For All the Saints

For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest: Alleluia, alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;
And Thou, in darkness drear, their one true light: Alleluia, alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle - they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee for all are Thine: Alleluia, alleluia!

(William W. How)

My dad has been one of those saints who rest from their labors and shine in glory for 14 months. The man who I will always think of as "my pastor" has just joined him. I do truly thank God for these men who confessed Him before the world, fought the fight well, and clung to Jesus as their light through the darkest times. I praise God that I am one with them in Christ now, and look forward to the day "When we all see Jesus and sing and shout the victory!"

Happy Earth Day!

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. . .By Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. . .The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it...Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. . .The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. . . Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. . .Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.

The heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. . .As long as the earth endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease. . .Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away … 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. . .He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

Gen 1:1, Col 1:16, Ps. 89:11, I Chron. 29:11, Ps. 24:1, Ps. 121:2, Jer. 32:17, Ps. 57:5, Is. 6:3, Is. 51:6, Gen 8:22, Matt. 24:35, Rev. 21

Resurrection Sunday - Sweet memories of the past and hope for the future

This is our first Easter without my Dad. Every time we pass one of these milestones, it brings a wave of emotion. I have lots of good memories of Easters with Dad. When I was living at home, we took spring vacations at Easter many years. Dad did a lot of traveling working for Ford and accumulated plenty of frequent flier miles and free hotel stays. We reaped the benefits of that during our annual family vacation.

On Easter 1984, Dad delivered our Sunday sermon in our hotel room in Anaheim, CA. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I do remember that the hotel room overlooked Disney Land, where we spent the rest of that day. That was our first really big family vacation. Mom, my brother and I flew out to Phoenix. Dad left the day before and drove straight through, 36 hours so we wouldn't have to rent a car. We toured the southwest - went down a natural water slide in Flagstaff, saw it snow in the desert, spent the night in Vegas, took an amazing boat ride in Utah, saw the Great White Throne, then ended up in California where we went to Disney Land, swam in the ocean and I threw up at the Olympic Stadium. Dad really knew how to plan a vacation!

Easter 1987 was just after we had been in Hawaii for an incredible 2 weeks. After enjoying the beauty there, visiting "Wacky-key Beach," and "seeing parts of Hawaii the average tourist doesn't see," we flew back early on Sunday morning and showed up jet lagged for the services at our home church. Not having slept at all the night before was not a valid excuse for skipping church in our family!

Several Easters after that we spent in Florida - usually Orlando or St. Pete Beach. I can't remember the name of the church we attended there, but I know we were regulars when we were in town. It didn't matter where we were on Easter (or any Sunday, really), worshiping God still took priority. I'm thankful for a Dad who taught us that the things of God are what matter most.

My recent memories of Easter with my Dad include Easter 2003. Mom, Dad, B and I were having Brunch together after church when we gave them the news that we were expecting our first baby. Then we ate a whole lot of really good food!

The next year we went back to that same place for Easter brunch. There was big news that year as well, but not of the happy sort. We grieved together and comforted each other and then ate a whole lot of really good food again.

By the time Easter 2005 rolled around, J was head over heels in love with Papa. We have some really sweet pictures of them together that day. We had brunch together again after church at that same place for the third and final year.

Easter 2005, before church At Brunch with Papa


Easter 2006 J's first Egg Hunt J and Papa watching the puppet show after the egg hunt

Last Easter turned out to be one month and 2 days before Dad died. It was our last big holiday together. I think it is a fitting one to be the final celebration, because it is the one that gives us the hope of being reunited again one day. Christ's resurrection conquered death for all who trust in Him. My Dad was one of those who did, and because of that, I know I'll see him again.

Easter 2009

"But Christ has been raised to life! And He makes us certain that others will also be raised to life because of Christ. Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and His people will be raised to life when He returns...These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever...Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won't die or decay...Then the Scriptures will come true, 'Death has lost the battle! Where is it's victory? Where is it's sting?'...But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!"
I Corinthians 15:20, 23, 42, 53-55 (CEV)

I look in the faces of my children and I know that God is good.

There are few things I've found greater pleasure in than being a mother. I loved feeling the little pitter-patter of a little one growing inside me while I was pregnant. I love snuggling a sleeping baby in my arms. I love seeing them smile or hearing them giggle in their sleep. Even with my fussy ones, I felt pleasure at the fact that I had the skill to soothe them when no one else could. I got called to the nursery week after week because they cried inconsolably, but when they saw me, they smiled. I never had that kind of power before I became a mother.

I love the fact that I know our children better than anyone else in the world. Daddy certainly knows them well. And Grandma knows them well. But I know them in a special way from having carried them and nursed them and been their mommy. It's a special bond like no other.

I'm sure I've laughed more since I became a mother than I ever did in the years before that. It started when I was expecting J with giggle fits - sometimes at inappropriate times - which I blamed on hormones. It's continued with laughing at their goofy antics and silly jokes and cute expressions, and seeing their joy at discovering the world and the people around them.

I love lying next to them and having "Mommy time" before bed each night. We talk about the things we did that day. They ask questions about things they didn't understand. They tell me about their hopes and dreams. (Like J wants to be the Cash Cab driver when he grows up and H would like to visit Costa Rica someday - although she's not sure why.) I love hearing them sing and listening to their prayers.

I love watching them grow up into little people, seeing their personalities unfold, and being in the position to influence that process. It's a sobering responsibility, but one I wouldn't trade for anything.

When I think about what a wonderful design the family is and how much pleasure I've gotten from being a part of one, I can't help but know that God is good. All the joy is His design. It's marred by the effects of sin, to be sure, but I firmly believe the family is the most wonderful institution in our society. I suppose there's no reason we couldn't have been made to reproduce like plants or amoeba. We could be like animals that care for their young until they can walk and eat, then send them on their way. But God loves us enough to have designed a much better way - one that reflects His relationship with us. One that allows us to glimpse the depth of the sacrifice that He made for us when He gave His only Son for us. One that gives us a chance to experience a pleasure like no other - the pleasure of being part of a family.

It's all because God is good.

A well-timed blessing

Our littlest member of the Jones family is four months old already. I'm overwhelmed at what a blessing he's been in our lives in such a short time. The Lord knew back in August 2008 when he placed little D inside me that I would need some joy in my life come May of 2009. His timing was perfect.

My Dad died suddenly and unexpectedly just 9 days before D's due date, two weeks before he was born. I was very close to my Dad and was crushed by his loss. It hasn't been easy adjusting to him being gone, but having little D in our lives has certainly helped.

Sweet little D has been such a balm to my sore soul, and to my Mom's. As the Lord was knitting him together in my womb, He wove in extra measures of grace and happiness. He knew we'd need that in our lives right now. I've never seen a baby who smiles as much or as easily as D does. It's impossible not to smile back at him, however I'm feeling.



I'm sorry that my Dad never got to meet this grandson. I know he would have really enjoyed him. Papa loved all of his grandchildren dearly, and enjoyed them all immensely. But I think he and D could have had a special bond. The two of them are a lot a like. D is so much more mellow and even-tempered than his older siblings, much like his Papa. I'm hard pressed to think of a time in my Dad's life when he ever lost his cool. Certainly there were times when he was provoked, but he always kept himself under control. Little D's like that - he just rolls with the punches. (Sometimes fairly literally!)



I see other bits of my Dad in D's little personality already. Nothing pleased my Dad more than doing things for others - D seems to be the same way. I always feel a sense of pride when someone comes up to talk to him. I know that without fail, he's going to give them the brightest smile they've ever seen, and they'll go away with a smile on their face as well.

There's definitely a sadness in my heart over my loss. But there's a sweetness at the same time. Babies are often referred to as a "bundle of joy." Few live up to that label as well as this little guy. We love you, D!

Practical Theology

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

"Seek God's face. Understand His character. Pursue knowledge of Him, for apart from the 'fear of the Lord' and 'the knowledge of the Holy One' we have no hope for being a wise mother, sister, wife, or friend."

--Wendy Horger Alsup, Practical Theology for Women, How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives

Father's Day

I participated in several writing contests during my years at college. I never considered myself much of a writer and certainly never had any expectations of winning. I did it as more of a self-improvement project. They were the sort of competitions where you showed up, they gave you a topic, and you had an hour or so to write about it.

One year the subject was "What is your favorite holiday and why." I wrote about Father's Day. It was probably an unusual choice for a female college student, but it was an honest one. I have a lot of happy memories of Father's Days.

For years, the Detroit Grand Prix was held on Father's Day. All through high school and a few times during college, my Dad would take me down to the race. He did a lot of work with Motorola in those days and would get invited to the courtesy tent they had at the track. We would go after church, eat free lunch, and watch the race. I can't say I'm much of a fan, but I enjoyed the experience, just because it was special time with my Dad.

That essay came to mind today. This was the worst Father's Day I've had - I spent much of it in bed crying. I know for my Dad, however, it was his happiest one ever. He got in free again, but this time, admission was courtesy of the blood of Christ, not Motorola. The food was no doubt far better than what we had at the tent. He was part of a crowd of people from every tribe and nation cheering for something far more glorious than a car race.

"I can only imagine. . ."

The Power of the Resurrection

Christ's resurrection isn't just a historical event that occurred millenia ago. It's an event with eternal significance for those who have put their trust in Him.

What if it never happened?
I Corinthians 15:17-19
"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. "

Praise God, it did happen!
I Corinthians 15:20
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead"

So why does it matter today?
1. Everyone who trusts in Christ has the promise of eternal life - we also will be resurrected!
I Corinthians 15:20-23
[Christ is] the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

2. Death has lost it's power over us!
I Corinthians 15:55-57
"'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!"

3. It gives us a reason to serve Him passionately in this life!
I Corinthians 15:58
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Happy Resurrection Sunday! Go celebrate by standing firm and giving yourself fully to the work of the Lord!

This is not what they were sentenced to!

Hebrews 13:3
Remember those in prison
as if you were their fellow prisoners,
and those who are mistreated
as if you yourselves were suffering.

This has been an issue for decades. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the Michigan Department of Corrections in the 1990's over it. They were cited by Amnesty International for their systematic violation of the human rights of the women in their charge. It was a moral travesty. It should have caused widespread outrage. Instead, a few people cared, but not many. But now that there's money involved, it matters. Now it gets a five part, front page story:

Female inmates speak out on sexual assaults

Oh well, at least someone noticed.

We get indignant when we hear about middle eastern countries where women are sentenced to gang rape for their crimes or someone else's. Or when we hear of women being punished for having been raped and then talking about it to the press. We're really no different here, we're just not so open about it. If you'd like a nauseous feeling in your stomach for a while, read some of the comments after you read the article above. Plenty of people think that our women deserve to be raped if they've ever committed the sort of "unpopular sin" that lands you in prison. And if she's so bold as to speak up about it, we may not physically whip her, but we'll give her far more than 200 tongue lashings, call her a liar, a lowlife, a prostitute and worse.

Proverbs 31:8-9
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.

These are the inspired words of King Lemuel. They're the verses that immediately precede a far more well-known passage, "The Virtuous Woman." King Lemuel's mother was a virtuous woman, and as you can see if you look back to verse 1, she was the one who gave him this important instruction. I hope my children learn the same from me.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

It's a familiar passage, one I've know and loved for years. I love the song based on it. This past year was a year where those verses in their context became more meaningful.

2008 was not all I'd imagined or hoped it would be. I'm sure many people would say that. I've certainly had other years with failures or disappointments or struggles - it wasn't unique in that regard - but this year was more of a crisis of faith than I've gone through before.

Sometimes there are just really dark hours, when God hides his face, doesn't seem to hear our prayers, doesn't seem to keep his promises. When I went back and searched the scriptures, I was comforted to know I wasn't alone in this experience.

David certainly experienced times like that. Check out what he says in Psalm 10: "Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" Or in Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer."

Look at a few verses that precede the ones above. What does Jeremiah say God did to him?

• He afflicted him with the rod of his wrath. (v 1)
• He turned his hand against him again and again. (v 2)
  
• He broke his bones. (v 4)
• He besieged him and surrounded him with bitterness and hardship. (v 5)
  
• He walled him in so he could not escape; he weighed him down with chains. (v 7)
  
• When he cried out for help, God shut out his prayer. (v 8)
  
• Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding, He dragged him from the path and mangled him and left him without help. (v 10-11)
  

Jeremiah goes on to describe how God used him for target practice, broke his teeth, trampled him underfoot. As bad as some things were for me, they don't come close to that!

People have certainly turned away from God for far less. What was Jeremiah's response to all of this?

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love."

Jeremiah knew his situation was temporary. He knew the Lord was his portion - all he needed. He quietly waited for the Lord to save him. Even though he brings us trials, the Lord also shows compassion. How great is His unfailing love!

Whatever you may be going through or whatever troubles 2008 brought you, I pray you'll keep waiting for the salvation of the Lord. What a shame to experience the grief the Lord brings and not stick around to experience His unfailing love at the end of it.

May 2009 be a blessed new year for you -- Not because you get everything you want or because everything works out the way you hope, but because you have the Lord, because you see that He is all you need, and you find His great love for you new every morning.

So THAT's where that went!

Yesterday after church, the kids were admiring the steeple from the backseat.

J, with all his 4 year-old wisdom, explained to his little sister, "H, the place where Jesus died was called Calvary."

I thought this was shaping up to be a theological discussion.

He continued, "After they took Jesus down from the cross, they built Calvary Bible Church."

Well, yes, technically that's true. A couple thousand years after.

"Then they put his cross up on top there!"

We do strive to be authentic. Those other churches may have crosses, but we've got the real deal!

Christian Education

I've mentioned before that I teach the 4 & 5 year-old Sunday School class at our church. J's a part of the class. I like to ask him about the lesson afterward to see how good a job I did communicating. Earlier this month, we were sitting around the table with my parents after church. Our story had been about Passover that week. I tried to keep it simple and non-graphic, given the audience. I wanted to acquaint them with the idea that lamb died to save the lives of the Israelites just like Jesus died to save us. I started asking J about it. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Do you remember what the story was about in Sunday School today?
J: Yeah, you painted on the door. (Ok, so that was memorable)
Me: Right, the Israelites painted their door frames too. Did they use regular paint?
J: No, they used blood.
Me: Yep, God told them to kill a lamb and paint their door frame with the blood. Do you remember why they had to do that? What would have happened if they didn't? (Expecting something along the lines of "someone in the house would have died instead.")
J: (Pause) (Shrug) Well, the lamb would have just kept being happy!

I was laughing so hard at that point that the questions were definitely over.

Moses' Prayer

Moses was tending his father in law's sheep. From what we can tell, he seems to have been comfortable with that. It wasn't glamorous. No doubt it wasn't what he'd dreamed of while he was growing up in Pharaoh's palace, but he'd had to flee Egypt in fear years earlier. He'd seen his people being horribly abused there. He killed a man in anger, and then he ran to hide from the consequences of his sin.

Moses made a new life for himself in Midian. He got married. He had children. He found a job. He probably would have been content with that for the rest of his life. But one day, in the desert, God changed all that. He called Moses to go back to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let His people go. That was the last thing Moses wanted to do. His last memories of Egypt were bad ones. He was afraid to go back there for any reason - particularly the reason God was asking him to go. Moses knew Pharaoh wouldn't want to let the Israelites go. They were cheap labor for him. And beside that, Moses was afraid of public speaking. He told God his concerns. God addressed them. Moses agreed to go.

I've heard a lot of preachers give Moses a hard time for arguing with God at the burning bush (as did God, I concede - Exodus4:14). I give him so much credit for actually doing what he'd been asked that I can't find it in myself to criticize him for expressing his concerns about it. He left his life of relative comfort and went back to a place he'd fled in fear and shame to do tell the most powerful man in the world to do something Moses knew he didn't want to do. I'd like to say I'd have obeyed God if I were in Moses' situation, but I really don't know.

Moses mustered up all his faith. He faced his fears, obeyed God and trusted Him to work it all out. I know the end of the story so well that I tend to forget what actually happened next. Moses goes to Pharaoh, God sends the 10 plagues, the Israelites leave Egypt, God opens the Red Sea, and they are safe and happy on the other side. Right?

Not quite.

Moses went to Pharaoh and gave him God's message: "Let my people go." Pharaoh responded by accusing the people of being lazy and blamed Moses for keeping them from their work. Did he let them go? No way! He increased their work load by an impossible amount, then had them beaten when they couldn't keep up. Moses' obedience brought more suffering on the people he was trying to help and made them hate him. Not exactly what you expect God to do when you obey Him.

I love that the Bible records Moses' next prayer. I love it, because I can relate to how Moses felt then. (SJ paraphrase of Exodus 5:22-23): "Lord, what are you doing?! Ever since I obeyed you, you've brought nothing but trouble, and you haven't rescued your people at all!" I love that God doesn't rebuke Moses for saying that.

Some people who find themselves praying that are in the place Moses was - just about to see God unleash an amazing display of his glory and power. Others are in the place that some of the Hebrews 11 heroes of the faith were - living out their whole lives without ever getting their questions answered. They "die in faith, not having received the promises (Hebrews 11:13, KJV)."

I don't know which of those places I'm in. I just pray that my faith will remain unmoved whether or not I ever understand in this life what God's purpose is.

Keeps Me Singing

H is our little music lover. This is one of her favorite pastimes - sitting on the bed looking through the hymnbook. She calls it her Bible. She not only likes looking at it, but she has a few favorite hymns she likes to sing and hear. When I'm putting her to bed I usually rock her and sing to her for a while. For a long time, she's been in the habit of calling out favorites and then singing along. It's very cute.

A few months ago she called out a request and I started singing what I thought she had said: Rock a bye baby. She got quite irritated and repeated her request. I tried again and got the same response. The third time I realized she was asking for "Rock of Ages" not "Rock a baby." (They sound a lot alike when you're talking to a one year old).

Tonight she made a new request - Power in the Blood. I'm not sure where that came from, because I really can't remember ever singing it to her. (Nor could Grandma, the other major musical influence in her life.) I'm pretty sure it's been a few years since I've sung it at all, but I made up for it tonight! It was a big hit with her.

A few years ago I made a list of hymns I'd like my children to learn. Some are on the list because I think they're great, others because I think knowing them is part of being a culturally literate Christian. I thought about typing the list here, but it's about 60 songs long, and I don't really want to take the time. So without biasing anyone with my opinion, let me ask - what hymns would be on your must-learn list? Maybe I'll publish my list another time after I hear your ideas.

Resurrection Sunday

Matthew 28:6
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said!
Come and see the place where he lay.

At the beginning of human history God created Adam and Eve. He made a beautiful garden for them to live in. He walked and talked with them face to face. He loved them dearly. God gave them just one rule to obey. But Adam and Eve couldn't even keep that single instruction. They chose to disobey. God told them that the punishment for sin was death and separation from God. Every man and woman who has lived since Adam and Eve has followed the same path. We all have sinned and because of that, the Bible says we all deserve to die and be separated from God forever.

But God is merciful beyond comprehension. He loves us and doesn't want us to be separated from Him. He had a plan. His plan was to let someone who had never sinned take our punishment for us. Since all mankind has sinned, that Someone had to be God Himself. Jesus Christ, God's son, came to earth and lived a perfect, sinless, loving life. Yet even though He did no wrong, He allowed Himself to be put to death by men who hated God. At that moment, he took all our sins on Himself and carried them to the grave. That was Friday, but Sunday was coming!

On Sunday morning, Christ showed his power by conquering death. He rose from the grave. He now offers to credit the payment He made to the account of anyone who turns from their sin and trusts in His sacrifice for salvation. I praise Him that He did that for me!

Romans 1:4
Who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God
by his resurrection from the dead:
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Although I'm going to enjoy spending time with my family tomorrow, dressing my children up in fancy clothes, and giving candy to them and to my Sunday School class, all that is nothing compared to the greatness of Christ's resurrection and what that means to me! I hope to be able to communicate that to my children and my class.

I Corinthians 15
If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Play it Again!

H loves music. She loves to sing it, and she loves to listen to it. She has a favorite CD that she begs for each and every time we're in the car. She calls it "Bible Songs" or "Li'l come" (for Let the Little Children Come, one of the songs on the CD.)

A few weeks ago we were driving around town listening to the CD. When we arrived home and B turned off the car, she had a Royal Meltdown! Kicking, screaming, the works as B was getting her out of her car seat. She was very upset that the music had stopped. "Back on, back on!" she kept shouting.

The song she was angry about having been interrupted? "Children Obey Your Parents in the Lord."

She knows the words, but perhaps the message is a bit lost on her!

Perspective

All of you is more than enough for all of me,
For every thirsting, every need,
You satisfy me with your love,
And all I have in you is more than enough.

I sang it in church last Sunday and I meant it sincerely. I know in my head that it's true. Christ is my greatest treasure. I have Him, and I don't really need anything else to be satisfied. I know it, but I don't always feel it.

It's easy to say I know it when all is calm. Sure, I'm satisfied in Christ when I don't actually have any felt needs. But how about when something I desperately want isn't happening? What about when I'm awakened by a sense of dread, my heart pounding so hard I'm surprised it doesn't wake my husband? When I'm walking around with a gnawing pain like someone just punched me in the gut? When something triggers a memory that makes a heaviness of heart hit me out of nowhere?

It's still true at those times that all I have in Christ is more than enough. The difference between when I just know it and when I actually experience it, I think, is where my focus is. Even when I go to him in prayer, my prayer can be all about my concerns, my fears, my wants. When I read His word, my focus can be looking for a comforting word or a promise to fix my problem. When I take my eyes off myself and go to His word looking to see once again how awesome God is, when my prayers praise Him for His amazing wisdom and majesty and mercy, then I come away feeling satisfied in Him. Next to his greatness, even the biggest problems lose their immensity.

My prayer for myself and my family is that of Paul for the Ephesians:
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and His incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19) My eyes need some enlightening.

And here's something I need to be reminded of frequently:
Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His glorious face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

Contentment

Psalm 49:16-17
Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases;
for he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his splendor will not descend with him.

We had the privilege of being guests in an absolutely fabulous house this weekend. I have no idea what it cost, but based on it's location and appearance, I am certain that it is by far the most expensive house I've ever set foot inside. (Ok, except maybe the Biltmore estate, but that doesn't count.)

I find it easy to look around a place like that and think, "Wouldn't it be nice if. . ." It's tempting to come home and start thinking about all the things I'd like to change around my own house. Which is completely stupid. God has blessed us far beyond what we need. After all, isn't the minimum requirement for contentment something to eat and something to wear (I Timothy 6:8)? Or as Paul set the example, just be content regardless of the situation? How could he do that? Well, he said he could do all things through Christ who gave him strength (Philippians 4:11-13). Did you know that's what that verse is referring to in context? It's not that I can get an A on this test or get that job promotion through Christ who gives me strength. Or that I can make this free throw (I actually used to quote that verse before I shot those back when I played.) It's that I can be content in any situation through Christ who gives me strength.

To quote Charles Spurgeon, “You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.” Contentment cannot be achieved by getting enough "stuff." There will always be someone with a bigger house or nicer furniture or more stylish clothes or better behaved (but not cuter) children than I have. True satisfaction is found only in Christ.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." He's all I need for this life and the life to come. Who could ask for more than that?

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging. . .
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. . .
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

Whatever you're going through today, take a moment to be still and know that God is still God. He is with those who trust in Him.

A Scary Ride

I think the last time I rode a really big roller coaster was when I was a senior in high school. I used to really enjoy them. I'd go on the Gemini or the Blue Streak over and over again. But then, they started building them bigger than I had the stomach for. A bunch of us went to Cedar Point at the end of our senior year. My friend Jennifer Dixon and I decided to ride the new roller coaster they had that year, the Magnum. It never really occurred to me that it might be more than I could handle. At least it didn't occur to me when it really mattered. We were going up the first hill and it seemed to be taking a very long time to reach the top. Not because it was moving slowly, but because it was a really long way up there! When we were about half way up, I happened to glance over and saw that the biggest hill on the Gemini was already well below us. It was then I began to panic and realized that maybe getting on this ride hadn't been such a great idea. But at that point I was strapped in, and there was no way off but to ride it to the end.

I flashed back to that moment repeatedly during my first pregnancy. I am not a big fan of pain. In fact, I'm really a complete wimp when it comes to pain. And while being pregnant agreed with me quite nicely, the thought of how it was all going to end struck fear into my heart. I was going up that big hill for nine (and a half) months, dreading the big drop on the other side! Six months into that pregnancy, I could feel J's head really well in my right upper abdomen. It seemed about as large as the head of the average three or four month old baby. I thought, "This is going to keep growing for another three months and then come out where?! Is this some kind of joke?" Sure enough, he was 99th percentile for head circumference when he was born.

Lately I've been getting that feeling again. This time it's about a much bigger issue. And this time, there's no hope of an epidural. My flashes of panic are about whether or not this whole parenting thing is going to turn out right. Am I really qualified? Am I doing it right? If I don't let them do X am I squelching their personalities? If I do let them do X, am I being too permissive? Where should we school them? Did I scar them for life when I screwed up today? And the list goes on. . .

In Grace Based Parenting, Tim Kimball describes rearing children as trying to put together a puzzle. Except, unlike a regular puzzle, this is one where all the edge pieces have been removed - you have to decide the boundaries are for yourself. Then there are some extra pieces that don't fit thrown in, but you don't know which ones they are. And you may not figure it out until you've wasted a lot of time trying to make them fit your situation. And finally, the cover to the box is lost, so you're not even exactly sure what the final picture is supposed to look like.

I thought that was a fitting description. It's pretty incredible that perhaps the most important responsibility humans have ever been given comes with so few explicit instructions. There are plenty of guiding principles in God's Word, but knowing how to apply those to this situation with this child takes a lot of wisdom. As with everything God does, I know it's best. If it were all spelled out in detail, I wouldn't be driven to Him for wisdom and guidance. If it were all spelled out in detail, there would be no allowance for parents to adapt their approach to fit each child's needs best.

The most frightening thing is that once I know how the final product turned out, it will be too late to go back and change anything. If that's not enough to drive you to your knees in prayer daily, I don't know what is. I may not always know what's best for my children, but I know the One who does. He has the power to guide me and give me the wisdom I lack. And he has infinite grace to overcome my frequent failures.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.