HE Will Complete It

Have you got a few more minutes to be blessed?
Click on over to Youtube to listen to He Who Began a Good Work in You.
Just close your eyes and allow God to lift your heart.

Delivering Hope Through Cyber Space

Four months ago I recorded this poscast with a friend.
And for some reason, God caused her to hold on to it until now.
I listened to it last night and was so encouraged to remember God's faithfulness in the midst of strife. So for each of you who is struggling today - whether it's due to the children in your home, or some other source - I want to offer you now 43 minutes of hope.
Praying God will speak to your heart through this podcast.

Who Do You Trust?

The Survivor

My husband and I were gone for Easter weekend.
We had the delightful opportunity to go to Florida to visit my parents, and my sister and her family.
It was a wonderful treat!

But when I got home Monday, I found this:

The daffodils are lovely, but do you see the tulips???
Of course you don't.
Because some little critter ate them while I was in Florida, not watching over them. *grrrrr*

Indeed, some nasty little critter ate my tulips right down to the ground. And I was so angry!

But yesterday when I got home from Bible study and looked with sadness at my would-have-been-beautiful-pink-flowers-probably-blooming-on-Mother's-Day, I saw this:

Do you see it???
One tulip survived the vicious attack of the unknown critter!

And my heart feels so happy!!!

In a world of chewed-on tulips, may you find your surviving bud today.

We're Better Together

Tuesday night last week there was a significant frost, and Wednesday morning it looked like ALL the leaves had fallen overnight.
So Friday, I recruited Matthew to come outside and help me gather a few tarp's-worth of leaves to dump in the pines. You know, because he had the day off of school and I thought he ought to do something constructive. And the terrible, horrible, no-fun process of raking leaves was underway.

When Saturday arrived it seemed everyone was somewhere else, doing something else, so I decided to just go out by myself and get some raking done.
And the raking part was fine.
I mean, I wasn't enjoying myself by any means. But I managed to get through it.
However, when it came time to drag the tarp full of leaves to the pines to dump, I realized the task simply was not meant to be for one person. That is, dragging it was easy. But pulling one end over the other and pushing the middle up while trying to pull the bottom out and repeatedly releasing stuck parts of the tarp which had gotten caught by low-hanging branches, all the while trying to avoid said branches so you don't get poked in the eye, and did I mention how heavy a tarp full of leaves is? Well, it was just too much for me. (OK. It wasn't too much in the sense that I wasn't able to finish the task. But it WAS too much for me to be willing to try it again. *ahem*)
So I decided to quit the terrible, horrible, no-fun task of raking leaves. (Which, by the way, was far more terrible than it had been with Matthew's help the previous day.)
Just as Brian was coming out to help.
And, although I really wanted to quit, I knew I could continue if I wasn't alone. So I picked the rake back up and my man and I got a whole lotta raking and leaf-dumping done.
In not a lotta time.
Oh, there are still plenty of leaves to rake, but I am confident we'll get it done.
Together.

Yes, together.
Because we're better together.
Not only when it comes to raking leaves, but also raising children, growing in Christ, facing obstacles, working through life-changes, enduring hardships, and even celebrating victories.
Too often, however, it seems like everyone else is somewhere else doing their own thing. So we put on our big-girl panties and we try to do it ourselves. And we usually end up overwhelmed and tired, and ready to quit. Who's with me on this???
So today I am offering you the lesson I learned last weekend while raking leaves.
Quit trying to do life on your own. God has surrounded you with people who can help in various ways. It's called the Body of Christ. So let's live like a body instead of as individual parts.
***********************************************************************************************
Even as I exhort you to receive help, so I implore you to watch out for others.
When you see a need, grab a rake and go offer support!

Never Give Up

Full disclosure: I am not a big football fan. I had nothing riding on the Super Bowl. Didn't even know who was playing in it until I asked the girls in my Sunday school class this past weekend. And, going into the game - I didn't care who won.

Having said that...

What a great football game!
Er, more appropriately, what a great fourth quarter and overtime period.
Like I said, going into the game I didn't care who won. But I had heard something recently about Tom Brady being in or near his last season, because he's old. (*Gasp!* He's six years younger than I am. But knowing that he's old like me kinda gave me a soft spot in my heart for him.) And I heard that he could set some kind of record for the most Super Bowl wins, or something like that. And my softened heart thought it would be great for him to make that achievement. AND, I'm a sucker for the underdog. So when the Patriots were so far behind, well, I really started pulling for them.
In the midst of my rooting for the underdog, I had to answer to my son who had completely written them off. I kept telling Matthew there was still hope. That as long as there was time on the clock, there was still a chance for them. I told him this was a perfect example of why you should "never give up."
And he rolled his eyes at me.
Which made the result of the game even sweeter. *wink*

Motherly sarcasm aside, Sunday night's game really did make me smile. To see a team come from so far behind - when any reasonable person would have said the game was as good as over - just blessed my heart. Maybe because I think it is such a great lesson for my teenage son to learn as he gets ready to engage this great big world on his own.
And, maybe because I have been in so far behind myself.
So far behind plagued me as a young mom, trying to get a grip on raising kids.
Still haunts me now as I attempt to navigate parenting adult-children.
Some days I feel like the game is as good as lost.
Do you???
Thus, my sentiments for this year's Super Bowl victory.
I am reminded that we need to keep trying. As long as there is still time on the clock, we have a chance. We're only defeated if we throw in the towel.
So, fellow mothers-in-the-trenches, huddle up and let me hear you say it.
Never give up!!!

Be the YOU God Made You to Be

I have profound friends.

That is, I have friends who make profound statements.
Like, "I'm not going to beat myself up over that."

OK. Here's the context:
We were in Precepts Tuesday discussing our final lesson on spiritual gifts, sharing the "big thing" we learned that will stick with us. My friend spoke of realizing what her gift is - and what it ISN'T. She said she has come to understand that when she is in a circumstance which calls for something she cannot do, she's going to recognize God has not gifted her in that way and, "I'm not going to beat myself up over that."
I thought, Wow. That is some wisdom right there!
And we took a short, worth-while rabbit trail talking about our tendency (Especially women!) to compare ourselves with one another and become disappointed with who we are NOT.

Have you been there, too???

That evening, those words of wisdom came to my mind again.
I was with that same profound friend at an Advent Tea where I was speaking. We were walking around before the program began, admiring the tables which ladies had beautifully set-up and decorated. As we marveled at a particularly charming center-piece I said to her, "That right there is something I could NOT do. Not my talent!"
I mean, I can appreciate beauty and creativity with the best of them.
But to think it up, and put it together? Not gonna happen!
Then I turned to her and said, "And I'm not going to beat myself up over that!"

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good...All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines...But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, everyone of them, just as he wanted them to be.

~1 Corinthians 12:7,11,18

You see, the thing is - when God equipped us with natural talents, and when He gave us our spiritual gift(s) at salvation, HE knew what HE was doing. God made you uniquely YOU. And HE only made one ME. (Am I hearing hallelujahs coming from my sons' rooms? *wink*) There is no reason for us to wish we were gifted like - or had the talents of - someone else. Because if God intended for us to be someone else, HE wouldn't have made US.
Are you with me?
God gave us spiritual gifts for the common good - for the edification of the body of Christ. So, let us operate in our gifts (and let us use our natural talents in that operation) to bring glory to God and to advance the kingdom. Let us celebrate and encourage one another in our roles, without envy or resentment. And let the LOVE of Christ flow through us as we do the things HE calls us to do.

Full disclosure: Writing these thoughts is a whole lot easier for me than putting them into practice. (Comparison and feeling "less-than" are snares for me.) But by the grace of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am going to give it my full effort.
Will you join me?

HE Never Changes

HE Has a Plan

So, Monday morning my phone rang.
And I almost didn't answer it.
Because I like listening to my new ring-tone, ya know!
But when Miss Clara finished her plea, I answered the call and discovered a MOPS leader on the other end of the line. She had heard me speak for a MOPS group several years ago, and wondered if I would be willing to come to the new group she's leading. Of course I said I'd be happy to, and then I asked if she had any dates in mind.

She responded by saying, "Well, that's my problem. Any chance you could come Wednesday???"

A quick check of my calendar verified that I could make it, and our plans were underway.
Yeah. Our plans got started Monday.
But God convinced me that HIS plan had been in place for a long time.

Can I just say, any thought that my time with those MOPS ladies yesterday was a random chance of cancelled speakers, or lost contacts, or last-minute changes, or whatever the reason was our plans didn't get set in motion until Monday - was completely wiped away by the perfect orchestration of God's timing?
I cannot tell you how many moms shared with me that the message of HOPE God brought through me was exactly what they needed to hear. They told me stories of struggles with children and husbands and every-day-kinda-stuff, and it was clear to me that God had put it all together just as HE knew it needed to be.
The MOPS coordinator didn't know it.
I surely didn't know it.
But HE had it all under control.

And you know, don't you, that the God who worked things perfectly for the MOPS group at Shepherd's Gate Church is the same God who is perfectly orchestrating the events of your life?
When you don't understand what's going on...
When you don't like the way things are playing out...
When you wish you could see into the future and know how your circumstance is going to be resolved...
When you long to have control over time and space - well, at least over your time and space...
May you be encouraged to know that the God who holds the universe together in perfect balance sees you, and knows you, and has a plan.

Think About This for a Minute

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

~Acts 4:13

Are you familiar with the apostle, Peter, and the amount of preaching and teaching he did?
Have you read his sermons and witnessed his zeal for the Lord? (Acts 1:15-22, 2:14-40, 3:12-26, 4:8-12)
Ever admired his unshakable faith, as he stood before the rulers and respectfully defied their threats? (Acts 4:19, 5:29)

Do you remember from whence he came???

The unschooled, ordinary guy who put his foot in his mouth more than once, fell asleep during prayer twice, denied his Savior thrice, and failed the faith test over and again.
Yeah. That Peter.

And, yet, the rulers and leaders in Acts were astonished by his courage. Oh, what an inspiration it was yesterday - while watching the video during our Precepts class - to hear Kay Arthur suggest that if we're feeling less than adequate, what we need to do is spend more time with Jesus.

I Got Nothin'

I prayed.

I read my Bible.

I listened.

I watched.

I spent time reflecting.

I asked for help. For insight. For something.

But I got nothin'.

That's how it went the last time I was trying to make a video devotion for you. I got nothin'.

I turned off my computer, and as I sat in my living room - tempted to feel defeated - I recognized the heavenly irony of the whole situation. And I couldn't help but smile.
*I didn't have the sense that God was speaking to my heart about something to share with you - and I really wanted to have words with which to encourage you. But I had complete confidence that God is able to speak to your heart. And mine.
*I couldn't see you or know what you are facing in this moment, so as to know how to cheer you. But I had certainty that God sees you and knows what you need. Just as He sees me.
*I had no words to express the love and perfect plans God has for you. Yet my heart delighted in knowing He does. For both of us.
*Stories about God's trustworthiness, which might build you up, were escaping me. But I knew for a fact that He remains faithful and you can trust Him. As I can.
So I sat there saying to myself, I got nothin', but the Holy Spirit was telling me I have a God who knows my heart, who sees me in every moment, who loves me beyond anything I can imagine, and who is perfectly capable of meeting my every need.
And that's when I smiled at the irony of it all.

Because I realized in the midst of my feeling like I had nothing, the Truth was - I had everything.

*Pause*

Have I told you lately that my girl is growing up?
We went to the bank Saturday so she could open a checking account. One more step...
Graduation is less than three weeks away. And her open house will be the day before. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put a pause on my blog posting for a while. At least until after commencement. My sanity requires it. *ahem*

In the meantime, feel free to peruse my archives. They contain over 1600 posts. That ought to be enough reading/viewing material to fill your thoughts, don't you think? *wink*
To the right you can find links to various mom-related posts, as well as some regarding my depression journey. And I'll label this post with some of my other favorites. Just click on the label to find posts related to that topic.
I pray God will encourage and inspire, though the words may be old.

May the peace of Christ rest upon you today. And every day!

HE Sees

She had nothing to say about it. No choice in the matter. She simply had to do as she was told.
Pushed into a man's arms and bed, she wound up pregnant and mistreated.
And she ran.
She ran into the dessert where she could be alone. No matter. No one would notice, anyway, would they? She was an insignificant slave girl. Unloved and unseen. Who would care if she left her miserable existence?

Do you recognize this story? It is the circumstance in which Hagar found herself in Genesis 16. But the story doesn't end with the same despair with which it began.
On the contrary, Hagar had an encounter with the angel of the LORD and found a hope she'd never before imagined. The angel told her to go back to her mistress and promised he would increase her descendants. Then he told Hagar that she was pregnant (Although she already knew...) and gave her details about her son's life.
Imagine with me what that must have been like for Hagar. This girl who had been treated like a piece of property - who probably felt unnoticed and forgotten - had just been spoken to by the angel of the LORD. He told her things no one else could possibly know about her. How could he know these things?
Unless, unless...
He actually saw her!
Genesis 16:13 says,

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

And that's where the hope entered her life. Suddenly she was NOT unnoticed. She was seen.
The God who created the world saw her!

I am so encouraged by Hagar's story, and the implication for my life. God sees me, too. Every moment of every day. Even when I am feeling alone and unnoticed, HE sees.
Are you in need of this encouragement today, my friend? Do you feel like nobody sees you, or understands the things through which you're going? May you find hope in El Roi. The God who sees!
And if there is any way I can pray for you and your circumstance, please let me know.

Love to you!

We Don't Need to be Afraid

Mommy Guilt

Let's see, I think it began when I turned my back for just a second and my toddler fell down the stairs.

Er, no. It was before that.

I guess it was the time I didn't pack enough diapers for our outing, so my baby had to sit in a poopy mess and ended up with a terrible diaper rash.

On the other hand, I remember feeling it when I had such a hard time figuring out how to nurse, and I was afraid my baby wasn't going to thrive.

Or maybe it began while I was still at the hospital after giving birth. I remember sitting on the edge of my bed in tears with the realization that when I went home, there would be no Nurse Button. And I didn't think I'd be able to handle a baby on my own.

Then again, that feeling may have been creeping in while I was still pregnant - wondering if I was eating the right foods, and hoping all the parenting resources I was consuming would keep me from failing as a mommy.

Whenever it began, I have to admit it's still with me some days. Even as recently as last week when we had a "discussion" about a math test Josh needs to take. He's known since the beginning of June the test was coming, but he hasn't been studying. (Too busy fishing, you know!) And I haven't been nagging reminding him about reviewing.
So when he approached me with a mix of panic and apathy (That's a hard combination to muster. You ought to try it sometime. *wink*) saying he didn't want to take the test, I wondered if I had done the wrong thing by not nagging reminding. While I knew he would have been annoyed with me for reminding nagging him about studying, I wondered if I should have done it, anyway. But then there was the thought about the reality that the boy needs to learn responsibility. He's old enough to do what he knows he needs to do. Still, I battled with the notion that I should have done more, and quickly found myself up against another episode of, here it is:

Mommy Guilt
The pervasive feeling of failure which lurks in the gut of maternal beings every time they do something wrong (real or perceived) in or around the lives of their offspring. Also known as the illusion which sometimes causes these maternal beings to believe said offspring are doomed to a life of agony and hopelessness, simply because they were not born to a "perfect" maternal specimen.

Can I get a witness?

The good news is, when I moaned to my husband (a.k.a. my voice of reason), "Why can't I ever get anything right???" he graciously talked some sense into me. And I want to share the same encouragement with you, my fellow moms-who-struggle-with-mommy-guilt.

We don't get it "right" all the time (or much of the time) and that's OK.

Our children are not going to fail in life just because we aren't perfect.

God IS perfect, and HE will work through us - in spite of us - to bring our children to adulthood.

We can rest in God's grace and be motivated by His love, rather than driven by Mommy Guilt.

And again I ask, Can I get a witness?

Chosen

Encouragement for Frustrated Moms

I received this text from a friend a few days ago:

Can you remind me that I don't suck because I yell when I lose my temper sometimes?

I replied to her this way:

YOU ARE AWESOME, AND YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD.
EVEN WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR TEMPER AND YELL.

The same is true for you, my friend.
My frustrated, tired, irritable, overwhelmed, trying-really-hard-to-get-it-right-friend.
God - who is perfect in every way - loves you in every moment. Even when you blow it sometimes and do the things you really don't want to do.
I am convinced HE looks on you with love and compassion in those moments, wanting for you to come to Him for the help and grace you need. His arms are open and His love is unending.

Run to HIM!

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

Isaiah 30:18-19 (NLT)

Lessons From the Edge

We need to be built up.

Because so many residents pour out their hearts to me, my boss told me this week that she pictures me like Lucy sitting behind a sign which says, The Doctor is in.
Ahhhh, it's fine with me. I love being in a position to sit and listen to their stories. I learn so many good lessons and interesting things by listening.
But, honestly? Sometimes the stories just make me feel sad. Like B's Story.

B came to Bible study on Monday and I noticed his eyes tearing up a bit. Unfortunately, I needed to get home right away, so I wasn't able to stick around and talk with him. And I took Tuesday off, so I didn't see B again until Wednesday morning at exercise class.
He came in before anyone else and I asked how he was doing. That's all it took. B started to open up and tell me about feelings with which he's been struggling for a while. But then more residents came in for exercise, and B stopped talking. So after exercise was over and everyone else left, I walked over to B so we could talk some more.
He told me about his feelings of failing his wife. How he regretted the fact that work had kept him so busy it seemed he wasn't able to "be" everything his wife wanted him to be. And he talked about never ever seeing his own parents express affection to one another. I could only assume he had carried that model into his own marriage, and was now regretting it.
He told me about feeling inadequate as a son - the "110 pound weakling" who couldn't live up to his muscular father's expectations. He told me those feelings of inadequacy were deepened when his father (who worked at B's school) would tell him about another teenager at the school who was athletic - and whom B's father admired.
B told me he wasn't very good in most of his school subjects, and felt like a disappointment to his parents because of it.
And now he is left with an old body which is battling Parkinson's Disease, and he pretty much feels he'll be worthless for the rest of his days.

It broke my heart to hear this sweet old man reflecting on his life through the lenses of failure.
I wondered when was the last time someone spoke a kind, encouraging, uplifting word to him?
It sure seemed he didn't hear many of those words as a young boy growing up.
And I was reminded once more how powerful our words can be. Those spoken, and those withheld.

We need to be built up.

Who can you encourage with a kind word today?

Truth Talk

Last week I made these pork chops. Yum. YUM. TRIPLE YUM!!!!

I made them on Thursday. My day off from work. Since I was home and the chops were marinating in the refrigerator, I lovingly turned them over every couple of hours so all of the chops were fully marinated. I was sure my extra attention was going to make dinner extra delicious.
I had sweet potatoes in the oven, salads in the refrigerator, and got the pork chops out to put them on the grill. As I walked past Brian with the meat, he got a certain sparkle in his eyes and asked, "Steaks on the grill tonight???" I said, "Nope. Pork chops!"

I could practically feel the disappointment in his response.

My gut reaction was to take Brian's response personally.
As I put the meat on the grill I realized in my former way of thinking I would have said to myself, Brian doesn't want pork chops for dinner. He wants steak. I should have known that's what he wanted. Now I've spent all this time making a nice meal which he isn't even going to like. What a waste of time. Why can't I ever do anything right?
That's the way my broken, depressed mind works.
But by the grace of God, and with the help of my antidepressant, I have learned how to speak truth to myself. Truth Talk, I call it.
So as I put the meat on the grill - instead of going down the road of self-deprecation - I went through some Truth Talk. I reminded myself, Just because Brian thought we might be having steak doesn't mean he won't like what I'm preparing. Even though I know he's disappointed, I am not a failure. He didn't mean to make me feel bad about making this dinner. He would never do something like that. Therefore, it is unreasonable for me to be harsh with myself. This dinner is probably going to be great.

And it was!
So thankful for the Truth Talk which was added to the menu. Without it, dinner would likely have been ruined.

What truths do you need to remember today?

More Than You Know