June was a whirlwind. we went camping for three days. then we came home. and then we went to Toronto for 9 days. and chris and I managed to go on a secret getaway for three days without any children to celebrate our ten year anniversary a little bit early. and Robert and Lindsay and their kids watched J that WHOLE time (with some help from Charles and Grace, and Barb and Jerry!) and now we are back to real life and 110+ degree days. and everything is so very great and wonderful.
except when it's not.
we are 11 days away from celebrating J being with us for a year. a whole year. 365 days. 40% of her whole life- she has spent with us.
admittedly, our honeymoon period with her lasted a pretty long time. and I am SOOOOOO very thankful for that. but man- when the honeymoon ended- about six months ago. it was a slap in the face.
speaking of slaps in the face, there is a story in the Bible that makes me so uncomfortable every time I read it. it's from Mark 10, starting at verse 35:
"And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"
And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." "
who do these guys think they are??? and more importantly- who do they think Jesus is? a freaking genie? "do for us whatever we ask of you." ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? that's ballsy!
it wasn't until I read that verse pretty recently that I felt uncomfortable for a different reason. I used to feel embarrassed for James and John for presenting/demanding such a ridiculous and presumptuous and vain request. I suddenly felt embarrassed because I have been just as presumptuous and pompous and vain when praying to the Lord. and I don't want to sit at Jesus' right hand. I don't need fame and acclaim. I want ease and permission to be lazy and QUIETNESS. and I feel like I deserve it. cause i'm a foster parent. and cause Jesus- can't you see how hard I am working over here, and how much I am giving to this little child who just takes and takes and screams and then takes some more?
chris took 17 days off of work to make our vacation marathon happen this month. it was so fantastic. I was SO excited to vacation. we went camping with chris' mom and step dad, and brothers, and their families. J came too. we camped with 4 kids. well, there were nine altogether, but I was responsible for four of them. and then I was SOOOO excited to go back to Canada to see my side of the family, and meet my newest nephew, Jordan, and eat, and be merry. and I was so happy to be with chris for our getaway. that guy is seriously my favorite.
but, here is a list of things that went wrong over the 17 days of our vacation:
-chris had an eye infection. it was like pink eye- only worse. he had to see an eye doctor in the middle of our camping trip because he was so uncomfortable and in pain. this infection lasted for a whole week.
-it rained so much during our four day camping trip that we had to cut it down to three days. and we were camping IN ARIZONA. the desert. you know- where it never rains...
-when going on our anniversary getaway, we realized that as a Canadian citizen, you MUST travel with your permanent resident card. failure to do so results in a $585 fine. FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE DOLLARS. fortunately they waived the fee because it was my first offense. BUT, our getaway was only three days and we were coming back to canada, and then would be coming back to the states again. so, I had to get my INCREDIBLE neighbor to look for my card and FedEx it to my parents' house and that cost $75.
-my period was two weeks late so I thought I was pregnant, even though I took four (negative!)pregnancy tests and chris got a vasectomy last month. my period showed up 14 days late.
-trying to get back to phoenix- we missed our connecting flight in dallas and had to sleep in the airport with our three kids. and mia peed her pants while she was sleeping and we threw her clothes in the garbage.
-Robert and Lindsay's daughter had salmonella and had to go to the ER while they were watching J!
-when we got back to Arizona our new (to us) minivan had to go directly to the shop and get thousands of dollars of work done to it over a span of four days.
it was a lot. and every time something bad happened, and I prayed that it would stop, or that we would get some help, nothing happened. or at least nothing good happened. or at least, what I was expecting to have happen didn't happen.
but here is the silver lining to the bad things that happened and just some other great stuff that happened:
-coming home early from camping gave us plenty of time to do five loads of laundry and pack for our trip to Canada.
-I will never travel without my permanent resident card ever again. and paying $75 for FedEx is a lot less than paying $585 to the people who are always trying to deport me.
-I have the best next door neighbor in the universe.
-i'm not pregnant! but that two weeks led to lots of different conversations, and chris and I are glad to still be foster parents, and one day there will be tiny foster babies in our arms, but for now we need to be thankful for the big baby that kind of runs our home.
-chris bought a warranty for our van so we paid ZERO dollars for all the repairs that went into it. the warranty has already paid for itself, and then some.
-we were able to see a friend of ours while in Toronto, who I thought was going to lose his life to cancer last year. fortunately he is in remission and we were able to hang out with him and his wife and two kids.
-my nephew is tooooooo cute! we got to see him every day that we were in town. my sister-in-law is a wonderful new mama, but she is a phenomenal wife and I praise Jesus that my brother found her and married her!
-my younger brothers took great care of my kids while we were away, and the kids loved hanging out with their Samchoons.
-while at a mall in toronto one day, I was standing around with our family and before me stood one of my dearest friends in the universe. we went to high school and university together. she was supposed to be one of my bridesmaids but was in the middle of exams at MIT and couldn't make it. she lives in Beijing with her hubby and one year old son. it was the most unexpected and beautiful blessing to run into her and spend a few hours catching up.
-J did so great while at Tia Blanca (white aunt if your Spanish is no Bueno) and Tio Roberto's house. She slept through about half the nights she was there which was a major source of stress and anxiety for me (on Lindsay's behalf!) she had lots of fun hanging out with Barb and Jerry, and also Charles and Grace, and we are so blessed that our friends and family love on J so well.
-Robert and Lindsay are the best for watching J for ten days and not flinching when we were delayed an extra half a day.
it is so very very easy for me to get caught up in all that is bad, and hard, and exhausting. and when I am being a giant Ass, it's so easy for me to feel like I don't deserve any of these terrible things, because I am SO good and I am doing something SO GOOD.
this weekend, my brother in law preached a fantastic sermon about adding 'SO' into our prayers. (you can watch it here. it's pretty great!)
he gave examples of how to add 'So' and why we should do it:
"i want my kids to be good...SO... I don't have to parent them." that one hit me in the gut. there are some 'So's I have to remove from my vocabulary, while adding them to my prayers instead.
"But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." -Mark 10:43-45
Thank you Lord for being SO GOOD. thank you for not always answering my prayers, and thank you for blessing me SOOO much even though I don't deserve it at all. I pray that you would make me a better Christian, and a better mom, but especially a better, and more humble foster mom SO that all the kids who live in our home now, and in the future, would come to know you and accept you as their personal Saviour. we aren't a foster family so that we will have more blessings and riches in heaven, we know we will be in heaven because of You. we are doing this SO that these foster kids will be singing your praises up there with us.
Showing posts with label words about the Word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label words about the Word. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2015
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
come, let us return
i know i must surely have shared this verse in the past, but i can't seem to find it in my old posts. but really, you can read the Bible a million times over and find new amazing truths in it every time you read it.
one of my favorite verses comes from the book of Hosea. if you are not familiar with the Bible, Hosea is a book in the old testament and he was a prophet. the coolest thing about this book is that it is a reflection of God's absolutely insane love for us, his sinful people. God commands Hosea to take a wife who is a prostitute and to deal with it. we are like the crazy dirty prostitutes that are married to a sinless beautiful spouse who loves us unconditionally, and who eventually lays his life down for us and redeems us of our pasts. Hosea. if you haven't read it before, bust it open, and enjoy.
so i was just reading this passage again today, because there are many who are near and dear to my heart who are in the midst of some pain and suffering. and they/we need healing, peace, rest, comfort, Jesus.
"Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth."
Hosea 6:1-3
spring rain! it finally rained this last weekend in the desert. i know it probably ruined/altered at least 3 weddings that i know were planned for outside on saturday, but the rain, especially here, is so refreshing! where gross patches of dead grass have been laying in our front and backyards- green grass is now starting to grow! it's amazing what a little refreshing rain can do for the earth, and for the spirit.
God is good and He has a plan. Lots of people have Jer 29:11 as their favorite verse in the Bible. it's a good one for sure. Most versions I have heard start out: "I have a plan for you." but i was just reading this verse last week in our High School small group meeting and my version (new king james) says:
"For I know the THOUGHTS that I THINK towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." how lovely is that? that God thinks of us and has good thoguhts towards us!
if you are in a place of hurting or know people who are, i hope these verses have brought you some comfort, cause our God is a God of love and compassion and He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
one of my favorite verses comes from the book of Hosea. if you are not familiar with the Bible, Hosea is a book in the old testament and he was a prophet. the coolest thing about this book is that it is a reflection of God's absolutely insane love for us, his sinful people. God commands Hosea to take a wife who is a prostitute and to deal with it. we are like the crazy dirty prostitutes that are married to a sinless beautiful spouse who loves us unconditionally, and who eventually lays his life down for us and redeems us of our pasts. Hosea. if you haven't read it before, bust it open, and enjoy.
so i was just reading this passage again today, because there are many who are near and dear to my heart who are in the midst of some pain and suffering. and they/we need healing, peace, rest, comfort, Jesus.
"Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth."
Hosea 6:1-3
spring rain! it finally rained this last weekend in the desert. i know it probably ruined/altered at least 3 weddings that i know were planned for outside on saturday, but the rain, especially here, is so refreshing! where gross patches of dead grass have been laying in our front and backyards- green grass is now starting to grow! it's amazing what a little refreshing rain can do for the earth, and for the spirit.
God is good and He has a plan. Lots of people have Jer 29:11 as their favorite verse in the Bible. it's a good one for sure. Most versions I have heard start out: "I have a plan for you." but i was just reading this verse last week in our High School small group meeting and my version (new king james) says:
"For I know the THOUGHTS that I THINK towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." how lovely is that? that God thinks of us and has good thoguhts towards us!
if you are in a place of hurting or know people who are, i hope these verses have brought you some comfort, cause our God is a God of love and compassion and He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Monday, January 3, 2011
lamenting myself in 2010 (and beyond...)
I realized I have a serious defect in my brain and spirit recently. I pray for things and envision the way God is going to answer that prayer.
Chris and I have been seriously praying for God to help us/take control of our finances since we did 'Financial Peace University' two years ago. Basically I envision money falling from the sky and Chris and I generously tithing said rain-money, and eating out more (what? I don't like cooking THAT much), and me buying as many $2 sale items as I can find, whether I need or even want said sale items or not.
So far, no money has fallen from the sky. Instead, Chris gets bouts of overtime, (which is a miracle since 'overtime' has become a very taboo word for municipal workers during this recession) and I have two jobs (working as a bookkeeper and watching Hobey). And I happen to have these two jobs while being able to work from home, hang out with my kids all the live long day, and still occassionally go to the office while being able to leave the kids with Chris. That's a huge blessing! But I am just barely thankful for these blessings. Why can't I just stay home with the kids and do nothing? Contribute nothing. Help no one but myself. And why doesn't Chris just get paid more? He works really hard. He should get paid more. I hate it when he gets overtime, cause that's more time he is away from the kids and I. I guess I really like the idea of sitting around with my family, having money fall down all around us, we just enjoy one another's company, and we do NOTHING else. That sounds great, right?
Me and my idiotic and lazy heart.
I occassionally blog about Jesus, and my faith, and my prayer requests and all that, but what I have come to realize, very ashamedly, in the last few weeks, is that I am one disgusting lazy Christian! I talk about how my faith is so important, and that if I had Jesus I would have nothing, but my words and actions are so very different.
Here are some disgusting things I have done/realized recently that show what a terrible Christian I am-
- When I sit down to do some quiet time and I have forgotten something like a pen, or even my Bible, I will say something stupid like: "Oh, I'm so tired. I will jsut have my quiet time without my pen (therefore no journalling) or my Bible (therefore no reading the Word!)" However, if I am in the middle of a random project, or I get a Sudoku game in front of me, I will immediately get up and search high and low for a pen. The hypocrisy of it all.
- While living with all of my in-laws over the last three months, I had at least 2 giant panic-stress attacks. One per household. I didn't know what Chris and I were doing. I didn't know what God was doing. We contemplated moving back into an apartment (the redundancy!) but knew that would cost a pretty penny, what with all the extra security deposits and what not. Instead of being super-thankful for our rent-less existence, we scrambled in our minds to figure out a way to dig ourselves out of 'the hole of unknowing' that we found ourselves in. It was so stressful and anti-productive. I am so glad we never actually acted on our craziness, cause we were SO BLESSED living with my in-laws for 3 months! not only did my relationship with all of my parents-in-law become more substantial, but we also saved some money in the midst of our genius idea to do Cancun and Christmas in the same month. I originally would have rathered God put us in a house right away and teach us patience and perseverance and all that in some other way, all while it was raining dollar bills outside but then I would have missed out on the relationships, and the building of my patience and perseverance.
- When I am watching a movie with the kids and I recognize the voice of a character but am not sure who it is, or if someone poses some random trivia question and I know not the answer- I am all up on Google looking to quench my need-to-know. Then the other day ago, Chris and I were reading Luke chapter 3, where Luke has Jesus' genealogy, and I felt compelled to compare it to the genealogy that is found in Matthew- and they are different! Wow! How many times have I read through Luke and not ever noticed that?!?!?! So Chris and I sat in bed pondering what the meaning of all this was. I said I would call Grandma Watson in the morning to figure it out, and so Chris and I called it a day. Why didn't I look that up on Google? Why was there no burning need-to-know in this situation?? Do you know when I figured out the answer? Like three days later. On Google.
Oh I loathe myself! I am truly a despicable despicable lukewarm hypocritical fleck of dust! Don't look at me Lord, I am hideous.
And yet- He loves me still. It's kind of insane.
I had a pretty great 2010- my niece Sunha was born, I saw my parents a few times, our family is healthy, Chris and I have jobs, and we have a plethora of people surrounding us who love us and support us in all that we do (they even let us live with them for weeks on end!!!), but I have to admit I did not learn very much from the Bible- because I hardly ever read it to learn more about God and further my relationship with Him.
I know it's only the fifth day of the new year, but I am doing so much better already! It does sound ridiculous to just change because of a new year, when really God gives us the opportunity to change every day.
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lam 3:22-23)
Here's another gem from the same chapter:
"Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord." (Lam 3:40)
So! I have examined my ways- and they suck! So here's to a much more meaningful and spiritual and blessed 2011(me blessing the Lord and others around me I hope)
and beyond!
Chris and I have been seriously praying for God to help us/take control of our finances since we did 'Financial Peace University' two years ago. Basically I envision money falling from the sky and Chris and I generously tithing said rain-money, and eating out more (what? I don't like cooking THAT much), and me buying as many $2 sale items as I can find, whether I need or even want said sale items or not.
So far, no money has fallen from the sky. Instead, Chris gets bouts of overtime, (which is a miracle since 'overtime' has become a very taboo word for municipal workers during this recession) and I have two jobs (working as a bookkeeper and watching Hobey). And I happen to have these two jobs while being able to work from home, hang out with my kids all the live long day, and still occassionally go to the office while being able to leave the kids with Chris. That's a huge blessing! But I am just barely thankful for these blessings. Why can't I just stay home with the kids and do nothing? Contribute nothing. Help no one but myself. And why doesn't Chris just get paid more? He works really hard. He should get paid more. I hate it when he gets overtime, cause that's more time he is away from the kids and I. I guess I really like the idea of sitting around with my family, having money fall down all around us, we just enjoy one another's company, and we do NOTHING else. That sounds great, right?
Me and my idiotic and lazy heart.
I occassionally blog about Jesus, and my faith, and my prayer requests and all that, but what I have come to realize, very ashamedly, in the last few weeks, is that I am one disgusting lazy Christian! I talk about how my faith is so important, and that if I had Jesus I would have nothing, but my words and actions are so very different.
Here are some disgusting things I have done/realized recently that show what a terrible Christian I am-
- When I sit down to do some quiet time and I have forgotten something like a pen, or even my Bible, I will say something stupid like: "Oh, I'm so tired. I will jsut have my quiet time without my pen (therefore no journalling) or my Bible (therefore no reading the Word!)" However, if I am in the middle of a random project, or I get a Sudoku game in front of me, I will immediately get up and search high and low for a pen. The hypocrisy of it all.
- While living with all of my in-laws over the last three months, I had at least 2 giant panic-stress attacks. One per household. I didn't know what Chris and I were doing. I didn't know what God was doing. We contemplated moving back into an apartment (the redundancy!) but knew that would cost a pretty penny, what with all the extra security deposits and what not. Instead of being super-thankful for our rent-less existence, we scrambled in our minds to figure out a way to dig ourselves out of 'the hole of unknowing' that we found ourselves in. It was so stressful and anti-productive. I am so glad we never actually acted on our craziness, cause we were SO BLESSED living with my in-laws for 3 months! not only did my relationship with all of my parents-in-law become more substantial, but we also saved some money in the midst of our genius idea to do Cancun and Christmas in the same month. I originally would have rathered God put us in a house right away and teach us patience and perseverance and all that in some other way, all while it was raining dollar bills outside but then I would have missed out on the relationships, and the building of my patience and perseverance.
- When I am watching a movie with the kids and I recognize the voice of a character but am not sure who it is, or if someone poses some random trivia question and I know not the answer- I am all up on Google looking to quench my need-to-know. Then the other day ago, Chris and I were reading Luke chapter 3, where Luke has Jesus' genealogy, and I felt compelled to compare it to the genealogy that is found in Matthew- and they are different! Wow! How many times have I read through Luke and not ever noticed that?!?!?! So Chris and I sat in bed pondering what the meaning of all this was. I said I would call Grandma Watson in the morning to figure it out, and so Chris and I called it a day. Why didn't I look that up on Google? Why was there no burning need-to-know in this situation?? Do you know when I figured out the answer? Like three days later. On Google.
Oh I loathe myself! I am truly a despicable despicable lukewarm hypocritical fleck of dust! Don't look at me Lord, I am hideous.
And yet- He loves me still. It's kind of insane.
I had a pretty great 2010- my niece Sunha was born, I saw my parents a few times, our family is healthy, Chris and I have jobs, and we have a plethora of people surrounding us who love us and support us in all that we do (they even let us live with them for weeks on end!!!), but I have to admit I did not learn very much from the Bible- because I hardly ever read it to learn more about God and further my relationship with Him.
I know it's only the fifth day of the new year, but I am doing so much better already! It does sound ridiculous to just change because of a new year, when really God gives us the opportunity to change every day.
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lam 3:22-23)
Here's another gem from the same chapter:
"Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord." (Lam 3:40)
So! I have examined my ways- and they suck! So here's to a much more meaningful and spiritual and blessed 2011(me blessing the Lord and others around me I hope)
and beyond!
Monday, October 18, 2010
i can't see the keys
i am typing on a very well-loved/well-used keyboard at my father-in-laws house right now. it is so well-used that a lot of the letters have rubbed off of the keys and gone to the place where often-used letters go to rest... and all this is fine because i don't look at the keys on the keyboard while i type anymore anyway...
i think i had my first typing class in the 3rd grade. maybe even before then. that was over twenty years ago!!!! (depression at the thought.) i've been through high school and college, having been a serious computer-user. i know where the letters are on the keyboard. and even having been a bookkeeper for the last five years, i am pretty dang good at the ten-keys all the way to the right of the keyboard. so much so that it messes me up a bit when i am actually dialing a phone number in my phone (cause the numbers are in kind-of reverse order.)
anyway, i know keyboards. they are pretty much all the same. i am a big girl now, i don't need to look to see where the letters are. except when they're not there...
i actually have made more typos on this keyboard than any other keyboard i have used in a long long time. the 'c' and 'v' and 'n' and 'm' are not to be seen on this keyboard at all. and this has messed me up in a big way this week. i've written a lot of 'ecem thoughs' (even though...) and 'bevause i meed nore nilk.' (because i need more milk. ok. that's not a sentence i have ever tried to write before, but you get my point.)
anyhow, i think this is all so amusing in light of my new hobby of trying to find God in everything. and it's not hard once you start looking. you just have to make the effort to start.
my sudden inabililty to do something that i have been doing for a very long time, just because visibility is at an all time low, translates into my faith life. i am cruising along with Jesus when times are good, but when things get a little hazy over yonder and i'm not sure where God is taking me, i suddenly seem to think He has disappeared altogether. it's like when Peter was walking on the water, going to Jesus. but once he looked down at the water and lost sight of the Lord, he began to sink. and i don't know if you are a judgemental christian like i am, but everytime i read a story about Peter, i just shake my head and think 'oh Peter, you idiot. i NEVER would have done that, had i been walking and talking with Jesus in the flesh!' but what does that say about my relationship with Jesus now? that it's not as strong as it would be had i lived 2000+ years ago? just because i haven't seen Jesus in the flesh, does that make him less real? and just cause i can't see where he is taking me, does that mean he has left me? or you? surely not. why am i so reliant on being able to see things? even when i KNOW that they are there? cvnm... cvnm... cvnm...
"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29
God is so good that he loves me desppite my weaknesses/lack of faith! he reveals himself to me when i am walking through the fog every time. he is so good. i am so weak.
"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20: 30-31
i think i had my first typing class in the 3rd grade. maybe even before then. that was over twenty years ago!!!! (depression at the thought.) i've been through high school and college, having been a serious computer-user. i know where the letters are on the keyboard. and even having been a bookkeeper for the last five years, i am pretty dang good at the ten-keys all the way to the right of the keyboard. so much so that it messes me up a bit when i am actually dialing a phone number in my phone (cause the numbers are in kind-of reverse order.)
anyway, i know keyboards. they are pretty much all the same. i am a big girl now, i don't need to look to see where the letters are. except when they're not there...
i actually have made more typos on this keyboard than any other keyboard i have used in a long long time. the 'c' and 'v' and 'n' and 'm' are not to be seen on this keyboard at all. and this has messed me up in a big way this week. i've written a lot of 'ecem thoughs' (even though...) and 'bevause i meed nore nilk.' (because i need more milk. ok. that's not a sentence i have ever tried to write before, but you get my point.)
anyhow, i think this is all so amusing in light of my new hobby of trying to find God in everything. and it's not hard once you start looking. you just have to make the effort to start.
my sudden inabililty to do something that i have been doing for a very long time, just because visibility is at an all time low, translates into my faith life. i am cruising along with Jesus when times are good, but when things get a little hazy over yonder and i'm not sure where God is taking me, i suddenly seem to think He has disappeared altogether. it's like when Peter was walking on the water, going to Jesus. but once he looked down at the water and lost sight of the Lord, he began to sink. and i don't know if you are a judgemental christian like i am, but everytime i read a story about Peter, i just shake my head and think 'oh Peter, you idiot. i NEVER would have done that, had i been walking and talking with Jesus in the flesh!' but what does that say about my relationship with Jesus now? that it's not as strong as it would be had i lived 2000+ years ago? just because i haven't seen Jesus in the flesh, does that make him less real? and just cause i can't see where he is taking me, does that mean he has left me? or you? surely not. why am i so reliant on being able to see things? even when i KNOW that they are there? cvnm... cvnm... cvnm...
"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29
God is so good that he loves me desppite my weaknesses/lack of faith! he reveals himself to me when i am walking through the fog every time. he is so good. i am so weak.
"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20: 30-31
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
renters are just horses
i'm feeling kinda poetic with all my metaphors these days...
so, i just need to share our 24 hour journey with renters. we've had renters for over two years now. well, two years in one house, and one year less a month in the other. i find the whole 'landlord' thing a bit stressful, and i don't technically do anything! but should we be able to keep these rentals for years and years and years, that would be great. and if not... then, not.
anyhoo, we had these renters in our mesa house. nice folk. they own a tattoo parlour or two here in the valley. the guy is also a photographer on the side. two businesses that don't exactly thrive in a recession. they were late with their payments once in a while, but always paid, so we were just fine.
but then came The Text, and panic reallyreallyreally wanted to set in, but chris and i tried (prayed) to keep all that at bay. we knew God had a plan. we really really hoped and prayed that God had a plan. we got the text message that our renters had already vacated our property at about 5pm on monday. monday night chris and i sat at our kitchen table and did our psalm bible study. so glad we did, cause we happened to be on psalm 20:
"May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!" v.1
that's how it starts out. so great. then comes verse 7, a personal fave:
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."
staying on the horse theme, it reminded me of another favorite psalm which goes a little something like this:
"A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in you."
Psalm 33:17-22
renters are a vain hope for deliverance! as is money! we said that if we had tons and tons of money, this wouldn't be our issue- but we would certainly have a ton of other ones! we read these verses, gobbled them up in fact, and we decided there were lots of roads to take, we just needed wisdom to know what first step to take.
the next morning chris went to the house, took pictures of it (everything was left in great condition. those texting fools really took great care of our house.) and then posted them on craigslist. if you are looking to rent out your house- craigslist is your best bet! last year we paid to have our places on apartments.com and another site that i can't remember, but both our renters came through craigslist. so chris posted the house at about 12:30pm. he went to meet a buddy for awhile. i laid low at home, still trying not to worry about having to possibly prostitute myself, and my husband (but not the kids! that's just wrong.)
at 3pm, i got a call from a very nice lady who is living out of state right now. she was interested in our craigslist post! we chatted for about ten minutes or more and she sounded so nice and perfect! she was moving out aug 1st, she had 5 kids, her husband had gotten a job at the hospital 5 minutes away from the house, and she had a job at a hospital 10 minutes away. i told her to call chris when she started to ask specific questions about the rental procedure (remember- i am not really a landlord! why am i so stressed then???). chris was out, but as soon as he got home, he e-mailed the lady a rental application form.
at 5pm, we were eating pizza with barb and jerry, and the lady called back. she had filled out the form and e-mailed it back. she asked if it was crazy that she hadn't seen the house but was willing to take it. that's not crazy woman- that's prefection!!!! and she is renting it for the exact same price our previous renters were paying us. yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so, that was one of the more eventful 24-hours we have spent in awhile. and unfortunately it was probably one of the most God-saturated 24-hours we've had in a long while too, cause we were in a bind and needed Help. Divine Capital-H Help. we are so weak and pathetic and even insincere in our faith sometimes, and yet, somehow, the creator of the universe still loves us, knows us, cares for us, and helps us out, even when we don't deserve any help of any kind.
thank you God, for being the one who gave the horse his strength and for clothing his neck with a flowing mane. (Job 39:19) i could not have done that. and thanks so much God, for sending us a horse. and in 24 hours to boot!
so, i just need to share our 24 hour journey with renters. we've had renters for over two years now. well, two years in one house, and one year less a month in the other. i find the whole 'landlord' thing a bit stressful, and i don't technically do anything! but should we be able to keep these rentals for years and years and years, that would be great. and if not... then, not.
anyhoo, we had these renters in our mesa house. nice folk. they own a tattoo parlour or two here in the valley. the guy is also a photographer on the side. two businesses that don't exactly thrive in a recession. they were late with their payments once in a while, but always paid, so we were just fine.
but then came The Text, and panic reallyreallyreally wanted to set in, but chris and i tried (prayed) to keep all that at bay. we knew God had a plan. we really really hoped and prayed that God had a plan. we got the text message that our renters had already vacated our property at about 5pm on monday. monday night chris and i sat at our kitchen table and did our psalm bible study. so glad we did, cause we happened to be on psalm 20:
"May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!" v.1
that's how it starts out. so great. then comes verse 7, a personal fave:
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."
staying on the horse theme, it reminded me of another favorite psalm which goes a little something like this:
"A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in you."
Psalm 33:17-22
renters are a vain hope for deliverance! as is money! we said that if we had tons and tons of money, this wouldn't be our issue- but we would certainly have a ton of other ones! we read these verses, gobbled them up in fact, and we decided there were lots of roads to take, we just needed wisdom to know what first step to take.
the next morning chris went to the house, took pictures of it (everything was left in great condition. those texting fools really took great care of our house.) and then posted them on craigslist. if you are looking to rent out your house- craigslist is your best bet! last year we paid to have our places on apartments.com and another site that i can't remember, but both our renters came through craigslist. so chris posted the house at about 12:30pm. he went to meet a buddy for awhile. i laid low at home, still trying not to worry about having to possibly prostitute myself, and my husband (but not the kids! that's just wrong.)
at 3pm, i got a call from a very nice lady who is living out of state right now. she was interested in our craigslist post! we chatted for about ten minutes or more and she sounded so nice and perfect! she was moving out aug 1st, she had 5 kids, her husband had gotten a job at the hospital 5 minutes away from the house, and she had a job at a hospital 10 minutes away. i told her to call chris when she started to ask specific questions about the rental procedure (remember- i am not really a landlord! why am i so stressed then???). chris was out, but as soon as he got home, he e-mailed the lady a rental application form.
at 5pm, we were eating pizza with barb and jerry, and the lady called back. she had filled out the form and e-mailed it back. she asked if it was crazy that she hadn't seen the house but was willing to take it. that's not crazy woman- that's prefection!!!! and she is renting it for the exact same price our previous renters were paying us. yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so, that was one of the more eventful 24-hours we have spent in awhile. and unfortunately it was probably one of the most God-saturated 24-hours we've had in a long while too, cause we were in a bind and needed Help. Divine Capital-H Help. we are so weak and pathetic and even insincere in our faith sometimes, and yet, somehow, the creator of the universe still loves us, knows us, cares for us, and helps us out, even when we don't deserve any help of any kind.
thank you God, for being the one who gave the horse his strength and for clothing his neck with a flowing mane. (Job 39:19) i could not have done that. and thanks so much God, for sending us a horse. and in 24 hours to boot!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Good God
this is random, but this weekend there were baptisms at our church again, and of course, it's my favorite thing to watch. mostly cause it really really clears out my tear ducts. just joking. seeing people publicly give their lives to the Lord is nothing short of the most beautiful thing on earth. whether you are a little kid- having the wisdom at an early age that Jesus is your Lord and Saviour, is awesome; or if you are a grown man of 40, with kids and a wife- having the wisdom and humility as a grown man that you can't do it on your own, that you and your family need and deserve to have God at the center of your lives, that's awesome too. anyway, that's not the random thing i was going to mention. in the midst of the baptisms, i noticed the shirt of a young girl who got into the 'pool' to get baptized. her shirt said 'OMG'. for those who are not of the texting generation, that means 'oh my god', and i just thought it was kind of a funny, yet oddly appropriate thing to wear to be baptized.
anyway, most of my posts are dedicated to my kids, poo, and family life. in that order. this post is dedicated to Jesus, who i love with all my heart. i have to remind you that i am not a pious and good person. i don't spend hours a day praying on my knees and meditating on the Word. i don't have the opportunity or ability for such practices. but, i do pray, and Jesus, being awesome, answers my prayers. always in His special way. and ALWAYS on his clock.
i have prayed for an acquaintance of mine to become pregnant for about 3 years. this couple had been trying for a bit more than that actually. they tried and tried and nothing happened. there were certain things that came up, endometriosis and such. even after that was 'fixed', still no baby. then this couple adopted a baby. and they waited and waited for that bundle of joy to arrive in their arms. pretty much as soon as their adopted baby arrived in their homes, a new baby arrived in the wife's womb. oh Jesus. you're so funny. when i told this story to a friend of mine, the thing that blew her away the most was that Jesus must have such a special plan for the adopted baby, cause if the parents had gotten pregnant at any time in their first 2 and a half years of trying, they never would have adopted the baby they have now.
then a few months ago (like 8) a few people i know prayed for a friend of ours to get a job. yes, eight months. no job. shocking in a recession. i know. sometimes i feel like if i pray for something, it should just happen. like right away. and knowing the verse that says "again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." (matt 18:19) hello, Jesus? a lot of us here have agreed for quite some time that this friend, and his family, needed a job. but during these eight months, other prayers were said, AND answered, other things were being worked on and developed and God answered our specific prayer of getting a job this week (thank you Lord!)
and finally, today, i got a call from an out-of-town grilfriend of mine who was in a pickle a few weeks/months ago. she and her husband were not on the same page. already not a fun situation. but they were not on the same page about having a baby. my friend wanted one now-ish. her husband, not so much. (actually, chris and i prayed this prayer for our life a while back. the roles however, were reversed.) but more than wanting to have a baby now, my friend wanted to be on the same page as her husband. especially about this, cause it's kind of a big deal. so we prayed about it. we prayed for heart change, cause that's one of the many awesome things that God is able to work, in whoever needed their heart to be changed. maybe just one of them, maybe both. and God did it! sacrifice, peace, and love have shown up in abundance in their home, cause God is good.
so, all this prayer answering has been great for my faith, and i am sharing it all with you, cause hopefully it will help you with yours too. especially if you have been praying a certain prayer for a long, long time. philippians 4:6-7 says: "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." it's important that God guards our hearts and our minds, and is able to do it for a long time, cause sometimes he takes a loooooooooooong time to answer our prayers. sometimes the answer to our prayers don't look the way we thought they would, and often they don't happen when we think that they 'should'. and that always ends up being a good thing. because God is good. and He's quite a bit smarter than the rest of us.
anyway, most of my posts are dedicated to my kids, poo, and family life. in that order. this post is dedicated to Jesus, who i love with all my heart. i have to remind you that i am not a pious and good person. i don't spend hours a day praying on my knees and meditating on the Word. i don't have the opportunity or ability for such practices. but, i do pray, and Jesus, being awesome, answers my prayers. always in His special way. and ALWAYS on his clock.
i have prayed for an acquaintance of mine to become pregnant for about 3 years. this couple had been trying for a bit more than that actually. they tried and tried and nothing happened. there were certain things that came up, endometriosis and such. even after that was 'fixed', still no baby. then this couple adopted a baby. and they waited and waited for that bundle of joy to arrive in their arms. pretty much as soon as their adopted baby arrived in their homes, a new baby arrived in the wife's womb. oh Jesus. you're so funny. when i told this story to a friend of mine, the thing that blew her away the most was that Jesus must have such a special plan for the adopted baby, cause if the parents had gotten pregnant at any time in their first 2 and a half years of trying, they never would have adopted the baby they have now.
then a few months ago (like 8) a few people i know prayed for a friend of ours to get a job. yes, eight months. no job. shocking in a recession. i know. sometimes i feel like if i pray for something, it should just happen. like right away. and knowing the verse that says "again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." (matt 18:19) hello, Jesus? a lot of us here have agreed for quite some time that this friend, and his family, needed a job. but during these eight months, other prayers were said, AND answered, other things were being worked on and developed and God answered our specific prayer of getting a job this week (thank you Lord!)
and finally, today, i got a call from an out-of-town grilfriend of mine who was in a pickle a few weeks/months ago. she and her husband were not on the same page. already not a fun situation. but they were not on the same page about having a baby. my friend wanted one now-ish. her husband, not so much. (actually, chris and i prayed this prayer for our life a while back. the roles however, were reversed.) but more than wanting to have a baby now, my friend wanted to be on the same page as her husband. especially about this, cause it's kind of a big deal. so we prayed about it. we prayed for heart change, cause that's one of the many awesome things that God is able to work, in whoever needed their heart to be changed. maybe just one of them, maybe both. and God did it! sacrifice, peace, and love have shown up in abundance in their home, cause God is good.
so, all this prayer answering has been great for my faith, and i am sharing it all with you, cause hopefully it will help you with yours too. especially if you have been praying a certain prayer for a long, long time. philippians 4:6-7 says: "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." it's important that God guards our hearts and our minds, and is able to do it for a long time, cause sometimes he takes a loooooooooooong time to answer our prayers. sometimes the answer to our prayers don't look the way we thought they would, and often they don't happen when we think that they 'should'. and that always ends up being a good thing. because God is good. and He's quite a bit smarter than the rest of us.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
I'm Eating Humble Pie for Easter
our small group has been reading colossians. we wanted to set ourselves up for success, so we picked one of the shortest books of the bible. there are only 4 chapters. we've been at it for about 4-5 weeks. we are ALMOST finished with chapter two. almost. it's good though, because the whole book is jam-packed with too much good information. not that other books in the bible are NOT packed with too much good information. you know what i'm saying.
anyhoo, i read ahead a few weeks ago, and am completely stuck on chapter 3. the part about 'rules for holy living'. yikes. chris' grandmother told me once that she was studying the love verse in 1 corinthians, and she tried to practice each attribute of love, starting with 'love is patient' continuing on to 'love is kind, it does not envy...' i think she said she was 'stuck' on the first one for quite a while. which is understandable cause it was when she was mothering 4 young boys.
anyhow, so i am reading through this chapter, and it's making me feel like garbage, cause i realize more and more that i am full of garbage: "set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things..."
with easter coming up, you'd think i would naturally be full of pious thoughts, and thankfulness for what my Savior did on the cross for me (and for you!). but alas, i have fallen captive to the american way of celebrating easter- easter dresses, easter baskets, etc. etc. i say this is the 'american way' because when i was living in canada, i was unaware that people made such a big commercial deal about easter. but i was unaware of quite a bit when i lived in canada. sometimes that was a good thing, sometimes not. it didn't make me holier, maybe just apathetic.
but here in the land of the free, everywhere you go, there are beautiful and fluffy dresses for girls, supercute preppy outfits for boys, wonderfully cute things to fill easter baskets with. they are in the stores, ads appear in all 6 of my e-mail addresses, i am overcome with the desire to buy buy buy!
and is that what Easter is about? of course not. but do my thoughts rest, daily, on what easter is about? not really.
chapter 3 continues: "put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry... but now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips." ah. so much more to work on. of late, i have been repeating the latter portion of that verse to myself when i get riled up about nothingness and am filled with impatience, and BAD WORDS. seriously, i have to repeat that about 3 times a day. minimum. i don't know why i have such anger in my heart. or filthy language from my lips. but it probably has to do with my heart, and it's condition, and what it's fixated on. and like i said before, it ain't always Jesus.
i am so stuck on that beginning part of chapter 3 that i find it hard to read on, but i must, cause it tells me what to fill the gap with: "therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentlness, and patience." and there is no greater picture of someone who lived all this out, than in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, a very torturous death, and yet still displayed compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, all the while. yowsers.
if you read through colossians, one thing that is mentioned in every chapter is thankfulness. we need to be thankful, no matter what circumstances are around us. thankful for the people around us, thankful for Jesus, thankful to God, for all things.
so, no matter what you end up wearing for easter, or what is or isn't in your basket, i wish you all a happy easter.
anyhoo, i read ahead a few weeks ago, and am completely stuck on chapter 3. the part about 'rules for holy living'. yikes. chris' grandmother told me once that she was studying the love verse in 1 corinthians, and she tried to practice each attribute of love, starting with 'love is patient' continuing on to 'love is kind, it does not envy...' i think she said she was 'stuck' on the first one for quite a while. which is understandable cause it was when she was mothering 4 young boys.
anyhow, so i am reading through this chapter, and it's making me feel like garbage, cause i realize more and more that i am full of garbage: "set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things..."
with easter coming up, you'd think i would naturally be full of pious thoughts, and thankfulness for what my Savior did on the cross for me (and for you!). but alas, i have fallen captive to the american way of celebrating easter- easter dresses, easter baskets, etc. etc. i say this is the 'american way' because when i was living in canada, i was unaware that people made such a big commercial deal about easter. but i was unaware of quite a bit when i lived in canada. sometimes that was a good thing, sometimes not. it didn't make me holier, maybe just apathetic.
but here in the land of the free, everywhere you go, there are beautiful and fluffy dresses for girls, supercute preppy outfits for boys, wonderfully cute things to fill easter baskets with. they are in the stores, ads appear in all 6 of my e-mail addresses, i am overcome with the desire to buy buy buy!
and is that what Easter is about? of course not. but do my thoughts rest, daily, on what easter is about? not really.
chapter 3 continues: "put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry... but now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips." ah. so much more to work on. of late, i have been repeating the latter portion of that verse to myself when i get riled up about nothingness and am filled with impatience, and BAD WORDS. seriously, i have to repeat that about 3 times a day. minimum. i don't know why i have such anger in my heart. or filthy language from my lips. but it probably has to do with my heart, and it's condition, and what it's fixated on. and like i said before, it ain't always Jesus.
i am so stuck on that beginning part of chapter 3 that i find it hard to read on, but i must, cause it tells me what to fill the gap with: "therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentlness, and patience." and there is no greater picture of someone who lived all this out, than in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, a very torturous death, and yet still displayed compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, all the while. yowsers.
if you read through colossians, one thing that is mentioned in every chapter is thankfulness. we need to be thankful, no matter what circumstances are around us. thankful for the people around us, thankful for Jesus, thankful to God, for all things.
so, no matter what you end up wearing for easter, or what is or isn't in your basket, i wish you all a happy easter.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
working on it...
'it' is not poop in this post.
i am going through my many posts and trying to label them. this is going to take awhile... i'm working on it.
i am also working on trying to post more stuff about our crazy and wonderful week in potty training last week... i'm working on it.
i have a gigantic list of things to do today. i am very very slowly working on it...
but one of the things i have on my list is to post about a geat conversation i had with my co-worker yesterday. she was giving me some 'tips' on having quiet times for a friend of mine who is leading high school girls and wants to encourage them in their quiet times. since my friend and co-worker is a pastor's wife, this kinda makes her a 'professional Christian', so i knew she would have something great to say. and she did!
she was telling me about how her church is going through the book of Mark in a year. YES. a year. there are 16 chapters. i'm not sure how they are going to do, it, but it sounds very interesting.
anyhoo, so she has been reading Mark chapter 1 for quite some time now, and she made an observation that she had never realized before in all the many times she has read Mark. This is right when Jesus is being baptized by John the Baptist:
"And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him." Mark 1: 11-13
the thing that struck my friend was how God said He was please with Jesus and IMMEDIATELY threw Him into the desert to be hungry, alone (well, he was with the devil, but you know what i mean) and tempted. This was a blessing. This was God's will. Sometimes we look at people who have it all and we think:"wow! that person is blessed! they have it all." Then we look at others who don't have it all, who look like their lives are very long desert experiences, and we tend to think: "what did they do to vex the Lord? what sins could they have committed to make the Lord so mad at them?" and this isn't the right way to think at all! and i do it all the time! so shame on me. and shame on you if you do it too. God is blessing us by bringing us through the desert- cause He is the one bringing us there, which is something we tend to forget. His angels are there to attend to us, if we would just let them.
i finished reading Job on my reading schedule, and at the end of Job's trials it says: "All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring." Job 42:11
i love it when things just fit together like a neat little puzzle. if you are hurting, or feel like you are in the desert, don't go it alone. don't let the devil tempt you into thinking you are alone, or unloved or forgotten by God. cause you are not. He has brought people around you to comfort and console you. let them do it. let them feed you. let them pray for you. and if they have it- let them give you pieces of silver and gold rings. (i've got the former two, but the latter two i am fresh out of!) this is definitely something we can work on together.
i am going through my many posts and trying to label them. this is going to take awhile... i'm working on it.
i am also working on trying to post more stuff about our crazy and wonderful week in potty training last week... i'm working on it.
i have a gigantic list of things to do today. i am very very slowly working on it...
but one of the things i have on my list is to post about a geat conversation i had with my co-worker yesterday. she was giving me some 'tips' on having quiet times for a friend of mine who is leading high school girls and wants to encourage them in their quiet times. since my friend and co-worker is a pastor's wife, this kinda makes her a 'professional Christian', so i knew she would have something great to say. and she did!
she was telling me about how her church is going through the book of Mark in a year. YES. a year. there are 16 chapters. i'm not sure how they are going to do, it, but it sounds very interesting.
anyhoo, so she has been reading Mark chapter 1 for quite some time now, and she made an observation that she had never realized before in all the many times she has read Mark. This is right when Jesus is being baptized by John the Baptist:
"And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him." Mark 1: 11-13
the thing that struck my friend was how God said He was please with Jesus and IMMEDIATELY threw Him into the desert to be hungry, alone (well, he was with the devil, but you know what i mean) and tempted. This was a blessing. This was God's will. Sometimes we look at people who have it all and we think:"wow! that person is blessed! they have it all." Then we look at others who don't have it all, who look like their lives are very long desert experiences, and we tend to think: "what did they do to vex the Lord? what sins could they have committed to make the Lord so mad at them?" and this isn't the right way to think at all! and i do it all the time! so shame on me. and shame on you if you do it too. God is blessing us by bringing us through the desert- cause He is the one bringing us there, which is something we tend to forget. His angels are there to attend to us, if we would just let them.
i finished reading Job on my reading schedule, and at the end of Job's trials it says: "All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring." Job 42:11
i love it when things just fit together like a neat little puzzle. if you are hurting, or feel like you are in the desert, don't go it alone. don't let the devil tempt you into thinking you are alone, or unloved or forgotten by God. cause you are not. He has brought people around you to comfort and console you. let them do it. let them feed you. let them pray for you. and if they have it- let them give you pieces of silver and gold rings. (i've got the former two, but the latter two i am fresh out of!) this is definitely something we can work on together.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Good Support. Part 2
what does good support look like? a good bra makes you look, well, good. that's good support. i have AWESOME support AROUND me. (don't even get me started on the sad state of my chest-al region...)but my support system makes me look goooooood.
lots of people think i am a lucky person. i am lucky to be married to chris. i am lucky to be able to love ALL of my in-laws. i am financially lucky. etc. etc.
but the thing i chalk all this up to is that i have a network of people who pray for me. a lot. i know my mom prays for me and my 4 siblings a lot. i know chris' grandparents pray for us alot. as do his parents. all four of em. and then i even have friends who pray for me. it's amazing.
right now i am reading the Bible chronologically in a year. that means i usually read 3 to 4 chapters a day. it's easy to read for the sake of reading just so i can check that off of my list of things to do. but i am actually getting a lot out of it. for some reason, my schedule has me reading Job and Matthew. that's not chronological, but whatev. i am doing as the reading plan tells me to do. these two book don't really go together. and that bothered me, until i was able to apply lessons from both on how to be a good friend.
in chapter 8 of Matthew is the story of the centurion who has the sick servant at home. the centurion's faith provokes Jesus to heal his servant: "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." (v.13) then in chapter 9, there are some friends who bring their paralytic friend to Jesus: "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.'" (v.2) the servant and the paralytic did not ask for help or healing. it was their friends and master respectively who came before the Lord and asked for healing for them. this is the kind of friend i am striving to be.
and then i am also reading Job. if you know the story of Job, it is about a guy who is in the midst of some serious suffering, and he has these 3 friends who are 'trying to help him'. but they don't help. they make things worse. but sometimes as you are reading what they are saying, it kinda sounds like they are giving pretty good advice. not so says the Lord! The Lord says to Eliphaz: "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as mt servant Job has... My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly." (Job 42: 7,8)
i am very fortunately not identifying with Job right now (thank you Jesus!) but i definitely am trying not to identify with his friends either. i unfortunately have some friends who are kinda in Job's shoes. things just aren't right right now. so i am in the midst of trying to be there, give good advice and support. but the best thing i can do is pray with faith. cause then it's not about me, or my friend, but about Him who is able to heal and fix and create and comfort and change. i can't remember who said this, but i think about it when i pray: the power is not in the one who is praying but in the One who hears them.
lots of people think i am a lucky person. i am lucky to be married to chris. i am lucky to be able to love ALL of my in-laws. i am financially lucky. etc. etc.
but the thing i chalk all this up to is that i have a network of people who pray for me. a lot. i know my mom prays for me and my 4 siblings a lot. i know chris' grandparents pray for us alot. as do his parents. all four of em. and then i even have friends who pray for me. it's amazing.
right now i am reading the Bible chronologically in a year. that means i usually read 3 to 4 chapters a day. it's easy to read for the sake of reading just so i can check that off of my list of things to do. but i am actually getting a lot out of it. for some reason, my schedule has me reading Job and Matthew. that's not chronological, but whatev. i am doing as the reading plan tells me to do. these two book don't really go together. and that bothered me, until i was able to apply lessons from both on how to be a good friend.
in chapter 8 of Matthew is the story of the centurion who has the sick servant at home. the centurion's faith provokes Jesus to heal his servant: "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." (v.13) then in chapter 9, there are some friends who bring their paralytic friend to Jesus: "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.'" (v.2) the servant and the paralytic did not ask for help or healing. it was their friends and master respectively who came before the Lord and asked for healing for them. this is the kind of friend i am striving to be.
and then i am also reading Job. if you know the story of Job, it is about a guy who is in the midst of some serious suffering, and he has these 3 friends who are 'trying to help him'. but they don't help. they make things worse. but sometimes as you are reading what they are saying, it kinda sounds like they are giving pretty good advice. not so says the Lord! The Lord says to Eliphaz: "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as mt servant Job has... My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly." (Job 42: 7,8)
i am very fortunately not identifying with Job right now (thank you Jesus!) but i definitely am trying not to identify with his friends either. i unfortunately have some friends who are kinda in Job's shoes. things just aren't right right now. so i am in the midst of trying to be there, give good advice and support. but the best thing i can do is pray with faith. cause then it's not about me, or my friend, but about Him who is able to heal and fix and create and comfort and change. i can't remember who said this, but i think about it when i pray: the power is not in the one who is praying but in the One who hears them.
Good Support. Part 1
i was going to write a post about having good support around you. and then i got this e-mail from chris' grandfather, so i thought i would share it, cause it made my day:
"To my Dear, Dear, Jihae,
I throughly enjoy reading your blog, it's a daily thing for me and I'm disappointed when there is a lapse for a few days but I plug on, knowing that another one will eventually come. I'm pleased with your blog on Serious Rambling. Your (that's plural, including Chris) desire to grow in Christ and recognize dissatisfaction that there is more to life than just satisfying yourself is very reassuring. The very first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism is "what is the primary purpose of man?" And the answer is "To glorify God and enjoy him forever." That really sums it up very beautifully. It's a real trap though to think of what you could or should be doing (and being dissatisfied by your "failures") when in reality God calls us first exactly where we are, both in time and maturity. The old maxims "Bloom where you are planted" and "when God gives you lemons make lemonade" etc are really quite valid. The ministries and opportunities in your life now will be quite different from the ministries and opportunities you'll find yourself in ten years from now when the kids are becoming teenagers, and twenty years from now when the kids are grown and gone, and thirty years from now when you're slowing a bit but have greater opportunities to do more. Every decade brings new and exciting relationships and opportunities, and as long as your vision is fixed on God, He will use you for His glory. So hang in there, take time to meditate on the Word, follow the good impulses that keep you in obedience to loving your neighbor (and your friends), and keep on being the wonderful granddaughter that you have become. I love you and we love you, and your husband, and your sweet children, and any future children that you may be blessed with.
GGpa"
thanks grandpa/ggpa! i, we, love you too.
"To my Dear, Dear, Jihae,
I throughly enjoy reading your blog, it's a daily thing for me and I'm disappointed when there is a lapse for a few days but I plug on, knowing that another one will eventually come. I'm pleased with your blog on Serious Rambling. Your (that's plural, including Chris) desire to grow in Christ and recognize dissatisfaction that there is more to life than just satisfying yourself is very reassuring. The very first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism is "what is the primary purpose of man?" And the answer is "To glorify God and enjoy him forever." That really sums it up very beautifully. It's a real trap though to think of what you could or should be doing (and being dissatisfied by your "failures") when in reality God calls us first exactly where we are, both in time and maturity. The old maxims "Bloom where you are planted" and "when God gives you lemons make lemonade" etc are really quite valid. The ministries and opportunities in your life now will be quite different from the ministries and opportunities you'll find yourself in ten years from now when the kids are becoming teenagers, and twenty years from now when the kids are grown and gone, and thirty years from now when you're slowing a bit but have greater opportunities to do more. Every decade brings new and exciting relationships and opportunities, and as long as your vision is fixed on God, He will use you for His glory. So hang in there, take time to meditate on the Word, follow the good impulses that keep you in obedience to loving your neighbor (and your friends), and keep on being the wonderful granddaughter that you have become. I love you and we love you, and your husband, and your sweet children, and any future children that you may be blessed with.
GGpa"
thanks grandpa/ggpa! i, we, love you too.
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