476 Texts

This week our family celebrated my daughter's 13th birthday. Yes....we officially now have not one, but TWO teenagers in our house. Life couldn't be more interesting!!!!

The standing rule in our house has been no cell phone until you are a teenager. My son didn't get his until age 14, so my daughter was convinced she also would have to wait another year. This thought completely consumed her entire being as she could not imagine living another whole year without a cell phone. I mean really, just how in the world could we expect her to get through the day without a cell phone????

What she didn't realize was that we were indeed surprising her with a cell phone for her birthday. Yes...you will all be pleased to know that she now can go on living. She has joined the masses of teenagers addicted to their bright shiny screen that enables them to converse both day and night with silly messages that barely say anything besides LOL or IDK.

Within two hours, my daughter managed to send 90 text messages to her friends, making it hard to pry the phone from her hands and send her to bed. Her eyes glowed as she thanked us over and over again. I was so glad to see her so happy....but then again...do I like this change in her? Do I like to see her so addicted to something so fast?

That was Tuesday. Today is Thursday and her text count is up to 476 messages. (And think about this...she can only use the phone during a limited timeframe....!!!) I am so thankful for unlimited text messages. Can you imagine what that cell bill would've been otherwise??? That girl cannot even keep up with the amount of texts coming in...she cannot even respond quick enough!!!

Seeing her passion for her phone makes me think of our relationship with God. Are we that passionate about Him? Are we overcome with excitement to open our Bibles...just as we are to turn on our cell phone? Do we talk to Him as much...or more...than our friends?

I know I struggle with this. Life just gets so busy. Things get pushed back if I don't have time. Time with God should be our number one priority....
Is it?

Blessed to Be a Mom

When I was a child, I always thought that as soon as I got married, I would have a baby. It seemed normal. It seemed like it would happen without a problem. I dreamed of having lots of kids and couldn't wait for the day I became a mother.

But who knew that years would pass without a pregnancy? My husband and I yearned to be parents. We kept thinking it would happen soon...but it never did. I had a hard time seeing people who got pregnant so easily. Why God? Why not me?

In the back of my mind, I knew God had something special planned for us...but I started to doubt Him. Why would He make us wait so long? He knew how much I yearned for motherhood!

So today is Mother's Day...and it is our 12 year anniversary. Twelve years of marriage...and no pregancy. Am I disappointed? Quite honestly...I use to be. But not anymore....because God is faithful! I never imagined the beautiful plan He had laid out for us!

Long before I even met my husband, God had our lives planned out. He had our children picked out for us. We are now the proud parents of three beautiful children. When I thought the answer was pregnancy, God's answer was adoption. It amazes me that my kids were living in a home with an atheist just four years ago....now they are pastor's kids and are involved in our church in many ways.

Looking back now it makes perfect sense. If I had been pregnant, we never would have adopted these children. We wouldn't have even considered it.

Even if your life doesn't make sense, God DOES have a plan for you...and His plan is perfect. His plan always works out.

And for all you mothers out there....don't take motherhood for granted. There's many women out there who would give anything to be a mother. Take it from me...I know. Appreciate those wonderful children God has given to you!

Do You Smell Good?

Have you ever been in a place where something or someone smelled completely awful? You find yourself gagging, trying to discretely plug your nose and find the nearest exit. I know I have experienced that...be it an awful smell in the garbage or entering the bathroom after one of my kids spent a half hour in there.

Smells seem to control your thoughts and moods, don't they? Bad smells put us in a bad mood...they distract us...they make us want to leave. Whereas good smells draw us in, make us feel comfortable and even remind us of memories we have. Everyone loves to enter a house in which a delicious loaf of bread or a sweet cake just came out of the oven! Everyone loves the smell of Christmas...delicious baked goods, cinammon, gingerbread and pine.

So what kind of smells do you carry with you? Now, I'm not talking about physical smells...although you may want to ensure that you don't have a body odor issue! :) That's always an important item to remember!

Instead I'm talking about you as a Christian. How do you smell to the world around you? What type of aroma do you emit to those around you? Are others repelled by the aroma you carry? Or are others drawn in by the aroma of Christ that you carry with you?

As Christians, we are to be a light to the world around us. We should be a pleasing aroma to others. The aroma we carry should invite people in...it should draw people to God.

So take a whiff of yourself. What do you smell?

A Night in Front of the Television

As a child I remember being intrigued by TV shows such as Little House on the Prairie and Looney Tunes cartoons. It was a more innocent time, when you didn’t have to be concerned about foul language and sexual images plastered over your television screen.

Being a mom now, I find myself more concerned about the choices available to youngsters today. Yes, we do have parental controls on our television to limit access to these choices….but it’s getting to the point where almost every show has something that I don’t wish for my children to see. Have you noticed that even commercials are becoming filled with crude sexual humor and images? I cringe when the Victoria Secret commercials come on and my 14 year old son is sitting right there. What kind of a message does that send to our kids?

I scanned through the choices available to me right now to watch and am amazed at the variety. I could watch a show about a Bear Whisperer…or a reality show about 16 year old girl pregnant with twins by a fellow student she has only been dating for a few weeks…or a show about the latest Hollywood gossip…or a show about the Playboy mansion…or a show about someone going through plastic surgery…or a show about a man with no legs…or a show about home renovations…or a show about weight loss…or a singing competition…or a show where couples are told whether to break up or get married…or a movie about an affair that escalates into murder…or a cartoon riddled with sexual innuendos…or a show about how food is made…or a documentary about a murder mystery. I could go on and on….the possibilities are endless!

But where is God in this? What happened to all the wholesome family values and the Christian influence? What happened to the days when we didn’t have to worry about what our kids are viewing? What happened to the fear of God?

Now I’m not saying that all television is wrong. My family has several shows that we regularly watch together. Instead, what I’m trying to say is that now sin is so blatant. Sin is cool. Sin is acceptable. It is so easy to become desensitized to the true affect of sin. Sin will get a foothold on your life and will latch on to you before you even realize it. My husband has used this illustration many times while preaching….if he grabs someone’s foot while they are standing, he suddenly has control of them. Sin is just like that. The foothold will control us.

If you are a Christian, the Bible says you are in the world…but not OF the world. We are here to be an influence on the world around us…not to become influenced by it ourselves.

The Eighth Year

As of the beginning of March, we have been pastoring here at Refuge A/G for 8 years now. Eight years now!!! Wow! Where has the time gone???

Looking back on those eight years, they have been full of laughter and sorrow...joy and pain...smiles and tears. These eight years have been tough...rebuilding this church from the ground up.

I'll admit that there were times we were at our wit's end. We didn't know what else to do. I can recall several long walks with my husband...walking through our beautiful woods...praying and trying to figure out what God wanted us to do. I'd be lying if I said we always wanted to be here...there were many times we almost gave up.

But God....(and that's all you have to say)....but GOD...in His awesome power....He knew what was coming. He knew that eight years of working would reap a harvest.

These past couple months have seen GROWTH!!! I can't tell you how much that encourages a pastor's heart!

We've seen powerful moves of the Spirit. We've seen lives changed. We've seen transformation!

God knows...no matter how hopeless your situation is, remember that God knows. You are in His mighty hands. You are in His strong grip. His answer many not come in your timing. I can't tell you how much we wanted to see these results in the first couple years of our time here! However, God's timing was so very different. Trust HIS will and timing for your life!

Tired of Being Good

Just a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to receive a magazine that one of my articles is published in. Recently my article "Tired of Being Good" appeared in Lookout Magazine through Standard Publishing.

It is always a thrilling process to reread the article that I had submitted months prior. Often times it ministers to me, reading the words that God put on my heart.

This particular article was a fun one to write...I mean, who doesn't struggle with the temptation to break the rules??? I was one of those types of kids who constantly did what was expected of me. I was afraid of deviating from the path of "being good". But despite that, I still had a secret urge to go against the grain...to do things my way...to live life for myself.

Sometimes I do feel like just giving up on everything. It would be so easy to live for myself. It would be so fun to just do what I want and to not care about any expectations.

But did God call us to be rebellious? Does He intend for us to be rule-breakers?

God has a distinct and perfect plan for each and every one of us...and this is a plan that requires the direct opposite of rebellion. It requires OBEDIENCE. God has the best in store for us. But are we willing to trust Him for that? Are we willing to follow Him, even though we may not know what His plans are? Do we trust our Maker and Creator?

To read the entire article, follow this link:

http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=780

Just a Sliver

A few days ago at work, I sat down in my chair at my desk and felt a surge of pain...like a lightening bolt...go through my arm. The source of the pain came from my index finger, so I immediately checked it to see what in the world was causing such havoc.

To my amazement, I saw the tiniest piece of wood or metal...something sticking out of my finger. I carefully took hold of it with my fingernails and pulled it out...all the time wondering how in the world this little piece of sharp material got in my finger in the first place. My office chair doesn't typically injure me when I sit down!!!

A few days went by and I realized that everytime I used my finger...for typing, playing the piano, etc...each time another pain surge went through my arm. But it just didn't make sense...looking at my finger, there was absolutely no indication of anything still being in there! There was no red mark. There was no black spot to show where the sliver was. There wasn't even a mark to show where it may be.

I brushed it off for a few days, trying to convince myself that it was just a result from being stabbed by some rogue piece of something sharp. But by Friday, I decided that I had enough. The pain had overcome me to the point where I was ready to open up my flesh and dig around until I removed the source of my pain and discomfort. And for anyone who knows me...and how I faint at the sight of blood...this was DEFINITELY a bold move on my part.

I took a clean safety pin and went into the light of our bathroom...and sure enough! I found a little mark and after about 20 minutes I successfully removed the sliver....WITHOUT fainting! My finger is no longer in pain. I can type...I can play the piano...everything is wonderful!

It was just a tiny sliver. It was microscopic. I could barely even see it with my own eyes. How could something so very small affect my body in such a large way?

The more I think about it, I equate this sliver to the sin that creeps in our lives. Just a hint is okay, right??? Just a little sin won't affect me, right??? .....or will it???

If you take a clear pitcher of water an add a drop of food coloring, it will affect the entire pitcher of water in time. Sin DOES affect us...even a little bit...even just a hint. We may think that we can handle it, but it does stick to us, just like this annoying sliver in my finger.

Just a hint...just a bit...just a taste...it all has an impact on us, even if we don't see it now!!!