Crafting a Baby Shower

So...it's been a while.

For those of you who were there yesterday at our Wreath Making Baby Shower, thanks for showing up because I HAD A GREAT TIME!  I hope you did too.

I mean seriously...it was fun.  And the FOOD!  Have you noticed I'm a little preoccupied with food?  You would think I lived on it or something.  The soups were delicious, and the sandwiches were tasty and the snacks and the sweets and even the tea (if I do say so myself) was just Y-U-M...yum.

As promised, here are the pictures.  I apologize that there are not more, but I've been having some technical difficulty.  Silly blogger won't let me rotate!!!!! 

Ladies Night

Thursday, September 15th at 6:30 p.m.

The gals are getting together at Sencery's house in Goodlettsville.

A simmering pot of crab and chicken bisque
will be available. Please bring something to
compliment: crackers and dip, bread, finger sandwiches, fruit,
salad, veggies, dessert, drinks, etc.

We are meeting at 6:30 and you are free to
leave whenever you need to.

There is no agenda for this event, other than to
have some fun, chit-chat and get to know each
other a little better.

Distaff Side Retreat, Session 2

This session was taught (excellently by the way) by Sencery. She got this to me a LONG time ago and has probably been wondering why in the world I haven't published it yet. I don't have an answer. Here it is...FINALLY!

Session 2: Be Still and Hear
Numbers 9:8

My two year old son has gotten into the habit of holding my face tightly between his little hands, placing his nose to my nose, and saying, “Mommy, do you HEAR me?” I assure him that I do hear him, but he keeps asking me over and over again; not only does he ask me the same question multiple times, he gets increasingly louder each time he asks. To me, this demonstrates the “be still and hear” concept very well; I believe he has mastered it. Step one: Grab the face so that movement is no longer an option (be still...); Step two: Repeat yourself while getting increasingly louder so that not hearing would be impossible (and hear...).

As adults, I am sure you have probably heard, if not used, the following phrase when trying to communicate with certain people: “I know you HEAR me, but are you LISTENING?” Most of the time you can tell when someone is hearing you because there is usually some change in facial expression, body language, or some type of verbal response. How do you know that they actually listened? You wait to see if there are actions that follow. So when the Bible talks about “Be still and hear...”, does that mean we freeze in place and strain our ears until we hear Him? Not quite...

In the book of Numbers, chapter 9, Moses and the Israelites are in the wilderness of Sinai. Numbers 9:1-2 says, “Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: ‘Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time.’” In the Old Testament, in order to have a relationship with God, the Israelites had to follow the Law. Even when they followed the Law, they couldn’t have a direct relationship with God; they had to go through a third party. If they wanted to keep their relationship with God in good standing and be pleasing to Him, they had to be obedient and observe all the rules, rites, and ceremonies that were required of them. A lot to deal with, but they did it to the best of their ability because they had a heart for God and wanted to be in relationship with Him. However, there were some Israelites who were disqualified. They had the desire to be obedient and to observe the Passover, but the rules were keeping them from it. Numbers 9:6-7 says, “Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day. And those men said to him, ‘We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the children of Israel?’” They wanted to do the right thing, but because of their circumstance they were prohibited. I don’t know how they came in contact with the dead body – I’m sure they weren’t playing a game of dare where they decided whoever touched the dead body was the coolest – but that dead body got in the way of their worship of God.

So what did these men do? Did they storm the Holy of Holies in the inner room of the tabernacle and begin making their case before God? Nope – then they would have been dead bodies. The step they had to take was to go to Moses, their leader, and Aaron, the priest, and have them bring their circumstance before God. Numbers 9:8 says, “And Moses said to them, ‘Stand still, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.’” The Message Bible puts it this way, “Moses said, ‘Give me some time; I’ll find out what God says in your circumstances.’” The Bible doesn’t tell us how long they had to wait for an answer to their dilemma; but they did have to wait. The Hebrew word for “still” in that verse means “again, repeatedly, still, more”. They were probably like children in the backseat of a car on a long trip asking, “Are we there yet?” – patience isn’t naturally occurring in the flesh. The Hebrew word for “hear” in that verse means “to hear intelligently, often with the implication of attention, obedience, etc.”. In verse 9, the answer is given, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the Lord’s Passover. On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it.’” The defiled Israelites heard what the Lord said through Moses – there was a way for them to maintain their relationship with God despite the circumstances they found themselves in – and they listened by observing the Passover as they were told.

So what does that have to do with us? We aren’t under the law; through Jesus Christ we have direct access to God – a personal relationship with no third party. We don’t have to worry about being defiled by a dead body and not being able to attend church or fellowship with other believers because of it. But... are there things in our lives that hinder our relationship with God? Things that affect how pleasing we are to Him? Do we find ourselves in situations or with circumstances that separate us from God? I’m not necessarily talking about some blatant, neon-sign sin; just anything that is out of His will; that is not according to His instructions in His Word for us. I know I can think of many things that I have in my life that battle for my time and attention every day. If I give them priority and let them keep pushing my prayer time, Bible-reading time, devotional time, or quiet time with God later into the day until I fall into bed and realize I have put Him at the bottom of my list – that hinders my relationship with Him. Our circumstances in everyday life can sometimes separate us from Him; but the good news is that we can talk directly to our Father and tell him about our circumstances (confess), apologize, and try it again (repent). Isn’t God awesome?

When we work on our relationship with God (yes, I said work – you have to make a focused effort in any relationship you have or it dies), there are times when, like the Israelites, we have to be still and hear what the Lord is saying to us. Being still/waiting is difficult – especially when our circumstances may be worsening as we wait. But our faith that God is who He says He is, and that He is our provider, stronghold, shield, and covering, is what helps us be still when our flesh is screaming otherwise (are we there yet????). Once we hear what He says to us, it is our turn to let Him know we are listening. How do we do that? In our Christian walk, there are many times we say, “I know what the Bible tells me to do.” So we definitely hear God speaking to us through His Word. However, how does God know that we are listening? Colossians 1:10 says, “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” The fruit will show up in your life.

So whether you are coming out of a situation, in the middle of a situation, or getting ready to enter a situation (that would be all of us, right?), remember to be still. Then, when you do hear, make sure you listen!

Be Still and Sleep

The following is another post (actually it's two) from my personal blog. It's something that was on my mind during our session but there wasn't time to relate the story and it wasn't necessary to our weekend. Sharing the details on our blog however, gives me opportunity to share a little more and I hope you don't mind my taking license to do so. These were written in February of 2007 about Ivan who would have been almost 15 months at the time. I am sharing because I think it reflects our need to be still as children of God. Just like I shared about Moses being able to still the people because he had a knowledge of God's faithfulness, we must be able to still ourselves knowing that He is our caring Father and our reigning King.



This has been a hard day. I love being a parent, and I love my children, but today was one of those testing days where you wonder if you're qualified and if maybe you should have been licensed before signing up to be a caregiver to such young and fragile creatures.

Ivan was sick yesterday, low fever part of the day but gone this morning. After taking him from his crib and holding him a while I noticed his breathing was strained and he was just miserable and exhausted. I prayed and held him all day. I got him some great stuff at Orbit per Becky's suggestion and I know it's helping, but results aren't swift, at least not as swift as I'd like, and all day I've been questioning everything. Should I take him to the doctor? Should I give him this? Should I keep him from eating that? What if he's really ill?..what if it's more serious than I'm aware?..what if?..what if?..what if?..was the mantra, and I had to banish it under my feet constantly.

One of the drawbacks of being a somewhat creative person is that my mind not only comes up with good stories or witty things to say, it also festers with dramatic scenarios of pain and suffering. I can imagine things that no one should ever dwell on and today those images were almost constant. Cast your cares on Him...I would remind myself, take every thought captive...By His stripes Ivan is healed...at least the arsenal is ready when needed. It's just exhausting to fight myself all day. He did have a fever again after his nap and I did call the doctors office and the nurse suggested a few things to do and said if he's not better by morning to bring him in. He will be better by morning. I trust that God will bless him abundantly as he sleeps tonight.

I feel better just writing it out. All evening after putting the little guy to bed I have felt confident that tomorrow would be a much better day and therefore the title of this post...if this day ended early I could move on to tomorrow.

Habakkuk 3:18 "Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."



After posting last night I still had a long way until morning. Kris and I listened and debated what to do with our little wheezing baby. Of course it got worse as night fell and I began to get scared. Should I take him to the ER? I really didn't want to do that. At one point I decided to try sitting up with him thinking that an upright position would help him breath more freely. He did do much better that way but let it be known about 30 minutes later that the bed was where he wanted to be. His cough was almost constant so we did end up giving him a bit of over-the-counter medicine for that and he did stop coughing for a few hours which I think helped him with his breathing as well.

I was a wreck. Now, from where I slept I couldn't hear the coughing which was my only signal that he was actually breathing at all. I had prayed earlier and told God that I needed Him to care for Ivan, I gave Ivan over to God and asked Him to be his Father. I told Him that I trusted Him and that I would do whatever He told me to do. Would you believe that God told me to go to bed and then challenged my earlier resignation? "If you trust me...don't check on him."

"What?! How can I sleep?" I questioned.

I struggled, but believed I had heard from God, and that it was more important that I be obedient and show my trust than to worry over my baby and hover over his bed every thirty minutes. For me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, when the lights go out and I am tired it is much harder to control my emotions. I was in anguish, and finally got up and physically knelt to pray for peace if I was going to be obedient.

I seriously felt like Ivan could die in those moments. How could I just lie in bed and not make sure that he was still breathing? I finally resigned my position and let God be God...telling myself all the true things about God's love, His power, His mercy, His constant care was not what helped me. I had to resign to His position. He is King and I had to obey. It was strange, but all the other stuff became believable when I submitted to Him as LORD. I laid my head on my pillow and I slept.

Ivan did wake up about three times, crying and I went to him to comfort him, give him his pacifier and cover him up again. Each time, his forehead felt a little cooler, his breathing a bit more peaceful until at 4:00 a.m. he was cool and his breathing just slightly heavy.

I felt victorious. I felt like I could now trust God for anything. It was as if I had to leave Ivan with Him for the night and not interrupt whatever process God was using to make him better and I felt truly grateful for His care.

Ivan was still a bit ill all day today but leaps and bounds better than yesterday. No fever today and his breathing, though heavy, was never bad enough to cause me concern. He just sounded congested. He didn't cough as much, didn't need as much attention and even laughed a few times. I laid him in his crib with confidence tonight, knowing that His heavenly Daddy would be watching over him constantly.

The Adventure of Stillness

The following is copied straight from my personal blog, "Calico Dreams." It's where I write day to day stuff, limericks every Friday and once and a while a little bit of what God is doing in my heart. I used one of these paragraphs in our retreat flier in hopes of enticing you to join us for the retreat and at the end of the post is a story I told those of you who were here. Again...this is so you can refer back to it again should you desire to.
______________________________________________________________________________

Adventure:
–noun
a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertain outcome.

I'm not typically very adventurous. I don't like risk. I like steady, calm and faithful. I like having fun, I am somewhat curious and I enjoy spontaneity a great deal, but if it involves even the slightest possibility of losing something important to me, I'm not going to get involved. Adventure to me is a trip somewhere completely new with nothing but an extra pair of underwear and a toothbrush in my carry on. I would have to get what I need and fly by the seat of my pants, meeting people, asking questions and discovering things that aren't on the brochure. I guess to me adventure is more on the side of a scavenger hunt than a bear hunt. I don't want to have to find anything that might just be looking for me too.

Kris and I are a bit different in this category. To him a trip like I described is more risk than he wants to take. It sets his planners brain on edge and causes him to wrap his dollar bills more tightly inside his wallet. He can think of multiple scenarios where this sort of adventure could be disastrous and his only goal is to get out of the situation as quickly and at as low a cost as possible. Yet, he'd happily jump out of an airplane if given the opportunity.

Regardless of what our differing definitions of adventure are, neither of them seem to blend well with the idea of stillness. Stillness is defined as: silence; quiet; hush. How can adventure be associated with these descriptions? I want to tell you so bad!

I mentioned in a previous post that I am intrigued and fascinated by the idea of stillness, what it means beyond it's definition, what it means to me as a Christian. The Bible tells me that being still is a pre-requisite to knowing that He is God in Psalm 46:10. Doesn't that make you want stillness? It does me. Exodus 14:13 and Joshua 3:8 show us stillness was a command of God before He parted the waters for Moses and his Protégé. Before many of God's great miracles, before much of His instruction, in the midst of many revelations we read about stillness. Even His voice is described in I Kings 19:12 as still and small. He leads us by still waters in Psalm 23 (you knew I had to mention it), He defeats armies (II Chronicles 20:17) with stillness and causes a young woman to secure her future (Ruth 3:18). Stillness is what Jesus commanded of the sea (Mark 4:39), and became His posture when hearing of his friend Lazarus' illness (John 11:6). Our God is a fan of stillness and when I think more on the topic I think of our own practices and the many ways God uses stillness to prove Himself. Our faith determines our stillness. Our stillness determines His action.

Stillness can seem like an exercise in foolishness. It is a vulnerability that few are willing to risk. Why do we not see more miracles? We are not still. Why don't we hear God's voice? We are not still. What could God do in us if we reserved our own desires, our own strength and traded our restlessness for the supernatural quiet of stillness?

The Psalmist made mention many times his need for stillness, to trust in God enough to remain vulnerable in the situation he was in. This call to stillness can feel like a death sentence, it can feel like a command to become a stoic monument to foolishness. Stillness is not encouraged in this life, there are few examples of it. We are a society on the move, we are a people of action and stillness doesn’t stand out as a mentionable criteria for success.

Yet there is a continuous thread in the Word of God directing us toward that hush, where God’s voice is heard more clearly, that quiet where His songs over us enable us to dance, and that silence where His Spirit so willingly approaches us to comfort and encourage. It is a necessary ingredient to witnessing the miraculous and a powerful factor in experiencing His grace. In order to experience God, we must at some point become still.

But how? As a mom it's nearly impossible to find those pockets of quiet in our days. It's difficult to schedule in the ever wavering moods and actions of little ones. It's even harder to seclude ourselves and truly find a quiet place and time. I treasure those moments when I find them and I know many of you do as well. I think they are crucial and I hope I never take them for granted once the little voices are no longer attempting to overpower the still and small one in my heart.

I do believe that "quiet times" are something to seek and strive for but God showed me something last night that encouraged me so much. In my quest to continue as faithful in the road I find myself lately, I am constantly asking if I'm in the right place. Have I missed anything? Show me where I am and for me personally I often ask for a picture. My understanding is enlightened and impacted more profoundly with visual remembrances or stories that communicate God's messages. He often obliges me and I'm so grateful.

Last night I recalled a situation many years ago when I was still traveling with Images. We were staying on the beach between two bookings in the area and had a few days of free time to spend as we wished. One of these days we decided to rent wave runners and take them out on the gulf and have a little fun. It was incredible. I have never had so much fun with a motorized vehicle since. I've taken wave runners on the lake before and though it is very fun, there is nothing like the waves of a huge body of water that can give you that rush. I asked the guy we were renting from, how far out into the gulf can we go? He said 1 mile was as far as he would want anyone to take them. I asked how we would know when we had gone a mile and he replied, when you can't see the people on the beach anymore. You've gone too far. So I did it. After playing around for a little while and becoming comfortable on the machine I headed out to sea. I turned around every now and then to see how far I had gotten and though I felt like I had been driving forever, I could still see clearly, the crowd on the sand. I kept going and finally even though I could still make out colors, sizes, shapes and even actions of the people on shore I stopped and something like fear gripped me. It wasn't the depth of the sea beneath me, the size of the body of water wasn't any more impressive to me from where I was, it was the stillness that shook me. I could hear nothing of the laughter and noise from the shore. I could hear myself breathing and I could hear the water hitting the sides of the wave runner, I could hear the motor running smoothly, but I couldn't hear the rest of the world, and I knew that were I to scream at the top of my lungs...they couldn't hear me either. I reasoned with myself that nothing was going to happen but I couldn't stay. I had to get back to the bustle of civilization. I rode hard and eventually shook off the shiver that had come to the back of my neck.

Last night I knew that I was there again. Out in the wilderness so to speak, I am somewhat alone there and the distance between me and normalcy is uncomfortable. I can see the danger of where I am and as I realized the similarity in my current circumstance and my long ago ride on the gulf I said, "God, bad things do happen to people in situations like that. People do have accidents, run out of gas, fall, and they even die." He said, "but you didn't." And He was right. It suddenly came to me that He is not trying to test my faith or help me overcome any fear, those are side items on His agenda. He is drawing me toward the adventure of stillness. How great is His presence when no other presence is available? How clear is His voice, when no other voice can reach me? How big are the opportunities that no one else is still enough to listen for?

Stillness isn't only a quiet place to commune with God, it is also the places we reach when we have dared to follow Him past our fear and pain. It is not the end of a journey, but it is definitely the most adventurous path to take.

Distaff Side Retreat, Session 1

Session 1: Be Still and See
Exodus 14:13-14

Life doesn’t come with an easy button. We all face trials, questions and quandaries that leave us wondering if we heard God wrong, if we did the right thing or if we are going the right direction. How is it possible that after following God, clearly stepping out into whatever He has called us to, we still face truly (not imagined) insurmountable obstacles along the straight and narrow path?

“If God told you to take the job, why are the bills still piling up larger than the income, or why are you facing an ethical dilemma right out of the gate, or why has it brought a wedge between you and your spouse?”

“If God told you to buy the house, why did you lose part of your income and you suddenly find yourself unable to make the payments, or why can’t you sell the house you were in before, or why are you next door to the most hateful family on earth?”

“If God told you to have another baby, why is she sick ALL the time, or why isn’t your husband helping you with ANY of the responsibilities of parenting, or why is it impossible to find affordable childcare?”

Whatever the hurdle, it’s not always a result of mis-hearing God, sometimes it’s just…a hurdle.

Exodus 14:13-14
“But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear! Stand by, (King James says “Stand Still”) and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today; For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you, while you keep silent.’”

Was there any doubt that God had led the children of Israel out of Egypt? NO! Moses didn’t sit down and have a committee meeting with Merriam and Aaron and start asking questions about who heard what from God and questioning whether they jumped the gun on their exodus. No, there were plenty of signs that God was in this, they’re known around the globe as the 10 plagues. What Moses did was genius and it shows he had more than just a superficial relationship with Jehovah. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God had led them OUT of Egypt and that God wouldn’t do that unless he were going to finish the job. So, what did he do? He told them to be still.

Here’s the line of thinking. “If God told us to leave, gave us the freedom and the open door to do it than it wasn’t because He wanted us to be slaughtered at the beach, or drown in the sea. He has something planned to make this work and I don’t want to miss it.”

I used to read stories like this, and this one in particular I pictured Moses so serious. I figured no matter what he was probably pretty nervous and anxious about how bad this was going to get. However, now looking at from a different perspective, I think of him differently. Here’s a guy who saw God in a burning bush, a guy who has realized his worth from a baby doomed to death to a prince, a guy who has just seen God perform 10 of the craziest miracles ever. He knows that God wants this exodus to happen, so he isn’t yelling out to the crowd HOPING God will do something. He’s trying to get them to calm down and so they won’t miss it!

He doesn’t leave them hanging either. There are three encouraging statements in this passage that shouldn’t be taken lightly. They are what we too should cling to when we face life’s hurdles. Look at these words:

1) …He will accomplish for you today…
The word accomplish is from the NASB, the King James says “show” but the original Hebrew word is “Asah.” The general meaning is to “do” or “make” in a general sense. It has the connotation of ethical obligation.

Moses was telling them, “look, keep your eyes open, God IS going to show you something, He IS going to do something for us because…well…He has to. This was HIS plan.”

God directed this whole story. He groomed Moses to be the leader of His plan, He showed up with the plagues and the Passover angel, He hardened Pharaoh’s heart and then broke it with the death of his first born son. If all the planning and preparation were up to God, so would the task of making it work. What would this scene look like if Moses had become impatient and tried to carry out the exodus another way?

He knew God wanted them to have their freedom and the plagues weren’t working out like he’d hoped. The wizards and prophets of Egypt seemed to be able to duplicate the things that God did through Moses and frankly that wasn’t cool. Let’s say Moses got the Israelite slaves to dig a huge tunnel out of Egypt they could all escape in the middle of the night. They are out and headed to the promise land when Pharaoh wakes up and finds his favorite Israelite butler isn’t coming with his coffee. He slips into his most comfortable military skirt, hitches his favorite horse to his chariot, having the entire Egyptian army at his disposal he gathers up the boys and rides off to fetch back his slaves. Now we see the same picture of army on one side and the sea on the other but we’ve got Moses going…uh, oh…maybe we left too soon.

*When we get ahead of God, when we aren’t able to hear from God, when we miss what God is saying…we lose our ability to walk through trials with the confidence that He has a way out.*

I also love that he says…”today.” For the children of Israel, there wasn’t much choice. Today had to be when God showed up with their miracle because they didn’t have any tomorrow if He didn’t. How often do we walk faithfully with God until we are down to the last minutes and then become afraid because God hasn’t “done something?” His timing is perfect. Even in Moses’ situation I’ve often thought how incredible it was that there was enough time to part the waters and get 3 million people to the other side and still be able to close up the water on top of the Egyptian army. They had to start their journey and the Egyptians had to start chasing them at just the right time or it wouldn’t have worked.

2) ….For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. …

The word “see” used twice in this phrase is what I find so encouraging about this.
The Israelites did SEE the Egyptian army chasing them. It was not an imagined terror. It was not an overreaction on their part to want to get away from them. It was death chasing them, cruel and painful death kicking up a cloud of sand in the distance and they weren’t coming for one last hug goodbye.

Our trials are from a real enemy. He isn’t trying to simply frustrate us or slow us down, and he certainly isn’t trying to teach us a lesson. He is a killer. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.

Our trials bring a very real threat to us. Diseases come to rob us of life and abundance. Financial crisis comes to steal our security, our homes and our future. Relationship issues come to destroy our faith in people and even ourselves. We have a lot to protect, a lot to cherish and a lot to consider regarding what we see.
The wonderful declaration Moses makes here is that what we see is about to be taken care of so completely that we won’t see it again…ever.

3) …The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.
II Chronicles 20:15-17
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

II Kings 6:15-17
Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Again the II Chronicles passage and the II Kings passage use the word “see.” Stand firm and see.” II Chronicles 20:17 and “open his eyes that he may see” II Kings 6:17.

Our faithful Father is not obligated to show us what He’s doing, but in our stillness…in our resignation to allow Him to prove Himself He opens our eyes and allows us to SEE His mighty acts. Do you really think that God who has a host of heavenly warriors at His disposal needs your help? Really?

At the end of that phrase, the end of the verse says, “while you keep silent.” I think He meant that. The children of Israel were called children for a reason. Most of you know what a torture it can be to listen to questions you’ve already answered or about something you are taking care of, and no amount of explanation will satisfy the listener or help them understand any better the course you are taking. Can you imagine what it would have been like for Moses to have the people behind him asking him what God is doing? Even if Moses knew what God was going to do, they wouldn’t have believed him if he told them.

I could relate the Word of God to a recipe we follow. It’s written out for us and if we pay attention to each detail, work in order and believe that it will work as it is, we find we are able to produce something good with our hands. Well, have you ever tried to bake something from scratch with your kids right there at your side? It’s almost impossible to get through the whole thing without smacking someone down. “I don’t know why they need baking soda…I think it helps them to be fluffy…I don’t know why baking soda makes things fluffy…NO, there is no baking soda in your teddy bear!” Moses was listening to God…giving orders as he heard them and silence was important.

So, these three encouraging phrases: He will accomplish, You will see them no more, and He will fight for you! These are all the RESULT of our stillness. Now…how do we do that. What must we do to be still? What does that look like in our 2011 lives in Middle Tennessee?

Let’s look back to the beginning of the passage. His first words were, “Do not fear!
If there’s one thing that we do in those situations, it’s fear. “What if?” is our first thought. “What if we lose the house?” “What if our child is REALLY sick?” “What if I can’t even DO this job?” We immediately run through the scenarios of failure and pick our favorite to dwell on. Why did Moses say don’t fear? Because He knew God as FAITHFUL.

The next thing Moses told them to do was to stand still. Don’t fear, and don’t move. Let me handle this and don’t get in the way!!!!

It’s stillness that we’re after this weekend and we can’t get there unless we are able to do that first command of ignoring the fear. How do we get past the fear? We have to believe God to be faithful, truthful, loving and able. He IS all those things and more, but do we really believe it. It’s in those situations between a rock and a hard place, an army and the sea, that we reveal what we believe about God.

*Our next two blog posts will be stories from my personal blog that this lesson reminded me of.*

Brunch and Brushes

I enjoyed our painting party last month. It was a lot of fun to see everyone jump in and get involved, enjoy each other and take something home that they had created themselves.

I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Here are some of the pictures I took, I know a few others have been posted on facebook as well. You can click on the image to enlarge it.





























This is a fraction of the pictures. My plan is to have all of them on a slideshow to play while we are hanging out for our retreat. Please let me know if you want a copy of any of these or if you want to see someone you are SURE I took a picture of but you don't see here. I just didn't publish all of them because of space and time.

There's Room For You!

I copied this from another blog. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to share it with all of you. It was written by a friend of my sister's named, Lynette Carpenter. Lynette is a recently published author as well. She has generously allowed me to post her words of encouragement here for all of you, so please read this and let this minister to you. It inspired me. Good stuff!

Across America, Christians have a reputation. We are known as hypocrites. Uncaring, judgmental, unkind… Too many people have taken advantage of the gospel – using it to pad their own wallets and propel their own agenda (and themselves) forward – leaving the hurting, the lost, and the broken still hurting, still lost, still broken sitting in the parking lot of our churches – believing there is no room for them inside.

Too many people have told me, “I can’t tell you the things I’ve done!” Our past calls out to us at every turn, blinding us from anything but who we were and what we’ve done. There was that abortion… those drugs… that affair… Shame hangs heavily around our neck. It comes by the sins we have committed, the sins done to us by others… and sometimes it’s the shame we carry for another’s sin.

Shame and guilt… Two voices who persistently whisper lies, trapping, binding and ultimately crippling believers. We’ve accepted God’s love and forgiveness, but we refuse to lay aside the chains of guilt and shame! We tell ourselves it is the cross we must bear – after all, we deserve it! We resign ourselves to the harsh reality that God will forgive us, but sometimes the church won’t.

How many of us enter the sanctuary of our churches with those chains of shame and guilt tucked neatly beneath our well-pressed suit or silk scarf. We hope against hope that no one sees what lies beneath. We beg to God that no one hears the chains clanking as we walk by. In our desperation to keep from being found out, we sit quietly in our pew, unwilling (or unable) to reach out to those around us lest they see who we truly are. In all reality, we are so far removed from those around us we may as well be sitting in the parking lot as well, listening to the lies of the devil – “You’re too broken. You don’t belong here. If they knew half the things you’ve done…” That thought alone leaves us cold and afraid.

But here’s some good news from Matthew 21:

Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants.

He angrily removed the merchants – the self-focused, self-serving people who were taking advantage of Who God is to make a buck. Jesus knocked over their tables, threw their stuff and ultimately, put them out of business. He DIDN’T want them there!

So who DID He want in the Temple?

After Jesus removed the merchants it says, “Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in.”

He was making room for us! The blind and the crippled! The lost and the broken! He didn’t want us sitting outside in the parking lot anymore! The Bible says, “They came to Jesus and He healed them.”

It’s time to get out of the parking lot! No longer should you be blinded by your past! No longer must you be crippled by the chains of guilt and shame!

Jesus has made room for you! No longer shall you stand on the outskirts wishing you were good enough. Because of Him, our guilt can be removed! Because of Him, our shame can be erased!

Let Him heal you of the past that blinds you and the chains that cripple your life! Then you can be as the children in this story who ran through the Temple shouting praises to Jesus!

Christ Above Circumstance

Hello again! (It's Jana Dover) As I read your comments from my last post, I was elated to know why I felt led to share that with you all! God is so good! Sweet Mary has invited me to this party once again and to be honest with you, I kinda like the company here :) It's a difficult task for myself (major control issues) to know that I NEED to write something by a certain deadline, and yet wait on God to lead me. But my faithful Father didn't waste too much time this go-round, so, here we go!

Everyone has those moments when something is said that makes a light bulb go off. Maybe a sermon, maybe a song, maybe a conversation, or maybe just a word. Several months ago, our worship leader made an incredible statement that I will never forget. She said "Don't allow your problems to be exalted above what Jesus did on the cross." Wow. I believe it was this statement that led me to a thought that I will forever use in prayer...a thought that has since then become my personal family motto. It is this. "I will not allow what Jesus did on the cross to be done in vain." I will squeeze every ounce of Jesus' blood into every circumstance that life throws my way-it's too precious to waste. To fully understand this thought, you have to understand what his death (and resurrection) brings us! Look into his word! Sure, your first thought is salvation, but dig deeper than that. The word says that "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) Jesus' death was not just for us to have eternity in our hands. It was so that we could triumph over the devil in every area of life! He died for our sins. He died for our sicknesses. He died for our peace. He died for our health. And that's just from ONE scripture! He died to give us the power we need in every situation in life! And the word confirms this over and over again! He didn't have to, he CHOSE to. That brings up a whole notha' topic that I am certain will get me off track, so I'll stay here :)

Let's just look at one thing we are ALL experiencing this season: What do you do when sickness rolls through your family? Do you disrespect what he did for us (and wallow in your pathetic pity party) or do you exalt the cross above that sickness? Do you speak his word over your sickness? Do you get mad at the one who is attacking you? I can't tell you how many times I tell the devil, "What Jesus did will not be overlooked in our home!" I refuse to exalt life's problems above his crucifixion anymore. I've spent too much of my life acting as though his death didn't even happen! I know that we don't do it intentionally, but it's time that we exalt God's word over our own problems. "God, I don't care what my body is telling me...your word says that I am healed!" "I don't care what my situation says, your word says... _______." (you fill in the blank!) I am typing this passionately as my husband has just been diagnosed with the flu, my 9 month old has a runny nose...possible beginnings of the flu, and my soon-to-be-30 year old 'temple' is feeling some flu-like body aches. I'm not a naive believer that denies life's problems but I'll be darned if I'm going down without a true fight for my King and what HE did! The truth is, I expect health and healing to flow through my household because I believe what God's word tells me more than what my circumstance tells me. God wouldn't ask of us "in all things give thanks" (1 Thessalonians 5:18) if we didn't have a cross to exalt above every situation that life (and that petty devil) throws our way. His blood is too precious to waste. Use it.

I Am SAHM

Last night I watched a film with the boys about animals. It's called "Life" and it's made by BBC the same folks that made the series "Planet Earth." It's an amazing piece of art with camera work that is just astounding. The perspective given is sometimes breathtaking and I am continuously in awe of God's handiwork. His ability to create such diverse creatures and land forms and then to stage a balance in all of it.

The portion we watched last night had a segment on animal mothers. It was intriguing to see the work and sacrifice that some creatures go through just to bring their offspring into the world. One portion really struck me and the impression that landed on me first was, I think, a perspective from the Holy Spirit, maybe for some of you.

There is an octopus that lays her eggs in a small crevice or cave and never again leaves that space. She lives just long enough to protect and nourish her eggs, even maintaining her purpose in her last act as she blows water over them to help them hatch. She doesn't eat during this time and for as long as 50 days she guards her offspring. The narrator claimed that she doesn't eat at all during this period and therefore *starves herself to protect her young. As the eggs hatch, she lays dieing nearby and they leave the nest as fully formed, though very tiny, octopuses.

As I said, I was struck by this image of a mother sacrificing this way to bring her children into the world and I immediately was impressed that many women view the "SAHM" or "Stay at Home Mom" this way. She no longer gets out of the cave, she lives in the sheltered confines of a child driven home, full of only what it takes to raise cute little versions of herself. She never again lives with any thought for her own needs, but rather, she is wholly given to others. Not only are the tiny creatures she protects unaware of her sacrifice, there are no guarantees that they will ever appreciate it. They leave her. What is the point? Where is the reward?

I'm not going to spend a lot of time here saying you will have better kids if you stay home to raise them. I do believe that MY kids are better for having been home with me, but this article isn't about MY kids or even yours. This is about you.

I stay home as a mom because I believe it is the best thing for ME as well as them.

There are days it would be nice to drop my kids off with someone and spend my day in a well ordered work space that someone else cleans and maintains. There are days when I would like nothing more than to find a bit of satisfaction in a paycheck for what I do. There are days I would like to have a five o'clock. An end to my work day that signifies change and the ability to relinquish the bulk of the day's responsibility and drive to my home because home is where I relax, not where I work. But that is not what God has called me to and it is not typically what I want.

I have the great opportunity to see the moments my children are living. I see their wonder as they learn new things, I see their frustrations and their weaknesses, I see them at their best and I see them at their worst. I don't have all the answers, but I do have the perspective of knowing them best when their emotions get the better of them. I get to calm their fears, rock away their tired energy and join in their banter around the lunch table. I get to bandage their knees and put ice on their bumps. I get to play games with them and hear their songs and stories as they play.

I also get to discipline them. I get to ensure that issues are solved and punishments are dealt. I see first hand their shortcomings and their weaknesses and I get to teach them and build them up through encouragement, discipline and sometimes punishment. I get to weigh each situation they encounter, pray over it and be led by God in doling out the proper reciprocation. Yes, this is good for them, but it's good for me too. I don't wonder if someone else is leading my child astray, I don't question anyone else's judgment, I don't have to fear them coming home with unmet needs or confusion. They are mine and I am theirs and we deal with things as they come together.

I believe being a stay at home mom gives me a stronger bond with my husband. He trusts me. That's something I hold very dear to my heart. I respect him and his opinion very highly and I am honored that he trusts me with the care of our children. More than that, I am blessed to share the concerns and cares of our household with him. Very few things interrupt that united desire to see our children grow and thrive in our home. His work concerns and stresses are a necessary part of being the provider in our home. My concerns and stresses are not foreign to him because they are a part of my role as his helper. I am the representative of our family that manages our home and it's occupants. What I do is not a lone responsibility, it is a shared and highly prioritized mission. Were I to work outside the home, I am confident that he would care about what I do, but it would never be the same deep interest that we share in my work as caretaker in our family.

Lastly, I am not dying here. I am growing each day in my interests and desires, not just for my children but for my own calling as a daughter to a loving Heavenly Father. I am able to attend Bible studies and pick up the Word of God throughout quiet moments, planned and unplanned, throughout my day. I am able to hear from Him regarding my children and my husband yes, but about myself as well. He is quick to tell me His great regard for me and my abilities, as well as His dreams and vision for my future. He does not see me losing my youth for my children, He sees me gaining wisdom for His Kingdom purposes. I am alive and I thrive on the time I have to soak in the experiences of being a mom to little ones. They teach me and I am better for being with them.

Do not take this as a judgment on yourselves if it is impossible to stay home with your kids. That is NOT at all my intention. I simply want you to see the benefits should God open the door for you to be ABLE to do it. Let Him lead you, let Him comfort you, and let His patience in all of it bring you contentment and joy in your personal every day life. I know that not everyone is called to be a SAHM. I just don't want you to let any preconceived ideas, clouded opinions or deceived talk show hosts rob you of the opportunity that could be the best thing that's ever happened to you.

Walk wisely ladies, you are incredible women of God, doing great things for His kingdom. I'm looking forward to our coming Distaff Side retreat and making plans to share some wonderful things God is planting in my heart.

*According to Wikipedia "They neglect to eat during the (roughly) one month period spent taking care of their unhatched eggs, but they do not die of starvation. Endocrine secretions from the two optic glands are the cause of genetically programmed death (and if these glands are surgically removed, the octopus may live many months beyond reproduction, until she finally starves).