- For your protection over Savannah while she was at camp last week and for wonderful counselors who took such good care of her!
- For some recent girlfriend time that nourished my heart.
- For an unexpected blessing of a meal paid for while we were out eating recently....and not just our meal, but the meal of the people we were eating with...there were 10 of us altogether!
- For missionaries who share ideas for ministry.
- For golden opportunities to love.
- For your undeniable presence in our church.
- For tears that flow freely out of worship.
- For real fellowship that lingers more than an hour after church is over.
- For hard conversation made easier because you reside in the lives the of hearer and talker
- For music that touches the soul no matter the mood.
- For dreamers and visioneers and hope-filled people who see potential.
- For prayer time with believers who WANT to pray and WANT to hear from you.
- For altars full with heartbroken people who desire to be fixed with the Truth of God's Word.
- For using the broken, the out of sorts, the shy, the misfits and the unsure...along with those who seemingly have it all together...God truly does make Beautiful Things.
The last seven months have been a roller coaster of emotion and hope and doubt and trust and unrest within me. Over the last month its been a relief to have so many unknowns settled for my little family and, in a way, our church. Being in limbo is never fun (or at least not for me). It requires such trust in the God who sees past today. I'm changed because of limbo. My faith and trust in God is strengthened and my hope is secure, not because of ANYTHING I did, but because over and over God was faithful to give hope and purpose to the waiting and the in between.
What's God doing in your life...your family...your church?
Monday, July 16, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Trusting God with My Children
This week Savannah is at church camp. Without me. Sniff.
For weeks she's been looking forward to spending time with friends, away from her brother, being on her own. Until we looked at the weather forecast...and it looked something like this:
If you know her, you know this has been a struggle for a few years now. So, Sunday night we prepared her as best we could and come Monday morning she was good to go. Until she got to camp and it was actually raining and thundering. My heart hurt a little as I heard from one of the counselors that she was a little upset.
Savannah and I talked and through her tears in her throat voice she said she would be ok. Her counselor had prayed with her and that brought some peace to my own heart. I've been thinking about how this week might help Savannah grow in her faith in God. Without me there to comfort her or to help her cope she's having to learn that God is in control and when uncomfortable or nerve wracking things happen around us or to us, we have to learn that God is bigger and can and will help us through them.
As I was thinking about all that God might be teaching her, God reminded me that this week there was some growth to experience in my own life. What about trusting Him with my daughter while she's 200 miles away? What about being incredibly thankful that there is a group of loving adults there from our church who can help her? What about realizing that there are situations that I can't protect her from and that God can and will use the things we have taught her to help her through them. Do I want to get in the way of all He wants her to learn this week? And then there's the simple fact that if God wants to change the forecast He can and will! My pride has tried to argue with God "But I'm her Mom" and "We're her parents" and "I want to protect her"...and God seems to be saying
"The best way to protect her is to trust me with her."
So...Trusting God with my daughter will be a week long adventure....with rain in the forecast...I can't wait to see what God does in her life...and mine.
If you know her, you know this has been a struggle for a few years now. So, Sunday night we prepared her as best we could and come Monday morning she was good to go. Until she got to camp and it was actually raining and thundering. My heart hurt a little as I heard from one of the counselors that she was a little upset.
Savannah and I talked and through her tears in her throat voice she said she would be ok. Her counselor had prayed with her and that brought some peace to my own heart. I've been thinking about how this week might help Savannah grow in her faith in God. Without me there to comfort her or to help her cope she's having to learn that God is in control and when uncomfortable or nerve wracking things happen around us or to us, we have to learn that God is bigger and can and will help us through them.
As I was thinking about all that God might be teaching her, God reminded me that this week there was some growth to experience in my own life. What about trusting Him with my daughter while she's 200 miles away? What about being incredibly thankful that there is a group of loving adults there from our church who can help her? What about realizing that there are situations that I can't protect her from and that God can and will use the things we have taught her to help her through them. Do I want to get in the way of all He wants her to learn this week? And then there's the simple fact that if God wants to change the forecast He can and will! My pride has tried to argue with God "But I'm her Mom" and "We're her parents" and "I want to protect her"...and God seems to be saying
"The best way to protect her is to trust me with her."
So...Trusting God with my daughter will be a week long adventure....with rain in the forecast...I can't wait to see what God does in her life...and mine.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Summer Reading
I've been teaching a summer reading clinic on Wednesday afternoons this summer. At first the kids were less than excited. Read? In the summer? You've got to be kidding me! But as soon as they warmed up to the games, centers, iPad and fun books they were eager to get busy each week. I'm reading the If you Give a Mouse...books and we are having fun making our own predictions!
On a personal note, I'm doing my own reading this summer, mostly ministry driven to get ready for the fall at church.
|
This book has been out a while but it is by the same author who wrote the James Bible Study we did last Fall. It was a manageable, do-able, toe stomping study. During the teaching time I added information from other studies, dictionaries and commentaries. It was so good...we still talk about it!
And....the ladies version of the Courageous Resolution....The Resolution for Women
Priscilla Shirer says this about One in a Million
Whatcha Reading? Have you done a Bible study that just really spoke to you? I'd love to hear about it!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Happy 4th of July
Tucker (in white) with a posse of boys from church.
And Savannah (almost 10)
Thankful for the freedom we celebrate today.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Where God Meets
In a quiet car with a soul sister talking...God met us there. Another time as family gathered to say an earthly goodbye, He was there. As a teenager welcomed Christ into her life, we agreed, His presence was so real. Then there was the late night conversation over hurts and heartache and the joy of a "surprise baby" times two for another friend....He was right there...in the middle of it all.
That's the beauty, heartache or hallelujah, God meets us where we are. Mountaintop experiences may prove to our humanity that He's the creator, sustainer and provider, but there's nothing like a valley to get you completely saturated in the nearness of our God. When He might seem so far, so removed from your hurt and pain and struggle, His presence can quickly scoop you up and cradle you in the strength of His firm embrace.
I'm thankful. Thankful that I don't have to go to a church to sense His closeness. I don't have to have it all together or do anything to make Him closer. I'm thankful His Spirit walks with me every step of every day. In those moments of joy, sadness, defeat and victory, His guidance and comfort remind me that God meets me where I'm at....What a promise!
That's the beauty, heartache or hallelujah, God meets us where we are. Mountaintop experiences may prove to our humanity that He's the creator, sustainer and provider, but there's nothing like a valley to get you completely saturated in the nearness of our God. When He might seem so far, so removed from your hurt and pain and struggle, His presence can quickly scoop you up and cradle you in the strength of His firm embrace.
I'm thankful. Thankful that I don't have to go to a church to sense His closeness. I don't have to have it all together or do anything to make Him closer. I'm thankful His Spirit walks with me every step of every day. In those moments of joy, sadness, defeat and victory, His guidance and comfort remind me that God meets me where I'm at....What a promise!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Outreach Ideas for Vacation Bible School
This year for Vacation Bible School our church did a little something different. Since I'm always on the lookout for new ministry ideas, I figure there might be someone out there that could benefit from hearing what we did.
Instead of crafts this year our kids did outreach activities. Grades 1-6 participated in four activities that will benefit someone else. Our VBS theme was "What's in it for me?"...and obviously we were trying to get them to think of others instead of themselves.
Here's what we did:
Monday: The kids wrapped and boxed 2500 water bottles. We printed labels with the church information...times, programs, contact information... And plan to pass them out at a local July 4th event in our community. We finished nearly 1800 on Monday and completed the rest on Thursday. We boxed them up and took them to a man in our church who has a refrigerated truck and he's cooling them down for us before the event.
Tuesday: We painted a clay flowerpot and planted flowers in each one. The kids were challenged to give there potted plant to a neighbor, elderly person or someone who might be lonely. We heard at least a dozen reports at how people were touched by this act of kindness. Our local Lowe's ordered the pots in bulk for us, so if you need an abundance you might check to see your local stores supply ahead of time.
Wednesday: A few weeks before VBS we started collecting sample/hotel size shampoos, toothpastes, body washes, lotions, conditioners and wash clothes. A local dentist donated several hundred toothbrushes. And we used ziplock bags to assemble 1400 hygiene bags. We donated these to the local pregnancy center, our church food pantry and our local hospital.
Thursday: We closed the week out by purchasing enough fleece to make 30 fleece tie blankets. We bought various colors and patterns to appeal to boys, girls and adults. We donated these to Home Health Care who will distribute them this fall as the weather gets cooler.
The great thing about these outreach activities is that the kids understood the correlation with the lesson time and the activities and had a greater understanding of focusing on others rather than themselves. It was a great week!
Instead of crafts this year our kids did outreach activities. Grades 1-6 participated in four activities that will benefit someone else. Our VBS theme was "What's in it for me?"...and obviously we were trying to get them to think of others instead of themselves.
Here's what we did:
Monday: The kids wrapped and boxed 2500 water bottles. We printed labels with the church information...times, programs, contact information... And plan to pass them out at a local July 4th event in our community. We finished nearly 1800 on Monday and completed the rest on Thursday. We boxed them up and took them to a man in our church who has a refrigerated truck and he's cooling them down for us before the event.
Tuesday: We painted a clay flowerpot and planted flowers in each one. The kids were challenged to give there potted plant to a neighbor, elderly person or someone who might be lonely. We heard at least a dozen reports at how people were touched by this act of kindness. Our local Lowe's ordered the pots in bulk for us, so if you need an abundance you might check to see your local stores supply ahead of time.
Wednesday: A few weeks before VBS we started collecting sample/hotel size shampoos, toothpastes, body washes, lotions, conditioners and wash clothes. A local dentist donated several hundred toothbrushes. And we used ziplock bags to assemble 1400 hygiene bags. We donated these to the local pregnancy center, our church food pantry and our local hospital.
Thursday: We closed the week out by purchasing enough fleece to make 30 fleece tie blankets. We bought various colors and patterns to appeal to boys, girls and adults. We donated these to Home Health Care who will distribute them this fall as the weather gets cooler.
The great thing about these outreach activities is that the kids understood the correlation with the lesson time and the activities and had a greater understanding of focusing on others rather than themselves. It was a great week!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)