by Stacey | Jul 10, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Four-year-old Jon slips out of his bed and paddles to the washroom. Entertaining vocal straining and groaning, complete with a soft cry of victory, float down the hall. I listen for the flush and instead hear wild sloshing.
As I leap from my chair, I imagine him elbow deep in the dirty water. But instead, he is using his superhero strength to plunge the toilet. With each thrust downward, water splashes on the vanity and his bare feet wiggle under water.
I shriek (yup, I shriek.) “What are you doing?”
“It won’t flush my poop so I ‘unging’ it.” He never takes his eyes off the toilet or breaks rhythm in his dance with the plunger. Finally, the toilet flushes. Jon looks up and grins. “You’re welcome Mom.”
Sigh. Jon is growing up.
Yikes.
Today I wrote in Jon’s journal to commemorate his 4th birthday. I want to express to this sensitive and loving boy my deep love for him that grows deeper by the day. As I wrote the words, “…I want so much more for you than simple words can express… my heart overflows with love, I can barely contain it…” It struck me how my words echoed God’s desire for each of us.
I believe God wants so much more for me, more than I could ever imagine or dare to dream. I believe that His heart just bursts with love when He rests his never-ending gaze upon me. He loves me – more than I can envision or understand.
I love the days I can sit back, uninterrupted, and read the book God wrote for me. He carefully penned the words that would convince me of His great love. As I spend time reading His Word and talking with Him I too, am growing up.
Our 4-year-old spiderman
by Stacey | Jul 4, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Sunday morning we began a sermon series that I am anxious to continue. We are working through the book of Habakkuk. (Yup, that’s right – Habakkuk.) Habakkuk is a small Old Testament book packed with content. The prophet questions God about the troubling events he witnesses in his world. God’s mysterious ways puzzle Habakkuk.
Sound familiar?
What I see around me often troubles me. Evil appears to be in the lead and going unpunished and God seems silent. Why do innocent people suffer from natural disasters and at the hands of evil?
“Just because God is silent doesn’t mean He is absent (Pastor Kevin).”
Kevin goes on to support his statement with scripture. God is working. I suggest if any of these questions resonate with you, click here to listen to the sermon on Habakkuk titled, “Why Doesn’t God Stop Bad Things From Happening?”
We only made it part way through the first chapter yesterday, but I read ahead. (Spoiler alert!) By the end of the book, Habakkuk is changed. He learns to wait and trust in God and that God’s justice is far beyond his comprehension. He learns to be content even though he doesn’t always understand.
That’s the kind of contentment I want in my life. Contentment that comes from knowing life is not about me and never has been, contentment that refuses to worry about the things I can’t control or understand. God’s purpose for the world will prevail and I choose to live by faith.
by Stacey | Jun 27, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
I’m reading The Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin and I highly recommend the five book series. In fact, you can currently download book one from Amazon at no charge.
Reading this fictional series based on 2 Chronicles has brought to the surface many questions and Austin offers solid food for thought. This is not Christianity-lite – this is meaty and deep, piercing the heart and forcing the reader to wrestle with God over the big questions.
Like why?
Why did so-and-so die? Why is so-and-so sick? Why is life changing? Why did God allow this tragedy?
There is nothing wrong with questions – God does not shrink from questions. But Austin encourages the reader to ask the right questions. She implies what God does with someone else is none of my business. Why He allows a tragedy to rock my neighbor’s world is between Him and my neighbor. It is not my place to question His actions in someone else’s life.
Austin writes: ask questions, but ask the right ones.
“What does God want to teach me through this suffering? Which of my faults, like pride or self-sufficiency or self-righteousness is He trying to purge from me? Ask which of His eternal qualities, like love compassion and forgiveness, He wants to burn in my heart. Yes, ask questions, ask why he gave you the talents He did, Ask Him what he wants you to do with your life (pg 197-198 from book four, Faith of my Fathers).”
This doesn’t mean everything revolves around me all the time. I think it means that some things are none of my business. I think it means I can and should pray for my friends as they walk through the valley, but God doesn’t have to answer my nosey questions about why He has allowed them to go there. He would rather I ask Him what He is teaching me while walking beside them.
Something to chew on…
by Stacey | Apr 28, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
This morning the wind is speaking. Well, it is more like it is shouting! Three trees are down within spitting distance of our house, a loud boom and a crack sent the neighbors running into their backyard to investigate, and I sit here watching our backyard tree sway like a hula dancer at the mercy of the rhythm of the wind.
I feel a bit like the third little pig waiting to see if the huffing and puffing will blow down our house of bricks. Thankfully, I know the end of that story. The third little pig built his house on a strong foundation and it stayed secure under the blustery puff from the wolf.
I’m hopeful our literal house will hold secure, but even if it doesn’t my figurative foundation is strong. (Another boom just shook the house as I typed that sentence. Fourth tree down???)
The boys are oblivious to the storm happily playing. They take their cues from me and I am not concerned. God is my refuge and strength. He is present in my troubles. I will not fear though the earth gives way.
So go ahead wind. Shake, rattle and roll. Send the rain. The streams can rise, and you can blow and beat against my house; it will not fall, because my life’s foundation is on the Rock, the bedrock of Jesus.
by Stacey | Apr 21, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
(*told with permission)
This year Easter holds an extra special meaning for me. This season I feel privileged to witness the miraculous rescue of someone I love. God has proven afresh that nothing can derail His plans for His children.
When Jesus breathed His last on the cross, the hope of His followers died.
In recent years it has been hard to keep hope alive as I witnessed a loved one slip into addiction and felt powerless to prevent it. I watched her die inside little bit every day.
Three days after the death of Christ, God proved to His followers that nothing, not even death, will derail His plans for the people He loves.
Decades after her sink into substance abuse, I have fresh hope. Nothing, not even addiction, will derail God’s plans for her. He is rescuing her once and for all, showing her the way of escape.
As I’ve meditated on the resurrection of Christ and what that means, my mind seems to drift to my friend. This season of recovery has her turning to Scripture for strength and turning to God for hope in her darkest moments. I rejoice with her as she celebrates clean living – day by day, moment by moment.
I have found, like the apostles, in the midst of dark and desperate days, that Hope is not dead. Whether it has been dark for 3 hours, 3 days, 3 years or 3 decades, resurrection Sunday gave hope a name – His name is Jesus.
This Easter celebrate Hope.
by Stacey | Mar 31, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
A wise friend recently told me the nothing has the potential to drive you to your knees more often than parenting. I think she might be right!
It’s 10:43 am and I already have 2 kids in bed enjoying a morning nap instead of the usual afternoon nap for beating on one another. I have another child forbidden from playing trains today due to a piece of track flying across the dining room and skimming the chandelier leaving it rocking.
Yikes!
I am mentally going through my morning wondering where things went wrong. Each child has had a minimum of three time-outs totaling nine in the short span of time elapsed since rising this morning. We’ve calmly discussed the consequences to lying, pushing, shoving, throwing tantrums, and being just plain mean to our friends.
Maybe it’s the weather…
On days like this, it really hits home how it is an awesome responsibility to raise a child. I have three soft and pliable souls in my home. My response to their actions will partially shape their personalities and attitudes. Will I be patient? Will I be kind? Will I lose my cool?
I am convinced the only way a parent can stay sane on crazy days is to parent from their knees. The sustaining power of God is what carries me through these times. He fills my tank so as the children deplete it, I am not running on empty.
I do pray for my kids and for the other children in my care. I pray for my ability to care for them in a way that honors God and serves to draw them closer to Him. But, I also pray for my relationship with God. A healthy relationship with the Lord equals more energy, more patience, and an ability to respond in grace – all things I need an abundance of today!
God wants to hear my pleas, my quips, my sadness, my joy, and my frustrations. He wants to be the first person I call, not the last. And He wants to walk alongside me in this journey called parenting. There is never a better time than now to start an ongoing discussion with God.
