The Missing Ingredient

I love baking molasses cookies.  They taste good, stay soft, and come out looking perfect every time....except today.  I made a double batch because I'm planning to take them to Emmaus Send-Off tonight.  I took the first sheet out of the oven and it didn't seem right.  Same with the second.  I'm trying to figure out what could be wrong.  Am I not baking them long enough?  Did I switch brands of an ingredient?  Is my cookie sheet not doing what it is supposed to?  It wasn't until the third pan came out that I realized I might have made a mistake!  That's pride for ya :)  Sure enough, I looked at the recipe and realized I had left out the baking soda.  I was able to add some in and improve the other cookies (thankfully they both taste good).  So in case you are wondering what role baking soda plays, check out the picture below.  A teaspoon of powder makes a big difference!

The Movie of Life

From Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love:

"Suppose you are an extra in an upcoming movie.  You will probably scrutinize that one scene where hundreds of people are milling around, just waiting for that two-fifths of a second when you can see the back of your head.  Maybe your mom and your closest friend get excited about that two-fifths of a second with you...maybe.  But no one else will realize it is you.  Even if you tell them, they won't care.

Let's take it a step further.  What if you rent out the theater opening night and invite all your friends and family to come see the new movie about you?  People will say, "You're an idiot!  How could you think this movie is about you?"

Many Christians are even more delusional than the person I've been describing.  So many of us think and live like the movie of life is all about us." p.42-43

My Valentine

Happy Valentines Day!  For some of you this may be a great day, having an excuse to express your love to your spouse or significant other.  For others it may be a day of disappointment or sadness. 

For those who have a spouse already in heaven I wanted to share with you a comment I recently read by Beth Moore..."What comfort to know that not only did God fashion us in our mothers' wombs, but He also knows the exact moment our hearts cease to beat.  God's desire to have us with Him will finally eclipse His desire to have us on earth, and He will take us to glory." 

If Valentines Day is a day to give and receive love, I can think of no better Valentine to have than Jesus.  God has created us, chosen us, loved us, revealed Himself to us, redeemed us, forgiven us, guided us, strenghthened us, and blessed us beyond measure.  And he gives some of us spouses to love here on earth, who we all too often take for granted.  While today I hope to let my husband know just how special he is to me, I want to turn my focus for just a moment to the One who loves me, and you,  perfectly and completely.

And They Keep Growing Up...

My boys keep growing.  We will be celebrating Jacob's 8th birthday this week!  Jacob is in 2nd grade and loves sports and video games...or doing just about anything with his daddy.  It makes me proud how well he does in school, both in academics and behavior.  But at home it can be quite different...

Every new stage with Jacob is both exciting and a little bit scary since he is the oldest.  (By the time I get to Brady I feel like a pro!)  I'm learning that as a child grows up, discipline needs to change.  The puzzle is figuring out how.  A book I'm reading made a point that the goal of discipline should not be to merely control behavior, but to look deeper and shape the child's heart...the place where the behavior comes from.  I'm a little overwhelmed with that responsibility!  But I'm thankful I don't have to do it alone. 

We have used "grounding" as a punishment for a while now.  Sometimes I think it's effective, and other times I'm not sure because I keep seeing the same attitudes reappear.  Recently I heard of a new discipline technique that I'm going to test out.  The basic idea is to assign sentences.  The child is grounded until the assignment is completed, giving them control of the length of their punishment.  So if a child talks back, you could assign him "I will not talk back to my mother" 25 times....which can increase if he complains about the assignment.  But my idea is to assign Scripture that relates to the bad behavior or attitude.  As the child writes, he will be memorizing God's Word at the same time.  For example, Ephesians 4:29 which says "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." I need to do some searching and come up with a list of Scriptures that would be appropriate. 

And so I ask for input.  Have you ever tried anything like this with your children?  Do you think it would cultivate a love and respect for God's Word, or have the opposite effect?  And are there any specific Scriptures you have as suggestions?

The Early Church

Recently I did some reading about persecution in the early church and I can't get it out of my mind. Roughly 30 years after Jesus's resurrection the Romans were led by Caesar Nero. He wanted to stir up hatred for the Christians and see them executed in horrible ways. Christ followers were arrested, jailed, and then given an opportunity to either deny their Savior or die a painful death. Some were covered in fresh animal skins and released into an arena with wild animals. Some were coated in wax and set on fire, being taunted about being the "light of the world". The lucky ones were the Roman citizens who were granted a quick death such as a beheading. How many of the people who call themselves Christians today would choose this death rather than deny Christ? Would you or I? The courage and faith of these early Christians inspires me.

What also amazes me is how God used Nero's plan against him. Nero wanted to wipe the Christians out. Yet after time, witnessing person after person choose Jesus, the world began to take notice. Who is this Jesus that people would sacrifice their lives to honor? These sacrifices became witnesses to the truth and aided the spread of the gospel. What man intended for evil, God used for good.

When I think of those early martyrs, I can hear them answering their captors with the chorus of this song...

The Victorious Life

I started a new devotional this year that I received as a gift. It's a unique little book because the entries are written as if Jesus were speaking directly to you. And so far the words have been just what I've needed to hear.

I was getting discouraged around the holidays thinking about how I still struggle with the same issues. Yes, I've made progress, but I want the victory. So these words gave me much to think about: "You can achieve the victorious life through living in deep dependence on Me. People usually associate victory with success; not falling or stumbling, not making mistakes. But those who are successful in their own strength tend to go their own way, forgetting about Me. It is through problems and failure, weakness and neediness that you learn to rely on Me. - Jesus" (Taken from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)

It reminds me of what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. He pleaded with God to take his "thorn" away, but learned to accept that when he was weak he was able to be strengthened through God's power. It kept him humble and dependent. So this year I want to learn to boast about my weakness instead of getting discouraged, remembering that His grace is sufficient for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness.

What We Leave Behind

Last year I bought a pair of "funeral clothes". Just some black pants and shoes with a nice shirt. I hoped that I wouldn't have to wear that outfit too often. But Jeremy and I are beginning to realize that the older we get, the more loss we will experience personally and through those we love. A friend of mine with a terminal illness recently stated that "We are all terminal". How true that is.

As I was standing in the 2-hour line for calling hours of a family friend yesterday, I was reminded that only two things matter at a funeral: 1)where that person is spending eternity, and 2)who they left behind. Yesterday was a cause for celebration as the deceased is now in heaven with Jesus. There was a sadness present for those left behind, but also great hope and peace in knowing God was present and in control. As the line progressed through different rooms I did not learn where Bob lived, what kind of car he drove, what awards he had received, or how much "stuff" he had. What I saw was how much he loved and was loved in return. Pictures with his wife of 43 years and the journey they had traveled together....children, grandkids, tons of memories. Plus the mere presence of so many people waiting to show their respects to Bob's family testify to the type of man that he was. I want to leave behind that type of legacy too.

With Christmas quickly approaching I am reminded that it is relationships, not gifts, that are important. What matters is our relationship with the Lord, and the time spent and memories made with others. That is what we leave behind. Thanks, Bob & Gina, for your beautiful witness.

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God...How happy are those who can live in your house, always singing your praises"

~ Psalm 84: 1,2,4