Year End Reflections

31. December 2011 · 2 comments · Categories: God's still working on me · Tags:

As 2011 comes to a close, all the news shows are showing the highlights of the past year. I’ve been reflecting back on my own life this past year. It was a busy year with numerous trips (D.C., PA, GA, TN and France), beginning homeschooling for the first time and numerous church responsibilities. The year also held its challenges and subsequent emotional responses, i.e. stress, fear, worry, and depressive thoughts. There were also many joyous moments with the kids, calling a new pastor to our church and of course, our anniversary trip to France.

Even with all the events I experienced the past year, the experiences I that I had spiritually stand out the most. I came to understand the gospel of grace at a much deeper level. As I studied for the bible study I led, I came increasingly face to face with the beauty and deep mystery of the love of God. The Lord used various books and different pastor’s sermons to open my eyes to the way the gospel transforms hearts, not just for salvation, but also in sanctification. The more I that I have focused on the grace of the gospel, the more it has changed me. And freed me.

It is my prayer in 2012, that I will continue to be saturated with the grace of God. I have seen its helpful impact on my struggles with depression and am hopeful this next year will provide increasingly less depressive moments. The impact that grace has on my heart has given me great peace as well. The more I focus on grace, the more I see of God’s love and blessing on my life. Where I once counted trial and stress as a reason to sink into despair, I am beginning to see the blessing that trials bring and the joy that comes from drawing closer to His grace.

As I bid 2011 “adieu” (I can say that since I’ve been to France now:), I welcome this new year with anticipation and expectation of growing ever closer to my Savior.

What memories of the past year come to your mind this New Year’s Eve?

On Wounds and Humility

30. December 2011 · 2 comments · Categories: Depression, God's still working on me, Spiritual Growth · Tags: ,

Have you ever been emotionally wounded by someone you know? Perhaps someone close to you-a friend or family member?

The pain of hurtful words seem to hurt more when done by a friend than a foe. I’ve experienced these wounds a few times over the past couple of years. The unkind words spoken cut deep and occasionally, still if picked at and pondered over, still bleed fresh.

Wounds that haven’t been cleaned can become infected. I’ve had heart wounds that have become infected and spread straight to my mind and soul. The thoughts in my mind about past wounds suffered by friends are like invasive cells. They spread lies quickly, feeding off my wounds. Each thought builds upon another as even older wounds from long ago injuries spring to mind. The lying thoughts and beliefs about myself resurface saying, ”You’re no good. Why would anyone want to be your friend?” Like a deadly bacteria that travels the blood stream, threatening a person’s very life, believing these lies can cause serious damage to my heart.

To read the rest of this post, visit CSAHM.

Teach Me Jesus Thursdays: Three Gifts

29. December 2011 · 5 comments · Categories: Compassion International, Parenting, Teach Me Jesus · Tags: ,

Christmas Eve, I hid the baby Jesus from the nativity. I told the boys they were to pretend they were wisemen searching for Jesus. Before the search, they needed to prepare three gifts. These gifts were to be what they wanted to give Jesus during this next year.

I gave them coloring pages with presents on them. They colored and considered.

We talked about what would be a gift to Jesus. What does Jesus want most from us? I reminded them that whatever they do for others is done unto Jesus.

The three gifts: a desire to love Jesus more this next year, extending kindness to others, and saving for a gift from the Compassion Gift Catalog. They decided to save their money during the year to buy a clean water system for a family. I found a jar and taped an image of water on it and they began putting their coins inside.

Then the search for Jesus began.

I pray that we all search for Jesus this next year. And when we find Him, may we present our own gifts to Him-the gift of our hearts and our lives. May we also give to our children the gift of grace and point them to the great Giver of all of all gifts.

How about you? Do you have any “Teach Me Jesus” moments to share?

The Names Of God

27. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Spiritual Growth · Tags:

Did you know that there are hundreds of names for God in the Bible? Think of all the names you are called by: Honey, Sweetie, your given name, Mommy, etc. They serve as a way to describe your job, your roll, your character and to identify who you are.

In Scripture, the meaning of a person’s name held great significance. A person’s name often described something that would happen to them or the nation in the future. Today, we often choose names because of family heritage or maybe because we like the sound of it.

The names of God in Scripture are especially significant and are not meant to be looked over. He is so immense, complex, and mysterious that one name cannot contain Him. In His grace, God has given us different names in Scripture that define Him. These names give us little glimpses of who He is.

To read the rest of this post, visit Bible Study for Her.

At the Manger

24. December 2011 · 1 comment · Categories: Ploughing Hearts · Tags:

May this Christmas find you kneeling in worship before the babe born to save. Experience anew this Love that came down on Christmas. Behold and rejoice that God became man, Immanuel.

Mighty God (Is. 9:6) is the name of this child. The child in the manger is none other than God himself. Nothing greater can be said: God became a child. In the Jesus child of Mary lives the almighty God. Wait a minute! Don’t speak; stop thinking! Stand still before this statement! God became a child! Here he is, poor like us, miserable and helpless like us, a person of flesh and blood like us, our brother. And yet he is God; he is might. Where is the divinity, where is the might of the child? In the divine love in which he became like us. His poverty in the manger in his might. In the might of love he overcomes the chasm between God and humankind, he overcomes sin and death, he forgives sin and awakens from the dead. Kneel down before this miserable manger, before this child of poor people, and repeat in faith the stammering words of the prophet: “Mighty God!” And he will be your God and your might. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Perhaps you’d like to read my Advent devotional at Devotions for Moms? Click here.

Humility and the Love of the Gospel

23. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Spiritual Growth · Tags: ,

Humility is a difficult topic to write about. Once you think you know something about it, then you begin to lack it. The only way I can begin to understand the concept of humility is in light of the gospel of grace- for there it plays a very significant role.

Humility is the exact opposite of what Israel expected of its Messiah. Humility is the opposite of our heart’s natural bent. God likes to do things beyond what we expect and He uses means we would never imagine.

Jesus was born, not in a palace, but in a manger. His first disciples were simple, uneducated fishermen. He ate meals with sinners and tax collectors. Unlike the foxes and birds He created, He never owned His own bed. He washed feet and taught His followers to turn the other cheek.

To read the rest of this post, visit CSAHM.

Teach Me Jesus Thursdays: The Humble Manger

22. December 2011 · 3 comments · Categories: Parenting, Teach Me Jesus · Tags:

“Teach Me Jesus” is just that, teaching Jesus to our children. But who is the Jesus we teach our children about? This season, as we celebrate the arrival of our Savior, I want to point out to my children a key characteristic of our Lord-His humility. His very birth is a story of humility.

When I read the Christmas story from the The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, the humility of our God jumps out from every page. From the young, simple girl chosen to be Jesus’ mother to the first night he spent in a cattle’s trough to the smelly, ostracized shepherds who were the first given the great news-all stories of humility.

Yet, my children don’t quite understand what it means to be born in a stable. I’ve found pictures online of babies of royalty and where they were born. I’ve found pictures of castles where royalty live. I’ve also printed out pictures of a cattle trough. Comparing and contrasting, I show them the place where one would expect royalty to be born and reside and what it would have looked like where Jesus was born. I point out to them how different Jesus’ arrival was from what everyone expected.

God doesn’t do things the way we might expect. He uses poor, uneducated and simple people to carry out his plan. He lowers himself and takes on flesh so that we can better understand who he is. He does the worst of all servant’s jobs as he washed the disciples feet. All of these acts of humility point to the greatest act-his sacrificial death on the cross.

The Christmas story and the story of redemption itself is one of humility. I want my children to see the humble details of the story. I want them to see Jesus as more than a cute baby bundled in cloth.

I want them to see him as God incarnate-the Savior of the World.

What “teach me Jesus” moments have you had this Advent season?

To Show Them Jesus

To Magnify Him

20. December 2011 · 11 comments · Categories: Spiritual Growth

“Mom, why is there a magnifying glass in the Advent box?”

Each day of Advent, my boys have been opening a door on the Advent calendar and pulling out an object. We then talk about what the object symbolizes and read a passage from Scripture.

I tell the boys to listen as I read the day’s Scripture passage and then maybe they can tell me why I put a magnifying glass in the box.

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” Luke 1: 46-55

We talked about what a magnifying glass does; how it makes small things larger. We talked about how we can magnify the Lord each day.

I continue to mull that passage over in my mind. Does my soul magnify the Lord? Does my life make the God we can’t see, larger and more visible? Probably not so much.

Then I think about Mary, who she was, where she came from and how God used her. God seems to prefer to use the least likely people to build his kingdom. He likes to work through weakness and provide his strength. A small shepherd boy became a king. A poor, unwed young teen carried the Christ-child. An uneducated fishermen became the founder of the early church.

This season, as I’ve prepared my heart for Advent, I’ve found myself comparing my own heart to that of Mary. And I’ve found it wanting.

The Spirit pierces the heart and points me to the truth— I can’t compare myself to anyone, I must instead look to Christ. It’s because of Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection that I am completely accepted and loved by the Father. Even when my heart doesn’t respond to challenge as Mary’s did, God sees my heart as perfect. Jesus presents me as holy and perfect before the Father. He also is working in me the way he did to David, Mary and Peter-refining my heart until it shines forth as gold. He took an outspoken and loud fisherman and made him into Peter, the Rock. I don’t have to come before him in my own strength. He is the one who does the work of strengthening me to prepare me for his calling on my life.

God prefers to work through the weak and weak is what I am. This Advent, I pray that he will use my weaknesses to magnify his name. For it is when I am weak, that I am strong.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Linking up with:


My Reluctant Homeschooler

20. December 2011 · 9 comments · Categories: Homeschooling

My youngest is four and is in preschool. He goes to a church preschool program three mornings a week. On the other two days, he joins his big brother in homeschool.

When the school year started, I had purchased materials for him to use when he is home with us. Usually he wants to do whatever his big brother is doing so I assumed the same would happen when it comes to learning. I was wrong. He won’t have anything to do with the typical “workbook” like his brother uses for handwriting, spelling, etc. The only workbook he will use without complaint is his math workbook. He seems to enjoy doing simple addition and subtraction problems-so far anyway.

I’ve been trying to find alternative activities to do with him so that he will learn what he needs to learn but in a fun way. For reading, I’ve been giving him a variety of non-workbook activities. He likes a flip book I have where he has to find three of the same types of words (at, op, ig, etc.). He is also more willing to practice handwriting by tracing on dry erase cards than in his handwriting book. I also found an idea online to draw “sight words parking spaces” on poster board and have him drive his cars into the correct spaces. He has loved this. I used one side of the poster board as a neighborhood and the other side as a shopping center parking lot.

And my latest find involves reading, tracing, cutting and pasting. Ian loves cutting so he has really enjoyed these worksheets I found at this blog here. His reading has improved a lot doing these worksheets-and he hasn’t complained:)

I also have a few board games that encourage reading such as POP for Sight Words Game, Silly Sentences (DK Games), Teacher Created Resources Word Racer Game (7811), and ThinkFun Zingo. All of these games he plays willingly and gladly.

He has also developed an interest in word searches. I found a site online that has simple wordsearches using easy words. He also enjoys doing math and reading games online. I guess I just have an untraditional learner:)

Do any of my homeschooling friends have any other ideas?

Linking up with:
Hip Homeschool Hop Button

In the watching and waiting

19. December 2011 · 4 comments · Categories: Gratitude Community

“Slowly put your finger next to the leaf and the butterfly will step onto it.”

Seeing the gifts of grace often requires patience.

Finger shaking, he tries earnestly to be quiet and patient. One little leg hesitantly touches his finger. Then it flies away.

The rest of our family wanders off while he and I remain. We wait. We watch. We behold.

After numerous tries, a butterfly steps fully onto my son’s finger. “Mom, I got one! Did you get a picture?”

To really see and experience the grace of our generous Giver of grace, it often requires watching and waiting.

How often do I just give up and walk away? And I wonder how many gifts I simply walk away from because I won’t patiently wait?

Like a toddler learning to walk-one wobbly step at a time-sometimes I stumble in my giving thanks. Sometimes, the gift may even flutter away before I even know it’s there. Oh that I would have eyes to see!

God accepts each of these sacrifices of praise, no matter how shaky and uncertain they may be. I may count and give thanks imperfectly. I may stutter through them. But there is much to learn and gain in the trying, in the waiting and in the watching.

A few days later, my son runs up to me and says, “it’s raining outside and there’s a rainbow! ”

Another day, another gift and eyes that see.

Quietly counting and beholding His grace:

#1042-1054

Giggles and hugs from sweet daughter’s of my friend

The wonder of His creation

The beauty and grace in a butterfly

Seeing an owl fly into a tree in the dark while visiting a friends house. The kids all gather below the tree, pointing their flashlights up and watch in amazement.

For a child that points out His handiwork

For safety in the long drive home from our long trip

Hugs and handmade presents from my grandfather

Clean clothes, once again

Grace for each moment

Celebrating with a dear friend, her child’s first birthday

My children’s patience with me while I’m sick

The beauty of our Savior become more pronounced as I watch and wait this Advent Season

« Older articles