I trust Jesus. In Luke 8-9 I see His power in stilling the storm with a word. In commanding demons with complete authority. In healing the unhealable. Raising the dead. Multiplying a small amount of food to completely satisfy thousands of hungry people.
I see His power over nature. Over the spirit world. Over death and disease. With a word, even without a word, He wills, and it is done. He takes nothing and turns it into abundance.
He calls me to trust Him. His power, His mercy. And to leave all the what-if's of the future with Him. Will He not give grace for every situation? Will not whatever He gives be a choice gift from His hand, better than any alternative?
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
He is Lord
Jesus is Lord
and He makes no mistakes
whatever He gives
will be found better
than whatever we thought we wanted instead
and He makes no mistakes
whatever He gives
will be found better
than whatever we thought we wanted instead
Monday, January 3, 2011
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Whobody?
Jeff, looking into the toilet: "Whobody flushed?" (I guess that's as good a word as "somebody"?)
Saturday, October 2, 2010
much, much soap
One day Jeff wanted me to refill the foamy soap dispenser in the bathroom. He said, "There's not much!" So I said, ok, you may find the soap in the cupboard. So he pulled out the refill bottle and said, "Here's much much soap!"
It's so easy to see only the weariness of motherhood (of little ones) -- the constant "Mommy!" calls... the listening to some litany of something that matters to some child, while at the same time trying to remember the other things your mind was juggling at the moment... all the physical needs of little ones that demand Mommy's doing them (dressing, bathing, getting food ready, bathroom needs, brushing teeth)... more arbitrating between two who fuss at each other, more reminders to love one another, more frustration at the sin so evident from sinful hearts... it can be hard to step back from all that in order to rejoice at the little things of childhood, so fleeting. The things that make older mothers say "enjoy this time!" because they miss those little things, and wish they had enjoyed them more (though they don't necessarily explain HOW to do that while dealing with all the little "trials" at the same time). The funny things kids say, the childish likes that will disappear soon, the trust in parents. It's easy to "not have time" to sit holding my child or reading to her. To make all the urgent things become more important than what I'll really wish I had done with my kids while they were little.
Sometimes it takes seeing what I don't have, to make me thankful for what I have. I don't (as far as I know!) have a child with a terminal or chronic illness. I don't have widowhood. I don't have barrenness or infertility. I don't have a husband who gambles away his paycheck or comes home in drunkenness or anger. My children are not AIDS orphans in Africa, with no hope and no help. I have the means to feed them (that's an understatement) and a place for them to sleep. And physical health to get up and care for them and (try to) manage our home, and homeschool. And most of all - I have Jesus! I have forgiveness through Him for all my sins! And therefore - even if I had all those things I don't wish for, it would be ok. Because I have Him.
Oh may I remember this. Day to day, moment by moment. I have Jesus! And what He has called me to do, is be here, now, to be a wife and a mother, to my family. To do it, for Him. If I remembered that more often -- looked up instead of down or around me -- then I would be so much more happy and content.
It's so easy to see only the weariness of motherhood (of little ones) -- the constant "Mommy!" calls... the listening to some litany of something that matters to some child, while at the same time trying to remember the other things your mind was juggling at the moment... all the physical needs of little ones that demand Mommy's doing them (dressing, bathing, getting food ready, bathroom needs, brushing teeth)... more arbitrating between two who fuss at each other, more reminders to love one another, more frustration at the sin so evident from sinful hearts... it can be hard to step back from all that in order to rejoice at the little things of childhood, so fleeting. The things that make older mothers say "enjoy this time!" because they miss those little things, and wish they had enjoyed them more (though they don't necessarily explain HOW to do that while dealing with all the little "trials" at the same time). The funny things kids say, the childish likes that will disappear soon, the trust in parents. It's easy to "not have time" to sit holding my child or reading to her. To make all the urgent things become more important than what I'll really wish I had done with my kids while they were little.
Sometimes it takes seeing what I don't have, to make me thankful for what I have. I don't (as far as I know!) have a child with a terminal or chronic illness. I don't have widowhood. I don't have barrenness or infertility. I don't have a husband who gambles away his paycheck or comes home in drunkenness or anger. My children are not AIDS orphans in Africa, with no hope and no help. I have the means to feed them (that's an understatement) and a place for them to sleep. And physical health to get up and care for them and (try to) manage our home, and homeschool. And most of all - I have Jesus! I have forgiveness through Him for all my sins! And therefore - even if I had all those things I don't wish for, it would be ok. Because I have Him.
Oh may I remember this. Day to day, moment by moment. I have Jesus! And what He has called me to do, is be here, now, to be a wife and a mother, to my family. To do it, for Him. If I remembered that more often -- looked up instead of down or around me -- then I would be so much more happy and content.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Yes, but...
No matter what our circumstances of life, we can always say, "Yes, but - all my sins are forgiven, by His blood!" and this ought to rule our minds, and to spur us on to live for Him, in whatever place He has put us right now.
( -- from Andy Dunkerton's sermon on 9/12/2010 PM - http://sermons.grbc.net will have it up soon).
( -- from Andy Dunkerton's sermon on 9/12/2010 PM - http://sermons.grbc.net will have it up soon).
Saturday, September 11, 2010
News!
I suppose our news is public now: we're expecting #4, due in April, Lord willing! I'm thankful for God's help in dealing with more effects of pregnancy than I remember in the other ones, and glad to be feeling a little better more recently. God is good.
The kids are all growing...
Katherine is 6, and we're homeschooling, though since NC doesn't require kids to be in school till age 7, we have almost a year to figure it all out before it has to be official. She also gets to go to some "enrichment" classes one morning a week for some practice in language (recitation, book reading, etc.), music, and science review / experimentation. She looks forward to that.
Emily with birthday presents (she likes lions)
Her favorite presents (I think): 3 lions, and a booster car seat
Emily is 4, and doing much of the homeschooling along with Katherine. She still loves dolls and mothering things (or younger children). She and Katherine also got to start some piano lessons from a friend this year. Katherine really loves it, and Emily is getting into the swing of it as well.
Playing at The Magic House kids' museum in St. Louis
Jeff turned 2 in May, and is certainly a boy. Loves to throw things... loves his cars and balls - and still likes babies too. He recently learned how to get up and down the ladder to the top bunk of the bunkbed all by himself.
David is plugging away at his contract position at Cisco in Durham. It's probably not a position that gives very good long-term career prospects, but we're thankful for a job and income, since was without work for several months at the start of the year.
Lydia is trying to keep up with homeschooling and meals and laundry (and very thankful for all the dishes David does for her). The house will get clean someday... the kids are getting big enough to vacuum and such, so maybe she'll be able to teach them to take over more of that. They like earning money for collecting the trash or folding laundry, etc.
Lydia and the kids enjoyed (well, mostly) a very long trip to see all the relatives we could in 2 weeks, stopping first in Lookout Mtn to spend a few days and pick up Mom, then going with her to Iowa to see Esther and her family, and back through St. Louis... finally driving through Chattanooga on the way back to drop Mom off again, and going on to N. Augusta to see Matthew & his family before heading home. It was long, but it was good to see everyone again, even just for a few days.
The kids are all growing...
Katherine is 6, and we're homeschooling, though since NC doesn't require kids to be in school till age 7, we have almost a year to figure it all out before it has to be official. She also gets to go to some "enrichment" classes one morning a week for some practice in language (recitation, book reading, etc.), music, and science review / experimentation. She looks forward to that.
Emily with birthday presents (she likes lions)
Her favorite presents (I think): 3 lions, and a booster car seatEmily is 4, and doing much of the homeschooling along with Katherine. She still loves dolls and mothering things (or younger children). She and Katherine also got to start some piano lessons from a friend this year. Katherine really loves it, and Emily is getting into the swing of it as well.
Playing at The Magic House kids' museum in St. LouisJeff turned 2 in May, and is certainly a boy. Loves to throw things... loves his cars and balls - and still likes babies too. He recently learned how to get up and down the ladder to the top bunk of the bunkbed all by himself.
David is plugging away at his contract position at Cisco in Durham. It's probably not a position that gives very good long-term career prospects, but we're thankful for a job and income, since was without work for several months at the start of the year.
Lydia is trying to keep up with homeschooling and meals and laundry (and very thankful for all the dishes David does for her). The house will get clean someday... the kids are getting big enough to vacuum and such, so maybe she'll be able to teach them to take over more of that. They like earning money for collecting the trash or folding laundry, etc.
Lydia and the kids enjoyed (well, mostly) a very long trip to see all the relatives we could in 2 weeks, stopping first in Lookout Mtn to spend a few days and pick up Mom, then going with her to Iowa to see Esther and her family, and back through St. Louis... finally driving through Chattanooga on the way back to drop Mom off again, and going on to N. Augusta to see Matthew & his family before heading home. It was long, but it was good to see everyone again, even just for a few days.
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