For the JOY...

As our family prepares to embark on this super-exciting (and super-challenging!) journey, I'm so SO grateful for the lessons God has been teaching me and for how He's showing me in such a tangible way that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH HIM.  It doesn't say that nothing is impossible if He does it for me.  It doesn't say nothing is impossible if I talk to Him without looking at Him like He's in the room over there somewhere busy doing something else while I'm busy over here.  It says WITH HIM.  With His strength working in me.  With His peace guarding my heart.  With His hand covering me.  With my eyes fixed on Him instead of on the waves.  


I am so grateful for how God has been drawing me closer to Him through this.  I'm thankful for His patience with me.  For His reassurance over and over again that He is going to supply EVERYTHING WE NEED and that much of that will come through an intimate relationship with Him.  He keeps encouraging me when I get discouraged.  In fact, that seems to be a big stronghold He is working on dislodging from my heart...  my tendency to get discouraged when things get tough.  He wants to teach me to PERSEVERE.  And nothing will teach perseverance like...... having to persevere!  : )

So, here I am.  Persevering, but finding (as I search for it) JOY in the middle of it.  I'm so thankful (again) that God doesn't just want my body to keep going without my heart.  He doesn't just want me to move out of this house, exhausted, frustrated and worn out.  He wants me to find JOY in it!

"²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  (James 1:2-4)


"⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,⁹for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."  (1 Peter 1:6-9)


Do you see that???  Wow.  Greatly rejoice...  Pure, inexpressible and glorious joy.  Reminds me of how Jesus persevered through being crucified...  FOR THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM.

"¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  (Hebrews 12:1-3)

If you would like to join (officially) in praying for us as we enter into our training time, we would be so honored...  We actually have to have at least 40 people signed, sealed and committed to praying for us daily by the time we get to Canada.  If God puts it on your heart to be one of those people, please let me know either in the comments or by email and I'll send you the form.


Keep fixing your eyes on Him...  and pray that we do the same.


~Melissa

Grace and Peace...

That's what I need.  And lots of it.  Every. Single. Day.  And that's what God promises to supply me.  When I remember to rest in Him and when I forget, His grace is unfailingly strong.  Strong enough to hold me and my family together even when He's turning our lives inside out and upside down, as a matter of fact!  In case you haven't heard already through some grapevine or other, our family is embarking on an adventure that to some might seem ordinary, but to me (and I think most people) is anything but normal.

Last Spring we applied and have been accepted to go into training as long-term missionaries with our church family's (yes, I mean denomination if you know what that means) missions organization.  There is obviously a story to be told with this great big move we're making and you can read more about our journey over at our family's shiny-new blog:  http://familiaens.blogspot.com/. (I'll probably mention it here whenever I post something new over there.)  That's where I'll update people about what's going on with our family, but this blog will still be the place for my random thoughts ranging from muddy water to laundry to moving (aaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!)...

Oh.  Sorry.  Did you hear that?  I was just screaming a little inside.  : )  Leave it to God to invite us to go on this amazing adventure with Him--but make me clean out my house first.  : )  Well, I can't complain, really, because I'm so, so, so, SO incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity of a lifetime He's giving us AND He's promised to help me every step of the way.  Even with the yard sale on Saturday.  Even with the packing and the tiring days and the happy days, too.  But to be honest with you, I just sort of wish I could skip this part.  But God knows I need it for some reason. Maybe to prove to me that nothing is impossible with Him.... even ME and my family moving out of this house in time.

I wrote a little song a few weeks ago on one of my challenging days (like today) remembering and proclaiming that it's not by my might or by my power, strength or wisdom but by His Spirit and His grace that I stand...  Crying out Lord, I BELIEVE!  HELP MY UNBELIEF!  In my weakness, show me Your power!  He's brought me once again to a place where I have to rely on His strength because there's just no other way.  Not even my super-husband can rescue me on his own.  But God can.  And He will.  It's going to take every ounce of my strength to resist the enemy's discouragement and to hold unswervingly to the truth, but God will give me all the strength I need.  (Hmmm...  He gives me the strength, but I have to use it.  Must remember that!)  And he's walking with me.  And singing to me.  And reminding me to be still and know He is God.  Nothing is impossible with Him and He loves me very much.

And that's enough.

Dirt & Water (More than Mud)

Play a little word association game with me…  What are the first things that come to your mind when you read the word “WATER”? (Waiting… waiting…)  Since I can’t hear you, I’ll tell you what I think of… Oceans.  Lakes.  Rivers.  Thirst.  Cleansing.  Cooking.  Drinking.  Refreshing.  LIFE…

OK.  Next word:  “DIRT”  Hmmm…  Dirty.  Cleaning.  Kids.  Stains.  Laundry.  Dusting.  Washing.  Sweeping.  Getting tracked in all over my house.  (Can you tell I’m a mom?) DESERT.  (Death.)

A couple of months ago, I woke in the middle of the night pondering the significance of water and dirt.  At first I was thinking about water being representative of the Spirit of God and true spiritual life and I thought dirt was connected with sin.  I still think water can represent God’s life and power—in both positive and negative ways.  It’s possible to die in water or die for lack of it, just like we can die if we refuse to accept Jesus’ gift of life.  It’s nothing new, really, to think of water as a spiritual symbol.  I think probably every religion in the world recognizes its significance.  Even scientists who don’t believe in “religion” or God at all practically worship water with all of their searching for it on other planets as proof that there might have been life there once.  And the Bible is full of water…  floods, droughts, seas being parted, water flowing out of rocks, Jesus the living water, baptism, being washed by the Word…  just to name a few.

But I’ve decided that dirt (for me) isn’t really about sin.  It’s just humanity.   Again, that’s not a new concept, I know.  After all…  God formed Adam out of the dust of the ground and God remembers we are “but dust.”   And dirt is just part of life.  When you go camping, you have to surrender to it or be frustrated the whole time.  When you have kids or live on a farm, you have to surrender to its existence and learn to live with it to a certain extent as well.  (We surrender to its existence...  not its lordship!)   AND dirt was part of life BEFORE the tree/serpent/fruit incident in the Garden of Eden, so that means (ahem…) it is (or was at that point) good.  I, for one, have had to accept that there will always be more of it – no matter how many times I sweep.  Just like there will always be more of my humanity for God to deal with in my heart as long as I’m on this big spinning ball of dirt.

(I know the earth is not really just a big spinning ball of dirt.  But I liked the way it sounded.  Forgive me.)

But do you know what gets me excited?  I get excited about what happens when you put dirt and water together.  J

You get a planet like earth – with magnificent snow-capped mountains, river-worn canyons, dry ground filled up and turned into lakes, places where oceans meet land.

You get Jesus using mud made out of dirt and spit to heal a blind man.

You get something plants can grow in that farmers can feed and clothe you with.

You get something irrestable to little boys and little girls.

You get to experience going from dirty to clean.

You get to go from hard and barren ground to soft, workable, life-giving ground.
You get the Word made flesh and the Spirit of the Living God dwelling in us.

Wow.

(I even found an article online that talked about how soil in nature holds on super tightly to the first rain water of the season so that rain that comes later doesn’t mix with the first water b/c the soil won’t let go of it.  I’m not going to try to overanalyze the spiritual lesson in that…  but I think it’s fascinating.  Dirt was made to hold water.  We were made to hold God.)

You also get mudslides and floods and quicksand and places for weeds to grow.  Reminders that God’s ways are not our ways and that we can’t leave our hearts unattended or sin will take root quickly and grow like crazy.  (“Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life!”  See?)  There are also so many contaminants that can poison water.  People die ALL OVER THE WORLD EVERY SINGLE DAY for lack of clean water.  So many, also, die spiritually because they are drinking the poisoned water their false gods and idols offer them every day.

And isn’t it interesting that we bury stuff in the dirt?  Most often, when people die they are buried.  Sometimes when people commit crimes, they try to bury the evidence.  Sometimes people even bury treasure so others don’t steal or find it.  (Remember the parable of the talents?)  Yet, when dirt is properly tended and watered and fertilized, a simple seed can grow and bear fruit a thousand times over. 

Astounding.

You know what else?  When I don’t drink enough water, I get headaches.  I’ve known that for a few years now.  And yet, over and over again, I will let myself get dehydrated to the point of a headache when the solution is as simple as drinking more water.  Sadly, I too often do the same thing spiritually.  I’ll go for a while doing well--staying hydrated spiritually by spending time with the Lord, drinking His Word and His presence and love.  But eventually, I’ll slack off a bit (even if it’s just for a few days) and get a spiritual headache.  Or heartache.  And I’m discovering that during seasons like the one I’m in right now, I need to drink more than ever from Him because the temperature around me is hotter than ever and I really do need more time with Him than ever before.  (I’ll explain more next week…)

Lord, wash me and I will be clean.  Keep my soft heart so good things can grow in it and keep my spirit free from weeds so that sin doesn’t choke out the fruit.  You are the potter and I’m the clay.  Don’t let me bury the treasure You’ve given me.  I want You to keep unearthing everything that needs to be dug up, rooted out and removed from my heart so that it can be fertile soil for your Word to grow in.  I want to bear fruit for You.  Fruit that will last!  My soul really does thirst for You in this dry and weary land…  Keep me coming to You to drink of Your unfailing love.  What an amazing thing that You choose to work through us…  through me…  this fragile jar of clay.  Oh, how I love You.

Change is in the air. (Or the water.) (Or something.)

The schedule is changing...  the weather is changing...  the kids are changing...  I'm changing...  and my blog layout is changing!  : )  Blogger FINALLY added some new layout features (that I don't need a third party to host) and I was so happy to discover one that fit my blog so well!  : )  If you're reading this in a reader, well, then you're missing out on all of the fun.  : )  Unless you click on over to my actual blog.

Anyway.  I'm in the middle of the school to summer transition and realized today that I need to be determined about finding quiet time with God or I'm going to be in trouble.  I need Him more than ever (is there ever a time I need Him less?  Probably not!)  Either way, I need Him.  I need to be in His presence and in His Word and in His arms - and not just during moments in between loads of laundry and snacks and potty training attempts.

So, the verse I'm focusing on for the rest of June is Isaiah 30:15...  Hmmm...  Well, I thought it was going to be! But I just looked up the whole chapter and discovered there is more there I need to pay attention to!  I had no idea these verses were all in the same chapter...

Isaiah 30:15 "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."

30:18 "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.  For the LORD is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him!"

30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'"

I've been asking God for strength and courage lately, and He was reminding me today of verse 15 there.  If I take time to rest, it is evidence that I am trusting Him.  When I think I don't have time to stop and rest because there is to much to do or to figure out or whatever, that, on the other hand, is evidence I am NOT trusting Him.  I can't get through this life or even this summer without His help and without His strength.  I'm glad I don't have to try!

(In)Courage

Hey there friends... especially my GIRL friends!  Just wanted to share this website with you.  It's a blog kept by a group of women who are all incredibly gifted writers, and as you'd expect (or at least hope for!) based on the url, every time I go there I leave encouraged.  If you could use some encouragement (and who can't?) check it out!
(In)Courage
Here's a sneak peek at something posted today...

Able

I needed to hear from Him.

You know me by now and you know that I would probably rather make a joke or listen to your story than admit that I am living a story that confuses me.

I reached a point this week where, even though I wasn’t pursuing it wholeheartedly, I knew what I needed most was a word from God. I wanted to hear Him and at the same time, I didn’t.

I feel confused enough today, I thought, I don’t need to add attempting to hear God in these complicated situations. [By the way, this is messed-up thinking. Don’t agree with me. I came around. Just keep reading.]


Intrigued???  click on the title (Able) to read the rest...

And really...  who can resist a url like this...  http://www.incourage.me/  ?


: )  Be encouraged today!!!

Ready for Battle!

Alright.  I admit it.  I have gotten a bit lazy with my Scripture memorization.  I’ve still been reading a lot and adding lots of verses to my spiral, but I just haven’t made up my mind to memorize one or more of them for a while.  Well, rather than give up because I’m “behind schedule” or try to make up for lost time by memorizing extra for the months I’ve missed, I decided to throw perfectionism to the wind and just pick one to do now!  J  (Shocking, huh?)  And not a super long one, either!  Here it is:

I don’t have a horse to ride into battle, but I do have a mind that I’m supposed to be preparing for action and a sword of the Spirit I need to keep sharp.  So while I trust (PRAISE GOD!!!) that victory rests with the Lord, I’m gonna do my part to cooperate with Him!

So here’s my encouragement to you…  If you’ve slowed down or quit or even never started memorizing Scripture, don’t give up and don’t be afraid to just start today!  If you want to share what you’re working on right now, leave a comment so we can cheer each other on. YAY!  J

Grace, Peace and Lots of Love,

Melissa