A Cure for the Gimmies.....

It is that time of year again, time when the advertising giants succeed by turning our sweet contented kids into little greedy monsters with a bad case of the 'gimmies'.  Just hand your child a Toys R Us catalog and watch them say on every page, "I want that....I want that....I want that....Hey Mom, I want that!"  It causes parents everywhere to wonder if they are doing something wrong, some go crazy and provide as much as possible for a perfect holiday, and some just want to scream, "HELP!!!"  I found this object lesson that I think will be an easy way to curb the gimmies.  It is easy to do, understand, and makes a beautiful point.  All you need is a bowl, cereal, and some milk!  Here it goes:

1. Have some store adds or catalogs out on the table.  Let the kids 'dream' and make mental lists as to what they are hoping to receive for Christmas.  Do not censor them, let them make long want lists and get caught up in it.  (I told them to circle with a marker whatever they are hoping to recieve for me to look at later :)

2. Pass out the bowls and milk ( but DO NOT pass out spoons).  Someone will quickly say they need a spoon.  Ask them what would happen if they tried to eat the entire bowl with out a spoon.  Talk about how it will be messy, uncomfortable, to much to handle or hard to swallow. 

3. After a conversation about eating without a spoon say, "Well, good news!  I have a spoon for you!"  Give out spoons.  Ask them to listen to you explain an important thing about God and presents as they enjoy their cereal.

4. Explain to them that God is like the spoon.  He knows we can only handle small mouth fulls of blessings at a time.  To many gifts at one time are like our bowl of cereal without the spoon.  It is unhealthy for us to receive to much at once just like it would be difficult to handle our cereal without the spoon. 

Proverbs 30:8-9 says,

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.


Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.

5. Share with your child how God's Word reminds us that if we receive to much at one time we will forget God and His goodness.  We would take for granted what He has done and provided for us.  We do not want that to happen!!! 

6. End the lesson by asking them how we can be careful not to get caught up in the Gimmies and be thankful for all God has given us.

I hope this blesses your family during the Holiday season and helps to keep us all focused on Jesus, not presents!  Merry Christmas!

How Thirsty Are You?

Yesterday I went to the gym to fit in a quick workout.  I planned on spending just 30 minutes on a cardio machine.  I forgot to grab myself a water bottle this time and of course only took my membership card in with me.  I passed a water fountain outside the locker rooms and thought, oh it's only 30 minutes.  I will be fine. 

I walked up the stairs and climbed onto my machine.  I started it like normal and after about 2 minutes my body temperature started to rise and I really wished I had brought my water bottle.  "How nice it would have been to have a sip of cool fresh water," I thought.  A few minutes later I found myself starting to sweat.  Then, I realized I was fixated on the water fountain across the room.  I watched sweaty person after sweaty person lean over and take a drink.  I remembered the scene in Three Amigos where one man had his full canteen and was wasting it while the other two were dying of thirst!!!

I was feeling pretty silly at this point.  I could pause my machine and walk over the the source of water and put myself out of my misery.....but I only had a few minutes left.  So, I stayed put wishing I was being refreshed like everyone else.  Whining that I should have remembered my own bottle of water.   Beating myself up for not being more prepared with quarters in my gym bag for a vending machine.  After my workout was over I rushed over to the water fountain and drank like a camel!!!  (A camel can drink up to 32 gallons at a time and go without drinking for 1-2 weeks!!!)

Later I was reflecting on that and I started to wonder....how many of us think we are camels?  How many times do we try to drink in excess hoping it will sustain us for a long time?  I am of course speaking spiritually here.  I also wondered how many of us are so focused on the our work (or workout) that we don't stop and go to the fountain of Living Water.  Maybe we aren't prepared with our bottle full before we set out or are fixated on everyone elses???

Whatever the reason for our severe thirst, the answer is to seek God, and He will satisfy it. 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6


“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
'Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.' Psalm 107:8-9

'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?' Psalm 42:1-2 

'You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.' Psalm 63:1

'Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;' Isaiah 55:1a

'The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.' Revelation 22:17

Cleaning Toilets Builds Character....

I have been trying hard to teach Gabe (almost 6) and Shelby (almost 4) to play nicely.  When other kids are over they do just fine, but when the two of them are alone they are constantly hitting each other on the head with a matchbox car.  I have tried everything to get them to stop.  I sit next to them as they play and as soon as I leave the room.....WHACK!!!  Well, today it happened again, this time it was Gabe and I had just warned him NOT TO HIT HIS SISTER!  

First I sent him to his room so I could decide the punishment.  As I was walking through his bathroom a light bulb went off in my head.  I brought him into the bathroom, handed him a rag and spray bottle and showed him the dirty toilet. 

I explained to him that when we disobey or hurt someone it is sin.  Sin makes us dirty just like his toilet.  I had him clean off the lid, under the lid, and around the seat....YUCK!!!  He was quite disgusted.   I explained to him that that is how God feels about our sin and wants us to be clean. 

 After we had a sparkling clean toilet I took Gabe to Shelby to say "Sorry."  Then we returned to his room to pray. 

It went like this, "Sorry God for hitting my sister.  Please forgive me.  Thank You for forgiving me.  Thank You for making me clean again."  I gave Gabe a great big hug and wiped away his tears.  Then as I left I reminded him to STAY CLEAN!!!!  I hope it doesn't happen again, but if it does I have 3 more toilets.....come to think of it this example would work with dishes, laundry, trash, etc.

"Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin."

Psalm 51:1-2

(Oh and by the way, the pictures on this blog are NOT mine.  Our toilet wasn't THAT bad!  And I put some funny and clean potty humor pics below.  Enjoy!)



The 'Mystery' squash...

It was a quiet morning.  Babies were up and then back down before the other 5 woke up.  I had about an hour to myself to sit on the deck with my cup of coffee alone with God.  I treasure these moments. 


The wind was still, my world calm and my mind open.  Today as I sat and stared at the garden a very interesting thought popped into my head.  I looked at the half of the garden being taken up by plants that we didn't plant.  We have been watching them for a while now; trying to figure out what they are, and hoping it is something good.  As I stared at the 'mystery plant' it was like the Lord was teaching me that even though something is pretty, or strong, has potential or might be worth keeping that doesn't always mean we should keep it.  By letting something grow with the 'hope' that it will be good or that we might need it someday isn't exactly taking control of the garden.  We should only hold onto what we KNOW to be good.  We must plant seeds intentionally and calculate the benefits versus the costs to make the best use of our resources.  We need to be on the defense and ready to pull out weeds or remove things that compete with what is truly good fruit.


So how does this translate to my life or yours?  Well just as every garden is different this will look different as well.  For me it means I need to declutter the basement, turn off the TV, read good books that help me be a better parent, and spend more time in prayer than on the phone with friends.  It means organizing a home that functions better and requires less attention so I can pour that precious time back into my kids and husband. 


What does it mean for you?  Can you relate?


(oh and I did a quick search on the Internet and it appears that it is a 'mystery squash'.  It has over a hundred blooms on it and considering I am the only one that eats squash if we leave it what in the world would I do with 100 squash????)  http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/mystery-squash-a-backyard-garden-favorite/


1 Corinthians 10:23  “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.
 
Matthew 13:23,  "But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."


Luke 8:14-16, "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.  But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."

"Let Freedom Ring!"

Happy Independence Day everyone!  It isn't exactly how I pictured it: long weekend, BBQs, fireworks, parades, and iced tea.  Instead it was more like stuffy head, sleep for 2 days, urgent care, and hot tea!

The kids all came down with a cold this week (one by one) and I got it somewhere between # 2 and #3 and kept it long after #7 was done.  Mine wasn't 24 hrs., it has lasted almost 6 days and now is a sinus infection.  Bummer....I NEVER get sick....well almost never anyway. 


So the family is off enjoying the picnics and fireworks while I sit here disinfecting the house and reflect on what Independence Day means to me.  It of course means our freedom in America from British rule long ago.  It also means we are free as a country as we move through to the future.  I am so thankful for our corporate freedom that so many have bravely fought for and defend still today.  I am also thankful for my individual freedom from God to become the woman He wants me to become.  And feel especially blessed to be given the husband and children that help me get there.  (That husband of mine is one incredible daddy.  Let me tell you something....we make one heck of a team!


Two weeks ago we celebrated "Gotcha Day", a day adoptive families celebrate the finalization of their children's adoption.  We decided to do something completely different from our other family celebrations to make Micah and Mariah's day set apart.  So we went to eat Japanese Hibachi.  I always wanted to take the kids there and the chef did NOT disappoint, but had us all cracking up the entire time.  We were about 2 hours into our 3 hour meal when Shelby inhaled a piece of rice and it stuck in her windpipe.  She coughed and coughed until she dislodged it.   Then, she looked up to me with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh mommy, I think I peed!"  I checked her dress and sure enough she was dripping!  I rushed her to the bathroom where I realized that her resisting me to go potty in between those 2 adult Sprites had just caught up to the both of us.  (And it wasn't pretty!)  She had completely soaked her party dress and usually I would have had 2 changes of clothes for my child but.....you guessed it....I didn't have one this special day. 


I stood there staring at my butt naked child in the bathroom stall.  I had no options.  None!  I paced in circles.....I had NOTHING for her!  I told her to lock the stall door and not to open it and I would be right back.  I summoned her Daddy and somehow in our made-up-secret 'Team Chinlund' sign language communicated to him that Shelby was butt naked in the bathroom and he flew out the door to the nearest Toys R Us to buy her something to wear!  I waited with her until SUPERDADDY returned.  I opened the bag to find not one but two beautiful pink dresses and a package of princess panties! 

As I was getting her dressed I made sure she knew HE was the nicer of her parents, because I might have been tempted to get her something blue and not so cute....but not her Daddy....he is really the sweetest man on the face of this earth! 


We returned from the bathroom, joined our party and finished our dinner.  I was telling this story to a good friend just today and you know what?  It really was a great dinner!  Even with the crazy, unexpected, uhhhhh....glitch.  I thank God for my darling husband Michael.  He helps me to be the best that I can be and together we really are a great team.


(notice the new dress :)


So here is to the fireworks and smores and to all the Superdaddies that are grilling those hot dogs!  ....and God Bless America!!!

Is That Really Love???

God is Love (1 John 4:8).  We have heard this said often because God's Love is the foundation of our faith.  This seems like such a simple concept, yet it can cause problems for some studiers of the Word.  It doesn't take long to flip through the Bible and see by the Lord's hand-pain, suffering, punishment, and the promise of hell for those who reject Him.  The question has been similarly asked by believers and nonbelievers, "Is that really love?"

If you think of love as all warm and fuzzy you are missing a big part of what love is.  It is important to understand that true love is not devoid of pain.  Jesus certainly suffered pain on this earth.  He was not spared rejection, punishment, or hurt, and He was sinless.  He demonstrated the depth of His love by hanging on a cross to make a way for us to the Father.  We call the day Christ was sacrificed "Good Friday". 

All pain may feel bad, but we need to understand that all pain or punishment is not bad.   If you set a good boundary for your child and they cross it, you must follow through with the consequence.  If you don't they will never learn to stay safe and will  continue to test the boundary; crossing further and further until you finally say STOP! When you put your hand on a hot stove you immediately pull it back. Why?  The response to pain is a huge tool to the human body and provides protection individually and corporately. 

If you have ever put a child in time out or imposed a consequence for disobeying, you demonstrated love.  You weighed the 'warm and fuzzy' with the 'tough call' and chose to teach something very important to them.  Ever squirted a cat with a water gun?  Ever taken away the teenager's cell phone or car keys?  If done to teach a valuable lesson, then that is love. 

Before the punishment there should always be a warning.  It wouldn't be fair or loving to just walk into a room, pick up a child, and slam them in the time out chair without so much as a word.  Boundaries must be clearly set and understood for the consequence to be appropriate. 

That brings us to a Scripture passage I was recently asked to explain:

 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." 


"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?  It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.  Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.  But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’  and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.  The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.  He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  Matthew 24: 42-51

Whew!  That is a harsh word and can be a difficult picture to connect with love.....or is it?  These words are Jesus' words.  He said them privately to His disciples (Matthew 24:3) who were the founding father's of the New Testament Church.  He was warning the 'servant in charge of the house' to keep watch and feed the fellow servants of the household.  Who is the servant in charge?  What house?  Let's look at a few words in the original Greek to help us get the whole picture Jesus was painting.


Master-(kurios)-he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.  This title is given to: God, the Messiah.
 
Servant-(doulos) means a Bondman or Bondmaid


House-(oikia) means the dwelling itself


Matthew Henry Commentary says: "Now this parable, with which the chapter closes, is applicable to all Christians, who are in profession and obligation God's servants; but it seems especially intended as a warning to ministers; for the servant spoken of is a steward."


Jesus was speaking to the leaders of the Church.  They are 'in charge' of God's children, the Household of Faith.  They have been entrusted to care for, shepherd, disciple, and feed the people in the House of the Lord. 
 
Jesus tells the servant to give the house food, the King James uses the word 'meat'.   Not fluff and stuff Christianity, but the real preaching of Salvation and Christian instruction from the Holy Bible.  There is only One Way, Jesus.  The consequence to not obeying the true call for Ministers of the Word is pretty clear and it is consistent.
 
James 3:1 says, "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."
 
So to answer the question is that love?  Yes it is.  "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."  (2 Peter 3:9) 

The desire of the Lord is for ALL to come and have a daily relationship with Him. The duty of the shepherds of the flock comes with enormous responsibility.  The stakes are high, consequences serious, and the success or failure eternal.  God lovingly cares for His children and sets the bar very high for those whom He entrusts with their care.


Footnotes: Strong's Biblical Concordance (master, lord)Greek Strong's Number: 2962 Transliteration: kurios; (servant)Greek Strong's Number: 1401 Transliteration: doulos; (house)Greek Strong's Number: 3614 Transliteration: oikia; Matthew Henry Commentary, Concise and Unabridged texts.  Scriptures from the Holy Bible, NIV.

The End of the World as We Know it?

I am watching the posts on the "End of the World", along with millions of others around the world, and have been asked by several people what I think of it.   So here it is.......I think that Harold Camping of Family Radio isn't helping but hurting.  I have read that he has spent $4 million dollars in this campaign funded by followers and supporters to reach lost souls, calling them to repent.  That tells me Harold and many others believe fully in his prediction, but it also tells me they are misguided. 

Matthew 24:26 clearly states that "NO ONE (emphasis mine) knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

One would reason that if any being would know about the hour it would at be Jesus, the One coming back.  Mr. Camping isn't the first to try and figure out the day.  Here is a rundown of a few famous other date setters (of the 200+ recorded):

*400 A.D.- Hippolytus "calculated that 5,500 years separated Adam and Christ and that the life of the world was 6,000 six full 'days' of years until the seventh the day of rest." His calculations in 234 indicted there were still two centuries left. (from A History of the End of the World, Rubinsky and Wiseman, 1982).

*500 A.D.-A Roman priest and theologian in the second and third centuries, predicted Christ would return in A.D. 500, based on the dimensions of Noah's ark.



*950 A.D.- Adso of Montier-en-Der wrote a "Treatise on the Antichrist" which was a response to a number of mid-century crises that had provoked widespread alarm and fear of an end-time apocalypse. Five years later, Abbo of Fleury heard a preacher in Paris who announced that the Antichrist would be unleashed in the year 1000 and that the Last Judgment would soon follow.   
 
*968 A.D.-Panic in Otto's army at an eclipse the soldiers took to portend the end of the world (Gesta episcoporum Leodensium, MGH SS IX, p.202)  And when the last Carolingian dynasty fell with the death of King Louis V in 987, many saw this event as a precursor to the arrival of the Antichrist. King Otto II of Germany had Charlemagne's body exhumed on Pentecost in the year 1000 supposedly in order to forestall the apocalypse.
 
*1000 A.D.-This year goes down as one of the most pronounced states of hysteria over the return of Christ. All members of society seemed affected by the prediction that Jesus was coming back on Jan 1, 1000. There really weren't any of the events required by the Bible transpiring at that time. The magical number 1000 was primarily the sole reason for the expectation. During December 999 AD, everyone was on their best behavior; worldly goods were sold and given to the poor, swarms of pilgrims headed east to meet the Lord at Jerusalem, buildings went unrepaired, crops were left unplanted, and criminals were set free from jails. The year 999 AD turned into 1000 AD and nothing happened.




*Both Halley's comet in A.D. 989 and a super nova in A.D. 1006 were interpreted as signs of the end. About the same time, the Moslim caliph, Al Hakim, destroyed the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem prompting apocalyptic fear in the west as well as violent anti-Jewish outbursts.
 
*Pope Innocent III predicted the end would come in 1284

*16th century Mother Shipton declared "...The world to an end shall come; in eighteen hundred and eighty-one."

*A 17th Century Baptist preacher named Benjamin Keach predicted it would be in 1689.

*1715 A.D.-Christ's coming; Isaac Newton, a note in his research on the Law of Gravity (Luther Martin, Date Setters, Guardian of Truth, Sept. 15, 1994)

*1809 A.D.-Mary Bateman, who specialized in fortune telling, had a magic chicken that laid eggs with end time messages on them. One message said that Christ was coming. The uproar she created ended when she was caught forcing an egg into the hen's oviduct by an unannounced visitor. Mary later was hanged for poisoning a wealthy client.


*1836 A.D.-John Wesley wrote that "the time, times and half a time" of Revelation 12:14 were 1058­1836, "when Christ should come" (apud A. M. Morris, The Prophecies Unveiled, p. 361)

*Jehovah Witnesses have predicted the end numerous times, most notably in 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975 and 1994.
*1953 A.D.-David Davidson wrote a book titled "The Great Pyramid, Its Divine Message". In it, he predicted that the world would end in 1953-AUG.



*1970 A.D.-The late Moses David (formerly David Berg) was the founder of the Christian religious group, The Children of God. He predicted that a comet would hit the earth, probably in the mid 1970's and destroy all life in the United States.   Also, The True Light Church of Christ made its claim to fame by incorrectly forecasting the return of Jesus. A number of church members had quit their livelihoods ahead of the promised advent.
 
*1986 A.D.-(He's back) Moses David of The Children of God faith group predicted that the Battle of Armageddon would take place in 1986. Russia would defeat Israel and the United States. A worldwide Communist dictatorship would be established. In 1993, Christ would return to earth.
 
*The book "88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988" came out only a few months before the event was to take place.  After the passing of the deadline in 88 Reason's, the author, Edgar Whisenaunt, came out with a new book called "89 Reasons why the Rapture is in 1989." This book sold only a fraction of his prior release.
 
*In 1992, David Koresh of the Branch Davidian group in Waco Texas changed the name of their commune from Mt. Carmel to Ranch Apocalypse, because of his belief that the final all-encompassing battle of Armageddon mentioned in the Bible would start at the Branch Davidian compound. They had calculated that the end would occur in 1995. After a 51-day standoff, on 1993-APR-10, 76 members died as a result of a deliberately set fire.
 
*Harold Camping in his book "Are You Ready?" predicted the Lord's return in Sept 1994. The book was full of methods that added up Bible numbers up to 1994 as the date of Christ's return. Sept. 15, 1994: Last Day and Return of Christ; Harold Camping; Book: 1994? (pub in 1992) "Last Day and return of Christ sometime on or between September 15, 1994...and September 27, 1994." (p. 531) "I will be surprised if we reach October 1, 1994" (p. 533) Camping hedged his bets though, by offering a back up date of 2011 if 1994 was wrong.
 
*TOMORROW* Harold Camping's back up date of May 21, 2011, 6pm
 
So here we sit....watching another prediction come and go.  Much time and energy is wasted on books, predictions, false teachings, and advertising.  Money that could go to really help the lost, hurting, or poor is squandered.  Precious time is thrown away that could be spent sharing the Good News that sins are forgiven for those who accept and Jesus really is coming back, someday.  Unbelievers stop and stare at it like a train wreck; reaffirming the lie that Christians are crack pots.  This further attacks the reputation and believability of the Bible and believers everywhere as if Judgement Day Predictors like Harold Camping actually represent the TRUTH at all.

There is one thing that Harold Camping is helping to prove...the BIBLE is trustworthy.  If his predictions of Judgement Day were right the Bible wouldn't be; for NO ONE knows the hour, thus sayith the Lord!!!!
 
The Truth is that the end of the world is nearer today than yesterday.  Jesus died for the sin of the world and WILL return.  He doesn't know the hour and neither does anyone else, only God does.  We would be wise to be about the Father's Business until then.  (More on that in the next blog :)
 
  *Notes taken from: http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm  and http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/Finding_Home/2011/05/19/will-the-world-end-on-saturday)

Never a dull moment....

We decided to bring the Little Tikes slide and Jungle Gym outside today.  It is huge and heavy and a pain to take apart/put together.  Every Spring we put it out on the deck and every Fall we drag it back down to the basement.  Each time we complain about how hard it is we vow to never do it again!!!  Today was no different.  I directed the kids to take up the pieces one by one, we reassembled them and began the arduous task of trying to pop the last piece in place. 

Three of us pushing, two pulling...straining...readjusting...
groaning.....gasping....then the glorious SNAP!!!!

REJOICING...jumping....squealing....
giggling as Gabe and Shelby quickly started playing on it and for a split second it felt like Christmas all over again. 

Then, what was that?   A raindrop?  Really, is this a joke?  No big deal, a little rain....here you go kids a plastic table cloth to keep you safe and dry.  More squealing...."Mommy you're so fun, letting us play in the rain!" 

Next, a chair blew across the deck with a HUGE gust!!!  Uh oh!!!  The heavens opened and dumped a bucketful of rain right on our heads!  Scrambling, more squealing, running and screaming for the back door!  Safe and sound (and very wet inside :) 

As soon as everyone settled down...what's that?  The downpour stopped.  Oh look the sun is out....hey kids, there is the RAINBOW!  Seriously?  You've got to be kidding me!

In the car this morning I heard them say that every storm has been hand crafted by God perfectly for your life and sometimes it takes a hurricane or tornado to get our attention.

Well, I think this one was just for the sheer entertainment of the occupants of heaven by God who just had to chuckle at the sight of us :)

Your back always faces something....

Yesterday was Resurrection Sunday.  Millions celebrated the freedom of the cross through Jesus Christ.  Churches everywhere preached the Good News and called for lost souls to turn to the cross.  So I was picturing it today in my mind and I saw it so clearly.  At all times your back is facing something!  It is an interesting posture.  To turn around you face your back as an action not just a state of being. Kind of like saying, "Talk to the hand!"....just talk to my back!   

When we stand before the cross of Christ and accept the free gift of salvation our back is turned against sin.  Every time we turn around to sin our back is on the cross.  There is no middle ground, no half way, no stopping point as you pivot.  You are either facing Jesus or facing your own selfishness.

Psalm 66:16-20
Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.


I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.


If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.


Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!

As we consider Jesus' sacrifice on the cross let us see what we must put behind us to take in it's beauty.  If we feel distant or unheard, maybe we just need to turn around and face Him.  The cross is not just a time of acceptance but a time to turn your back on death and choose life.

Has God failed to live up to your expectations?

Today is Good Friday.  I marked it on my calendar 2 months ago and decided to read "The Prisoner in the Third Cell" by Gene Edwards to my kids today.  We put the traditional schoolbooks aside, babies down for a nap, and gathered everyone on the couch for 90 minutes while I read it aloud to them.  It is a Christian fiction book based on the Holy accounts in the Bible.  It brings to life the ministry of John the Baptizer and raises the all important question, "What will you do when God disappoints you?" 


John the Immerser was called to a devout and minimalist life.  He devoted his entire being to serve God and make ready the way for the Messiah.  He died after an obscene dance by a young girl and an even more obscene request.  When faced with the executioner's axe we can imagine John was wondering where God was and why He wasn't rescued from being presented on a platter to his enemies.  After all, John was a faithful soul assigned with the most important announcement since Gabriel the angel declared Jesus' birth.  John was related to Jesus on earth and he did his job perfectly, yet this was his final end.  It is reasonable to think John had some unanswered questions!  


Scripture tells us that as John sat in his prison cell he second guessed Jesus being the Messiah and sent three of his own disciples to ask Jesus if He truly was the One. 

Luke 7:20-23  "When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”  At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.  So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.  Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me?  What does that mean exactly?  I looked up the Commentary on that phrase.  It explains it this way:

1.  Jesus was intimating that people were going to and currently were being persecuted for believing He was the Messiah. 

2.  There are reasonable and sufficient arguments to confirm the truth to those that are honest and impartial in searching after it.  Having their minds prepared to receive the truth, then we are challenged with objections that cloud the truth and we must resist becoming worldly, careless, confused and sensual.

3.  Christ's education in Nazareth, his residence at Galilee, the status of his family and relatives, his poverty, and the commonness of his followers-these were stumbling-blocks to many, which all the miracles he preformed could not help some overcome.

Therefore, You are blessed, when you are wise, humble, and not overcome by these prejudices. It is a sign that God has blessed you, for it is by His grace that you are helped over these stumbling-blocks and you shall be blessed indeed, blessed in Christ.

Jerusalem found itself disappointed a few days after the Triumphal Entry of Jesus. Praise and hope turned to anger and rejection of a man who looked more like a man to them than the God He claimed to be and whom they were waiting for. When faced with this same question of disappointment, they answered by nailing Him to the cross.


So when you look upon your life, prayers, or trials are you disappointed in the results?  When you look upon the cross does Jesus fail to live up to your expectations?  If so consider this: Life isn't fair.....and if it was I would be the one on that cross and so would you for He paid OUR ransom!


Good Friday gives us chance to revisit the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.  His ways are not our ways and He may not answer us in the timing or way we think He should.    I praise Him for helping me overcome my doubt instead of my doubt overcoming me.  (He can do the same for you.)

Thank You Jesus.....it really is a GOOD FRIDAY :)

He loves FIRST and forsakes LAST....

*Yesterday I was digging and did a search on the word 'forsaken' in the Bible.  These are some of the passages that it found and I noticed a theme I'd like to share.  Read the passages below and see if you see it too:

Judges 10:13

But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you.

1 Samuel 12:10

They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’

1 Kings 11:33

I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.


2 Chronicles 24:20

Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the LORD’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.’”

Ezekiel 8:12

He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”

Ezekiel 20:8

“‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt."

Mark 15:34

And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).  (See the blogpost "Got Spring")

Hebrews 13:5

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Revelation 2:4

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

*God promises to never leave or forsake the believer.  He loves us first, and forsaking is always a last resort caused by a total rejection of Him.

Matthew 10:33 (NASB)
But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.


1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.



Luke 15:10

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”



2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.


*He loves FIRST and forsakes LAST.

Got Spring?

Spring is here!  Finally!  We are so happy to see the first bit of color break through the brown and burst into our garden reminding us that new life is just around the corner.  The most important season of the Christian calendar is upon us, Easter, or Resurrection Sunday as some prefer to call it. 

Recently we have started a new family devotional book in the evening with our children that is written one lesson for each day of the year.  Being in April we could feel the anticipation growing that we were getting close to the cross.  Every night it has been getting closer and then last night...PLOP!  There it was in our laps, a challenge of our present day thinking.  

There is a very respected teaching in the world today that interprets Matthew 27:46 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" as a moment when God turned His back on Jesus at the sight of the sin of the world hanging on Him.  My intention in explaining this is not to open up a theological can of worms, because believe me I am no theologian, but to challenge the believer to see Jesus and His words clearly. 

It is an important question to ponder, did God forsake Jesus (for even a second) or didn't He?  If the answer is yes, then why does He say over and over in His Word that He will not ever leave or forsake me?  After all, I am dirt, not fit to tie the sandals on the feet of Christ. (See Deut 31:6,8, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5, Psalms 23:4, 37:25)  

I have personally struggled with this concept for most of my Christian life until a couple of years ago.  I heard a teaching by Voddie Baucham where he helps to explain these words uttered by Christ from the cross. 

First, we need to understand that in the times of Jesus very few had the Word on paper.  Some wealthy people and temples were the owners of the scrolls containing Scripture.  For the masses the way the Word was shared was verbally as the scroll was read or memorized and then recited.  The Word of God was handed down generation by generation as an oral tradition. 

Second, we need to know that in a temple service the "reader" would call out the first line of the passage to let the people know what was about to be read.  Today, the passages are organized by chapter and verse for the believer.  If you look in your Bible at the words in Matthew 27:46 and then look at the cross reference it sends you to Psalm 22:1.  Actually every gospel account sends you to Psalm 22:1.  Why?  Because Psalm 22:1 is the very words Jesus said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." (In the Hebrew and then translated into the Greek for the New Testament reader) 

You see Jesus knew the Word better than anyone that has ever walked the earth before or since.  The Jews were there watching the scene unfold.  They had been waiting for a Messiah to come and fulfill the prophesies for hundreds of years.  Jesus was fulfilling them as they watched, but some were just not getting it.  The way my Pastor would tell us to turn to Psalm 22:1 today, Jesus was telling them to recall the Psalm and compare it to what they were first hand witnesses to at Golgotha.  Here is the 22nd Psalm in it's entirety:

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?


My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.


Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.

In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.


To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.


But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.


All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.


“He trusts in the LORD,” they say,
“let the LORD rescue him.


Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”


Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.


From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.


Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.


Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.


Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.


I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.


My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.


My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.


Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce[e] my hands and my feet.


All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.


They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.


But you, LORD, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.


Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.


Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.


I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.


You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!


For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.


From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.


The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!


All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.


All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.


Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.


They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!

The Word says Jesus knew the plan.  He knew exactly what He was supposed to do.  He asked God to let the cup pass if there was any other way.  There was no plan B.  It had been set from the foundations of the earth.

John 19:28-30 says, "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.'  A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.'  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (see Psalm 69:21)

I do not believe the modern day teaching that says Jesus was reacting from a feeling  of abandonment from God, like what was in our family devotional last night.  But I believe His words hold deeper meaning and that Jesus was directing an unbelieving crowd to the truth with His final breaths.  He still directs us today with those precious words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Just turn to Psalm 22:1 and see that "HE HAS DONE IT!!!  Oh Glory!  He will never leave us or forsake us!!!

God Calling......

What are we called to exactly once we choose Jesus?  I mean really, what is required and what isn't?  This is when I wish I had a phone that God could actually use to call me on and tell me what I am expected to do and what is just meerly a suggestion? 

I instantly thought of the time in Matthew when the Pharisees got together and tried to trick Jesus into choosing the greatest commandment. 

"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40


If we follow Jesus' teachings the rest of what we 'should' do should fall into line.  Unfortunately we can get busy, blind, or complacent.  We can easily slip and become more like the Pharisees picking and choosing the call on our Christian life turning our backs or passing by precious faces. 

As Christians we are expected (by God) to care for the oppressed, orphaned, poor and widowed.  Look at the following passages with me:

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.  Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17


"And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."  Isaiah 58:10


"This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place." Jeremiah 22:3



"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  James 1:26-27 


If you do a keyword search  on your bible software (or www.biblegateway.com) for widow, orphan, oppressed or fatherless dozens of passages pop up from the beginning of the Bible to the end.  They describe a loving Father hearing them, a Just God looking out for and defending them, a Thoughtful Creator making a way for them and a call for us to care for them as His arms.  If we really mean that we want to be Christlike we have to take up their cause.  I don't know how you could read those Scriptures and conclude that it is someone else's call. 

Now, before you check out on me and click on someone else's blog...hear me out!  I am not suggesting that everyone needs to pack up their belongings and move to Africa to run an orphanage, or start a widow support group in your home on Tues. nights, or go completely off your rocker and open your home adopting twins!  (Although it would be pretty cool if you did :)  But, I AM suggesting that if you aren't actively supporting adoption, widows, oppressed or the poor, you should! 

Whew!  That was hard.  I am not exactly a finger pointer.  Sorry if that made you uncomfortable, but don't take my word for it or accept a feeling of condemnation....grab your Bible and read it for yourself and wait for a healthy dose of conviction. 

A good friend of mine has set up an adoption support ministry.  She has devoted her life and her heart to the cause of the fatherless.  She put together this video for her latest seminar.  Please take a moment and look at the real faces of children God dearly loves and has a plan and purpose for.  Look at the families that have answered His call in a big way.  Ask yourself, is God calling me to do the same?

It's okay if God isn't calling you to adopt, but it would be hard to convince me that He is calling you to inaction.  I ask you to pray about what He is calling you to do. 

My daddy's favorite t-shirt was plain black and it said in white letters:

"FEED THE CHILDREN"

He supported that ministry with his whole heart and wore that shirt almost everyday until he died.  It can be that simple. 

Links to explore:

http://www.passion127.org/

http://www.feedthechildren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=dotorg_homepage

http://www.lcfs.org/

http://www.christianforums.com/f572/

http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf

Sitting on the Sidelines.....

Don't get me wrong, I ADORE the twins and am loving every minute of being a mommy to 7 incredible children, but I have been feeling a little bit down lately.  I am so used to being in the thick of ministry (official and personal) that I have been battling my thoughts a little bit.   I am not leading a Bible Study at the moment, or even attending one.  I am not teaching anything (outside of my children).  I am not writing a new study or leading anything at the moment. For goodness sakes,  I didn't even attend the Women's Retreat and that is always so special to me. 

To say it candidly, I feel a bit lost and left behind in the "Land of Poopy Diapers!"  Sleep and a home cooked meal are hot commodities at the moment.  I have been praying a lot in those wee hours in the morning and asking God to help me feel content in this season.  Honestly, I would have GLADLY given up leading, teaching, writing, studying or attending the retreat if He asked me to in order to have the babies.  So, it seems to make sense to not bellyache about it now.  The problem isn't God's, it's mine.  I seem to have Wonder Woman syndrome.  I think I can do it all----ALL THE TIME! 

This month provides another challenge.  I have a dear friend that is pregnant and about to deliver in the next week or so.  We were pregnant together and due on the same day.  I thought this one would be difficult, but it hasn't been.  I am so thankful for God's plan and for the blessings of Micah and Mariah that I have only joy for her.  I have been so healed of our miscarriage loss back in Sept. that it feels like years ago, not months.  Life has marched on and ours' has changed dramatically.  God has been good, very good, and I am still amazed at how He has blessed us.

So, I sit in church and watch my sisters in Christ, feeling like I am on the sidelines and they are in the game. And you know what? For the most part...I am okay with that.  But, I would be lying if I didn't say there was a tinge of wishing I could minister in some way.  So, like I said earlier it has been on my heart and I have been asking God how I could possibly add serving into my very demanding family life.  He has answered me in the sweetest of ways!

Yesterday I was in church and a friend came up to me and asked for a copy of the Bible Study I wrote for girls on inner beauty.  She told me about someone who wanted to do a study like it with her daughter.  I smiled as I handed her the copy I just "happened" to bring to church with me!  Hmmmmm....I think I just ministered in some small way!

Then she told me about another person she told about my blog and how I wrote about my miscarriages in a very transparent way.  She said her friend went here and read it and she felt less alone in her loss.  Hmmmm.....ministry?

Then today I received a phone call from a friend who told me how her and her husband reached out and helped a couple in a similar situation they were just in and encouraged them that it was going to be okay.  They shared with them how God helped them through this challenge and to continue to trust Him.  She said, "Shelli, we learned that from you and Mike, because you did it for us when we were there!"  I cried.  There is 3 different times in 3 different ways God was able to use me without me!  The Lord knew I was feeling left out and He made it a point to show me that I am not.

He has called me to be focused on our incredible 7 children.  He has asked me to care for these baby twins, love on them, bath them, change them, hold them through the night and that means I have to give up some freedom.  I'm okay with that!  Now that I think about it, I actually feel quite honored!