Hope for Aleppo

It's all over the news, and my Facebook feed, and it's consuming my thoughts.
I feel like there isn't a single thing I can do to affect the situation. And my heart is so sad.
Because, life is "normal" for me.
If I wanted to, I could live today as though nothing was wrong on the other side of the world.
And that feels so unfair!
On the other side of the world men, women, and children are suffering. They're starving, and hiding, and being attacked and killed. And I want to do something!
I want to be able to make the fighting stop. To make the warring parties live in peace.
Honestly, I want to convince them all to love Jesus and live in HIS kingdom.
But I'm just me.
And I'm here.
What can I do?
I feel like I can't even dare to hope.

And that, right there, is where God steps in and reminds me: Love ALWAYS hopes.

I don't see the solution. I don't know how peace will be restored and righteousness will reign. I cannot fathom how lives will be saved.
But I know God.
HE sees, and HE knows, and HE will work it out.
And because of HIM, I have hope. Because of HIM, I will always have hope.
Because God listens and cares and is able to do all things, in hope I will do the one thing I can do.
I will pray.
Will you join me?

**************************************************************************
I am signing off for a while. If God agrees, I'll be back January 2.
Until then, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
Let us press on in hopeful prayer for our world, as we wait for HIM to come again!

Love ALWAYS Hopes

But, what about the times when things don't go as you'd hoped they would?
When God does work out the situation, and it isn't the way you hoped it would be?
What does Love do then???

Can I just say, God continuously delights my heart - by bringing these lessons home?
Last week He opened my eyes to my irritability.
Now He's allowing me to experience unfulfilled hope.
And, YES! These unasked-for incidents really are delighting my heart. Because the questions I posed above are real. If Love always hopes, what is Love supposed to do when it looks like hope has failed?
Friends, God is helping me to understand.
And this is the conclusion to which I have come: Love ALWAYS hopes.
When God works out a circumstance, and the workings are not as we hoped they would be,
Love keeps on hoping.

Do you remember the definition of hope we looked at Tuesday?
It comes from the Greek word elpis, and means: to hope, actively waiting for God's fulfillment about the faith He has inbirthed through the power of His love. On Tuesday, we focused on our role in this definition. The active part. But as we consider today's questions, I want to focus on God's role. You see, at the center of it all, it's all about HIM. GOD will fulfill the faith HE inbirthed through HIS love.
I believe GOD is Love's source of hope - and the reason Love ALWAYS hopes.
I wonder if you can relate to my situation this week? I hoped something would happen. I prayed about it, dreamed about it, and - quite frankly - probably spent too much time thinking about it. In my prayers I acknowledged that God's will was my desire - and I really hoped His will would intersect with mine.
But, it didn't.
And I was faced with a decision. What does Love do when what it hoped for isn't fulfilled?
It was like God whispered the answer to my heart, Well, dear Karen, do you think it's a mere coincidence that I've got you studying "Love always hopes" this week? When what you hoped for isn't fulfilled, remember: Love always hopes for MY fulfillment. For the fulfillment of that which is inspired by ME.
Ahhh. With that statement, HE opened my eyes.
The thing for which I was hoping was a product of my imagination. My will. It wasn't from HIM. I mean, it wasn't a "bad" thing - this hope of mine. But it was inspired by me - not God.
Sometimes I get confused between the two. Do you?
So, God reminded me that Love always hopes for what HE wills. Because what HE wills is always good, and always for good. And I believe implicit in that hope is complete trust in God's heart, and total faith in His sovereignty. When the object of our hope goes unfulfilled, Love believes it wasn't God's will, and continues to hope for His fulfillment about the faith He inbirthed through the power of His love.
Love says, Oops! I was wrong about that one. Thank You, LORD, for Your patience with me.

And Love goes right on hoping. ALWAYS.

What Does it Mean to HOPE?

So, I'm thinking about Love always hopes this week. (1 Corinthians 13:7)
One of the things my Precepts participation has drilled into me is to go to the source, rather than to rely on my own ideas. And when I do that, I typically discover that my own ideas fall dismally short of God's intended meaning.
My idea of hope was no exception.
And I think I'm a pretty hope-full person!
However, if I defined hope according to my own understanding I would say something like, Hope is trusting God to do what He says He will do, even when it looks unlikely. But when I looked at the Greek word used for hope in 1 Corinthians 13:7, I felt like my understanding of hope was embarrassingly passive.
Check this out:
The Greek word for hope in 1 Corinthians 13:7 is elpizo. It comes from elpis, which means "to hope, actively waiting for God's fulfillment about the faith He has inbirthed through the power of His love." I mean, I think I was on the right track when I said hope means to trust God to do what He says He will do. But the words "actively waiting" in this definition completely change the picture for me.
That is, I don't believe Love simply sits back and says, "Well, the situation may look bleak at the moment - but I am full of confidence that God will pull through for us." While it's good to say such words, I believe Love (according to the definition of elpizo) is a lot more involved. I believe Love prays for the individuals and circumstances involved in a situation. I believe Love speaks words of hope to those people who are also waiting for the fulfillment of God's plan. I believe Love is like a cheer-leader who comes alongside the discouraged and down-trodden and lifts them up with encouragement and Truth.
God's Word says Love always hopes. And I am convinced that means Love is a whole lot more than a bundle of positivity and wishful thinking. This study of love is showing me that Love is an action. A dynamic force which believes God and seeks to help others do the same.

Yes, I believe that is what HOPE looks like through the eyes of Love. And I pray God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, will enable me to be Love to the world around me.
Starting with the world that lives in my home.

Love Hopes

Change My Heart

Well, if you ever want to know if there's an area in your life which needs transforming - just ask God to shine a spotlight on it.

And prepare yourself to be convicted!

Because this week as I have been contemplating Love is Not Irritable, Wow! Have my eyes been opened!!!
It started with the test I took right after recording Monday's video devotion, and it's been going strong all week. God's Spirit has been drawing my attention to every little thing which I allow to irritate me. And I long to be refined by Him. To be able to say that Love defines me - and I am not irritable.
I remember when this Irritable Mother journey began, and I was known to fly off the handle and yell at my children, and go through my days angry and frustrated. I am sooooo glad God has changed my heart and taken me from that way of living. But with a spotlight on Love is Not Irritable this week He has shown me I am, in fact, still prone to irritability. Though I may not be yelling outwardly, I have heard internal groans and complaints - which I know are not prompted by Love.

In some ways I feel like I'm outside weeding the yard.
You know how that goes, don't you?
What you see at first are the big weeds which you are eager to pull. But once they're gone, you notice the medium sized weeds which were apparently being covered by the big ones. So you pull those out, too. And just when you think you're finished - you take another look and see all the little weeds which were covered by the medium-sized weeds. And though you know most people probably won't notice them there, you can't leave them. Because they'll likely grow to be big ones, too. So you get down on your knees and work to get those buggers by the root.
That's where I am today. On my knees, before my Father, asking Him to change my heart. To remove the root of irritability. Because even though no one can see my thoughts, I want everything about me to be defined by Love.

This expedition through the Love Chapter is proving to be a beautiful thing. I invite you to join me next week as I discover another lesson.

This is a Test

Whoa!

Did you have a chance to watch my video devotion yesterday?
If you didn't, go ahead and watch it now. That way - this post will make a lot more sense.
I'll wait for you.

OK. Here we go!
Not even five minutes after I recorded that video, God gave me the opportunity to have my real desire to be like HIM tested. (HE doesn't waste time!) I put on my coat, grabbed my purse and notes for my talk, and went outside to get into my van.
Only, when I stepped into the garage, I saw that the van wasn't there. With a semi-disappointed sigh, I proceeded to the driveway to get Brian's car - realizing he must have taken the van to run his errands.
The disappointment came from the fact that I'd put a CD in the van which I wanted to listen to on the way to Grand Rapids. But, whatever. I knew it wasn't the end of the world.
However, when I got into the car my feelings began to go south. That is, I saw that the gas tank was getting close to empty. (And the van had a full tank of gas. I had made sure of that earlier. So I would be completely ready to go - when it was time to go. NOW I had to stop at the gas station on my way out of town. *grr*)
In my mind, I began nagging at Brian. I mean, he knows I like to have a full tank of gas when I am making a trip. Surely he would have been reminded of that when he got into the van and saw a full tank. Gee, would have been nice if he'd filled the tank in his car before he took "MY" van. (And then, maybe he could have noticed the CD and put that in his car, too. *hmpf*)
All this - before I'd even started the ignition.
Then it came. That familiar nudge of the Holy Spirit - reminding me of what I'd spoken some five minutes earlier. I think it went something like, "Lord Jesus, make me more like YOU." Yet, here I was, growing irritable because I was going to have to go five minutes out of my way to fill up a tank of gas.
I scolded myself, Really, Karen???
And then I started to sing,
Change my heart, O God. Make it ever new.
Change my heart, O God. May I be like You.
You are the Potter. I am the clay.
Mold me and make me, this is what I pray.
Change my heart, O God. Make it ever new.
Change my heart, O God. May I be like You.

Turns out, I didn't need that CD after all.
God had a different song in mind for me.

Love is Not Irritable

Spicy Uno

So, my absolute favorite part of Thanksgiving Day was actually Thanksgiving Night.
We'd had a very enjoyable afternoon with a small gathering of family and friends, and I was ready to be joyfully contented with it. But then Elizabeth invited a few more of her friends over and they decided to play Spicy Uno. And she invited Brian and me to play, too.
I love that Elizabeth lets her old parents play with her and her friends!
I'm telling you, for the amount of laughter and raucousness which went into our play-time, I felt completely vindicated for the dessert I'd eaten. Totally worked it off, I'm sure.

OK. Now that I've piqued your interest, let me tell you how to play Spicy Uno.

Everyone begins with seven cards and play proceeds just like regular Uno.
BUT, there are a few additional rules.
*Anytime someone plays a "6," everyone has to slap the discard pile. Last person to put their hand down has to take two additional cards from the draw pile.
*If another person plays a card identical to one in your hand (same color AND face-value) you may play your card (quickly!) regardless of whether it is your turn, or not. But you have to play it before the next person takes their turn - or you sacrifice your move. (Play resumes just as if it had really been your turn. Yes, that means several people may get "skipped." Too bad!)
*Every time it is your turn, you must play a card.
If you don't have a play-able card in your hand, you have two options.
1) You may pick a card from the draw pile. However, if it isn't play-able you have to draw another. And keep drawing until you get a play-able card.
OR
2) You may ask for "help". When you ask for help, other players may offer you a card from their hand - face down - for you to accept, or not, without looking at it. The card they give you may be play-able, or not. (This is where you find out who's on your side, and who isn't. This is also where things get very interesting because you can team up to prevent others from winning!) If the card you accept is not play-able you must pick from the draw pile until you find a play-able card.
*AND, when a "Draw 2" card is played, the person to whom it was given may lay another "Draw 2" down, causing the next person to draw 4 cards. Unless, of course, they also have a "Draw 2" to lay down - which would cause the next player to draw 6 cards. And on it goes, until nobody has a "Draw 2" to play. (This is also a time when you may ask for "Help!" Another player might give you a "Draw 2" to get you out of a mess. But, keep in mind, just because you ask for help and everyone knows you want a "Draw 2" doesn't mean somebody will give you a "Draw 2". You could be accepting a fraudulent card and end up drawing 2 or 4 or 6 or however many cards the total has reached. It's a risk you take!) Additionally, within the line of "Draw 2" build up, you are allowed to up the ante by playing a "Draw 4". At this point additional "Draw 4" cards may be added, but you may not revert to "Draw 2". So, yes, if - for example - Draw 2 + Draw 2 + Draw 2 + Draw 4 + Draw 4 were played before anyone couldn't play another card, some unfortunate soul would be adding 14 cards to his/her hand!
*One more thing. If you get caught not saying "Uno" when you only have one card left to play, you must draw seven cards.

And there you have it. Complete guidelines for spicing up that old deck of Uno cards you may not have touched for a few years. So, grab your kids (Even if they're "older" - actually, this game works better with older kids!) and get ready for a fun time.

Let me know how they like it!

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?

I'm Listening

Sometimes there is just no denying that God is trying to get your attention.

Like, when He repeats Himself.

So, yesterday in my video devotion I spoke about love and 1 Corinthians 13 - because that portion of scripture is what I have been studying the past couple weeks in my Precepts class.
(And, honestly, the blog post was part of an "assignment" in my Precepts homework for this week.)
Anyway, it has been heavily on my heart and mind.
But Precepts is over now, and I have been looking forward to a break because a few weeks ago we received a booklet of meditations for the Advent season. While I love Precepts - it takes a lot of time. And I welcome the opportunity I have now to settle in and focus on these Advent meditations.
Yeah. So yesterday I sat down with the Advent booklet to look at this week's reading and - Are you ready for this? - I discovered that every week for the next eight weeks I am going to be meditating on a different aspect of love from 1 Corinthians 13. Apparently two weeks studying it for Precepts isn't enough. God's got me on the extended track.
At first I was wondering if I should be offended. What, God? Am I not good enough? Somethin' You want to say to me???
But I know HE does everything well, and I am eager to be shaped by His Spirit.
I am eager to become who HE wants me to be.

Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening!

Have you sensed God tugging at your heart regarding anything lately?

1 Corinthians 13

The Short Straw

Not sure how I did it, but somehow I came up with the short straw with regards to assigning leaders for our Precepts lessons this term.
That is, we're studying the spiritual gifts - and yesterday I got to lead the discussion for speaking in and interpreting tongues. I mean, who wants to take on that challenge? Leading a discussion on a topic which is so confusing and at the center of much disagreement. But, alas, it was my turn in the rotation.
Kidding aside, we had a fruitful discussion. Tho none of us feels we have a grip in the subject. (But since there are so many scholars who've studied hard and still don't know all the answers, I am choosing to feel vindicated rather than stupid. *wink*)
And although we didn't come to a conclusion and wrap up all loose ends on the subject, we did agree on this:
1) Ephesians 4:12-13 tells us that the spiritual gifts are given "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
It's about building the Body. It's about bringing our Christian character to maturity. It's about unity. So, we will not disparage one another over things we don't fully understand.
And 2) What we do know for sure is that Jesus Christ left the glory of heaven to come to earth. HE became a perfect sacrifice and took our place on the cross - where HE conquered death so we could be forgiven. On the third day HE rose from the grave so we could have new life. Now everyone who confesses their sin, believes in Jesus, and turns to Him will be saved. Of this Truth, we have no doubts or questions. And on this Truth we declare our faith and unity.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

~Psalm 133:1

Praying for unity in our nation.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I'll be enjoying my family - not blogging.
LORD willing, I'll see you back here Monday.

Food for Thought

Saturday I was talking with my mother-in-law about life, and motherhood, and the struggles inherent in both of them. As we continued on in our conversation I laughed and said, "I feel a blog post coming on!"

And, here it is!

In light of the state of our nation over the past couple weeks, in light of our individual needs to be built up and not torn down, and for the love of civility - I have a question.
What would happen if we all started saying kind things to one another?
When we notice someone doing a good thing, what if we went beyond noticing and actually thanked them for doing it?
When we have feelings of gratitude and admiration toward another person, what if we told them? With our voices? Face-to-face?
What if we didn't wait until someone's funeral to talk about how much they mean to us?
How would this world be different if we made a habit of sharing love, and lifting up?

Something to think about as you prepare to get together with family and friends over the holidays!

HE Will Never Change

On a Balance Beam

What's a mom to do?

See, I have this son who keeps getting disappointed by things outside his control not going the way he wishes they would go. And, as someone with deep faith in God and - oh - 26 years more life experience than him, I realize none of what he's facing is going to cause the world to come to an end.
I know he's going to survive.
Ultimately, I have confidence that he'll grow through the struggle.
So, sometimes I have difficulty feeling true compassion when he's moping around and complaining.
That is, sometimes I want to sit him down and lay it out - Get over it, son. In the grand scheme of things, this really isn't a big deal.

And, yet.

And, yet - I remember a situation which happened in my teenage life that wasn't tended carefully. It was a big, BIG deal to me and I was told, "You'll laugh at this when you're older."
Yeah, well? I haven't started laughing yet.
I think that's because the wound still hurts.
Not the wound from the big, BIG deal, that is. (I got over that a long time ago.) I'm referring to the wound from the "you'll laugh" comment.
That one still kinda hurts.

And so, here I find myself. Looking for the balance between coddling, and cold reality. I want to be sympathetic to my son's frustration - without catering to his sullenness. And I want to encourage him in truth - without bulldozing his feelings.
Yeah. And, his quick-to-get-upset nature makes this task extra tricky.
Lord, You know my son better than I do. Please help me as I walk this balance beam.

Any other moms needing to pray this prayer with me today?

Lessons from the Windy City

So, what do you do with a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Wheaton - when you can't decide on what to do? Well, take the train to Chicago, of course!
Last weekend was "Family Weekend" at Wheaton College, so Brian and I and the boys road-tripped it out to see Elizabeth. We had a pretty full schedule Friday and Sunday, but nothing planned for Saturday. So the decision was made to hop the train into Chicago and visit the Lincoln Park Zoo. (Because our budget-conscious college student knew there was no fee to get into the zoo. *grin*)
We stopped for a picture over the South Pond, with the City in the background.

And now I have no way of denying that I am, in fact, the shortest member of our family. *ahem*
Besides enjoying the apes and ducks, Elizabeth and I had fun dancing to the songs of a local musician. (Couldn't record our antics, because of copyright stuff. Trust me: we were cute.)
Full disclosure, the boys were hoping we would stumble upon some sort of protest in the wake of last week's elections. I was prepared to do a lot of praying if that happened...
Although we walked past the Trump building, the most "action" they got to see was a few people holding signs.
And police.
Lots of police hanging around.
But we made it back to campus with new memories, and without incident. *happy mom*

It was kind of weird for me on that adventure. I felt caught between two worlds. One, in which I was fully enjoying time with my family and feeling all was right with creation. And, the other, in which I was painfully aware of the hurt and fear so many are facing these days.
It saddens my heart to consider the angst and trouble surrounding us right now. To know that there are protests and protesters. To have a glimpse - small as it may be - of the bitterness in some people's hearts. Because I so want for there to be peace.
Peace for all people.
JESUS.
Oh, how I want JESUS for all the people.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

~John 14:27

And I am prepared to do a lot of praying until this happens.

HE is Mightier

My Prayer for Our Nation

Father in heaven, please have mercy on this land.
On these people.
On our hearts.
I know from where You sit, You can see the brokenness. You see the hatred being spewed from every direction. You see people acting out of fear and pain and anger. You see us hurting one another, because we are hurting - and we don't know how else to handle it.
Oh, how we need YOU!!!
Father, we are a nation of broken, self-righteous, misguided people. We are divided, and unloving toward each other. Even Your children are failing to display unity and love for one another. And I think it must break Your heart to look at us.
We have allowed this world to ensnare us. We look at each other as "other" rather than as children of the Most High God. We see differences among ourselves and decide that "different" is "bad". We judge based upon what we see, but only You can see the heart.
LORD, we're making a mess of things!
You have told us in You Word how to live. You've told us how to love. You came in the flesh and showed us how to do it! Jesus, You gave Your very life so we could live. And this is how we respond?
Oh, forgive us!
Forgive us, Lord, for going our own way. For trusting in and worshiping man and governments and ideas - rather than You. Forgive us for thinking we know better than You. Forgive us, please, for turning away again and making a mess.
We cannot make it on our own. We need You. We need Your grace and mercy. Though we do not deserve it, Father, we need it!!!
So we cry out to You. We make our confession and our plea. We humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways. Please hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.

Don't Attempt This Alone

Whew!

I'm whipped.
But I feel so good!
I went outside a couple hours ago with the intention of bagging some leaves. Two bags, and then call it quits - was my plan. Because, well, it's a job that has to get done, and nobody wants to do it. So for the past few days I've been filling up two bags at a time and feeling satisfied that progress was being made.
Thus, I went outside to do my two-bags-worth. And just when I was nearing the end of my second bag Matthew came home from school and got right into leaf-bagging with me.
Then I'm all, Well, I can't stop now. Not when I've got help! I'll just do another bag or two since Matthew's out here with me. So I plugged along, cramming those bags until not one more leaf would fit.
And as I worked longer than I had planned I realized, it's a lot less "painful" when you've got help. I mean, I was doing the exact same thing I'd been doing before - in fact, more of it - but somehow the burden seemed lighter with Matthew by my side.
The result? There's alotta bags o'leaves sitting in the garage right now. I'm probably going to have some sore muscles tomorrow. And I don't even care, because I feel so accomplished for all the work Matthew and I got done together.

The thing is, as Matthew and I were out there working on the leaves together, I began to think about you. My mom-friends who take on the hard work of raising children every single day.
This motherhood gig isn't something we can do two-bags-per-day!
And I was reminded how important it is for us to be there for one another.
Moms encouraging moms.
Women letting other women in on our struggles and imperfections.
Sisters holding each other up in prayer.
Friends offering a hug, a shoulder, and sometimes a casserole and chocolate pie.
Being a mom is tough stuff. But the journey is more bearable when we walk with someone else. I know, because I've tried it both ways.
And so, my friend, please allow me to exhort you today: Don't attempt this alone.

Who do you have in your life with whom you're sharing your burdens?
Or are you trying to make it through all by yourself???

And Above All, Trust GOD