More

Boxes are nice. They’re cube-ish with all those pointy corners. That delightful shade of cardboard brown. They are so sturdy. And just the right size for storing whatever we put inside. Like out of season clothes, clutter, gifts. Or God.

 Sometimes, though, we find ourselves breathlessly at a precipice, toes just off the edge. We attempt to scramble backward toward solid ground while crying out, “Father, if you do not intervene—all is lost!” In this moment, realization screams through our consciousness. We need more. More than cardboard. More than corners. We need more than a fits-in-the-box God.

Perhaps we’re a little afraid of the concept of “more.” What if we find that God is no larger than our box? No greater than our previous encounters with Him? What if He is only “fun-sized”?

 His Word says He is more than we can imagine. History reports this as well. Old Testament to current texts record moves of God that are more than we’ve ever known. Previous generations detail experiences of people who have seen Him perform miracles and even seen the misty Presence the Israelites followed through their wanderings in the desert. Remember the Mercy seat contained in Moses’ tabernacle and God’s visible presence—the Shekinah Glory—that rested there? All of this is because God desires to be known by His people in a measure that they can’t box up. In a measure that won’t neatly fit under the bed.

 I assure you: there is more of God than room inside our boxes. Moreover, we need more of God than that. Our notions of “just enough” are not remotely enough. We need the fullness of His presence.

Join me in asking for God to do more. More than we’ve seen in the past. More than fits in our box. More than makes us feel comfy. Will you join me in praying Habukuk 3:2?

 

“Lord, I have heard of your fame;
    I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day,
    in our time make them known;
    in wrath remember mercy.”

Lessons from Tornado Alley

I’m from the south. I’m used to humidity and tropical storms. You know, those big monsters that morph into hurricanes? You know days in advance whether they are headed your way. Then, if you are like me, you evacuate and “ride” the storm out some place else where you still have a/c and electricity, but you don’t receive much thunder or lightening.


Years ago, thanks to Uncle Sam, I found myself living in Tornado Alley. (In case you didn’t know, tornadoes come up suddenly with little to no advance warning. “Evacuation” typically includes running to a closet in the middle of your house.) Imagine my feelings when a tornado warning found me huddled in dark closet with an infant in one arm and a toddler on my lap.

Something about being snatched up and pulled into a small space in the middle of a thunderstorm made my toddler lose it. This, of course, sparked tears from my infant. Honestly, I felt like doing the same. Thanks to my habit of storm “fleeing,” I’d never really been through any severe weather.

I started searching my memory for a worship song to sing to calm my frightened boys—and myself—but couldn’t remember a note of any of the choruses we’d just sung at church on Sunday. The only songs I could remember were the oldies I had learned as a child—the same ones I had hated as a teenager because of their “old-fashioned” sound. At that moment, however, I was thrilled to grasp and hold onto the promises the lyrics those older songs held.

The song that calmed two little boys and one quivering mama:

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

There’s just something about that Name

Master, Savior, Jesus

Like the frangrance after the rain

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

Let all heaven and earth proclaim

King and kingdoms shall all pass away

But there’s just something about that name

Some ten years later, I still think back to the lesson I learned while cowering in the path of that storm: old is not the same as useless. Worship comes in many sounds. From hymns all the way down to contemporary choruses. The older music, hymns especially, is a part of our church history and younger generations can be taught to appreciate it.

Because you just never know what will comfort you during the storm.


Link to song quoted above: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SULXKJR3AoQ&feature=related
A more recent worship song I enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbGgA2lIDjc

Floodgates of Heaven

If you recall, in my last entry, Doors and Windows, I explained that our attempt to adopt through foster care had led to a closed door. I expressed my hope that when God closes a door He really does open a window of opportunity.

Just a few short days after writing the entry, God opened a door we were not expecting. More accurately, He threw open the floodgates of heaven.

Here’s the news: Our family will be adding a new member in October. We’re having a baby! He has granted us the desire of our heart and has not withheld the request of our lips!! (Psalms 21:2)

Still waiting on the Lord to bring you to the next point in your journey? One of the things that stick out to me from the Psalms is that God hears our prayers. (Ps 34:15, Ps 10:17, Ps 145:19—just to list a few.) Be confident in this: God hears the prayers of His people. In other words, He hears when we pray, cry, whisper, scream, laugh, or talk to Him. He does not turn a deaf ear to His children.

Keep pursuing Him. May He bring us all into the fullness of His presence.


*All babies are a reason to rejoice, but if you’re wondering at the story surrounding this one, here’s a link to a very brief snapshot of our journey the last couple of years.* http://maranathamama.blogspot.com/2011/07/waiting.html

Doors and Windows

Ever heard the saying, “When God closes a door, He opens a window?” I’m believing that’s true!

One of the biggest struggles I’ve faced since we started discussing adoption is how to know we’re following God’s will. I had to learn to trust that He wouldn’t let us make a mistake. I still haven’t mastered that yet—but I have found He is faithful to keep us from paths that aren’t of His choosing.

Unfortunately, sometimes that also means I am kept from pursuing the paths of my choosing—and while I know that is best in the long run, it still can be hard to accept.

That’s a pretty long and rambling introduction, isn’t it? Well, here’s the short version: since we began our foster to adopt journey, our local agency is no longer looking for foster to adopt homes. They are seeking foster families only. Although a foster situation could eventually lead to an adoption, we decided at the outset that fostering wasn’t an option for our family at this point.

What now? I have no idea. We’re just continuing to trust that God has a plan and that He’s going to point us in the right direction at the right time.

The Accuser

I have a monster that follows me around—and I don’t even have a two-year-old anymore! Guilt is, for me, an ever-present nuisance. My guess is that I’m not the only parent with this problem.

Honestly, I had no concept of guilt before having children. Now I worry every day about…everything! One of my constant guilt-producers is this: Did I spend enough time with my kids today? (Makes perfect sense, right? I mean, I’m a homeschooling mom. I spend every minute with them. I’m here to tell you—guilt doesn’t have to make sense.)

Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” One definition of “condemned” is to be found guilty. So in other words, “There is no guilt for those who are in Christ Jesus!”

Why not?

Well, Romans 8 goes on to say in verse 2, “Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

We’re free from guilt because, as Christians, we have entered into the law of the Spirit of life and are free—free from the spirit of sin and death and the guilt that law brings with it. Verses three and four explain that guilt is meant to bring unbelievers to the Lord. Since we have already believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we no longer have need of guilty feelings.

So why do I still battle so much guilt?

The enemy of our souls, Satan, is referred to in Revelation as “the accuser” (Rev. 12:10). If you have—like me—watched too many Law and Order episodes, you know that accuser is the one hurling accusations, blame, and guilt.

Satan loves guilt-tripping us for every little slip-up—real and irrational—we could ever imagine making.

However, Satan is a liar! He is not capable of speaking truth. (John 8:44b: “…There is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for there is no truth in him.”)

That guilt that hovers around you and whispers to you at quiet moments—the voice that says, “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not doing enough” or “I’ll never get it right” or…whatever else—is the Accuser trying to make you crack. He wants you focused on what you’re doing wrong, instead of what God is doing (and wants to do) through you.

What now?

God’s Word is your ally. Memorize a verse or two to wield against the Accuser and when he attacks, speak the truth to him and to yourself.

For example, Ps. 31:4 is a prayer that says, “Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you (God) are my refuge.” I also like to change the verb tense and tell the Accuser a thing or two. Like this, “I am freed from the trap of guilt that you set for me, for God is my refuge!”

May we heed God’s conviction and ignore the Accuser’s guilt!

Thanks from a Softy

I’m a softy. I know my husband would agree, but I think about the reaction my kids had to our World Vision project and I can’t help getting teary-eyed. Thanks to the help of generous friends and loved ones, the boys met their goal...and then some!

To raise the money, the boys manned a cupcake stand during our neighborhood yard sale and sold some of their toys. They went with their Pa to collect and recycle aluminum cans. They helped bake 60 cupcakes, thirty cookies, and a couple truckloads of buttercream! (It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it, right?)

As a result, they were able to pour over the World Vision catalog and pick out more things to give! We watched a World Vision video on malaria (did you know malaria kills 2000 children a day?) that tugged on each boys’ heart—mine too! In the end, we raised enough money for 1 goat & 2 chickens, a share of a well, bed nets for a whole family (to prevent said malaria), and two soccer balls for needy kids!

Equally as exciting, the boys are asking to do more to help those in need! Next on our to-do list is Operation Christmas Child!

So often our kids (and ourselves) get caught up in “me” that they forget the great needs of others. Thanks to World Vision’s videos and resources, I was able to show our kids why people can’t just shut their doors and windows to keep mosquitoes out—why they need help from us. Thanks to your generosity, my guys are excited about helping others.

Thank you.

Teach Multiplication Without Losing Your Sanity!

Ever notice how we parents only take credit for the fabulous aspects of our children? (Little Timmy speaks three languages! Yep, he gets that from me!) We aren’t so enthusiastic about claiming the more trying sides of our childrens’ talents. (Little Tessa doesn’t like to sit still. She gets that from…her daddy!)

Well in the interest of transparency, I’m hear to tell you that one of our kiddos has trouble memorizing bald facts and…he gets it from me!

This trait becomes a nightmare when memorizing those pesky multiplication tables. (Can I get an “amen” from anyone else out there who cried over learning those things?) Really, I’ve been dreading teaching my non-memorizer the multiplication tables since we started homeschooling.

Then, I stumbled upon Memorize in Minutes: The Times Tables. (Just typing that name is enough to set off rounds of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in my head!) Similar to Times Tales, this book uses mnemonic devices (sometimes known as funny stories and rhymey words) to help kids remember the multiplication facts. I found it online for $19.99 and figured it couldn’t hurt to try.

When the book arrived, I discovered everything I needed to teach the multiplication facts inside. I simply read the paragraph-long stories to the two bigger boys (a second grader and a third grader) and showed them the silly illustrations. We tackled two facts a day—skipping the easy facts like the twos and fives. We made copies some of the illustrations to color and to make into a reference book (more on that in a minute.)

The result? Without a single flash card—but with some review of the pictures and stories, without a single tear shed—mine or theirs… They learned the times tables!

Easy. Peasy. Lemon. Squeezy.

And of course you know that division is just multiplication in reverse! So Memorize in Minutes: The Times Tables helped with that too.

For those hard to recall facts (like 9 x 6—why is that one so hard?), we made copies of the flashcards provided in the book, cut them out, and pasted them into a notebook. Anytime a boy runs into a math fact he just cannot remember, he looks it up in the notebook. (I’ve found that encourages him to think a little more and not just ask Mom for the answer.)

I love, love, love Memorize in Minutes: The Times Tables. Personally, I think this is a great tool for homeschools and public schools and private schools and charter schools and magnet schools and—well, I think you get the idea.

Sure, sometimes we still have to review. I also have to sometimes prompt them by saying, “What’s the rhyme?” But we made it through multiplication without any gray hairs.

There goes the “Hallelujah Chorus” again.

Links to research:
For Memorize in Minutes:
www.multiplication.com

For higher level math (I've never used this, but I've heard it's similar to Memorize in Minutes.):
http://lifeoffredmath.com/