A Christmas Challenge!

The last couple of weeks have been difficult around our house and tension has been running high. To say the least, we have all been on edge. Impatience, arguing, yelling...you name it, we are guilty.

As we we sat down to breakfast, (listening to the seemingly endless bickering of my children), the words "outdo one another in love" popped into my head. These words are similar to the scripture found in Romans 12:10...

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

So...I came up with the Christmas Challenge. I proposed a "contest" to hopefully get our family into the giving spirit (and maybe improve the atmosphere in our house). From now until Christmas we have all agreed to try to beat each other at outdoing the others in love. To start, we have committed to writing down 5 ideas specific for each family member. I'd like to think of these ideas as giving gifts...

Some examples from today...

1. Robert sent me a text message telling me how excited he is to see God working in my life and that he loves me.
2. Braden & I wanted something different for dinner than Joshua & Robert. Braden and I teamed up to "outdo" them by making what they wanted.

Should be interesting...

Also, quick funny story. On the way to school this morning, I read the scripture above and then kept reading. We ended up on Romans 2:20

...If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.

Robert and I then told the boys about the importance of doing good to your enemies/loving them etc. Anyway...a couple of minutes later, Robert said something nice to me...can't remember what...

But, from the back of the van Braden yells..."MOM! your head's on fire because of the coals!"

Almost got the application...although, I hope Robert and I aren't enemies :)

Finally...sidenote about that verse. I always thought heaping coals on your enemy's head meant that it makes them feel bad by being nice to them (y'know, the old kill em with kindness routine)...slightly vengeful on my part and not theologically correct.

My husband corrected my thinking. Apparently in Jesus' time people walked around with hot coals in a bucket on their heads to keep warm. So...heaping coals on their heads was actually an act of kindness to lead them to repentance. Who knew?

Belated Halloween Pics

We spent Halloween with some friends from church...helped with a bounce house/candy/hot dogs for the neighborhood kids. Our friends have been hosting this Halloween party in their neighborhood as a church outreach for the last 3 years. It was cool to see how much the kids (and parents) enjoyed and appreciated it.

Unfortunately...we didn't take many pictures...but thought this one was fun. Braden is the clone trooper and Joshua is the alien cyborg (custom costume by Robert). I love how the light reflects off of Joshua's costume...looks like a laser :)

Enjoying this song today...

Artist: Kathryn Scott

Click to Listen

At The Foot Of The Cross
where Grace And Suffering Meet
you Have Shown Me Your Love
through The Judgment You Received

and You've Won My Heart
yes You've Won My Heart
now I Can

trade These Ashes In For Beauty
and Wear Forgiveness Like A Crown
coming To Kiss The Feet Of Mercy
i Lay Every Burden Down
at The Foot Of The Cross

at The Foot Of The Cross
where I Am Made Complete
you Have Given Me Life
through The Death You Bore For Me

i'm Laying Every Burden Down
i'm Laying Every Burden Down

Blog I'm really enjoying lately...

A Holy Experience

Awake, O Sleeper

Awake Church, Awake!

The weight of this world and the lost have been resting heavily on me lately. How would I change the way I live if I truly walked in the reality and heaviness of the gospel every day? I know heaviness seems like a strange term to describe the gospel...because the gospel is amazing...but not to the perishing. Seriously, we live in a world that is perishing before our eyes. I know that God is sovereign and it is His job to save, but has the church forgotten her role? We are each called into a heavenly purpose when Jesus saves us. Are we living in this?

And, just a quick sidenote in what the Lord has been teaching me lately...living in this reality has very little to do with "doing for Him" and very much to do with "being with Him." I mean, try it out :) have you tried to just sit with Him, just to "be" in His presence lately? I know for me, there is SO much opposition to this in my life. Busyness, family, cares of this world etc....and a very sinful desire on my part to just be about His work rather than about Him.

All of that said, my prayer for the church is that we would remember our first love and spend time with Him. That we would slow down and discipline ourselves (or be disciplined by Him - if that's what it takes) to sit and soak in His presence. How can we pour out His love and share His glorious grace if we are not basking in it ourselves?

Ephesisans 5:14
"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you."

Lord, I ask you to awaken your church. Pour out your Holy Spirit and revive us! Awaken us individually and collectively. Stir us in affection for You, worship for You, passion for You. Please help us to seek You and Your glory above all else. Lord, we confess that our hearts have become hardened. Sometimes it is so hard to see you. We are selfish and so wrapped up in ourselves most of the time. Please stir up our hearts and root out our selfish desires. Make us more like you. Give us a sense of urgency as we move closer to the day that you will return. Give us a holy desire for more of you. I beg you to give us your heart for the lost, for the poor and the needy. Fill us with you...to overflowing. Help us to seek you first and your kingdom. Help us to want you, not just what you can do for us. Lord do not abandon your church. Open our eyes to you and your beauty. Give us the desire to consecrate ourselves to you and only you. Lord we love and praise you! I ask all of this in Jesus' name! Amen

My First Charcoal Sketch

I have always been somewhat artistic. In recent years I have created mostly poetry but back in the day someone gave me a set of charcoal pencils. I never used them and they wound up in an old box of art supplies. Last weekend the boys were drawing so I grabbed the old box out of the garage and joined them. I opened that box of charcoals for the first time and felt inspired. The picture you see below has flitted in and out of my mind a dozen times since our son David was stillborn after 4 months of pregnancy. Needless to say, it brought Luci and I to tears. It seems that God sees fit to do things like this periodically to keep us from growing cold. I am grateful that he is keeping the memory of our son alive and helping us to grieve as those who have hope. We know in Whose arms David rests.

-Robert

Divine Appointment

I met a girl today who in the span of 5 minutes reminded me of so many things...

She has been a believer for less than a year and starts telling me how she wasn't raised in church and that she used to be one of those scoffers...one of those people who "made fun of us and our belief in God" but that God allowed EVERYTHING to be taken away from her...her marriage (she is young...maybe young 20's), her family and her friends. He took everything away so that she would have NOTHING but Him. And...He captured her heart. You could see it all over her face...she is in LOVE with our Lord. And...ALL of the pain and loss she has experienced pales in comparison to the all surpassing glory and radiance of knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Lord, thank you for the sweet (but painful) reminder that I am not there yet...but also thank you for the sweet glimpse of what is to come. My heart has not caught up with my head yet. I know you are good and that you love me...but, my heart still aches and burns over the loss of our child...but YOU LORD are faithful and YOU have promised to work ALL things together for my good...AND the sweetness of You that I saw in her...is waiting for me again. I do love you Lord. Please help me through the pain. Help me want more of You.

James 1:2-4

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

P.S. While looking for a glitter graphic (thank you Andrea) for this post, I "stumbled" upon the picture at the top. Brought tears to my eyes but comfort to my heart. Love you Lord!

Charlie

Introducing the newest addition to our family...

Charlie!!

Charlie is a 5 month old Golden Retriever/Blue Heeler mix. We adopted him from the local animal shelter on Saturday. He came home from the vet yesterday and is adjusting to his new surroundings. The boys are with their dad this week so they missed his homecoming...but they have already called twice to check on him :) Here are some more pics :)

Just "chillin"

Extreme Closeup!

The Gospel

Our pastor frequently describes the difference between Christianity and other world religions as this...

He came to us.

All other religions are about how can I get to God, whether it is how can I clean myself up or how can I live my life right or just what do I need to DO so I will find him.

The Gospel is this...we get HIM. HE came to us. The Creator of the universe, (let that one weigh on you for a second...Every star, every blade of grass and EVERYTHING in between, was created, ordered, put into motion and sustained by HIM)...

The creator of the universe humbled himself, took on human flesh (as a helpless baby), and died on a cross...all so that we can have HIM.

And why did He do this?

Because He loves us. Not just the general, all encompassing "us", but the personal, you and me, "us."

So...all of this to say...

In case you have forgotten (as I frequently do) or in case you have never heard...

The Father loves you. He sent Jesus to die for you. Jesus willingly and obediently laid down His life for you. This is the joy that was set before him...you!

Hebrews 12:2
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Acts 4:10,12
then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”