So most of us are stuck in this unholy storm. My thermometer read -10 yesterday at this time and today it reads -11. Yes folks, that is actual temp and not the wind chill. Meteorologists tell me that the wind chill is at around -40. I live in Lafayette, Indiana and this rarely happens to us. On top of this bone crushing and soul sapping temps, as you have all heard, we have had around 8-9 inches of snow. That is really hard to measure right now because winds were at gale force at one point. Drifts are as high as houses and dirt can be seen in the corners of empty corn fields.
It is officially illegal STILL to drive in Indiana. If you are driving in Indiana you better have a really good emergency related reason. Therefore, my kids are off of school still, my husband is deemed not an emergency doctor and not required to report; and my house is still celebrating.
I worry greatly about those people stranded on I-65. I'm concerned that the homeless shelters don't run out of food and space to keep people off of the streets. I pray that the heat stays on in homes and that we all stay safe. That is my prayer. However I am stranded here in my house. There are no emergencies I can meet and we are all together.
I am loving every single minute of it. We are playing board games, making crafts, making cookies, making memories of the great storm of 2014. As far as I personally am concerned, this is the best start to the year EVER. We had a tough 2013 in many ways I am still tender. But this week, these days off, are truly God's blessing and gift to me. We are using them wisely. God is healing our family of its hurts. I am profoundly grateful.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
There is a girl who lives in the neighborhood
She often joins me in the daily mundane
We talk, we cook, we have a fresh cup of java
And she always reaches for the same cup
It is a mug I have had for many years, a dear friend gave it to me
It is inscribed with the word "coffee" written in several different languages
Maybe she is drawn to that mug because of her heart for mission
And it reminds her of the languages of the world
The many languages she would love to share the gospel in
Or, perhaps it is because of the beautiful fall colors that adorns the mug
Either way, she searches for that mug whenever she is here
She moves others away and may even climb a counter to find it
This week she leaves for missions training, and then on to the mission field
And so, I wrapped up that mug, her mug that is ours
Placed it in a bag with some pretty little prayer cards and gave it to her
Now, as she is far away, she can remember that I am praying
For her as she tells the world of The love of Jesus
And now, there is an empty place in our cupboard where we kept her mug
Join me in prayer for this dear girl
Who has grown from youth student, to part of our ministry team
To dear friend, and now missionary
With the beginning of a new year upon us, I have been reading many statements regarding clean slates and blank pages and new beginnings, and I have begun seeking the Lord as to my word for this year. It isn't fully settled just yet, but I feel that it has to do with encouraging others, especially other women. As human beings living in a fallen world, we are each of us broken. Wounded. We may feel rejected, betrayed, forgotten. Unloved. Unwanted. We build walls to keep others at a distance, and find ourselves in a prison of our own making. We long for a safe place where we can unmask and be ourselves and be accepted and loved for who we are, but sometimes we have worn the masks for so long that we discover that we ourselves have forgotten who we truly are.
I was reading Ann Voskamp's blog, (www.aholyexperience.com), and she was telling of a tribe in Africa who, when a woman finds that she is with child, will take some of her closest women friends and go into the wilderness, and wait together until they hear the song of that child.
"Because they know that every heart has its own unique beat… its own wild purpose. And when the women attune to the song of the coming child, they sing it out loud."
Then they return to the village and teach the child's song to everyone else. When the child is born, the entire tribe gathers and sings the child's song to him or her. As the child grows and enters school, goes through the rite of passage into adulthood, and marries, she hears her song sung to her again.
There is one other time when the villagers sing to the child. If at any time during the child's life, she commits a crime, falls short, or loses her way, she is called into the village. The tribe gathers around her and sings her song to her, because they "...believe that change most happens when we remember who we are - our identity - Whose we are..."
There is a song that is sung over each of us before we are born. It is the song of the Father. It is sung over us by the Father Himself. It tells of who we are, masterpieces formed by Him for a unique purpose that only we can fulfill as we walk in relationship with Him. It tells us that we are Forgiven, that we are Accepted, that we are Beloved. In the mess and stress of this life, our song can become difficult to hear, and sometimes we find that we can no longer hear it at all...that we have forgotten the notes and the words. It is in those times that we most need our "tribe" to circle around us and sing our song back to us; to remind us of who we are and Whose we are...
Lord, that I may be part of that tribe, to sing home the one who has lost her way...
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love;
He will exult over you with loud singing. ~Zephaniah 3:17
I simply do not do, New Years resolutions, period. When I try to change everything all at once, it doesn't work. When I was getting into a healthier lifestyle. I tried to prepare all my own, from raw ingredients, food, instead of using any boxes, mixes or frozen foods. I ground my own wheat with a hand crank mill even, no joke. I became overwhelmed and gave up. After I recovered, and decided it was worth the effort. I made changes a little at a time, through the years. So, no Crisco in pie crust or biscuits. I found butter or coconut oil were excellent substitutes. Then later, I found High Fructose Corn Syrup to be a main cause of diabetes, something that runs in my family. I slowly removed those items and replaced them with healthier ones, instead of throwing out everything and buying all new items.
In another area of life, I found that being late made my husband really mad. So, I started getting ready earlier and planning ahead. I hate to pack clothes for trips and waited till the last minute to do it. This also made us late. Then I had to listen to my husband fuss, most of the way to our destination. This made the destination undesirable, and those we were visiting uncomfortable. So, I began packing a week before a trip. Now, trips are more fun, and we are relaxed upon arrival. I am not completely consistent with that yet, but I'm better then I use to be.
I'm not saying this works for everyone, but before you throw a bunch of new things onto your list of items to accomplish this new year. Perhaps focusing on just one small thing at a time throughout the year, getting that down pat, then moving on to another, may cause less stress. Even though, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", it doesn't mean I should. Have a blessed New Year.
When the spies went into Jericho to survey the land and report back to Israel, they were not welcomed into the local synagogue. Instead they found shelter in the house of a prostitute named Rahab. Rahab hid these men from the king's soldiers. Her actions saved their lives.
When the soldiers left her house, Rahab told the Israeli spies that she had heard of the miraculous things that Jehovah had done for them. She knew that Israel was going to be successful in taking over her city. She then asked them to spare her when the time came. Rahab was instructed to hang a scarlet cord from her window and to bring her entire family into the house. When the walls of Jericho fell, her house was still intact and her family was saved.
This was a scandalous woman. A nobody. A lowly member of society who was looked down on. Nobody ever expected her to amount to anything...... But because of her faith, she acted. Because of her faith, not only was she redeemed, but everyone in her household was also redeemed. Because of her faith, the path of this prostitute was forever changed. Her faith not only brought about her rescue, but it brought about our rescue! Rahab was the great-great grandmother of King David. The same King David whose lineage brought about the birth of Jesus!!!
I pulled the cord off of my gift and tied it around my wrist. It has been there since Christmas morning. And every time I look at it I can't help but to think of Rahab and then wonder....... How far reaching will my own faith be???
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
