9-1-1 March 31, 2008

Have you ever suddenly noticed how “quiet” it is?  When you have kids, a sudden noticing of quiet usually means one of three things:

1. The kids have left the house and you better go find them.

2. The kids have fallen asleep from exhaustion.

3. The kids are doing something that they perhaps shouldn’t be doing!

 

Donna and I had the kids together for a play date earlier this week.  A sudden noticing of the “quiet” sent me looking for them.  I found them in my bedroom.  Trying to call 9-1-1.  This sparked a conversation about when we do and do not dial 9-1-1.  A good opportunity for a lesson on “what is an emergency”  

Thank goodness we don’t have to figure out when we do or do not have an emergency worth taking to God.  He wants to hear it all!

~kp

Hair Matters! March 29, 2008

This week I happened along Beth Moore’s blog site. 

I was taken back a little by the topic of the day, which was all about HAIR!  More specifically, hair coloring.  Honestly, I guess I wasn’t totally surprised.  I have heard Beth on more than one occasion, talk about her own hair. Quite frankly, I found it comforting that someone like her, (such a gifted bible teacher) could talk about something as meaningless as hair! (don’t send me any hate mail, I think hair is important, I just found it interesting that she would take the time to write about it). 

Apparently this subject matters - more than I first thought.  Literally hundreds of women found this topic worthy of commenting on.  In fact, at the time I happened across her blog site, 311 women had already commented. I also found the temptation too much to resist. I left a comment. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I somehow managed to sign myself up to receive notification of any and all additional posts.   

The next morning I awoke unsuspecting, signed into my email, and ohmygosh, 120 emails all about hair.  I laughed out loud at my own stupidity.  As passionate as I am about having the freedom to color my hair, (fyi;  I don’t have to, I choose to) other than quickly scanning the subject lines, I began deleting the messages without opening a signle one. 

Later I reminded myself, with new awareness…No matter how many messages God receives (way more than 120 I think), He takes the time to listen to each one.  No matter how ridiculous the subject may appear, He takes the time to comment – and He is delighted to do so.

So go ahead, ask Him which color he prefers!

~dl

From Where Does My Help Come? March 27, 2008

Last September my husband and I began getting together with 2 other couples twice each month to do some Bible study and spend time together.  Shortly after our group began, one of our group members was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  It was quite a surprise to them, and the diagnosis began a tough journey filled with sleepless nights, painful days and adjusting to an entirely different lifestyle.

3 weeks ago, they were able to rejoin our small group.  Our friend still has cancer, and the diagnosis does not indicate that the cancer will regress,  but his medications have made him comfortable enough to venture out and resume some activities that he enjoys.  In our group time, his wife told us about their trip to the hospital the week before.

 She was pushing him outside in a wheelchair, when the chair suddenly hit a curb, lurched forward and she banged her shin quite hard on the back axle of the chair.  It hurt her enough that she was almost unable to walk.  Her husband managed to not fall out of the chair, but they were in a dilemma.  She couldn’t push, and was having trouble walking.  Her sweet husband offered to let her sit and allow him to push.  Since that solution wouldn’t work for very far, they decided to both push the chair, one on each side.  And so together they made their way back to the hospital.

The image of them together, he weak from medication and she walking tenderly on a hurt leg, both pushing the wheelchair gave me a bittersweet feeling and got me thinking.  Occasionally, when we are in need of aid ourselves, we are called to muster up the strength to support someone else in need.   Sometimes nothing helps us through a challenge like when we can come alongside someone else and do it together.  I pray that in my time of need, just like my friend, I can stay un-self-centered enough to keep one eye open for someone else that may be nearby and also in need.

 ~kp 

The Bible – Prison or Freedom? March 25, 2008

This morning was one of those rare mornings, when I had a few extra minutes to just sit and watch my little boy as he played. 

Our cat was minding her own buisiness, resting comfortably under one of our living room chairs. Taelyn decided this was the perfect opportunity to place kitty in “kitty prison”.  He quickly gathered all of his stuffies, and every article he could find, and then proceeded to build a barracade around the chair so kitty could not escape.  My boy then positioned himself just outside the walls of this prison, to make sure kitty would not find her way to freedom.

My bible happened to be one of the articles used in installing the prison walls.  “Isn’t that the irony?” I thought to myself.  We often look at this book as a list of do’s and don’ts, and then envision God up there watching over us, ready to pounce when we make our first mistake. 

I wonder, is this book all about the things we should or shouldn’t do? Is a list or rules and regulations, or does it hold the key that will free us from our bondage?  Is God the mean old “ogre” sitting up in heaven shaking His Holy head when we don’t measure up? OR could He be waiting patiently for us to notice, He has written a love letter to each of us in the pages of His Holy script?

It would be such a shame to miss the pleasure He sees in us, as the “doting parent”.  I belive He is watching His little children take their first steps toward holiness.  He knows of each of our steps before we take them, and he is just waiting and knowing, one day we will learn to run!

dl

Toys in Heaven? March 22, 2008

Taelyn and I will often spend a portion of our day doing a little dreaming.  We both like to imagine what it will look like when Jesus finally comes to pick us up on that cloud, and we go to live with Him forever.  

Tae believes, that Jesus has crafted a “cabin” just for our family.  He envisions our new living quarters to be somewhere out in the wilderness where we can go fishing, hiking, swimming and climb trees, and all that fun outdoor stuff.  We have a great time discussing the possiblities. We even like to guess what type of food we will eat, Tae always picks ice cream, I always pick chocolate.  Inevitably however, we always end this type of discussion in a similar fashion, Tae gets really quiet and thoughtful, then out pops “the” question.  “Mom, will I be able to take my toys to heaven”?  My answer always disappoints him.

Frequently, I’ve heard people saying, “I’m just not ready to leave this earth”.  I still have so much that I want to do.  It is hard for us to imagine leaving some of our loved ones behind and well, I really hope I get to wear out that pretty pink blouse I just bought before he returns.

I wonder, when we get to where we are going, do you think we will care about anything we left behind?

Don’t get me wrong, there are people I deeply care about, and if I’m not sure I’ll meet them again in the “new” Jerusalem,  I’m going to spend my life on my knees praying for them.  I just wonder, if a time is coming when we will not care about the “things” here on earth, why do we spend so much time caring about them now?

dl

Hello Morning Edition Friends March 18, 2008

This is a special post to our Morning Edition Friends.  Even though we can’t be with you this week, we wanted you to know we have not stopped thinking about you.  Having said that, if you are not from Morning Edition but have found us, this message is for you also.

So what is spring break looking like for you?  Have you noticed a shift in your focus away from the negative and towards God?  Seeing the fun in the midst of the mud puddle?

We thought we would share with you some of the funny/strange things we’ve found ourselves saying so far this week.  “No, the dog can not babysit you while you play outside”.  “You really should not head- butt someone while they are holding hot coffee”. “No, you can not float your boat in the toilet.”

“Take your head out of that bucket of water.”

As we reflected on these funny answers to our kids’ questions we realized that even though the requests are ridiculous to us, they are perfectly logical to our children.  They don’t see anything wrong with a dog for a babysitter, playing in the potty, or soaking their head in a bucket.

When Donna was 18, she thought she had found “Mr. Right.”  She was so convinced, she asked God, “Oh please can this be the man I marry?  Pretty please?”  Do you wonder if God hears our requests somethimes and chuckles as He gently says, “No, honey.  That doesn’t make sense right now.”

Just for fun, take a moment to consider when you have received a “No” answer from God in the past, maybe for something you really, really wanted.  Pause a moment and give Thanks for the “No.”  Even if you STILL don’t know the reason for the “No,” we can trust that just as sticking your head in a bucket of water is a bad idea, God too knows a bad idea when He hears one.

If you would like to share a thought, comment or funny saying of your own please leave us a comment.  We are missing you this week and would love to hear from you.

Love Donna and Kim!

What Are You Looking At? March 16, 2008

We have had a few bright and sunny days.  I LOVE it that spring feels sprung!  The fresh from winter spring days are the kind in which you don’t mind the wrinkles you are going to get from squinting because the sun feels wonderful!  As I drove down the road I noticed the beautiful mountains that surrounded our town.  We haven’t lived in this part of the country for long, and every so often I am taken again with the amazing sight of the mountains.  I love it that they have a layered effect that makes them seem endless in height and depth.

After I sighed at the beautiful sight, I groaned as I noticed that I was looking at this beauty through a disgustingly dirty windshield.  My mind got to wandering about the dirt covering my entire van, not just the window.  The guilt bug crept in as I noticed the empty granola bar wrappers, juice boxes, mail, and other assorted junk on the floor of the van too. I quickly went from “Wow this is pretty!”  to “Wow – this is disgusting!”  In a matter of about 2.5 seconds.  How quickly we can change our focus, can’t we?  In the blink of an eye we can go from thankful and feeling good to annoyed at the junk around us.

I think this is why God tells us to keep our focus on Him!  (See Philippians 4:8)  He knows how quickly our human minds can shift focus.  And if we keep eyes on Him, we’ll always be looking at the good stuff.

Must go – I need to wash my van!  I shouldn’t let the dirty van bring me down, but I DO need to care for it!  Does anyone have a gallon of window cleaner and a scrub brush I can borrow? 

~kp 

Scars or Character? March 13, 2008

My 3 year old loves to show me his bumps, bruises and scrapes.  Sometimes I see them and cringe, but he is proud of his “marks”.  ”See Mommy, I did this when I fell off my bike!”  ”See Mommy, I scratched my hand climbing up the rocks!”

I have many scars.  One scar runs from my neck down to my tailbone.  It came from a difficult surgery to correct scoliosis.  At first I hated it.  I thought it was hideous.  However, as time has passed I have gained a new perspective of it.  Following that surgery was a good year of recovery.  I still have problems from nerve damage done to my leg. The surgery forced me to have c-sections with all my kids.  You see, there were things I’ve endured in the recovery process that have lended to build me into who I am today. I wouldn’t change those things. This realization didn’t come to me all at once. It has been a gradual process. But as I have gotten to know God better and better, I have realized that He doesn’t let anything come my way that doesn’t have the potential to build me up. My eyes need to be looking at Him though, not down at the dirt.

Let me ask… Where is your focus?  On the ugliness, on the pain and hurt of your physical or emotional scars?  Or can you see them as crucial components to building your character?

There is a great song by Sara Groves called “Less Like Scars.”  She highlights well that in God’s hands, pain and hurt look less like scars and more like character.  That He is the one who is able to help us change our perspective.  I hope you don’t ever look at a scar in the same way again! ~k 

The Great Commission March 11, 2008

I was reading Matthew 28:16 – 20 and feeling somewhat secure in the surroundings of my own home.  Just in case you don’t have your bible handy I’ll summarize.  

After the death of Jesus on the cross, the eleven remaining disciples made their way to Galilee and to the mountain Jesus had previously appointed them to. This would be the first time they would see the resurrected Christ. (I love how it says in vs 17 “that when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted” – Don’t we tend to think about these eleven disciples as so spiritual that they have no doubts)? 

So this is point where Jesus commissioned THEM to go out and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey his commands. As I read, I was caught off guard by the way this text spoke to me.  I had to pause and ask myself a few tough questions…

You can’t mean Me?

He stood on the Mount and gave His commission.

I wonder who would choose to listen?

He spoke to those eleven young men,

A well trained team – of course he’d send.

So who were they? What did they do?

A young harvard student with multiple degrees?

A doctor? A lawyer? A pastor, maybe?

I’m certain there wasn’t anyone like me!

His orders were clear!

Go out to the nations

Teach them to obey

Find them quickly,

They’re going the wrong way!

Did they have doubts?

These men long ago

They travelled three years

with the Son of God.

 Surely they would accomplish the job!

Time’s going quickly,

who knows the date?

How many will we leave behind the gate?

A thousand ideas

 I’ll try to decide.

So little time,

Too much to do

 Great places to hide.

Did he ask the boys In Galilee

or was he also commissioning me?

He stood on the Mount and gave His commission

I wonder who would choose to listen?

dl

From Your Toes March 8, 2008

As I mentioned in our last post, last weekend Donna and I had the privilege to travel to Vancouver with 50 something of our closest friends to gain some refreshing teaching and to spend time building leadership skills.  On Friday night and Saturday, we attended Living Proof Live – a conference held by LifeWay Ministries that features the amazing bible teacher, Beth Moore.  Beth’s teaching was incredible.  Another incredible aspect of the conference was the worship team, led by recording artist Travis Cottrell.  

If you have never heard Travis sing, you need to seek him out!  We had the awesome blessing of a special concert from Travis on Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday!In addition to his beautiful lyrics – I couldn’t help but notice that every time we heard him sing, he had energy and passion pouring from him into every song.  Let me re-phrase that – his energy and passion FLOWED out of every part of him as he presented his songs as an offering to God.  

I tell you girls, he sang every song as if it were the last song he would ever sing.  The words seemed to come from way down in his toes.  Made me think – if I put that kind of energy into the way I use the gifts God has given me…what would that look like?  What if I let my passion flow from me from way down in my toes?  Wow!  I am inspired to give it a try.  Anybody with me? From my toes,~kp