Monthly Archives: August 2012

Reflecting at The End of The Day

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The kids are in bed, the house is quiet, you finally take a moment to exhale, maybe even sink into your favorite chair. While you’re there, do you ever reflect on the accomplishments for the day…I mean truly take an account of what all has happened from the time you first opened your eyes that morning? I know that when I actually take the time to define the meaning of the day’s events I begin to see that for the most part, life is moving toward positive spiritual growth even through set backs.  We begin to see how God orchestrates every minute of the day for the divine purpose of growing us. We begin to see that even though we always feel there aren’t enough hours in the day to do what we want to do, that somehow we actually accomplished a great deal and that ultimately, there was just the right amount of time to do what absolutely had to happen in order for God’s plan to remain in motion.

Do you keep a reflection journal? If you don’t, oh you should. It’s like a growth chart for grown-ups! Write down your prayers. Write down your goals. And instead of writing a “to-do” list, write a “Ta-dah” list where you reflect and celebrate all the things that were accomplished in your everyday life as well as your spiritual life. Write down life lessons learned. Write down how God has answered a prayer. Watch your faith grow faster than your children are shooting up that chart. Watch the next morning come with less worry and anxiousness, knowing that you’re already set on a spiritual path that leads to good for all of those who love the Lord.

Kelly Breece

Blogger on “The Simplified Family”

True Beauty

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What makes a woman beautiful? Is it her smooth skin, bright eyes, and silky hair that make her attractive to others? Or is it her inner kindness, sweet spirit, and strength that makes others want to know her? We may say that inner beauty is more important than outward beauty but do we really believe that?

The answer is found in the world in which we live. We are bombarded with perfect models that exude external beauty. TV and magazines are constantly telling us that outward beauty is what people love. And we do love it. Not only do we love it, but we desire it, too. Evidence shows that women spend millions of dollars a year on diet supplements, getting botox, having their teeth whitened, and body parts liposuction, tucked and lifted. I can’t say that these things don’t turn my head as well.

Beauty is something we all long for—even Christians. That’s because it’s a God-given desire. Yet, because we live in a broken world, we seek the good things of God in unhealthy ways. That’s why we need to know the truth so we can be set free from the bondage of grasping after something that doesn’t exists. There is no magical treatment or surgery that is going to keep our outward beauty from fading. To believe otherwise will only keep us from finding the true beauty we seek and that lies within. 1 Peter 3: 3-4 tells us, “Beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

According to Dr. Elliot Feit, any woman can be beautiful. “The key ingredient is godliness, which expresses itself in her being selfless, a good listener, kind, and caring. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.”

Understanding the profound truth will transform any person from the inside out. Your beauty will radiate as you care for your family, volunteer at school, and sever in your church. In fact, don’t be surprised if you become the most beautiful woman in your community, because now you know. The best-kept beauty secrets lie within a gentle heart, a quiet spirit, and love for God and others.

Micca

When You Feel Out of Control

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Don’t miss Truth or Dare, September 9th, 6-8 pm! We are going to have lots of fun and also frank discussion about specific issues that we as women struggle with at times. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Whether or not you think you struggle with issues, you know someone who does. We not only want to speak truth in to the lives of women who are dealing with issues but also equip ourselves all with tools to minister to family members or friends that we all know who are hurting.

Part 1

Do you trust God? When thinking about that question I normally would give a resounding “Yes”. However, circumstances in the last couple of weeks have caused me to wonder if I really do!

A week and a half ago my son accepted a job which required him to move to California for eleven weeks. Last Tuesday he packed his clothes, an air mattress, some food and a few other necessary items in his vehicle and headed west all by himself with no place to stay!   Part of this Mama’s heart was excited for the great adventure that he was embarking on and the other part was scared to death!

In the week since he has been gone, you can only imagine all of the emotions I have felt. At the core of who I am, I know God is in control and yet I feel so out of control! I guess that’s the whole point! Reality is I’m not in control of anything.

Do I really believe my God is capable of watching over and protecting Jordan? Yes I do. Do I still worry about him and wonder how he is doing? Yes I do! Just being honest here. Are there times when you worry and feel out of control?

I’ve been preaching to myself a lot and hanging onto truths from God’s word that have brought peace and comfort. Here are some of the reminders that I have clung to:

  • “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3
  • “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
  • “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Do you find yourself worried and out of control today? If so, pick up God’s word and start reading! Read out loud. I can’t explain it but I’ve found it to be true, peace really does come when my mind is stayed on Him and I am not consumed by worry.

Part 2 Continue reading →

Running in Place

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“The peoples exhaust themselves for nothing.”  Jeremiah 51:58

“Exhaust for nothing!”  What a statement!  What a contrast to “they that wait [hope] upon the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings [soar] as eagles, they shall run  and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31  “Run with patience the race set before us.” Hebrews 12:11

In an era of desiring fuel efficiency, energy conservation, and goal-driven life styles, we so often totally miss the mark of God’s Energy Plan—GEP.  We spin our wheels—and accomplish little.  We race from one point to another.  We spend much, sleep little, run hard, eat and go (or eat on the run.)  Our alarms wake us up as if to a life-race buzzer—propelling us forward in the day with too many laps to run, and miles to log.  We live as though in training for the ‘Big Marathon in the Sky,’… all the while hoping (and praying) that our efforts will bring us to the desired end or goal.  But, too often what we end up with is exhaustion, burn-out, and questions.  God has given us His training manual with guaranteed results:

  • renewed strength
  • soaring high above all
  • ability to run and not get weary
  • being strong walkers

Waiting (hoping) in the LORD—this state of being has expectancy on God…not ourselves. Continue reading →

Superhuman…super moms, super women! Or…not really!

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Superhuman…super moms, super women! Or…not really!

“Surely God is my help; The Lord is the one who sustains me.”  Psalm 54:4

  Yesterday I saw a phenomenal sight while driving.  It was at the Indian Lake entrance ramp onto Hwy 386.  A construction worker was standing on a slope with raised arms fully extended out.  He appeared to be supporting a large concrete slab approximately 8 feet x 20-30 feet high…miraculously balancing it with his bare hands.  It was one of those superhuman images which your mind uses to play tricks on you.

In the few seconds I had to mentally assess this phenomenon, I was able to add more visual information for my brain to process.  A relatively small clamp was attached to the top edge of this solid plane, and connected to this apparatus was a cable suspended from a crane.  In reality the crane operator, sitting in the cab, was the one suspending the 2-3 ton concrete slab.  This virtually unseen force held the controls in his hands, while the apparent super hero on the slope below seemed to be carrying the weight all by himself.

So many times we are told to “be strong!” in the midst of a raging battle within (sometimes without as well.)  We look at how others are handling a difficult time in their lives and think…”wow, they’re strong.”  When all the while what we don’t acknowledge is that we have no strength on our own.  Whatever strength is evident comes from the unseen hand of God lifting and carrying the weight.  Paul realizing where his strength came from said, “It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness…I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” 2 Corinthians 10:10 The Message

I shared this with my nine year-old grandson today and he said, “Yeah Nana, it’s like Samson in the Bible.  When God was with him he was super strong, but when he disobeyed God, his strength was gone and he couldn’t do anything.”

Prayer: Oh LORD God Almighty, keep me mindful of your presence in my life, and the strength You alone give for the day.  And may I seek you early in the morning with a heart surrendered to You.

Please share a time this super-human “hand of God” became evident to you as you struggled to carry a load bigger and heavier than you could possibly handle.  How about today?  Are you trying to be strong for the sake of…..children, family, work relations, your marriage?  Are you trying to hold it together lest everything fall apart?  Try raising your outstretched arms and heart to Jesus, and allow Him to be your strength for the day…the task…your life.

 

 

An Adoption Story

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Adoption has always been a priority for our family. However, we didn’t realize how quickly the Lord would call us into action. In January 2010 we found ourselves with two beautiful biological children, our daughter was six months old and our son was two years old. We had what you would call “the perfect set.” God began to stir our hearts and remind us of our calling to adopt. Africa had always been in our hearts so we quickly began to research the adoption programs there. Ethiopia was a clear choice and we began the process immediately. We definitely had friends who thought we were crazy to start this journey with two young kids, but they quickly became our strongest supporters. We contracted with a great agency and we were approved to adopt a boy or girl 0-18 months old.

 

After a great rush of paperwork we settled in to wait, thinking our process would take about 10 months. A few weeks later the Ethiopia program changed drastically and we settled in for an unknown wait time. The Lord taught us so much about patience and how His plan was so much greater than what we could dream up. The extra wait time allowed us to gather funds by selling personal items, having garage sales, applying for grants and taking extra work. It would have been very difficult to keep paying the adoption bills had we not had some extra time. We are both in ministry as well and we saw God doing great things that we may have missed if we were otherwise occupied with bringing our child home. However, after an almost 2-year wait we were more than ready to see our child’s face. I remember praying, as Christmas approached, that the Lord would have compassion on us and allow us to know our third child before Christmas day. God was so gracious! On December 16th we received a call about a 3 and a half-month-old baby boy! He was absolutely beautiful! He had already experienced so many traumas in his little life but I had so much peace knowing we were going to be his family forever. God’s grace and bigness weighed so heavily on me as we began to see the full picture of how God had protected this little guy and designated him for us, to be our son. We were and are still amazed by this.

But God was not finished with his miracles. We were told to expect to wait about two months to travel for our court date. I work with orphanages in Haiti and Uganda and had a trip to Haiti planned for early January. Again, we were told it would be February before travel to Ethiopia, so I went to Haiti as planned. While in Haiti, I received a call from Calvin saying we had a court date in January and we would be headed to Ethiopia the very next week! I was so overwhelmed as I finished my work in Haiti and made plans to leave a day early. We were going to see our son!!

 

Meeting Liam was amazing. I knew him immediately. His caregivers handed him to us and we spent several days visiting with our little guy and just getting to know him. We had court on our last day in Ethiopia and passed without any hitches. Then came the goodbye. We cried over our son and rejoiced that he was ours and said goodbye not knowing when the embassy would approve our return.

 

The next 8 weeks were so incredibly difficult. Liam was sick with pneumonia, wasn’t gaining weight, and we were getting health notices from our agency every Monday. Things were just taking a very long time. We prayed that Liam would stay strong until we could get him home to good medical care. We prayed for God’s will to be done. One evening, in my desperation, I sent an email to the embassy pleading our case. Then I prayed in desperation, that God would show us favor and that our case would be cleared by the morning. Again God was gracious! That morning when I checked my email I found our clearance from the embassy! We could travel in just a few days to bring Liam home!!

 

The next few days were a whirlwind! Packing, buying really expensive plane tickets, buying last minute baby stuff. And then we were off! We arrived at Liam’s orphanage, scooped him up and we headed back to our guesthouse. Those days with Liam were so precious; getting to know him again, helping him feel safe with us, and trying to get him healthy. The plane ride home was hard; he was sick and the up and down of the plane just made matters worse. But our homecoming was sweet. Walking toward my children in the airport with their brother and watching them embrace him for the first time is one of the brightest moments in my life.

 

Five months later, I sit here writing this and it feels like a dream. It feels like we have never been without Liam but reflecting on the journey helps me to realize what a miracle he is. God is so good and He provides. We recently began paperwork to start another adoption. We are so excited to embark on a whole new journey as we seek to adopt a toddler from China. God has so many plans for us, and we trust him to form our family in whatever way he chooses!

 

{When I’m Just a Memory}

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Do you ever go through seasons of life that you think of death more often than others? I feel that I am going through those seasons more and more as I pass the “Alert” signs on 65 N/S that continue to update us on how many people have had fatal car accidents in TN this year. I pass by that sign at least 6 times a week. I can hardly drive by it without reading the sign, being in awe of how much the numbers have changed, and then thinking of how many lives were changed because of those deaths. Today marked 617 deaths… lets put that in perspective… let’s say that each death impacted only 10 people, I say “only” because that is a very low realistic number… it is probably more in the hundreds, but for example sake we will say 10. That means in the past 8 months in Tennessee alone over 6,100 people have been affected by a fatal car accident… not to mention all of the other hundreds of ways people can die. I don’t know about you, but this makes me immediately think of my own countdown.

After dwelling on this thought this afternoon I was cooking this evening and the song, “Live Like That,” by Sidewalk Prophets came on.

 

      Sometimes I think

What will people say of me

When I’m only just a memory

When I’m home where my soul belongs

  Continue reading →

The Awe of God

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“…no awe of me” Jeremiah 2:19

Fireflies in the night sky!

In an era of spectaculars—technology often replaces the miraculous.  Avatars (simulated humans which act out reality) rob us of true experiences.  Children ride past God’s creation, oblivious to His wonders, as they watch technological marvels on their DVD screens.  Movies replace catching fireflies and watching the starry hosts of heaven in the evening.  We have diluted the meaning of the word “awesome” by using it to describe anything we really like.

Where is the awe of God today?  Jeremiah the prophet described the state of being that God’s people had digressed to when forsaking the LORD and included in this description was the rebuke “and have no awe of me.”

I am reminded of my dear mother’s response every time she saw the hand of her creator: “Thank you God for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a good sound mind to recognize it as You who have created all this.” Several years ago God used an inchworm to change the life directionof someone very dear to me.  Another time, God used a praying mantis on my windshield wiper to convey a vivid illustration of prayer.

Jesus referring to a sparrow- Matthew 10:29-31

Jesus often referred to nature in describing principles of the Kingdom of Heaven.   May we never cease to marvel as a child at His amazing presence all around us.

Prayer of resolution:  “Oh, LORD, remind me of your splendor and may I not let another rob you of my heart or mind.  May I choose my words more carefully—reserving the best to ascribe to You the honor due You.  May I deliberately seek to discover your mercies new every day in my life and those of others as well.  You alone are my God, and aside from You there is no other.”

My challenge today is to look for God’s love note to us through His creation or created beings.  How about you?  How has God revealed himself to you today—yesterday?  What has taken your breath away—captured you with the awe of His presence?

Nancy

How to Get More Time with Your Family

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This week, our family was given 230 extra minutes! That’s right, we have been given the gift of time. We’ve decided to use this time as if it were a classroom, a giant cloud to fall into, a locker room, an open sky, and a huge concert hall. The interesting part of all of this is that this time is actually spent in a rather small, confined, metal frame where we each have assigned seats. We pull down our safety harnesses because sometimes, it’s a bumpy ride!

With school, baseball, and church alone, 230 minutes a week is about how much time our family spends in the car. Have you ever stopped to think about how much time your family has together in the car? With just a little bit of intentionality, this can be time that changes the dynamic of your family forever!

A classroom:

When you stop to think about it, there are endless things you can teach your children while you’re riding in the car.

(My son has a new interest in all the rules of the road ever since we let him drive the car across our field. What better way to prepare them for driving than to talk about it while you drive.)

-     Talk about the nature that’s all around you.

-     Teach a new Bible verse.

-     Talk about how to be safe.

-     Teach your kids the importance of money management.

-     Talk about the importance of eating healthy.

A Giant Cloud to Fall Into:

- Make your car a safe haven. Let your children know that they can talk about anything during this time.

- Give your children the opportunity to begin the conversation as soon as they get in the car so that they have the chance to share personal feelings before they lose their nerve.

A Locker Room

 - Give your best pep talks in the car!

- Use this time to tell your kids how proud of them you are.

- Talk about how lucky you feel to be a part of this “family team”.

 

An Open Sky (this is my favorite)

Use this time as if you are handing your children a helium balloon and telling them to write on their balloon anything they need to release from their life. Have them envision releasing their balloons into the open sky straight up to heaven.

-     Talk about fears they are feeling.

-     Talk about worries they may have about school or friends.

-     Ask them whom they want to pray for.

-     Encourage them to let go of any kind of regret.

A Huge Concert Hall

- Don’t forget to sing!!

- Make up new lyrics to old songs.

- See just how fast you can sing and still get the words right.

Ways to make the best of your drive time

-     Eliminate the criticism (even the constructive kind). Let this time be full of encouragement and laughter.

-     Mandate that all the little “boxes” as we call them, are turned off and put away…iPhones, iPads, iTouches…aye yigh yigh!

- Keep the probing questions to a minimum. If you’re dying to ask about a personal situation in your child’s life, perhaps you could first tell a similar story from your own childhood that might naturally spark a conversation instead of interrogating your child.

- Be intentional about studying the lives of your children. Look for what makes them come to life and focus on these things during your drive time.

Your daily drive time can be the way to get back your lost time! Please share with us how you spend your family drive time. We’d love to hear from you.

Kelly Breece- Blogger on The Simplified Family

(Post taken from Kelly’s blog. Check it out!)

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An Audience of One

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What does the word worship mean to you?

It’s often used as an adjective, as in worship service, worship music, or worship center.  It’s also sometimes used as a noun:  My boss gives excessive worship to his business.

I like it best as a verb.  It seems to me that in its truest form, worship is action.  It’s our humble engagement with and grateful connection to the God of the universe through our spirits, with our mouths, and in our minds.

Because He created us and desires a relationship with us through the blood sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, He alone is worthy of our praise, adoration, love and lives.  That fact alone should move us—move us to sing, to share the gospel, to minister to and encourage others.

Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

The term worship wars has been used in the past few years to describe the debate over worship styles.  It just seems wrong that those two words should ever be put together in a sentence.  Whether you like traditional hymns or contemporary-style music, whether you think you can sing or not—if you have been saved by the blood of Christ, you have a song to sing and worship should not only be on your lips, but moving in and through you as you become the hands and feet of Jesus to others.

Photo by Gretchen Jones- Haiti Nov 2011

I recently went on one of our church’s trips to Haiti and was so incredibly moved.  Their worship was palpable, visible, tangible.  For an hour, they sang.  Sometimes they stood.  Sometimes they sat.  Sometimes they raised their hands.  Sometimes they swayed to the music.

I wept at the privilege of worshiping with them, of seeing their genuine joy!  I couldn’t help but be convicted by their expression of sincere gratitude.  These people have so little in areas most of us would describe as absolute necessities.

Yet, despite the fact that they have virtually nothing, they have everything.  They have Jesus, and He’s enough. He’s ALL they need.  And they reflect that—in their mouths, in their countenance, in their expression of adoration to the One who gave it all.

During Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem before Passover, the Pharisees asked Him to rebuke His crowd of followers to be quiet.

Jesus answered, “I tell you, if they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.”  (Luke 19:40)

Forbid it that we be so neglectful or unmoved in our worship that an inanimate object would be commanded to do it in our place.

So, I ask you, what does your worship look like?  Do you stand there with your lips closed, hands crossed, mind elsewhere?  Or do you focus on Him and allow His Spirit to speak to you and connect you with the Creator of the universe who loves you beyond comprehension?  It doesn’t matter whether you raise your hands, or if you can carry a tune in a bucket.  What matters is that you engage with Him and WORSHIP!

He’s the only object, the only focus–just Him.  He’s an audience of One.

Vivian