Look, It’s Here—A New Year!

Happy New Year! There’s something about a new year—blank calendar pages hinting at new beginnings and new possibilities.
January for some people is a let-down after the holidays, but for me is a time to re-focus and regroup. Our theme this month is “Vision”, and it reminds me of the Bible verse,

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.—Proverbs 29:18

We may not perish if we don’t make plans or set goals for the future, but we will lose sight of our purpose. Some of my favorite hymns are related to sight. Be Thou My Vision, My Faith Looks Up to Thee, Open My Eyes That I May See, all remind me that God and Jesus are the only way to keep our focus and improve our vision.

One of my favorite words is “Look”. I am a visual person, so I spend a lot of time looking. As a reading teacher, I teach the word “Look” by adding little dots in the middle of the “o”s , so the word has “eyes” in it. Just for fun, imagine all the “Looks” coming up with little dots for eyes-maybe crossed, looking sideways, etc.

Look Ahead--January is a great time to re-evaluate the use of the resources God gives us. We all have the same amount of time, differing amounts of energy and money. Be intentional in how you spend them--we too often just let things happen, or hope for the best instead of being purposeful and careful.

Set goals for yourself—Mental, Physical, Spiritual and Social. Small steps are best. For instance, in “mental” you might memorize a Bible verse once a week, or learn expressions in another language. Physical goals could be as easy as eating 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, drinking 8 glasses of water, and walking for 30 minutes every day. Reading a book of the Bible each month or attending a Bible Study could be a spiritual goal. Making plans to get together with friends you haven’t seen for awhile could be a social goal. You may want to make these types of goals for your children and family, too, and celebrate victories!

Look at things differently-reorganize some things at home for a smoother routine. What things make you crazy? What is always a problem? Decide what things could be done to make the situation better. If planning meals is a problem, take the time to plan a week or two of menus. (Sloppy Joes, carrot sticks, peaches, ice cream. Chili with shredded cheese, cinnamon rolls, relishes and applesauce.) After you come up with 14 meals, you can plan weekly grocery lists and rotate the menus. Keep adding new ones and ask family input. Have a Mexican food night, or Italian. Get out your crockpot and try a different recipe each week. Repurpose spaces in your house. We recently cleaned extra things out of my husband’s office to make room for a treadmill. (see Physical goals above!) Move things around to store things where they are used. Unless it’s set in concrete, you can change things up to make life easier. You just need to “look with new eyes” or “think outside the box.”

Look Out—the holidays may have caused excessive spending and acquiring of things. Resist spending and shopping this month! It’s time to combat excesses. Take a sabbatical from shopping and spending. Try to use up what you already have and save money in January. Plan meals around freezer and pantry items.
Vow not to bring in any more stuff this month. Try this challenge:
End the year with less stuff than you have now!! ( or less weight, fewer grudges and resentments, less “self” focus, etc.)

Look Alive (Rejuvenate)- You may not get outside much, but you can still work on eating healthy foods, getting rid of the sugary stuff left from the holidays (toss it out—don’t eat it!), and MOVE. Walk outside or inside, do exercise videos, treat yourself to a homemade Spa Day. After exercising, soak in a nice warm tub of Epsom salts and scented water, slather lotion all over your dry skin, do your nails and even give yourself a facial.

Looking Good-Revamp your living spaces. Set up a mud room area for snowy boots and coats and school bags. A bench with a drip tray under it for boots and wall hooks for coats/bags helps a lot.
Redesign your family room for “cocooning”’. Put some afghans and blankets in a basket for snuggling, set out board games and jigsaw puzzles, read aloud each evening. Light some candles. Get the mugs, hot cocoa and spice tea mixes, and popcorn. Have soups and homemade bread. Play in the snow and make snow ice cream as needed for relaxing family times.

Looking Back-(Rewind) This is a good time to stay inside and tackle all those family photos—scan them if you have a computer and store on a CD. Put old negatives into a safety deposit box, or scan. Organize pictures into events or chronological order in albums or indulge in some scrapbooking.

Look Up
Realize God’s blessings and Rejoice in His promises. Really Look at those around you. Some days are so hectic that you realize you haven’t even looked in the eyes of your loved ones. Focus on them, listen, and pay attention!

Don’t look now-what we focus on enhances or distorts our vision. When we focus on
the shortcomings of others, it’s like using a magnifying glass—their faults become bigger and bigger to us, blocking our vision of the good things about them.
Sometimes overlooking the actions and faults of others is the kindest thing we can do.

To really improve your vision, Look through our Father’s eyes.
My husband has bifocals that give an interesting effect around lights after dark—everything has a halo. While that is very annoying to him driving at night, wouldn’t it be great if we saw things with the halo effect, seeing the good around us? I often wish I could see others through God’s eyes. My vision is clouded and blurred, distorted by my own perceptions and experiences. The Bible tells us:
God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Corrective lenses-the only way to improve our vision and our focus is to look at others through the lenses of His love, grace and compassion.

Enjoy your January and remember, everything always looks brighter when viewed through our faith in the One Who loves us and gave Himself for us.

[COMMENT BOX BELOW]

Light of the World

At Christmas, Some of my favorite symbols of Jesus' birth have to do with light.
Glowing light from candles and stars remind us on these long, dark December days that Jesus is the light of the world to save us from all kinds of darkness!
Spread the light and love of Jesus this Christmas by your words, thoughts, and actions.
Every good and perfect gift is from above." -James 1:17
For many, Christmas is all about gifts. Jesus is our indescribable gift as the Bible says, and the Wise Men brought Him gifts suitable for a King. It must have seemed odd to bring a young child the gifts that a full grown King would appreciate, but the Wise Men knew the real destiny and identity of this child. This is good gift giving advice for us, too..some of the best gifts are those given by others who see the real person we are and the possibilities of who we can become.
We all have a special way to feel loved--the "love languages" theory, and you may want to tap into this as a gift giving guide! See ideas below.
(the 5 love languages are: physical touch, acts of service, spending time together, words of encouragement/affirmation and receiving gifts)
First, Give the gift of a warm welcoming heart and home
Christmas is the time to set the stage to worship our King! Engage all the senses...
Smells of cinnamon, fresh greenery, Christmas cookies
Sight of the Christmas tree and decorations, candles and stars
Tastes of special Christmas foods your family enjoys
Sounds of Christmas carols and music playing, bells ringing (we tied little bells to our toddler's shoes one Christmas--what a way to keep them entertained in their car seats)
Touch of warm flannel sheets on beds, warm quilts and afghans to snuggle up with.

All these things make your home a warm, welcoming place to be.
However,the most important way to celebrate Christmas is in your heart. Remember the first Christmas? No one has any room for Jesus and His family , and everyone is too hurried and busy to even notice the baby in the manger. Make room for Jesus in your heart this Christmas, and in your activities. Make time for Him and celebrate His coming. Keeping Him at the center of your Christmas will help you keep His light and love in your heart to share with others.
Give the gift of Time
Scale down whatever activities and preparations you can so that you have time to enjoy your family and friends. One of my favorite Christmases was one when our oldest son was 2weeks old and it was one of the coldest winters on record. We stayed inside and spent Christmas Eve listening to Christmas music and just reflecting on the gift of Jesus...and the gift of our new son. Many other Christmases were spent with juggling the activities of three kids and not having much time at all to even be home to enjoy the decorations and each other! Plan a special outing or two...just loading the kids into the car, playing Christmas music on the radio and driving around to look at the lights makes a special memory. Attending a special service at church, or musical performance can also be special. Read Christmas stories about the real meaning of Christmas together each evening ...my kids still talk about some of our favorites. Grab the popcorn and watch some Christmas movies. Find some friends and take yourself or the kids caroling. Most of all, take the time to look your loved ones in the eye, give a smile and some moments of your complete attention.
Give the gift of Encouragement
So many of us need a kind word, a caring word, an encouraging word! Your words are gifts when you take the time to sincerely notice others and how they make a difference in your world. Make the effort to talk to others about how they're special to you, or how they have helped you. A letter is even better. Erma Bombeck wrote a great column once that has always inspired me. It was the story of a dying mother who left each of her three sons a letter to be read at her passing. In each letter she wrote, "Don't tell the others, but I always loved you best". She went on to describe the special things about each son in her letter..what a gift! A letter of appreciation is such a gift to those who receive it..write one to frame for your parents, a friend, spouse or others. I'm making copies of a letter written by one of my great, great grandfathers about his faith for my kids and framing it for Christmas.
Going along with words could be hugs, shoulder pats and other actions of affection. Hold you little ones on your lap when reading. So many people crave a hug, so pass some out!
Give the gift of giving
It truly is more blessed to give than receive--teach this to your children early! In this of all seasons, think of ways you and your family can bless others. Rethink the gift thing in your family and decide to scale back so you can help others--send some money to an organization like Samaritan's Purse, Compassion, Heifer Project International and others. You can buy chickens, goats, drinking water filters, books, medicine and other items for families who need them. There may be a family or person close to you who could use some money or items--how blessed you both would be to meet their needs! Help your kids go through their toys, clothes, coats, etc. to find still good items to pass on or donate.
Give to others with the gift of service. Do something for someone needy or for someone in your family. You may help someone paint a room or house, clean out a closet, make food to stash in the freezer, go shopping, or teach a new skill.
Give the gift of imagination...just say no to plastic and batteries! Some of the best gifts I've given have been those that help kids use their imagination. Dress-up clothes from the thrift store, cardboard box castles , tulle gathered up in a hoop and appliquéd with flowers and hung from a ceiling, a fabric cover for a card table with "doors and windows" appliquéd on for a barn, fort or clubhouse can be great ideas. The only exception to the no batteries clause is flashlights. (I've loved flashlights since I was in 3rd grade and smuggled one under my pillow to keep reading at night after bedtime--I was busted from sneaking into the closet to read(my parents saw the light) so the flashlight became my new best friend!) And on that note, books are always an excellent gift! (Include a personal inscription about your selection to that person)
Surround yourself with the sights and sounds of the Christmas Season, gather those you love for some memory making and gift giving of all kinds , and above all thank God for His indescribable gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. He who is the light of the world saves us from the darkness of sin, death, despair and our own human selfishness.
This is not a traditional Christmas song, but it reminds us that God is constantly sending His love our way. May you have a Merry Christmas and abide in the love, hope, peace and LIGHT of Jesus Christ!

Overflowing with Thankfulness

"Rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7



November and the beginning of the Holiday season makes me sentimental about families and God's faithfulness to all the generations. When we gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving and look forward to Christmas, memories of our families and loved ones abound. The tree in the picture and the verse also remind of our "family trees". I was visiting my Mom's house a few weeks ago, and she gave me copies of letters written by my great, great, great and 2 great grandfathers during the Civil War. The father was writing to his son (he had three sons who fought for the Union side in Missouri) and urged him to keep close to God, pray and take encouragement from Scriptures. After the war, two of the sons, including my gg grandfather became ministers.
I was so touched and grateful that my roots go back to believers who prayed for their generations to come--including me!
It's nice to know my roots go back to family members who were rooted in Him---and taught me to grow stronger in my faith.
Every family has traditions and a legacy--and you're making your family's right now!! You are the one who can build a legacy of faith, of roots and being built up in God, and praying for your family members to come...they will be blessed!

Be Ye Thankful
Aren't there days when you are absolutely "overflowing with thankfulness?" I have days like that...the beauty of fall, a loved one's call, good news, feeling at peace with God and others all make it easy for me to be grateful. God more than supplies all my needs.
This month, really try to focus on all the things God has done for us. Try this with yourself or your family.
When you first wake up, tell God thank you for a new day. (This one's from my Mom who is 89!)
Tell 5 people "thank you" during each day--do this as a family, and talk about the results.
Write "Thank You" notes to 2 or 3 people each week. (Stress this to your children--we need to thank others when they go out of their way for us)
Make a leafless tree on poster board and have family members and guests write something they're thankful on construction paper leaves to put on the tree
Each evening at supper have each person tell 3 or 5 things they're thankful for--keep a "Thankfulness Journal". Write down each person's responses, and continue this each evening with no repeats !
Preparing your heart and home for Thanksgiving
When you think of the coming holidays, what is your default mode? Are you excited and happy, or anxious and stressed?
I am some of each. Gathering together is a time to make memories, share the love and warmth of family and friends, but it's also a time full of extra work and tasks, more activities to juggle and unrealistic expectations.
If we're going to enjoy Thanksgiving and our families, we need to start with welcoming hearts.
1. Check your heart attitude--if you're practicing hospitality with a grateful heart, everything else will fall in place.
What is our motivation when we have others to our homes? Are we making memories and sharing loving times or are we trying to impress others? Too often, I get too involved in trying to make things go smoothly and be 'just right' which leaves me grumpy and tired. (I had a typo here and it said "fried" which is also true--I do feel fried during the holidays sometimes!) It's hard to balance wanting things nice for your guests with knowing when to quit so you're not frazzled! (or fried!) This brings us to point 2.

2. Strive for imperfection!! Embrace it and changes in plans, culinary mishaps, flu bugs and bad weather! Many, many years of holidays with kids has taught me that if anything can go wrong, it will. Try to make the best of it and keep being thankful! My friend Kim writes the lovelybranchesministries.org "Food For Thought" column which is quite good and highly recommended. But I read an article once from another source that certainly gave me a different taste of hospitality. The author said that she was so stressed by entertaining that she would never have people over until she went to an acquaintance's home for a meal. Her hostess had her come to the kitchen to help finish the simple dinner, the house was pleasantly cluttered, and things were pretty casual. Her hostess explained that she would rather focus on people and making them welcome--and the best way to do that was to keep things simple and to not try to impress anyone. This was contrary to what most of us think when entertaining, but the lady in the story agreed that she enjoyed the evening and felt no pressure when inviting this hostess over!
The most important thing when entertaining is not to have a perfect home, or meal (thank goodness!), but to have a welcoming heart. Your guests and family would rather you delight in them by being with them than spend your time trying to create the "perfect Thanksgiving".

3. Plan Ahead--keeping in mind that plans change. Pull out your "go to" recipes, plan your menus, stock your shelves and bake/freeze what you can ahead of time. Buy snack food items and keep on a special shelf for surprise guests, freeze some chili or have pizzas in the freezer, chips or crackers and dip and you can make a party in a hurry!
For Thanksgiving, decide what to have (gasp--it doesn't have to be turkey!"), and if the crowd is headed to your house, then cook ahead, set the table ahead, get your crock pots to keep mashed potatoes, turkey and gray hot, etc. Planning and making lists now does help you not to be quite so flustered when everyone is coming.
Figure out where everyone will sit for the meal, find serving platters and dishes, and ready your home.
A Beverage Bar is fun--set up hot coca mix, marshmallows, mugs, hot cider in a crock pot, and coffee with flavored creamers in an area for guests to help themselves. Be sure to keep hot water, cider and coffee containers away from small children.
4. Prepare your home for the holidays
When having guests, the things you really need are: a clean bathroom (check the toilet paper supply!), a clean guest room, space in the refrigerator, a "picked up" living room or dining room. Get the troops involved--everyone can vacuum, dust and pick up. If that fails, you can resort to my Dad's "company's coming" cleaning method--take some trash bags and load up all the farm publications and newspapers you haven't had time to read and put them in the bags and stash them in the trunk of your car! (This probably explains why my car looks like it does--I call it my traveling closet) If you feel really ambitious, go after cobwebs and clean the windows one last time before winter. Keeping the lights low and using candles gives a warm welcome and hides dust!
Fall decorations are nice--go out and get some tree branches, put in a rustic container, add leaves or nuts on the table, or do a Horn of Plenty with pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn. Simmer some cinnamon sticks and orange or apple peels on the store for a nice smell.

5. Make some Memories--plan some fun activities.
When the clan gathers, have some activities to bring togetherness --you can keep old traditions or start new ones!
At the Thanksgiving meal, people can list their blessings on a Thankfulness mural, or on index cards to read at the table.
Mix It Up--Place cards at tables can help generations mingle, and then switch again for desert so people can visit with different people.
Play games-flag football and taking post meal walks is our family tradition, but you can also: sing around the piano, watch movies together with plenty of pillows and blankets, play board games or charades.
Look at pictures of past holidays together, make cookies, have a fire and roast hot dogs. Make a cardboard box Mayflower and let your little Pilgrims set sail. Build some tepees in the back yard and have the Native Americans help the Pilgrims as in the first Thanksgiving.

6. Remember why we're thankful--read or tell the story of the first Thanksgiving!
One of my favorite ways to explain the Pilgrim/Thanksgiving story is CLASH DAY. Dress in terrible loud, bright clothes that don't go together, like plaids and stripes, etc. Hopefully your family will notice and question you (and your fashion sense). I do this with my AWANA kids. I explain that the Pilgrims, because of their beliefs in God and wanting to worship Him their way, stood out and clashed with the rest of the people in England. They came to America to have the freedom to worship God their way and pass their faith down to their children. (Roots and growing strong in faith again). Their faith kept them going when the voyage was perilous and they were sick and starving the first winter.
I like to use these verses from the Bible:
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
You are the world's seasoning (salt) to make it tolerable. If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world? Matthew 5:13
As God's people, the Pilgrims tried to flavor their world with His word and ways--we're called to do the same in our world.
Make a mixture of "seasoned salt" with sea salt and your favorite herbs, then sprinkle over pop corn and enjoy.

Have some pumpkin or pecan pie (or both), sing "Count Your Many Blessings", and most of all, look hard at all your loved ones and thank God for each--give them a hug, a kiss, and tell them you're thankful for them.
Remember to "Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 106;16

Go For It!

We celebrate the discovery of our country by Columbus this month. Columbus, like all explorers, was driven by the need to conquer the unknown. The economic reason for his trip is well known--to find a shorter route to the far east to trade. What isn't stressed as much was the fact the Columbus sailed to lay claim to new lands not only for his sponsor's country, but for God. When landing on the various lands on his trip, he planted the flag and wanted the native peoples to hear about Christ. (It's amazing what you can learn from films when you're substitute teaching!)

Go explore the world on your own this month--without leaving home!

Pray for the World and "visit" virtually (pun intended) any country and learn about it and its needs. In the book, Radical, one of the things David Platt encouraged us to do was pray for each country and that people would be willing to go there to tell its citizens about Jesus. My daughter has this website as her opening page on her computer so she prays for the country of the day each morning.(http://www.operationworld.org/countries-alphabetically) Do this with your family, or get out the maps and see where your church missionaries might be. Sponsor a child through Compassion International or give to Samaritan's Purse. Thinking globally will expand your family's horizons.

Go to your Bible. It can open your heart and mind to all kinds of new thoughts.

Read a book you've never studied before. I found myself in the book of Amos, in the Old Testament, the other day. Amos was a shepherd prophet who was warning the people to turn back to God. I have a Women's Devotional Bible and different authors write devotional thoughts about passages. The one that caught my eye was entitled, "Those Cows of Bashan", by Jean E. Syswerda. In Amos 4:1, Amos is comparing the over indulged and selfish women of the area to the cows!! Well...I had taken the last couple of days off from my usual duties to indulge in reading, so I definitely felt the reproof of scripture! It sort of tickled me, though, to find this verse--who knew? (Talk about being "whapped upside the head" - Often verses will jump out and grab us this way!) So, instead of being pampered, lazy creatures we're to go and get with it...serve others and lay claim to new or old territories in Jesus' name.

Go Home!
Since we're not going to be lazy cows, we're going to use another Bible p

arable to inspire us to explore some ways to get our homes ready for Fall.

The Bible tells us about the ant who is busy storing food away for the winter while the grasshopper does nothing. Now is the time to do fall housecleaning and get ready for Fall and Winter. Dare to go where no one has gone for awhile to clean--send the kids under the beds to vacuum with the dust buster. (Be sure to instruct them not to suck up large items--like socks, kleenex, etc.) I used to offer my kids a prize for the most unusual item found! (And the floor under our beds was never as empty as in this picture!) Explore the areas under the sofas, and couch cushions, the light fixtures, the closets. Time to change out summer clothes for fall/winter. Wash the jckets, coats and blankets.

Explore your recipe box and cookbooks-choose new foods to prepare from another country or area of the U.S.A. Play different types of music at meal times. (Classical, for example)

Go Outside
Take the kids outside after dark and lay on a quilt to look at the stars. Point out the

North Star. Find the Big Dipper, in the North sky, and look from the last star of the dipper bowl up 4-5 times--that star is the North Star, the only star that does not change it's position. Early explorers used that star to navigate. A walk around the neighborhood on a fall evening in the dark is fun for the family, also.

Go Wild--Explore the bounty of nature--bring in the colorful leaves, nuts, and pumpkins. Delve into the the

inner parts of a pumpkin to carve a jack-o-lantern. Roast the seeds! For an easier option, just use a black magic marker to color on a face.

Serve cold or hot spiced cider. Simmer cinnamon sticks, cloves, and apple slices or orange slices on the stove for a "welcome home" scent.

Light candles for supper. Claim family meal times as times to rediscover each other. Be bold like explorers in the face of adversity and take back any television, computer and other gadgetry uses that are not family friendly. Check books and music in your home for the same. Hold high standards for what your family is hearing and seeing--yes, there will be mutiny among your crew (Columbus dealt with this also) but if you're claiming ground for Christ, then hold your course! (If Columbus managed to find the New World, your teen can manage to navigate to school without tech support if need be).

Just Go....

read a book aloud to your family-explore the lives and times of people around the world and long ago. Learning about the trials and successes of others, especially Christians, can be an inspiration for all of us still. Stories of Bible men and women show us God's plans and love remain even if we mess up.

down the hall-to sit on the bed of your child or teen to say good night and pray for them. Something about the dark seems to get kids to open up about problems and concerns they never mention earlier in the evening! Talk about unchartered territory! Be there to listen and pray.

across the street to visit or help a neighbor.

to your school to volunteer to help be a mentor or tutor for a student who needs help.

to your church or community to volunteer some time and your talents.

to your knees to pray.

So please, go...and keep going! Wherever you go, by your actions and words, lay claim to that "ground" for Christ!

p.s. I'm going to go do the mountain of laundry that piled up while I was indulging myself like a... well, you know.....

A Little Peace and Quiet

Have you ever heard yourself whining, "All I want is just a little peace and quiet?"

On a practical note, many of you Moms are waiting desperately for just "a little peace and quiet" which you hope to have when your kids go back to school. Some of us are thinking we have too much peace and quiet--missing kids that have left for college or elsewhere.
When we use the phrase, "peace and quiet", we usually mean a lack of turmoil or silence in our surroundings.. But to really have "peace and quiet", is a state of mind and spirit, as well as having quiet, serene surroundings.
Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers , for they shall be called sons of God." -Matthew 5:9. This is from the Beatitudes, or the Be-attitudes as we say in VBS. We are blessed if we try to bring peace to our corner of the world.
As women we set the tone for our surroundings--be it at home,in the workplace, or in our churches and communities.
How "peaceful" are we?
My "peace of mind and spirit" are subject to whatever the world throws at me and can be lost in a second. Frightening news on the television, bad news of a friend or loved one, health issues, conflicts with friends and family can put me in a tailspin and rob me of any peace of mind, producing fear and anxiety instead. This is not what God intended for me and you, however. We do not have to be held captive to these thoughts of doom and despair.
Jesus promises us (as He did to His disciples), "Peace I leave you; my peace I give you: -John 14:27 and "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" -John 16:33
The only way we can have peace of mind and spirit in this life is by claiming the peace only given by the "Prince of Peace", Jesus. When I take my thoughts captive to His promises, the fear and anxiety go away. Through prayer and reading His word, we can claim His peace. I know this works because I have sensed His peace in circumstances where I would usually be a wreck!! But it is my choice---I can claim His peace and rest in His promises that He is always with me, or I can take my eyes and thoughts off Him and focus on the chaos and problems of the world and be troubled and anxious, fearful of the future. Spending time with Him in prayer and reading His word will give you peace!!
Disturbing the Peace
The Bible also tells us that we are to live in peace with our neighbors, in as much as it is up to us. So...when faced with conflict, do you strive for forgiveness and peace... or do you, like me, sometimes want to stir up trouble a bit? In our homes, at work, in our churches and wherever God calls us, there will be conflict. (Oh, boy, will there be conflict!!) Our reaction to others during these times can determine whether we are peacemakers or disturbers of the peace! One of my favorite practical proverbs is , "A soft answer turns away wrath". (anger) I've actually been able to muster up enough self control to answer softly and carefully in conflicts (maybe 2 or 3 times!) and it does work. Your volume and tone of voice in your home and in conflict can determine that of others' as well.
A little piece of Heaven--a peaceful home
Here's your big chance to be peacemaker. If you are spending time praying and reading God's word, then you can have peace of mind and spirit. You can also make your home a more peaceful place, too--a haven for your family and friends.
-Check the noise level in your home. Turn down or off the t.v., radio, etc. Nix the yelling (even our own!). A wonderful woman in our church had 7 children and the rule at their house was, "No yelling unless there's a fire". I'm in and out of classrooms at school a lot , working with students, and I'm always amazed by a teacher I call the "child whisperer". This is a 3rd grade teacher who speaks very quietly--I've never heard her raise her voice! Her room is calm and quiet, a pleasure for students and others. WE set the example, and if we control our own noise level, others will, too. (this is hard for me as I'm a bit noiser ...I envy those people with the "quiet and gentle spirit" talked about in 1 Peter 3:4)
-Identify those stressors that cause everything to fall apart and create turmoil and chaos. At our house, getting everyone out the door for work/school was havoc on many mornings. Doors would be slamming, kids yelling," Mom--I need the bathroom, where's my book, I need my uniform--didn't you wash it? I can't find my car keys/shoes/book report," etc. Breakfast would be uneaten as a late one dashed out the door, sometimes harsh words would have been exchanged. Not a peaceful away to begin the day!!
Pray about the issues causing discord/stress in your home or workplace and try to think of new routine or, habits to make peace. Checking for items needed the next day saved a lot of time and chaos for us. Look in kids' bookbags for notes of things due the next morning and homework, lay out clothes, things they need to take to school the next day before bed. Trust me, it's better to know there are no clean socks or jeans the night before rather than the next morning! I don't do mornings well, so having simple breakfast foods the kids can help themselves to also made an easier start to the day.
-Maybe it is a personal habit that is robbing your peace of mind. Pray about what you need to change about yourself, not just your home, to bring about peace. Perhaps you need to get some aspect of "your act" together--maybe finances, clutter, lack of exercise, etc. I heard Charles Stanley, a wonderful minister on the radio say, "Discipline, not Desire, Determines your Destiny." Like it or not, we can wish things were different in our lives, but until we muster up the discipline to make changes, things won't be different!
Other ways to establish a peaceful haven:
-Play soft music at mealtimes (I like to do this with praise tapes or hymns on Sunday mornings when we usually have a special breakfast) and at other times. Make family meals times a tech-free zone--no t.v., computers, cell phones, etc. This is the time for you all to reconnect and enjoy one another. (For the sake of peace, save any issues and scoldings for after meals!)
-Keep working on decluttering so that your home is more peaceful because : You can find things you need and your surroundings are more serene. I'm cleaning closets again!! (The dust has settled after my son went back to KSU and my daughter back to Physical Therapy Schhol at KU Med, and I'm adjusting to more peace and quiet than I'd like, so I need a project!)
-Surround yourself with beautiful things that remind you of God's creation and care--Bible verse plaques, flowers or plants, shells, pictures, and candles.
-Bring in seasonal objects to enjoy--apples, sunflowers, nuts, leaves, and pumpkins.
-Get outside and enjoy the peace of nature. I'm taking my Bible, and coffee out on the porch these mornings and Clem dog and I enjoy the peace and quiet. Walking or even sitting in a quiet spot can give you peaceful moments with God, too.
_Check your tone and volume of voice, your words and thoughts--be peace filled.

Make peace with God, with yourself and with others.
Imagine yourself like a fireman with one of those flame extinguishers, only yours says "God's peace" on it. You are ready to put out the "flames" of confusion, noise, turmoil, fear, guilt, and any other peace robbers by a spray shot of God;s peace! Blessed are the peacemakers... we need more of them!!

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding , will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."- Philippians 4:5-8

Enjoy the coming Fall season and work on being a peacemaker. "And the Lord of peace be with you" -Phil 4:9

Brownies, Friends,and Cattle Prods

Your Girl Scout leader was right. Remember as a Brownie Scout singing this song?
"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."
God created and values friendship. Thinking about this theme reminded me of the many ways my friends, old and new, bless my life.

Old Friends:
Think back to childhood friends--my friend Robin was my best friend in Wellington, Kansas from Kindergarden to 8th grade, when my family moved. We walked to school together, sang in children's choir, acted out Nancy Drew mysteries, and had our first sleep overs. My high school 4-H friends and I attended events and encouraged each other. To this day, I can not eat lemon drops (the candy) without being back in the Kansas State Fair Encampment building with my friend Sherri, eating lemon drops in our sleeping bags before getting up early to wash her heifer for the fair, or do our judging event. (The lemon drops usually stuck to our sleeping bags) My college roommate, Joyce, got me in the habit of reading my Bible daily and shared adventures on campus and intramural sports. She also liked to sleep a lot more and even nap, which prepared me for life with my future husband!
All of these friends and more left an influence on my life, or taught me some life lessons.

New Friends:
Most of my "adult" friends have been at the schools where I teach or at my church. These ladies have helped me weather some of life's best and worst moments,-- disappointments and joys.
You never know when you'll find a new friend, even if it is only for a few moments.
I just returned from vacation with my best friends...my husband, two sons and daughter-in-law. After one week and 2400 miles together, I think we are still friends. While in Door County, Wisconsin I met some great new friends. I believe God puts people in our lives for a reason and no meeting is by chance. If you've read the Anne of Green Gables books by Lucy Maud Montgomery, you know Anne sees everyone as a potential "kindred spirit". I am an out-going person, so will talk to almost anyone. Because of this, I get to know a lot of "kindred spirits".
While shopping at an art store, I talked to Karen who was a recent widow. She told me how her friends had let her down a bit by not including her much in their activities anymore. I am really guilty of letting my friends down sometimes and talking to her let me see again how our actions--or lack of them--hurt others. We talked about reinventing one's life with God's help and I learned a lot from her about carrying on. I met another lady at the beach. We were in water up to our shoulders and I had admired her hair. She was probably in her late 70's and wore her blonde hair up in a carefully styled top knot . She was of Polish origin and told me about her life and how she loved to be in the cool water. She gave me tips about spots to visit and I was encouraged by her joy of life and that we could still be "beach babes" for a long time!
I met other great ladies while engaged in "charitable spending". I believe if I'm going to spend money, I should spend it where it will do the most good. Rebekah, my wonderful daughter-in-law, and I love to go thrift store shopping. We found some great bargains and souvenirs and some shops benefitting an Alzheimer's unit and the Developmentally Disabled. We also went to a church's Cherry Festival, a bratwurst dinner and baked cherry goods. I visited with the church ladies and congratulated them on a good job--the money raised was going for missions.
Each of those encounters has enriched my life, and given me new people to add to my prayer list.
One of my favorite "kindred spirits" encounters occurred when I drove our church kids to camp. Upon arrival, we found that one of the girls, who was very shy, was to be separated from our group to room with high school girls who were complete strangers. The girl was very distressed by this, and I asked the lady in charge if we could make an exception. Of course, this lady was very busy with registration and didn't think my request was necessary. Another lady standing there caught my eye. We walked away together and decided to move a bunk from one cabin to another so this girl could be with her friends. (I just couldn't leave her there as upset as she was.)

I don't even think that other lady and I exchanged names, but we agreed that sometimes the rules needed to be "modified". I have a great memory of us, two grown church ladies, tippy toeing across the camp grounds carrying a bunk bed. Much to our relief, we were not stopped or questioned, and our miission was accomplished.

So...I've covered the Brownie part of the title with the song, the friend part, and now for the "cattle prod".
Our county fair just happened and the kids showing their cattle or other animals use a small stick to poke or prod their animals to stand so that their best features will be seen. They also use the cattle prod to tap the animal on one side or another to guide it to go where it should go. If you really want an animal to get moving in a hurry, such as a horse, you use spurs.
One of my favorite Bible verses I used with my kids also reminds me what I can do with my friends:

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you seee the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV

We need our friends to prod us and spur us to use our best gifts and to get moving for God!! A good friend sees things in us that we often don't see in ourselves and can prod us to move in the right direction. (I just got to be with my sisters-in-law who affirm and encourage me--we all need that!!)

Being a "Martha" type, not only do I treasure good times with my friends, but also times that we can accomplish something for God and to help others.

Here are some ideas of practical and fun things you can do with friends to show God's love for others.
* Have a prayer group. I had several ladies over for these this summer..we tried iced coffee at our last one.
* Volunteer together. Choose a worthy cause and sign up to help. Sometimes we need the "encouragement" of someone else to do what we know we need to do!
* Make your own mission--whether cooking for people and keeping meals in the church freezer for those who need them, cleaning, organizing, shopping for others, planning child care, etc. We all have lots of people who need a hand around us--get your friends together and choose to bless someone!
*School will be starting soon. Get together with friends and go thrift store shopping, or trade items from your kids' closets for back to school outfits.
*Make your own support group to poke, prod or spur you on to accomplish something--cleaning out closets, exercising, improving eating habits, working on a bad habit, praying more.
*Meet your friends for a prayer walk--get your fresh air and exercise while you pray for your town as you walk. Good for your health, too!

Thank God for old friends, new friends and kindred spirits. Pray for those He puts in your life. Get your friends together and have brownies , then spur or prod each other on to good works!

Free Spirits

Free Spirits
--A Spiritual Epiphany on the back of a bike.
See this picture?? I rode a tandem bike with my son, Josh, a few weeks ago. It was Mom's Weekend at FarmHouse Fraternity at KSU and Josh decided we needed to ride a bicycle built for two. Back to the picture--imagine an old-fashioned tandem bike instead. A young, good-looking, athletic, coordinated and adventurous college man(my son) in front,with a mild-mannered, middle-aged, uncoordinated Mom(me) in back with speed and falling issues--and as it turns out, control issues!! (In truth, that was no surprise)

The only similarity to the picture above was that our bike also had two wheels. Actually, I was pleased that Josh signed us up for the ride. Then I got on the bike.

We had no helmets.
Riding in back, I couldn't see where we were going and had no way to control where we went.
I had no brakes--I was at the mercy of my son's "need for speed"!

I knew I was in trouble as immediately after mounting the bike, Josh takes us swooping down the driveway into the street--much faster than I felt necessary--I screamed just a little.

My son said to me: "Mom--I've got this--you just ring the bell and hang on!"
As I pondered his words, and rang the little bell on my handle bars,we were riding in streets, up onto sidewalks, and careening around corners on the KSU campus. We passed several Boy Scouts and their leaders. I wanted to yell: "I am not prepared, I am not prepared for this crazy ride". (I expect they knew that, hearing my little exclamations as we sailed around another corner and down a curb into the street!)

Between moments of fear, I really did enjoy the ride. I felt adventurous..and (gasp) free, and I did enjoy ringing the bell. I wondered about that, though--was ringing the bell's purpose to warn people that we were coming? Or was it to say "Look at us and this cool thing we're doing"! (I'm sure Josh wanted me to ring the bell to alert everyone how cool this was.)

As we pedaled uphill, the chains began an ominous clanking and the gears kept slipping.. After listening to me whine about this, Josh consented that we could get off. He tinkered with the chains and gears and fixed the problem. Just in case, we walked the bike up hill and rode it down--a sucessful solution and we arrived back at FarmHouse unscathed and having enjoyed (mostly) our ride.

I have Josh's words written on an index card over my sink:
JUST RING THE BELL, AND HANG ON!!!
It occurred to me that God is saying these words to me, also.

When life seems like a crazy, unpredictable ride, He says:
"I've got this--you just hang on and ring the bell. Let people know we're coming so they can see what I (God)will do.

This is incredibly freeing to me. I have to finally admit that there is only so much I can do, or am responsible for, and the rest is up to God.

As for me, I am often not prepared. Just like my bike ride, I don't know where God is taking me, and I don't have any way to slow events down--or speed them up. We may go down some hills, or have a rough climb up--but God is still in control and He tells me to just hang on--and ring the bell, to have joy and rest in His care even in the middle of a wild ride!
I am also free to be what He needs me to be and who He made me to be--a Free Spirit! I can dare to do small and big things for Him.
Without Him, I am a wimp, a coward, a scaredy cat. I have fear issues--fear of failure, fears about what other people think of me, even personal safety fears. I have to force myself to do some of the seemingly outrageous things I do because I know I have a BIG God who tells me He will be with me and give me what I need. I push myself sometimes (not often enough) to dare things for God that I cannot do in my own strength...saying yes to God, counting on Him to cover for me.
Saying yes to God is very freeing, even exhilarating...but you never know where it may lead. I would say it is not for the timid (like me), but that's the whole point..it is. II Timothy 1:7 tells us:
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline."

Because we have the Holy Spirit's power, we can be "free spirits". We don't have to be timid scaredy cats anymore!! My daughter is a counselor at Echo Ranch Bible Camp in Alaska right now and observed that saying yes to God put her there, covered with spaghetti, oatmeal and applesauce the other night in the camp's giant "crud" war. They fling crud or food at each other to demonstrate how it is when we're covered in the crud of our sins--then they go into the Pacific ocean to wash the crud off--being forgiven and clean! I could also list some very unlikely situations and places saying yes to God has taken me, and yes, sometimes there is crud involved--but it's worth it, so go for it!!
When we celebrate the freedoms we have in our country, be thankful for the freedom we have in Christ--to be forgiven, protected, loved, and used for God.

On the Home Front --

Celebrate the Fourth of July--look at last July's blog for more ideas, but I plan to include sprinklers, sparklers, and watermelon in some way. Put out your flags; wear red, white and blue; read the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution out loud;and pray for our country. Remind others and yourself that freedom is never free--it has a great cost, whether in sacrifice of those serving in the military, or because of Jesus' death to insure our freedom from sin and death.

Stand Up!! Have you read all the articles lately that tell us that sitting is bad for our health?? This stands to reason, (pun intended)but it is bad news for a reader like me. I do read and walk sometimes, but it is a little distracting!! The more you sit, the bigger your waist measurement--so we need to stand tall!!

You bought It, now Use It, part II. I challenged us last month to use our inventory of beauty, cleaning and food products instead of buying more, an idea I got from the book, Living Well on One Income, by Cynthia Yates. I've been working on this and actually cut our grocery bill in half. It does lead to some creative meal planning, however! Embrace this challenge--it has to be good for your budget and your brain--and stand up while searching those shelves and freezer spaces! Making smoothies or popsicles from left over frozen fruit is a good way to use some of your inventory. One of our favorite summer treats is frozen fruit salad. This recipe is pretty loose because I vary it depending on what fruit I need to use!! In a big bowl, mix 1 can of frozen orange juiice, and 2 cans of water. Add some frozen lemonade or lemon juice. Slice some bananas (about 3 or 4) into the mixture and add sliced and cut up canned peaches and maraschino cherries. Freeze in smaller covered containers or in muffin cups for individual servings. Thaw a little to serve. You can vary the juices and fruit combos. Left over veggies can find their way into chef salds.

You can't be a Free Spirit if you can't find your car keys..or checkbook..or shoes! On these hot days when it's nice to stay inside in the air conditioned house, choose a drawer/cabinet and declutter. For example, I have a cabinet for glasses, pitchers and tea. I do not know why, but I have 12 boxes of tea. I have cleaned out this cabinet over and over, but can not bring myself to throw away perfectly good tea even if I do not like it or use it!!! I've tried to like green tea, honest I have, but I've decided to brew it and then mix it witih fruit juice and chill. I keep harping on all of us to use it or lose it because we do feel freer and operate better if we can find what we need!! One expert estimated we spend about about an hour a week looking for misplaced items, and spend untold amounts of money replacing what we already have but cannot find.

Set your Spirit free with some good books The Bible, of course, is the original free spirit book, but I have some lighter reading books to recommend also. I found a series of 3 books by Lisa Wingate: Tending Roses, Good Hope Road and The Language of Sycamores, which all deal with young women who receive lessons in forgiveness and second chances. If you have younger children, (ages 5-10) the Mrs. PiggleWiggle books by Betty MacDonald are great to read aloud, as are the Beverly Cleary books. Here are some of our family's favorite summer reads for ages 8-15: any of the Henry Reed books by Keith Robertson, Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone Away by Elizabeth Enright, and really good stories dealing with early Kansas/Oklahoma life by author Alberta Wilson Constant are the books Those Miller Girls and Miss Charity Comes to Stay. Read aloud each evening on the porch, on the couch, in the car, wherever...but read together!!! (The book, Rain, by Peter Spier is wonderful for preshoolers-early elementary.This would be very refreshing as it shows kids on a rainy day--we can hope!!)

Celebrate all the ways we are Free Spirits--dare to do some fun little things, dare to do some meaningful big things for God and others!

His Banner Over Us is Love

Our theme this month is "Holding forth the Banner of Christ.
One of my favorite hymns to express this ideas is:

"Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross;

Lift high his royal banner, It must not suffer loss;

From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,

Till every foe is vanquished, And Christ is Lord indeed."

George Duffield and George Webb

I'm tweaking this banner idea some--I read once that "Jesus' banner over us is Love."

I also read that "Joy is the banner (flag) flown from the heart (castle) when the King(Jesus) is in residence there." We express the love and joy Jesus gives us in our daily lives and need to share them with others. We've had some things happen recently that makes it a little hard for me to be joyful--yet I know the peace of Jesus in the midst of some hard things.

Life is so short...and so unpredictable--show other Jesus' love when you can!!! Give out hugs, smiles, understanding, forgiveness, and time. Do It Now and Do It Often.

Ideas for Summer Fun--( Did I mention I love summer?)

-Stock your fridge with popsicles--homemade are best! Use plastic popsicle molds and throw leftover fruit and yogurt into the blender, or fruit juice or kool-aid. Ice cream, iced tea, even water with lemon/lime slices in the fridge are good.

-Make time for porch sitting--coffee and Bible reading in the morning, iced tea and reading to the kids later in the day. Invite neighbors over.

-Read aloud to your kids--we have favorite books we read every summer.

-Have a theme day or night. Choose stories, videos, props, food for a Western,
beach, Eskimo, Country, or other day. This is great to engage the kids' creativity and add a llittle sparkle when kids get bored. (It's also free or cheap)

-Make your backyard fun--you need a sand pile, tree swing, hammock, water sprinklers or slide mat, any combination. Don't forget croquet, badmitton, or even bubbles! Don't be a stick-in-the-mud--adults can enjoy these, too!

-Eat outside--lots! Breakfast, lunch, supper on the porch, on a blanket in the backyard, cooler in the car for a picnic, etc

-Enjoy God's creation--do some gardening, smell the roses..or petunias, sample some mint, fresh tomatoes, corn, peaches, watermelon, cantalope, berries---you get the idea! If you don't grow your own, visit a farmer's market--support local growers!

-Get ouside--go for walks, ride bikes, head to the pool or pond, go canoeing (my favorite), put out blakets and star gaze late at night. (My daughter is headed to Alaska to work at a Bible camp, and it doesn't get dark there until 10:00 or so!)

-Learn something new. On those dog days of summer when you don't want to go outside, spend time reading about something new, or go on-line and take a class or just explore a different area than usual. Challenge yourself--memorize Bible verses, or a poem. I got out my clarinet the other day, bought some new reeds and may actually try to play again--it hasn't been touched since high school band days!

-Accomplish something you've put off! Write those letters, clean out a drawer or two, go through your old magazines and tear out good ideas, recycle the rest. (My favorite hot day project)

-Hang out by some water! If you can't visit the beach, lake, or pond, at least run the sprinklers and run through them, get a kid's wading pool and have plastic boat races, or just sit on a hot day, and put water in a large shallow container for a bird bath.

-Praise God every day for all the wonderful little things--and big things He gives us to enjoy. My relatives live in and around Joplin, Missouri where the terrible tornado just hit, and it reminds us to be thankful for "normal" days and all our comforts. (and necessities--like water, a roof, etc.)

Around the House

I'm reading a book called Living Well on One Income by Cynthia Yeats. (I bought it for fifty cents at our library's used book sale) Here's a great idea/project for your summer:

You bought it- Use It Up.

Her idea is to simply use all the lotions and potions we have on hand for skincare and cleaning, consume the food we have in our pantries and freezers, and use any other products we have that are just sitting around taking up space and nearing their expiration dates!!!

I am so busted on this--check your medicine cabinet--how many sahmpoos, hair care products, lotions, etc. do you have that you don't use? I have lots and my skin could really use some of those products! None of the things we spent money on will do us any good just sitting on the shleves. If you aren't going to use them, maybe someone else can. Check expiration dates, though--on your sunscreen, too. Eat from what you have on hand in the pantry--move the things with the expiration dates coming soonest to the front for use. Pick a really hot day, and explore the depths of your freezer. Discard items that are victims of freezer burn, and try to use the rest before buying more. Use your current inventory and Don't Buy Extra Stuff for a while! You can donate the money you save to a summer missions project or plan a fun family outing.

Ha-you probably thought I was going to tell you to declutter again--so I snuck it in this way. If we use what we have, we're saving money and getting rid of items to gain more space!

God Bless Your Summer--His banner or you is Love, and He shows it every day!! Be creative and use some of these ideas to spread His love to others!!

Soldier On and Let Your Little Light Shine!

I may never march in the infantry
ride in the cavalry, shoot the artillery,
I may never fly o'er the enemy,
But I'm in the Lord's Army! (Yes,Sir)

Did you ever sing this song in Sunday School? The actions are great!

As it turns out, we really do belong in the Lord's Army. Many of us need to move up in the ranks to His "Active Reserve" list.
As "Soldiers of the Cross", we need to:
-be obedient and give up our agendas/plans for our commander's need for us to be His hands and feet
-we need to be ready to sacrifice our time,energy and resources to further God's Kingdom instead of our own!

Are you ready to show up for action?
We're all members of God's Special Forces--He wants to use what He already put in us!

1. We all need to be Prayer Warriors,women(and men if any are reading this!)who understand the priviledge and power of prayer. Prayer does change things--sometimes God moves to change a situation, sometimes He moves in us to change our hearts and minds,which changes our perspective. The prayer that never fails is "Your will be done". We need to get serious about praying God's promises for ourselves, our families, churches, communities and world. Keep a prayer list, spend time thanking God for the answers and blessings He's already provided; praise Him for the wonders of His power and creation, His unfailing love for us. Confess and ask Him to fogive those things that You've done to grieve Him (and others!) and ask Him to help those on your prayer list. He tells us to come to His throne of grace and ask--you'll be amazed at the answers He sends to His glory.

2. Be a part of the Special Ops, the "Helps Ministries" . If you're a "Martha" type like me, you can cook meals, collect clothing, provide transportation, help clean, provide child care, do yard work, give finances, or do whatever needs done to give someone practical help. These are tangible ways to show God's love to others and are very often the answer to their prayers!

3. Search and Rescue Missions--God commands us to go into the world and find those who are lost and bring them to Him. We all know people who do not know the personal love of Jesus as their Savior and are indeed lost. Whether we bring kids in for VBS, have neighbors over for coffee, send money and materials to missionaires, we need to find a way to tell others the Good News that Jesus loves them and wants them in His "forever family."

4. Encouragement Forces. Everyone, even God's strongest "soldiers", gets weary and thinks about giving up or giving in. Doubts and fears can sap our strength and our faith, and "fatigue makes cowards of us all."(Vince Lombardi -former coach of the Green Bay Packers--Go,Pack) We need others to "put fresh courage" (definition of encourage) in us and to remind us of the powerful God we serve who can do all things and who does all things well. We're not in these battles alone--He promises to be with us always, and to provide what we need. He is our strength in our weakness and promises that all things will work to our good if we trust in Him. Be an "Encouragement" force to others. Use words, cards, calls, e-mails to give encouragement to others who are struggling, to give them fresh hope to keep hanging on. A word of thanks to those who have given of themselves is important, too. We all like to be noticed--and knowing that others appreciate our efforts keeps us going. Start an "undercover" appreciation operation in your church and family--thank you cards to the church coffee lady, the janitor, a Sunday school teacher, the bus driver, etc. Be a cheering squad of one (instead of a "shooting others down" squad) to appreciate musicians, committees, kids in church , your own family members. I sent all my kids cards the other day thanking them for making a difference for God in their corner of the world. Encouragement can put fresh courage into the troops and help them to keep on keeping on!

On the Home Front
If you're going to be ready for active duty on God's front lines, you need to pare down
and get rid of those things that keep you from being able to mobilize quickly.
Have systems in place and (sigh, here's the biggie) the self discipline to get/keep your life in order so you have the resources to commit to be a Prayer Warrior, a Helps Ministries person, a searcher and rescuer, an Encourager.
You've heard me say it before, but here it is again:
Clear the clutter, have a household routine, and do your laundry so you can leave the house!(I wear my ratty clothes around the house when I'm gardening, or it's laundry day!) Stock up extra cookies and meals in the freezer--keep some "comfort casseroles" ready for those who might need the comfort of a home cooked meal. Save money by making better choices and send it to those who need it!
We make way too many excuses for not showing up for duty because we're too "busy", behind in our other obligations, too tired, and on and on. I am so guilty of this!! And yet, when I show up for some assignment I think God has given me, He multiplies my time and I get the blessing as well as whoever I'm "helping". Saying "yes" to God even when we don't have the time, energy, or resources grows our faith as we see how He covers for Us! He does another loaves and fishes thing where He takes what little we have to offer and makes it enough and even more!
If you lack for adventure or challenges, just start saying "yes" to God!

Sometimes, being a "Soldier for Christ" means to "soldier on". To keep trusting and trying to do right and good when it seems useless. To bear up under adversity and keep looking for God to be at work, even when it seems like He's not. To keep a flame of faith and hope alive in your heart and life. Another favorite Sunday School Song of mine is "This Little Light of Mine." Sometimes it is very hard to keep our light shining. Doubt, fear, worry, the darkness of the world we live in, all contribute to douse or dim our little lights. The good news is that it doesn't take a huge megawatt (or LED) light to dispel the darkness--even a little light can push back darkness.

Let me tell you about some people who are letting their lights shine:

-the lady buying towels at our local thrift store for a young man just released from prison. She and her husband are trying to help him get a new start with household items. I love her words, "He's not a bad person, he made a bad choice --about drugs". Her light is helping to get his going!
-another lady buying baby clothes to donate to a crisis pregnancy center--giving hope to new moms in tough situations.

-ladies in my church who collected fabric to take to Star of Hope Haiti mission project in a town near us. Instead of thinking about helping, they got us in gear and got the goods delivered!(Thanks, Melanie and Sandi!)

-to Mr. Art Thomas, a neighbor of my Mom's in southeast Kansas. My dad had just died, and the tractor we used to mow the yard wasn't working. Since my Dad had been sick,the grass hadn't been mowed for awhile and it was worrying my Mom. I had gotten most everything else done that we needed to do before I left to go back to my home, but didn't know how I could get the yard mowed. I prayed about it and the next morning as I was outside by the barn, I saw an old army jeep with a trailer behind it coming down our road. The trailer had a riding mower on it--and as I watched, thinking "no way", (even though I prayed!) the jeep turned in our drive. I had never met Mr.Thomas, but he was an older man wearing sunglasses and smoking a pipe. I remember thinking, "Wow, God--you sent General McArthur to mow my Mom's yard!" It was one of the most amazing or surprising answers to prayer I've ever gotten!!

Here's the thing--Mr. Thomas lived 5 miles away and noticed the yard and knew about my Dad. His legs had been injured some way, and I watched as he literally threw himself out of the jeep and onto the mower, and then threw himself back into the jeep without bending his legs when he was finished. He didn't think he did anything remarkable, just mowed a yard--but he was the answer to my prayer and showed me--again--that God can do far above what we ask!

In the middle of a dark time for my family, God used Mr. Thomas to give us hope and some humor--a little "God wink"from Him to us to show that He hears and He cares.

Are we the answer to prayer someone is waiting for? When we get a nudge that we should do something--are we willing to report for duty and let our light shine? It might be all it takes takes to push back someone's darkness.

Listen to Addison Roads' new version of "This Little Light of Mine". May it bless you and remind all of us to let our lights shine!!

Take Hold of Hope--and Spread It Around!

Happy Spring and Easter--the season of Hope! Read on, to take hold of HOPE. Spread it around, celebrate Easter, and engage in more acitivites for radical living and giving--with homework--spring break is over! Jesus came to rescue us from our old dead-in-sin lives to give us new hope-filled eternal lives. Consider these Hope verses: "Praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living HOPE (emphasis mine) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. -1 Peter 1:3 "I have come that they may have new life, and that they may have it more abundantly. -John 10:10 "We have this HOPE as an anchor for our soul, firm and secure."-Hebrews 6:19 The Reason for our Hope--the Cross and Empty Tomb In the book, The Power of a Positive Woman, by Karol Ladd, one of her chapters is called Becoming a Woman of Hope. She tells two compelling stories about the hope of the cross. The first happened at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Before the soldiers surrounding his casket closed the lid, his wife stepped forward and made the sign of the cross over her husband's chest. In this atheistic country, her action was one of hope--"she hoped for life beyond the grave. She hoped for mercy. She hoped for salvation. And she based this hope on a man who died on a cross two thousand years ago."(p. 223) The next hope of the cross story Ladd relates also occurs in the former Soviet Union. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a Soviet political prisoner who was starving and gravely ill. He was forced to work 12 hour days shoveling sand in the hot sun. Being so very ill and mal-nourished, one day he just stopped shoveling. He knew the punishment by the guards would be a severe beating, but he just couldn't keep on. He saw a Christian prisoner moving toward him who drew a cross in the sand with his cane, before quickly erasing it. "In that brave gesture of love and encouragement, all the hope of the Gospel flooded Solzhenitsyn's soul. That hope helped him endure that difficult day as well as the months and years of prison life that followed." (p. 225) As Ladd says, "The hope of the cross is powerful. It is the hope that Christ paid the price for our salvation. It is the hope that Christ rose from the dead and that the same power that raised him from the dead is at work in our lives. We can rejoice in this hope, and we can rest in it." (p.225) We have a living hope through Jesus that can never be taken away from us. Ladd points out that we have several reasons for hope, or looking forward to the best. We hope for eternal life with Jesus in our forever home, Heaven, no matter what difficulties and trials we go through here on earth. We have the hope that God works even those things out for the good in our lives, that He will never leave us or forsake us, that He loves us and forgives us, giving us a new start when we need one. "Put your HOPE in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption."-Psalm 130:7 Our hope is in the Lord. This is the only hope that will not fail us. Our society puts hope in a lot of things other than God's promises. We think that a full and happy life will be ours if we only make this amount of money, buy this car, have this kind of house, go to this place, use this beauty product. (anti-aging products, anyone?)(Ask me sometime about putting mayonaise in my hair in the hope that it would be the conditioner that would finally smooth my frizz!) We all have been duped by putting our hope for happiness in the wrong things. Madison Avenue convinces us that all will be well if only we try one more product. Nothing will last or fulfill our yearnings other than God. "May the God of your HOPE so fill you with all joy and peace in believing that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing with HOPE." -Romans 15:13 Since we have been given the gift of hope by Jesus' death for our sins and his glorious resurrection, Ladd points out that Christians should be the most optimistic people around! "Be joyful in Hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."-Romans 12:12 In this season of Lent and Easter, maybe it's time for another Radical living experiment. A little "homework", No more Grumbling, Whining, or Complaining--after all, our Hope is in the Lord! I heard of a pastor who gave his congregation wrist bands that said "No Grumbling" to wear on their right hands. Whenever they complained, they had to switch it to their left hand. The pastor found that it took 2 weeks before he could make it a day without having to switch it from one wrist to the other! (The original goal was to keep the wrist band on their right hand for 21 days--time needed to break a habit) How long would it take before we could stop complaining and "be patient in affliction, faithful in prayer"? Instead of the wristband, I have a "blessings box" for Lent. Along with adding change for blessings, I'm going to fine myself every time I whine and grumble. The money goes to a mission project our church is doing in Philadelphia--I'm going to be sending some major bucks their way, I think! "May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good HOPE , encourage you in every good deed and word." -2Thess 2:16-17 We need to share our Hope--giving others hope and encouragement (to put courage in)when theirs is gone is one of the best things we will ever do. As in the story of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, it can give others the strength to go on. We have all been in circumstances where our hope was about gone, and others have spoken hope to us, put courage into us by reminding us of God's promises and the cause for our Hope. This Easter, along with ham or hard boiled dyed Easter eggs, serve some words of Hope and encouragement to those around you. Radical Giving--serving words of hope and encouragement doesn't cost anything but your time and sensitivity to others. Here are some other ways to spread Hope this Easter: *Celebrate our Hope during Holy Week. Invite friends and family to a Seder or Passover Feast on the Thursday evening preceeding Easter. Read the account of the Last Supper in Mark 14:13. On Good Friday, attend services or create a sober, solemn atmosphere in your own home by reading the account of Jesus' resurrection in Mark 15. You could even not turn on your electric lights or any "entertainment" to symbolize the darkness and hopelessness people felt that day! A day of fasting and prayer, reflecting on the suffering and cost of the cross on our behalf makes Easter even more joyful. On Easter Sunday, serving cinnamon rolls with a frosting cross reminds us of the power of the cross and be sure to have an empty plastic Easter egg at everyone's place. When kids open the egg, they find it empty--just as the tomb was empty on Easter morning--you could include a piece of paper that says, "He is Risen! He is not here."-Mark 16:6 (For more ideas to use with kids, including the Resurrection cookie recipe, see blog archives in "Caring for Kids and Others", March 2010.) *For a great object lesson on new life, give kids beans and have them dampen them in water and wrap in a damp paper towel. Place in a plastic bag and watch them sprout in a few days--what looked dead has come to life! So it was with Jesus (who appeared to over 500 people after His crucifixion) and so it is with us when we put our faith, trust and HOPE in what Jesus did for us on the cross--we get new life in God's forever family! Other Radical Giving Ideas: *Relief to Japan-Pray! Send money gifts to Samaritan's Purse, a Christian organziation specializing in aid to areas needing relief (they also do Operation Christmas Child) at www. samaritan'spurse.tv, or 1-800-789-1776. *Compassion International (sponsorship of children around the world) has a new line of greeting cards where DaySpring cards are sold. I purchased several as part of the price will go toward Compassion projects for food and medicine to the needy. (This is part of my "Charitable Spending" philosophy--not charitable giving, but spending!! Both are important--give to those Christian organizations who are loving the world for Jesus, but support Christian businesses by spending your money there,too! (My husband the banker thinks this "spending philosophy" of mine is a little suspicious) I'll leave you with this Hope-ful thought: "Behind the cloud the starlight lurks, Through showers the sunbeams fall: For God who loveth all His works, Has left His HOPE with all! -John Greenleaf Whittier This Easter, Rejoice in our Hope! Be sure to read "The Message" at the Vine Press home page! (click link in column to the upper right.) And to know how you can have eternal HOPE go to http://lovelybranchesministries.org/HOPE.html

Get Growing--Plow, Plant , Prune and Pluck!

Spring Is On the way--I think! I've been perusing my garden catalogs and magazines, making plans for my garden. On these nice days, I've been searching my flower beds for signs of Spring--the first bulbs to come up. I love to see the first crocus, daffodil, and snowdrops.

Since our theme is "Garden" this month, I'm giving you some real gardening ideas, some garden to real life analogies, and ideas of things to do with children to illustrate how God wants us to grow, just like seeds in our garden!


First,my new favorite spring flowers--dandelions!

Actually, I've waged war on these "flowers", but have made my share of bouquets from these perky little yellow guys given to me by many children over the years. In reading my Bible the other day I came across this devotional written by Janice Kemper called...Dandelions. She makes some valid points--you can't get rid of dandelions because their roots go deep. They pop up in the most unexpected places--between cracks in the sidewalks, in fields, lawns, and even in country club golf courses.
They sneak through any barriers and just keep multiplying.

Kempe says, "Christians should be more like dandelions. Our sunny yellow faces should be a reminder that simple faith has deep roots that are impossible to dislodge. Our vast number would show the world that even though we are not fancy or pampered we are evident everywhere, even in the best neighborhoods. We need to get out of our gardens and jump across the boundaries that keep us where people expect to find us. We need to show our sunny yellow faces in all the spots that need a little brightening up."
(Women's Devtional Bible, NIV, p.1067, JaniceKempe)

Next time I see dandelions, they'll be a good reminder of what I should be!

When I get ready to garden, I always think of the parable of the sower that Jesus told. The sower scattered seeds on hard packed ground--and the seeds were eaten by birds because they could not grow or even find a spot to become rooted in the hard ground. When we plant any kind of "seeds", we need to prepare our ground first, to make a soft, welcoming home. Jesus told the people that the hard ground represents hard hearts of men who would not hear or believe His words and let them root in their hearts.

Jesus says the sower next scatters seeds on a rocky spot--and the seeds started growing at first, but when problems came, the seeds died because they weren't deeply rooted. A rocky heart seems to believe Jesus until the troubles come, and then it gives up.

The sower next scatters seeds on a spot where there are weeds and thistles--the seeds come up, but are choked out by the weeds. This stands for our hearts where Jesus' words have been planted, but are crowded out by everyday concerns and worries.



The last spot the sower plants the seeds is deeply worked, fertile soil where the seeds grow and mulityply their harvest. This is true of our hearts, if we let Jesus' words grow deep in our hearts--we will bring for the harvest of words and actions pleasing to Jesus!

*This is such a great lesson for kids--bring a tray and make four areas just like in the story,--sprinkle seeds over a brick or flat rocks for the hard path, have some rocks for the rocky ground, lay a bunch of weeds on the tray for the weedy ground, and use potting soil for the fertile ground. Give them each a seed packet (I buy the cheap ones for thirty cents)to use for a bookmark in their Bible. Tell them that each time they read their Bible, they need to ask God to make His words take root in their hearts and to help their faith keep growing!


Just as preparing the soil and planting is important in a garden, so is pruning! I'm headed out to prune my fruit trees and my grapevine. The more you prune, (if done correctly!) the more fruitful your harvest will be. You need to cut out any dead wood, and weak or small branches. This helps the plant/tree focus its energy on producing fruit.

As painful as it sounds--and is(gasp)--God tells us we need to be pruned also to get rid of the dead, unproductive things in our lives and spirits so we can be more fruitful. We have a red oak tree in our yard which has a strange quirk--it keeps its dead leaves on its branches all winter, only losing them in the spring when the new leaf buds force them off. Spring and new life all around us remind us that we, too, need to get rid of some of the old things/habits/thought patterns in our lives to make room for the new! Sometimes God allows things in our lives to "prune" us a bit, to help us grow to trust Him more or to help us get rid of things that are keeping us from Him.
And, unless we're part of Jesus' vine, we can do nothing!




What needs pruned in your life??

Have you given any more thought to the Radical Living experiment I talked about in last month's blog? Are you praying for a nation daily?( Right now we need to be praying for the Middle East people) Are you reading/memorizing your Bible every day? Are you giving and going radically? Are you in a group of believers who will stand with you?

I've been trying to do more of these-- and talking about pruning, getting rid of old habits and ways of life are hard!

Here's another radical book for you: The 100 Thing Challenge, How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life and Regained My Soul by Dave Bruno. Bruno holds degrees from the Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton. He decided his life was cluttered with too much stuff and it was robbing him of contentment and time with his family. He decided to get rid of all but 100 of his personal possessions(he didn't count things that belonged to all the family like furniture, dishes,etc.) He did count his items of clothing, however(except for socks and underwear--counted as 1)and kept culling his possessions(except books)to get below 100. His family began to declutter also and he reminds us all that the "American Dream" is not about acquiring things but of freedom and hope--our gift from Christ, as well. He stresses Reducing what we have(pass it on to those who need it), Refusing to get more, and Rejigging your priorities. People left comments on his blog about their own experiences. A youth pastor wrote in about hisfamily's cell phone bill being too high, so he decided to sell his i-phone. He listed it on e-bay,where it sold for $150. He spent that money to buy a llama for a poor family through the Heifer Project International, and the rest to sponsor a child in Haitii. (Since he reduced monthly service fees, he also saved his family $45/month) What a great example of refiguring priorities and the use of our money--radical giving!

Speaking of decluttering and passing things on--it's Spring Cleaning Time!!

I've been going through closets and drawers yet again, getting rid of what we don't use. I volunteer at our town's thrift store which is a great place for families to save money to get things --the sales all go into the town's Ministerial Association where the funds are used for the needy. Here's another great idea. A lady came in and bought a lot of baby blankkets, clothing, socks, etc. She was collecting them to give as a church to a local crisis pregnancy center. How much fun would that be? Choosing baby things for people who need them!

As you Spring Clean and declutter, here are some options:

1. Go to http://www.flylady.com/, where they have all kinds of ideas for decluttering--and even Lee Anne' s Scavenger hunt--this is fun. It sends you to throw out junk mail,old magazines, hose with runs, margarine tubs and lids,etc. Another flylady tactic is to throw away 27 things--then find 27 things to give away, then 27 more things to throw away--repeat!

2. Declutter by category--clothes, books, magazines, catalogs, dishes, games, knickknacks, etc.

3. Declutter by location--start in 1 room and work left to right on each wall. Edit as you go--less is more!

4. My good friend at school where I work tells me she is going to get rid of 1 thing each day!
We can all manage that! (Junk mail does not count!)




Make room for new growth in your life--in your spirit
As you "prune"your home of old, useless items,remember we need to prune our hearts and spirits as well--if unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, or discontent have taken root in your heart, yank them out! Get rid of old habits/thought patterns that are keeping you from growing.
Remember, what you sow(plant) is what you reap(harvest).
One of my favorite authors, Gladys Taber, says in her book, StillmeadowCalendar-A Countrywoman's Journal:
"We are all gardeners, whether we plant our rows with love and friendship, courage and honesty, and faith in God-or with intolerance, suspicion, and hate."
May God Bless us as we plow, plant, prune and pluck to grow in Him!

When you're not in the garden, put some Spring in your step!
It's time to register for the annual WalkKansas program at your county KSU Research and Extension office. The deadlline to register is March 11 this year. Get some friends and do your miles or minutes of activity--420 miles worth, or the perimeter 1230 miles! For our readers in other locations, get a map, choose a spot, figure the miles and see how long it takes you to get there by walking or exercising for minutes each day.