Simply Rest

13 Apr

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

Today I must confess, I am tired. There is much to tell of our recent travels and of the truths I am studying as I continue to memorize the Sermon on the Mount. Yet today I am seeking rest.

Jesus offers refreshment for our souls in each stage of life if we will but ask. On the ride home after a few hours work I prayed, “Lord, please help me to love my husband and children as you would have me to this day. Please help me to be ready to do whatever activity they want and participate with joy.”

As I approached the house Emily, Joshua, and Ron were coming out in their bathing suits ready to water the yard and head for the pool. We had planned to either go to the pool (the family’s favorite) or head for the beach (my favorite) so I knew I needed to be prepared.

I so loved seeing the children splash in the water, venture out to swim on their own, and laugh as their daddy tickled them. It was indeed a time of refreshment to simply observe the joy and thereby participate in it with them.

Thank you for reading these scratchings each week. Thank you for taking part in the joy that is mine to share life with you.

Today I am tired, so I will rest. I wanted you to know that I was thinking of you dear readers. It was encouraging to me that some of you were stopping by for a visit. I wanted to make sure you knew our door was open and a refreshing glass of water awaited you if you should bless us with your presence.

Rest in Him this weekend.

Linking with Rachel:

friday favorite things | finding joy

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The Books I Carried With Me

11 Apr

Sometimes I marvel which childhood bents will carryover to adulthood.

For me, the love of a good book is probably foremost.

I remember one occasion where I alphabetized my home library. I must have been in third or fourth grade. Perhaps I also instituted a check-out operation, though for whom I cannot say.

My love of reading was birthed in part by my third grade best friend, Holly M. Holly challenged me to complete my homework before school was dismissed each day, eat mustard and ketchup with french fries, and to read for fun. My first grade teacher, who also happens to be my mother, made sure that I read and was read to daily…even during the summer. However, a peer modeling such good study habits truly challenged me and changed me for the better.

Outside of a dog a book is man’s best. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. Groucho Marx

The first book that clicked with me I checked out from my school library. The name of the text has long eluded me. For years I looked in the same corner of the little school library for the book with the girl and the wagon wheel on the front only to be evaded.

It is of little importance what the book was or even its content. What matters is that the love of reading and learning was unlocked. Perhaps it had been evident to my parents earlier than it was manifested to myself.

Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep, for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter. Paxton Hood

My mother loves thrift and antique stores. One particular store in our community we would frequent monthly. As my mother rummaged through piles and shelves and rows of china, nick-knacks, and furniture. My sister would look for antique keys. I was found digging through treasure troves of books. The hardcover, yellow paged volumes were my favorite. Black Beauty, Little Women, Nancy Drew, and Old Yeller soon became reading companions which I have kept.

Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house. Henry Ward Beecher

Today, our home library exceeds the shelf space allotted. Now as then, I continue to find searching used classic and modern volumes therapeutic. Many childish ways I left behind, but the books I carried with me.

“If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing.”  Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790)

In honor of romancing our children with the love of reading, this week I will highlight the children’s reads:

For some time, I have been referring to Emily as flutterbudget or half-pint as Pa does Laura. Each time Emily replies, “I am not flugerbuget, my dad calls me Sport!”  She tells me her “brudder“ (brother) is Champ and she is Sport. Glad we have that settled!

That is what we are reading this Wednesday. What about you, how did you first fall in love with literature?

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Easter 2012

9 Apr

 Celebrating on Saturday with our extended family suited everyone’s busy Sunday schedule allowing us to enjoy each other with out the after church rush. Additionally we were able to eat lunch at Olive Garden after the third Easter service on Sunday. In case you were wondering, Little Italy serves up a tasty Easter dish! We hope you enjoy this picture recap of our celebrations.

We dyed Easter eggs on Friday evening and the kids acted as if they were going to Disney world. To say they loved it would be an understatement. I am considering buying more discount egg-dye at Walmart to surprise them.

Easter service ready then a kiss and out the door.

 

He lives, he lives,

Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me

Along life’s narrow way.

He lives, he lives,

Salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know he lives?

He lives within my heart.

 Happy Easter 2012!

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Like Blue Hydrangeas

8 Apr

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.  Matthew 28:6

My Easter memories consist of new Sunday dresses sewn by my mother, full Easter baskets, and beautiful blue hydrangeas.

 

Every Easter Sunday we would gather at Mama’s to celebrate our Risen Savior. Just outside her carport to the right was the most beautiful blue hydrangea bush brimming with blossoms. All the little boy and girl cousins would quickly run by them in a game of chase or hide-and-seek. Yet, last night as I paused to give thanks for the white hydrangeas on my dining room table what filled my mind were the beautiful blue flowers  of my childhood Easters of many years ago. The hydrangeas are why I choose the colorful mix from the supermarket initially.

My own mother, as she would remember the women traveling early to anoint the Savior, would spend many hours sewing my sister and I beautiful smocked Easter dresses. Her loving stitches graced many smocked dresses that my little girl wears as she grows and as my sweet newborn niece, Anna Bell, will wear in like fashion.

What Easter memories are we sowing into our children and heritage? When they are grown and making a new home of their own, what will they remember of their childhood Easter’s?

Last night, I tacked the sides of my daughters beautifully smocked pink Easter dress my mom purchased for Emily. As I feebly attempted to stitch, I marveled at my mothers gift of sewing and creating those beautiful dresses each year. I wondered how a mother learns to accomplish all that her children need. Did my mother’s and father’s efforts feel as novel to them as they do to me?

This year, on my table are white hydrangeas, but in my heart are memories of blue.

 

Praise Jesus our Savior is risen! May we be like beautiful blue hydrangeas and testify of the goodness of our Creator and Christ our savior this day and always.

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Good Friday Not Good People

6 Apr

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

~ Matthew 27:24-26

Many people believe that they are “good people.” Failing to compare ourselves to God, we can always find someone worse than us.  One elderly lady I witnessed to last year said that she doesn’t do bad things “like those politicians.”

Like Pilate, we wash our hands of Jesus blood when our pride says, “I have not sinned, I am a good person.”

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

~Romans 3:23-24

Jesus did not drink the cup of God’s wrath for good people. Rather, when sin entered the world through Eve and Adam eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, good people ceased to exist. All people thereafter became fallen, sinful, lost people separated from their Creator by our sin nature. Christ drank the cup of God’s wrath against sin so that fellowship between God and man could be restored for eternity.

Christ’s sacrifice is not a blanket forgiveness for all people. His blood sacrifice provides forgiveness of sins for those who repent, turn from their sin in confession and action, and believe on Christ Jesus for salvation.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ~Romans 10:9-10

We continually strive to teach the children scriptural truths. A few weeks ago Ron talked to Emily about her sin nature. He explained that we all have a sin nature that is contrary to God. Since that time we have used teachable moments when Emily wants to disobey to reinforce this teaching on the sin nature versus following in obedience to God’s commands.

Earlier this week Emily asked if we would cry in heaven. I told her God will wipe away every tear. At this point I do not know if there will be ongoing wiping of the tears for eternity or a one time event. Next she asked what would happen if she disobeyed in heaven. Insightful questions indeed! I said those who believe on Jesus as their savior will live in heaven and upon earthly death will loose their sin nature. In heaven we will not have a sin nature at all. Praise Jesus! Emily’s face lit up and her mouth and eyes widened in surprise. She replied, “How will He take it out? How will He get it out of our stomachs?”

The priests and onlookers shouted out that Christ’s blood be on them and on their children. However, His blood is on each of our hands as we have all sinned against God.

Praise the Lord Jesus Sunday comes after Good Friday. Let us ponder today the cross and crucifixion of Christ and praise Him for His substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf.

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What I Am Reading Wednesday

4 Apr

Liberty Park

Hello friends! We made it back from our New York and New Jersey excursion very late Monday evening. Catching up on grocery shopping was an easy task especially with the free bakery cookie the kids look forward to. The laundry and house cleaning are another slow turn of the page however.

Central Park

I enjoyed an unusual amount of mommy reading time as the kids flew with Ron on the trip north. What a good man to let his wife enjoy alone time two rows back while he entertains the littles. I touched the Kindle app on my iPad free of too many distractions and enjoyed the ride. (Potty breaks did involve some tag team effort a few times). Thank you honey!

So, what did this hands free mama read on the plane? So glad you asked. Chinese drum roll please…

 

God made the heart of every married person to be romantic, and to feel the passion that springs out of romance. He designed your hearts to need a regular cycle of romance and passion. Living without this cycle is death to your marriage and will put you both at a great risk for an affair. So, let’s get to work on your romance. ~Dr. David Clarke in Kiss Me Like You Mean It: Solomon’s Crazy In Love How-To Manual.

Ron and I were privileged to hear Dr. Clarke speak at our church four years ago. He is a local Christian counselor with a multitude of experience. Dr. Clarke’s writing style is equally witty, somewhat cheesy, and super helpful as his live seminars. I highly recommend this read for all post-newlywed couples. Especially if cheek kisses, air kisses, or quick pecks are a usual methods of kissing between you and your spouse! (See chapter’s 9 and 10)

I first heard about Dr. Clarke’s new book from my friends Karen and Danny who blog about marriage at Marriage Bytes. Dr. Clarke also blogs weekly. Check out his blog here.

Here is one more NYC shot for the road. I will start Tour de NYC next week. Until then, that is what I am reading this Wednesday; what about you?

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What I Am Reading Wednesday

28 Mar

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door!~ Emma Lazarus

This week we are preparing for our spring break trip to New Jersey and New York City. Our book basket is filled to the brim with books which reflect our future travel. Here are some of our favorites from the week.

This wonderfully illustrated book is full of an easy-to-follow story line as well as chalked full of wonderful facts on the bustling city of New York. It captured both the children’s attention levels and kept them throughout the story.

A beautifully illustrated story of the construction and journey of Lady Liberty from Paris, France to New York.

Miffy loves NYC and our kids loved Miffy as well as the real-life photographs of many monumental sites throughout New York City.

Here are a few I would recommend on New York for children second grade and older.

Laugh if you will, but this is where I am getting my factual background for our trip up to the top of the Empire State Building…or at least the observation deck on the 86th floor.

Emily continues to move through the Little House Series. Currently we are reading

A poem that Ma wrote in Laura’s autograph book is one that I desire to commit to memory.

If wisdom’s ways you wisely seek,

Five things observe with care,

To whom you speak,

Of whom you speak,

And how, and when, and where.

Today we read chapter 17, Name Cards.  Our eyes widened and lips turned upward in a smile when to our delight, Almanzo asked Laura to go for a ride in his enviable buggy behind the beautiful Morgan horses, Lady and Prince. Ah, romance!

Joshua currently enjoys reading

We are working on learning his colors. However, he most enjoys making the animal noises.

I am continuing to read


That is what we are reading this Wednesday, and you?

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The Unseen Soccer Mom

26 Mar

I pass moms that look similar to me frequently.

017

Dunkin Donuts coffee. Check.

Two or more car seats. Check.

096

One of two styles going on: 1. Workout soccer mom. 2. I am trying to accessorize with earrings and matching clothes soccer mom.  Check. Check.

Smiling while dragging assisting one child and carrying the other one on your hip. Check. (This is only a portion of the time. Often they are running ahead of me in the grassy or carpeted portions of the landscape or sweetly holding hands. Check.)

Watching as the kids run into daddy’s arms and welcome him home while finishing up that one last thing.Then welcoming him with a hug and kiss (assuming I am not at the breaking point). Check.

What about all of the unseen moments of a mom? Are the private moments and mutterings identifiable?

Last week while parking at Target I was listening to Moody Bible Radio and heard a preacher say something along the lines of the following.

Women size one another up upon first meeting. They quickly look at one another and determine many things about one another including will she be a threat to my husband? Will she threaten my social standing in a group?

In other words, is this woman superior to me in some way and ultimately is she a threat?

Oh my, that takes soccer mom to a whole new level! The pastor preaching said that he knows this happens because many women have told him.

Can you identify with these statements?

My answer is a resounding YES!

Yikes! That scenario spelled out puts many feelings in perspective. I can attest this happens in my mind instantly without seeking to do so nor being cognizant that it is happening.

This is a result of sin entering a perfectly ordered world. Pride and insecurity at their worst.

When I look at moms that are similar to me on the outside I wonder the likeness of the unseen portions of their days.

Did they have their time in God’s word this morning? Do they know Jesus at all? If they do not know Jesus how on earth are they processing all the demands of marriage, family, and perhaps career? What is on their minds, to do lists, bucket lists?

What insecurities tease them? What temptations are they struggling with? Do they know they are beautiful and loved?

I am really not a soccer mom. My daughter takes dance and my son has not begun organized sports. However, I am a mom and I understand the world and the Bible are two different pulls on our lives. I know that authentic encouraging relationships between women are hard to develop. I am so thankful for women that God is placing in my path that are reaching out to me.

Can I honestly say that being a (youth) pastor’s wife somewhat makes relationships even harder? Is that ok confess? I hope so.

Whether we size one another up or not, we need each other. We need community among women that will encourage us on grande vanilla latte matching earring days and on homemade Foldger’s in my cup out the door to the gym days. It is how we proceed after the initial seconds of sizing each other up that will determine the flow of our relationships.

We need to be willing to communicate some of the unseen soccer mom at surface level so that in looking at one another we see more than coffee cups. We see souls searching for the same One. We see that we are really not all that different. We see a sister.

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Remembering a Mentor in the Faith

23 Mar

Dear Dave,

It will be two years since I last saw you and two years that you have lived in eternal time with Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Does time fly in heaven as it does here on earth?

I am writing to tell you of your impact in the faith on my life. This letter comes with much forethought and tears many times I think of you. See, I cry here on earth because deep in my spirit I know I am not home yet. This truth sometimes is a distant knowledge of which I must remind myself. At other times, it is as close as a whisper in my ear.

Because of your work for Jesus Christ in planning our mission trips to Ukraine, much work continues to go forth. Joe is serving as a full-time missionary in Horodok. Merrie and some of the others continue to take summer missions and continue to plant and water the seeds of the gospel that you helped to plant for many years.

Ron and I are continuing in the mission minded path the Lord Jesus used you to pave in our lives. I will be returning to the foreign mission field for the first time since our Emily was born four years ago. Do you remember that last trip? It came just after our return from a winter mission you helped me plan.

You were content to let a 25 year old young lady learn the ropes of leading a mission team and allowed her to take leadership responsibilities. Thank you for your training! Because you were content to nurture my call to serve in missions, a winter trip to Ukraine took place allowing for us to get our feet wet teaching English as a Second Language as a missions tool to reach the lost for Christ. One of my favorite parts of this trip was the fact I was accompanied by my sister. Thank you for your belief in me.

Few people touch the lives of two siblings groups out of one marriage, but you did. You led trips to Ukraine where both Ron and his brother, Tom, and I and my sister, Julie were able to go. These are memories that Ron and I will cherish forever.

This July I will be going on a new mission with a different destination than our beloved Ukraine. Following in the footsteps of Ron last year, I will be traveling with our team to Honduras to build four homes for children and their families who live and work on the trash dump in the capital city of Tegucigalpa.  Our work partners with a Christian school and church lead by Pastor Jeony of AFE.

I am so excited to plant my feet on foreign soil once again!

Dave, I wanted you to know that you are not forgotten. That your spiritual legacy lives on and the work continues. I am so blessed to have known you friend, and I look forward to seeing you when I come home.

Love,

friday favorite things | finding joy

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What I Am Reading Wednesday

21 Mar

{Alternately Entitled} What I Am Eating Wednesday

My favorite mom and pop store in my hometown was a hardware store. The wood flooring easily indicated where everyone was in the store as a hollow sound resonated with each step.

The bins and bins of bolts, nuts, nails, and screwdrivers provided ample opportunity for my sister and I to rummage. Perhaps the old-time feel came from the Coca-Cola machine. When you put your quarters in, a beautiful glass bottle rolled out to your palm. The cool refreshing drink was made even more delicious by the quality of the packaging and the novel experience.

This is the way that millions feel about the popular fast-food chain, Chick-fil-A’s, service.

Coca-Cola and Chick-fil-A have a relationship that goes perhaps 80 years back.  Founder of Chick-fil-A, S. Truett Cathy was selling Coca-Cola long before he “invented” the chicken sandwich. As a young boy, Mr. Cathy learned the power of a profit. He would buy a 6-pack case of Coca-Cola for 25 cents then sell each one door-to-door for a nickel each. Making a nickel’s profit per case.

Mr. Cathy recently published, Wealth is it Worth it?

This is a fast, insightful read that I would liken to the easy reading of,Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life. Mr. Cathy uses brief personal stories and narratives of other wealthy men and women to help the reader determine if wealth is worth the cost. Multiple pages interspersed throughout with insightful business and life-quotes make great inspirational points that readers will walk away quoting.

The Chick-fil-A story is one that teaches readers the power of business which considers consumers as customers with a story, not merely a means to make money.

Additionally, Chick-fil-A is committed to helping you write new stories in your family with special nights like Daddy Daughter Date Night.

Last night, my husband and I received a copy of Wealth: Is It Worth It? at our local Chick-fil-A Customer Appreciation Dinner.   Here are some photograph highlights:

 

As our final parting gift, we were given a first taste of Chick-fil-A’s new chocolate chunk cookies due in stores next month. I ate mine this morning with a hot cup of black tea…it is the best chocolate chip cookie that my mama didn’t make! Be sure and purchase one in April. It may be the treat to eat while reading Mr. Cathy’s book.

 To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” ~Chick-fil-A Mission Statement, Wealth Is It Worth It

That’s what I am reading this Wednesday. What about you?

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