Waiting

Do you ever find yourself in a period of waiting? Maybe you've been praying for a situation in your life to change, but no change occurs. Maybe you've been praying for guidance and direction, yet God remains silent. Could it be that He is waiting on us?

Shannon Ethridge writes that "Waiting may simply mean returning to the last thing you felt prompted to do, then asking yourself, Have I been obedient? As a parent, I try not to overwhelm my children by asking them to do something until they have finished the last thing I've asked them to do. God works in similar ways. He guides us step by step, refusing to overwhelm us with the big picture until we can handle it. He doesn't call us to run spiritual marathons until we've been obedient to the little things and mastered basic training.

When was the last time you were certain that God spoke to you? Go back to that place and ensure you have obeyed that instruction. Only then will God continue to give you further direction."

Tossing the Bouquet

It's a tradition at nearly every wedding...the bride tossing the bouquet over her shoulder, wanting someone else to find such happiness and fulfillment...the single woman hopeful to catch it and be the next to marry. As Christians we are called to "toss the bouquet" by sharing our testimony with others. I know firsthand the life-changing power of a relationship with Jesus and I long for others to know that same joy. So here is an "abridged" version of my story...

Today I am living my dream. But the road to get here was not easy. I was blessed to grow up in a loving home where my needs were provided for. However, it was a broken home. The frequent changes that occurred in my family left me feeling insecure. So I took control over every aspect of my life that I could. I excelled in school and tried to do everything "right" to earn the approval of others. I shut myself down emotionally so no one could see my pain and vulnerability. And when I got older, I sought my security from my relationships with boys. While I grew up going to church it was more of a "Sunday morning" thing rather than a faith that permeated my life.

I was around 18 years old when I began losing control. A 2-year romantic relationship had just ended, my self-esteem was in the gutter, and I was heading to college with a major...but no real direction or purpose for my life. I was drawn to a student Christian group on campus. The people there were different. They had a sense of joy and optimism that I longed for. But my skepticism kept me at a distance and I continued making poor choices. Until one day I hit rock bottom. But instead of sinking into despair, I felt something telling me "You were made for more than this"! And the amazing thing was that I believed it. I began to really seek out Jesus, and you know what...I found Him! I thank God that he made His presence known to me before I made a total mess of my life.

In the 12 years since, my life has completely changed. My attitude and outlook on life have improved. I have a clear purpose and direction. I now look to God for my security and self-worth. I find freedom in not needing to be in control. And I'm finding joy in my growing compassion for others, rather than living life for myself. All these changes are a result of God refining me, which sometimes can be painful, but the end result is worth it. Of course my life isn't perfect...I still struggle with issues, I still mess up, I still sin. But now I seek wisdom and correction, I know that I'm loved unconditionally, I have hope for the future, and I live in the freedom of resting securely in the grip of my heavenly Father.

As I throw this bouquet, I pray that you would catch it and if you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior that you would begin to seek Him with all your heart. No need to push your way to the front, or elbow and claw the person standing next to you...the invitation is open to all.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who opens finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8

Is Jesus your friend?

Another excerpt from Completely His...

"Many people could claim to know me because they've read some very intimate details of my life in books I've written. But to know me through a book can't compare with how my friend knows me so personally and intimately.

Suddenly I sensed God saying, Uh-huh! That's exactly how I feel, Shannon. Lots of people know many things about Me because they've read My Book, but they have yet to experience the joy of being in an intimate relationship with Me.

Think about it. Would you enter a room where your closest friend was waiting, sit down near her, pick up a book about her life and read a chapter or two, then stand up and leave without personally interacting with her? Of course not. So why are we tempted to do that with God?"

Dying to Self

Shannon Ethridge has written yet another book that speaks right to me. She makes me feel so exposed! But I guess that's a good thing. Here's some food for thought...

"No matter what we have done, God is determined to reveal the fault lines running deep within our character so that we will allow Him to strengthen those faults and restore our relationship with Him. Our fault lines are the most vulnerable points that Satan will continue to target. He uses our favorite flavors of sin to attract us into taking a detour off the path of righteousness and to distract us from living the life we truly desire to live."

Jesus says in Mark 8:34-45 "If any of you wants to be my follower...you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life."

"Do you want to live as the spotless bride of Christ? If so, consider the main thing that Jesus said is required - putting aside our selfish ambition and following Him. What might this look like? Whenever we are tempted to do anything that would pose a threat to our righteousness and bring disappointment to our Bridegroom's heart, we do whatever it takes to resist the temptation and remain pure."

"Remember how I willingly died for you, (insert your name here). Now willingly obey Me and die to yourself. Don't go play in the mud. Remain pure and white for me."

I'm trying, Lord. I'm trying.

Free Will

I think I'm getting a taste of what's to come in my world of parenting... I'm in a position to offer some godly advice and wisdom to a young lady about dating and marriage. I know what God's Word has to say on the subject. And I've learned from my own experiences. But when it comes to giving advice, I am well aware that she has the free will to take it or leave it. I can't force her to make wise choices. I just hope she has come to trust me enough to follow my advice even if she doesn't completely understand it now. I love her and only desire the best for her life. So what if she doesn't take it? What if she gets hurt? Will I say "I told you so"? No. I know what it's like to make mistakes. I would hurt along with her. And I would hope that the next time she would make a better choice. But watching someone exercise their free will and make poor choices is very hard sometimes.

So I wonder how God feels to be in that position. He has written us an entire book of advice and wisdom on how to conduct our lives. Jesus has lived as a human and knows what it means to suffer and be tempted. He loves us and only wants the best for our lives. But we are able to exercise our free will. We can choose to follow his path or leave it. Do we trust Him enough to follow His counsel even when we don't understand it? And what happens when we make a poor decision? Some people may think that God is a judge and is quick to condemn and say "I told you so". But if he loves me even more than I love my children, then I know he would hurt when I hurt. And he would pick me up off my feet and encourage me to do better the next time.

My prayer is that this would be true in my life and in yours...

"I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.

I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord; do not let me be put to shame.

I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free."

-Psalm 119:30-32

Swing Your Partner

Looking for something different and FUN to do on date night? Try a Barn Dance at Malabar Farm! We went to our first one this Saturday. I haven't laughed that much in a long time. And another big bonus is that it is FREE! Here's some tips if you decide to give square dancing a try...

1. You don't need to go out and buy an outfit like the one pictured above (which by the way is NOT what we wore). Although if you really want to wear a frilly dress, this would be a good occasion!

2. It's ok if you don't know how to dance. There are lots of beginners and the callers walk you through the steps. Learning is half the fun.

3. If you arrive right at 7:00 and feel weird because it is an older crowd, rest assured that the younger generation shows up "fashionably late".

4. Be prepared to be spun...a lot. Thankfully there are breaks after every couple of dances or I wouldn't have been able to stay on my feet!

Go ahead...be brave and give it a try!

To view dates of future Barn Dances check out: http://malabarfarm.org/activities_content.cfm?coverpageid=3&storynbr=2

A Day of Rest

The Sabbath. It has fascinated me for a long time. A day of rest each week...is that possible? I can't figure out how my family would fit that in during the school year. Being married to a teacher means lots of grading to do on the weekends. But summer is coming, and we're going to give this a try! Sundays after church are going to be about relaxing and focusing on relationships instead of "what needs to be done". Here are some thoughts from Joanne Heim that make me desire and anticipate the Sundays to come...

"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27)...God created the Sabbath for our benefit, for our enjoyment. The Sabbath is a day unlike any other - a day for rest and relaxation and fun and family and friends. The Sabbath is supposed to be a guilt-free vacation day each week - a day to not work and not feel guilty about not working! It is one day not measured by how productive you were or how many things you checked off your to-do list."

"Instead of keeping the Sabbath holy - set apart, different, special - we've made it a day like any other. We skip the rest God offers for a hodgepodge of last loads of laundry, trips to the grocery store, last-minute school projects. We fall into bed, feeling like we've almost caught up, and then wake up Monday mornings tired, unrested, with another week ahead to somehow get through."

"God gets involved and has to "make me lie down" (Psalm 23) because rest must be taught; we must learn to rest. Why doesn't rest come naturally? For me, it gets pushed down on the list, brushed aside for all of those things that seem more pressing. But rest is important. God "makes me lie down" in those green pastures for the purposes of restoring my soul. And that's something I want - how about you?"

"The Sabbath is my chance every week to turn around, to turn back, to think again of the way I want to live, the way I want my family to function, the way I want to walk closely with my God. The Sabbath is my chance to return to God, to the point where I strayed from the path, and to begin again."

Jesus says "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest." -Matthew 11:28 msg