The Word

I was in the car driving the other day, and a song came on that I had not heard in a long time. A good friend of mine had loaned me her set of Sara Grove CDs and through my listening of all of the songs, although many rang true with me, this particular song was my favorite. She talks about the complacency that we have with our faith and our desire to make it fit our moods or life circumstances. The first stanza goes like this:

I've done every devotional
Been every place emotional
Trying to hear a new word from God
And I think it's very odd
That while I attmept to help myself My Bible sits upon my shelf
With every promise I could ever need

I love those lines. I so often base my faith, my devotion to Christ, my family, and my church on my emotional state. However I feel is how much I will give of my time. This often ranges from everything to nothing at all. How often I miss the greater purpose of what God has called me to. The song continues on, but it the last verse that always gets me so excited about the promises of God and the confirmation that He doing a work in us:

I think it's time I rediscover
All the ground that I have covered,
Like seek ye first what a verse
We are pressed but not crushed
Perplexed but don't despair
We are persecuted but not abandoned
We are no longer slaves
We are daughters and sons
And when we are weak we are very strong
And neither death nor life nor present
Nor future nor depth nor height
Can keep us from the love of Christ
And the Word I need is the Word that was
Who put on flesh to dwell with us
In the beginning

"And the Word I need, is the Word that was, Who put on flesh to dwell with us." Wow, I often find myself searching through scripture looking for something to inspire me or to provoke an emotional response to motivate me, but reality is, the Word I need is the one who became flesh to dwell among men.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

So as my pastor pointed out this past Sunday, embrace the truth that God was willing to put on flesh to dwell with men. Isaiah 7:14 "...and shall call his name Immanuel" (meaning God is with us).

Preparing for Thanksgiving

So for Micah's second birthday we bought him a toy dyson. For those of you that aren't familiar, it is the greatest vacuum cleaner in the world. Ryan and I bit the bullet last summer and purchased one. Since the buy, Micah has been fascinated with it, so we thought it appropriate to get him one of his own. So, once a week when I pull out the vacuum to clean, Micah does the same. Well today, I caught Micah in the act of cleaning and realized that he must watch me often because he is also talking on the phone. Now, it might look just like a plan old ear thermometer to you, but oh no, to Micah it is a cell phone.

So needless to say, I was very thankful for my little helper as we prepared our house together for our guests at tomorrow Thanksgiving dinner.

If you are a pastors wife, this is a must read. When Ryan and I were at the Desiring God Pastors conference this was one of the books that was given to us. This book has been such and encouragement as Ryan and I have started our ministry at Grace. It challenged me in my personal walk with Christ, but also taught me ways to pray for Ryan and the people of our church. I have always had a heart for the women of the church and this book showed me both the simple and the heart level areas where I can be used. What a blessing... I just thought I would pass it along.

Thanksgiving Dinner

I found this to be a wonderful encouragement and challenge as we begin to look towards that holiday season. If you have 25 minutes or so, take the time to listen! "Whom Shall We invite to Thanksgiving Dinner?" Sermon by John Piper

Holiday Anxiety

I love the holiday season! There just seems to be something about this time of year that makes everything feel just a little bit more special. However, since I have been married, I have had to learn how to share the holidays with not only my family, but also with Ryan's. It is our desire to be with everyone on those days, but time is short and we always feel a little rushed. So, I tend to place more anxiety on myself then needed to try and make everything and everyone fit. As my children grow older, I don't want them to see my anxiety about this time of year and in return lose some of the joy. So, like everything else in life, I've decided to make this a matter of prayer. I have begun to realize that the holiday season is a chance to spend time with family, but more importantly it is a chance to reflect on the Gospel and how God has continually blessed Ryan and I throughout our lives. Although I have started to have a new perspective on things, I still struggle with who should sit by who at our Thanksgiving dinner for nineteen.

Finally a Post

I was reminded the other night that I have been quite delinquent in my posting. In general I haven't been writing because I takes me so long to write something that before I know it, I have lost all of my "children free" time. So, for this post I am just going to put a few pictures.

Micah has done so well with Lydia, I couldn't ask for a better transition as far as he goes.

Ryan has really embraced that role of being a daddy to a little girl. I am so excited that he will be the first man to capture her heart. I know she will be all the better because of his role in her life.

Lydia, or Lydi as we often call her, is a wonderful blessing to our family. She has just started to smile and it absolutely cracks us up. No matter the frustrations in life, that smile makes everything better.

I just thought this was a neat picture of Micah at a local park! That boy loves to slide!

The Joyous Mother of Children

Psalm 113:1
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!
4 The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

When Ryan and I were in the hospital after Lydia's birth I was reading through some scripture and this one stood out to me. The Psalmist declares the glory of the Lord, and all the reasons he is to be praised and he ends it with "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord." I was awe struck that the God who causes the sun to rise and set, who looks down from the heavens and raises princes from the poor, would also create a home for a woman by making her "the joyous mother of children." Joyous! Wow, how easily I miss the fact that the God who created this universe created me to be the joyous mother of children. As I looked at my new baby girl with amazement and with joy, I prayed that I might always look at her like that. What a wonder to know that among all the things that God has done, he especially set a place for woman, to be the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!