Yesterday was a hard day for my oldest son. A day of lessons in taking responsibility. He had studied very hard for his driver's test and was all set to go, but somehow missed the section on bringing I.D. to the test, so he couldn't take it. He was so disappointed and frustrated and felt it wasn't his mistake. His mood turned sour and he struggled on and off throughout the day.
Finally at the end of the day as our family gathered for our nightly re-cap of the day and prayer, we were able to discuss all the tests that had come his way that day, where he had perhaps failed and how he could have handled things better. We explained his mistake wasn't in forgetting his I.D., it was how he handled his frustration and in the not taking responsibility for his forgetfulness. That is always the hardest part, isn't it? Taking personal responsibility? We are all prone to blame-shifting.
Poor guy. Lesson learned, I think. I don't think he'll ever forget to bring I.D. to anything ever again, nor will any of our future children who need their licenses! Hopefully he can write it today and then within a few months we should have another driver!
As we looked back on yesterday, we realized it had been quite a hard day for some of us. There had been all sorts of strange struggles. Without trying to over-spiritualize things, we wondered if we were specifically being attacked because of our upcoming attempt at praying again for a focused amount of time. It would make sense! Satan will do anything to keep us from praying together and from having a spirit of prayer.
I had a great day, on the other hand! I only had 4 children with me for most of the day as the other ones were with RM on errands. He took my rambunctious 5 year old which really changed the tone of the day and how much we all accomplished! He really makes a huge difference in my regular day-to-day duties. He gets into so many conflicts just by existing!
I had to literally take matters into my own hands last week in an attempt to keep him out of trouble. Just like a tomato plant needs to be staked, I staked him. That's right, I tied a little piece of yarn a few inches long to his wrist and the other end to my wrist and he had to stay near me for about an hour. He couldn't stand it! He wanted to run away and get into some kind of trouble so badly! It was extremely effective. He got my point. I kept telling him, "I want you to learn to obey and the only way you can learn that is by being near by and watching me and listening to me.....just like a tomato plant." I didn't come up with this all on my own. A long time ago I read a book called Raising Godly Tomatoes. The author suggests that is exactly what you do if you don't want "rotten" kids, have them near you, "staked", as much as possible. Not tied with yarn, but near you, in a literal and a figurative sense. That way you are able to train better, pick up on their issues more quickly, and then deal with their "tomato diseases" more effectively. If a child is just left on his own, he'll rot. My poor little guy wants to grow wild like a roaming tomato plant which seems easier at first...."Aahhhh just leave him be....it's too much work to train!" But I know if just leave him be, then I'll have a rotten plant. So I press on with him, even though he can be so trying. I want him to be a fruitful plant, full of awesome tomatoes! I'll be praying for him as much as anything else, these next 40 days.
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Tuesday, 9 February 2016
At Once
I read a great devotional yesterday on the words, "At once....". The writer was referring to the time Jesus was sent out into the desert, immediately following His baptism in the Jordan River, "At once, the Spirit sent Him out into the desert." (Mark 1:12) The reason this phrase is so interesting is because of the verses right before it. Verse 10 refers to the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus "like a dove". Then in verse 11, we read the famous phrase, "You are my Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased." It is at this point, "at once" that Jesus gets sent out into the desert. It seems so strange, right after God is so pleased with Him, He puts Him to a test? We think it isn't fair or that it isn't a way to show favour, is it?
This is the writer's point though. He says, "the actual suddenness of the change is proof that it is not abnormal." He goes on to say that the words "at once" actually bring comfort. The words "at once" are used to "simply show that it is the sequel to the blessing. God shines His light on you to make you fit for life's deserts, Gethesemanes, and Calvaries. He lifts you to new heights to strengthen you so that you may go deeper still. He illuminates you so He may send you into the night, making you a help to the helpless."
What is also interesting to note is that Jesus enters into a 40 day stand-off with Satan and immediately following that His ministry on Earth begins. Perhaps that time in the Jordan was what got Him through. His "mountain top" experience was what helped prepare Him.
I found that so encouraging as I often have days that are just amazing - blue sky, warm breezes, happy children....and then all of a sudden, bad news, or a fight breaks out and the eternal moment is lost...."at once". If I see things with this new perspective, then I can handle the lows better. Perhaps God has given me those eternal moments to help me through those low, darker times.
About a year ago we were in a dark time with our other church. It was just when Lent was about to start and I committed to a 40 day time of praying and fasting certain things asking the Lord to clarify what we were to do. A year later, I look back as we are about to enter into the period of Lent again and I am amazed at what God has done in a year and how He answered all of my prayers during that time. We now find ourselves in an amazing church under great leadership experiencing tremendous peace. The potential to be involved is fantastic. In fact our family (minus me and the younger ones) have signed up to be on a worship team. I'm involved in the Ladies' ministry, my husband is involved with the men's ministry. It gets better every week. I'm convinced we were able to get through that dark time and come out the other side fairly unscathed due to all the prayer that was going on. In fact, I think my 40 day prayer experience was exactly what got us through. If I hadn't been so specifically praying and received such specific answers, I think I would have doubted why we suddenly found ourselves in the wilderness and not just for a week or two, but for many months. I'm so glad to say, we made it out! I praise God again for His goodness and the lessons we learned along the way.
Lent begins tomorrow. We are not Catholic and I'm fairly certain that Lent has its roots in "tradition", even religion, earning your salvation, but that is not how we look at it. We look at these next 40 days as an opportunity once again to devote ourselves to preparing for Easter and how we can celebrate the power of His resurrection. Like I said, what He did a year ago amazes me, how He answered our prayers. We are not making any of our kids do this if they are not led, but all of the older ones are committed to giving up something hard (dare I say ice cappuccinos? My one daughter is slightly addicted, so that was big....) We talked a long time about it last night, making sure they understood this is about the gospel, not just for the sake of tradition. We are praying for hurting friends, nephews looking for work, families with children who have turned from the faith, and of course, freedom from the bondage of debt, for us and others. It is a spiritual discipline, fasting, that Jesus expects us to do. He doesn't say, "if you fast", He says, "When you fast...." So that is what our next 40 days will look like. I'm excited simply because of what God has done in our last year. What will He do this year?
This is the writer's point though. He says, "the actual suddenness of the change is proof that it is not abnormal." He goes on to say that the words "at once" actually bring comfort. The words "at once" are used to "simply show that it is the sequel to the blessing. God shines His light on you to make you fit for life's deserts, Gethesemanes, and Calvaries. He lifts you to new heights to strengthen you so that you may go deeper still. He illuminates you so He may send you into the night, making you a help to the helpless."
What is also interesting to note is that Jesus enters into a 40 day stand-off with Satan and immediately following that His ministry on Earth begins. Perhaps that time in the Jordan was what got Him through. His "mountain top" experience was what helped prepare Him.
I found that so encouraging as I often have days that are just amazing - blue sky, warm breezes, happy children....and then all of a sudden, bad news, or a fight breaks out and the eternal moment is lost...."at once". If I see things with this new perspective, then I can handle the lows better. Perhaps God has given me those eternal moments to help me through those low, darker times.
About a year ago we were in a dark time with our other church. It was just when Lent was about to start and I committed to a 40 day time of praying and fasting certain things asking the Lord to clarify what we were to do. A year later, I look back as we are about to enter into the period of Lent again and I am amazed at what God has done in a year and how He answered all of my prayers during that time. We now find ourselves in an amazing church under great leadership experiencing tremendous peace. The potential to be involved is fantastic. In fact our family (minus me and the younger ones) have signed up to be on a worship team. I'm involved in the Ladies' ministry, my husband is involved with the men's ministry. It gets better every week. I'm convinced we were able to get through that dark time and come out the other side fairly unscathed due to all the prayer that was going on. In fact, I think my 40 day prayer experience was exactly what got us through. If I hadn't been so specifically praying and received such specific answers, I think I would have doubted why we suddenly found ourselves in the wilderness and not just for a week or two, but for many months. I'm so glad to say, we made it out! I praise God again for His goodness and the lessons we learned along the way.
Lent begins tomorrow. We are not Catholic and I'm fairly certain that Lent has its roots in "tradition", even religion, earning your salvation, but that is not how we look at it. We look at these next 40 days as an opportunity once again to devote ourselves to preparing for Easter and how we can celebrate the power of His resurrection. Like I said, what He did a year ago amazes me, how He answered our prayers. We are not making any of our kids do this if they are not led, but all of the older ones are committed to giving up something hard (dare I say ice cappuccinos? My one daughter is slightly addicted, so that was big....) We talked a long time about it last night, making sure they understood this is about the gospel, not just for the sake of tradition. We are praying for hurting friends, nephews looking for work, families with children who have turned from the faith, and of course, freedom from the bondage of debt, for us and others. It is a spiritual discipline, fasting, that Jesus expects us to do. He doesn't say, "if you fast", He says, "When you fast...." So that is what our next 40 days will look like. I'm excited simply because of what God has done in our last year. What will He do this year?
Monday, 8 February 2016
Lessons From a Fish Tank
I think I've explained before that we kind of feel like we have Team A and Team B, or two sets of kids, the older ones and the younger ones. We realize we gave the older ones really unique experiences that the younger ones haven't had. We don't necessarily have to repeat what we did, but if it was fun and they learned something from those experiences, why not repeat them?! So this week we brought out the old aquariums that we had kept in storage for years and once again, we are stocking them up one fish at a time.
Fortunately this hasn't been an expensive hobby as we had already owned the aquariums, the stands...all the expensive things. The fish aren't too bad, sometimes $1 a fish or $3. What has been the most interesting is that RM hasn't had to really do anything except drive people there. It has been our older son who we did this with in the first place who has done all the setting up, all the prepping of the tanks, everything! This has spared RM from doing all that lugging around. It has been amazing to realize all that our son had learned in the process all those years ago. Now he is the expert passing it on to his little brothers, a true renaissance man in the coming.
Sometimes you feel badly as you see your children growing up and you wonder if you've missed out on watching them grow up. With us, if that ever was the case, we feel so privileged to get a second opportunity! And, the older ones get to watch, from a completely different perspective, what they would have looked like when they were that age, for example, when we first started talking about the fish, the tanks, then actually going to the store to pick them, then bringing them home.....it has been so fun to watch the little boys' eyes light up each time a new fish is added. The older ones are enjoying it as much as we are as they observe the little ones' excitement. They are nearly bursting with happiness, "Is it time to feed the fish?!" They've already overfed them, stuck things in the tank, put their grubby fingers in....all the classics from round 1.
We didn't plan to do tanks this year, it just kind of happened. Sometimes, I wonder if it is just another example of God's grace in our lives as we long to bless our kids, but we want to be wise with our money. We want to give them experiences and memories, but without all the expense. In the widow and the oil, Elijah asked her, "What do you have?" We had tanks. It occurred to RM, "We can do this! We have tanks!" Going to the fish store is better than any zoo - they have reptiles, birds, fish...even a big shark...and it's all free (well, to visit, anyway!).
Manoah, Sampson's father, prayed "O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born." (Judges 13:8) We've often prayed a prayer like that, "Teach us what we are to do with all our children." We want them to have many interests that will teach them many things. We long for them to not be helpless and to know how to "do things" without having to hire for everything. A simple thing like having the fish tanks helps us to achieve some of those goals. Everyone learns so much from these little fish and it's really been a whole family experience so far. We all went out together to pick the fish and walk around the store. My little 3 and 5 year olds were guiding me everywhere.
So I thank God for even the fish today. It's fun to have them back in the house along with the running water sound. What shocks all of us is that as you observe these little creatures, you start to notice they have personalities. They are less than an inch long and yet you can see which one is the bully, which ones are the weaker ones, which ones think they should be in charge.....so funny, kind of like in our house!
Alright...the week is off and running.
Fortunately this hasn't been an expensive hobby as we had already owned the aquariums, the stands...all the expensive things. The fish aren't too bad, sometimes $1 a fish or $3. What has been the most interesting is that RM hasn't had to really do anything except drive people there. It has been our older son who we did this with in the first place who has done all the setting up, all the prepping of the tanks, everything! This has spared RM from doing all that lugging around. It has been amazing to realize all that our son had learned in the process all those years ago. Now he is the expert passing it on to his little brothers, a true renaissance man in the coming.
Sometimes you feel badly as you see your children growing up and you wonder if you've missed out on watching them grow up. With us, if that ever was the case, we feel so privileged to get a second opportunity! And, the older ones get to watch, from a completely different perspective, what they would have looked like when they were that age, for example, when we first started talking about the fish, the tanks, then actually going to the store to pick them, then bringing them home.....it has been so fun to watch the little boys' eyes light up each time a new fish is added. The older ones are enjoying it as much as we are as they observe the little ones' excitement. They are nearly bursting with happiness, "Is it time to feed the fish?!" They've already overfed them, stuck things in the tank, put their grubby fingers in....all the classics from round 1.
We didn't plan to do tanks this year, it just kind of happened. Sometimes, I wonder if it is just another example of God's grace in our lives as we long to bless our kids, but we want to be wise with our money. We want to give them experiences and memories, but without all the expense. In the widow and the oil, Elijah asked her, "What do you have?" We had tanks. It occurred to RM, "We can do this! We have tanks!" Going to the fish store is better than any zoo - they have reptiles, birds, fish...even a big shark...and it's all free (well, to visit, anyway!).
Manoah, Sampson's father, prayed "O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born." (Judges 13:8) We've often prayed a prayer like that, "Teach us what we are to do with all our children." We want them to have many interests that will teach them many things. We long for them to not be helpless and to know how to "do things" without having to hire for everything. A simple thing like having the fish tanks helps us to achieve some of those goals. Everyone learns so much from these little fish and it's really been a whole family experience so far. We all went out together to pick the fish and walk around the store. My little 3 and 5 year olds were guiding me everywhere.
So I thank God for even the fish today. It's fun to have them back in the house along with the running water sound. What shocks all of us is that as you observe these little creatures, you start to notice they have personalities. They are less than an inch long and yet you can see which one is the bully, which ones are the weaker ones, which ones think they should be in charge.....so funny, kind of like in our house!
Alright...the week is off and running.
Thursday, 4 February 2016
Cats and Groceries
I cannot say how happy I am to be writing again. Laptops in our house just do not last very long. Getting them fixed doesn't happen too fast around here either. No computer? No blogging. I've resorted to a duct-tape version of a computer this morning so that I can at least get something on a screen.
The last few weeks have been full of so many stories, I didn't want more time to pass so that I would forget them and they wouldn't get recorded. Over the weekend I picked up and finished a book about a man from China who spent around 10 years of his life in a hard labour prison camp. His wife
also spent time in prison for nearly 20 years of her life, just for being Christians. They both felt the call to be in ministry and they wondered why God would put them in such difficult circumstances when it was so clear they wanted to serve God. Then God spoke to them and revealed to them that He had them exactly where He wanted them....in seminary....His Seminary. It wasn't a brick-and-mortar-type of seminary, but a set of circumstances that would teach them the lessons He wanted them to learn. He wanted them to learn absolute dependence on Him. He wanted them to learn to truly love. He wanted them learn faithfulness. The list went on and on. The types of courses offered in this seminary were much harder than a typical seminary would offer. Once they
realized that, then somehow the trial wasn't so hard. Somehow God met them, even in the prison labour camp, and made it bearable, which seems impossible to imagine.
We still find ourselves in a trying time. I found myself reading that man's story and relating in a strange way. I'm grateful I am not in a hard labour camp yet I do sometimes feel like it is a form of hard labour. Much like that man, I wonder how this, could possibly be God's plan for my life. I question Him and the way I see our circumstances and I think He's made a mistake. It was so good to be reminded that He has me in seminary, His Seminary. I know this. I've even written about it before. I needed the reminder.
When I do realize this, then somehow our situation becomes more bearable. I've definitely seen Him working this whole time when things have been tight. He's been doing amazing things all along the way just to show us He's there right along with us. Here's just a couple of the stories....
The Cat Story
A few months ago, our cat somehow broke his leg. We don't know what happened. He just showed up in our house limping. Within a few weeks, though he was still limping, he had made what seemed to be a full recovery. He got around fine, was eating, fighting with other cats...we knew he was going to be ok. But then one day, his leg was swollen. Something wasn't right, perhaps an infection? Right away, we thought to ourselves, "What are we going to do?" We couldn't afford the vet visit or the drugs he would need or even the cost to put him down! We decided we would just pray and give it a day and if things didn't improve on their own, we would take him in and just bite the bullet somehow.
The kids prayed.
The next day, we noticed the swelling was completely gone. In the middle of the night, it was as if the cat had done surgery on himself! It appeared that there was a spot on his leg where he had bitten himself, or so it seemed, to release the pressure of the swelling. In one day he had gone from not being able to put his leg on the ground to walk, to walking with all four legs on the ground! He must have heard us talking and known his life was on the line! We didn't want to put him down. He's one of our favourite cats! He was the one our neighbour stole and neutered for us and who then came back to live with us (much to her disappointment). So we loved this cat! We really think God gave us a little cat miracle. It cost us nothing and we got our cat back. He is now completely fine, fully recovered, with only a slight limp. We think it is kind of special that God bothered to heal our little cat. It was a child-version of a miracle. A miracle our kids fully understood. They saw how serious things were and they knew their favourite kitty was potentially going to die. I think that shows just how much God loves us, to care enough to answer the prayers of children about their cat.
The Grocery Miracle
A few weeks ago, my husband got a little money in from a small hay order and so he tithed on it. I was happy he felt compelled to do that. I was just a little curious how much he had tithed. When he told me, I immediately said, "Oh, that was what I was going to spend on groceries this week!" Oh well, I figured I could make what we had left in the fridge stretch somehow. I told the kids that morning, "Dad tithed this week exactly what I was going to spend on groceries. It looks like we're going to have to see how God provides!" My daughter immediately said, "I'm not worried. God has always taken care of us." She said it with such confidence, I had to agree.
I then shared with the kids the verse from Malachi that speaks of robbing God of your tithes and offerings. Then God says, "Put me to the test....if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." (Mal. 3:10)
That day, my mother-in-law, out of the blue, sent over my father-in-law with a pot of soup! She does that sometimes, but of all the days, to get it that day just seemed like it was soup from heaven (and it was delicious!)
Two days later, my daughter went off to teach with my sister at the homeschool co-op where
she now works every week. But she didn't come home right away. When she did come home, she said, "Boys! Come help with groceries!" "What is going on?!" I said with a curious, worried look. "Aunt S bought us groceries." Immediately I felt bad. I guess my pride got the better of me. My parents have helped us in the past and have often brought food for the fridge. I wondered
if somehow my sister found out we were in a pinch and felt sorry for us. I admit, it was hard to take. I quickly called her to thank her and to ask her what compelled her to do this generous deed. She said no one had said anything to her at all. She said a picture just came into her mind when she was
standing in front of her own freezer. In the picture she was grocery shopping with us in mind. It was the Holy Spirit prompting her she figured, so she just acted on it. I was very touched that she had been so sensitive to the Lord's prompting. I was then able to share how we were still waiting on more work and that, yes, it was a bit of a tighter time. As extended families, particularly the sisters, sister-in-laws, and Mom, we had committed to really praying for one another. She was going to keep praying for work for RM.
Only a few minutes later, after we had gotten off the phone, RM ran out to me as I was about to pull out of the driveway and told me he had gotten a contract! Talk about a quick answer!
Later, it occurred to me, she had purchased just about everything I had planned on shopping for that week without knowing what had been on my list. I asked my daughter what she figured she had spent. When she told me, I was amazed - it was almost exactly what my husband had tithed and that was the exact amount I had planned on spending. I couldn't get over how much it was like the verse from Malachi. God had opened the heavens and poured out His blessing on us that week in such tangible ways. Did I mention that the cat miracle was that same week?! So God not only blessed us with food that week from sources we didn't expect, but He also took care of the cat!
We continue to stand amazed at His provision for us. He is so creative! He uses unexpected people at unexpected times and as they obey the Spirit's promptings, we get blessed in the process too! Amazing.
So you can see why it has been hard for me not to write. God has been so good. I want to shout it from the mountain tops!
The last few weeks have been full of so many stories, I didn't want more time to pass so that I would forget them and they wouldn't get recorded. Over the weekend I picked up and finished a book about a man from China who spent around 10 years of his life in a hard labour prison camp. His wife
also spent time in prison for nearly 20 years of her life, just for being Christians. They both felt the call to be in ministry and they wondered why God would put them in such difficult circumstances when it was so clear they wanted to serve God. Then God spoke to them and revealed to them that He had them exactly where He wanted them....in seminary....His Seminary. It wasn't a brick-and-mortar-type of seminary, but a set of circumstances that would teach them the lessons He wanted them to learn. He wanted them to learn absolute dependence on Him. He wanted them to learn to truly love. He wanted them learn faithfulness. The list went on and on. The types of courses offered in this seminary were much harder than a typical seminary would offer. Once they
realized that, then somehow the trial wasn't so hard. Somehow God met them, even in the prison labour camp, and made it bearable, which seems impossible to imagine.
We still find ourselves in a trying time. I found myself reading that man's story and relating in a strange way. I'm grateful I am not in a hard labour camp yet I do sometimes feel like it is a form of hard labour. Much like that man, I wonder how this, could possibly be God's plan for my life. I question Him and the way I see our circumstances and I think He's made a mistake. It was so good to be reminded that He has me in seminary, His Seminary. I know this. I've even written about it before. I needed the reminder.
When I do realize this, then somehow our situation becomes more bearable. I've definitely seen Him working this whole time when things have been tight. He's been doing amazing things all along the way just to show us He's there right along with us. Here's just a couple of the stories....
The Cat Story
A few months ago, our cat somehow broke his leg. We don't know what happened. He just showed up in our house limping. Within a few weeks, though he was still limping, he had made what seemed to be a full recovery. He got around fine, was eating, fighting with other cats...we knew he was going to be ok. But then one day, his leg was swollen. Something wasn't right, perhaps an infection? Right away, we thought to ourselves, "What are we going to do?" We couldn't afford the vet visit or the drugs he would need or even the cost to put him down! We decided we would just pray and give it a day and if things didn't improve on their own, we would take him in and just bite the bullet somehow.
The kids prayed.
The next day, we noticed the swelling was completely gone. In the middle of the night, it was as if the cat had done surgery on himself! It appeared that there was a spot on his leg where he had bitten himself, or so it seemed, to release the pressure of the swelling. In one day he had gone from not being able to put his leg on the ground to walk, to walking with all four legs on the ground! He must have heard us talking and known his life was on the line! We didn't want to put him down. He's one of our favourite cats! He was the one our neighbour stole and neutered for us and who then came back to live with us (much to her disappointment). So we loved this cat! We really think God gave us a little cat miracle. It cost us nothing and we got our cat back. He is now completely fine, fully recovered, with only a slight limp. We think it is kind of special that God bothered to heal our little cat. It was a child-version of a miracle. A miracle our kids fully understood. They saw how serious things were and they knew their favourite kitty was potentially going to die. I think that shows just how much God loves us, to care enough to answer the prayers of children about their cat.
The Grocery Miracle
A few weeks ago, my husband got a little money in from a small hay order and so he tithed on it. I was happy he felt compelled to do that. I was just a little curious how much he had tithed. When he told me, I immediately said, "Oh, that was what I was going to spend on groceries this week!" Oh well, I figured I could make what we had left in the fridge stretch somehow. I told the kids that morning, "Dad tithed this week exactly what I was going to spend on groceries. It looks like we're going to have to see how God provides!" My daughter immediately said, "I'm not worried. God has always taken care of us." She said it with such confidence, I had to agree.
I then shared with the kids the verse from Malachi that speaks of robbing God of your tithes and offerings. Then God says, "Put me to the test....if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." (Mal. 3:10)
That day, my mother-in-law, out of the blue, sent over my father-in-law with a pot of soup! She does that sometimes, but of all the days, to get it that day just seemed like it was soup from heaven (and it was delicious!)
Two days later, my daughter went off to teach with my sister at the homeschool co-op where
she now works every week. But she didn't come home right away. When she did come home, she said, "Boys! Come help with groceries!" "What is going on?!" I said with a curious, worried look. "Aunt S bought us groceries." Immediately I felt bad. I guess my pride got the better of me. My parents have helped us in the past and have often brought food for the fridge. I wondered
if somehow my sister found out we were in a pinch and felt sorry for us. I admit, it was hard to take. I quickly called her to thank her and to ask her what compelled her to do this generous deed. She said no one had said anything to her at all. She said a picture just came into her mind when she was
standing in front of her own freezer. In the picture she was grocery shopping with us in mind. It was the Holy Spirit prompting her she figured, so she just acted on it. I was very touched that she had been so sensitive to the Lord's prompting. I was then able to share how we were still waiting on more work and that, yes, it was a bit of a tighter time. As extended families, particularly the sisters, sister-in-laws, and Mom, we had committed to really praying for one another. She was going to keep praying for work for RM.
Only a few minutes later, after we had gotten off the phone, RM ran out to me as I was about to pull out of the driveway and told me he had gotten a contract! Talk about a quick answer!
Later, it occurred to me, she had purchased just about everything I had planned on shopping for that week without knowing what had been on my list. I asked my daughter what she figured she had spent. When she told me, I was amazed - it was almost exactly what my husband had tithed and that was the exact amount I had planned on spending. I couldn't get over how much it was like the verse from Malachi. God had opened the heavens and poured out His blessing on us that week in such tangible ways. Did I mention that the cat miracle was that same week?! So God not only blessed us with food that week from sources we didn't expect, but He also took care of the cat!
We continue to stand amazed at His provision for us. He is so creative! He uses unexpected people at unexpected times and as they obey the Spirit's promptings, we get blessed in the process too! Amazing.
So you can see why it has been hard for me not to write. God has been so good. I want to shout it from the mountain tops!
Tuesday, 19 January 2016
We Are Not Just Grasshoppers!
I heard a Christian speaker on the radio as I drove home last night. It was only for a few minutes, but I love how God just uses a few minutes of my life to speak to me, even if it's in the van. The speaker was talking about Numbers 13 and how the spies were just coming back to give a report to Moses about what the land was like in Canaan. Ten of the spies were scared, "...the people who dwell in the land are strong and the cities are fortified and very large...and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." (vs. 28,33)
The speaker focused on the phrase, "we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers." Is that how we view ourselves, too, like grasshoppers? And how did they know that the people of Canaan thought they looked like grasshoppers, was it just an assumption?
This is not right. If we know who God is and who is fighting for us, we will not see ourselves this way, as grasshoppers, but instead as a mighty army, capable of anything! Caleb saw this, "We are well able to overcome it. " He had a right view of God. He knew who was fighting for them. He was not in the same opinion as the other spies who saw themselves as grasshoppers.
It is not to speak arrogantly of ourselves and think we are greater than we are because in some senses, we are just grasshoppers, but if we view ourselves from the point of view of God, we are definitely not just grasshoppers. We can speak with confidence, like Caleb, "we are able to overcome"......whatever it is that is in front of us.
I left the van encouraged. We are not just grasshoppers. Our family will overcome whatever obstacles are in front of us because we know God is fighting for us.
The speaker focused on the phrase, "we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers." Is that how we view ourselves, too, like grasshoppers? And how did they know that the people of Canaan thought they looked like grasshoppers, was it just an assumption?
This is not right. If we know who God is and who is fighting for us, we will not see ourselves this way, as grasshoppers, but instead as a mighty army, capable of anything! Caleb saw this, "We are well able to overcome it. " He had a right view of God. He knew who was fighting for them. He was not in the same opinion as the other spies who saw themselves as grasshoppers.
It is not to speak arrogantly of ourselves and think we are greater than we are because in some senses, we are just grasshoppers, but if we view ourselves from the point of view of God, we are definitely not just grasshoppers. We can speak with confidence, like Caleb, "we are able to overcome"......whatever it is that is in front of us.
I left the van encouraged. We are not just grasshoppers. Our family will overcome whatever obstacles are in front of us because we know God is fighting for us.
Monday, 18 January 2016
An Unlikely Hero
We love Gideon, one of the heroes of the Old Testament, in Judges.
Israel had found themselves in a big mess. They stopped listening to the Lord and "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." Why were they so surprised when things didn't go their way? I appreciated the description in Judges 6, "And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord."
Very low. We have felt very low before. We've cried out. Sometimes it has been because we've put ourselves in a situation all on our own, other times it doesn't seem to be anything we've done, it's just the ups and downs of life.
But God heard the Israelites and sent help, even though they didn't deserve it. He chose Gideon, such an unlikely hero. The angel of the Lord called him, a "mighty man of valour" (our 5 year old's middle name, Valour). Gideon cannot handle this and says, "Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
The Lord's answer is great, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man." There it is again - one man. An unlikely man, a faithless man, a man full of fear, "too afraid of his family and the men of the town..." He needs so many signs that God has really chosen him. Yet God gives him the signs he requests each time.
I appreciate how weak Gideon was, but mostly how afraid he was. When the angel first called him he was "beating out the wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites." He was fearful of being caught as the Midianites were known to take all the produce of the land as soon as it was harvested. Then, when the angel of the Lord comes to him, he immediately has so many questions for him, doubting, fearing, that what the Lord is asking him to do is even possible as the Lord, in his opinion, hasn't been as wonderful as he'd been told, "If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us....?" (Judges 6:13)
When the Lord responds, "Go in this might of your and save Israel from the hand of MIdian; do not I send you?" he as even more questions, "Please Lord, how can I save Israel?"
Why? Where? How? He's afraid and needs answers. Fortunately for him, God does answer him directly, but that isn't always the case. And, even when he was given answers, he was still afraid. He did what God told him to do, but "because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night."
I did that once. I was sure I was supposed to start a Bible Study at university when I was getting my teaching degree. But it required putting up posters all around the campus announcing a time and place for Christian teachers-to-be. So, in our fear, my friend and I went around at night and put up all the posters! We had a great turnout-out, but we shouldn't have been so afraid!
Gideon definitely grew in strength and faith as God continued to develop him into a great leader. We take great encouragement from him as my husband and I both took steps of faith this week. He is moving ahead in an area of his business that isn't foreign to him, but requires a lot of time and effort with no pay until he makes a dent in the market. It takes a lot of behind the scenes work before he'll see any return, but we both feel this is what he is supposed to be doing. It makes us fearful at times and we have a lot of questions, but we're moving forward by faith and all along the way we get little signs of encouragement that this is what he's supposed to be doing. Gideon, initially had a huge army, but God dwindled it down to 300 men, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianties into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'" (Judges 7:2) RM doesn't even have 300 men. Most big companies have at least that many employees to do what he would like to do, but RM is only "one man", hardly the least weakest in my eyes, but I know he feels that way sometimes. But God sees him as a "mighty man of valour". He is the one who sends him. He says, "I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianties (or the market!) as one man." He has said, "Go in this might of yours." So, next week he's off to a tradeshow to take on the big guys. Flights are booked. No 5-star hotels, just a small hole in the wall, but he's going! He's going with might! We're excited!
I, too, took a step forward and booked a seminar that I haven't given before. I never know if women will show up. I order books by faith. I book churches by faith. I send out emails and notices by faith, never knowing if I'll even make enough money to cover the costs of the seminar, but I feel it is such a benefit to so many women. The Maxwells books have been such an encouragement to so many of us. I have a lot of fears and questions, but then I, too, get little signs of encouragement along the way, so I keep going. Any amount of income at this time will help and if this is something I can do to contribute I'm happy to do it.
We read a great verse in Revelation 3 this weekend, "Behold I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut...." It is speaking of a much greater picture, but we were reminded that God is the one who opens and closes doors. We simply need to move forward. It appears He has opened these doors before us. We are moving through them. If He closes the doors, then we will know it.
Israel had found themselves in a big mess. They stopped listening to the Lord and "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." Why were they so surprised when things didn't go their way? I appreciated the description in Judges 6, "And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord."
Very low. We have felt very low before. We've cried out. Sometimes it has been because we've put ourselves in a situation all on our own, other times it doesn't seem to be anything we've done, it's just the ups and downs of life.
But God heard the Israelites and sent help, even though they didn't deserve it. He chose Gideon, such an unlikely hero. The angel of the Lord called him, a "mighty man of valour" (our 5 year old's middle name, Valour). Gideon cannot handle this and says, "Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
The Lord's answer is great, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man." There it is again - one man. An unlikely man, a faithless man, a man full of fear, "too afraid of his family and the men of the town..." He needs so many signs that God has really chosen him. Yet God gives him the signs he requests each time.
I appreciate how weak Gideon was, but mostly how afraid he was. When the angel first called him he was "beating out the wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites." He was fearful of being caught as the Midianites were known to take all the produce of the land as soon as it was harvested. Then, when the angel of the Lord comes to him, he immediately has so many questions for him, doubting, fearing, that what the Lord is asking him to do is even possible as the Lord, in his opinion, hasn't been as wonderful as he'd been told, "If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us....?" (Judges 6:13)
When the Lord responds, "Go in this might of your and save Israel from the hand of MIdian; do not I send you?" he as even more questions, "Please Lord, how can I save Israel?"
Why? Where? How? He's afraid and needs answers. Fortunately for him, God does answer him directly, but that isn't always the case. And, even when he was given answers, he was still afraid. He did what God told him to do, but "because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night."
I did that once. I was sure I was supposed to start a Bible Study at university when I was getting my teaching degree. But it required putting up posters all around the campus announcing a time and place for Christian teachers-to-be. So, in our fear, my friend and I went around at night and put up all the posters! We had a great turnout-out, but we shouldn't have been so afraid!
Gideon definitely grew in strength and faith as God continued to develop him into a great leader. We take great encouragement from him as my husband and I both took steps of faith this week. He is moving ahead in an area of his business that isn't foreign to him, but requires a lot of time and effort with no pay until he makes a dent in the market. It takes a lot of behind the scenes work before he'll see any return, but we both feel this is what he is supposed to be doing. It makes us fearful at times and we have a lot of questions, but we're moving forward by faith and all along the way we get little signs of encouragement that this is what he's supposed to be doing. Gideon, initially had a huge army, but God dwindled it down to 300 men, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianties into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'" (Judges 7:2) RM doesn't even have 300 men. Most big companies have at least that many employees to do what he would like to do, but RM is only "one man", hardly the least weakest in my eyes, but I know he feels that way sometimes. But God sees him as a "mighty man of valour". He is the one who sends him. He says, "I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianties (or the market!) as one man." He has said, "Go in this might of yours." So, next week he's off to a tradeshow to take on the big guys. Flights are booked. No 5-star hotels, just a small hole in the wall, but he's going! He's going with might! We're excited!
I, too, took a step forward and booked a seminar that I haven't given before. I never know if women will show up. I order books by faith. I book churches by faith. I send out emails and notices by faith, never knowing if I'll even make enough money to cover the costs of the seminar, but I feel it is such a benefit to so many women. The Maxwells books have been such an encouragement to so many of us. I have a lot of fears and questions, but then I, too, get little signs of encouragement along the way, so I keep going. Any amount of income at this time will help and if this is something I can do to contribute I'm happy to do it.
We read a great verse in Revelation 3 this weekend, "Behold I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut...." It is speaking of a much greater picture, but we were reminded that God is the one who opens and closes doors. We simply need to move forward. It appears He has opened these doors before us. We are moving through them. If He closes the doors, then we will know it.
Wednesday, 13 January 2016
War with a Purpose!
Well, I'm excited to say, scheduling, or should I say, re-scheduling, worked. When my little guys are on their own plan for life, it means trouble, and not just for them, but for me! I really do feel like I'm pulling my hair out a lot of the time and that just shouldn't be!
My first three children were, well, much easier! The oldest, responsible, diligent, quiet-natured. The next one, definitely more talkative, interactive, prone to getting into trouble, but so repentant when caught. The third one? Right out of a parenting book on "easy child". Every child after that has definitely added more "life" to our family, let's say....
But I'm so grateful. If I had stopped at 3, I would have definitely missed out on many parenting/life learning lessons. This will seem like a stretch, but a verse from Judges reminded me why each of our children are here,
"Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by then, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the People of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before." (Judge 3:1-2)
Clearly, the verse is not speaking of children, but again, I'm simply drawing a principle from Scripture. The Israelites might have asked, "Why did you not take the Cannanites out of our land?" as they drew them away from God soon after. I could ask, "Why have you given me challenging children?" Any challenge He leaves in our life has a purpose, often to test us. I feel tested a lot. For the Israelites it was to teach them how to do war. How else do you learn except by having someone to do battle with?
The Canaanites were also left "for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord." (Judges 3:4) Isn't that why God allows all things ultimately into our lives, to test us, refine us, purify us? Not unlike the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden, He wants us to choose to love Him, not to force us to. It isn't a set-up for failure, as I've sometimes seen it. It's His way of ensuring that we've chosen to love Him of our own free-will. Will I choose to go to God, or just sit in my pity party, whining about my busy household....
My younger boys have certainly taught me about war! My oldest two boys have almost never fought their whole lives. They are best friends. It's been so wonderful to watch their friendship grow over the years. Just the other day, my husband asked the oldest to change the lightbulb on the van. Almost immediately he came in looking for his brother, "Hey D, I need your help!" So great. But with the younger boys, it's a lot of playing, followed by a lot of crying......Maybe they'll be best friends when they are older, but for now, it's a constant series of me separating them so they don't kill each other!
It occurred to me, as I watch my older children watch me with each of their little altercations that I am training them how to deal with their future kids. I'm literally experiencing that verse, "in order that the generations...might know war, to teach war to those who had now known it before." My older ones didn't have conflict the way the younger ones do, but what if they have children who are disagreeable or children who have strong personalities? They'll need to know what to do and it is my job to teach them. I hardly know what I'm doing sometimes, but I'm learning through trial and error, a lot of prayer, talking with others, reading good material, and slowly but surely figuring these kids out. I'm learning about war so my kids will know how to deal with war, not just with their own kids, but with all situations in their future lives.
So, what exactly did I do with them yesterday? I wrote up a schedule for their day and taped this massive piece of paper on the fridge delineating their whole day, from wake-up time to bed-time. To anyone just walking in, it would have seemed a little regimented, but I had to be. I figure, start regimented, then loosen up once they get the whole idea of the schedule a little better. We couldn't follow it to the letter of the law because I had a guest for a couple hours, but we did our best and it sure helped. Little J and little B seemed to obey the schedule more than listening to me! That's a good thing. I wanted them to see it as if it were the law and they seemed to! I cannot tell you what it did for the rest of the day - it went virtually problem-free because they were busy, busy, busy! The snow outside was a huge blessing, too, as they were able to play a lot outside. We needed a snow fall! Being cramped inside as a little boy must be an awful form of torture! Girls don't seem to mind, they always have something fun to do, but not boys. They need to get out and run around.
All my children saw this and I hope they learned another war strategy. We'll see how "war" goes today.....
My first three children were, well, much easier! The oldest, responsible, diligent, quiet-natured. The next one, definitely more talkative, interactive, prone to getting into trouble, but so repentant when caught. The third one? Right out of a parenting book on "easy child". Every child after that has definitely added more "life" to our family, let's say....
But I'm so grateful. If I had stopped at 3, I would have definitely missed out on many parenting/life learning lessons. This will seem like a stretch, but a verse from Judges reminded me why each of our children are here,
"Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by then, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the People of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before." (Judge 3:1-2)
Clearly, the verse is not speaking of children, but again, I'm simply drawing a principle from Scripture. The Israelites might have asked, "Why did you not take the Cannanites out of our land?" as they drew them away from God soon after. I could ask, "Why have you given me challenging children?" Any challenge He leaves in our life has a purpose, often to test us. I feel tested a lot. For the Israelites it was to teach them how to do war. How else do you learn except by having someone to do battle with?
The Canaanites were also left "for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord." (Judges 3:4) Isn't that why God allows all things ultimately into our lives, to test us, refine us, purify us? Not unlike the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden, He wants us to choose to love Him, not to force us to. It isn't a set-up for failure, as I've sometimes seen it. It's His way of ensuring that we've chosen to love Him of our own free-will. Will I choose to go to God, or just sit in my pity party, whining about my busy household....
My younger boys have certainly taught me about war! My oldest two boys have almost never fought their whole lives. They are best friends. It's been so wonderful to watch their friendship grow over the years. Just the other day, my husband asked the oldest to change the lightbulb on the van. Almost immediately he came in looking for his brother, "Hey D, I need your help!" So great. But with the younger boys, it's a lot of playing, followed by a lot of crying......Maybe they'll be best friends when they are older, but for now, it's a constant series of me separating them so they don't kill each other!
It occurred to me, as I watch my older children watch me with each of their little altercations that I am training them how to deal with their future kids. I'm literally experiencing that verse, "in order that the generations...might know war, to teach war to those who had now known it before." My older ones didn't have conflict the way the younger ones do, but what if they have children who are disagreeable or children who have strong personalities? They'll need to know what to do and it is my job to teach them. I hardly know what I'm doing sometimes, but I'm learning through trial and error, a lot of prayer, talking with others, reading good material, and slowly but surely figuring these kids out. I'm learning about war so my kids will know how to deal with war, not just with their own kids, but with all situations in their future lives.
So, what exactly did I do with them yesterday? I wrote up a schedule for their day and taped this massive piece of paper on the fridge delineating their whole day, from wake-up time to bed-time. To anyone just walking in, it would have seemed a little regimented, but I had to be. I figure, start regimented, then loosen up once they get the whole idea of the schedule a little better. We couldn't follow it to the letter of the law because I had a guest for a couple hours, but we did our best and it sure helped. Little J and little B seemed to obey the schedule more than listening to me! That's a good thing. I wanted them to see it as if it were the law and they seemed to! I cannot tell you what it did for the rest of the day - it went virtually problem-free because they were busy, busy, busy! The snow outside was a huge blessing, too, as they were able to play a lot outside. We needed a snow fall! Being cramped inside as a little boy must be an awful form of torture! Girls don't seem to mind, they always have something fun to do, but not boys. They need to get out and run around.
All my children saw this and I hope they learned another war strategy. We'll see how "war" goes today.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)