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Monday, October 1, 2007
The pain: The joy: Where is God in all of this? Do we not accept pain but only joy? But why Lord do you bless a family with a daughter who only lives one week? Why did Amy have to go through so much suffering? Why did this college son decide killing himself was the only answer to life’s problems? Why…. should be a word that is erased from my vocabulary, unfortunately it is not. The Lord led me to read a passage from a John Piper book titled The Pleasures of God. John’s Mom was killed instantly in an accident when John was a young man, it shocked everyone who knew and loved her. Also there were many painful times he shared also, and now the loss of his granddaughter. John said in his book: “As I knelt by my bed and wept….I never doubted that God was sovereign…and that God was good. I do not need to explain everything. That he reigns and that he loves is enough for now.” We don’t have the answers, and no matter how much it hurts we may not understand this side of glory. But to stand on the foundation of God’s sovereignty and the tremendous love He has for each one of us….IS ENOUGH FOR RIGHT NOW. And enough to face this next week, and whatever may come. Labels: Laurel's Articles, life Leave a comment... 9 Comments Links to this post They will begin their conditioning this week. Their body will be stretched, their mind expanded, and they will hurt all over. No one looks forward to the first week of football, not even my sons; they know what will be expected of them and how much effort it will entail. They will burn more energy in those two hours a day, than they have all summer long. During the summer they relaxed and were not as disciplined in exercise, and beginning next week they will pay for it. When they think they can not go any further, when they want nothing else than to sit down and call it quits there is a person on the sidelines, yelling at them.  “Keep going; only just a little bit further; come on I can’t do it for you; this is something you have to do to be successful,” he yells each day. Many times they get mad at the person on the sidelines; they think “who the heck is HE to tell me what to do?” They think that person was placed on this earth just to torture them; at least that is what it feels like at that moment.Then game day arrives, there is much anticipation and excitement. The players walk on the field with butterflies in their stomach, they were forced to eat something that morning because they were to nervous to be hungry. Each player is scared they will forget everything they have been training for; the guys on the other side of the field look so much bigger. What were they thinking to agree to this kind of torture, they stood there thinking? They rehearse in their mind everything the “yelling man” on the sidelines said during practice, wishing they paid more attention.  The first ball is hiked, the first sack is made and then the butterflies seem to be disappearing. The game is happening, good plays are made, then suddenly the ball is coming straight at you, so are all the big opponents. First thought was to panic, then instinct kicked in and without a second thought you catch the ball and run for the touchdown. You stand there amazed you were successful, where did that skill come from? You take the ball, walk over to the “yelling man” and hand him the ball and say, “thank you, I get it now; you were not here to torture me or make me miserable. You saw what I could be, before I ever was. You pushed me further than I thought I could ever go. I am successful because you believed in me.”  Butterflies happen each time, they don’t go away. The opponents always look bigger than they really are. And we will always get mad at the people pushing us to be something we don’t see. In the end it will all make sense, when you are put into battle your training and conditioning will become instinct. Dear Christian, keep the conditioning up; sometimes you will be called to be the player, sometimes you will be the “yelling man.” In the end you will know that it is not by your strength but His that you will win the game. Also, it is you alone that can fulfill YOUR purpose (no one can do it for you), but you need the other players and “yelling men” around you to help you succeed. I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and Lets go girls, there is a game to be won and we need each other! 
Labels: Laurel's Articles, life Leave a comment... 15 Comments Links to this post  "But it's so hard, Mom!" Colin sniffled through his tears. He fought them, but the difficulty in producing the desired violin hand position won out in the end. He stopped, took a deep breath, and looked at me with discouragement on his face. "You know, I had a teacher who made me cry, too," I said. "He would make me try and try and try until I thought I'd never succeed. I would come home after every lesson and cry to my mom. She listened and asked if I wanted to quit, or find a new teacher. But I told her he was so good and I wanted to stay with him. The tears didn't stop me from wanting to improve. And you know what?" "What?" "I stayed with him and got better and better. Sometimes the things that are most worth getting take the most work and the most tears." I said the words, gave him a hug, and helped him finish practicing. I sat on the couch as Colin packed up and then skipped upstairs to his room, presumably to his enormous collection of legos, and I kissed the little head of my 3-month-old resting just below my chin. I thought about what I had just told my oldest and wondered if I really believed it myself. Colin's teacher tells him, "Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent." Colin could practice for hours a day, but if he was practicing the wrong way, the habits he formed would not allow him to fulfill his potential. The same goes for me. What habits have I formed, through daily practice, that bring me closer to my God? Habits are less energy-consuming than things we must think about to achieve. Are my practices bringing me toward holiness? Or are the things I am doing from day to day actually making permanent those things that take me farther from Christ-likeness? I, myself, give in to tears as I think of how hard a life of godliness can be. I struggle at times with the mundane, the dailiness, the wearying drudgeries of life. But that's when I most need to listen to my own words to my son. That's when I need to remember that every action I make is moving me toward some type of permanence. That's when I must keep in mind that the things of worth often require a payment of tears. I remember the rewards of pleasing my teacher- the same one that made me cry- by creating beautiful music with my violin. How much more will I bring glory to the Eternal Teacher by practicing, making permanent, a life of godly love and service.  Visit my personal blog at Fruit in Season. Labels: Christine's Articles, life Leave a comment... 4 Comments Links to this post  “If you think you can handle all God has for you to do on your own, then you are thinking to small,” Stormie O'Martin said in her book Prayer That Changes Everything. Father I just don't have what it takes, how many of you have felt the same way. I have dreams that I keep tucked in the corners of my mind, and desires of wanting to be something great for the glory of God. In reality if I am truly honest, many of my thoughts rotate around the concern, I just don't have what it takes.
As Christians we grow weary in the fight, and dare I say we grow weary in always doing good. Many times it feels like an up hill battle. Now mind you I don't have the desire to do something bad, but I know non-believers don't have the constant mind battle of “is this the right thing to do? How would Jesus respond in this situation? Should I do this, should I do that?” As I was having this small pity party this week God brought many reminders to me throughout the week (don't you love that about Him?) Let me share how my week went while I was feeling weak: Tuesday: I was hit with many upsetting things, finances became real tight, unexpected bills arrived and my son who I just paid $400 to fix his broken teeth broke one of the teeth again (did not even last the whole vacation). I was sick to my stomach, I was crying. I was saying, “Father I CAN'T DO THIS.” Then after much whinning, I opened my mail and a sweet friend sent me a wonderful gift of a purse that said, “With God All Things Are Possible” Mark 10:27. I sat there and sobbed and knew God was in control. Wednesday: I was still feeling the drain of various pressures, but I knew God was in control. I listened to a Beth Moore broadcast she is doing on the book of Romans. At the end of the broadcast she challenged us to ask God to rock us, to make this piece of scripture change our life. God once again reminded me that he wants me to think BIG. Thursday: The Lord led me to this article (almost yelling at me, because you know I can be hard of hearing sometimes, GIRL ARE YOU GETTING THIS). Tony Dungy had this to say at a Christian Booksellers Association convention: .....the defining moment of his career, as he writes about in the first chapter of the book, was being fired as head coach in Tampa five years ago....at that moment, he really felt devastated and humiliated and was tempted to quit the business all together....but he described how his relationship with Christ sustained him through one of the toughest seasons of his life....he said Jesus taught him to stay focused, to be patient, to work hard, to be persistent, and to have faith that God loves him and has a wonderful plan for his life....imagine if Tony had quit then....what if he had thrown in the towel and left the game he loved after the setback in Tampa?....he had no idea at the time, of course, that he was just a few years away from being the first African-American head coach in NFL history to win the Championship....but, as Tony said, God knew what was ahead and He wanted Tony to trust Him and follow Him no matter what.....Tony also shared the story of playing on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s...."Mean" Joe Greene once told him that after three tough and disappointing seasons on the Steelers in the early 70s he had almost quit out of exhaustion and frustration....he had come so close to packing it in....imagine if Greene had walked away from the game he loved in 1973?....what a huge mistake that would have been....that very year, 1973, the Steelers drafted rookie wide receiver Lynn Swann....they started winning big, and went on to win the Super Bowl four times that decade (74, 75, 78, 79)....too many people, Tony noted, give up on their dreams too soon, rather than summoning up a quiet strength to keep going, even in the face of disappointment and opposition, and thus they never learn just how much they could really accomplish (read that again if you have to, let it sink in!)....where does that inner strength come from?....for Tony, the answer is clear: through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. (from Joel C. Rosenberg) the bold emphasis mine! Throughout the whole week, whenever I turned to read something or listen to a message Christ was reaffirming, "it is not you, it is not your ability. It is all about ME. Don't give up, don't quit, stay the course." Christ wants me to rely totally on Him. I truly do get that, but being a person who likes to have a little bit of control in things; it is a tough pill to swallow. So what is a girl to do when she is feeling weak and does not think she has what it takes? WORSHIP HIM. When you don't feel like it, PRAISE HIM. When you don't know which way is up, WORSHIP HIM. Strive to know God, don't strive for your purpose. If you feel adequate and ready to fulfill God's calling on your life, then you are not ready. It is when you are broken and convinced that there is nothing God could possibly use, then he says, “Now you are ready Girl, watch me move through you!” We serve an exciting God. His desire is to do things through you that are bigger than you! You won't accomplish your purpose – GOD WILL. “He who calls you is faithful...” (I Thess. 5:24) “Not by might not by power, but by My Spirit (Zechariah 4:6) Turn on that praise music and worship Him this week. PS Sorry for all my bold words and exclamation marks, but that is for me personally, just as much as it hopefully is an encouragement to you. It is hard to talk about Christ without putting tons of exclamation marks after each sentence =)
Labels: Laurel's Articles, life Leave a comment... 12 Comments Links to this post  In the movie "Patton", ok bear with me girls (I know this is not a girl movie). It shows the general sleeping (Patton) on his bed with a book on his chest - presumably he fell asleep reading the book. The the camera pans on the book, and we see the title as "Tank Warfare by Field Marshal Rommel". (The Field Marshal was the German army commander) The next scene shows the German and the American armies engaged in battle (and please I am using this as an example not to point out people from Germany, one of my dearest friends is from Germany =), and after a few minutes the Germans are retreating. General Patton is observing the scene through his binoculars, and giving some instructions to fine tune the plans set out. As the German Army retreats, General Patton exclaims: "Rommel, I read your book!"Can I just take a moment to yell, "Satan I have read the Lord's book, you don’t win. You may win these little battles, you may trip me up and get me off course, but you don’t win. I know you know this. You use the tool of my mind, trying to plant thoughts and doubts in my head trying to get me to enact my will to do something that is not pleasing to God, but satan I READ THE BOOK!” We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. II Cor 4:8-12 Satan likes to use your affections to lead you astray, what you think about most is where you affections lie. Is it negative self thought; is it fear, worry, or anxiety? We have control over where our affections are directed. If we don’t take control, satan will. How do we surround ourselves? By Christian music, devotionals, reading Christian books, reading the bible. Surround yourself; meditate on Christ, stand close the cross, then your affections will be on Christ when we are attacked. This is what got me through my week; great Christian friends and directing my affections towards Christ while I was hurting.
We will fall, we will stumble, but if we are constantly surrounding ourselves with the affections of Christ. The he will not win. Hey satan….”I READ THE BOOK, YOU DON’T WIN” You can visit me at my personal blog: Laurel Wreath Labels: Laurel's Articles, life Leave a comment... 13 Comments Links to this post Speckled and freckled beneath the waves of his sun bleached hair, is a five-year-old boy who's "all growd up." The sun has stained his cheeks to a rosy shade of pink, but he takes little notice of this, as he's only particular about his adorable wavy blond hair. This new obsession of his has led to the fact that Mommy's brush is MIA most everyday. I can't bring myself to cut it, nor can I stop myself from brushing my lips against the softness every chance I can get. So I do--unless he runs. Last night he ran. I chased the giggling boy around the coffee table, through the diningroom, out of the kitchen, and into his bedroom, until he was cornered. Smothering him with hugs and kisses, I savoured the scent of his freshly washed hair, while feeling the soft wave of feathers against my nose and my cheek. After crossing his arms, his bottom lip slipped forward in defiance. "What's your problem?" asked his sister, who was standing in the hallway. "I wanted to try going to sleep without hugs and kisses tonight!" he huffed, once again releasing the lip that marked his desire for independance. With little assistance, he tucked himself in, and waved me off into the night--his crown of curls encircling his rosy red cheeks on the pillow. I let out a yawn, and slipped off to bed myself. About four hours later, we awoke to the clap of thunder, a flash of lightening, and the little man standing at the foot of our bed, hoping to crawl in beside me. "I'm scared," he announced, then he slipped in beside me and pulled the covers up to his neck. For a while, I watched his young silhouette rise and fall with each breath he took. I smiled knowing that this little man was not "growed up" at all. He still needed his momma, and together we needed the storm. I got to thinking about the storms of life that shake us, bringing us down to our knees. Perhaps it's financial, or a matter of health, or perhaps it's losing the trust of someone you've grown accustomed to leaning on. Maybe it's shaking your faith, but hopefully it's doing the opposite--drawing you closer to the arms of the one who protects. We need the storms. For without them we wouldn't see that we have need for Christ. We are all sinners, and we all walk the same soil that trips us up from time to time leaving us feeling alone in the storm. But like my son who wants so desperately to stand on his own, we aren't alone and shouldn't be. I praise God that He is there to comfort me, to cleanse me, and to shelter me under His wing. I need my Father, and because of Him, I can weather the storm.  Visit me at my personal blog: Darlene Schacht dot com :) Labels: Darlene's Articles, fear, life, relationship with God Leave a comment... 13 Comments Links to this post  Last Saturday, I participated in a 13-mile mini-marathon for the first time. What a learning experience it was for this novice! Although I had read all kinds of info regarding what to expect on race day, nothing totally prepared me for some of the more odd obstacles I would encounter along those thirteen miles, from runners dressed in costumes to garage bands along the streets blaring really bad music to bystanders toasting us with open beer bottles at 10:00 a.m.  I started strong, but around mile 10, I grew weary and wondered if I could meet my goal of simply finishing the race. Those last three miles were long, giving me lots of time for contemplation and prayer—recalling Bible verses was a lot more inspiring than focusing on how bad my feet and legs hurt. Many of us are very familiar with Paul’s comparison of living a Christ-filled life with running a long race, how neither is meant for sprinting or for the uncommitted. Paul understood that we believers are entered into the ultimate long-haul. Even if you are not a runner, here are 10 running tips that parallel facets of the Christian “race:” 1. Train well (faithful, intentional spiritual growth). Those who train and those who don’t may look indistinguishable at the start line, but by the end, it will be obvious who prepared. In Hebrews 12:12, Paul comments about "training:" “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.” A certain amount of stress, as in weight-training, is good for the body. A certain amount of stress, as in leaving a comfort zone to help others or spending longer time in prayer, is good for the spirit. 2. Watch your step. Manhole covers are not flush with the road. Trash is slippery. Potholes are treacherous. In a spiritual sense, Proverbs is full of warnings about snares such as laziness, lust and foolishness. In 1 Peter 5:8, we are reminded of the enemy who stalks us from the sidelines. Remember that Jesus himself told us to be “shrewd as snakes and gentle as doves” (Matt. 10:16). This race is serious business--there’s a lot at stake, so "heads up!" 3. Stay nourished and hydrated, but don’t over-do it. Our needs and wants are legitimate, and God has made provision to meet them. If we continually focus on satiating those desires, however, there are consequences. In a marathon, too much water or energy bars can mean an unpleasant time-out at the porta-potty. In our Christian walk, focusing on the material dulls and distracts us from our goal. So grab refreshing water when you need it, enjoy a piece of fruit, but your focus is not on when and where the next reward or satisfaction will come from; it’s on the goal ahead. 4. To borrow a phrase from Max Lucado, “Travel light.” The smallest fanny pack can become a huge burden on the road. Likewise, the smallest grudge can create a lifetime of bitterness. Also, leave behind negative self-talk. So what if you tripped up a step or two back—you are already in a different place. To rehearse our faults and failings along the road is about as counterproductive as fighting any external obstacle, if not worse. Living in grace means traveling light. When I am running, if I exert the energy to turn my head and look behind me, when I look forward again, my pace is off, and I’ve slowed down to an awkward gait. In Hebrews 12:1, we are told, “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” We are not meant to live in bondage or in the past. 5. Stuff happens; keep going. Saturday, I dropped my MP3 player in a puddle of urine on the floor of a porta-potty, got Gatorade thrown on me, lost my sunglasses and got sunburned in spite of sun block. Nothing I read suggested these particular distractions would happen. The same way, no one told me when they handed me my newborn that someday he would need extensive jaw surgery. No one could have prepared me for the marital challenges specific to my husband’s personality and mine. Stuff just happens, and praise God, in these instances we are not alone. But the onus is on us to stay committed in faith to the One who, in the end, makes all crooked things straight. 6. Think about your goal continually. Every day, I think about death and heaven. I am not morbid, and I am not so other-worldly that I am out of touch with life here and now. It’s just that the older I get, the more I look forward to being in heaven with Jesus. Again, Paul admonishes us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Keeping your eye on the “prize” keeps you energized and inspired. 7. Encourage others. At the race, encouragement came from bystanders, police officers, volunteers, family and friends. One of the lightest moments in my race came when a cheerleading squad chanted at runners: “We know you’re dying; (clap, clap) Keep trying!” We are to bear each other’s burdens and lift one another up. Have you been anyone’s cheerleader lately? 8. Pace yourself. Again, this is a marathon. If you try to sprint the entire race, you will burn out. In our spiritual lives, pacing is tricky because we want to be productive in the kingdom. We want to serve with all our hearts--and heaven forbid we stagnate. Forward momentum is good, but most of us have at one time felt the burden of over-committing or embarking on a ministry that we are not called to or gifted for. It is exhausting, and it is not Jesus’ goal to keep us in a state of exhaustion. It is OK from time to time to take a little break and stretch your muscles—just get back in that race and faithfully go at the pace God designed for you. 9. Don’t focus on how you look or perform. I am a little over-weight. I have cheap running clothes and a cheap sport watch. I run slower than some people walk. So what? Onlookers can’t see my heart, how much I love running/walking or how inspired I am. They can't see how good I feel about maintaining fitness. They can't see how thankful I am that my body will walk and breathe on its own and is not dependent on machinery, due to illness. In the same way, we need to remember that the outer man is but a shell holding the real man. We have so many different gifts and weaknesses that comparisons are really moot. We are individuals deemed worthy by God of running the race and gaining the prize to which we are called. 10. Finish well. 2 Timothy 4:7-8: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” We long to hear our Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Carry on, fellow marathoners—finish well!  Labels: Christian walk, commitment, discipleship, faithfulness, finishing well, life, Linda's Articles Leave a comment... 11 Comments Links to this post
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