Overcoming Stress

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Denver, CO

I am so thankful that God lavishes his love and grace on me and continues to turn my affections toward him. More Grace!

This is one of my favorite quotes.

“I would propose that we sit down, often and for longer periods of time, and let Jesus shine a light in our hearts on the idols we harbor. His love, kindness, and desire for us to be whole will reveal what lies deep within and does not belong. He will haul these idols out and turn our affections toward him.”

“Is our Stress Rooted in Invisible Idols” by Greg Gelburd. Resurgence.

Five Minute Friday: Wonder

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Here I am writing for five minutes about the topic of Wonder…

I wonder why God loves me so when I continually choose not to love Him so. Sin gets in the way.

I wonder why this huge God would humble himself to the point of becoming our [my] Savior. It is shocking to understand the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The ultimate sacrifice and humility to be all man and all God…just for me.  (Just for you) I wonder, why me. (Do you wonder, why you?)  I wonder…why not me.  (Do you wonder that?)

Am I worth it? Hmmm.

(God must think so!)

And I wonder at the majesty of God to love insignificant me so much.

I also want to have an Elf on a Shelf.  Does this sound silly? I wonder if it is silly. My husband and I are empty nesters and I have two sweet and precious granddaughters ages two years and three months. My wonder about Christmas coming and the excitement of the celebration coupled with imagination is to have an elf on a shelf for them and when they discover the elf, the prize is reading a chapter from The Jesus Story Book Bible  (a great book!) …plus give them a little treat or bake cookies together or go on an outing, or…endless options!

The wonder of Christmas should be about Jesus. The amazing gift of love and grace from our Heavenly Father. Christmas is knowing what love means…It  means that His love is neither conditional, nor changeable, God’s love is constant and faithful. I want to impart that wonder to my granddaughters!

This is my wonder…to ponder the love of Jesus for us.

STOP

Five Minute Friday

Five Minute Friday is a challenge where you write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, over thinking or backtracking on a given topic.  If you would like to read what others are sharing about this topic jump over to Lisa-Jo Baker :: tales from a Gypsy Mama

“Supper’s Ready!” family dinner devotions

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“Supper’s Ready!”  I loved hearing my Mom or Dad shout those words to us. Besides being hungry, dinner became a great highlight of our day because we were all together, enjoying a meal, listening to each other talk about school and friends. We laughed a lot and we bickered too, but inevitably after dinner, my father would direct our attention to listen to scripture being read…either by him or Mom and sometimes one of us kids would take a turn reading. We would talk about the verses or passage of scripture and my parents would help us to see an application that was relevant to our situation. They would explain the meaning of words, doctrine, theology and the bible stories were always full of adventure, intrigue and alive with God’s power and love for us. We would pray for each other and pray about anything and everything. Our family devotional time became a tradition. However, it wasn’t always easy to keep up with, due to schedule conflicts or the tyranny of urgent mingled with different attention spans. Nevertheless, my parents continued to persist. Even though we were very involved in our church programs and ministry, my parents took full responsibility to disciple us. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:18-21; Psalm 78:5; Proverbs 1:8-9; Ephesians 6:4) This spiritual legacy has been passed down from my parents to us and to our generations that follow.

Family worship and devotions became a rhythm with my husband and I when raising our children. It’s a beautiful thing to see God’s promises fulfilled in our next generation as we watch our grown children teach their very young children about Jesus.

The following are suggestions and simple steps for beginning to incorporate a tradition of family worship and devotions.

Step 1. Eat dinner with your entire family regularly.

Step 2. Mom and Dad sit next to one another to lead the family discussion.

Step 3. Open the meal by asking if there is anyone or anything to pray for.

Step 4. Someone opens in prayer and covers any requests. This task should be rotated among family members so that different people take turns learning to
pray aloud.

Step 5. Start eating and discuss how everyone’s day went.

Step 6. Have a Bible in front of the parents in a translation that is age-appropriate for the kids’ reading level. Have someone (parent or child) open the
Bible, and assign a portion to read aloud while everyone is eating and listening.

Step 7. Parents should note key words and themes in the passage and explain them to the kids on an age-appropriate level.

Step 8. Ask questions about the passage.  You may want to begin with having your children summarize what was read—retelling the story or passage outline.  Then, ask the following questions:  What does this passage teach us about God?  What does it say about us or about how God sees us?  What does it teach us about our relationships with others?

Step 9. Let the conversation happen naturally, listen carefully to the kids, let them answer the questions, and fill in whatever they miss or lovingly and gently correct whatever they get wrong so as to help them.

Step 10. If the Scriptures convict you of sin, repent as you need to your family, and share appropriately honest parts of your life story so the kids can see Jesus’ work in your life and your need for him too.  This demonstrates gospel humility to them.

Step 11. At the end of dinner, ask the kids if they have any questions for you.

Step 12. If you miss a night, or if conversation gets off track, or if your family occasionally just wants to talk about something else, don’t stress—it’s inevitable.

For your children, the point is to learn what they are thinking about God, to help them know and love Jesus as God and Savior, and to teach them how to articulate and explain their Christian faith. For parents, the point is to lovingly instruct children and each other—thereby creating a family culture in which every member freely and naturally talks about God and prays to him together. In short, the goal is simply that your family would open the Bible and grow in love for Jesus, one another, your church, and the world.

Finally, remember that family Bible study requires a sense of humor, so make sure to have some fun, enjoy some laughs, and build some memories. Discussing the Scriptures is a wonderful way to see into the heart of your children, and to reveal your heart for them and Jesus’ heart for you all.

What you do for God beyond your home

will typically never be greater than what you practice with God within your home   

 ~Timothy Paul Jones

A portable church environment — #3

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This is post #3 under category, “Portable Church–Church in a Box.” 

I’ve noticed that many of you have discovered the wonderful portable rocking chair to use in a portable church environment.  If you happened to miss reading that post, please go here (A portable church environment–#2) and definitely investigate the options of folding rocking chairs for a “Church in a Box” nursery environment.  Look at this picture of a sweet environment created for little ones. It’s amazing how a classroom for high school students can be transformed into a warm and cozy space for infants and little ones just learning to crawl or toddle about. Don’t forget to have a few pack-in-plays for the babies that just want to sleep. But you know what…those pack-n-plays are seldom used because our volunteers love to rock and snuggle a sleeping baby for the entire hour! (However, you should have that portable bed ready. Because on that one Sunday you decided not to set up the pack-n-play…it will be needed!) This nursery belongs to Church of the Redeemer, located in the Charlotte, NC area. 

Several weeks ago while vacationing with my husband, we visited Eternal Church, located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. We loved it! We were welcomed with friendly smiles, warm hand shakes and a hot cup of coffee! They were prepared to welcome us…their guests! Eternal Church is a portable church that meets regularly at the  YMCA in Baxter Village. The gymnasium floor was protected with floor tarps and hundreds of chairs were set up for worship.

iPhone Photo

I really enjoyed taking a tour of the set up for elementary age kids. It was terrific to see kids meeting in small groups and listening to adults telling them about Jesus. It didn’t matter that they were sitting close to work-out machines. In fact, none of that was a distraction.

iPhone Photo

Portable Church or Church in Box works. I am a fan of church planting and multi church sites. It’s all about Jesus! Why else would a group of people give so much effort to set up church every week? Yes, it’s all about Jesus…plus relationships and don’t forget the coffee!

Taming the Woolly Mammoth

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I wrote this two years ago. That woolly mammoth still needs taming, on occasion but thankfully grief is not “the elephant in the room” any longer. We talk about our life without her and lean into the grief  and not run from it. It’s amazing how much fun my father and I have together. Mom is pleased, I am sure!

I was with my Dad yesterday. I went to his house to see him. Dad said that I never come over anymore. I have not intentionally stayed away from Dad because we talk all the time and we meet for lunch and dinner on a regular basis. However, after being with him in his home, I realized that I have avoided going there. Even pulling into the driveway and looking at the trees and wilted flower pots filled my chest with void and heaviness. It was difficult to open the back door and walk in. It’s as though I have to push against a huge woolly mammoth to move out of my way just so I can walk in his home. I can’t breathe. And then my father sees me. His smile is big, his arms opened as he moves towards me and we hug and the elephant sitting on my chest doesn’t feel quite as heavy. 

I miss mom so very much. My dad misses her more. I seriously doubt that Dad would use the analogy of a woolly mammoth on his chest to describe grief, but he does relate to the heaviness and emptiness without Mom. Yet, I see a growing peace in his soul as the Lord gently helps him deal with his loss. 

He found Mom’s poetry! We thought she had mistakenly thrown the file away, but it was in her office all this time. On top of a shelf, under a stack of books. Dad has been organizing the office, reading her notes, letters, books that she loved…and he discovered the file of poetry. The more I sat with Dad in “his office” and listened to him talk about Mom and her poetry, the more that woolly mammoth moved further away. God is so good. He is more than so good. I can’t describe how good. Only God can tame the woolly mammoth. He is. There is peace in my soul.

How Deep The Father’s Love

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A few months ago, I discovered Page CXVI and this band has become one of my favorite bands. I frequently listen to the vibrant hymns to prepare my heart for personal worship. Quoting the band: “hymns are some of the richest, most meaningful, and moving pieces of music ever written.”   ~Page CXVI

And I’m sure you will agree. You can find their music here.

A portable church environment — #2

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This is post #2 under category, “Portable Church–Church in a Box.” 

Don’t you love it when you discover a solution that will meet a need? Our church has been meeting in a high school for many years. We set up and break down every week. Move desks out-of-the-way, clean up the floor space by sweeping away the debris left behind from students and disinfecting the bathrooms for the many children that will need to use the facilities. Then we place carpets on the floor and proceed to vacuum the carpets, which had been stored in the trailer for the week. We do the same things that everyone else does that owns their church building. We just happen to focus on cleaning our space and environments on the day that we meet. We are an example of team work at its best!

Our nursery ministry has doubled and then tripled. Fairly soon, we will welcome seven new babies! And volunteers like to rock babies and mothers also would like a comfy chair to sit in while they feed their little ones. The portable camp chairs we have  can be difficult to use…especially attempting  to stand up out of the chair while holding an infant. Besides, everyone wants to rock a baby. Babies like to be rocked. We needed rocking chairs. Portable [and comfortable] rocking chairs. I found the perfect chair!

Tip #2: Purchase portable rocking chairs for your nursery.  Our volunteers are happy and especially our Moms!  Here is a photo of the chair I purchased from Camping World. (Item/wide-bronze-rocker/69700) The price is just right for a tight children’s ministry budget!

Praying for the Next Generation

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What kind of legacy do you want to leave for your children? I know I want to leave a legacy like my parents will leave me…and my children and my children’s children.

My Dad recently celebrated his 87th birthday with us. We bought him an airline ticket from North Carolina to Indiana.  My Dad is in amazing physical condition and his strong heart is sold out for Jesus. I think he has memorized most of the bible and is passionate about telling everyone he meets about the love of Jesus and God’s grace. When I picked Dad up from the airport, the  first thing he said was, “Hey there!” and the second thing was, “Would you believe the person I sat by on the plane was already a Christian?”  I said, “Dad, you sound disappointed that he knows Jesus.”  We laughed together because we both know that my father’s greatest joy is sharing the love of Christ to others.

Not everyone my Dad speaks to or sits by on a crowded airplane wants to hear what he has to share. He is a gentleman and will not press people to listen to him but whenever that happens, my Dad will begin to pray for the person near him or sitting next to him on an airplane. Quietly praying to himself…talking to God…praying many of those bible verses he has memorized…fuel for praying for the next generation.  My father uses scripture as a springboard for prayer.

When my children were born, my father held them in his arms and prayed that they would know Jesus at a very young age and blessed them with words from the pages of God’s book. When my grandchildren were born, my father held them in his arms and blessed them with everlasting words of truth, hope and grace. Words from God’s book…memorized years and years ago.

I found this small booklet on my bookcase. I had purchased it several years ago to use as a guide to pray for my children. I remembered ordering numerous copies to give to families in our church. Time has passed and I had forgotten about it…until I put my Dad on a plane back to North Carolina. Unknowingly, my father challenged me to pray  the word of God, especially for the next generation.

This is a helpful booklet for praying specific scripture verses for a specific need.  It was written with the hope that we will not only faithfully pray for our children but also for the generations to come. It is a wonderful tool to help focus your prayers for your children. For example: “Pray that they would desire inner beauty and godly character, and that they would grow more Christlike daily…Psalm 119:9, Ephesians 5:1-11” (excerpt from Praying for the Next Generation, page 34.)

My Dad probably doesn’t need this booklet, but I do. And you may find it helpful, too.

Check it out here: Children Desiring God  Praying for the Next Generation by Sally Michael