My soul, oh my soul
It has been anxious and weary
Many days filled to the brim
Appointments and phone calls
And fires to smother out
My soul has been searching
For more of my savior
So, today...
With fresh snow falling
Children brighten with creative wonder
My Soul is at peace and resting in Him
The song repeats in my mind on this day
As I rock the baby for her nap
As I make beef stew for dinner
My soul my soul
Magnifies you Lord
Lord, help me have more of you
Each day
To magnify you more
From the depths of my soul
Busted. Yes it is really true that I absolutely enjoyed the time with my children in snowmageddon 2014. But oh, my life has settled back to its regularly scheduled programming. I can not help but be profoundly happy. There is something so completely soothing about knowing what comes next. There are few surprises and the rhythms of my mind function more smoothly. There is strength and weakness there.
This breaking of the pattern that happened in my life recently in the storm was a fun reminder that the God we serve is full of surprises, big, unpredictable, and as C.S. Lewis so aptly said, "Not a tame lion completely wild." Far too often in life, the reminders of this come at times of illness, struggles, and trials. But a foot of snow, is all just a bunch of fun.
I must learn to praise God when His surprises are a bunch of fun and the provision of needs is there. I must learn to praise God when the precious routine of life that bolsters me up is there and I grow slightly stuck in it. I must learn to praise God when His lessons in life are painful and learned through difficulty. For in all things I have learned that God is good and His love endures truly through all of the experiences we have in life. His love endures forever.
Are you having fun this week, settled back into life, or struggling with a massive hurt? Look to God. Find comfort in His continued love and know there is peace waiting for us!
A year ago I started reading chapter books to my preschoolers during lunch. Their favorite characters thus far have included Ramona, Dr. Doolittle, Pippi Longstocking, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Each chapter of a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle book focuses on a different child who needs to be cured of a bad habit of some sort such as forgetting to care for a pet, not putting away toys, not wanting to go to bed at night, lying, or not brushing their teeth. Most of the children are cured in less than a week. One of my nephews was an avid thumb sucker. My sister had one conversation with her son, and he never sucked his thumb again. Amazing. Very few bad habits are eradicated that easily or quickly. I am by nature a rather perseverant person and not prone to giving up, but I have been pushed to the edge with teaching my middle child to eat. However, eating is not an optional skill. I am clinging to Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." As I work with my children, I also have opportunities to stretch and grow. Ten years from now he'll probably be eating me out of house and home, but for now I long for the day when he can feed himself dinner in less than two hours. "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31).
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10
...Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord...
Exodus 14:13
Last week in our church service we were asked to share about our word for the past year; what we had learned, how we had grown, any insight or experiences that had to do with that word. My word was from Psalm 46:10 - "Be still (and know that I am God)..." Quiet is not usually something that I excel in, however, I have been and am continuing to learn to quiet myself in the presence of the Lord, to listen for His voice, and to spend time with Him, whether I am sitting at home (which is rare) or traveling to work, or whatever I am doing.
What I also shared was that how, although I feel that this year has been wonderful for me, as far as my personal life, my marriage, and my relationships with others, I have watched various ones who are very dear to my heart walk through fire and hell, and have very frequently felt at a loss for what to say or do to help them. It is in this that I have been learning, along with the "be still", that there is also an element of "stand still" so that I can see the salvation of my God. In most of the situations of my dear ones, there is nothing that I could humanly do to "fix" whatever situation they are going through, but what I can do is to still my soul, lift them up in prayer, and encourage them. Which brings me to my word for this year...
On Christmas morning, I came into the living-room of our friends, that we were staying with over Christmas vacation. Sarah was sitting there with her friend Jarrett. She saw me and excitedly said, MOM! I got a Christmas gift from God last night! I was like, ha? She said, "I got to see my twin brother in heaven last night". I was not entirely awake, but that woke me up instantly. Sarah was a twin, but her twin didn't make it. This, as I have been told by the medical community, is not an unusual thing. Many women begin their pregnancy having twins, but for one reason or another, one doesn't make it and is absorbed into the remaining child.
Sarah had been very sad a few months ago about missing her twin, and desired to do something to ease this pain. She said to Paul, my brother doesn't have a name. Let's give him a name. So, Paul and Sarah named him Samuel. I was like, o.k., it fits.
As Sarah was beaming with this great gift, that money could not buy and only God could give, she said; "I saw my other two sisters too". I had two tubal pregnancies between my son Luke, whom I gave to be adopted, and Sarah. She got to talk to them and described them. It was like reading the book "Heaven Is For Real". The bible speaks of visiting heaven in the apostle Paul's writings. I personally know two other people who have been gifted with visiting heaven. I am not going to dismiss this, or say they are all nuts. I want to be signed up for that program myself, thank you! However, there are those that would think Sarah crazy. Therefore, we told Sarah not to go around telling everyone about it, because it may freak out others.
This in mind. Sarah was asked by her aunt Lynn, what her favorite gift was. As she began to tell of her gift from God, I did a mental, palm of my hand to my head slap! Sarah told of when she got her second favorite gift, her laptop, she felt Samuel hug her and how wonderful that was. I asked Sarah, why she had told her aunt Lynn about seeing her twin. She said, "you always said that honesty is the best policy". I did another mental head slap. Yep, that's right. It's always best to tell the truth.
I do not even pretend to know everything. This I know, there are mysterious things that happen in this life. Even if I don't understand or experience them myself. I know that God may do anything He chooses to do. Therefore, knowing my very honest child, I believe her and I am thankful for this wondrous Christmas gift Sarah was given by her Father.
Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.
We thought that we were ready to take on the foster care world and that we would tackle it with ease and enthusiasm. What we learned in those first few years is how naive we were.
Being a parent is challenging. Being a foster parent is beyond challenging. Your heart breaks with each new child who comes into your home. Sometimes they stay for years. Sometimes only for days.
Sharing our home, our possessions, our faith, and our very lives with the 60 plus children who have been with us at one time or another has been a huge eye opener. With each child comes their story of abuse or neglect. Nightmares that I had previously only seen on TV were now the reality that was playing out in my living room. Drug abuse, gang involvement, sexual abuse, addictions, domestic violence, exploitation.... These are just some of the issues that have come to us.
As I think about my own upbringing, I cannot help but be so very thankful. I was raised by a mom and a dad who love God and each other. They not only loved me, but they demonstrated how to love on others. They always did everything they could to care for me and to keep me safe. I never had to wonder if I was important to them. In fact, the thought never even crossed my mind. Because of the ways they showed their love for me.......I just knew.
Eat your vegetables
Avoid fatty treats
and sweets
Exercise your body
and mind
Love!
strongly and deeply
For this is
The Best Way
Study all that is
Good and Right
Just and Merciful
Look not at
What is
rather
See what
SHOULD BE
For this is
To See The Future
Eagerly work to put the
World Aright
to unscrew the screwed
Where You Can
Give all that you are for
True Holiness
For this
Is To Live It.
We are born
helpless
We learn to
crawl, then walk
The hands of
others gently guide us
Running is
wild freedom
We dream that
we can fly
Then we learn
to walk alone
We think we
can depend on ourselves
We plan , as
if we can control
Anything
If something
goes wrong
And we cannot
walk alone
Running is a
laughing dream
We mourn that
we must Depend
Upon the
hands of others
As if we are
less human
Do you not
know
That you Must
learn
To let the
Hands of Another
Gently guide
you?
To ignore His
offer is Weakness,
To accept is True Power
We all will slow,
our bodies falter and stop
But in the
Hands that gently guide us to Himself,
We will one
day Fly
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