God is truly amazing to me.
The verse in the Bible that tells us the God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts...has been made so real to me this year.
When God made the earth, He didn't stop with the oceans and mountains and valleys... He added animals and humans... He added life.
When God created life He didn't stop there. He created marriages...families... and with that He created relationships. When God created these families He also created friendships. Through Jesus, He taught the value in family and friends and that we should bare each others burdens and love one another as we love ourselves. Through merely creating people, which is miraculous and ingenious in itself, He didn't stop there. He went on further and developed personal, intimate attachments between those people.
God created the early morning dew and the summer rain for the dry, parched ground. He created the fruits of the trees and plants for our food. When He created the oceans and the sunsets and the eagles that fly around the mountain tops, He didn't stop there. He created You and I...to enjoy its beauty.
When we separated ourselves far from Him, He created a bridge. He sent His Son Jesus to pay for our sin. A price Jesus didn't have to pay, but He did so willingly. He gave up His life, shed His blood, so that we could have the opportunity to be reunited with God, and to one day live in heaven with Him.
God could have stopped at letting us live our life, but He didn't. He gave us memory. He gave us the ability to keep the precious moments we've lived by allowing us to have a file in our minds to look back on. When those friends and family members are no longer with us, the memories still are... they linger...the past is not forgotten...
God could have stopped in many many areas of the world. But it's amazing to me that He kept blessing. When man didn't deserve a single blessing, He gave one anyway. He gave all.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
The Saturday, Sunday Slow Down!
Saturday was a great day! We started off drinking coffee outside while the sun came up reading our Bibles and the Sunday School lesson for today. When Charlie woke up at 8am, we packed him up and went for a 2 hours bike ride! Destinations included the Dutch Bakery where we parked on a bench and had breakfast! Then off to see the new Elementary school, Mt Healthy South Elem. Then we came back home and were in need of a nap! After a few sweet, fresh peaches of course, to balance out the donuts! :) The rest of the day consisted off vegging out and watching a couple movies we have been wanting to see but never had the time. It was a day of total rest, one like we have not had in a very long time! Charlie has just gotten over 6 days of diarrhea that felt like 12 and now is battling allergies, I think. So, it was good to keep him home. But we did travel to Max and Erma's for a bite and then to Sam's for more diapers and wipes. The diarrhea-fest wiped us out of them completely.
So, Sunday. Church. Eat. Sleep. NASCAR. Orchestra practice for Jeff. Church. Sleep. :) Eventful yet rejuvenating at the same time!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
4 Months and Famous?
An Our365 email popped up this morning. Henry is 19 weeks old... 4 months 1 week and 5 days...
Though it feels like he's been a part of our family forever.
This weeks Our365 email was rather....stupid. It was about if Henry has what it takes to be famous or not.
First off, it only made me think right away of his limitations...but then I remembered Teddy Kremer and I realized that Henry will have all kinds of opportunities in life...maybe different ones than Charlie and Wesley, but still his very own, neat opportunities. God must have some purpose for Henry, otherwise He would have made him with 46 chromosomes like the rest of us in this family. But secondly, what is so great about being famous that I should see if my 4 month old has what it takes to deliver??? Um, doesn't the Bible say not to strive for fame?
Sure, I pray about the business opportunities we have. I pray for prosperity, absolutely. I pray for wisdom and for direction and I pray for God to show us those that need our help. Missionaries, those who just need that stepping stone to get to a better spot in life, and those that have never been helped before...but are praying God sends someone to rescue them.
I want to be a wife, woman, and mother that hears her Lord's voice and obeys.
I want nothing more for God to say, "I'll give this task to Kelly; for I know she will obey..."
I want God to smile at me. I want Him to know how much I love Him...and how much I want to raise Heroes for Him and not boys that will do anything for a Hollywood shout out.
I want sons that girls' moms say "Pray about that boy Suzie...he sings and plays instruments for the Lord, he always attends church, he helps out when needed, he has a servants heart, he reads his bible...and he has really godly parents!"
My sons don't need fame when they have Jesus. If Jesus is pleased with them, then all is right in the world. He will bless them in ways Hollywood could never fathom. With real love. Real hope. Real joy. Real riches...They may have their own little family who loves them, maybe children one day, and for Henry, well, God's got something really cool planned for him! He'll be one fantastic uncle! My future grandchildren have no idea how much they're going to love Uncle Hanky-Pank!!
I may just print this out and stick it in my Joy Journal for when it comes to pass...so I can say to Henry, "See!!! Mommy knew it would happen for you! Mommy knew you were born for something very neat and that only you could do!"
It's no secret that I love my sons.
Charlie is Mr. Personailty. fun-loving, happy-go-lucky, and super smart! He loves saying hi to people, asking what their first and middle names are and needs to know what everyone is doing. He loves anything silly and funny and he loves cooking and making crafts. He remembers everything you say and every car someone drives. He was the absolute perfect first-baby. He's got beautiful eyes and lips and hair. He's got such an outgoing personality that draws people to him. He can get in trouble too...he says the darnedest things sometimes...he is all boy!
Wesley is everything sweet, adorable, and tender heart-ed. He's easily hurt...and easily loved. He used to be my Master of Disaster but now he is more like my Adventurous Blessing. He still gets into stuff...mostly he gets into trouble, but he is the first one to hug me, the first one to kiss me, the first to crawl into my lap and cuddle. His smile will make your heart gush...his puffy pink lips are so cute I just could kiss them off his face. His eyes can have the "puppy dog" effect and make you give him anything he wants. I love his fluffy hair that bounces when he runs and his cowlick in front that makes his hair stick up and to the left. :) He's all around cuteness with a kick. I see him rebuilding engines with Daddy for that fast car.
Henry is already loved by everyone. He has a smile and laugh that melts hearts. He's simply adorable! I couldn't have asked for a better baby. Sometimes we see the yellow raincoat...sometimes we don't...But we always see Henry!
I don't want fame for my boys...but I do want them to leave a legacy behind for God...
Who knows what the future holds...
Though it feels like he's been a part of our family forever.
This weeks Our365 email was rather....stupid. It was about if Henry has what it takes to be famous or not.
First off, it only made me think right away of his limitations...but then I remembered Teddy Kremer and I realized that Henry will have all kinds of opportunities in life...maybe different ones than Charlie and Wesley, but still his very own, neat opportunities. God must have some purpose for Henry, otherwise He would have made him with 46 chromosomes like the rest of us in this family. But secondly, what is so great about being famous that I should see if my 4 month old has what it takes to deliver??? Um, doesn't the Bible say not to strive for fame?
Sure, I pray about the business opportunities we have. I pray for prosperity, absolutely. I pray for wisdom and for direction and I pray for God to show us those that need our help. Missionaries, those who just need that stepping stone to get to a better spot in life, and those that have never been helped before...but are praying God sends someone to rescue them.
I want to be a wife, woman, and mother that hears her Lord's voice and obeys.
I want nothing more for God to say, "I'll give this task to Kelly; for I know she will obey..."
I want God to smile at me. I want Him to know how much I love Him...and how much I want to raise Heroes for Him and not boys that will do anything for a Hollywood shout out.
I want sons that girls' moms say "Pray about that boy Suzie...he sings and plays instruments for the Lord, he always attends church, he helps out when needed, he has a servants heart, he reads his bible...and he has really godly parents!"
My sons don't need fame when they have Jesus. If Jesus is pleased with them, then all is right in the world. He will bless them in ways Hollywood could never fathom. With real love. Real hope. Real joy. Real riches...They may have their own little family who loves them, maybe children one day, and for Henry, well, God's got something really cool planned for him! He'll be one fantastic uncle! My future grandchildren have no idea how much they're going to love Uncle Hanky-Pank!!
I may just print this out and stick it in my Joy Journal for when it comes to pass...so I can say to Henry, "See!!! Mommy knew it would happen for you! Mommy knew you were born for something very neat and that only you could do!"
It's no secret that I love my sons.
Charlie is Mr. Personailty. fun-loving, happy-go-lucky, and super smart! He loves saying hi to people, asking what their first and middle names are and needs to know what everyone is doing. He loves anything silly and funny and he loves cooking and making crafts. He remembers everything you say and every car someone drives. He was the absolute perfect first-baby. He's got beautiful eyes and lips and hair. He's got such an outgoing personality that draws people to him. He can get in trouble too...he says the darnedest things sometimes...he is all boy!
Wesley is everything sweet, adorable, and tender heart-ed. He's easily hurt...and easily loved. He used to be my Master of Disaster but now he is more like my Adventurous Blessing. He still gets into stuff...mostly he gets into trouble, but he is the first one to hug me, the first one to kiss me, the first to crawl into my lap and cuddle. His smile will make your heart gush...his puffy pink lips are so cute I just could kiss them off his face. His eyes can have the "puppy dog" effect and make you give him anything he wants. I love his fluffy hair that bounces when he runs and his cowlick in front that makes his hair stick up and to the left. :) He's all around cuteness with a kick. I see him rebuilding engines with Daddy for that fast car.
Henry is already loved by everyone. He has a smile and laugh that melts hearts. He's simply adorable! I couldn't have asked for a better baby. Sometimes we see the yellow raincoat...sometimes we don't...But we always see Henry!
I don't want fame for my boys...but I do want them to leave a legacy behind for God...
Who knows what the future holds...
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Joy in the Meantime...
If you want a serious reality check of the moral compass of the world, just turn on any TV channel and watch what is aired day in and day out; or click on news websites and you'll find not only what's taking place here on our soil, but across the globe as well. Good things, bad things, things we don't even want to know about!
Our moral intellect and faith are faced daily with problems that we can't find solutions to.
If you look back on history, you can see time and time again people doing what is right in their own eyes and not following after the things of God. And how He consistently calls them back to repentance and obedience. How long-suffering He is. How patient He is. How merciful.
It's very hard for me to observe things this way. My human flesh and finite mind want to say, "Why, Lord? Why!? Why do You allow things to go on that are this evil? Why do You not stop them when You have the power to do so?" Do you ever find yourself asking God these questions? Asking Him why is He so inactive in the sufferings of the innocent and why He seems to not care about horrible acts of violence and slow, terminal death of which He can heal but sometimes chooses not to? But God is God and I am not, and He has clearly stated that our ways are not His ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts...We don't get to understand some things, but it doesn't mean that He loves us any less or that He doesn't care about the things that take place every day.
I read a while ago in the book, "I Became A Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" the analogy the author wrote about his infant son. His tiny baby boy had to undergo a spinal tap. The doctors told the father that this would be painful but after the procedure they would hand the baby to him for comforting. It was a necessary procedure, but neither the father nor the baby wanted it to happen. No one ever wants pain.
After the procedure they handed the baby over just like they had promised and the author writes that his little baby boy looked up at him crying and looking as if he were saying, "Why Daddy? Why did you put me through this? Why did this have to happen to me? Why was it so painful?" And the Dad could have said, "Well son it's a spinal tap and the doctors suspect meningitis and it is very bad if you have it and we have to know so we can treat it so you'll be better"....and on and on with medical terms and reasoning. But would the infant have understood any of that? Would that baby have realized that it was for his good? No...
So all the father did was snuggle him up under his chin and whisper in a still small voice, "It's OK Son...it's OK. I'm here. I love you. I love you and it will be alright..."
Much like our God does for us when we are going through pain and trials and things we don't understand. Sometimes we don't understand how in the world a pain or "procedure" could ever be good for us. But that's when we need to trust Him. When we can't see the purpose in something, we have to put our faith in the One that does. And realize that we are not alone, He is there, holding us close, loving us and with us through all the pain...
I love the very first few statements of the prophet Habakkuk:
"O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou show me iniguity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and the judgement doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgement proceedth."
I could hug Habakkuk right now...I could tell him I feel his anguish and broken heart. I wonder what Habakkuk saw the day he penned these words...I could apply it to seeing the woman abuse the 3 week old baby..."Why do you show me iniquity and grievance and you won't save the baby????" But Habakkuk actually received answers. Habakkuk was a man with honest doubts and wasn't afraid to ask God for help in understanding injustices that he saw.
Chapter 3 verses 17-19 are probably he sweetest verses, the most beautiful hymn in the Bible. They read:
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom
Neither shall fruit be in the vines;
the labour of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yeild no meat;
the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
YET I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength,
and He will make my feet like the hinds' feet
and he will make me to walk upon mine hingh places
To the chief singer on my stringed instruments..."
Our joy must lay in our confidence in God. A God that hears and a God that rescues. True faith means loving and serving God regardless of our circumstances. Regardless if we understand "why". For when we trust in Him, that's when we receive unspeakable joy. We can trust in the fact that we will have victory over triumph and joy and peace in the meantime...
Our moral intellect and faith are faced daily with problems that we can't find solutions to.
If you look back on history, you can see time and time again people doing what is right in their own eyes and not following after the things of God. And how He consistently calls them back to repentance and obedience. How long-suffering He is. How patient He is. How merciful.
It's very hard for me to observe things this way. My human flesh and finite mind want to say, "Why, Lord? Why!? Why do You allow things to go on that are this evil? Why do You not stop them when You have the power to do so?" Do you ever find yourself asking God these questions? Asking Him why is He so inactive in the sufferings of the innocent and why He seems to not care about horrible acts of violence and slow, terminal death of which He can heal but sometimes chooses not to? But God is God and I am not, and He has clearly stated that our ways are not His ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts...We don't get to understand some things, but it doesn't mean that He loves us any less or that He doesn't care about the things that take place every day.
I read a while ago in the book, "I Became A Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" the analogy the author wrote about his infant son. His tiny baby boy had to undergo a spinal tap. The doctors told the father that this would be painful but after the procedure they would hand the baby to him for comforting. It was a necessary procedure, but neither the father nor the baby wanted it to happen. No one ever wants pain.
After the procedure they handed the baby over just like they had promised and the author writes that his little baby boy looked up at him crying and looking as if he were saying, "Why Daddy? Why did you put me through this? Why did this have to happen to me? Why was it so painful?" And the Dad could have said, "Well son it's a spinal tap and the doctors suspect meningitis and it is very bad if you have it and we have to know so we can treat it so you'll be better"....and on and on with medical terms and reasoning. But would the infant have understood any of that? Would that baby have realized that it was for his good? No...
So all the father did was snuggle him up under his chin and whisper in a still small voice, "It's OK Son...it's OK. I'm here. I love you. I love you and it will be alright..."
Much like our God does for us when we are going through pain and trials and things we don't understand. Sometimes we don't understand how in the world a pain or "procedure" could ever be good for us. But that's when we need to trust Him. When we can't see the purpose in something, we have to put our faith in the One that does. And realize that we are not alone, He is there, holding us close, loving us and with us through all the pain...
I love the very first few statements of the prophet Habakkuk:
"O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou show me iniguity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and the judgement doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgement proceedth."
I could hug Habakkuk right now...I could tell him I feel his anguish and broken heart. I wonder what Habakkuk saw the day he penned these words...I could apply it to seeing the woman abuse the 3 week old baby..."Why do you show me iniquity and grievance and you won't save the baby????" But Habakkuk actually received answers. Habakkuk was a man with honest doubts and wasn't afraid to ask God for help in understanding injustices that he saw.
Chapter 3 verses 17-19 are probably he sweetest verses, the most beautiful hymn in the Bible. They read:
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom
Neither shall fruit be in the vines;
the labour of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yeild no meat;
the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
YET I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength,
and He will make my feet like the hinds' feet
and he will make me to walk upon mine hingh places
To the chief singer on my stringed instruments..."
Our joy must lay in our confidence in God. A God that hears and a God that rescues. True faith means loving and serving God regardless of our circumstances. Regardless if we understand "why". For when we trust in Him, that's when we receive unspeakable joy. We can trust in the fact that we will have victory over triumph and joy and peace in the meantime...
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