Happy New Year!

I always enjoy taking time in late December/early January to think about the year ahead.  What are my goals for the year?  How do I break those goals down and take steps day by day, week by week, and month by month so that I can see those goals accomplished by the end of the year?  Even though it takes a little while, it is worth it for me to take that time to think, write, and decide.

My list of goals are grouped into three different categories: personal, home (family), and work.  Once I have a realistic listing of 5-6 goals for each group, I decide on specific deadlines for each one.  Then, I print my list out and keep it in my journal.  At the end of each month, I take a couple of minutes to read through the list again to see what I have accomplished – I love checking things off! – as well as see if I am on track to accomplish those goals that are more long-term in nature.

One of my personal goals for 2010 is to continue to memorize Scripture, so I have updated that SK webpage and will attempt to list each month’s passage.

Have you taken the time to list your goals for 2010?  If not, I would encourage you to do so!

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.  Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

 

Through the Seasons…

Wow!  It has been awhile, hasn’t it?  I can’t even believe how quickly the time has gone!  Since my last entry, we have changed seasons three times – plants have budded, blossomed, and withered.  Spring brought fresh air and cool nights; summer was full of carefree days of swimming, sports, and travel; autumn has brought fabulous color and daily routine to life.

For us as a family, this autumn brought a new ’season’ of life.  All four of my children are now in school all day.  What a change that has brought to this home and to me, personally!  Gone are the days of having to attempt to get household chores and projects done while changing diapers, reading A-B-C books, taking morning walks, preparing lunches, getting home in time for afternoon naps, etc.  But then again, maybe not…

 

Discussing Difficult Topics with our Kids

It has been a joy to have the conversations with our older children move to deeper and more serious levels.  We look at it as a privilege to be able to be the ones to introduce our kids to the various important topics of life, whether it be faith, sex, politics, healthy relationships, or current world events.  Our children know that they are completely free and encouraged to ask us any question at any time.

I have been looking forward to having our oldest child read the book, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and then take the time to watch the movie together.  [That's the rule of the house - you have to read the book before watching the movie. ]  What a creative, unique way to take a look at the Holocaust.  It is a vivid, heavy look at the atrocities of that time in history, shown through the “innocent” perspective of two young boys.  This story offers a wonderful opportunity for today’s children to “put themselves in their shoes” and envision what it might have been like to grow up as a Jewish or German child during the years of World War II.

I look forward to the discussions that this story will bring to the dinner table as well as to the trips to soccer practices.  I pray that God will, once again, help us as parents to weave His truths into those conversations.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NLT)  Listen, O Israel!  The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.  And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.  Repeat them again and again to your children.  Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when your are going to bed and when you are getting up.  Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

 

The Juggling Act

I am sure that most of you look as happy as this woman as you juggle all of life’s things from day to day …

….but, I have to admit, there are a number of times when I feel like this woman as I attempt to balance all that life has for me…

One day at a time, sweet Jesus!

Know that you are not alone in your quest to juggle and balance all that life has to offer.  May you be encouraged that He will not give you more than you can handle.

Let me encourage you (and me!) to give everything to God each morning.  He is faithful to help us to prioritize and handle each one.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

 

Wintertime Blues

The long, cold, dark, snowy, gray, and blustery month of January in Western New York – it is tough for me not to have even just a little bit of the wintertime blues during this time of the year.  I just can’t seem to get warm, and I shiver at the thought of having to head outside, even to grab the mail from the mailbox.

Because of these conditions, I am especially thankful, then, for the mysterious warming of my heart as I read God’s Word.  His words keep me from depression, from anxiousness, and from self-pity.  Each time I sit to read, He fills me once again with the daily bread I need.

As I finish the Christmas carol devotional book I have been using (okay, okay, so it has been a month since Christmas, but the words of the carols have been wonderful to continue reading even after the “season” of celebration), some of the words within this poem/hymn struck me profoundly as I read them this morning:

How lovely shines the Morning Star!

Thou mine, I Thine

Keep me kindly in Thy favor, O my Savior!

Thou  wilt cheer me; Thy Word calls me to draw near Thee.

(How Lovely Shines the Morning Star!, Philipp Nicolai, 1597)

There is always hope and joy that is found when we rest in Jesus!  Thank you, Lord, for carrying me through the dark, dreary days.

Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone.  The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.  –John 1:4,5 (TLB)

 

Take a Breather

 

Take a few slow, deep breathes…

(Seriously, take 30 seconds and do that.  It’s amazing how well it works in helping you to slow down!)

Now grab a hot cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and then come right back (don’t let ANYTHING distract you in the process!) to read the following excerpt from a devotional book I have been reading throughout this Advent season:

What is Christmas?  Is it simply a yearly excuse to engage in extended spending frenzies?  Is it nothing more than an annual exercise in overindulgence?  Is the holiday season merely a chance to cut loose and party?  While Christians are quick to answer these questions with a resounding “no”, we too often miss the real “reason for the season”.

Christmas is more than just a day set aside to mark the birth of an ancient religious leader.  It does commemorate Christ’s birth, but it also has a much greater, more practical significance.  In Christmas we find a unique opportunity to celebrate a two-thousand-year-old birth with the birthday boy himself.  The message of Christmas is that Jesus is alive to celebrate with us.  As this carol ["The Happy Christmas Comes Once More" by Nicolai F.S. Grundtrig, 1817] reminds us, he is the guest of honor at this wondrous yearly feast.  He is the star attraction and central focus around which all the festivities should revolve.  Even now Jesus is patiently waiting to gain entry to our hearts, homes, churches, and cities, so that he may celebrate this joyous occasion with us.

In the flurry of activity that we call Christmas, our attention is easily distracted from the one we seek to honor.  Yet the heavenly Guest continues to call to us.  He patiently raps on the door of our heart, ready to come in and fellowship with us.  What will our response be?  Will we hear him?  Will we welcome him in?

Christ in the Carols (Thirty-One Devotionals for Christmas and Advent) by Christopher and Melodie Lane, 1999

Friend, there is still time to celebrate in this way.  Don’t feel like a failure if you are realizing how much you have been running around like a crazy woman these last few weeks.  Start right now…start today and really enjoy and bask in the real reason for the season.  Spend time with the birthday boy.

Look!  Here I stand at the door and knock.  If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.”  (Revelation 3:20)

 

Do they know?

There is a hymn that we sing at church titled, “They Will Know We are Christians By our Love“.  For some reason, that song keeps playing over and over again in my mind.

If you click above, on the title of the song, you will see a video showing people on international missions trips – working on construction sites, feeding the poor, as well as hugging the orphans.  Of course, for those of you that know me, you know my heart draws close to those opportunities and life experiences.  However, my mind does not keep playing that song over and over again because of those types of moments.

It is the holiday season – family, busyness, vacation, shopping, reflection, gift exchanges, food, music, cards, photos, picturesque landscape, parties, sledding, preparations, late nights, early mornings, concerts, celebrations, hustle and bustle, remembrance.  Yes, it ALL comes together during this time of year.

This morning, my children were all excited about the first snowfall actually sticking to the ground.  What a joy to see flakes falling as the wind pushed them side to side.  How clean and fresh everything looks.

Then my mind turned again to that song – “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love.  Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”  There are so many people just 3 miles away in the inner city that did not feel joy at the sight of snow fixed to the ground.  There are many sick and elderly that did not jump up and down with excitement at the picturesque view out the window.

And then other thoughts came rushing in:

I hope the waitress will sense Jesus’ love flowing through me

…and the store clerk

…and my neighbors

…and the toll booth worker

…and the maintenance man that comes

…and my children’s schoolteachers

…and the shopper that cut me in line

…

 

“God, show me what I can DO, but even as I wait for that revelation, help me to BE a radiant light that shows Jesus’ love every moment of every day.”

Colossians 4:5 (NIV)  Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

 

Oppression

I just read this paragraph that came from our denomination’s weekly world missions online newsletter:

[Our] Asia Area Director called from India on Tuesday, November 4, to report that a Free Methodist pastor was recently beaten to death in front of his family because he would not renounce his faith. Also, five other Free Methodists were badly beaten and had to be taken to the hospital. The doctor’s life was threatened if he treated their injuries, so they were refused treatment. These attacks took place in a state which neighbors Orissa State where Christians have been facing severe persecution. Please pray for the victims’ families. Also pray for 300 refugees from Orissa who have fled…

I try to stop and imagine but I just can’t.

This is not a story from centuries ago – it’s not the retelling of the Biblical story of Stephen or Paul.

This is happening today.

Please be in prayer… even right now.

 

“Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”

John 15:20 (NIV)

 

Mom and the Killer Hairbrush

It was the morning ritual – my daughter would get herself dressed and ready for the day, make her bed, pick up her room, eat breakfast, brush her teeth, and then come to my room with the necessities in hand – hairbrush, detangler spray, and hairbands.

First would come a few of the “ouch, ouch!” and “that’s too hard!” comments, then the wincing would be added, and finally, to top off the daily event, the tears and angry facial expressions would follow. Yes, mean mom would attempt (with constant failure!) to gently but quickly brush every knot out of her hair until, after what seemed like an eternal, all-out, torture session, the bristles would smoothly run through each section of hair on her head. What was once a knotty, nappy mess became a beautiful, finished hairdo.

 

Debating with God in the Church Pew

Yep… that’s what I was doing while attending church yesterday.

(Just to give you a little background: This past weekend, my daughter and I were out of town for a special reception. We were not flying home until Sunday afternoon, so we were able to go to church with a group of friends in the morning.)

Okay, back to the story…

It came to the part of the service where we, as a congregation, read the section of Scripture that the pastor was going to be preaching on later in the hour. I realized that one of my Spanish-speaking friends, whom we were sitting with, was not able to follow along because it was an English-speaking service. Since I had my parallel, bilingual Bible (one side of each page is in Spanish and the other side of each page is in English) with me, I decided to hand it to him to use and read from. My friend is not a Christian (YET!) so I wanted to be sure that he had the opportunity to, at the very least, read the word of the Lord.

And that’s when the debate began.

 

A Noble Woman

I just finished reading through the book of Ruth in the Bible and was struck by a short, simple yet profound verse.  Actually, it is only one sentence that is found in chapter three, verse eleven:

All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.

noble (Oxford American Dictionary) – having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideas

As I read the story of Ruth once again, not once did I think of her as an outgoing person or an extrovert. On the contrary, I considered her quite meek and mild-mannered – one that went about her business without much conversation, debate, or uproar. She did not seem to try to draw attention to herself.

So, if my assumptions about her are accurate, how would “all the…townsmen” know of her “fine personal qualities and high moral principles”?

She led a simple life of quiet servanthood. A life that spoke volumes.

 

Anticipation

My mom always said, “Anticipation is almost better than the event itself!”. Well, if you saw our children (and, admittedly, even Max and me) during these last few days, you would probably agree with that statement.

We are all really looking forward to this week of family vacation. It was promised to our children that our computers would be closed for the next 5 days. (I can’t believe how hard it was to promise that! Whether it is Facebook, emails, or even our family calendar, the computer has become such a part of our daily lives.) It will be good to “pull the plug” together for a few days.

Our plans do not include any extra-special trips or expensive excursions, but, nonetheless, we are all excited to just hang out and spend some relaxing time together. So… we will probably find out who the latest Jr. Scrabble winner is in the home and/or compete for the title of “McGinnis Wii Champion”. Most likely, we will continue our experience of watching the Olympic games. We are looking forward to painting a few rooms together, having quiet reading times, and maybe taking a family bike ride or two. We hope to cook a few s’mores over the campfire and maybe sleep in the tent out in the backyard.

Thank you, Lord, for family vacation!

Genesis 2:2 (NIV) By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Your turn to share: Tell us about your latest family vacation.

 

“2-4-6-8, VBS is really great!”

Last week, a fun time was had by all at our church’s VBS program. I had a great time being “music lady” and singing with the eighty-five children that attended.

Each morning, it was always such a joy to see the happy, eager, and excited faces of the children as they arrived with great anticipation and enthusiasm to sing songs, do crafts, eat snacks, play games, and listen to a Bible story.

It is with that amount of anticipation and enthusiasm that I hope to wake up with each morning as the Lord reveals what is in store for the new day ahead.

I pray that each child saw and felt the love and joy of Jesus in each one of us that served Him in this way last week. May He work in each of their precious, little hearts and continue to draw them to Himself.

Mark 10:14 (NIV) When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Your turn to share: Have you had the opportunity to serve in a ministry program this summer?

 

God’s Smile

I watched her as she stood there and studied the wall in front of her: the edges, the corners, and the curves around the permanent objects that were fixed upon it. Slowly, she bent down, dipped her roller in the paint bin, lifted it just a bit to allow the excess paint to drip off, and, after a moment, placed it on the wall in front of her. In a steady rhythm, she quickly rolled the paint onto the large, bare part of the wall, back and forth, back and forth. Then her eyes started to squint and her motion became a little slower and more focused. She knew it needed to be exact – coming as close as possible to the fixed object on the wall yet keeping the paint only on the wall. She took a step closer, squinted a bit more in her added concentration, then slowly began rolling the paint in a downward motion. As she continued down the side of the object, unconsciously, the corners of her mouth began to rise, little by little. By the time the paint roller had reached the bottom, a broad smile, full of pride, accomplishment, and deep satisfaction had covered her face. She stopped to admire her work and I could almost here her say to herself, “Ah… that’s good!”

 

Words of wisdom for the bride-to-be

In the last few weeks, I have attended two bridal showers. At each one, the host asked for each attender to share some words of wisdom with the bride-to-be. Many pieces of advice were offered, including

don’t go to bed angry

pray together daily

and continue to date your spouse

Please take a moment to pray with me for these couples as well as the many other couples that are getting married in these summer months:

“Lord, I pray for each couple that is getting married. May you bind them together as one. I ask that you would reveal to them the sweet joy of knowing another person so intimately. Use them for Your glory each moment of every day.

I also ask, Lord, that you would be with each marital couple that is represented in this group. We pray that our marital relationship is pleasing in Your sight. Continue to work in us, both as individuals as well as a couple. May You be glorified!

In Jesus’ name we pray–”

Genesis 2:24 (NIV) For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Your turn to share: What words of wisdom would you share with a bride-to-be?