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Friday, August 31, 2007
"And, Colin? You've gotta flush!" My sigh is loud. I wouldn't want anyone to miss it. I quickly move from room to room trying desperately to create some semblance of order. The baby is actually happy in the bouncy seat for the time being. I am well aware that it will most likely be a very short time. I sort the laundry and head into each child's room. "Maddy, why haven't you put away your clothes? I asked you to do that three times earlier. You need to do something the first time I ask you! Put them away now please, neatly, and bring down your basket when you're done." I lift the baby from his seat, get a burp and feel warm stuff running down my back. After a quick check to make sure none got on the floor, I trot downstairs, barely remembering by the time I reach the bottom to wipe off my shirt. "Someone didn't clear their place from lunch!" I call upstairs to whomever is listening. Probably no one, I think to myself. I sigh again, put the baby on a blanket, and rub my temples. Why, Lord, can't they remember the things I ask? Why can't they do things the first time? I repeat myself over and over and yet I might as well be talking to the pot rack. I know how you feel, God answers. You do? Yes. Remember last week when I told you to hold your tongue? How many times have I said that to you? Oh, now you're making this about me? No fair. Or what about the times I've asked you to not be so sensitive? That's a tough one for you. You're taking the wind out of my sails now, God. I know I'm not perfect. I'm only asking you to guide them gently. Shepherd them as I do you. They will learn more by your example than your stern words. You're the perfect parent, God. Just be with me and teach me... That's all I wanted to hear. You got it. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Prov. 16:3  Come visit me at my blog home, Fruit in Season. Labels: Christine's Articles, Motherhood, Obedience, relationship with God Leave a comment... 7 Comments Links to this post Yesterday I was mopping my kitchen, wondering what I would write for today. The topics were swirling around in my head, like the bubbles in the mop bucket. Some ideas would come to the top, shine for a moment, then become replaced by new ones. Swishing and slopping. Thinking and mopping. Then it came to me. And it started with the reason I was mopping in the first place. You see, I had needed to mop all week. No, make that for a couple of weeks. We've been busy, in and out with summer activities and a weekend trip to the lake, so the last thing on my mind was mopping the floor. Since our schedule has been packed away with our school books, the chore list on the back of the laundry room door has been all but forgotten, so whichever child had "mop the kitchen" on their list for the week had gotten a break. As I was lingering over my coffee enjoying a rainy Saturday morning chatting with my husband, I noticed the floor. But, I wasn't motivated to mop. Morning turned into afternoon and I was buzzing around the house doing other Saturday chores, but still not mopping. Not yet. Not motivated yet. Amid flitting from task to task, I was in the kitchen putting away some groceries, and it happened. A jar of pizza sauce went crashing to the floor. It was officially The Great Pizza Sauce-splosion of 2007. (We name the events at our house. There was The Milk-splosion of '04, The Cheeto-splosion of '05, The Egg-splosion of '06, and now, well, we have '07 covered. In pizza sauce, apparently.) Suddenly I was motivated to mop. As I was mopping, I was thinking about the blind man whom Jesus healed in John 9. There are so many things to learn from this story, but one thing that has always stuck with me is- Jesus gave a command and a big motivation to obey it. John 9:6-7 tells us that "... He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 'Go,' He told him, 'wash in the Pool of Siloam'... So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." Have you ever had a grain of sand in your eye? For that moment, whatever you are doing is put on hold, you close your eye and run to the nearest sink or mirror because your new goal in life is- Get. This. Out. Of. My. Eye. And that's just one grain! Can you imagine not just one eye, but both eyes, being covered in dirt and someone else's spit? I can imagine that the man was quite motivated to do as Christ commanded Him! Oh, go wash? Okay! Of course, Jesus could've healed his blindness with a simple touch, as He did for the man in Mark 8:25, or as in Bartimaeus' case, with a word (Mark 10:52.) Who knows why He did it as He did in this instance, perhaps to show that the power lay with Him, not with spit or sand (common items) but one thing I glean from it is... He used an irritant. Are there some irritants in your life that perhaps God could be using to motivate obedience or facilitate spiritual healing in a certain area? Perhaps He may be using someone you're around everyday to help you learn patience. Physical symptoms related to anxiety could point to a need to trust Him more in certain areas (as I've been learning personally). Sometimes He uses an untenable job situation to force a much-needed job change. Financial difficulties can point to a need to change spending habits or simplify. If He's allowing (or applying) certain irritants, we can be assured that it's accompanied by His loving, healing touch. And like the believing blind man, upon yielding to His plan we can come out of the situation seeing things with new eyes.  I'd love for you to visit my personal blog, One Day More. Labels: Cyndi's Articles, Healing, heart matters, Obedience Leave a comment... 5 Comments Links to this post God intrigues me. He always finds me while I am camping to impart a new life lesson with each tent experience. Last weekend was no different. Saturday night I am snuggled in my fluffy sleeping bag, fast asleep. In the early morning darkness I become painfully aware a bathroom trip is imminent. I fumble with the tent zipper which is stuck. While struggling to dislodge the nylon from the teeth, I begin to dance the potty dance. My feet are tapping and I am tugging. Finally I give it a forceful pull while praying over the tangled mess and the zipper roles up. Whew! After I rush to the bathroom, I slowly amble back up toward our campsite. On the trek back I notice a strange phenomenon, a subtle roaring is emanating from every campsite I pass. For a second I wonder if wild animals have congregated looking for leftovers. No, I don’t hear wild beasts. I hear men snoring. I giggle, completely amused by the various pitch, gurgling, and roaring noises which fill the night air. I arrived back at our campsite to find our tent is rockin’ and a rollin’ in unison with my husband’s wood sawing. My six-foot-two, tall dark and handsome, can snore better than most. He has been known to register a 5.2 on the Richter scale occasionally. We live in California - this can be sacary. As for myself, I might breathe heavily or sigh politely in my sleep. *grin* For years I informed my spouse his snoring was perhaps a bit “over the top.” Of course, he did not believe me. Not once in his entire life had he heard himself snore. He was convinced that I was daft and suffering with oversensitive ears. Finally, it happened. While rooming with a buddy on a trip, my husband’s snoring became so loud his friend picked up and checked into his own room to get a good nights rest. At last, my husband believed. All of this snoring has led me realize, I too, have ignored loud and annoying parts of my character. I chose to believe my circumstances were an exception to specific teachings of scripture. So much of God’s Word I want to apply but have willingly left certain verses sitting idle. I have ignored God. Specifically, over the past two years, God has been pointing out several scriptures I refused to believe were for me. Today, I surrender. I cannot see my life as an exception. I must see my life through all scripture, even passages which point out my spiritual snoring. At last, I see, I believe! Slowly, patiently God waits for me to open my eyes. He never gives up, never tires, never sleeps. He waits and works, crafting my heart and soul. The Lord has an amazing future planned for me which is born out of obedience. I can’t wait to see what awaits tomorrow as I surrender willingly today. Jesus obedient: John 4:34 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." I retell this story with a hug from my husband and his encouragement.... Tall, Dark, and Handsome, thanks for allowing me to share you with my friends. Please stop in for a visit at my place: Spiritually Unequal Marriage.  Labels: Humor, Lynn's Articles, Obedience Leave a comment... 9 Comments Links to this post  Last week I stood on The Great Wall. I never thought I would. In fact, I determined years ago that I wouldn't.As a newly married couple in 1991, my husband and I were sitting in our comfortable twenty-something, "young married's" Sunday School class one Sunday morning, when some visiting missionaries from China spoke. I remember noticing that my husband was becoming increasingly interested as they shared about their ministry in China. I also remember thinking, "No way!" I distinctly told God that day in my heart, "I'll go anywhere you send me, but never China." Why? Because China, to me, represented everything I feared- being on the opposite side of the world, completely away from the "familiar," having to eat food I probably wouldn't like... being totally out of my comfort zone. Furthermore, I never considered myself to have the "gift of evangelism," so the prospect of being about as far away from home as I could imagine, sharing the gospel, made me even more nervous! Nope. Not for me. Long story short- I went. In 2005, I found myself in China on a short term mission trip. It was quite a journey to get there, but by God's grace, He brought me to that point. I remember two years ago climbing, climbing that huge wall, looking out across the vast expanse beyond it... and singing "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." This year I didn't climb quite as far or sing, but I was reminded that there I stood, once again, in a place I had told God I would never go. That wasn't the first "Great Wall" I'd climbed, actually. I'd climbed the "Great Wall" of stay-at-home motherhood, even though I thought I would be a lifelong "career woman." I'd climbed the Great Wall of homeschooling after teaching public school, which I loved. As I write I can think of many other "Great Walls" in my life, those "I'll nevers" that I've said to myself and to God. Brick upon brick, building my Great Walls. Do you have a Great Wall? Something that you've told God you'll never do, or are hoping He'll never ask you to? Maybe it's a place you don't want to go, or a ministry in which you don't want to serve. Perhaps it's a place you'd feel very insecure or don't feel you have the necessary gifts. Maybe it's a role that just seems downright unattractive or uncomfortable. Today I'm encouraging all of us to yield those walls to Him. I discovered, as so many women have as they've found themselves in a place they thought they'd never be, that it was a place of great blessing, a place of great peace. There is nothing like knowing that you are in a place you would've never put yourself, and that it must be the hand of God that led you there. Nothing compares to knowing that you are smack in the middle of His will and His plan. And there's nothing like standing in that place, knowing that you are not standing alone. The hand that leads you there is the hand that holds you in the mighty grip of His grace. Visit my personal blog at One Day More. Labels: Cyndi's Articles, fear, Obedience, serving God Leave a comment... 8 Comments Links to this post I have a confession to make: I am a Lord of the Rings nerd. I counted today and in the land of Girlfriendom - after I considered every woman I know - I have exactly zero friends who share my affinity for all things Middle Earth. My love for this magical land leads me to hope, but never dare pray, that Heaven will be something like the Elven city of Rivendell. My perfect eternity consists of worshiping throughout the ages on regal white horseback like the elf princess, Arwen. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have told you that. But now you are convinced of the nerd part, yes? Even if you do not share my love for this mythical place, you simply must force yourself to watch these films and ask God to reveal all of the spiritual imagery. One such scene has captured my heart this week as I’ve been preparing a series of lessons for a women’s retreat. In the trilogy, there is a niece to the King of Rohan named Eowyn. She is described as fearless, high-hearted (love that word), and skilled with a sword but is forbidden to participate in warfare because she is a woman. A great battle is looming and, determined to defend mankind, she disguises herself in armour and rides into the fight. In the climax of the battle, Eowyn’s uncle, Good King Theoden, is struck down by the Evil Witch King and is about to be devoured by the flying beast he rides. Just in time, Eowyn takes her stand between Good and Evil and proclaims, “You can not have him!” Evil boastfully replies, “No man can kill me.” As she reveals her womanly identity Eowyn surprises Evil by exclaiming, “I am no man!” She strikes the Witch King and destroys him…something no man in the entire army could have done. If she had stayed locked away in the city, no doubt the outcome would have been much different. I get the Girl Power Goosebumps every time I think about it! (Be rest assured I am no feminist, but that is for another post.) Listen to Jesus say: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no on can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30 Hear Christ Jesus say to Satan today, “You can not have her!” Oh that we would wrap our minds around that thought! That we could let the truth sink marrow deep that we are sealed and protected by Christ’s own blood and nothing, no person, no situation can take those who believe on His Name from His hand. He stands between you and the evil one. “Over my dead body,” Jesus says. But wait. Satan tried that too – only the grave could not hold Him who holds the keys to death and destruction. In our relationships, we are called to stand in that place of protection for our wounded sisters. Even now, God is growing in me a supernatural love for both women I know and those I’ve never met. I desire more than anything to stand, with the Lord at my side, between you and Satan and proclaim, “you can’t have her! I know what she has been through. I’ve done this one before. Get up sweetheart, we are going home.” Satan may laugh. However, just like Eowyn, you or I may be the only one suited to turn that smurk into a howl of defeat when he realizes we were just the ones pre-designed to win this battle. God knows what it will take to disarm Satan and when our lifesong will be most fitting to minister in a specific circumstance. All He asks of us is our ‘yes’. One thing is certain, if we stay safe behind the walls we may remain unscathed, but the warfare will continue and many will be left stranded on the battlefield. What does standing for woman-kind look like practically? * You have a co-worker who is going through a rocky time in marriage. You've been there and the Lord restored your relationship. Will you be willing to involve yourself enough to share the source of your healing? * A young mother at church has suffered a miscarriage. You remember the pain of your own quite well. Will you send her a note to tell of your own experience so she'll know her grief is understood and justified? * Your daughter is not born again. She has continuously let you know the subject is off limits. Will you rise up against Satan and proclaim, "You can not have her!" Will you continue exploring creative ways of sharing the Gospel at all costs? Praise God, we know the One who wins the war, but there remain many battles to be fought between now and then. Will you join me in holy indignation against the enemy on behalf of the sisterhood? This army comes in the name of the Living God and our Father is greater than all. Satan - Beware!  Labels: glorifying God, Lisa's Articles, Obedience, sacrifice Leave a comment... 22 Comments Links to this post Today, my state, Indiana, joins the rest of you in scoring some extra daylight. For reasons unclear to 99% of us Hoosiers, we have stubbornly bucked Daylight Saving Time until this year. As a result, we've never been sure exactly what time it is within Indiana because we've been enjoying three time zones! Regardless, if you want to honk off a Hoosier, especially a farmer, ask him how he feels about DST. And then take a few steps back. Personally, I like the idea of springing forward. the Christian life emphasizes forward momentum, "forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead," as in Philippians 3:13, and finishing the race, as in 2 Timothy 4:7. We never want to stagnate, and daily we search hopefully for signs that we are becoming more and more like Christ. Sometimes, though, instead of a healthy forward momentum, I feel I'm living in three time zones. That is, I fill my days with lists of tasks, responsibilities and service, and at the end of the day, I realize how little time I've engaged the Lord. Do I really believe that God is more concerned about who I am than what I do? For instance, I'm part of a "Read the Bible in a Year" campaign. I'm actually ahead of schedule, but that's because I've been galloping through Numbers like Seabiscuit out of the gate. Instead of speed reading, I should be researching why God included so many details and figures. I should slow down to ask, "Lord, what do You want to say to me today through Numbers?" But then, I'd have to actually slow down to listen. In an effort to nurture relationships, I have lists of names to call or email, but sometimes, I find myself clock-watching after just a few minutes. Maybe I should just ask the Holy Spirit, "Show me who needs attention and love today." Once again, I'd have to stop and listen. And then there are the yes/no demands on my time: the caller asking if I can help with a special school project; the bulk mailing at work that didn't get completed--should I work an extra hour? My daughter is asking if I can help her bake a new dessert; the clean laundry wrinkling in the basket even as I write this is pestering me--and what about tonight's dinner, my newspaper column, my little dog? Do you feel guilty if you're not "doing," not constantly springing forward toward the next task? I'll bet you know the scriptures as well as I do about being still and knowing He is God, about His yoke being easy and His burden light, and about how Jesus withdrew from crowds to pray. But it's hard to break the hold of what some have called "the tyranny of the oughts and shoulds," both internal and external. We so want to get this life "right." If you are a compulsive "do-er," consider handing over your plans today to the Father by focusing on the two great commandments of Luke 10:27, loving God with your entire being and loving your neighbor as yourself. This doesn't mean God won't ask anything of you; He says if you love Him, you'll obey His commands, which I also interpret to include those commands he speaks to you personally about your day. However, you don't have to busy in a God-pleasing activity to please God. You please him by treating Him as the highest significant other in your life. Instead of making sure we're hitting the details of 20 nonessential tasks per day and planning tomorrow's superfluous 20, maybe we should focus on what God gives us for that day, or that hour, and do them with passion and excellence. And that may mean devoting an entire evening to helping your 5th grader create a solar system model--a great opportunity for intimate sharing between you, your child, and the One who molded the spheres and released them spinning. You can't top that for meaningful multi-tasking!  Labels: busyness, Linda's Articles, Obedience, self-worth, time management Leave a comment... 14 Comments Links to this post  Raising children is a challenge in itself. From the moment their first breath is taken, as a mother you are teaching, instructing, and molding them according to God’s will. Some days the communication misses its mark. While driving home after picking my middle son Charles up from school, I was going through our normal routine of asking him how his day was, what homework does he have for the night, and what did he eat for lunch. I am raising boys, so I have to be specific in my questions in order to find out how their day was, and to gather any relevant information. I compare Charles to the “absent minded professor.” He is in the gifted class, he never has to study to receive all his A’s. But remembering his homework has been his biggest challenge. Many times we are faced with him receiving several sign-ins for missing homework. I know he completes his homework, I see Charles working on it at home, but many times it does not make it back into the proper folder. When asking him about his Scoop Newsletter and how many sign-ins he received for the week. With enthusiasm Charles replied, “I received three sign-ins, but they were NOT for missing homework.” He was so proud of himself; he was rationalizing that he accomplished something good. I looked at him with my eyes as big as saucers and said, “so then that means you got three sign-ins for misbehavior!” How often do we justify disobedience with rationalizations to God. We rationalize to God explaining our situation is special. This is where our faith in God comes into play, many times our human eyes can see an easier way out of a situation (can we say Israelites), but our ways are NOT his ways. In Hebrews 11:1, Pauls explains, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The novelist Naguib Mahfouz wrote you can tell a wise man by the questions he asks. Rationalizing can seep in even when we are not aware, so we need to ask God to reveal any erosion in our life, and be ready to have ears that hear. Communication is key, and communication is two way. Psalms 119:9 "How can a young man keep his way pure?
Labels: Laurel's Articles, Obedience, The Word Leave a comment... 16 Comments Links to this post Carol had the hard job. She started this blog off with a wonderful post, reminding us of why we are in this community of women to begin with. I can now settle us into our coffee break, as we share in fellowship and encouragement, by highlighting 2 Cor. 12:9 (which I do very well, by the way, cracked pot that I am):
When my sister and I were kids, we had an hour limit on our TV time. For many years we chose to watch Little House on the Prairie (5:00pm on channel 11) as a family, foregoing other less-valuable shows in favor of the adventures of the Ingalls family. We would all settle down in the family room, my dad lying on the floor with a magazine, as we got wrapped up in Mary's quiet obedience, Pa's hard work and love of family, Carrie's little-girl smile, Ma's gentleness, and Laura's buck teeth and spunk. I think every little girl related to Laura above all. She had an energy and fire about her that rang true for us, and we loved her. Now with Colin, our 6-year-old, I am reading the second book in the Little House series. We came across this passage and it has stuck with me all week.
Wow, that Caroline! What a mom! I don't remember ever hearing her speak a harsh word or raise her tone of voice. There was always gentleness in her spirit and soft words from her mouth. Ma simply spoke Laura's name and, even in the midst of Laura's frustration and little-girl tiredness, calmed her down as I only wish I could do with my own children! But Laura still complained internally. I sense more in me that reflects Laura in this passage than Ma. I respond to God's soft whispers and the Holy Spirit's nudgings with internal grumbling, even while obeying Him. Then God said, "Christine..." How many times do I hear that still, small voice and argue with it? More often than I'd like to admit. "But God, I'm tired and I don't want to cook dinner. I'd rather just call for take out..." Grumble, grumble, grumble. "But God, the way they treated me is not fair, why should I forgive?" "But God, I really want to look at a few more blogs instead of clean the bathroom..." Complain, complain, complain. "But God..." "But..." And you know, if we argue and complain enough, God's voice doesn't get louder, as mine would if my children were to complain, but softer. God doesn't draw nearer to make sure we hear. Instead He withdraws and lets us go our own way for a time, till we realize that we need Him to guide us and correct us if we are to remain in communion with Him. I so want to be able to practice "first-time obedience" with my Father, in the same way I teach my kids to respond to me. Not that they have that down pat, mind you, but we're working on it. Why? Because, as their mom, I am to have only their ultimate good in mind, and they are to trust that that's true. Because of God's perfect nature, and because he told us so, we know that God only has our best interests at heart.
If I can trust that, then the still, small voice will be enough. I will listen, and even if I just hear, "Christine...", I will know that I am to follow His voice. I am to take every thought captive for Christ, even the grumbling and complaining, and let myself be led. Then I'll be able to rest in God, who knows me fully, and sit back in full obedience and comfort, regardless of the circumstances. Though I wish I was more like Ma, I can learn from Laura. I can learn that even in disagreement, displeasure and reluctant obedience, God wants what's best for me and will stop at nothing to gently call me back to the place of contentment- the place where I am in complete communion with Him. Labels: Christine's Articles, Obedience Leave a comment... 14 Comments Links to this post
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