in Matthew with a slightly different text. The point is that Jesus recognized the need for both in certain circumstances. Some manuscripts add fasting to Mark 9:29 and the text in Matthew uses the word fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18) And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Mark 9:25-29) When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
I'm certainly not lecturing you because I have a long way to go on this practice. I'm a heck of a lot more obedient on it than I used to be though. My husband actively fasts and last fall he fasted for an entire seven days. While I don't think there is a certain time frame we have to stick too because if there was we would become legalistic. The time is between you and God. We are all different. I do think that God desires us to have a willing heart.
This leads me to the situation that occurred this past week. As many of you know I have severe hormonal issues and have for many, many years. Anyone have a concrete wall I can pound my head against?! Seriously though, I have been on quite a journey. My doctor is AMAZING. I mean really. Her office is in Tucson, Arizona. I have talked to her on the phone every month and sometimes more since our initial meeting last August. She has truly been an answer to prayer. Dave and I have introduced fasting into our lives in regards to my treatments and in regards to wisdom for Dr. Vliet. In one of Bobby's lessons he taught that we may not see an immediate response to our fasting. We may fast over a situation and not see anything happen right away. His point was that fasting with a pure heart moves the hand of God. It might not be in our time, but it moves it. We continue to fast over my appointments and conversations with Dr. Vliet. We take them that serious. We have been utterly desperate at times. I have wept over the situation and begged God for discernment and wisdom. I have pleaded with Him to impact Dr. Vliet for not just me, but for ANY of the women she treats. If they have gone through anything like I have my heart bleeds for them. I also want to lift up Dr. Vliet personally as she shoulders many serious conditions that her patients have.
Last week Dr. Vliet and I (and Dave) decided to move forward with a total hysterectomy. This is totally huge! It is right up there with deciding who to marry and if you should have children. Having a few organs removed is a big deal, you know?! I guess I'm telling this story because Dave and I believe there is a connection between fasting and this big decision. The decision was not made lightly yet we felt very lead to it. I firmly believe God has lead us to this place. I hope you can see my point because I feel like I'm not doing a good job of explaining it. My surgery date is scheduled...the countdown has begun. I desperately covet your prayers because I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. Satan is in the what-if game. So please keep me in your prayers and Dave too.
In closing I encourage you to see where fasting fits into your walk with the Lord. Are there some things in your life that feel stuck. Do you need God to move in big ways? Please talk to Him about fasting. I send you much love!
wanted to share what has been going on and a few other related topics.
This topic isn't taught much in churches. It's unfortunate. I never knew much about the practice. Fasting. I would usually cringe when I heard it. Pastor Bobby has taught a great deal on the topic and I appreciate it. He has called his congregation to take part in the practice. The Bible is full of lessons on fasting. Unfortunately, we have all but removed it. Even more, the practice is thought to be outdated and only for those super religious people.
I have read a few books on fasting and they have been very intriguing. One was authored by Derek Prince and the other by Mahesh Chavda. I would recommend them both! In Exodus Moses fasted while waiting for the Lord to speak regarding the Ten Commandments. Moses also fasted in Deuteronomy. This book speaks of the time before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. That was a tough forty years! In Samuel David fasted for the Lord to spare his child. This child was conceived with Bathsheba. The prophet Nehemiah fasted in the book with the same name. He oversaw the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. This was an extremely serious time in Jewish history because the Israelites were reestablishing themselves as a nation. Esther, Psalms, Isaiah, and Daniel all speak of fasting. All the stories are full of desperation. These characters are in desperate times. We can move into the New Testament and see the same pattern. The characters of these real stories fasted as part of their walk with the Lord. A Christian is a Christ-follower so we must look to Him as our example. Jesus fasted. I have picked out two New Testament verses that speak of fasting. The first verse is a simple lesson for us on fasting. It is a private matter. The second verse tells me that prayer is important, but adding fasting to it takes prayer to a whole new level. The story is cross-referenced in Matthew with a slightly different text. The point is that Jesus recognized the need for both in certain circumstances. Some manuscripts add fasting to Mark 9:29 and the text in Matthew uses the word fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18) And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Mark 9:25-29) When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
I'm certainly not lecturing you because I have a long way to go on this practice. I'm a heck of a lot more obedient on it than I used to be though. My husband actively fasts and last fall he fasted for an entire seven days. While I don't think there is a certain time frame we have to stick too because if there was we would become legalistic. The time is between you and God. We are all different. I do think that God desires us to have a willing heart.
This leads me to the situation that occurred this past week. As many of you know I have severe hormonal issues and have for many, many years. Anyone have a concrete wall I can pound my head against?! Seriously though, I have been on quite a journey. My doctor is AMAZING. I mean really. Her office is in Tucson, Arizona. I have talked to her on the phone every month and sometimes more since our initial meeting last August. She has truly been an answer to prayer. Dave and I have introduced fasting into our lives in regards to my treatments and in regards to wisdom for Dr. Vliet. In one of Bobby's lessons he taught that we may not see an immediate response to our fasting. We may fast over a situation and not see anything happen right away. His point was that fasting with a pure heart moves the hand of God. It might not be in our time, but it moves it. We continue to fast over my appointments and conversations with Dr. Vliet. We take them that serious. We have been utterly desperate at times. I have wept over the situation and begged God for discernment and wisdom. I have pleaded with Him to impact Dr. Vliet for not just me, but for ANY of the women she treats. If they have gone through anything like I have my heart bleeds for them. I also want to lift up Dr. Vliet personally as she shoulders many serious conditions that her patients have.
Last week Dr. Vliet and I (and Dave) decided to move forward with a total hysterectomy. This is totally huge! It is right up there with deciding who to marry and if you should have children. Having a few organs removed is a big deal, you know?! I guess I'm telling this story because Dave and I believe there is a connection between fasting and this big decision. The decision was not made lightly yet we felt very lead to it. I firmly believe God has lead us to this place. I hope you can see my point because I feel like I'm not doing a good job of explaining it. My surgery date is scheduled...the countdown has begun. I desperately covet your prayers because I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. Satan is in the what-if game. So please keep me in your prayers and Dave too.
In closing I encourage you to see where fasting fits into your walk with the Lord. Are there some things in your life that feel stuck. Do you need God to move in big ways? Please talk to Him about fasting. I send you much love!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Walking With God
C. Austin Miles penned In the Garden in 1912. Mr. Miles' hobby was photography. He found that his dark room was the perfect room to meet with God. He even would read his Bible in the blue cast. One day he was in his dark room reading the Easter story in John. The verse that stood out the most was John 20:14. It reads, "At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus." Mr. Miles says as he read John 20 it was as if he became part of the scene in that garden. He immediately began writing once he came to from his vision.
The chorus is just awesome. I vision heaven when I read it. Me and God...just walking and talking. As we stroll He tells me I am His own and I was bought with a price. Neither one of us has anywhere to go. After all there is no time in heaven. What joy I experience! That experience can only be had by a child and the Father. I'm brought back to earth though. I contemplated this song and how it relates to my life now. Here are my thoughts.
The first verse encourages me to come and meet God. It is a privilege to get to do so not have to. I remember my math teacher in 9th grade used to say we got to do homework. If you asked what homework we had to do he would always correct us and say we GOT to do homework. I think of that now. We GET to spend time with God. I am as guilty as anyone else of rushing through prayer time or simply not thinking it matters. I think the first verse encourages us to meet God early. I don't do my studying to later in the day because of my schedule, but I do spend time praying and listening for God before my feet hit the floor in the morning. Joyce Meyer has said she wants Satan to say, "oh no...she's up!" We have to prepare our minds and hearts for the day ahead.
The second verse is convicting to me. Why? Well, I do most of the talking during prayer time. How can I hear His voice if I'm blabbering the whole time about what I want and need and what I think everyone else wants and needs? When we really connect with our Father something changes in our hearts. They are uplifted.
The last verse brings it all full circle. Night has come and I want to stay with Him. I am not exactly sure what the last few lines mean, but have an idea. As I'm drifting off to sleep I'm told to go, go to sleep and rest. Even though I go to sleep He doesn't. His voice is constantly calling me even when I'm unaware.
I hear people use the term "my walk with God" often. What does that really mean though? Does it mean walking ahead with God a few steps behind? Or does it mean that I go on my path and then I call Him when my path gets difficult or maybe when I get onto the wrong path? As I have matured in my faith I have gotten better at letting Him lead. He want time with me. I used to think I could read the Bible and then the information somehow transferred to my head. It doesn't work that way. I like to visualize myself in the scene. I love picturing myself bowing before God just soaking up...Him. He wants time with us. I get to be with Him. I am not perfect, but each day I improve. After all, isn't that was walking with God is?!
I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet, the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
I'd stay in the garden with Him
'Tho the night around me be falling
And He bids me go, through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
The chorus is just awesome. I vision heaven when I read it. Me and God...just walking and talking. As we stroll He tells me I am His own and I was bought with a price. Neither one of us has anywhere to go. After all there is no time in heaven. What joy I experience! That experience can only be had by a child and the Father. I'm brought back to earth though. I contemplated this song and how it relates to my life now. Here are my thoughts.
The first verse encourages me to come and meet God. It is a privilege to get to do so not have to. I remember my math teacher in 9th grade used to say we got to do homework. If you asked what homework we had to do he would always correct us and say we GOT to do homework. I think of that now. We GET to spend time with God. I am as guilty as anyone else of rushing through prayer time or simply not thinking it matters. I think the first verse encourages us to meet God early. I don't do my studying to later in the day because of my schedule, but I do spend time praying and listening for God before my feet hit the floor in the morning. Joyce Meyer has said she wants Satan to say, "oh no...she's up!" We have to prepare our minds and hearts for the day ahead.
The second verse is convicting to me. Why? Well, I do most of the talking during prayer time. How can I hear His voice if I'm blabbering the whole time about what I want and need and what I think everyone else wants and needs? When we really connect with our Father something changes in our hearts. They are uplifted.
The last verse brings it all full circle. Night has come and I want to stay with Him. I am not exactly sure what the last few lines mean, but have an idea. As I'm drifting off to sleep I'm told to go, go to sleep and rest. Even though I go to sleep He doesn't. His voice is constantly calling me even when I'm unaware.
I hear people use the term "my walk with God" often. What does that really mean though? Does it mean walking ahead with God a few steps behind? Or does it mean that I go on my path and then I call Him when my path gets difficult or maybe when I get onto the wrong path? As I have matured in my faith I have gotten better at letting Him lead. He want time with me. I used to think I could read the Bible and then the information somehow transferred to my head. It doesn't work that way. I like to visualize myself in the scene. I love picturing myself bowing before God just soaking up...Him. He wants time with us. I get to be with Him. I am not perfect, but each day I improve. After all, isn't that was walking with God is?!
I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet, the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
I'd stay in the garden with Him
'Tho the night around me be falling
And He bids me go, through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
Friday, April 26, 2013
Is It Well with My Soul?
Hello all! I am so excited to be back on my blog. We rented our house for the Master's golf tournament so most of March was spent preparing the house. I don't think the renters noticed my freshly painted trim, but it looks amazing. Knowing strangers were going to be in our home we were motivated to do lots of "spring cleaning." Eli turned six on March 26th which was a great time. It is so incredibly hard to believe he is actually six years old! We spent a week at an AMAZING cabin near Asheville, NC while our home was rented. We had the best time! We came home to a house totally in tact and the cleaning lady had made it like no one was ever in it. So that brings me to now...
"It Is Well with My Soul" is a beautiful song written in 1873 by Horatio Spafford. The history of this hymn is absolutely incredible. Horatio was a wealthy attorney in Chicago. He was invested heavily in real estate and when the Chicago fire swept through the city he lost a fortune. Around the same time his four year old child died of scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is a form of strep and historically was very deadly. Generally children four to eight acquired scarlet fever.
Because of their rough go of it Horace thought he would take his family, which consisted of a wife and four daughters, on a vacation to Europe. He was going to visit some evangelistic meetings. I would guess his family was very excited about this given their recent misfortunes. The family was booked to travel on a luxurious ocean liner. At the last minute business called Horace to stay in New York City. He sent his family on ahead as to not hinder their vacation.
While on the open seas the luxury vessel collided with another ship. When I read this I pictured the scenes from the movie Titanic. The cold water probably crashed through the beautiful passenger rooms. My imagination cannot even picture the terror. 226 people died that night and 47 survived. Horace's wife, Anna, was found in the water clinging to a piece of wreckage. Anna sent a message from England to her husband in New York that said, "Saved alone."
Horace booked himself on another ship to head immediately to England to be with Anna. What do you think he thought when he heard that the luxury liner sunk? I bet he thought that maybe, just maybe his family survived. After all 47 people made it safely to England. During the night the captain called Horace to his side and explained they were now passing over the location where his children perished. Horace went back to his room and was not able to sleep. He said to himself, "It is well; the will of God be done." He later wrote the hymn "It is Well with My Soul" based on the words he spoke to himself that lonely and cold night.
The Spaffords went on to have three more children. One of the children died in infancy. When the other two daughters were very small the Spaffords sailed for Israel. In Jerusalem they founded a mission called The American Colony. This mission helped serve the poor. Later the mission became the subject of a Noble Prize winning book titled Jerusalem.
After reading about Horatio's story the first thought that came to mind was that after all the heartache he continued to serve God. I will promise you that he and Anna had moments of shaking their fists at God and asking the obvious "why" question. God wants us to pour our hearts out to him. He already knows we are hurting so why sugar-coat it to Him. I admire my dear friend Linda so much for being real with God. With a reverential heart she tells God what is going on inside her. She has taught me to simply be real with God. Horace and Anna are so incredibly inspirational for their continued devotion to God despite the tragedy they experienced. They could freely reach out to the hurting in Jerusalem because they themselves hurt. I promise you they had tremendous compassion for those they helped.
"Your will be done" is one of the hardest things to say to the Lord. We have all prayed the Lord's Prayer, but do we REALLY know what we are saying. "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" are powerful words and should not be uttered will-nilly. Do I desire God's will over my own? Not always. God's will isn't always sunshine and lollipops. Ask Jesus. It is, however, the best plan. Let me be the first to say I don't get it all. Why did all Horace's children die? Why did those men set off bombs in Boston? Why do earthquakes come? Why did my mom die an awful death from cancer? Why does abortion exist? Why, why, why?!?!?! I have no idea why God allows things. We can all learn from the Spaffords. We can all be victorious. Our circumstances will never be perfect. In this life there will be trouble. Jesus said this himself in John 16:33. Overcoming our trials doesn't always mean the trial ends. Often it means we find a way to be victorious despite the trial. We pick ourselves up after being knocked down and seek God's face. The Spafford's sought God despite their pain and God, no doubtingly, used them to further His Kingdom in Jerusalem.
John 16:33) "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
On a side note, I remember my mom saying several times that she wanted "It Is Well with My Soul" played at her funeral. There is just something so profound about that request. I'll let you read the words to the hymn now.
"It Is Well with My Soul" is a beautiful song written in 1873 by Horatio Spafford. The history of this hymn is absolutely incredible. Horatio was a wealthy attorney in Chicago. He was invested heavily in real estate and when the Chicago fire swept through the city he lost a fortune. Around the same time his four year old child died of scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is a form of strep and historically was very deadly. Generally children four to eight acquired scarlet fever.
Because of their rough go of it Horace thought he would take his family, which consisted of a wife and four daughters, on a vacation to Europe. He was going to visit some evangelistic meetings. I would guess his family was very excited about this given their recent misfortunes. The family was booked to travel on a luxurious ocean liner. At the last minute business called Horace to stay in New York City. He sent his family on ahead as to not hinder their vacation.
While on the open seas the luxury vessel collided with another ship. When I read this I pictured the scenes from the movie Titanic. The cold water probably crashed through the beautiful passenger rooms. My imagination cannot even picture the terror. 226 people died that night and 47 survived. Horace's wife, Anna, was found in the water clinging to a piece of wreckage. Anna sent a message from England to her husband in New York that said, "Saved alone."
Horace booked himself on another ship to head immediately to England to be with Anna. What do you think he thought when he heard that the luxury liner sunk? I bet he thought that maybe, just maybe his family survived. After all 47 people made it safely to England. During the night the captain called Horace to his side and explained they were now passing over the location where his children perished. Horace went back to his room and was not able to sleep. He said to himself, "It is well; the will of God be done." He later wrote the hymn "It is Well with My Soul" based on the words he spoke to himself that lonely and cold night.
The Spaffords went on to have three more children. One of the children died in infancy. When the other two daughters were very small the Spaffords sailed for Israel. In Jerusalem they founded a mission called The American Colony. This mission helped serve the poor. Later the mission became the subject of a Noble Prize winning book titled Jerusalem.
After reading about Horatio's story the first thought that came to mind was that after all the heartache he continued to serve God. I will promise you that he and Anna had moments of shaking their fists at God and asking the obvious "why" question. God wants us to pour our hearts out to him. He already knows we are hurting so why sugar-coat it to Him. I admire my dear friend Linda so much for being real with God. With a reverential heart she tells God what is going on inside her. She has taught me to simply be real with God. Horace and Anna are so incredibly inspirational for their continued devotion to God despite the tragedy they experienced. They could freely reach out to the hurting in Jerusalem because they themselves hurt. I promise you they had tremendous compassion for those they helped.
"Your will be done" is one of the hardest things to say to the Lord. We have all prayed the Lord's Prayer, but do we REALLY know what we are saying. "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" are powerful words and should not be uttered will-nilly. Do I desire God's will over my own? Not always. God's will isn't always sunshine and lollipops. Ask Jesus. It is, however, the best plan. Let me be the first to say I don't get it all. Why did all Horace's children die? Why did those men set off bombs in Boston? Why do earthquakes come? Why did my mom die an awful death from cancer? Why does abortion exist? Why, why, why?!?!?! I have no idea why God allows things. We can all learn from the Spaffords. We can all be victorious. Our circumstances will never be perfect. In this life there will be trouble. Jesus said this himself in John 16:33. Overcoming our trials doesn't always mean the trial ends. Often it means we find a way to be victorious despite the trial. We pick ourselves up after being knocked down and seek God's face. The Spafford's sought God despite their pain and God, no doubtingly, used them to further His Kingdom in Jerusalem.
John 16:33) "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
On a side note, I remember my mom saying several times that she wanted "It Is Well with My Soul" played at her funeral. There is just something so profound about that request. I'll let you read the words to the hymn now.
- When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
- Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
- Refrain:
- Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul. - My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! - For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. - But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul! - And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
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