Gifts You Can't Take Back

Happy New Year!!!  The tree may be down, the fudge gone, and the gift wrap out in the trash.  You still have some gifts that you may have forgotten about...let's open them and consider how to use them as  you can't take them back!

My Christmas season was different in that we lost my wonderful mother-in-law unexpectedly on December 4th.  Our weeks since have been marked with planning her Celebration of Life, hosting out of town relatives and thanking people for their many acts of kindness.  As we read the many sympathy cards we received, I was struck again by how much even simple things we do matter and leave holes when we're gone.

As I think of the impact we each have in this life we've been given I began cataloging the gifts of God that we can't take back or return. He has graciously given them to us to use on His behalf.

1.  People to love on....  We each have lots of people in our lives that God has put there for us to love for Him.  We don't love them perfectly, but we can keep trying and ask forgiveness when we mess up. This is the most important gift we have!

2.  Time....  Each of us has 24 hours in a day, yet our days are numbered by our Creator.  Live with no regrets.  Jesus tells us that He came to not only give us life, but to give us an abundant life!  He wants us to live fully, trusting in HIm for our protection and provision.

3.  Purpose....  The Bible tells us God made us with a purpose, a special place to fill in this world and even the next!  He made us the way we are because our combination of characteristics is just what He needs to do the jobs or fill the purposes He created us for!

I was talking to a man recently retired and he said, "You know, I used to think it would be great to have lots of free time with no particular claim on it..but that lasted about 3 days.  I felt useless without a purpose." So it is with us...how amazing that God trusts us to do special things in His Kingdom; things He had planned for us even before we were born!

At the beginning of a New Year, I like to evaluate how I'm using these gifts I've been given.  We've been reading the book "Going All In" by Mark Batterson at Lovely Branches and the author is motivating us to really put what we have out there to serve Jesus.  The principles reminded me of another article I read recently in Sound Mind Investing. It amazes me to think of all God has invested in me and what He has entrusted to my care, or stewardship.  The author of this article, Matt Bell, uses The Parable of the Talents from the Bible to illustrate this point.  Remember the story?  The master gives each of three servants some money or talents to keep safe for him while he is gone. Two servants invest the money and earn interest, but one servant is afraid of losing the money so he just buries his.  He gives it safely to the master upon his return but is rebuked as lazy and wicked!  Here's what the article goes on to say:

"God affirmed the two servants who took appropriate risks and multiplied what had been entrusted to them.  In God's economy, we are entrusted and empowered to make something more of what we have been given.  The multiplication is best seen when we use money (or time and energy-my add)
in ways that enable us to fulfill the three overarching purposes of our life:

To love God, love people, and use our God-given talents and passions to make a difference.
These purposes lead to a countercultural way of prioritizing the use of money.  Our culture teaches us to make lifestyle spending our highest financial priority.  Next come debt payments that come from the first spend-first priorities.  If any money is left over, we should save, invest and maybe even give some.

Scripture flips this approach on its head.  It makes clear that God wants us to approach life from an other-centered point of view, which is why He teaches us to make generosity our first financial priority.  (Proverbs 3:9)  He wants us to use His resources to care for the poor (Proverbs 19:17), share the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20), and help provide for those who teach us His word. (Galatians 6:6)".

Financially, we need to also stay or get out of the bondage of debt, have some savings, invest patiently and THEN use what is left to support our lifestyle.

What a difference in how God wants us to use those things He has entrusted to us compared to what we see and hear in the world.  Even knowing these principles, I have spent too much time, money and energy on lifestyle even though I want it to be pleasing to God.

As we go into 2014, remember the principles of good stewardship:  Invest in others and help the poor, be generous, share the Gospel, and provide for those who teach His Word.  Which is just another way to seek His Kingdom first...and remember the rest?....  All things will be added unto you...an abundant life, with people to love, time, purpose and provision to do God's will with what He has entrusted to you.

Let's get going...there are people to see and love, things to do.  When we turn our priorities upside down, we can turn our world upside down as well!

Use those gifts and Go All In!

Come Let Us Adore Him

Something funny happened in my basement closet as I was getting out Christmas decorations.  I pulled out the handmade manger scene with Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angel and sheep, the usual cast of characters, but when I pulled out the manger, Baby Jesus fell out and was lost in the  bottom of the closet amidst all the other decorations !  As I peered down through all the Christmas clutter trying to find Him, the message became clear:

Don't lose Jesus in all the other Christmas stuff!!!

This season of  His birth should be all about waiting for Him expectantly and rejoicing in His arrival.
Whatever we do to celebrate Christmas  it should be about adoring Him!

Here are my top ten ways to have a simpler Christmas with the focus where it needs to be.
1.  Get our your manger scene and turn a Bible to Luke chapter 2, the story if Jesus' birth.  Give these a place of prominence in your home. You can download free manger scenes that you print out for children to move the characters as you tell the story of Christmas.

2.  Establish the habit of meeting together as a family to do an Advent calendar of activities, or read scripture or Christmas stories each evening of as often as possible.
Our family did this before bedtime, all cuddled up on the couch by the tree.  Even as teens and now  adults they remember fondly the stories I clipped from magazines about selfless acts of service and Christmas miracles and still want to read old favorites.  The Jesus Story Book Bible has a adding for each day, begin at the front and day 24 brings you to the Birth of Jesus, and God's great rescue plan for his people has arrived.
Togetherness is what matters here, as well as refocusing on the reason for the season.

3.  Make your home an inviting place to be...inviting, not perfect, not magazine worthy, not spectacular!
You can decorate with very little..a tree perhaps, or even little trees from the thrift store, or evergreen branches stuck in bottles.  Make handmade ornaments, put out favorites with lights.  Part of the fun is seeing everyone's favorite ornaments again.  We always chose an ornament that reminded us of a milestone in each child's life that year as a present ...a football player, a camper, ballerina, etc.
Shop for decor at your grocery store...put candy canes in mason jars along with other Christmas candy, have a big bowl of red and green apples, a glass container of lemons and  limes.  Have the kids stuff some oranges with whole cloves and place in a bowl with cinnamon sticks and pine comes.  Shop for decor out your door...cut evergreen branches and gather pine cones for displays throughout the house.  Shop your house..use thing in a different way.  Put Christmas bows around stuffed animals in a wagon! Wrap your picture frames. Tie bows around your sofa pillows.  Make a
"Snow village" with branches spray painted white, batting for snow and  Epsom salt snow in mason jars with tea lights, or the snow spread on a tray with candles.

4.  Make your family's favorite cookies and desserts.  We have some cookies we only make at .Christmas...Reindeer Haystacks, which are chow mein noodles and melted chocolate chips and peanut butter.  We do not make fancy cookies and neither should you unless you enjoy that!  We do make a Jesus birthday cake, which I never dreamed would still be requested as it is only a jello poke cake with white cake mix and red and green jello,  Who knew?

5.  Cook ahead and freeze extra for busy days...chili, roast beef sandwiches, lasagna, etc. Have a stash of crackers, chips and dip for unexpected company.

6.  Make your home smell like Christmas whether you bake or not.  Collect peels from oranges and put in a small saucepan on your stove with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and some water.  You can reuse this mixture several times.

7.  Keep the grinch of consumerism and commercialism away...or it will steal your Christmas joy! Don't look at magazines, decor and fashions at the mall, or ads that urge you to spend more, and even make you discontent with what you have.  This includes children.

8.  Focus on giving..not "I want, I want".  Have your children make a giving list and an acts of service list as their gift to Jesus!

9.  Have a silent night.  Sit together with just light from candles and of the Christmas tree. Play Christmas music and just ponder  the wonder of Christmas in your heart.  This is the way to truly adore Him!

10.  Do less and enjoy the season more..your family will cherish memories you make together and you can enjoy the season.  For too many years I tried to be the overachieving Mom and hostess, ending  up frazzled and snippy with my family instead of  relaxing and being present in the moment.  I was thinking of the next items on my to do list and playing martyr because I has so much to do...a lot of which really didn't add me that much to our adoration of Jesus.
Let that be the funnel you sift activities through...do they help you worships Jesus and bring your family together or not?

Giving Thanks with a Grateful and Contented Heart

Happy November!  Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I'm getting my quota of pumpkin products made. I enjoy making and eating pumpkin pies, bars, bread, lattes, etc.  While making pumpkin pies, I started thinking about the evaporated milk can, the one with the cows on the front. The company's motto says something about their cows' milk being best because it comes from contented cows.

As I stood at my kitchen window and looked out at a beautiful red maple against a crisp,clear Kansas blue sky I began to ponder contentment and realized that the most thankful hearts come from contented people!
 

Contentment means that we realize we have enough, whether it's food, shelter, clothing, money or other things.  It really means that we are thankful or grateful for what God has done in our lives--with our "lot", so to speak.
 

We are content with where He has put us, with what He has given us to do, with the people He has given us to love and serve, with our talents and abilities and even our shortcomings. When we're truly content, we simply rest and trust because we're not busy trying to tell God what to do to improve our lives!  (Disclaimer-I am a fairly content person, and usually a very thankful one but not always...sigh)

I read once that one of the best acts of thanksgiving is to be content. The Bible specifically tells us  "be content with such things as you have, because He himself (Jesus) has said I will never leave you nor forsake you." Really....What more do we need?  We don't need tons of money, the latest fashions or home furnishings, techno gadget or anything else if we could just grasp the reality of this promise.
 

Sharing our abundance - If we are not content with what we already have, we'll never be content with more...when is enough?  If your home is like mine, we have more space than we use each day. (Except to store extra stuff!)  We have more sets of dishes than we use daily, more clothes than we can wear in a week, more food than we need!!!  I am always convicted to clean out and pass along those things we really don't need.  I've been collecting and culling winter clothes and coats, gloves, scarves to pass along to others.  Get your family involved...it's a great way to demonstrate to everyone how richly you have been blessed. We always cleaned out toys and books with the kids over as we explained that Christmas was coming and they could part with some of their things so other children could use and enjoy them.  Sam Levenson, a comic and educator whose immigrant family lived in the city tenements, tells that his mama had a box for the poor.  Even though they were the poor, they felt richer when they put some pennies in the poor box.  Clean out your pantry and pass along extras to your community food bank. (Check expiration dates first.) Help serve or donate food for holiday meals.  We all have something to give!

Sharing your home and hospitality -You don't need to create a perfect Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving feast for family and friends to make the day memorable.   Simplify meals if you're entertaining, plan and cook ahead...the freezer and crock pot are your friends!

Keep an emergency stash of snacks, cookies, or even soup/chili you can pull out in a hurry for unexpected company.  Even prepare for the very real but unwelcome possibility that your plans may be thwarted by the flu or weather and be ready with an alternate "feast" of chicken noodle soup or clear liquids.  (My youngest son was 5 years old before he attended an extended family Thanksgiving as we had a run of illness those years!)

Remember that "less is more" in menu planning and decorating.  Pour some popcorn into some mason jars with candles on top, or gather some nuts, leaves and pumpkins or gourds for a natural grouping.

Have a cider/hot cocoa bar, apple slices with caramel dip and popcorn for easy snacks.

Plan a family walk, football game, movie time or even look at old pictures and share times past.  

Use paper plates for some meals or choose whatever shortcuts will help you relax and et to be part of the fun.  The less you are stressed about entertaining, the more everyone around you will enjoy the day.

Share you heart...your gratitude and contentment - Look for ways to express your thanks and to let others share as well...a thankfulness journal, lists at each place at the table, leaves on a tree, etc.  The more we find to be thankful for, the more we see how mightily God has worked in our lives and the more we will be content to let Him be God and trust in His care for us.  

And last, but not least, lead those you are thankful with in a rousing chorus of "Come Ye Thankful People Come" or "Count Your Blessings".  As that song goes, it really is amazing to see what God has done!

Put Your Hands Together

Hands On Experiences
I've been thinking about "Hands" a lot this month.  Our hands are pretty incredible instruments or tools.  I do not have lovely, graceful hands.  I got the short stubby finger gene and playing piano was a real "reach" for my fingers, if you'll pardon the pun.  However, I come from a long line of do-it-yourselfers who rely on our hands, to make life better.  I did have an ancestor who probably had lovely white hands and lived in her English manor, but insisted on marrying a  mere clerk and setting off for America in the 1840's. Instead of ringing the bell and asking the maid to remove the tea things, she found herself in the wilds of central Missouri doing everything for her family "by hand".
I started thinking of what capable hands the women (and men) of my family have had:  their hands have built homes, cleaned homes, killed chickens, plucked feathers, made the chicken into dinner and sewed pillows using the feathers, made quilts and clothes, knitted many articles, turned pages of the Bible and taught children how to read books, soothed fussy babies, smoothed hair or troubled faces, arranged flowers, set lovely tables, refinished furniture, painted and papered walls, driven cars, trucks and tractors, operated telephone switchboards, made jams and jellies, canned food for families, corrected an errant child, hugged and loved on the same errant child, washed dishes, planted gardens, bottle fed calves, pounded gavels at meetings, taken food to the needy and any other task needed to keep their families and communities safe and growing.  I realize all our pioneer ancestors had to do these things, but my family still does!
I do a lot of those same things and try to maintain the "handy" legacy.  My daughter got married this summer and it was a handmade wedding.  I sewed 2 wedding dresses, just to make sure I got one right--she was not at home so she then chose the one she wanted!  We made silk flower arrangements and decorations by hand, stirred up 24 dozen brownies for the reception, cut wildflowers from our garden for the tables.  Her friends and our family also helped wash fruit, curl hair and do makeup, play violins, throw wheat at the happy couple and cleanup afterward.
It was a beautiful wedding and fun time thanks to "many hands making light work!"
  We use our hands in many ways to bless others...and God designed our hands and us for this reason!
Our hands also tell a story..my hands are covered with age spots from too much tractor driving even though I wore gloves, and some dirt under my nails from time to time testifies to my time in my garden.  Right now they have black spray paint remnants from a project and the real kicker is that I am wearing an ace wrap on my left hand!
I have gained a new appreciation for hands, being as I am "short handed" right now.  It is really slowing me down as I use my left hand a lot more than I realized and it hurts now to use it for some things.  I have a new empathy for the many people who have arthritis or have lost the use of their hand(s) for some reason.

Lift up your hands...even if I'm unable to do something right now, or can't always be available to "lend a hand", I can always lift my hands in praise to our Father God who does all things well.  The most important thing I can do for my family or anyone I want to help is to pray.  I can bless others with my hands but God can bless others through my prayers and supply those things I can not, which brings us to:

Hands Off!
         I've been attending the Bible study, Seated, mentioned in our Lovely Branches website and learned something that I'm still trying to grasp.  Sometimes God wants me to just sit down and rest in Him, trust in Him and even sit on my hands..in other words, let go and let Him work in a situation.  He does not need my help nor is it even help if I try to "fix" things when He is the one with the plan and ability to do whatever is needed.  Actually, I ought to get out of the way! Well, this was disconcerting news to a "Martha", a do-it-yourself type such as myself.  How freeing though and a little scary. It turns out that everything does not pivot on my ability to fix things...thank goodness and thank God!!  I can trust Him to work and do those things I can not.
Give yourself a hand-
There are things we can be doing to help ourselves and our families, though. The holidays are coming up.  Now is the time to think about expectations and alternatives.  If you want to simplify things or change how you give thanks and how your family celebrates the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, now is the time to start talking and planning.
Do some fall cleaning and get rid of outgrown clothes or extra knickknacks. Put some casseroles or chili in the freezer for later.  Sip some cider, collect some leaves, carve a pumpkin or make some pumpkin bars.  Rejoice in the things your hands can do!  And praise, pray and give thanks to our Heavenly Father who has us all in His hands.

Service with a Smile .....or "Get me out of my recliner and not be a whiner!"

"Live life comfortably",  is the clever motto of the Lazy Boy furniture company.  I'm telling you, though, that recliner, comfortable as it is, is not your friend.  As much as I enjoy curling up in our recliner with a good book, I know that God did not put me here on earth to be "comfortable".  He wants me to glorify Him.  That is our ultimate purpose, and one way we do that is by serving Him.  Boy, can that be uncomfortable!!!

Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2
 
"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's great mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the patterns 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.

Somehow, offering my body as a living sacrifice does not sound like a life of ease and comfort.  Paul knew something of sacrifice and discomfort, even pain and imprisonment in his quest to serve God and others.  If we are obedient to serve God and others as well, we can kiss our recliners and comfortable lifestyles goodbye for a time.  Someone once told me that the shortest line anywhere is in the line to serve. We all want to be served, but very few of us want to serve others. This means we need to change our minds, like in the verse above, to not think of ourselves first, but of doing for others instead. As contrary to our culture as that is, you can never out give God.  Serve God, it pays..in all kinds of ways.  You may not receive a lot of appreciation from others, though.
One of my favorite cards shows Jesus with the crowds on the hill behind him, having just received the loaves and fishes that He blessed and multiplied to feed everyone.  In this cartoon card version, you see people starting to complain...."could I have some blackened fish instead?", and "I need gluten free bread"...  Jesus is smiling whereas I would be bent out of shape because people were not properly appreciative of what I had done for them.  Service with a smile is not always one of my strong suits.

I have good intentions and even follow through sometimes and have received the blessing of being able to supply a need in someone's life, letting God love them through me. It is with a profound sense of gratitude that you realize God let you have a part in His provision for someone else...the answer to someone's prayer!

Too many times, though, it has been with mumbling, dragging of feet and an "oh, poor me" attitude that may be obedience, but certainly is not with a glad, trusting heart..nor a smile.
And then...God puts someone in my life at just the right moment to supply one of my needs or to give me fresh courage, or encouragement, which was just what I desperately needed to keep pushing on.
How can I begrudge being "the hands and feet" of Jesus when I know full well the difference a person can make when they show me His love?

There are many ways to serve others and Jesus.  He tells us that whatever we do "for the least of these", people who need His love the most, it is like doing those things for Him.
I read an article many years ago in VIRTUE magazine called, Ways you can reach the world for Christ without ever leaving your Home. As a mom with little children in a small town, it got my attention as I felt my options to serve God were somewhat limited.  This was an eye opener. though and put an end to a lot of my excuses. We can all:

Go..visit others who need a friend, some cheering up
Call or email someone who comes to our mind with a word of thanks or encouragement
Cook or Bake food for those needing a meal--some organized types keep a meal or casserole in the freezer just for this purpose..some church groups make this a ministry and stock the church freezer with meals
Walk around town and get your exercise as well as pray for people in homes you pass, your town, the schools, etc.
Give--your time to volunteering in some ministry or give your money, or give out of our excess--
  extra clothes, books, knickknacks, can be donated to Goodwill or the Salvation Army to bless others. I read recently of a lady who is purging her home of excess by getting rid of 10 things a day.  Think of the extra room and time we'd gain!
Clean someone's house or your teen's room after a tough week.  A friend and I cleaned closets at our church this summer in order to gain space and do an inventory.  We found lots of items we can use and save money by using what we have and giving extra materials away to a ministry in Belize!
Grow flowers or vegetables to give to others.  Some people donate extra produce to their food bank, or give flowers to nursing homes for patients.
"Mother" some other children besides your own.  As a teacher, I can tell you that we have lots of chldren who could use some extra time and attention and a big thank you to those Mamas who find room in their hearts and "nests" to take in those children who don't have homes.  You can change a child's life for eternity! Besides adoption or foster parenting, or just informal mothering of kids, you can support children with organizations like Compassion.  We have children we have sponsored in this way, but I need to spend more time writing to them and assuring them of God's love.
Drive those who can't take themselves to appointments or the store.
Sew-help others with mending, or make quilts for others.  I have some friends who use their extra fabric to make simple shift style dresses for little girls in Africa
Pray, which is the most important of all.  Become a prayer warrior.  I have been prompted many, many times to pray for even strangers I meet, even when I don't know their circumstances.  You never know how our prayers may be answered or what a difference they can make, but I know God listens and answers.
You get the idea..whatever God has given us, whatever resources or talents and gifts, someone has need of them.  We need to be more responsive to God's nudges to serve instead of making excuses as we relax in our recliners!

Having listed some ways to serve, however, I have a caution.  In her book, Never Say Never, one of author Lisa Wingate's characters is struggling with doing what she knows she needs to do as
God's direction, but hesitates because she already has her "plate full".  She makes the observation that, "the biggest enemy of havin' our hands ready for God's work is having them full up with other things already."  Too, too true.  We may need to scrape a few things off our plate.(A good rule for life and church potluck dinners!)

So, leave some room on your plate..don't have it so full there's not room for God to add something He really needs you to do. We all have things we're more passionate about and are more able to do...God made us this way for a reason.  Sometimes, however, He may call us out of our comfort zone to lean on Him to do what needs to be done. It really is fine to have some recliner time, too...re-charge before your next opportunity to serve.

Out of love, let us serve one another and throw in a smile and prayer for good measure.

Are we there yet?

I come from a fairly frugal family.  My parents had a big garden, so we froze and canned a lot of our food. My mom made most of our clothes until I became able to make my own in high school.  We rarely ate out.  We saved a lot of money doing those and other things.
The one thing my parents agreed to spend money on was...Family Vacations!
  I grew up spending lots of time in the back seat...in addition to family vacations, we also took Sunday drives and visiting either one of our grandparents' home was a 5 hour trip one way.  I looked forward to time together in the car with few distractions and hearing my parents tell stories or even sing!  ( I know, how hokey is that...but we did!). I would even lay up on the rear window ledge and look at the stars.
  Still frugal, our car trips involved lots of picnics and free entertainment .  We visited lots of museums and historical sites, and even college campuses.  My parents made it all seem like fun and an adventure, so we didn't miss amusement parks, etc. on our trips.
  When our kids came along, we wanted to make the same kind of memories with them.
We have packed the car and later our suburban, Big Red, with kids, friends, a grandmother, a guitar or two, weights and enough luggage and snacks to sustain us all on our various travels.
Our longest trip time wise was a 2 week jaunt back east toWashington, D.C.  We toured the Capitol, went to the White House, the Smithsonian Museums, Arlington National Cemetery,  Colonial Williamsburg , Yorktown, Hampton Beach, Annapolis, the Naval Academy and various other points between here and there!  It was epic..and educational..and inspiring at all the National Monuments.
We played hoops on the lawn at Mt. Vernon, next to the Potomac River.  Parking in a big parking Garage and downtown Baltimore was another adventure, as well as taking the water taxi across the Harbor.  We ate crab cakes and buried one another on the beaches.  We even got involved in a mock trial at Williamsburg where my husband sat on the jury..as he was one of the few in the crowd that met the requirements for this duty...white, male, of a certain age, and a land owner.
  Spending Memorial Day at Gettysburg was a sobering experience as I thought of all the young men, only a little older than my own sons, who died in the battles there. We also stopped at various points between here and there and saw God's provision in many ways, including protection while crossing the Mississippi River in six lanes of traffic in torrential rain. Stopping in St. Louis for a baseball game was still a big deal for some in the car. The best part of that trip and any was what we learned about each other..each persons's favorite experiences, what spoke to our hearts.
  I am happy to report that at the end of the trip, everyone was quite happy to return home.  We couldn't click our ruby slippers, but we piled into Big Red and got home to Kansas anyway.
  Our trips through the years has also taken us to the Grand Canyon and the Grand Tetons, to Mt. Rushmore and the mountains of Colorado and North Carolina.  We've explored the beaches in Florida and along the shores of the Great Lakes..and yes, stopped at quite a few museums and historical sights along the way. We've seen God at work in His creation and in the lives of people modern day as well as in the past.  A change of scenery often gave us a change of perspective and of heart.
Be safe on your travels..get out there and explore God,'s great big world.  Or have a stay-cation and explore what is all around you in a new way.
  Our best adventures were when we stepped into local life and made new friends.  Stopping for a local church's cherry festival was a great way to learn about God,s people in other places.  We stayed in wonderful familyhomes at Bed and Breakfasts.  Visiting State parks was a highlight and if you visit a state with State Park lodges, stay or eat at one!  Bring books about local people and history and read to your family.
Look for God at work all around you..and you'll be amazed!

Red, White and Blue

Happy Fourth of July!  One of my favorite holidays.
If you have young children, have a parade with everyone and everything decked out in red, white and blue.  Play patriotic music on your sound system, or even hum.  We used to hum "Stars and Stripes Forever" while we waved our sparklers in the air.  Make your favorite All American summer foods, especially Popsicles  (or homemade ice cream).
Fly your flags .  Sit on the porch and visit with family and friends.  Read the Preamble to the Constitution out loud to your family.  Talk about the Christian principles that guided our founding fathers in declaring our independence.
Google the signers of the Declaration and you will find that freedom is indeed not free.  Every one of those men faced retribution from the British because of their signature.  Their families were hurt, their homes destroyed and their own lives threatened.
Our country is what it is because so many people were willing to sacrifice their own happiness for their beliefs in the bigger goal of freedom for all and to protect the Christian principles this country was founded upon.
In my family, I have a several greats in my ancestry - a great grandfather and his seven sons who fought in the Revolution.  I have ancestors who fought on both sides of the Civil War,
My Dad and three uncles fought in WWII.  They were mere babes, 17 and 18 years old , flying in bombers over Germany, advancing through Austria on foot, and serving on an Aircraft carrier in the Navy. None of them ever talked a lot about what they did and their service did come at a price to themselves and their families.
If you know military families, encourage them and thank them this Fourth.  Pray for those serving our country.
Pray for our country...I believe that and voting, or even serving in some type of office are some of the most patriotic things we can do.
Our allegiance belongs first to God, however.  I have friends whose religious beliefs include not saluting the flag because of this principle.  I believe that God has protected and prospered our nation so that we can help others and further His Kingdom in doing so.
If you ever get the chance to go to Washington, D.C., visit our monuments.  Engraved on the Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt and even our Capitol are the Christian principles that guided our founders.  Long may those principles reign.  God Bless America and help us to bless others!

It's Music to My Ears...And for My Soul!

This is my Father!s world, And to my listening ears
all nature sings and round me rings The music of the skies.
This is my Father's world:  I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world, The birds their carols raise
The morning light, the lily white, Declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:  He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.
-Maltbie Babcock

This hymn was one of my Dad's favorite whistling tunes.  I'd often hear him out at the barn, whistling this or several other hymns.  It was truly music to my ears...to know where he was and that he was happy..... and music to my soul to know that my daddy was secure (and I could be, too) in his Heavenly Father.
Years later, it was music to my ears and soul when my oldest son Kent would sing this song around the house because it was one of his favorites, too.

I'm a gardener and a porch sitter, and at this time of year I'm all about the music God's little creatures, the birds, are making.  I can recognize several by their tunes.  One of the loudest and most enthusiastic singers is also the smallest...a little house wren.  I'm awakened most mornings by birdsong.....much earlier than I would choose to be awake.  I read once that birds sing loudest in the dark, and it seems to be true..right before dawn, they are a veritable chorus!
My world would be a lot quieter without the songs of birds...and a lot less cheerful.  Their songs reminds me of the old gospel, His Eye Is On the Sparrow, and the words go on to remind me that I know He watches me.  That is true music to my soul!

As in the hymn above, there are other sounds of nature that remind me of my Father's love.
The sound the winds make in a pine forest, the rustling of wheat in the fields, honking of geese flying overhead with the season's change, and rain on the roof.
The sounds of giggling children, my AWANA kids singing Jesus Loves Me, the laughter of my Mom and Aunt Sue, and the voices I love to hear in person or on the phone also tell me all is right with my world which means all is well with my soul(another great hymn).

These words written by David in Psalm 40:1-5 are the truest music to my soul.
I waited patiently for The Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
Out of the mud and mire
He set my feet on a rock
And gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God,
Many  will see and fear
And put their trust in The Lord.
 Blessed is the man who makes The Lord his trust,
Who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, O Lord my God,
Are the things you planned for us
No one can recount to you;
We're I to speak and tell of them,
They would be too many to declare.

A Mother's Voice

In the movie, "Two Weeks Notice", the central character is a driven woman attorney whose mother teaches law classes.  In explaining why she is so driven and conscientious, she explains it like this: "it's my mother's voice I hear.  For better or worse, she's the voice in my head.."

Can't we all relate to that?  We hear our mother's voices quite often in our heads, telling us the "right" ways to do things, giving certain pieces of advice, perhaps a special praise or even a cruel or cutting put down.

As a mother myself, I wanted to be really careful about what words I used with my children.  I am a person easily built up or torn down by words, so I understand their power.  Even so, I know I spoke harshly in anger at times or even thoughtlessly and hurt my children.  It's just like the illustration with a tube of toothpaste when you squeeze big dollops out and then try to put them back in the tube..it can't be done.  Our words, once spoken can not be called back either.  (If only) 

The Power of A Positive Mom, by Karol Ladd, offers weekly devotions and journal exercises for Moms.  The one entiltled," The Power of Our Words" emphasizes the power and responsibility we have as mothers to use care with our speech.  She quotes the following verses from the book of Proverbs in the Bible:

Prov. 15:1-4, 18:4, 20

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.

The wise person makes learning a joy; fools spout only foolishness.

The Lord is watching everywhere,keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

Gentle words bring life and health;a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit...

A person's words can be life-giving water;words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling  brook;

Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction

Clearly the power of words is a force to be used in constructive or destructive ways.

In Proverbs 31, that famous passage about the "ideal" wife and mother, the phase I so wish could be said of me is this:

"When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions." v.26

Another versions says:  "The teaching of kindness is on her lips."

That one begs to be a definite index card over the sink reminder.  Of all the things I did right or wrong with my kids, my words, whether kind or harsh are what I remember most.

Think about the empowering difference Moms can make in their children's lives. Here's an example from a woman I know:

Irene's mother when faced with the necessity of traveling out of town on muddy roads in their old car said confidently, "Why, Irene (her daughter) can get us there."  (Irene was 12 at the time and did not share her mothers optimism or assessment of her driving abilities)

I marveled at the confidence that mother had in her daughter;"my daughter or son can do anything".  If you grow up with people believing so strongly in you, you would probably be likely to believe in yourself as well..especially if you also are taught Phillipians 4:13, "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me".

My friend Irene related this tribute toward her mother when she herself was in her 80's.  She had become a teacher, then school administrator, and actually served on an education panel for President Lyndon Johnson in the 1970's.  She had a lively faith in God and her early experiences with a Mom who told her she could do anything stood her in good stead as she hopped planes to fly from Kansas to Washington, D.C. for meetings.

 I cringe to think of what my voice might be repeating in my children's heads.  I wish it was a noble, kind thought or piece of advice but I know I slipped and the "teaching of kindness" was not always on my lips.
I have asked forgiveness of my children but I know also that the words, once out, are there permanently.
As mothers or just as Christian women, we need to work on speaking with kindness.

 Karol has these journal assignments as suggestions:
*choose to use only life-giving words this week with my family and friends
*choose the law of kindness to rule my tongue
*choose to correct or discipline children with strong but gentle instruction"

Look for ways to build up others around you.  Don't give false or hollow praise, but thoughtful and sincere appreciation of others.  Even in the middle of a "tiff" with your family, try to hang on to the teaching of kindness.  Your children will follow your example.  Our world is full of rudeness and put-downs, let's engage in a counter-cultural battle and be lifter-uppers instead.  I read of a girl who started a campaign to encourage other women that they were beautiful, no matter what the mirror might tell them, so she started using post-it notes that had affirming thoughts on them and leaving them on the mirrors in women's rest rooms.
We could do this at our churches, or in our homes for our family.
Our words do have a tremendous power and my prayer is that Jesus will help us to be encouraging (to put courage in) and kind in our words..spoken or written!

April Gladness

"I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord." -Psalm 122:1

This verse from my childhood usually reminds me how glad I am to go to church and Sunday School, but at this time of year I take a broader view of the "house of the Lord".
I'm a gardener and can't wait to get outside to His really big "house" and start putting in vegetable gardens, and tending to all my flower beds. This will involve a lot of hoeing, shoveling as I move plants from one place to another, weeding and watering. The heat of August may dim my enthusiasm a little, but the fall plants will be starting then and fall mornings outside are wonderful!  I especially love to be outside in the Spring and Summer and putter in my garden.  My daffodils and hyacinths are beginning to bloom (although getting covered in snow and ice won't help) and they'll be followed by lilacs and iris, then the hydrangea and roses.  It's about more beauty than I can take!!  And the fragances..lilly-of-the-valley, roses, lilacs...who could have made plants with such an array of colors, textures, uses and smells but God? I continually marvel at His handiwork!
 I come from a long line of outdoors- loving folks, gardeners and farmers who took God's commandment to subdue the earth seriously.  When you visit one of my relatives at this time of year, the first thing you do when getting out of the car is not go inside to visit, but have a tour of the gardens to see what amazing things God's been up to with His plants!  Our calendar revolves around garden chores:  strawberry or tomato harvest, blackberry picking, putting up the peaches, gathering walnuts or pecans for the winter.
My earliest memories are of some of those things--gathering tubs of peonies and delivering them with grandma and great aunts to the cemeteries for Memorial Day, learning to drive in our farm lanes up to the wild blackberry patch, having bouquets of iris and lilacs Mom would bring inside and we would deliver to neighbors in May baskets.  The end of school always brought strawberry picking and jam making and we spent a lot of late nights freezing corn and tomatoes while watching "The Johnny Carson" show'.  We ate a lot of watermelons outside sitting in our yard swing and chairs, just enjoying being outside with all God had given us to enjoy.
There's an old hymn with the lines: "I come to the garden alone, when the dew is still on the roses, He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me  I am his own, and the joy we have  when we   linger there, no other has ever known"
I do feel very close to God when I'm outside and I get such enjoyment from His creation.  
  Another activity that fills my heart with gladness is reading, and  I wanted to share this except from Karen Scalf Linamen and her book, "Welcome to the Funny Farm, The All-True Misadventures of a Woman on the Edge". -
"You know , gardening can be enjoyable labor.
Or, it can feel frustrating and even futile.
A lot depends on whether or not you've got the right tools.
Resources like the right mower, a handy tiller, and adequate water can make a world of difference when you're in the process of nuturing tender growing things.
Cultivating soil with a weedwacker, for example is a recipe for disaster.  Cutting grass with cuticle scissors in a one-way ticket to the Funny Farm.  And planting bulbs with
 a kitchen spoon not only takes twice as long but can make your coffee taste kind of earthy the next morning.
I understand these principles when it comes or organic growth.   So why do I forget they apply to spiritual growth as well?
I want to grow, thrive and bear fruit spiritually.  But am I equipping myself with the right tools?  Or am I trying to do the job armed with a teaspoon and the Sunday funnies? *
What are the power tools of spiritual growth?  This list isn't definitive, but I've got a few ideas:  Prayer, Fasting, the Word of God, Praise and Worship.  Accountability to godly friends.  Confession. Bible study. Spending time in the presence of God.  
I don't know about you, but some days I think my backyard is a tropical paradise compared to my spiritual landscaping.
Spring is a great time to spruce up the yard.  But maybe it's a good reminder to tend to my soul as well.
I was going to spend the afternoon potting a few patio plants.  But before I head outdoors, I think I'll spend an hour in my favorite armchair with my Bible and a cup of coffee. It should be a rewarding time.
Even if my coffee does taste like dirt."

*A great gardening tip:  When you want to start a new garden bed, but don't want to go to the work of shoveling up the ground/grass, spread multi-layers of newspaper over the area as a weed/grass barrier and then spread bags of potting soil over them and plant as usual.  Over time, the newspaper layers kill the grass and decompose, leaving you with a new, weed free garden bed.  I've also tried poking holes in the bottom of bags of soil and then splitting them open on top, planting plants in the soil and then covering them with mulch.  Even easier, and the plastic kills the weeds/grass underneath as well.  At the end of the growing season, just pull the plastic from the soil and  ta-daaa!  Another planting bed for next year!
I wish you all April gladness and whatever brings you peace and joy with God, go after it!!
I'll be out in the garden with my shovel, humming praise tunes and my heart will be filled with gladness as I spend time my  Father, the master gardener who plants so many good things in and for us all!

March Madness

What will you be doing in March? I'll be watching the final moments of the NCAA Championship game not only to see what team wins but mostly to hear one of my favorite songs, One Shining Moment.  This is the highlight of the basketball season for me. (To refresh your memory and hear the song, click here: One Shining Moment 2008, the year KU won the championship.). The words and music are by David Barrett Hodges and some of the lyrics are:

The ball is tipped, and there you are ,  You're running for your life, you're a shooting star
And all the years, no one knows, just how hard you worked but now it shows..
In one shining moment, It's all on the line
In one shining moment, there frozen in time
But time is short and the road is long, in the blinking of an eye, that moment's gone
And when it's done, win or lose, you always did your best, cuz inside you knew
That in one shining moment you reached deep inside, in one shining moment you knew you were alive
Feel the beat of your heart, feel the wind in your face, it's more than a contest, it's more than a race
In one shining moment...

Pictures of the players, cheerleaders, fans, and bands are meshed with the song and the incredible energy, passion and hard work exemplified in the games touches something in me, too. Makes me want to lay it all on the line, to strive and give my all.  

It's a song that makes you want to get up off the couch and get busy doing something amazing.
There's something in all of us that wants to expend ourselves in a noble cause.  I think of how God has a plan and purpose for each of us that will call on all we have and even what we don't have so we have to lean on Him to accomplish His work.

We're reading the book,  When Women Say Yes to God, by Lysa TerKeurst, in our current Lovely Branches Bible Study.  Saying "yes" to the things God asks of us is like playing extreme sports..it gets your heart pumping, gives you an adrenaline rush, stretches your talent and faith, and can scare you to death. It may even seem like "madness" at times.

A 'simple yes' in response to God can also energize you to venture out into some wild territory, clinging only to God and His promises.  This stretches your faith.  Just like in the big games, you may win or think you've lost. The fans, your friends and family, may cheer you on, but often they will not be so encouraging  if you dare big things for God.  His approval and your obedience is the "score" that really matters.

I don't know about you, but I'd like to  have more than one shining moment when I say yes to God.  It may be as simple (!) as biting my tongue to hold back an uncharitable remark. It could mean surrendering my ways or notions of what my life should look like.  Even venturing out on a limb to help someone and putting my faith on the line to accept a challenge only He can get me through are big opportunities to have a "shining moment".  I've had a few of those shining moments.  They are exhilarating and humbling in that the God of the Universe would choose me to help with His plans!
As with Isaiah (chapter 6, verse 8), God may ask any one of us at any given moment, "Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?"  I pray you and I will respond as Isaiah did, "Here I am, send me."  A 'simple yes' will do.

Other types of March Madness I'm experiencing this month as well-

Cleaning closets and cabinets, trying to let go of more things.  When I got married 33 years ago, all my worldly possessions  fit in my little car--books, clothes, a coat rack, a rocker, and some dishes and pans.  Now I have a house full of things!  How did this happen?  A woman who says "yes to God" recognizes that all this worldliness is but "trash" compared to knowing God and doing His work.    
"This way lies madness"...is a quote I muttered to myself as I sat going through lists of things to do for my daughter's wedding in July.  Yes, my little girl is getting married to a wonderful young man. The "madness" part comes in as they decided to have a simple, country wedding in our country church.  We also decided it should be a DIY wedding, from making some of the reception food, and growing the flowers and making the bouquets ourselves.  I've made 3 wedding dresses to see which is best.  (My friends can attest that while I try to downplay all of this, the tic in my left eye during the wedding dress construction belied my "no big deal" attitude!)  As I talked to Laurie today about some detail, I told her I was using our wedding project as an example of DYI madness for my blog.  Laurie corrected me saying,"Mom, it's DIY..Do It Yourself, not DYI."  To which I replied, "Maybe it is DYI ...for Do Yourself In!!!    Actually, this wedding may be featured as "March Madness" and "April Gladness", next month's theme.
Finally, one last example of March Madness comes from a story of St. Patrick which Lysa TerKeurst uses in her book.  Patrick was an aristocratic young man from Britain who was kidnapped and made a slave in Ireland for six years.  In time, he escaped back to Britain, but then decided to return to Ireland as a missionary to win the country to Christ.  The world would see this as "madness", caring about the people who enslaved you. Christian history is filled with people who made God's love their top priority, despite the cost..Mother Teresa, Corrie ten Boom, Taylor Hudson, and many other heroes of the faith, with Jesus as the supreme example of giving His life for us all which certainly looked like madness..why die for people who reject, scorn and persecute you??
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by having scones or Blarney Stones(cookies rolled in crushed peanuts, recipe is one internet) and recite with your family the prayer from St. Patrick's breast plate:
Christ, shield me this day:
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, 
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I arise, 
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.
  
May you and your family have a blessed Easter, also.  For ideas to celebrate  Holy Week with children and family, see the Heart and Home blog archives in March/April.  

A Heart to Heart

Happy February!  This is women's heart health month so it's appropriate that our theme is the "Ups and Downs of a Woman's Heart".
This reminds me of a joke:
It seems a motorcycle rider was cruising along a California beach and suddenly heard God speaking to him.  God told him that He would do anything the man asked, just to show the man His power and love.  The motorcyclist was taken aback and blurted out the first thing that crossed his mind.  "Lord, it would be awesome if I had a bridge from here to Hawaii and could just ride my cycle on over."  The Lord answered, "That's a pretty tall order..do you realize how far that is and the engineering involved?"
The cyclist thought and said, "Well, if that's too hard, you could help me understand women.
 If you could just explain the workings of their minds and hearts, I'd settle for that.
The was a moment's pause, then the Lord answered, "You want that bridge with two lanes or four?"

We all know that women's hearts are complicated and even we don't understand why we feel the way we do.  For our heart health, we know we need to forgive others and ourselves,we need to let go of anger and guilt, and to "take a chill pill" sometimes to keep things in perspective. That will keep our blood pressure (and everyone else's) lower, too,  This will help not only our heart health, but the health of our relationships.

One of the things I am fascinated with is windsocks.  You know, those long, orange open-ended things mounted on a pole, usually near an airport to give a visual indication of wind direction and speed.  Our home backs onto a large open area next to a former hospital, and for years, I could watch the windsock for the helicopter landing area from my window at the kitchen sink.  I enjoyed watching the windsock as it foretold changes in our weather--I could always tell when the wind changed directions or speed and know that a  storm or cold front was heading our way. Wouldn't it be helpful if our hearts had windsocks so others could be forewarned that a change or a storm was brewing??  It would like the mood rings of the 70's, telling others the "weather" of our hearts....Take cover, she's going to blow!
The fluctuations of my heart have caused me and others no little distress over the years.  I would really rather have an unchangeable or steady heart and reactions. This brings  me to the topic of steadfastness .
 The word steadfast has several meanings: to stand "fast" or secure in place, to be firmly established or fixed, to be constant and unchanging, not fickle or wavering.  Much too often my heart is up and down based on my circumstances, instead of being secure in my faith and trust in God.  I did some research of the use of "steadfastness" in the Bible and these verses are the antidote to "ups and downs" of my heart:
Psalm 51:10 tells us, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Consider also, Psalm 112:7, "He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord."

The book, Unglued by Lisa Terkeurst, deals with the ups and downs of our emotions or hearts, helping us to get a handle on them and becoming more steadfast.
A chapter I found particularly helpful is called, "I need a Procedure Manual".  Lysa describes an experience in which she was on an airplane before take-off and one of the passengers became completely unglued.  The woman ranted and screamed obscenities and the flight crew concentrated on trying to calm her down.  No matter how out of control the woman became, the crew remained calm, using carefully measured responses to the situation.  The woman was removed from the plane, and Lysa observed that we should all follow a "procedures manual." in dealing with the circumstances and people in our lives.  The crew had practiced a "default" plan that helped them to remain calm and in control.  She uses the Biblcal story of King Jehoshaphat as an example of steps for our own default plan:(read his story in 2 Chronicles, chapters 19 and 20.
Step 1. Alarmed, I resolve to remember who I am.
  Jehoshaphat received the very alarming news that a neighboring kingdom's army was headed his way to take over his country.  He immediately resolved to inquire of God what to do and to remember that he belonged to God and was in His care.
Step 2.  Redirect your focus to Jesus
  Jehoshaphat took his eyes and thoughts off the alarming news and focused on the almighty and all powerful God instead.  Sometimes we need to focus on Jesus because what we're coming unglued about isn't really worthy of a child of God. However, at other times our circumstances are so painful or tragic all we can do is cry out "Jesus".  My friend RoAnn gave me a book ,"The Power of Crying Out", as she discovered for herself the power of crying out to Jesus as her family took refuge in their basement as a tornado destroyed trees and buildings around them last spring. In His name is our refuge, our peace in the storms.
Step 3.  Recognize God's job is not your job
   These words were given to King Jehoshaphat: " Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army (coming against you-my words). for the battle is not yours, but God's." -2 Chronicles 20:15
Too often we're paralyzed by not knowing what to do..we need to seek God's guidance from His word, and then obey.  Our job is obedience, God's job is the results.  We stay in the flow of God's power by searching His word for answers--about relationships, money troubles, anxiety, or whatever concern we have and then obeying and letting God work out the rest--that's all we can do.
Step 4.  Shift from having an "attitude" to gratitude.
   King Jehoshaphat's battle plans given to him by God were to send out the choir singing praises to God in front of his small army to meet the oncoming enemy.  What a crazy plan!  In the midst of our problems and troubles, we are also called to focus on what is right and praise God for those things.  There is always something to be grateful for and that changes our perspective...our circumstances don't change, but our attitude does.
Step 5.  My reactions determine my reach
   Jehoshaphat's obedience and calm, trusting response brought forth not only the God-given victory over his enemy, but he was given peace and rest and his neighboring countries began to fear the Lord as well.  Our responses to our problems can bring us peace if we trust in God and we also can influence others to find God's peace and trust, and to have steadfast hearts as well.
I really do want a steadfast heart and need to commit these steps to memory.
This is also a good  time to improve your heart health by walking, eating right and reducing some of the stress in your life.  Laugh each day..spend time in God's word.  Take those vitamins.  Do those things you've been putting off that would give you more rest--I'm starting with cleaning out my sock drawer again! (From windsocks to sock drawers) I can't tell the difference between the blue and the black pairs and every time I get dressed, it takes digging through all the socks to find the right pair.  It's a small thing, but I get aggravated with myself each time because I haven't done what I can to fix the problem.  What do you need to "fix" to have less stress and more rest?  Let's get after it.
Celebrate Valentine's Day and the love God made possible for all of us by spreading His love all around--be generous in your loving!  That's good for your heart, too..and celebrate with dark chocolate, another heart healthy bonus.    
Here's one last verse to remind us to practice a default  plan to protect our hearts from being up and down and all over the place:  
"My heart is steadfast, O God, I will sing and make music with all my soul." -Psalm 108:1