My Cup Runneth Over

It's time for the holidays again. I love this time of year. Mostly because people's hearts tend to be more willing to give and love, to help others and to forgive. What better time of year for eyes to be opened to all the wonders of God. I've been sort of dreading how I would feel because of this separation. I wasn't sure where the kids would spend their time. I was sad because I thought of all the years that were spent together as a family sharing the holidays. But then I realized that I still had alot to be thankful for. And that got me thinking that I should make a mental note of these things and try to remind myself of them whenever I got sad. And then I realized that it would be a good idea for the kids too. So I asked them to sit down and write a list of what they were most thankful for.

Megan came up with this:
"I'm thankful for family. I'm thankful for my fish, turtle, and cat. I'm thankful for mom and dad. I'm thankful for my house. I'm thankful for my friends. I'm thankful for my bed."

Josh had this to say:

"I'm thankful for family, playstation (go figure :o) ), computer, TV, radio, Christmas, Ozzie (dog), Teddy (cat), Thanksgiving, Easter, Jesus being born (WOW!!), markers, crayons, school (Did not expect that one! :o) ), showers, clothes, rugs, chairs, hair, God, video games, cds, movies, pool tables, shampoo, and lastly freedom."

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES!!!!! :o) :o)

Well, I have to put my two cents in as well, so here is my list:

1.) My two beautiful babies (I know, they're not really babies anymore, but they WILL always be my babies!!!!)

2.) My family and friends who have loved me and supported me and stuck with me through all of my ups and downs!!!

3.) That God has proved that in one way, shape or form, He will always provide whatever we need!!

4.) That I have the gift of life, and that every day is a chance for me to do better than the day before.

And on that note.....

5.) That God loves me in spite of my faults, that He doesn't give up on me even when I'm sure that He has every right to kick me to the curb, and that He has promised that I will have a home with Him in heaven someday.

Ephesians 2:8 & 9 says, "For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast."

John 14:1-3 says, " 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in Me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.' "

I have nothing to complain about. I have more love, and laughter and blessings than anyone could ever ask for. "My Cup Runneth Over". Now I just have to remember to thank God even when things look so dismal. Because no matter what my circumstances look like, He is still God, and He will always be with me.

Tug Of War

Imagine this scene. You're in a large room with row upon row of seats for spectators. There are bright lights everywhere. The brightest of them directed towards the center of the room, where a section has been roped off for the main event. Speaking of ropes, the one and only object that is present at the moment is an enormous rope, half black and half red. For now, all is silent. But within minutes people begin to file in and fill the seats. All too quickly the seats are filled and there are people shouting out in excited voices, speaking of who they think should win the contest.

After a bit the annoucer steps into the spotlight. He begins with a flourish: "Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the Main Event. Tonight you will witness a grueling battle of wills. On the red side of the rope, Jesus Christ, the One the Only, the Son of God!!!!........" People scream at the top of their lungs shouting praises and yelling out "Jesus Reigns, Jesus Reigns!!!!" as Jesus comes out and takes His place at His end of the rope. The announcer continues, "And on the black end of the rope, representing all that is so evil and sad in this world, Satan...." All around the room, ring out the "boos" from people long disgusted by the havoc wreaked by this being. Satan takes his place, and then the announcer continues. "And in the middle of the rope, ready to be swayed this way or that.... Kristin." The room falls deathly silent. Everyone stares at the woman as she approaches the middle of the rope. She hangs on tightly to the rope, and then the pulling begins. First Jesus gives a good yank, saying "She has been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. She is a child of the King. You have no power over her!!!" And then Satan yanks back with the retort, "Yes, but she still has her own desires, her own choices. And she wants everything to go her way. She doesn't want to surrender her will!"

And then, in the strangest turn of events, the woman steps back from the rope. Slowly, ever so slowly, she walks down to the end of the black rope and takes it from Satan. Without looking up, she begins to pull on the rope. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she tells Jesus, "I don't want life to be so full of pain!! I only want things to get better, to be easier. Can't you see how good my life would be if only You would allow me to have everything that I want?" And Jesus, with tears in His eyes, stops pulling the rope. With the deepest anguish in His voice, He says, "Don't you know by now that I never intended for it to be this way? The sadness, the loss, the separation, death, none of it!!!!!!!!! But choices were made and things are as they are in this fallen world. So My Father sent me to fix what was broken so long ago. That part has been accomplished, but now comes the rest of the journey. And I love you so much that I will walk with you every step. At times, I will carry you, when you need it the most. I have not forgotten you, and I will never leave you. I have not promised that you will not go through difficult times. Indeed you will. But I will bring you through them. My dearest Kristin, you must go through these things so that God can accomplish His purpose for you." And then with the gentlest, yet the strongest tug on the rope, Jesus pulls the woman so she is standing right before Him. In that brief second, she finds herself staring into the eyes of the One who loves her with the greatest love ever known. She sees in those eyes the promises made for her, the ones that were made long before she ever came to exist. And she knows that the fight must come to an end. So she drops the rope and places her hands in the hand of Jesus. "I surrender", she says, "Because I know that whatever road I travel, You will be with me. I am weak and You are strong. And I trust that You know what is best for me!" And Jesus, with a smile and tears in His eyes, replied, "You never did have to fight me..... I've been on your side all along!!!!!"

Hebrews 12:1 & 2 say this: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

How the Battle Was Really Won

Uncertainty. Hopelessness. Defeat. These are traits that would characterize my life if I didn't have such a loving Father to help me. Often times if I let myself, I can lean in that direction anyway. It is far too easy, I have learned, to allow how I live to be dictated by my circumstances or my feelings. But that is not how God would have me live.

This morning when I was listening to the radio, the lead singer of a band was speaking about something in the Bible that had made an impression on him. He was talking of King Jehoshaphat, in 2 Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat and his people were to go into battle with an army that was much bigger than they. But the word of the Lord was spoken through Jahaziel, who told them in verses 15-17: " 'Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem!This is what the Lord says to you: "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God's. .... Take your positions, stand firm, and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you" ' ".

Upon reading these words, my first thought was that the people had to be in awe that the God of all creation would make a promise like that. How good would it feel to know in the depths of your soul that something that looked like it could only end up going horribly wrong was actually going to turn out in your favor?????? And then to hear the words, "For the battle is not yours but God's"....... They didn't have to strategize. They didn't need to plan an escape route just in case things didn't go according to plan. Because God was the One with the plan. And He promised that He would give them the victory.

The other thing that was said by the lead singer on the radio this morning was what really grabbed my attention. He said that Jehoshaphat sent the musicians out before the army. He went on to say that it didn't seem quite right to send men out with no weapons in front of the men who were all geared up for the fight. But he pointed out that God doesn't operate how we would. 2 Chronicles 20:20-24 says, "Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ' Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.' After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying, 'Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.' As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The men of Ammon rose up against the men of Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped."

Without one soldier having to lift a finger, the enemies of Jerusalem and Judah were defeated. And it happened because the people praised God before He had even done what He said He would do. They believed, and they responded in faith, singing to the Lord with their whole hearts. And because the people put their trust in Him and praised Him, God proved that He is indeed faithful to keep His promises! And He proved that He can and will accomplish what He set out to do with or without us. He does not need us to make things happen! We need Him!! And I want to remember to praise Him in every circumstance in my life. Because He has promised that He has a hope and a good future for me. And He has promised that He does all things for the good of those who love Him. So whatever it is that each day will bring, I want to be sure to let Him know that I believe Him and that I trust Him with all my heart. And then I'm going to sit back and watch as He brings victory in every battle of my life.

The Futility of Fighting the Inevitable

All good things must come to an end. Isn't that how the saying goes?

I've been thinking alot about my life and what it looks like right now. It's not exactly what I pictured it would be at this point. But then again, how many people can actually say that their life is everything that they hoped it would be??? Well, I know that there are some people who can say that they wouldn't complain about the hand they were dealt. Living in the lap of luxury? What's to fuss about? The only problem is that it won't last. Not the house or the cars, the clothes, or the fancy gadgets. Not even the money that bought them. Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

I often contemplate what my life will be like when my daughter and son are no longer living with me. I love them so much that I can't imagine a time when they won't be with me every day. Truthfully, I don't want to even think about that. If they're gone overnight I miss them! I'm so thankful that God gives them stages to change and become more independent. Not only is it better for them that way, but it makes it a little easier on me as a mom. But there will be a day when they are all grown up and move out. And then someday will come a time of greater separation. (Not permanent, because I know that we will be in heaven together someday, but separation nonetheless.) My point is that even the ones we love will not be ours forever, nor will we be theirs forever. Psalm 89:47 & 48 says, "Remember how fleeting is my life....... What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave?"

I have come to this conclusion. It is futile to fight the inevitable. Whether it's people or things, there is nothing that we can hold onto. Everything that seems so necessary to us now will matter no more. I am choosing now to live life with open hands. Letting go of what I always thought that I "needed" to live a full and happy life. And instead I am doing my best to live each day as I feel that God leads me to. Whatever I don't have here and now will seem incomparible to what I have to look forward to in heaven. Revelation 21 talks about a new heaven and a new earth. Verses 3-7 say this: "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all of this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.' "

I would much rather live looking forward to what I will have for eternity than live for the things that I will only have for a short time on this earth.....

Praying for Rain// Do You Believe Me?

The other night I watched the movie "Facing the Giants". I cannot even begin to describe to you how much I love, love, love that movie!!!!!!!! It's only the second time that I have watched it, but I find so many statements that are made by the main character that touch the deepest parts of my heart.

The last time I saw it, I received one lesson from the movie. This time, I got another one. Throughout the movie, the main character Grant had so many things go wrong that it seemed as if his world was just falling to pieces before his eyes. And it didn't look like it was going to get better any time soon. Just to paint a brief picture of what was happening to him: He was a football coach with a losing season for 6 years in a row, his car didn't run more often than it worked, his washing machine quit running, he found out that he was incapable of bearing children, and then on top of all of that, he finds out that some of the student's fathers are trying to remove him from his job. Amidst all of this, there is a scene where Grant goes outside and prays. And as he does, he tells God that He knows that He is still on the throne, and that He will still trust Him and believe Him no matter if he likes the direction that his life is headed or not. Not long after that is a scene where a man is walking the halls of the school praying for each of the students, and praying that the hearts of the kids who attended school there would turn to God. In this particular visit to the school, that man proceeds to enter Grant's office and tell him that God led him there to give Grant a message. He told Grant that God had him there for a reason and that Grant was to bloom where God had planted him. He also went on to tell the story of two farmers that prayed for rain for their fields. He said that one went out and got his field ready for the rain that God would send, and the other did not. He then asked Grant, "Now which one do you think received the rain for his field?" The answer: the one who believed that God would send the rain.

This very thought has been the focus of my thoughts for the last few days. I had to ask myself, Am I the type of person who believes that God will send rain if I ask for it? I thought I was, but after careful consideration, I have realized that I often have a tendency to look at what I see instead of living in faith. I am not so different from the man in Mark 9. It says that his son was possessed by a spirit, and that the boy foamed at the mouth, could not speak, and rolled around on the ground. Verses 21-24 tell the story of what happened next. "Jesus asked, 'How long has he been like this?' 'From childhood', he answered. 'It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.' 'If you can?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who believes.' Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'

That is such a picture of me. I am that father, wanting to believe, but wary because of all that I have seen. But Jesus has asked me, "Do you believe me?" And I answer, "Yes, Lord, but help me with my unbelief!" Because in the deepest parts of my heart, where the truth of God resides, I know that God can and will do what He has set out to do. And I believe that if I ask Him for something that is in agreement with His will then it will be given to me. And God will be honored because of the prayers that are answered. I will prepare my fields for the rain that God will send.

And yet I will say in agreement with the main character Grant, "Lord, no matter what happens, I will still trust You, because You are still on the throne!"

Everyday Heroes

It's November already. Election Day is here and Veteran's Day is coming quickly behind it.

At this time every year since my kids have been in grade school, I've seen them bring home a yellow piece of paper with stars on it. I remember last night I was kind of in a hurry, so when I first saw the familiar piece of paper, I have to admit that I grumbled just a bit. Which is terrible of me!!! Shame on me!! The whole purpose of the stars is to write out the names of members of our family or friends that have served in a branch of the Armed Forces. And the purpose behind doing that is so that those people whether alive or not can be honored for the service they gave for their country. I felt horrible when I realized that the sacrifices that I have made pale in comparison with the sacrifices that these men made. After all, even though not everyone saw the front lines of battle, they all knew that it was very possible that they would indeed risk their very lives. And many of them did pay the cost of our freedom with their lives. I just want to say how very thankful I am for the men and women who have ever served or are now serving in the fight to protect our country and the freedom that we enjoy. Often times when people think of heroes, these are the people that they think about.

I believe that there are other types of heroes as well. And this is what I want my kids to grow up understanding. I think that a hero is one who loves with all of his heart and soul. He puts God first and understands that family, jobs, homes, money, health, etc. are blessings from God. He trains his children in accordance with God's laws, no matter how difficult it is. He walks in faith, even when the rest of the world shuns him and calls him crazy. Psalm 1:1-3 say, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it's fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." And Proverbs 21:21 says, "He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor."

I know that there is no one on the face of this earth that is perfect, and I would never expect them to be. But there are men who choose to be obedient to God and put Him and everything that is important to Him first and foremost in their lives. These are the men I want my kids to look up to. These are the ones that I want them to follow in the footsteps of. They are the everyday heroes that choose to consistently live out their faith. And I am taking this moment to thank God for them and for the ones that have sacrificed everything so we can live in the freedom that we so often take for granted!!!!!!

What You See Isn't Always What You Get

This morning as I was getting ready for church, my daughter sat down and struck up a conversation with me. For the most part I don't remember what we were gabbing about. Just typical mother-daughter conversation. Then our cat walked into the room. He stood on his back legs and put his front paws on Megan trying to get her attention. It was at that point that I remember her making a statement that has stuck with me the rest of the day. She said, "Mom, did you know that cats can see in only black and white?" She went on to say that she felt bad for him that he didn't see any color. To which I replied, "Don't feel bad for him, honey. He doesn't know that he's missing out on anything." Instantly I was struck with the realization that I'm not that different from the cat.

How is that possible, you ask? Well, let me explain it this way. Teddy, our cat, only sees what his eyes allow him to see. He sees the shapes, sizes, motion and colors, or lack thereof that God has given him the ability to see. As for me, it 's not so much my actual vision that is limited, but my ability to see what God is accomplishing in my life. I can only see what is right smack dab in front of me. And let me tell you, I am not always happy with what I see. But just like Teddy can't see all the things that we can see, I can't see all that God can see.

Interestingly enough, this morning's sermon was in keeping with this very topic. One statement in the sermon notes made quite an impression on me. It said, "FOCUS ON HOW BIG GOD IS, NOT HOW BIG THE PROBLEM IS." Wow!!!!!!!!!!! You think God was trying to drive a point home? My vision is so limited that 99% of the time I am focused on nothing but my problems!!! And now, God is telling me to look beyond them to Him! The sermon came from verses in Deuteronomy Ch. 7. Verses 17-18 and 21-22 say, "You may say to yourselves, 'These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?' But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharoah and to all Egypt..... Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you."

It is amazing to me that the God that promised to eliminate any nations that were a threat to the Israelites is the same God that is at work in my life. At this very moment He is working behind the scenes. Even as I write these words, He is preparing me for the next step in this journey. And as my pastor said, "there are times that things other than just you have to be changed." I can't even begin to imagine what those things might be. But God, my Father, knows it all. He is orchestrating every detail so that when the time is right, His plan will be revealed.

Even now, I can see a part of what God is accomplishing in my life. Because I am doing things that a few months ago I would not have imagined possible. Part of God's plan has unfolded before my eyes. But there is more, so much more that He has in store. 1 Corinthians 13:10 & 12 say, "... but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." This verse is talking about what we know in our lives on earth, compared to what we will know when we are in heaven with God. Then our eyes will be opened to all that we were limited from seeing. For now, we still live in an imperfect world. And what we see isn't always going to be what we hope for. But our mighty God is always at work! No matter what things look like, there is always hope in Him!!! Thank God that what you see isn't always what you get!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!