Yesterday my boys and a neighbor girl spent the day doing a lemonade and cookie stand. They had helped bake cookies the day before and were excited! They decided at the beginning of the day to donate all the money they made to Do:Living Water, an organization that builds fresh water wells in Africa for villages that are without.
For about the first twenty minutes cars just kept going by and the kids started getting disappointed and discouraged. They were complaining that they weren't going to make anything at all. I told them to just wait a little longer and I started praying the Lord would come through for them and show them what their efforts could produce. Boy, did he ever come through!
During the stand when customers would come up, the kids would tell them, "50 cents for a cookie, 50 cents for lemonade or a dollar for both." Then they would politely get out a cookie or fill a cup of lemonade and take the money. At that point they would say, "Thanks. All the money goes to build wells in Africa." Often the customers would tell them to keep the change and offer more money. It was so fun to watch and very fulfilling for the kids.
At the end of the day they had made $40. It was a great accomplishment for the kids since their goal was $30. They were counting it up and started talking about what they could buy with $40. Then they started talking about each keeping just one dollar. They were tempted by all that money there.
I just listened quietly, wondering if I should step in and say something about their original plan, but I felt the Lord telling me to stay quiet. As they talked on about it, it came around to one of them saying, "No, I'm not taking any of the money. I'm giving it all to wells just like we planned." Quickly they all came to that consensus and I was thrilled to see the Holy Spirit work through three 9 year olds to make a good decision.
I can't begin to describe how proud I am of my boys and our neighbor. They did an awesome job and made a God honoring decision! But even more than that, they learned that they can accomplish God's work with a little ambition, some team work, and a lot of fun.
What a faith builder for me, to see how the Lord worked in them, and brought about a victory for His kingdom work.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Little Girl Lost
Not long ago around 9 in the evening, a young girl stopped by our house. She looked to be 15 or so. She was wearing pajamas and walking barefoot. She asked to use a phone and we let her. She tried a couple numbers and then handed back the phone. As she walked away the phone rang and it was someone she was trying to reach. So, she talked for a few minutes, handed back the phone and turned to walk away. My husband asked her if everything was all right, and she said, "yeah, fine". Then she took off running down the street.
Around 10:30pm we got a call from her sister asking if she was here. We told her what we knew and she informed us that she had had a fight with her dad and ran away. We started to pray for her and felt burdened for her. Around midnight her family was still out looking for her and came through our street. Andrew was still in the garage and saw them drive slowly down the street, so he stepped out and talked with them.
What he found out, scared us to the core. This young girl was trying to meet up with a man she'd met on the internet. A much older man who I'm sure did not truly want to help her.
We found out the next day that she returned home in the middle of the night and was safe. Praise God! But in the midst of this situation we thanked our God above that we knew where our daughters were in the middle of the night. I had to give them all big hugs in the morning. Not only that, but we realized the importance of the relationship between father and daughter.
A father needs to love his daughter so much and show it to her, so that she won't have any reason to turn to an outside source to fill that need. And there is an innate need in a little girl to be doted on and loved and cherished by her father. That's not to say discipline and rules are set aside, but that there is a balance. That need doesn't disappear with age. In fact I think it grows stronger in the teenage years when life is confusing at best.
In light of it all, give your daughters a big hug, and love them with all you've got. It will be what keeps them from running and leaving you wondering if your little girl is lost.
Around 10:30pm we got a call from her sister asking if she was here. We told her what we knew and she informed us that she had had a fight with her dad and ran away. We started to pray for her and felt burdened for her. Around midnight her family was still out looking for her and came through our street. Andrew was still in the garage and saw them drive slowly down the street, so he stepped out and talked with them.
What he found out, scared us to the core. This young girl was trying to meet up with a man she'd met on the internet. A much older man who I'm sure did not truly want to help her.
We found out the next day that she returned home in the middle of the night and was safe. Praise God! But in the midst of this situation we thanked our God above that we knew where our daughters were in the middle of the night. I had to give them all big hugs in the morning. Not only that, but we realized the importance of the relationship between father and daughter.
A father needs to love his daughter so much and show it to her, so that she won't have any reason to turn to an outside source to fill that need. And there is an innate need in a little girl to be doted on and loved and cherished by her father. That's not to say discipline and rules are set aside, but that there is a balance. That need doesn't disappear with age. In fact I think it grows stronger in the teenage years when life is confusing at best.
In light of it all, give your daughters a big hug, and love them with all you've got. It will be what keeps them from running and leaving you wondering if your little girl is lost.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Taming the Tongue
James 3:7-8
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
How often do the words that emit from my mouth "curse men"? When was the last time I spoke ill of someone? Yesterday? A couple hours ago? All too often I justify our ungodly and hurtful words of another with all kinds of reasoning. I'm right and they're wrong so I can speak of it to another. I want to share the issue to have others pray. I want to help the person so we're getting advice from another. They all seem like good reasons, yet I am still using my tongue to "praise our Lord and Father, and curse men".
A house divided against itself cannot stand. Verse eleven says,"Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" It can't. It wasn't created that way and it's impossible for it to happen. Why then do I think it's okay to let praise and cursing come from the same spring? It is a house divided against itself and will not stand long. It will come back to bite me in the butt.
If I are to live the life Christ intends for me and be who He calls usmeo be, I need to tame the tongue. But, you say, how can you tame the tongue when the Bible says it cannot be tamed by man? Only by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me and prompt me can the tongue be tamed. It's through His good work in me that I can overcome the evil that is the tongue.
Ultimately, because men were created in God's likeness, if I speak ill of another person, I am speaking ill of God. Now that's convicting.
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
How often do the words that emit from my mouth "curse men"? When was the last time I spoke ill of someone? Yesterday? A couple hours ago? All too often I justify our ungodly and hurtful words of another with all kinds of reasoning. I'm right and they're wrong so I can speak of it to another. I want to share the issue to have others pray. I want to help the person so we're getting advice from another. They all seem like good reasons, yet I am still using my tongue to "praise our Lord and Father, and curse men".
A house divided against itself cannot stand. Verse eleven says,"Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" It can't. It wasn't created that way and it's impossible for it to happen. Why then do I think it's okay to let praise and cursing come from the same spring? It is a house divided against itself and will not stand long. It will come back to bite me in the butt.
If I are to live the life Christ intends for me and be who He calls usmeo be, I need to tame the tongue. But, you say, how can you tame the tongue when the Bible says it cannot be tamed by man? Only by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me and prompt me can the tongue be tamed. It's through His good work in me that I can overcome the evil that is the tongue.
Ultimately, because men were created in God's likeness, if I speak ill of another person, I am speaking ill of God. Now that's convicting.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Anniversary
Today we are celebrating 12 years of marriage. I woke up this morning thinking about what I was doing 12 years ago today. Getting up early, eating on a nervous stomach, getting my hair done, lunch that my wonderful German aunts made, then pictures, ceremony, and party! It was all such a blur, moving so fast.
There are two moments when I remember time standing still. The first was when my bridesmaids had finished helping me get ready and left to find Andrew. He came in to see me for the first time and it was just the two of us. I just remember the look on his face, one that I still see often today. His expression told me how beautiful I was and how much he loved me. It did seem like time stood still for a little while there.
The second was when the party was over and we finally had made it to the hotel. We plopped on the bed, utterly exhausted and stared at the ceiling. We both said, "Can you believe it, we're married!"
Now, 12 years later, we often don't say, "can you believe it, we're married!". Now we often say, "Can you believe it, we have six kids!" Boy, what 12 years can do!
We got married young. I was 18 and Andrew was 21 and there were people who were sure we wouldn't last more than a year. And, unfortunately for a lot of people that's the case. They get married young, think they have it all figured out and then realize, it's a lot more work than they first thought. We went through that too. Thinking, no problem, this will be easy. Then realizing that marriage is actually hard and takes work. In fact, we're still trying to figure it all out.
But the difference is this: we went into marriage without the word divorce. We had promised each other, ourselves, and God that we would never use the word divorce and we've stuck to it. We have had our fair share of arguments and being angry with each other. But we've never even thought of throwing in the towel. No matter how hard it is, we stick it out together. And we've had more good times than bad in our marriage.
So now, 12 years later, we love each other more than we did on our wedding day, we know a little more about how to get along, and we are enjoying our crazy, chaotic, life together!
Thanks be to God for his glorious riches and abundant love and wisdom that he so willingly pours out on us so that we can glorify him and make it through this life victorious.
There are two moments when I remember time standing still. The first was when my bridesmaids had finished helping me get ready and left to find Andrew. He came in to see me for the first time and it was just the two of us. I just remember the look on his face, one that I still see often today. His expression told me how beautiful I was and how much he loved me. It did seem like time stood still for a little while there.
The second was when the party was over and we finally had made it to the hotel. We plopped on the bed, utterly exhausted and stared at the ceiling. We both said, "Can you believe it, we're married!"
Now, 12 years later, we often don't say, "can you believe it, we're married!". Now we often say, "Can you believe it, we have six kids!" Boy, what 12 years can do!
We got married young. I was 18 and Andrew was 21 and there were people who were sure we wouldn't last more than a year. And, unfortunately for a lot of people that's the case. They get married young, think they have it all figured out and then realize, it's a lot more work than they first thought. We went through that too. Thinking, no problem, this will be easy. Then realizing that marriage is actually hard and takes work. In fact, we're still trying to figure it all out.
But the difference is this: we went into marriage without the word divorce. We had promised each other, ourselves, and God that we would never use the word divorce and we've stuck to it. We have had our fair share of arguments and being angry with each other. But we've never even thought of throwing in the towel. No matter how hard it is, we stick it out together. And we've had more good times than bad in our marriage.
So now, 12 years later, we love each other more than we did on our wedding day, we know a little more about how to get along, and we are enjoying our crazy, chaotic, life together!
Thanks be to God for his glorious riches and abundant love and wisdom that he so willingly pours out on us so that we can glorify him and make it through this life victorious.
Monday, July 19, 2010
A Kid's Perspective
One afternoon last week as I was preparing supper, I heard Olivia and Elliot coaxing Evelyn and Madelyn up the stairs. I started to listen in and they were saying, "Come on girls, do you want to read the Bible in Mom's room?" This got me intrigued so I watched as Olivia, carrying the big hardcover Bible, led the pack down the hallway into my room. I crept around the corner to listen to the conversation. Olivia and Elliot were helping the little girls get up on my bed, then they all sat together and opened the Bible.
Olivia started telling the story. "We're going to read a story about Jesus today,"she said.
Elliot: "There are bad guys in the story too."
Olivia: "You're right. What did the bad guys do to Jesus?"
Elliot: "They punched him."
Olivia: "You're right. What else did the bad guys do to Jesus?"
Elliot: "They took all his clothes until he was naked."
Olivia: "Yeah, so he was naked. Okay, now it's time for bed."
At that they all cuddled up under the covers together and pretended to go to sleep.
I laughed so hard I cried. It was all so sweet and sincere. And totally a kid's perspective of the whole Gospel. Amazingly, they understand so much already at 5 and 3. It doesn't take much and these small children start to grasp the truth.
Olivia started telling the story. "We're going to read a story about Jesus today,"she said.
Elliot: "There are bad guys in the story too."
Olivia: "You're right. What did the bad guys do to Jesus?"
Elliot: "They punched him."
Olivia: "You're right. What else did the bad guys do to Jesus?"
Elliot: "They took all his clothes until he was naked."
Olivia: "Yeah, so he was naked. Okay, now it's time for bed."
At that they all cuddled up under the covers together and pretended to go to sleep.
I laughed so hard I cried. It was all so sweet and sincere. And totally a kid's perspective of the whole Gospel. Amazingly, they understand so much already at 5 and 3. It doesn't take much and these small children start to grasp the truth.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
I am not a patient person
I hear that a lot when I talk to people about home schooling. "I'm not patient enough." "I clash too much with my child." The excuses are endless, but all along this theme of patience.
Let me tell you, I am not a patient person. In fact, I'm one of the least patient people I know. I have a short fuse and a big temper. I get frustrated easily and snap. I get frustrated when someone doesn't get a concept right away. I get annoyed when another child interrupts. I get irate when someone cries over having to do a difficult task. In short, I am not a patient person.
And yet, strangely, the Lord has not let me use that as an excuse. In fact, I think part of the reason I've been called to home school is to learn patience. What better way than to be thrown into every possible situation in one day that would make me lose my patience! Believe me I have a lot to learn. I may never get to that place where I can even say "I am patient". But the Lord keeps working on me and teaching me through home schooling. I wouldn't miss this refinement for the world.
When you look at this statement as an excuse from people, in light of reasons to home school, it really seems quite lame.There are endless reasons to set yourself aside and let the Lord work through you. We have to realize it's not about me, or even my kids, but about Kingdom work and eternal life.
I'm not patient, but I want my kids to know their Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. I'm clash with one of my kids, A LOT, but I don't want to conform to the pattern of this world or allow my kids to do so. I get frustrated easily, but it's teaching me how to sincerely say sorry and teaching all of us how to relate to one another. My days are filled with stress, annoyance, impatience, but they are also filled with victories, joy, and unity. Those outweigh impatience.
In my humble opinion, home schooling is not the easy way, but it's the best way. Maybe I'm a little biased. So I'm a biased, hot tempered, impatient home schooler. Yet for some reason, the Lord picked me to do it, and not only to home school, but with six kids! Guess you don't have to be perfect or even patient to do the Lord's work.
Let me tell you, I am not a patient person. In fact, I'm one of the least patient people I know. I have a short fuse and a big temper. I get frustrated easily and snap. I get frustrated when someone doesn't get a concept right away. I get annoyed when another child interrupts. I get irate when someone cries over having to do a difficult task. In short, I am not a patient person.
And yet, strangely, the Lord has not let me use that as an excuse. In fact, I think part of the reason I've been called to home school is to learn patience. What better way than to be thrown into every possible situation in one day that would make me lose my patience! Believe me I have a lot to learn. I may never get to that place where I can even say "I am patient". But the Lord keeps working on me and teaching me through home schooling. I wouldn't miss this refinement for the world.
When you look at this statement as an excuse from people, in light of reasons to home school, it really seems quite lame.There are endless reasons to set yourself aside and let the Lord work through you. We have to realize it's not about me, or even my kids, but about Kingdom work and eternal life.
I'm not patient, but I want my kids to know their Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. I'm clash with one of my kids, A LOT, but I don't want to conform to the pattern of this world or allow my kids to do so. I get frustrated easily, but it's teaching me how to sincerely say sorry and teaching all of us how to relate to one another. My days are filled with stress, annoyance, impatience, but they are also filled with victories, joy, and unity. Those outweigh impatience.
In my humble opinion, home schooling is not the easy way, but it's the best way. Maybe I'm a little biased. So I'm a biased, hot tempered, impatient home schooler. Yet for some reason, the Lord picked me to do it, and not only to home school, but with six kids! Guess you don't have to be perfect or even patient to do the Lord's work.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Who do you work for?
Hebrews 10: 35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised
All too often I fall into the mindset of being under appreciated and just plain forgotten about. Here I am at home, serving little people all day who rarely say thanks or clean up after themselves and have no idea how many minutes I spend cleaning up after them. I don't get paid and don't get regular vacation time. The last time I was too sick to take care of the kids, I still had to do it, because hubby couldn't leave work to come home! I spend my days wiping dirty faces, playing referee in arguments, reasoning with those who can't reason, cleaning a house that finds itself trashed minutes later, cooking meals everyone hates and complains about but I know are good for them, and finally falling exhausted into bed to start over the next day.
Not only that, but I have a very, very determined and headstrong child who has a quota to fill each day of testing and pushing the limits, which makes for a very crabby mommy. And I'm pretty sure that most of the time my six kids don't speak English, or they have a very tuned and finely exacted gift of ignoring!
The list goes on and on. In the midst of it all it's a wonder I haven't gone completely insane! Some days I feel close to it. But there is one thing that keeps me going. The Lord has been impressing on my heart lately to persevere and endure. Over and over in my quiet times He has been saying, keep going, don't give up, there is a reward at the end, persevere! And I have been slowly hiding that away in my heart to change and refine my perspective on this life.
Maybe no one appreciates me, but if I persevere, there will be rewards much greater than anything on earth. Maybe my house is a disaster, but if I persevere, I won't be. Maybe my kids get an A+ for disobeying, but if I persevere, they will walk in the truth and follow hard after their God.
There are days when this concept is lost in the chaos of this house! But as the Lord works on me and continues to refine me, it is becoming more and more of the central theme of this house. Persevere and there will be rich rewards at the end.
So, who do I work for? It's not my kids, my husband, my friends. It's my great God, the only true God, and the only one who can offer eternal rewards.
All too often I fall into the mindset of being under appreciated and just plain forgotten about. Here I am at home, serving little people all day who rarely say thanks or clean up after themselves and have no idea how many minutes I spend cleaning up after them. I don't get paid and don't get regular vacation time. The last time I was too sick to take care of the kids, I still had to do it, because hubby couldn't leave work to come home! I spend my days wiping dirty faces, playing referee in arguments, reasoning with those who can't reason, cleaning a house that finds itself trashed minutes later, cooking meals everyone hates and complains about but I know are good for them, and finally falling exhausted into bed to start over the next day.
Not only that, but I have a very, very determined and headstrong child who has a quota to fill each day of testing and pushing the limits, which makes for a very crabby mommy. And I'm pretty sure that most of the time my six kids don't speak English, or they have a very tuned and finely exacted gift of ignoring!
The list goes on and on. In the midst of it all it's a wonder I haven't gone completely insane! Some days I feel close to it. But there is one thing that keeps me going. The Lord has been impressing on my heart lately to persevere and endure. Over and over in my quiet times He has been saying, keep going, don't give up, there is a reward at the end, persevere! And I have been slowly hiding that away in my heart to change and refine my perspective on this life.
Maybe no one appreciates me, but if I persevere, there will be rewards much greater than anything on earth. Maybe my house is a disaster, but if I persevere, I won't be. Maybe my kids get an A+ for disobeying, but if I persevere, they will walk in the truth and follow hard after their God.
There are days when this concept is lost in the chaos of this house! But as the Lord works on me and continues to refine me, it is becoming more and more of the central theme of this house. Persevere and there will be rich rewards at the end.
So, who do I work for? It's not my kids, my husband, my friends. It's my great God, the only true God, and the only one who can offer eternal rewards.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
