by Stacey | Feb 14, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
This morning my daughter woke-up at 6:15 am. She went straight to her desk and started to craft a Valentine for each member of the family. By the time the rest of us lazy bums arose she had created a beautiful card to celebrate her love for each one of us.
As I lay there in bed listening to her papers rustle and the scissors snap the verses from Romans 5:7-9 flashed through my mind.
“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
How fitting on Valentine’s Day, when the whole world celebrates the feeling of love, God would remind me of His choice to love.
When I was my most unlovable Jesus died for me. He didn’t do it because I wooed Him with my charms or won Him over with my beauty. He chose to love me. He gave me the best Valentine’s Day gift ever – the option to enter into eternal life with Him.
Now the choice is mine. Will I choose to love Him in return?
Happy Valentine’s Day. I pray you will all know the great love of our God.
by Stacey | Feb 12, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Once upon a time I believed I was a patient woman. I calmly dealt with interruptions, edited and re-wrote entire chapters with ambition and energy.
Now those days feel like a fairytale.
My overwhelming book project looms unfinished before me. Although it has brought equal measures of discouragement and excitement, today as my creative juices are at an all time low, I feel the sting of frustrating tears. I fight a desire to rip up the entire book and give up. (Or burn it – shred it – pick your pleasure.)
Recalling a time when my father used a blowtorch on the back hedge to rid himself of a pesky hornet’s nest I weigh the wisdom in rash decisions. Yes, he killed the hornets, but he also set the hedge on fire. Overreacting is out.
So what’s a writer to do?
A quick search on the internet provided me with plenty of suggestions. I can:
Take a vacation.
Take care of myself.
Relax.
Read a good book.
Discard my self-imposed deadline and stop driving myself so hard.
Since I am a hobby writer and not a career writer with no impending deadlines on the horizon I plan to take a vacation from my tough writing schedule. I’ve set the book aside (for a short time) to write something fun – like my blog. I plan to use the dusty elliptical decorating our basement a little more often, find a good book and soak in a hot bath. The re-write can wait.
You may all hold me accountable.
by Stacey | Feb 3, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Looking back over previous posts I noticed one from early November. It pretty much stated the very lesson God is currently teaching me (again!). It raised a chuckle and thankfulness that God is willing to remind me of the principles I should already be applying to life.
When life feels out of control or when I feel overwhelmed with my list of responsibilities I turn to God and ask for help. Guess what He usually tells me? Life feels crazy when I forget to prioritize Him.
I still need to edit my book. It’s getting there, but not as fast as I’d like. I like to keep up on my housework. I enjoy playing with the kids and not feeling too busy or stressed to enjoy them. I have a column to which I contribute, a speaking engagement coming up, and article deadlines looming. Not to mention this blog…
For the last few days I’ve once again taken the time to spend quality time with God in the morning instead of just the frantic few minutes that creep up in the midst of chaos. Instead of flying into my day at break neck speed I’ve set the laundry aside, left the dishes in the sink, and the beds unmade and eased into the day with God, my bible and a caffeinated hot beverage.
Now it’s 10am. My blog is almost updated. The beds are made. The laundry is done. The kids are playing. I haven’t made dinner, but I know what we are having. The dishes are still in the sink but it’s not bothering me as much as usual.
I’m not sure how all this was accomplished considering we slept a half hour later than usual and I spent twice as much time with the Lord as normal. I believe God is blessing my efforts. I believe He is happy that I chose Him first and now He’s helping me efficiently finish my tasks.
I don’t expect everyday to go this well. Some days the dishes may still be in the sink at dinnertime and yesterday the beds were not made at all. But guess what? I survived. At the end of the day what matters is not now much I accomplished, but spending time in a manner that pleases God. How that looks might be different in each household. In ours, it means I need to relax and let the little stuff go and focus on what God want me to do.
A lesson I seem to learn over and over again.
by Stacey | Jan 17, 2011 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
When we adopted Kaitlyn a friend gave us a special gift. She gave us a blank journal with this inscription:
“Fill these pages with all the love, dreams, advice and wisdom you hold in your heart for Kaitlyn. Enjoy every moment.”
Over the last five years I have faithfully recorded (some of) my prayers for Kate, my hopes and my deep love for her. I pasted in an annual picture and I envision giving it to her someday. I want her to be able to read how I have prayed for her over the years, how God has answered those prayers, and how much joy she brought into my life.
Today I did something I have been thinking about since Nov 18th, but never seemed to have the time (or health) to do. I bought two new journals. One for Jon. One for Nick.
I spent some time today pasting in three pictures in each one. The first picture is the youngest one we have of each of them. Then in Jon’s journal I added a picture of him at age 2 and at 3. In Nick’s journal I added a picture at age 1 and at 2. (We have these early pictures thanks to Foster Nanny.)
Beside each picture I noted what was happening in our lives when the snapshot was taken. I chronicled how God moved us here, to the province and city where these boys were waiting for adoption. I noted how God answered ours and Kaitlyn’s prayers by sending us these two boys and I shared how although we didn’t know them we had been faithfully praying for them. It is amazing to look back and see how God answered our prayers over the years. We prayed our future children were safe and both were taken into care before safety became a concern. We prayed for a good foster home and they were placed in a GREAT foster home. We prayed they would feel loved and we have no doubt they were both loved greatly. God is good.
I look forward to filling the rest of the pages over the next days, months and years. One day, when they are older, they too will be given their journal and read about how much we love them, how much God loves them and how they were an answer to our prayers.
by Stacey | Dec 30, 2010 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Being zealous can be a good thing. Passion for hobbies and interests can birth great results. Enthusiastic attitudes can overcome great odds and fervent prayer does more than we’ll ever know.
Parents can be zealous. You know the ones I mean. Helicopter Dad that constantly hovers, or super mom charting every bowel movement, minute of sleep, and morsel of food that enters Junior’s mouth. There really is nothing wrong with this, but it could drive a person crazy if they think this is what all good parents are supposed to do.
Take us, for example. We have three kids and we are trying to do this parenting thing right. We’ve read Bringing Up Boys and Bringing Up Girls. We pray for them, over them and with them. And I suspect we still assume WAY TO MUCH stress over things we should be able to let go.
I could spend hours analyzing. Why did she push her brother? Is he under too much stress? Does she feel able to express herself? Does he feel safe?
All good questions. But maybe the answer is she pushed her brother because she is six years old and she just wanted her own way. Yes, it can be very helpful to know why. But sometimes we need to deal with the what. She pushed him. She learns a bit more about sin, consequences, and asking forgiveness and he learns about grace, offering forgiveness and starting over.
My New Year resolution is about taking it one day at a time, one situation at a time, one minute at a time. I still want to understand as much as I can about my kids and their motives behind their actions but I’m also going to try to relax a bit more and enjoy them rather than analyze them.
2011 should be interesting…
by Stacey | Dec 24, 2010 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is. ~Amy Carmichael
What a timely reminder for me and dare I say all of us?
During this season of Christmas the hustle and bustle can easily crowd out my time with God. My days and nights are even busier now we have adopted two boys into our family. I find myself asking: How can I slow down? How can I release myself from the pressure of life’s demands? How can spend more time with God when from early morning to late at night I’m answering the calls of my children?
I’ve decided I’m asking the wrong questions. I should be praying: God, please show me everyday what needs to be done and what can wait. God, please help me meet the needs of my children in a way that will direct them toward You and Your love for them. God, please give me the time to meet with You and the energy to do it, and the desire to be in Your presence.
Every day I have a choice. Whom do I please? Do I please my children, whose voices are often the loudest? Do I please myself and selfishly put my needs first? Do I please God?
I want my children to grow up passionate about their faith, passionate about the issues that speak to their hearts. I want to be a mother that lives my faith showing my children through my actions what it means to follow God. But as Lloyd John Ogilvie said, “It can’t happen through you if it hasn’t happened to you.” I need to cherish the time I set aside for my Savior to nurture my own relationship with Him. That will make me a better mother, a better wife, and a better example of Christ’s love to the world.
Christmas is tomorrow morning and I expect a joyful day filled with excited voices and happiness. Our first Christmas as parents of three! I pray I can let go of my expectations and enjoy each moment as it happens. I pray we will have some quiet moments as a family to remember what a sacrifice it was for God to send us Jesus so many years ago. Merry Christmas!
