LIFE: Terror and Tribulations

I remember the first few days after my daughter Abigail was born as a peaceful time. I took time off, and her and I basically stayed home. I didn't watch t.v. I spent time with her, we mastered nursing, we figured out sleeping. If I was awake, I made small meals, and tidied the house. It was a quiet and blissful time.

And finally one morning, I decided to reconnect with the rest of humanity and I turned on the news.
The date was December 14, 2012.

And the news headline was:

Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

After an hour or so of watching the news I shut the t.v. off and held my newborn daughter tight.

There are tragedies in this world that are hard to fathom. And throughout my growing up years numerous events rocked the world with a devastation that the anniversary of the events are celebrated even today. The one's though that seemed to shake everyone to a different level of devastation were the events that brought tragedy upon children.

April 19, 1995 - Oklahoma City Bombing 

- 168 people, including 19 young children, killed

 

September 11, 2001 - American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South towers, of the World Trade Center complex; American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon 

-  2,996 people were killed and more than 6,000 others wounded, "The dead included 8 children: 5 on American 77 ranging in age from 3 to 11, 3 on United 175 ages 2, 3, and 4. The youngest victim was a 2 year-old child on Flight 175, the oldest an 82 year-old passenger on Flight 11. In the buildings, the youngest victim was 17 and the oldest was 79."

And on that December morning, reading that, "20 children between six and seven years old, as well as six adult staff members" had been shot and killed shook me to the core. Becoming a parent changes how you are affected. And anytime, since become a parent, that I hear of a child dying, no matter the circumstance, I am saddened.

Yesterday in the UK, at a concert a bomb went off, and the death toll has climbed to 22, with children among the dead. ISIS has claimed responsibility. The performer is a young woman who has fans that are children and teenagers. That is her target demographic. So, those who planted that bomb knew that children and teenagers would be in attendance.

It disgusts me that people have so little regard for life, and even more so, less regard for the life children. My faith, my God, tells me:
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3 (ESV)

And having faced the possibility of infertility, I cherish my children even more. And when I am away from them, I want to be with them. Just being in the same building with them gives me a peace; and when I hear that children have been killed, murdered for a theology that is warped and not living, my heart is hurt.

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

¹⁰ fear not, for I am with you;

    be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

 

John 16:33 (ESV)

³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

I started writing this last week after the bombing in Manchester. But it has been hard to finish - children lost their lives. That is never easy to process. And then today, another bombing, at an ice cream shop.
"Baghdad blasts: Ice cream shop among attack targets, 31 killed" & "ISIS targets the young, then the old in twin Baghdad bombings"


My heart is still heavy. And while I am devastated at the loss of young life (any life) I know that in the end this all apart of His plan. That this world has to fall apart so His Kingdom may come. Hold your children tight, tell them you love them every chance you get, take a million pictures, record silly videos - print those and have those put on dvd. As bad as things are, we do know that things will get worse but we also know the ending of the story. God wins - and those of us that believe in His Son, have put our faith in His Son - we win with Him.

Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting
Oklahoma-City-Bombing
Casualties_of_the_September_11_Attacks

September_11_Attacks_Fatalities

baghdad-blasts-ice-cream-shop-among-attack-targets-31-killed.html

baghdad-ice-cream-shop-bombing/index.html

Personal Note: Mother's Day

Stone (2), Me, Abigail (4)

Yesterday was easier than I thought. I wasn't sure how I would handle Mother's Day this year, with the loss of Charli and all. But I did it. Church was a blessing, there was a wonderful service, and then a day with my little family. I think it helped that we truly celebrated on Saturday with my husband's family. And that I have been speaking with someone about my emotions and feelings.


My 2 Littles on Earth: Abigail above, Stone below

The hardest part was realizing I would be well over 1/2 through the pregnancy if we had not miscarried. I would be roughly 23 weeks pregnant if we had not miscarried back in January. Also was hard was realizing I only had 1 picture from when I was pregnant with Charli but when my phone force an upgrade I lost that one picture. I do have the ultrasound, and for thatI am grateful. I cling to hope that I will see Charli one day. And what will be great is that I won't need a picture when we get to that point.

LIVING IN FAITH: Daily Bread

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

I love the model prayer. I remember memorizing it as a child, and reciting it before bed most every night. It wasn't until I was more mature into my faith that I learned my prayers needed to be more, and that the model prayer was more of an outline on how one should pray.

As I am raising 2 little believers I am teaching them the model prayer. I am building up their prayer life and giving them a biblical foundation. And what I love even more is that I have an application of God's provision from this prayer.

Give us this day our daily bread.

At the end of April I received an email from Panera letting me know that in the month of May I would receive a free bagel every day. This has been a beautiful blessing in that it has been free breakfast for me. And since things are a little tight financially currently I see it as a blessing from God. He has literally provided for us, for me, daily bread.

MOTHERHOOD: Unedited yet lovely

Have you ever shared a picture that you didn't filter or edit? In the modern world of snap chat, Instagram, and cellphone cameras -most of us make everything look nice & pretty before we share with the world. The picture above is from last Tuesday at my daughter's t-ball practice. My dad and Granny joined us and it was a lovely afternoon. Abigail did great, and the rest of us watched and cheered.

 I love this picture. Unposed, life happening. It's not the best of me. Not really flattering, but it shows me with my boy, surrounded by family.

We need to take more pictures like this. We need to share more pictures like this. We need to embrace our reality - it is where we dwell. And so while I do not find this picture exactly flattering of myself, I plan to keep it, print it, and even put it up in my house. Because you see, my baby boy is in this picture. He is in my lap, laughing, playing with my hands, and he doesn't care what momma looks like, or how she views herself. He is safe in his momma's arms and that is all he knows. 

SCRIPTURE: Memorizing God's Word

Most of us have a scattering of Bible verses memorized:

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  

Psalm 23The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
 

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
 

 

Philippians 4:13I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
 

 

John 3:16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 

 

Romans 8:28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
 

 

Isaiah 41:10So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
 

 

Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
 

 

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
 

 

Galatians 5:22-23But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
 

 

Hebrews 11:1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

 

In my connection group we are working on memorizing Psalm 119 - the longest "chapter" in the Bible with 176 verses. Here is a link to my Facebook Page to see the video for this blog last night. Enjoy! The video is pinned at the top.

WIFE Facebook Page

 

 

 

Lifestyle & Marriage: The Art & Act of Submission

Submission.

I am pretty sure the hairs on the back of your neck went up  - even just a bit. The word has a negative connotation to it, but as a Christian, more so a Christian woman, the word should bring peace.

I had the pleasure this weekend to lead my Connection Group (read Sunday School Class) while our leader and several members were away on a retreat. Our leader worked it out to where at the same time (ish) we would watch the same video and have a discussion at the same time. The video is part of a series by Priscilla Shirer (her site), and the lesson we watched (even with being miles apart) was on control. Priscilla shares how she signed her and husband up for dance lessons to commemorate an anniversary. The instructor focused mainly on her husband, and how he needed to lead, and what he needed to do and know to lead. For Priscilla, she was told to follow.

In true woman fashion (we are all guilty!), she did not follow. In fact, she took control and told him when/how/where to guide her. And in the end she was exhausted. And the instructor told her, that without a doubt she was exhausted because she took on a role she was not meant to take.

Sister, are you exhausted? Are you tired? Are you taking on responsibilities that your husband wants to do, but can't because you "know better how to do it"? If someone asked your husband who wears the pants in the family and his response is, "Let me ask my wife"- then sister, you have taken on a role you were not meant to take.

Leading my classmates was an amazing experience for me. I feel we got to know each other better, and with the variety of backgrounds, and chapters in life, we saw how submission and control plays out in different lives and different stages of life. But even with our differences we all recognized that we do have a hard time letting our husbands (or God) take control. We discussed why...there are past hurts (some that went deep), some pride, even our work or education experience makes us feel we are the better authority on certain subjects topics. We had a truly great conversation.

The key Bible passage was this:

1 Corinthians 11 (ESV)

1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Sisters, God has told us that we are to submit. We further discussed this word in class on Sunday. Our modern culture tells us that to submit is to lose our identity, to give up who we are, to be put under a man's thumb. Well this is right and wrong all at the same time. Sisters, when we became Christians, when we gave our lives over to Christ, we submitted ourselves and our wills to HIS way and will. But for some reason, the spiritual submission is easier than the literal one in life to our husband. Now for those of you who are not married I say this - You still are to respect and submit yourself to a higher authority: your boss, teacher, or parents. For married sisters - your authority is your husband, and if you work you do need to respect your boss's authority, but not go against your husband's will.

One thing discussed was honoring our husband's authority but not honoring his sin. If your husband asks you to take part of something that God defines as sin, do not do it. Honor God above all, He is our first love, and head over all. Pray for your husband that he will submit his life back under the authority of Christ, who has submitted himself under the full authority of God.

God really put this principle (submission) on my heart this past week. I found an article that spoke to me about this very topic:

To the Friend Who Rolled Her Eyes When I Asked My Husband’s Permission.

Please read it, but here are the points the author makes:

1. Asking permission is a sign of RESPECT.
2. Asking permission ensures LESS CONFLICT.
3. Husband and Wife feel EMPOWERED.
4. It enables better decision making as a couple.
5. It keeps you engaged in each other's lives.

And this all ties into authority. You see, I ask my husband for his permission (and he mine) when we want to do something that is not our routine. With two little children, our life is scheduled - there is less chaos, we know what to expect, and emotions don't get in the way. I show my husband respect when I ask to do something out of the routine. And if he says no, I accept it. I try to do so joyfully, that doesn't always happen, but that is on me, not him. You see, I know the consequences (negative) of insisting on getting my way. I insisted on us buying the house we live in - he was not in love with it. And for a while it was a splinter in our marriage that would not budge. We eventually worked it out, and yes we still live in the house, but we make every decision about it together now. And we both have the philosophy for major decisions that impact our lives, that if we are both not 100% agreement we don't move forward. Now you may ask, what negative consequences have we faced? Numerous repairs that should have been caught by the inspector, hard to work with HOA, other bills popped up that left us strapped. In hindsight I believe God had a better house for us, with more updates, needing less work, and a better mortgage payment. But because I insisted on getting this house, we missed out and got what we got. I could say in my defense I was pregnant and ready to be done with the home buying process, but our God is a good Father, and remember this:

Matthew 7:11 (ESV)
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

So what does submission look like in the life of a Christian woman?

• It is a wife thanking her husband for cleaning the house, doing the laundry, making dinner - instead of telling him he used the wrong products, folded the towels wrong, or didn't follow the meal plan.
• It is acknowledging he is parenting the children, not babysitting them.
• With this, letting him parent his way, even if your way is "better".
• It is not making disparaging comments about your husband. REMEMBER - you chose to marry him, you weren't forced to the altar (at least not in America). He was YOUR choice.
• It is seeking ways to satisfy his needs - physical, mental, spiritual, and even sexual.
• physical - let him be a man, wild at heart
• mental - encourage him to think, brainstorm, create
• spiritual - pray for him, encourage him to build his relationship with Christ
• sexual - honey, have sex
• 1 Corinthians 7:5 (ESV)5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
• And remember, that ultimately there has to be a head of the household, and God has ordained the husband to be the head - and his final decision must be final. Not that you as woman cannot have an opinion, but it his responsibility to lead the family, and you must submit to that as the Bible states.

To any men reading this post I have this note. The Bible has its verses on the woman submitting to the man, and most have the word "likewise" after indicating that the man is to do the same, and some cases even more than what the woman is called to do. A man's responsibility is greater than the woman's. 

Lifestyle: A Prayer Led Life

If God gave you everything you had prayed for/about in the last 7 days, what would you have?

I posed this question a little over a week ago on my blog's Facebook page. I was hoping for a dialogue but instead was met with silence. And I believe that is indicative to the prayer life of many believers. If God came to us and said I am going to answer everything you have prayed about, in the way you want, in the last 7 days - I have a feeling most of us would be disappointed in what we would receive.


Image Sitation

When I heard the question posed in a sermon, it really made me think. I know I pray some, but I am guilty too of neglecting my prayer life when I am tried. I string prayers along throughout my day, I pray during the times we are called to during service, and there are mornings when I do offer up detailed prayers. But I am not consistent. This is not a judgement sisters, this is a reminder that we have access to throne room of Heaven.


We do not have to go to preacher/priest/pastor to have our prayers heard. We can offer them directly to God. And even more glorious, we have the Holy Spirit as an intercessor. He makes sure our prayers get to God in the right manner, in accordance to His will.

Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

What a beautiful verse. I have heard the story of the child who was saying her evening prayers. Her father listened in and heard her saying, "ABCDEF..." all the way to Z. Her father asked her what she was doing. To which she replied, "I don't know the words to pray, so I am giving up the letters." When we don't know what to pray, what a beautiful concept. Sing your alphabet and ask the Holy Spirit to make the right words.

Image Sitation

I know myself well enough to know this, if someone asks me to pray for them, I must do it right then, because I will forget and I don't want to make a false promise. I do have a list of people/collectives to pray for, and I try to attend to it. If I see a need in a post, or if a news story catches my eye - I do pray.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We are told to pray without ceasing. Sisters, we need to discipline ourselves to pray all day, throughout the day. We are called by Jesus to do it. Next Monday, I will report back with my list of prayers, the people and situations that I have sent up to God to cover their lives and situations. Will you join me?