My Little Lamb October 12, 2009

The Letter L week was a fun one for me and my son! We read The Little Lamb, which isn’t part of our Before Five in a Row curriculum exactly…the same author/photographer wrote The Little Bunny, which is on the list but since I don’t have the bunny book and just the lamb one, I decided to do lessons for my son about The Little Lamb. We also read My “l” Book in our ABC series and that included lambs in it so it worked out well.

The Little Lamb takes readers to the Weatherbee farm where new lambs have been born. One lamb, Timothy, wanders from the flock into the arms of a young girl who is allowed to care for him for a short time. My son loved reading the story and looking at the photographs, which we discussed have been different than the illustrated pictures in his other books. He has a white Beanie Baby lamb that we kept with us while reading the story and we named him Timothy.

We had a fun time acting out the scene in the book where Timothy knocked down a bushel of apples that went tumbling down the steps. I blew up balloons and we pretended they were apples. We put them in a laundry basket and my son knocked it over. He loves balloons! We also have a wooden birthday cake that we made a mess of to act out the scene where Timothy knocks over  a table at a birthday party and spills the cake.

We also began talking about Jesus being the Lamb of God and started memorizing John 1:29, which says, “The next day John saw Jesus coming and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” We put it to song and my son has mostly all of it memorized. We made a cute lamb craft out of white buttons.

We also practiced letters and numbers this week, and talked about other animals that start with the letter L including lizards! It was a fun science lesson to watch lizards stuck to the outside of our bathroom window as they waited quietly for moths! The light from our window would attract the moths, which were gobbled up by the lizards! We’ve seen this several times and my son thinks it’s so fun…probably not for the moths! You can see three lizards below:

Most of all, this week’s lesson has reminded me that I am called to care for my son, my little lamb! Jesus asks Peter in John 21 to feed His sheep, care for His sheep – His people. The Lord is my son’s Shepherd and mine too, and for the time being I am responsible for caring for my son, and my baby girl, too. I pray that God gives me the strength to do this most awesome job!

A Child’s Prayer September 27, 2009

The next book on our Before Five in a Row list was Prayer for a Child, a sweet story about a little girl’s prayer before bedtime. I wasn’t sure that my son was going to relate to the story since a little girl is the narrator but he liked it and focused more on the items prayed for rather than the one praying. He liked looking at the page that includes a picture of children from around the world illustrating the little girl’s prayer for other children.

We traced my son’s hands and made a set of “praying hands” out of construction paper. Inside, we wrote people to pray for and my son added some stickers. He’s already prayed a few times on his own, mostly before meals and he sounds really cute! I pray with him throughout the day while we’re together – I want him to know he can pray anytime for any reason and it’s definitely a reminder for me.

The most amazing thing was that while we were out in the backyard one day we found a praying mantis hanging on to our patio table! I took several pictures but only a few turned out well. I told my son it was “the coolest bug” and he kept saying, “I want to see the coolest bug!” We confirmed with my husband that it was a praying mantis after he saw the pictures (the bug is upside down in the pic below.) God sent us the bug to see up close and personal during our lesson on prayer!

This week was also our Letter J week so we talked about how Jesus prayed and the Lord’s Prayer. My son has most of it memorized. We read the story of Joseph, which my son really enjoys. We talked about how Joseph was probably afraid while in jail but God was with Him. We talked about how Joseph probably prayed to God, just like the little girl in our story did, and just like we do and can. We also read about Joshua and the story of Jericho.

Other J lessons included J animals – jaguar, jackal, jellyfish – and we did some jungle pictures. We also made a rain stick using rice and paper towel roll but my son wasn’t too interested in that. He preferred looking at the jungle book we checked out from the library. In it, we discovered that a Central American lizard is known as the Jesus Christ lizard for its ability to glide across water making it appear that it’s walking on water. Learning has been so much fun for us! Next week is Letter K and Katy No-Pocket!

From earthly pilgrims to heavenly princes February 17, 2009

If you ask my son what he did this weekend, he’ll quickly tell you that he went to a princess party. Hmmm, you might wonder, what exactly is this 3-year-old talking about? Of course, my husband or I would expound by saying that he went a princess-themed birthday party for one of his friends who is a girl. Flowing gowns and shiny tiaras (not to mention a pink castle moonwalk) were all the rage at this birthday bash and my son quickly picked up on princess theme. Thankfully, he was much more interested in bouncing in the moonwalk than attempting to play the role of Prince Charming.

But for a little while, the birthday girl was treated as royalty since it was her day to shine. Turning 3 is a big deal and you should be able to don a Cinderella gown and glass slippers if only for a little while. You go from pre-schooler to princess in a matter of minutes and all the attention is on you. Even if all you want are the presents.

I was reminded of this weekend’s party while continuing to read The Pilgrim’s Progress and came upon an interesting paragraph that clearly describes Jesus Christ. At this point, the main character, Christian, has had his burden removed by leaving it in a grave at the foot of the cross and has been saved by his Savior. He must continue on his journey of faith along the straight and narrow path despite discouragement and doubt. However, he receives some refuge in what is called Palace Beautiful where he learns more about the Lord of the Hill, Jesus, who is described as…

“a brave warrior, who, at great cost to himself, fought and killed the one who had the power of death…He stripped himself of his glory in order to give eternal riches to the poor and humble, and to make heavenly princes out of earthly pilgrims.”

How beautifully John Bunyan (translated into modern English) described the Prince of Peace, the King of Glory. He exchanged all the riches He knew for us, in order to save us, to turn us into royalty. The Bible clearly describes this in Philippians 2:5-11:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

And what was the outcome of His humility and obedience for us, the earthly pilgrims? First Peter 2:9-10 says is succinctly:

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, a royal PRIESTHOOD, a HOLY NATION, a PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Those who believe Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose from the grave, those who claim Jesus as Lord, are chosen, are royalty, are holy. We are set apart for Him! We are truly heavenly princes (and princesses!) who have received eternal riches because of God’s great love and mercy. We are heavenly princes for more than just a day – for eternity! And because of that we are to proclaim the excellencies of our Lord and Savior, to tell other earthly pilgrims that they too can become heavenly princes because of what Christ has done on the cross and because He overcame death. At a great cost to Himself and a great benefit to us.

My burdern acquired…my burden removed February 6, 2009

While recently reading The Pilgrim’s Progress again (since I didn’t get past the Slough of Despond the first time around), I read this bit of dialogue between the weary traveler, Christian, and a seemingly wise friend, Worldly Wiseman:

“This is a dangerous route,” Worldly Wiseman tells Christian, “You have already encountered the Slough of Despond; if you continue on this road, you will face weariness and pain, dragons and darkness, death and many other dangers.”

“But my burden is worse than any of the things you’ve mentioned,” insisted Christian.

“And how did you acquire your burden in the first place?” asks Worldly Wiseman.

“By reading this book,” Christian responds.

The book that Christian is referring to is the Bible, the book he is found reading at the beginning of The Pilgrim’s Progress. The book that tells him he is headed to a eternity of destruction if he is not saved. And how shall he be saved, he wonders? Upon meeting a friend named Evangelist, he learns of the Way of salvation and begins upon his journey.

In a sense, I, too, began upon a journey of faith after “acquiring” my burden of sin from reading “the book.” Growing up without a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ, God led me to read a Catholic Bible I had in my room when I was 22 years old. As I lived a life I felt had no purpose or specific direction (I was not, though, suicidal), the Bible would offer me some guidance, I figured. Rather, I met my Savior and learned of my need for Him after being shown by the Spirit that I was destined for an eternity of destruction due to my sinful ways. My burden of sin overtook me, as it did Christian. But praise be to God – He removed my burden through His grace, mercy and love. After that initial meeting, I began reading the Bible voraciously and God led me to a small Christian church where I was baptized into the faith.

It’s been almost 8 years since my conversion and through Scripture, God has shown me my life before and after Christ…

Before Christ, I knew God but did not honor Him as God or give thanks but became futile in my speculations and my foolish heart was darkened (Romans 1:21). I was cursed, for cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law (Galatians 3:10). Like all sheep have gone astray, I had turned to my own way (Isaiah 53:6). For I knew my transgressions and my sin was ever before me, and against God only had I sinned and did what was evil in His sight (Psalm 51:3-4). For there is none righteous, not even one and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10, 23).

But God being rich in mercy and because of His great love for me made me alive together with Christ even while I was dead in my transgressions (Ephesians 2:4). God demonstrated His own love for me that while I was yet a sinner Christ died for me (Romans 5: 8). In my trouble, I cried to the Lord and He answered me (Psalm 120:1). I confessed my sin and He was faithful and righteous to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I confessed with my mouth Jesus as Lord and believed in my heart that God raised Him from the dead and I was saved! (Romans 10:9)

For it was by grace I was saved through faith, which is the gift of God, not anything that was of myself so that I may not boast (Ephesians 2:8). Christ redeemed me from the curse of the Law having become a curse for me (Galatians 3:13). For while I was still helpless at the right time Christ died for me, the ungodly (Romans 5:6) and as far as the east is from the west God has removed my transgressions from me (Psalm 103:12). He has rescued me from the dominion of darkness and transferred me into the kingdom of His beloved Son in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13).

Therefore, I have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father so I too might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20). I have been bought at a price and I must glorify God in my body (1 Corinthians 6:20). And if I am in Christ I am a new creature – the old things have passed away and new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Spirit Himself testifies with my spirit that I am a child of God and if a child, an heir also, an heir of God and fellow heir of Christ (Romans 8:16-17). I am a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a person for God’s own possession so that I may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). And if God is for me, who is against me? (Romans 8:31). For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

The Untitled Blog Post January 22, 2009

A lot can happen in three months – WordPress changes its format, you find out you’re pregnant, your son turns 3 years old. So, what’s the natural response? Blogging hits the backburner. At least for me.

But amidst the craziness and chaos of life, one thing has remained constant. There will always be more craziness and chaos. That’s life with a toddler-turning-preschooler who demands his way is the best way. Wait ’till he meets Jesus.

Or maybe I should say wait ’till Jesus meets him (and hopefully transforms him SOON!). But that wouldn’t be correct because my son is already known by Jesus, already known by His Heavenly Father, who fashioned him in the secret of my womb before I even knew he existed.

And God my Father has done it again – has allowed me to become the carrier of another miraculously-created life who I will bring into the world in less than six months. If only I could pray away the labor pains. Not likely.

But what I am praying for is that this unborn child will personally know and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The same prayer prayed daily for my firstborn. That Jesus will be first place in his life, that Jesus will remain the one constant thing amidst the craziness and chaos of life.

Of course, telling my son that will work wonders because he listens oh so well I believe it’s called selective hearing and thankfully he has heard my conversations about Jesus because he already knows Jesus loves him and died for him and that Jesus is alive. He at least can recite this at 3 years old and I’m praying these truths will become written on his own heart soon.

No, I think the better way for my son to learn that Jesus is first among all things is to see that portrayed in my life. In my crazy and chaotic life. For him to see that no matter what financial difficulty we face, no matter how many repairs Dada’s truck needs, no matter how many times I’ve repeated the statement that pee-pee goes in the potty not on the floor, that Jesus is still King of all. Because no matter how I treat my Lord, He is still Lord. No matter how unfaithful I am to Him, He is still faithful to me. It is undeserved love but as my husband would say, “It is what it is,” and it is grace.

Oh Lord, if only our hearts would cling to You with unfaltering faith, if only we could take You at your word and know beyond our doubts that You desire to bless us beyond belief, then we could truly rest in Your peace here on earth and exchange our chaos for your calm. For your death and resurrection have given us the right to become children of God, and as an earthly father desires to give his children good things, You, Lord, desire to give us even more.

What I’m Lovin’ Now… October 10, 2008

1. Whataburger – I never thought I’d hear myself say this but I truly do prefer Whataburger over Chick-Fil-A! What is wrong with me?!?! It could have something to do with the fact that my son and I got sick from eating at a local Chick-Fil-A more than a month ago but I can’t be sure. I just seem to prefer Whataburger’s No. 7 with lemonade over Chick-Fil-A’s No. 1 with lemonade (except, of course, CFA does have better lemonade.) But I can always choose the sweet tea at Whataburger, which isn’t bad. Oh and my son enjoys Whataburger, too, so that helps.

2. My moms group – Our church started a moms group/Bible study a few months ago and it is so great! I’m having a wonderful time chatting with the other moms, making new friends and allowing my son to play with kids his own age. Not to mention I’m learning what God expects of me as a mom and that it is not perfection. Whewwww! That’s good news! But He does expect self-sacrifice, discipline and above all things love.

3. John 13 – For some reason, in the last few weeks, the story of Jesus’ humility in washing His disciples’ feet has been top o’ mind for me. When I read it after not having read it for a while, it just so spoke to me about my own attitude as a servant to my son and husband. “If you know these things, do them and you will be blessed.” I just adore Christ and am grateful for how much He has given up for me and for everyone else.

4. The weather – Fall in the Houston area is quite nice – you can have cool mornings, windy afternoons and brisk evenings. I can actually go to the park and playground at 4 pm and not become drenched with sweat. My son and I have been spending a lot of time outdoors and it’s been great. It certainly does wonders for his napping as well as our electric bill!

5. Honeycrisp apples – So, I’ve always been faithful to Gala apples but recently bought some Honeycrisp apples that were on sale at our local grocery store. And boy were they yummy! They weren’t too sweet but were definitely crunchier and juicier than Gala! I did a little research and found that there’s an entire Web site devoted to this variety of apple. Now, I just need to find more of them at the store and get them on sale. I wonder how homemade applesauce would taste using them?

Seeing God in everything…even Hurricane Ike October 2, 2008

Wow – I haven’t posted in several weeks! That’s what happens when a bout of bronchitis and a horrendous hurricane interrupt life! And another wow is really the only word to describe Hurricane Ike, which blew through southeast Texas and devastated many coastal cities. Where I live only superficial damage resulted but it was a storm that I don’t want to remember.

However, at one point during the aftermath of the Category 2 storm, I wondered if sometimes a hurricane or other natural disasters are used, maybe even needed, to get people to put priorities into perspective. Tons of people lost their homes and possessions. Crawling and digging through rubble, residents in Galveston and other beach-front properties tried to put some semblance of their lives back together. Even if they could only salvage a fork and a spoon, at least it was theirs. If they have nothing, then what do they have?

People who were without power for days and weeks found new ways to cope with significant amounts of time, much of which was spent during hot and humid days. But God was gracious in providing some cooler weather. But what thoughts raced through people’s minds as they were kept back from watching TV or using the Internet due to no electricity? What did they ponder upon? What changed?

There is no immediate way to determine how the hurricane has impacted people’s lives, other than those who are completely homeless. Many people seemed to remain hopeful in spite of the loss but deep down what questions were being held inside? How will I get through this? What will happen next? What if I don’t get my next paycheck? Where will I live? Where is God? Personally, I never heard Paul’s words in Philippians 3:7 more clearly:

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Only a few days after Hurricane Ike, I read my devotional for September 17 and was amazed at how God could be so timely. Only in His perfect and infinite wisdom could He have known that the words written so long ago in Streams in the Desert for that day would be needed for this day. Focusing on seeing God in every circumstance and situation in life, the message says:

To see HIM, and to be sure that His wisdom cannot err, His power cannot fail, His love can never change; to know that even His direst dealings with us are for our deepest spiritual gain, is to be able to say, in the midst of bereavement, sorrow, pain and loss, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

And what truly spoke to my heart and made these words of seeing God in all of life’s trials and tribulations even more applicable was a poem written by A.E. Finn that followed the devotional and I’ll post it here (the last one is MY favorite):

“Give me a new idea,” I said,
While musing on a sleepless bed;
“A new idea that’ll bring to earth
A balm for souls of priceless worth;
That’ll give men thoughts of things above,
And teach them how to serve and love,
That’ll banish every selfish thought,
And rid men of the sins they’ve fought.”

The new thought, came, just how, I’ll tell:
‘Twas when on bended knee I fell,
And sought from HIM who knows full well
The way our sorrow to expel.
SEE GOD IN ALL THINGS, great and small,
And give HIM praise whatever befall,
In life or death, in pain or woe,
See God, and overcome thy foe.

I saw HIM in the morning light;
He made the day shine clear and bright;
I saw HIM in the noontide hour,
And gained from Him refreshing shower.
At eventide, when worn and sad,
HE gave me help, and made me glad.
At midnight, when on tossing bed
My weary soul to sleep HE led.

I saw HIM when great losses came,
And found HE loved me just the same.
When heavy loads I had to bear,
I found HE lightened every care.
By sickness, sorrow, sore distress,
HE calmed my mind and gave me rest.
HE’s filled my heart with gladsome praise
Since I gave HIM the upward gaze.

‘Twas new to me, yet old to some,
This thought that to me has become
A revelation of the way
We all should live throughout the day;
For as each day unfolds its light,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
Life will, indeed, a blessing bring,
If we SEE GOD IN EVERYTHING.

Yes, we can see God in everything because ALL THINGS can be used for His glory, for our refinement and for others’ encouragement. Yes, even a hurricane. For life will indeed a BLESSING bring if we see God in EVERYTHING!

Is your debt paid? August 25, 2008

Similar to many Americans, I am in the midst of paying down credit card debt. Foolish decisions upon foolish decisions have caused an avalanche of interest-laden debt that is slowing being reduced. Oh, how I long for financial literacy and planning in my childhood years! I believe it should be a required class in school – rather than health! Financial health seems so much more useful – don’t you think?

At times, it seems the situation is hopeless. Pay a little, reduce a little, pay a little, reduce a little. At the rate we’re going, it will take several years to get this monkey off our backs. I do however take full responsibility for my actions and am doing my part now. But paying off this debt leads to an even more difficult decision – have a second child and ensure I will pay off the debt even slower, or continue at the rate we’re going with an only child? Wisdom is needed. But also included among our monthly debts are school loans and a mortgage that I’ve been told are “good debts” or “good credit.” Good in the sense that I now have a college degree and a house – yay for me!

But as I think about my burden of credit card debt and how many, many months it will take to pay off, I am reminded of an even greater debt that I once owed. A debt that I could do nothing about – no amount of money or possessions or anything could have paid off this debt. This debt actually did lead to hopelessness – I was hopeless to do anything about it. Only the sacrifice of a sinless Man cleared the debt I owed. Colossians 2:13-14 explains it well:

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, Christ made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Have you ever nailed something to a wall or nailed boards together? They stay there. You bring the pieces there separately but once they are nailed together or to the wall, they aren’t going anywhere. They are no longer returning with you. This is what Christ did with our sin – our sinful state that separates us from our Holy God. By living lives of sin, we created a debt that could not be paid off by any amount of prayer, penitence or payment of our own. Our Creditor demanded a just payment – and His Own Son became that payment. By willingly dying on the cross, Jesus Christ canceled our certificate of debt once and for all. He has taken it out of the way – for those who believe by faith and for those who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

To me, this is even greater news than having my thousands of dollars in credit card debt paid off in one fell swoop. Through Christ, I am reconciled to my loving Father and Creator. I can freely approach the Almighty. I am a new creature – the old has gone, the new has come! I can overwhelmingly conquer all things through Christ! Because of one selfless act of love on an old rugged cross, I am free from the burden of sin, the burden of debt, that was held against me. And as an old hymn aptly states it,

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Biblical Womanhood: If I Belittle… August 14, 2008

As a youth leader in my church’s youth group, there are two words I’ve heard more often than anything else among the high school girls I lead: gossip and drama. It appears to be inevitable especially among teenagers. They ask me regularly why there has to be so much gossip and drama? To be honest, it’s pretty cyclical. Things will be calm for a while and everyone is “on fire for God” and then they let worldly desires get the best of them and here comes the cat fight. I’ve questioned my involvement in youth ministry due to this very thing but God has encouraged me to not give up.

But you know something else? Gossip and drama aren’t only limited to teenage girls. I remember about four years ago when I was in the “working world” before my son was born I encountered two women who liked to speak negatively about others in the office. I often ate lunch with them and always tried to redirect the conversation but at one point I began to wonder what they said about me while I wasn’t there. For a few weeks, I ended up eating lunch alone and was quite thankful for the break. But I returned to them with a better idea – let’s start a lunchtime book club so we’re talking about something PRODUCTIVE. I do miss those lunches but not the gossip.

But you know who else knew that gossip would be a problem among women of all ages? Our loving Heavenly Father. In His infinite wisdom, God still created us women even though we like to let our mouths run – some more than others. However, He didn’t leave us without instruction or a guide to dealing with our mouths. He commanded us in Titus 2:3-5 how we are supposed to be:

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Not malicious gossips…ouch. But isn’t that true? I mean really. What kind of gossip isn’t malicious? You might be thinking that sometimes we just want to keep others around us “informed” about certain situations so we open our mouths. Or maybe what so-and-so did was just so rude that we couldn’t keep the pain of it inside. Yet women are commanded by their Creator to not be this way. Not only is gossip denounced in this passage in Titus, but 1 Timothy 3:11 says the same thing and the book of Proverbs is filled with verses about the use of our mouths. Not to mention James chapter 3 – nothing but description upon description of how our tongue can be used for good and bad.

We have this call to use our words wisely because people are watching. Claiming to be a Christ follower yet allowing your mouth to speak unkindly of others is nothing more than a bad testimony. For those of us who are moms, I can’t imagine what kind of message that sends to our children. I think for me what spoke most loudly about this issue was a recent devo in which great missionary Amy Carmichael wrote:

If, in any way, I belittle those who I am called to serve…

if I talk of their weak points in contrast, perhaps, with what I think of as my stronger points…

if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting to consider the wisdom of the voice that asks me, inwardly, “Who made you different from the one you are criticizing – and what do you have that you have not been given?”

if I can easily discuss the shortcomings of the sins of any man or woman…

if I can speak in an offhanded way, even of a child’s wrongdoing….then I know nothing of Calvary love.

The Calvary love is the love of a sinless Shepherd dying for sinful sheep. A Savior like a lamb who was led to the slaughter yet did not open His mouth, did not say a word. A Man forsaken and forgotten, bearing the iniquities of generations. The Christ who died for all.

Perhaps the negative words the come from our mouths have their beginning a little higher up in our minds. Maybe our thoughts need to be taken captive under the control of Christ so what is in our hearts and minds will become blessings that we want to come from our mouths. Instead of choosing this day to bash your husband, friend or child, even for something you consider justified, ask God to give you only words of encouragement, love and support, and follow the Ephesians 4:29 principle:

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Does God have a sense of humor? August 2, 2008

Have you ever wondered why God, through His Holy Spirit, was bringing to your mind specific Bible verses or passages of Scripture? This usually happens to me while I’m going through some sort of ordeal and I am reminded of people in the Bible who have faced similar circumstances, and then I find comfort in those verses.

Other times, which I’ve noticed this week, God sends me to sections of Scripture to prepare me for something. This has been happening with Psalm 23 and a book I’m reading called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. It’s a fascinating book that vividly portrays the life of a shepherd in protecting, caring for and loving his sheep, and relates how this is our God, the God of the Bible. “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

The author, a former shepherd himself, describes wonderfully how Christians can rest in their Lord and Savior knowing He is ultimately in control and genuinely cares for the well-being of His children. As a person prone to anxiety, this is the most peaceful thought for me.

However, I didn’t realize until a day ago how important it would be for me to grasp these truths about my Heavenly Father. Through a phone call early Friday morning, I learned that my part-time at-home freelance writing job would take a hit. Cutbacks are expected at this certain publication and I would be restricted to the amount of stories I can write, therefore restricting the amount of money I can earn. Not good news in a lagging economy with high gas and food prices (although I was quite excited to pay $3.69 per gallon for gas – in Texas.)

After I hung up the phone, I expected to go into panic mode but didn’t. It could have something to do with the fact that I was hanging out with my son and didn’t want him to see an emotional response to a situation that God had allowed to come into my life. But more than that, I realized that I had taken to heart (and mind) what God had been teaching me about Himself through Psalm 23.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not be in want.

God is all I need. Everything else is just well everything else. The Lord is my Shepherd – He is guiding me, caring for me, providing for me. I need not worry about a change in income or work because God is in control. What else was fascinating to me was my next thought – God knew long before I found out about this cutback that there would be a bit of a drought. He knew! So, how would I respond?

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

Amazingly, God brought these verses into my life through a devotional. And I had these verses written on a note card stuck to my fridge. Trust. Would I choose to trust God in this circumstance knowing that He had allowed it, knowing that He is MY Shepherd? Could I possibly be that tree described in Jeremiah that does not fear when the heat comes, that will not be anxious in a year of drought?

The easy answer is yes; but as I stated before I am a person prone to worry. Could I relinquish my anxiety and worry, and truly allow God to do what He does best? Provide for me through fire and drought? For what purpose does worrying have? None, according to Corrie Ten Boom:

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.

So, unbeknown to me, God had been preparing me through His word and specific Scriptures, for a trial to come. He allowed me to meditate upon His word and come to know better His characteristics so I could put into practice what I learned. This is a situation, no matter how scary it may seem to decrease your income, that was only able to come to me by passing through the hands of my loving, Sovereign Heavenly Father. It almost seems funny to me that God would work in this way. Coincidence, no, because God is in control. There are no coincidences for the believer in Christ.

Does God have a sense of humor? My God does.