God's Leftovers

"For this is what the Lord says: ' They will eat and have some left over.' Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord." 2 Kings 5:43-44

A dear homeschooling friend is wanting to add more children to their family. She is concerned about adding to an already full plate and asked me how I felt the Lord has supplied us with grace, patience, and ability as He added to our family.

As I was pondering her question, I was reading in 2 Kings this morning. This verse nailed it! God's work in the life of Elisha displays His ability to turn little into plenty. The widow's oil was a small amount that was multiplied so that she was able to pay her debts and live. Twenty loaves of barley bread were made to feed a hundred men with leftovers.

As we have followed His leading, our family has grown and He has supplied us with the grace, wisdom, organization, patience, time, and energy that we need. For that I am thankful. But the "leftovers" are the best part. The extra things like .....

date night every week
desserts with dinner
more clothes than I know what to do with
sleeping in on Sunday morning
soccer, fencing, and instruments
books and games a plenty
the unique love of each precious child

This good life is nothing we deserve. God took our little bit of faith and multiplied it as He has made our lives richer with each blessing. Continually He shows us that if we will trust Him, He will more than supply our needs.

Conversation with Death

If death were to talk to you on this Good Friday, how would that conversation go? For those who know and walk with the Living King, how should it go?

Check out this article.

Is The Cross About Me?

This is "Good Friday." The day we remember Jesus dying on a cross, for our sins. Christians all around the world today will be thinking about this, remembering this, focusing on this. However, what does it mean for us to focus on this, to ponder it today?

A recurring theme of mine is the change in the heart of Christians in our culture. It used to be that the emphasis of Christians, of churches, of the Christian community, was more centered on God, and on Christ. Today, the Christian community strives to be "relevant." This MAY be a good goal, and certainly there have been good things to come from this. However, it has changed our focus in a small, but significant way.

All things Biblical, or, "Christian," tend to be filtered through the sieve of, "How does this impact my life?" That is truly a good question. However, constant focus on that reduces the things of God to things of us, and it sometimes reduces God to the great big Santa Claus in the sky. And, even from a selfish position, that perspective will not transform our lives.

I believe that it is when we focus on nothing but Him, and His position, that we are most lifted up. Getting eyes off of self, and on to God, moves us into His presence, where transformation takes place. We are "attaching ourselves to His wagon," so to speak, and are therefore exalted to be with Him when we focus on Him. The idea is to focus on His Highness, not our lowness.

The Cross

Today is an obvious time to focus on Jesus and the cross. Let's get caught up in the glory and magnificence of Jesus, and the greatest love ever displayed in the history of the world. Be amazed and awed and inspired. Let it draw you to Jesus, because this event tells us a massive amount about who He is. Things that draw me in and make me want to get close to Him, and be in His presence. Today, I want to learn about Jesus through His work on the cross.

Not Under The Weather

If I could choose I would set the temperature at a sunny 75 degrees with a scheduled storm once a week and snow only at Christmas time and when the Wings were here.

I love the summers in CO and really the winters aren't too bad either. It's spring that I have trouble with. It gets all nice and warm for days and days and then WHAM!! Snow. And it doesn't stop either. Last year it kept snowing in May when my friends in AR had their gardens well underway.

Yesterday we had soccer games scheduled as well as general birthday fun. But it was snowy and rainy and cold and everything was cancelled. As we were eating breakfast, my husband prayed something that caught my attention. It went something like this...."Thank you God for another unexpected day of rest."

I hadn't thought of it like that. What do I have to complain about when I have a cozy warm house full of food, electricity, and every modern convenience? And even though our outside activities were cancelled, it is not as though I had nothing to do.

I need to learn to cooperate with God's plan for my day. I need to rest in His sovereignty to command the weather as He pleases. I need to adjust my thoughts and be thankful. Cancelled things will be rescheduled, the sun will shine again, and the garden will get planted eventually. The busyness of life will never cease, but days of rest are few.

So yesterday we spent the day hibernating. Playing games, watching movies, cooking, reading, and being together. I enjoyed the break from the usual busy Saturday routine. My son had a good birthday and it was restful indeed.

"Thank you God for another unexpected day of rest."

Book Study

I'm excited to share this new book with you.

Come join me in a new online book study. I think it'll be fun to review this very practical book together.

Raising Godly Tomatoes by L Elizabeth Krueger is a hands-on parenting book written by a mom of 10 children ranging in age from 7 to 27.

The pace is slow so it will be NOT be overwhelming. We will only cover 1 chapter a week. And PLEASE don't lurk...just jump right in and join us.Check it out here.

More On The Celebration Of Christmas

Now that Christmas is over, I want to address this issue for one last time this year.

This year, I heard far more complaints about Christmas from Christians than I ever have before. Commercialism, Santa, parents "lying to their kids," and various other issues are moving Christians to ask if we should be celebrating this holiday at all, or at least celebrating it "like the world celebrates it."

Sandy has already given a book review on this topic. While I have not read that book, Sandy's review tells me that I would like the gist of the book, most significantly, as it lines up with our sermon series on Christmas this year. Christmas is a time of celebration. I am glad that our culture still celebrates goodness and giving while we are celebrating the birth of Christ.

A little too late for this year's debate, a friend sent me a link, out of the blue, to an article on this topic, by R.C. Sproul. He relates those well intended Christmas nay-sayers to one Ebenezer Scrooge. Read the article here and let us know what you think.

The Church Family

Last night at the Christmas program I told everyone that I wouldn't be at church today. You see, Mike and Meggy are shooting a wedding at another church and wrestling Babyest during the service isn't much fun by myself.

Before bed I was reading A God Centered Church by Henry and Melvin Blackaby. He quoted Eph 2:19-22

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."

As I read this coupled with Blackaby's thoughts, the whole idea of my church being my family hit me anew. We're a family of brothers and sisters in Christ brought together to love each other, help each other, and honor God. Did we really want to stay home and watch a church service on tv when we could be with our family in person?

When we entered the church my pastor said "Welcome!" with surprise in his eyes. Several family members told me how glad they were that I changed my mind. We sat on the front row and enjoyed the singing, the message, and the prayer time. A little fellowship followed with one more chance to say "Merry Christmas!"

Shortly after we got home the phone rang. It was one of our senior ladies calling to tell me how glad she was that I made the extra effort to come. She told me how the children always bless her and said that I was a good mom.

No, Babyest wasn't wonderfully behaved and needed to be taken out twice. The littlest kids were squirmy and didn't want to pay attention. But the inconvenience was more than made up for by the love we received. Look what we would've missed if we'd stayed home.

I will close with some Blackaby thoughts....

"God has called us to join the family gathering and enjoy the benefits of that relationship. In God's family we will receive strength, encouragement, and much-needed fellowship. We will grow in wisdom and maturity as we benefit from those who have walked with God for many years. We will find security in the family's watch care of our life and respond to its comfort and accountability. More than anything else, God our Father manifests Hie presence in special ways when two or three are gathered together."

Come and Behold Him

Introducing...my new book!

I've been pondering the propriety of our various Christmas traditions wondering if I'm caving to commercialism in the fun of it all. I took it to the Lord in prayer.

The very next day I was browsing the shelves of the used book store at the public library and my eyes fell upon this....

Perhaps I am premature to recommend it since I'm only on pg 31 but so far I have enjoyed every page. It is not divided into chapters but more like short readings....minus the overuse of poetry thank you very much. The first reading deals with decorating our homes. Here's a short excerpt....

"If God commissioned angels to roll back the night and fill it with blazing light, if God provided a mighty celestial choir to serenade a few startled shepherds, if God graced the heavens with a miracle star, if God went to all this trouble to open our eyes to His entry into our world, then we needn't apologize for festooning our home with a few seasonal reminders!"

He encourages us to open our homes up to our neighbors saying, "It is a witness to our neighbors when they see a believer actually happy about life!"

Jack Hayford has a style that is neither ultra sensitive nor overly intellectual. There's a "smile" to his writing that makes you feel like you're enjoying a visit with a friendly neighbor. There is an air of seriousness mixed with fun as he uses Scripture, song lyrics, and personal examples to show us practical ways to Come And Behold Him.

Out With the Old

The Lord has been working on me in the area of letting go. I never knew this about myself, but I like things to be the same and not change. Oh, I like change in things that don't matter...like living room furniture or the dinner menu. But not so much in the things that hit me personally.

When those things do change against my will then I tend to rebel either inwardly or outwardly. And even though I might not say them out loud, the phrases "it's not fair" or "that's not right" take a prominent place in my thoughts. My character is revealed by my reaction to the unplanned.

And while I try to surrender I find myself still working hard to order my life in the way that seems best to me. I want to avoid these unnecessary and uncomfortable changes. I'm good at justifying my own "needs" to skirt around an unreasonable rule or others' advice being sure that they really don't understand my unique situation.

In 1 & 2 Samuel there are so many different situations that make me want to rise up and cry "INJUSTICE!!" The story of Michal, David's first wife, is a perfect example. I feel sorry for her. She was taken away from a husband who obviously loved her to be just one of many in the king's palace. And what about her husband who followed behind weeping??

But the thing that really made me sit up and take notice was Michal's reaction. When she saw David dancing in the street she despised him in her heart. No doubt still bitter from what she had lost. Did she have a "right" to be? Doesn't it seem natural? Not to God. All the days of her life she was cursed to have no children.

So what would've been right? To forgive. To surrender. To be content in all circumstances. To love her husband David. I'm guessing that a smile wouldn't have hurt either.It has made me reflect on this feeling of fairness and justification. Of not willing to give of myself unless it is perfectly comfortable. Of manipulating circumstances to please myself. And I think, "how is that Christ like?" How am I following my Savior that willingly gave up everything for me?

Lord help me not to be a Michal. Help me to surrender fully from my heart and hold nothing back. Help me to embrace every new thing and willingly give of all that I am. Amen.

What Are You Going To Eat?

Children so often look to their parent's actions for direction. At some point, they begin wanting to wear what Mom or Dad wears, eat what Mom or Dad eats, do what Mom or Dad does. Often, a child will even choose to order food at a restaurant that they don't like as much as others, because Mommy or Daddy is eating it. It is more important for them to be like their parent than to have what they would prefer.

This is a fun and flattering time for parents. It means that your child is watching you, and learning from you. Big responsibility. Later, there is a tendency for kids to want to do something different, because it is different from their parents. This can be a bit unsettling.

Is the same thing true for Christians, with their Heavenly Father? Early on in a Christian's life, Believers are usually consumed with the things of God, wanting to be engaged in things that they know God is doing. Like a child, we would choose what we normally would not have, without even a thought about what we would most prefer. It is more fun and more important to us to do the things of God than the things we used to like.

Over time, however, we Christians can grow a desire to be independent. We want to do things that we feel like, to make choices based on our comfort, our desires, and our fulfillment. When that happens, even how we serve Him becomes a focus on my wants and my fulfillment. We might not choose what is intentionally opposite God's will, like a rebellious teenager, but we are growing in our independence from God.

As a culture, we define maturity in young adults as being able to make good (and from a Christian's standpoint, Godly) decisions without constant guidance and direction of others. As Christians, maturity is the opposite. Relying more and more on our Father, making fewer and fewer decisions without Him.

Lord, I want to be like You. I want to do what You are doing. Lord, what are You going to eat?

Boy, Does Piper Get It Right

In a "tribute" blog article about Billy Graham's 90th birthday, John Piper says the following:

"Billy Graham was born on November 7, 1918 in North Carolina. In 1934, under the preaching of evangelist Mordecai Ham, Billy was converted to Christ. Which means that Mordecai Ham is one of the most influential preachers of the 20th century."

What a great truth. You may not be a great preacher, or even a great teacher or Bible Study leader. You may never share your faith with thousands, or hundreds, or even dozens of people at a time. However, the impact you have on a few can truly have an impact on many. Follow the leading of the Spirit, even in little things. You never know the great impact it might have.

To read the rest of the excellent article on Billy Graham, click here.

Giving Thanks

God has given me so much. When I am in the right place, I see so clearly how He has blessed me with more than I could have chosen for myself. However, when I am in the wrong place, my focus is on other things. I know some struggle with how God has not given them certain things. I don't tend to wrestle with that. However, when I am in the wrong place, I can get frustrated with how things I am in the middle of are not, or might not, go the way I would like them to. This is foolishness upon foolishness.

When I look at my life, I see abundance of blessings over and over again. Part of the great value of looking back and giving thanks is to be assured about our future. If God has blessed me so richly in the past and the present, He will certainly continue showing me such blessings in the future.

The other element in all this is how we define blessings. My mythical Porsche 911SC might represent blessing in my mind. However, receiving such "blessing" would bring me almost no happiness, fulfillment, joy or peace. It would be fun for a time, until the speeding tickets began to stack up. How quickly I would get bored with it.

At the same time, things that we see as hardships are often ultimately facilitators of great joy. We didn't choose to not be able to have kids. It was a tough thing to come to grips with. However, it has led to Brian Heath entering our lives, on a different timetable than ours. At the perfect time. We don't want those around us to die or suffer hardship. However, with God's hand on us, these things become part of the charmed life God has for us – if we let it. Loss of jobs, difficult times, all will be turned into great blessing, and we will relish it, if we are willing. If we focus on what we want or what we think is best, we will be, at times, depressed. However, when we get in the right place with the Lord, and we trust in Him, those things will become great blessings.

He is better to me than I will ever deserve.

Another year of abundant blessing. Thank You, Father.

The Mouth and the Heart

Jesus tells us in Matthew 15 that these are inseparably tied together. We often guard what we say, trying to present an image or impression on others. However, ultimately, the mouth betrays the attitude of the heart.

It is interesting how the Bible told us these truths thousands of years ago, and some "life coaches" are beginning to see the connection today. Steven Covey, Tony Robbins, and many others are beginning to emphasizes this truth. What you say is a window into your heart. However, it is more than just that.

What impact do your words have? You might think that no one listens to you, that your not taken seriously, or that you usually are not talking about anything very important. However, no matter the content of what you say, or others hear, your tone (positive or negative) impacts the environment around you. It sets a tone for those who listen, as well as for you.

Can your tone impact the hearts of others, even those in authority over you? Can it even impact your own heart? Can it impact your circumstances and the direction of your life? We will be discussing these very things on Sunday.

Caught in a Snare

Do you know how to set a snare? The other night, we were watching "Man Vs Wild." Old Bear was looking for food – which usually means something disgusting is about to happen. Sure enough, Bear shows us some animal tracks, and tells us that it looks like skunk tracks. He then tells us that he is going to set a snare to catch it and eat it.

A snare is a loop of string or wire, set to a trigger and placed in a well traveled animal path. When the animal walks through, he walks into the snare, and it tightens around his neck. Some snares are spring loaded, lifting the animal into the air. Others just rely on the forward momentum of the animal to tighten the string around it's neck. They are fairly effective at holding on to the animal that has been caught in it, for such a simple contraption.

Sure enough, he catches a skunk. When he walks up on it, the thing is spraying stink all around. The more it tries to get away, the more the snare tightens up. The illustration was so vivid. It reminded me of a conversation I had once had with a friend about sin.

Most Christians will tell you that sin is bad, and they try to stay away from it. However, too often, we take "little sins" far too casually. Not being completely honest, not filtering what we put in our minds, losing our temper, desiring for and hoping in things other than Christ, there are so many we dismiss casually. My friend was relating to me how deceptive this is in his life. Things that seem to not matter are a trap. "We walk into them thinking they are harmless, and they grab ahold of us."

In fact, the most deceitful thing about sin is, we usually don't realize we are caught in it. We merely walk around not particularly interested in the things of God, or being close to Him. Hebrews 12:1 says that sin "entangles" us. It is like the bird who gets entangled in a wad of fishing line. It inhibits the freedom of movement that Christ died to bring us. A desire and longing for God's presence, to be near Him and with Him and led by Him. That is what we choose when we walk down the path of sin.

Untangling is as easy as turning to the Lord, confessing, and embracing His presence. However, too many times, this is delayed by the very result sin has on us. For the Believer, this is not the silver bullet that brings us a trip to hell. However, it is an action that leads to walking in darkness, walking in the ways of death. It severs fellowship with our Creator and our Father. It keeps us from enjoying life as He intends.

Beware of the snare of sin. It is easy to overlook it.

Return of the mystery blog

After a short break, we are back up and blogging, with new articles to be coming on a regular basis. Come back and see us again soon.