Birthdays and Swimming lessons

Zoe and Laurel. Zoe won't smile if she knows anyone is watching her. :)


My birthday present from Kevin and Kevin's parents (and I think Josh get some points for assembly and installation with Kevin).

Watching the kids from the swing.

I love the swing. I think I will be spending even more time on it as the weather cools down for fall (It is 89 right now...and it feels nice compared to the last couple weeks) . But for now...I can see the kids, read my Nook, or have a few quiet moments to myself after the kids are asleep. Bliss.

What is faith?

What is Faith? - SermonAudio link


Would you be willing to trade an easy, comfortable life for a hard, useful one?

That was one of the discussion questions this week for small group. I was at work. But missing out on the discussion with some of my favorite people (and I'm sure an amazing meal...I got the text describing the meal). Both of us working in the evening is necessary, but there are so many nights I long for fellowship with the body.

Back to the question. Tangents at the beginning just get my brain working...and sometimes let me avoid talking about the issue at hand. And this issue is two-fold and can be coupled with another question I have been struggling with.

First - Would I be willing to trade an easy, comfortable life for a hard, useful one? It isn't as easy as making a choice. If it was, I think most Christians, myself included would choose the comfortable life. Not that I want to spiritually, but choosing something hard over something comfortable just because...well it isn't exactly in my DNA. But in God's divine plan, the choice is not always ours to make. No one chooses for certain things to happen in their life.

I have been sitting at my computer tonight catching up on a list of blogs that I read. Most have been sent to me, friends I have met over the years, or posted on Facebook by friends asking for prayers. These are just a few of many.

This is what I have to tell you. My life is not hard. There have been moments when it seemed hard. There have been things other people would deem difficult. But when looking at the needs of others...well, my needs, my difficult circumstances, pale in comparison.

A 1-year-old from our playgroup

A 6-year old boy

Briar and Brooke

I share these stories so that you too can pray for these families. I know they would appreciate your prayers.

Someone once told me that we may never know why God allowed something to happen. But that maybe I could use the experience I have had to reach out to someone in a similar situation. Explain to someone else that God did not forget about them. That God loves them.

At the time, it was a difficult reality to grasp (and honestly, it still is some days). I wanted to change the past/present. I wanted things to work out differently. The fear of the future and how all the pieces fit back together. I wanted more than anything to at least know why. It has taken me years to realize that I could work on the puzzle of things in my own life forever and not have even begun. I have to leave that to God.

Moms compare everything: pregnancies, kids, life experiences, struggles. It isn't about comparing faith. It is about growing that faith every day. It is about holding hands with your sister in Christ and praying for her. It is about getting down on my knees and crying because humanly speaking I can't handle "this" alone. It doesn't matter what "this" is. The good news is that God didn't ask me to handle any part of life on my own. Life was meant to be lived in Him.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego went into the fire knowing they could die. It was certainly hot enough. Their faith allowed them to say that regardless of the outcome, they believed that God is faithful and good. They could have died that day.

Many Christians have not been rescued from their difficult circumstances.

So here is to living by faith, every day. Not living in fear/disappointment of the past or fear of the future. Choosing to live present by faith in the hands of God. Not always the easiest spot or the most comfortable. But He will comfort and He will give strength. And He promises what He gives will always be enough.

God has never ceased to be good.

A few thoughts on broccoli and chocolate

For those of you who don’t go to our church or missed Sunday morning, I will post a link to the audio when it is posted. And for broccoli, I will substitute canned peas. I can’t really say that a broccoli day is a bad one. I really look forward to the rare occasion when I get to eat it.

I have more thoughts than this on the sermon. I started writing 2 (now 3) hours ago. I tried to pare it down. I have another post. Maybe later this week. It is on people of faith. The amazing trials God has brought them through and the impact they have had on my life.

Back to my thoughts on the sermon. It was about walking by faith and not by sight. Walking by sight results in fear and anxiety. Walking by faith allows us to KNOW that God doesn’t do bad. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). We all say we walk by faith, but how many of us practice it. Pastor Arndt explained hope as a confident expectation that God has the ability to save us from the circumstance, but the knowledge that He is still God even if He chooses not to lift us from the trial.

So, where does this leave me? Well, I took a tangent at some point. For me it isn't always the trials. Before I get to the trial I get trapped in the “What if ______?” game. And that is a game God never intended for Christians. What if I get really sick? What if Kevin dies? What if Zoe or Wyatt has cancer? What if I fail my class? What if I wreck my car? What if my child makes choices I disagree with? My “what if” might be based on past trials or experiences of friends. The list goes on forever. But it doesn’t matter how little or big the issue is/or seems to me. Living life in fear of those questions is walking by sight, my sight (flawed and limited). Satan uses the “What if _____?” game to paralyze me.

Maybe another way to look at it is to think about standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon. (Which is beautiful by the way). Look down. Scared yet? It is a long ways down. Now turn around. There is an abundance of flat ground. Safe ground. You can choose to look down and see the scary depths to which you could fall. But it is no closer than the flat ground behind you. And you are standing on flat ground if you are playing the “What if ____?” Game.

The answer to all the “What if” questions is that God is good, God is with you, God KNOWS, and God UNDERSTANDS. God expects His children to do their best. I am responsible for eating well, taking care of my kids, studying, driving safely, and raising my children in a Godly home. But if I constantly worry about what is around the corner, I will miss out on what God has for me today. God calls us to joy. I need to let my past not hinder my current situation. Even if today is a trial. Even if today I cry. Even if today, I tell God I am tired of the trial and can’t go on.

Whenever I play the “what if ___?” game or I am in the midst of a true trial Kevin says, “Sweetheart, it isn’t time to hit the panic button yet. But I will let you know when it is time.” As of yet, God hasn’t required me to hit the panic button. Don't get me wrong. Trials come. Some more challenging than others. Even at the lowest points, He comes along side me and holds me up. He picks up the pieces when everything breaks apart and puts together a masterpiece that only He could. I only have to give Him my whole life. I have to give Him control. And in the darkest of moments, He is with me. And He is with you. You are not alone.

*Note: I did not address those who are currently undergoing a trial or me undergoing a trial. Sometimes, the bottom of the Grand Canyon comes fast. An issue that could be a “what if” to me may be your reality. I recommend the book Trusting God by Jerry Bridges. Study the passages of the Bible dealing with trust. Choose to trust God even when you are hurting and broken. The God whom I serve is the same God when times are good, when life is at its lowest, and everywhere in between.

He stands beside you. He carries you. He loves you.

By Faith (Keith & Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend)

Verse 1
By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation's grand design
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness
Who walk by faith and not by sight

Verse 2
By faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the power of His promise in their hearts
Of a holy city built by God's own hand
A place where peace and justice reign

Chorus
We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul's reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We'll Walk by faith and not by sight

Verse 3
By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed for Messiah would appear
With the power to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant form the grave

Verse 4
By faith the church was called to go
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth

Verse 5
By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the power of the gospel shall prevail
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name

What does a lion say?

Josh taught her a few new "what does a _____ say?". But I haven't caught her on tape yet. Let's just say one has to do with our car.