Already a proud member of the mother of five, I thought it would be beneficial to join another group: "Women for the War on Women." Hoping you'll join me.
When Sandra Fluke argued that a Catholic University should pay for her birth control I was embarrassed for her and for the nation my daughters are living in. If sticking up for religious liberty, family values, innocent babies, traditional marriage, school choice, abstinence only, etc makes me part of a war on women, then so be it. If being against tax payer funded birth control is a war on women than sign me up.
Inquiring why my health insurance went up 300+ per month, I was told that it was the mandatory yearly check-ups for all of us and that my daughters, age 13 &15 were now (thanks to Obama Care) covered with maternity as part of our insurance. Really? When my husband and I planned our family we chose not to include maternity because simple math told us it was not beneficial. Now I'm paying for my daughters' maternity insurance? The smug agent replied "Well, you just never know". Well, I know a few things.
Maternity insurance is mega expensive. It is much cheaper to mandate the morning after pill and get rid of the need for that coverage. Caring for a disabled child is mega expensive. It is much cheaper to pass a bill to post birth abort a less than perfect baby. It's usually always about the money.
But then there's Rush.
Let's face it men cannot be the ones to articulate the absurdity of a Catholic college student making a case for the government to pay for her birth control, morning after pill, abortion or whatever. In doing so the most popular advertisement magnet lost seven sponsors almost overnight. (Good Luck with your quarterly reports by the way!) When things have gotten so low that even money doesn't talk, it's time to speak out or shut up and give up.
Sure Rush should have not used those insulting words. But maybe we should be asking ourselves why should he think for even a moment that he needed to? Maybe, just maybe, it is pretty darn difficult to get the attention of the masses without something outlandish being uttered. After all the brainwashing began many decades ago and we are facing the generation who think it is pliable to force taxpayers to pay for services that we feel are sinful, destructive, and even murderous. Remember, murder is on God's top ten list.
Real women do not get excited about participating in the destruction of our society. We are nurturers by nature. The majority of this nation are pro-life. Who are these women that Rush (or anyone else) is at war with? Not me!
When we moved to Kansas we found a Catholic OBGYN and had our last three children in a Catholic hospital. After having my baby at age 38 I inquired about more traditional birth control. I was surprised to find out that my Doctor would not prescribe it. He took the time to explain why stating the stats on increased STD's, breast cancer, how the pill works as an abortifacient, future infertility concerns etc. This was a well respected Doctor stating facts. Sure his religion would not permit it but he showed me why he would not offer birth control purely with medical facts. He was professional in his explanation kind of like Santorum without the hate mail and stuff.
We should not be surprised that the organized left has such power to persuade advertisers from leaving Limbaugh. Remember what they did to the Komen Foundation when it decided not to pump funds into an organization that doesn't even provide mammograms for women? The Komen Foundation is about Breast Cancer. Abortions increase the risk for breast cancer. Why should they pump hundreds of thousands per year into Planned Parenthood who is the biggest abortion provider in the country?
The newly resigned head of the Foundation, Karen Handel, said, "Planned Parenthood launched a vicious attack on a nonprofit organization that fights breast cancer,” ... "They unleashed Armageddon on an organization for $680,000."
Armageddon was released on Rush. What or who will be next?
The fact is the Komen Foundation received emails running 3 to 1 in support for the defunding, and within two days of the news, online donations were up 400 percent. There was great support for the decision; it was just drowned out by the strength in the area of social media.
Speaking about social media...
I recently tried to post a time clock on facebook which counts up how many abortions are performed in a single day or year. The link was immediately flagged as "harmful to your computer" as to stop folks from clicking. My computer wasn't harmed. The fact that 93 babies were killed in the few minutes it took to view the time clock was a bit harmful!
Zukerman is Obama's bud.
New York Magazine reported about the latest cozying up between Facebook and the White House. Obama's agenda and Zukerman's brilliance and personal information access is a match made in hell.
Just think about it for a moment. It doesn't matter how superior the republican nominee is he will be destroyed. He will be fighting against Obama's machine which includes almost every social media group and all of the main stream media - twisting, distorting, cheating, lying and laughing at anyone who comes in their way. As women maybe we should consider not letting them portray us as all on the same page.
We are not on the same page as Maddow. We are not even in the same library!
Though it looks pretty bleak in terms of getting truth out there with all the lies, distortion, and now orchestrated bombardment, my husband did remind me of a truth that cannot be misconstrued... in the end, we win! Until then every time a women speaks out for religious liberty it matters.
Real women, like real men, are not looking for a government hand out. We feel pride in raising our children the way we choose to raise them. We are capable of working our way to increase just like any man. We can and should stand up and proclaim proudly that we have God given and at the time of this writing American given rights to live our lives freely.
We do not want to pay for any ones birth control, not ever. We do not want to pay to have someone's child killed. It is our CHOICE not to pay for it! We do not want to sit back and watch Sarah Palin, Laura Ingram and Michelle Malkin and others get verbally abused and threatened because they do not suck up to the elite media and elite Hollywood.
Yes it is true that in the last days, good will be called evil and evil will be called good. What was once noble (to stand for one's beliefs) is now looked upon as strange and harmful. It is not that we are outnumbered but more like overshadowed. The left is much louder attempting to destroy anyone who voices a contrary opinion. However, still consistent voices for traditional, moral values will prove to be an essential element in seeing our nation return to it's conservative roots. There are more of us!
Many more!
So join me on the war against the fabricated twisted view of what they want us to believe women are in this country. Women either too brainwashed to know better or too lazy to do anything about it.
I am so proud of Karen Handel. She didn't compromise her stand by resigning from the Komen Foundation. I am so proud of Patricia Heaton who had the guts to ask for her tweets to call Rush's advertisers to show support for him. Sure she had to suspend her twitter account due to the outlash of disgusting, horrific, threatening (I'm guessing here) responses to her twitter account. Thankfully, she's back on Twitter now.
What also is back is the voice of what has always been the heart of a woman. Protection of our children. Freedom for our nation. And the right to call wrong wrong. No matter what the consequences.
We don't need any man to speak for us.
Thanks anyway, we'll take it from here.
pw
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
5 out of 5
Since I have been a proud member of the mother of five club since 1998, I thought it would be fitting to write about my 5 kids. My husband and I are currently batting 1000 with our five children. 5 out of 5 have turned out better than imagined or predicted in the norm of things. So different from each other yet similar in all the important stuff! From common sense and wisdom to nurturing, creativity, discipline, athletic and comedic ability our 5 are uniquely positioned for accomplishment. Some personality traits are strikingly similar while others are a stark contrast. But all 5 out of 5 are born again, God fearing Christians . . . 5 out of 5 are family oriented choosing to be around our home and each other. 5 out of 5 are in the ministry in some aspect. 5 out of 5 are insightful and thoughtful of other people. All 5 are good looking on the inside as well as the outside. I know that I am just a tad bit bias!
I also understand that the enemy continues to win all our kids over with various temptations, deceptions and lies. We all have heard of once innocent children falling away and forsaking the hopes and dreams their parents had for them. Broken families are a favorite pursuit of the devil. I have heard stories of parents who raise all their kids alike, yet end up with at least one bad apple. Some would say it is almost inevitable. Not so! The only inevitable thing is the reliability of a forgiving savior combined with the absoluteness of His uncompromising word, opportune wisdom, and unconditional love. I believe in second chances and miraculous combacks, yet, I also strongly believe in the power of preventative prayer!
Actually, in the case of our children we did not "raise them all the same" which may have helped toward the present outcome. Every child is unique and requires a somewhat specialized raising technique. We did not raise our kids by following a "how to" book. We did not even plan it out! It was simply adhering to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit for each individual child in each individualized and unpredictable situation. Flexible in the small things, yet firm in the absolutes in scripture.
One thing that has always been paramount to us is that we show love and respect to all 5 of our children equally. Some may require more time, some may require more training, but as the Bible says... there is no difference in His eyes or in our eyes and hearts.
It is also no secret that living the Christian life has rewards in varied ways. Favor, confidence, and power over temptation are a few of those rewards. Yes, we showed our children the way and believed for their salvation and commitment to Christ, but it is their choice and responsibility to serve him day by day. Our kids have never known anything but a busy life of full time ministry. Yet they have never felt left out or put aside for others which almost always leads to resentment towards God when ministers' children grow and mature.
How did all 5 of our kids never suffer from the infamous PK syndrome? What did we do as parents that caused the current success? Is there any advice or formula that I could share in this blog? Maybe. Early on there was a deliberate decision to put our family first while pursuing ministry. We did ministry together, all of us, all the time. Many times our small children would fall asleep on the pew or in a restaurant booth. In youth ministry they were just part of the equation. We had skinheads hold them as we vacuumed (saved skin heads!) and death punk rockers sing and play with them in the church van. We took them everywhere. They learned who we were in ministry by personal observation. We also didn't remove fun from serving God. We had fun in and out of church!
When we became senior pastors of WOL back in 1989 our two children at the time were just 1 and 3 years old. We made it a practice to not ignore them when they wanted to show us their Sunday School page or ask us a question, even if we were talking to a new visitor. It was pretty basic knowledge to us that if we ignored them or put them off even at that early age, they would feel that church or ministry was more important than they were. So we made a conscience effort not to.
It may be a shock to some that we missed church services for important out of town events that meant a lot to our kids. One time a successful guest minister spent a week in our home and witnessed one of those times. He was very successful and my husband asked advice from him, "What is the secret to your success"? He replied without hesitation, "Well, "I would never miss a service for a ballgame for one thing." Wow! Thankfully, we let that advice fall by the wayside and left it there all these 29 years. Sadly, that successful international minister ended up losing his family, his wife, his kids and his ministry. People may not agree or understand, but the scripture is crystal clear that to not take care of your own family makes you worse than an infidel or unbeliever. And what good would it do to gain the whole world, grow a vast soul winning ministry and loose the very ones that God expects you to daily raise up to follow Him? The answer is obvious, but those following that advice are few. And it is the future (the children) as well as the ministry who ultimately loose.
People have asked us how our children have turned out so well even during difficulties in ministry. The best way I can share my insight on that is to share the following story.
Recently, one of our children was brought aside to help an old friend with his problem. During the conversation the subject turned to how our child's Dad and brother were the reason for this persons' fall. After sitting and hearing some of the most far-fetched satanic twisted hogwash, our adult child simply said "This was the first time I ever heard anything negative about Dad." The key word here is "first". Too many times in the ministry or even in secular jobs, bad stuff is being said about Dad. True or untrue, your kids need not be a part of that cancer. The other thing that came out of this story is how our other child, who was falsely accused, handled the situation. Instead of being bitter, his heart was towards the person who had fallen into the hands of the enemy. Although it is hurtful especially to me as mom, it is God's acceptance and truth that allow unfairness to be viewed in perspective to the overall picture. Seeing hurting and hurtful people with the eyes of compassion is redemptive as well as felicitous with scripture.
Training up a child in the way he/she should go includes more than just an introduction to God and His rules. It includes attributes and character only revealed during hardships and unjust times.
Observed reaction is more vital than observed action. Attention is more vital than praise. Although praise is important! A sense of family security along with individual honor will hold up when the signs point elsewhere and the odds are against you. Anyone can force your kids to put down the iPod and have some family time. But when they choose to spend time with you, such as it was for my recent birthday celebration, full of unique and special presents, it becomes the greatest gift of all.
Our youngest child just turned 13 and so for us there are still some years left for child rearing. But looking ahead I can see the writing on the wall. 5 out of 5! All fulfilling the call on their lives and passing this great success story on to their own children. Even to a thousand generations! A-men!
Deuteronomy 7:9
pw
I also understand that the enemy continues to win all our kids over with various temptations, deceptions and lies. We all have heard of once innocent children falling away and forsaking the hopes and dreams their parents had for them. Broken families are a favorite pursuit of the devil. I have heard stories of parents who raise all their kids alike, yet end up with at least one bad apple. Some would say it is almost inevitable. Not so! The only inevitable thing is the reliability of a forgiving savior combined with the absoluteness of His uncompromising word, opportune wisdom, and unconditional love. I believe in second chances and miraculous combacks, yet, I also strongly believe in the power of preventative prayer!
Actually, in the case of our children we did not "raise them all the same" which may have helped toward the present outcome. Every child is unique and requires a somewhat specialized raising technique. We did not raise our kids by following a "how to" book. We did not even plan it out! It was simply adhering to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit for each individual child in each individualized and unpredictable situation. Flexible in the small things, yet firm in the absolutes in scripture.
One thing that has always been paramount to us is that we show love and respect to all 5 of our children equally. Some may require more time, some may require more training, but as the Bible says... there is no difference in His eyes or in our eyes and hearts.
It is also no secret that living the Christian life has rewards in varied ways. Favor, confidence, and power over temptation are a few of those rewards. Yes, we showed our children the way and believed for their salvation and commitment to Christ, but it is their choice and responsibility to serve him day by day. Our kids have never known anything but a busy life of full time ministry. Yet they have never felt left out or put aside for others which almost always leads to resentment towards God when ministers' children grow and mature.
How did all 5 of our kids never suffer from the infamous PK syndrome? What did we do as parents that caused the current success? Is there any advice or formula that I could share in this blog? Maybe. Early on there was a deliberate decision to put our family first while pursuing ministry. We did ministry together, all of us, all the time. Many times our small children would fall asleep on the pew or in a restaurant booth. In youth ministry they were just part of the equation. We had skinheads hold them as we vacuumed (saved skin heads!) and death punk rockers sing and play with them in the church van. We took them everywhere. They learned who we were in ministry by personal observation. We also didn't remove fun from serving God. We had fun in and out of church!
When we became senior pastors of WOL back in 1989 our two children at the time were just 1 and 3 years old. We made it a practice to not ignore them when they wanted to show us their Sunday School page or ask us a question, even if we were talking to a new visitor. It was pretty basic knowledge to us that if we ignored them or put them off even at that early age, they would feel that church or ministry was more important than they were. So we made a conscience effort not to.
It may be a shock to some that we missed church services for important out of town events that meant a lot to our kids. One time a successful guest minister spent a week in our home and witnessed one of those times. He was very successful and my husband asked advice from him, "What is the secret to your success"? He replied without hesitation, "Well, "I would never miss a service for a ballgame for one thing." Wow! Thankfully, we let that advice fall by the wayside and left it there all these 29 years. Sadly, that successful international minister ended up losing his family, his wife, his kids and his ministry. People may not agree or understand, but the scripture is crystal clear that to not take care of your own family makes you worse than an infidel or unbeliever. And what good would it do to gain the whole world, grow a vast soul winning ministry and loose the very ones that God expects you to daily raise up to follow Him? The answer is obvious, but those following that advice are few. And it is the future (the children) as well as the ministry who ultimately loose.
People have asked us how our children have turned out so well even during difficulties in ministry. The best way I can share my insight on that is to share the following story.
Recently, one of our children was brought aside to help an old friend with his problem. During the conversation the subject turned to how our child's Dad and brother were the reason for this persons' fall. After sitting and hearing some of the most far-fetched satanic twisted hogwash, our adult child simply said "This was the first time I ever heard anything negative about Dad." The key word here is "first". Too many times in the ministry or even in secular jobs, bad stuff is being said about Dad. True or untrue, your kids need not be a part of that cancer. The other thing that came out of this story is how our other child, who was falsely accused, handled the situation. Instead of being bitter, his heart was towards the person who had fallen into the hands of the enemy. Although it is hurtful especially to me as mom, it is God's acceptance and truth that allow unfairness to be viewed in perspective to the overall picture. Seeing hurting and hurtful people with the eyes of compassion is redemptive as well as felicitous with scripture.
Training up a child in the way he/she should go includes more than just an introduction to God and His rules. It includes attributes and character only revealed during hardships and unjust times.
Observed reaction is more vital than observed action. Attention is more vital than praise. Although praise is important! A sense of family security along with individual honor will hold up when the signs point elsewhere and the odds are against you. Anyone can force your kids to put down the iPod and have some family time. But when they choose to spend time with you, such as it was for my recent birthday celebration, full of unique and special presents, it becomes the greatest gift of all.
Our youngest child just turned 13 and so for us there are still some years left for child rearing. But looking ahead I can see the writing on the wall. 5 out of 5! All fulfilling the call on their lives and passing this great success story on to their own children. Even to a thousand generations! A-men!
Deuteronomy 7:9
pw
Thursday, September 15, 2011
He Showed Us His Will
I have come to the conclusion that there is not a big need to keep asking the Lord what His will is. How did uncertainty and a sense of mystery become equated with modern spirituality?
...We will never know why that tragic thing happened to you, but in His infinite wisdom He knows. He will work that thing for good for you...somehow! It is all in the mysterious plan of God! Really?
Each time I read a portion of God's word I understand His will a little more. Like the scripture says the light shines brighter & brighter (on any subject) until the full day. We see the will of God in the prayers that Jesus prayed. That we would be one, like He and the Father are one. That we would all come to the understanding of the truth..That we have not simply because we ask not. And that God's will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven! God's will is for earth to be more like Heaven! Capeesh?
Greater than anything I have heard about the will of God is what I see Jesus doing throughout the New Testament while He was on earth. If Jesus did something it must be God's will. Thankfully Jesus did not waste anytime personally demonstrating the will of the Father. A quick look at the Gospels and we can see what Jesus did while he was walking among mere men. Those things are God's will! Every time we are unsure of God's will, we need to look at the ministry of His son while on earth. God's will is not hidden and it is not mysterious at all. It is recorded in a book.
In Luke 4:17-21 we see God's will as taught by God's son:
17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
And then in Acts 10:38 we see God's will in action:
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
The phrase "doing good" means to change people's lives for the better. That IS the will of God! Jesus demonstrated this will by healing the sick and setting the captive free from the bondage of the enemy. God's will is divine protection and clear direction as well as wisdom for all who seek it. Jesus came to earth that we might have life abundantly. By the way, the Father is just as loving and kind as Jesus because "If you see me, (Jesus speaking) you have seen the Father"!
The Bible says "No greater love hath a man than he layeth his life down for a friend." We know that Jesus gave His life a ransom for many. He did it because it was the only way out from the destruction and grip satan had over mankind. Jesus died a horrific, painful, slow death so that we could live free from horrific, painful, slow deaths in our bodies, emotions, families, relationships, finances, and whatever else!
The next time you wonder about the will of God, look at the words of the Bible but also look at the things Jesus did while he was among us on earth.
Jesus spent no time doing things that were not his will. Not once did he leave a man sick to teach him a lesson. Never did he give heed to the lies and deception of the enemy, instead he quoted God's word and the enemy fled! Jesus also never turned away those who sought him out! As a matter of fact, he pointed out those who diligently sought His help. The woman with the issue of blood who touched His garment and caused virtue to flow from Him was commended. Mary who sat at His feet learning who He was instead of worrying about earthly things was praised. And John who was loved so much that he was given deep revelation of Jesus Himself so that even those who read about it would be blessed!
3How blessed the reader! How blessed the hearers and keepers of these oracle words, all the words written in this book!
Time is just about up.
Instead of trying to find God's will - spend this short and precious time doing God's will.
Which in turn is His will and will happen because of the prayer of Jesus . .
"Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done." Selah!
pw
...We will never know why that tragic thing happened to you, but in His infinite wisdom He knows. He will work that thing for good for you...somehow! It is all in the mysterious plan of God! Really?
Each time I read a portion of God's word I understand His will a little more. Like the scripture says the light shines brighter & brighter (on any subject) until the full day. We see the will of God in the prayers that Jesus prayed. That we would be one, like He and the Father are one. That we would all come to the understanding of the truth..That we have not simply because we ask not. And that God's will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven! God's will is for earth to be more like Heaven! Capeesh?
Greater than anything I have heard about the will of God is what I see Jesus doing throughout the New Testament while He was on earth. If Jesus did something it must be God's will. Thankfully Jesus did not waste anytime personally demonstrating the will of the Father. A quick look at the Gospels and we can see what Jesus did while he was walking among mere men. Those things are God's will! Every time we are unsure of God's will, we need to look at the ministry of His son while on earth. God's will is not hidden and it is not mysterious at all. It is recorded in a book.
In Luke 4:17-21 we see God's will as taught by God's son:
17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
And then in Acts 10:38 we see God's will in action:
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
The phrase "doing good" means to change people's lives for the better. That IS the will of God! Jesus demonstrated this will by healing the sick and setting the captive free from the bondage of the enemy. God's will is divine protection and clear direction as well as wisdom for all who seek it. Jesus came to earth that we might have life abundantly. By the way, the Father is just as loving and kind as Jesus because "If you see me, (Jesus speaking) you have seen the Father"!
The Bible says "No greater love hath a man than he layeth his life down for a friend." We know that Jesus gave His life a ransom for many. He did it because it was the only way out from the destruction and grip satan had over mankind. Jesus died a horrific, painful, slow death so that we could live free from horrific, painful, slow deaths in our bodies, emotions, families, relationships, finances, and whatever else!
The next time you wonder about the will of God, look at the words of the Bible but also look at the things Jesus did while he was among us on earth.
Jesus spent no time doing things that were not his will. Not once did he leave a man sick to teach him a lesson. Never did he give heed to the lies and deception of the enemy, instead he quoted God's word and the enemy fled! Jesus also never turned away those who sought him out! As a matter of fact, he pointed out those who diligently sought His help. The woman with the issue of blood who touched His garment and caused virtue to flow from Him was commended. Mary who sat at His feet learning who He was instead of worrying about earthly things was praised. And John who was loved so much that he was given deep revelation of Jesus Himself so that even those who read about it would be blessed!
Revelation 1 (Message)
1-2A revealing of Jesus, the Messiah. God gave it to make plain to his servants what is about to happen. He published and delivered it by Angel to his servant John. And John told everything he saw: God's Word— the witness of Jesus Christ!3How blessed the reader! How blessed the hearers and keepers of these oracle words, all the words written in this book!
Time is just about up.
Instead of trying to find God's will - spend this short and precious time doing God's will.
Which in turn is His will and will happen because of the prayer of Jesus . .
"Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done." Selah!
pw
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Lessons from Lily
We did not have a spare bedroom, not even close... but something moved upon us to welcome a foreign exchange student this year. It was our first time doing it. A little scary.
The best way to describe Lily is adorable. I use to call someone like her, when I did the radio show, a "cry er". A "cry er" is someone my husband and I thought was so cute that you could just cry thinking about them. My son's girlfriend (from Brazil) says, "Lily is so sweet I want to bite her". A little break in the translation for us in America. Not popular to say we want to bite her... especially since Isabella works in a Daycare. Lots of the kiddies are bitable - and some of them bite back! Still it means the same thing. Lily is someone that you fall in love with the moment you meet her. It may be her Micky Mouse voice or her nervous hugs, but whatever it may be it be... Lily is a cry er, first class.
We are learning what it is to host an exchange student. I have seen a few subtle shifts in the normality around our home. How can a 14 year old travel across the globe to live with total strangers? Maybe the things we thought were scary are really not at all. When you see how happy she gets over such tiny blessings, such as a tiny pink notepad, you can't help but admit how stuffed we all are with things and how scarce we all are with appreciation. Personally, I can not ever remember jumping over any gift, certainly not a note pad.
Our family is large even huge for someone like Lily. She has no siblings and as it is with most girls from China, her grandmother, not her mother, raises her. She struggles with English and wants very much to let us know that she is glad to be here. I, on the other hand, instinctively want Lily to have everything she needs and to make sure she is not sad or lonely. I mention lonely because though our house is full, Lily prefers to be alone in her room. She stays in there until someone lets her know it is time to go somewhere. She politely says OK and dresses in less than a minute - or so it seems. Kind of unusual for a teenager around here.
I've noticed that Lily wants us to walk ahead. She giggles when we do not and instead hold the door for her gesturing for her walk before us. She loves salad but is not too hip on spaghetti. She would rather sit alone at the island to eat than watch TV downstairs. She eats methodically slow, makes her bed without asking and gives the best, howbeit short, neck massage to whomever happens to be in the room.
Today we went to Dillions after volleyball practice to get each of us girls a salad. Since this most likely was her first time at a salad bar, I showed her all the different kinds of lettuce and the rows and rows of items to choose. "Get whatever you like Lily". As we slowly walked around one end to the other I noticed something that almost took my breath away. Did she realize that she could really have whatever she wanted? Was she comfortable enough to choose only what she liked? Was she just being safe??? Whatever the reason, I looked at her salad as we closed the lids simultaneously and she had made an exact duplicate of my own. Down to the number of tomatoes it was the same. It is possible that when I told her to get whatever she wanted, she thought I wanted her to get what I show her... but I don't believe that to be the case. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then I was blushing. Blushing along with a few tears.
Lily went outside to our backyard deck tonight. She had something in her mouth like a plastic stick and was staring up at the darkened sky. I said "Hello Lilly are you OK?" She said, "Yes" and began to tell me of a phone call from her older friend, also a student, from China. I could only make out a little but it seems like she was wanting to tell me all about the conversation. I wish I could have understood everything. Actually, her English has improved dramatically already. She said, "Father gave me the phone and I was able to speak to Susan"... It took me a little bit to figure out who "Father" was. It was my husband. He is Father and I am Mom.
So much intimacy and so much attachment we have for this cry er.
And in two days she will only have been with us for one week..
PW
The best way to describe Lily is adorable. I use to call someone like her, when I did the radio show, a "cry er". A "cry er" is someone my husband and I thought was so cute that you could just cry thinking about them. My son's girlfriend (from Brazil) says, "Lily is so sweet I want to bite her". A little break in the translation for us in America. Not popular to say we want to bite her... especially since Isabella works in a Daycare. Lots of the kiddies are bitable - and some of them bite back! Still it means the same thing. Lily is someone that you fall in love with the moment you meet her. It may be her Micky Mouse voice or her nervous hugs, but whatever it may be it be... Lily is a cry er, first class.
We are learning what it is to host an exchange student. I have seen a few subtle shifts in the normality around our home. How can a 14 year old travel across the globe to live with total strangers? Maybe the things we thought were scary are really not at all. When you see how happy she gets over such tiny blessings, such as a tiny pink notepad, you can't help but admit how stuffed we all are with things and how scarce we all are with appreciation. Personally, I can not ever remember jumping over any gift, certainly not a note pad.
Our family is large even huge for someone like Lily. She has no siblings and as it is with most girls from China, her grandmother, not her mother, raises her. She struggles with English and wants very much to let us know that she is glad to be here. I, on the other hand, instinctively want Lily to have everything she needs and to make sure she is not sad or lonely. I mention lonely because though our house is full, Lily prefers to be alone in her room. She stays in there until someone lets her know it is time to go somewhere. She politely says OK and dresses in less than a minute - or so it seems. Kind of unusual for a teenager around here.
I've noticed that Lily wants us to walk ahead. She giggles when we do not and instead hold the door for her gesturing for her walk before us. She loves salad but is not too hip on spaghetti. She would rather sit alone at the island to eat than watch TV downstairs. She eats methodically slow, makes her bed without asking and gives the best, howbeit short, neck massage to whomever happens to be in the room.
Today we went to Dillions after volleyball practice to get each of us girls a salad. Since this most likely was her first time at a salad bar, I showed her all the different kinds of lettuce and the rows and rows of items to choose. "Get whatever you like Lily". As we slowly walked around one end to the other I noticed something that almost took my breath away. Did she realize that she could really have whatever she wanted? Was she comfortable enough to choose only what she liked? Was she just being safe??? Whatever the reason, I looked at her salad as we closed the lids simultaneously and she had made an exact duplicate of my own. Down to the number of tomatoes it was the same. It is possible that when I told her to get whatever she wanted, she thought I wanted her to get what I show her... but I don't believe that to be the case. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then I was blushing. Blushing along with a few tears.
Lily went outside to our backyard deck tonight. She had something in her mouth like a plastic stick and was staring up at the darkened sky. I said "Hello Lilly are you OK?" She said, "Yes" and began to tell me of a phone call from her older friend, also a student, from China. I could only make out a little but it seems like she was wanting to tell me all about the conversation. I wish I could have understood everything. Actually, her English has improved dramatically already. She said, "Father gave me the phone and I was able to speak to Susan"... It took me a little bit to figure out who "Father" was. It was my husband. He is Father and I am Mom.
So much intimacy and so much attachment we have for this cry er.
And in two days she will only have been with us for one week..
PW
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Don't Mess With The Family
He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends. Prov.17:9
I love how the Message Bible describes the uniqueness and the vastness of the individual members of the body of Christ in 1Cor 12: "Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful..."
Then in verse 12 & 13 it says, "You can easily see how this kind of thing (various gifts and callings) works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts but it is still ONE body! It's exactly the same with Christ." A body with different but similar parts arranged and functioning together. God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.
Verse 25-27, "The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives as a church: every part dependent on every other part... the parts we see and the parts we do not see." "If one part hurts, ever other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, ever other part enters into the exuberance. You are Christ's body - that's who you are! You must never forget this..."
Unfortunately, many of us have done just that, forgotten! How foolish it would be for one organ to have offence with another organ and come against that member of the body. Instead of entering into that hurt and doing what it can to bring about healing, the body turns on itself and sets it's energy on destruction. Thank God He designed our physical bodies to automatically work to restore and bring healing to the weakened part. So it was meant to be with the members of the body of Christ.
As in the natural body of man, the members of Christ's body should be closely united by the strongest bonds of love; the good of the whole should be the object of all. All Christians are dependent one upon another; each is to expect and receive help from the rest! That is the way the body of Christ is designed to work! When we decide to walk in that love and unity and stick up for one another, amazing things begin to happen. We see a healthy body with each member doing what God has placed inside of them to do. Criticisms subside and jealousies cease as we honor the complexity and designed variety of all of the body of Christ.
Proverbs 6:16-19 (Message) says."Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: The last one mentioned that God "Loathes with a passion" is "A trouble maker in the family"!
KJV says it this way, "And one who sows discord among brethren." If God hates one thing above all it would be a divisive person. Therefore we should strive to do the complete opposite! What a ministry it is to be known as the "Glue that holds the family together" instead of the fruit inspector whose mission is to tear the family apart! Titus 3:9-11; 1Cor. 3:2-4; Judges 5:9; 2 Peter 2:11; 1Tim 5:19; Matt 18:15&16; Matt 12:25.
Jesus read the thoughts of the religious minded people of his day and said to them; "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." And I love the story when the disciples noticed other people doing the work of God, but they did it differently and were not part of their group. Jesus wasted no time setting the record straight on what He thought of the matter. Luke 9:50 But Jesus said unto them, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side." If ever any society of Christians in this world, had reason to silence those not of their own communion, the twelve disciples at this time had; yet Christ warned them not to do the like again. He warned them to not mess with the family!
It really is so simple. There are unique and varied ways to get the message of the gospel to the world. There are different styles and different personalities. God created our differences and formed each part to show the world who Jesus is. God may call one ministry to reach out to the community through spectacular and excellent events on Sunday morning. He may call another group to quietly pray and intercede for the lost. At our church our vision is to go into every man's world with the gospel. Some of our outreaches over the years have been unorthodox to say the least. We certainly did not do things the normal way! Yet to date we have seen hundreds of thousands of people except Christ as Lord and Savior. Thankfully, we have always rejected the concept that "our way" is the only way or even the best way. It is merely the way God has us do our part. We honor all of the parts of the family.
There is also not a lot of time left. Certainly no time to speak against, or fight amongst ourselves. Satan reuses the same bags of tricks over and over. Each generation tends to come against what is new or different instead of being thankful that "At least the word is going forth and being preached." The world will be won to Jesus not when we all come to the unity of personality, calling or doctrine - But when we stick up for one another, cover for one another (Proverbs 17:9) walk in love, and respect each other's place as part of the wonderful variety of the body of Christ!
I love how the Message Bible describes the uniqueness and the vastness of the individual members of the body of Christ in 1Cor 12: "Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful..."
Then in verse 12 & 13 it says, "You can easily see how this kind of thing (various gifts and callings) works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts but it is still ONE body! It's exactly the same with Christ." A body with different but similar parts arranged and functioning together. God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.
Verse 25-27, "The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives as a church: every part dependent on every other part... the parts we see and the parts we do not see." "If one part hurts, ever other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, ever other part enters into the exuberance. You are Christ's body - that's who you are! You must never forget this..."
Unfortunately, many of us have done just that, forgotten! How foolish it would be for one organ to have offence with another organ and come against that member of the body. Instead of entering into that hurt and doing what it can to bring about healing, the body turns on itself and sets it's energy on destruction. Thank God He designed our physical bodies to automatically work to restore and bring healing to the weakened part. So it was meant to be with the members of the body of Christ.
As in the natural body of man, the members of Christ's body should be closely united by the strongest bonds of love; the good of the whole should be the object of all. All Christians are dependent one upon another; each is to expect and receive help from the rest! That is the way the body of Christ is designed to work! When we decide to walk in that love and unity and stick up for one another, amazing things begin to happen. We see a healthy body with each member doing what God has placed inside of them to do. Criticisms subside and jealousies cease as we honor the complexity and designed variety of all of the body of Christ.
Proverbs 6:16-19 (Message) says."Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: The last one mentioned that God "Loathes with a passion" is "A trouble maker in the family"!
KJV says it this way, "And one who sows discord among brethren." If God hates one thing above all it would be a divisive person. Therefore we should strive to do the complete opposite! What a ministry it is to be known as the "Glue that holds the family together" instead of the fruit inspector whose mission is to tear the family apart! Titus 3:9-11; 1Cor. 3:2-4; Judges 5:9; 2 Peter 2:11; 1Tim 5:19; Matt 18:15&16; Matt 12:25.
Jesus read the thoughts of the religious minded people of his day and said to them; "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." And I love the story when the disciples noticed other people doing the work of God, but they did it differently and were not part of their group. Jesus wasted no time setting the record straight on what He thought of the matter. Luke 9:50 But Jesus said unto them, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side." If ever any society of Christians in this world, had reason to silence those not of their own communion, the twelve disciples at this time had; yet Christ warned them not to do the like again. He warned them to not mess with the family!
It really is so simple. There are unique and varied ways to get the message of the gospel to the world. There are different styles and different personalities. God created our differences and formed each part to show the world who Jesus is. God may call one ministry to reach out to the community through spectacular and excellent events on Sunday morning. He may call another group to quietly pray and intercede for the lost. At our church our vision is to go into every man's world with the gospel. Some of our outreaches over the years have been unorthodox to say the least. We certainly did not do things the normal way! Yet to date we have seen hundreds of thousands of people except Christ as Lord and Savior. Thankfully, we have always rejected the concept that "our way" is the only way or even the best way. It is merely the way God has us do our part. We honor all of the parts of the family.
There is also not a lot of time left. Certainly no time to speak against, or fight amongst ourselves. Satan reuses the same bags of tricks over and over. Each generation tends to come against what is new or different instead of being thankful that "At least the word is going forth and being preached." The world will be won to Jesus not when we all come to the unity of personality, calling or doctrine - But when we stick up for one another, cover for one another (Proverbs 17:9) walk in love, and respect each other's place as part of the wonderful variety of the body of Christ!
Monday, June 27, 2011
The Greatest Sermon
The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation. All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will bless you. They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom; they will celebrate examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule generation after generation. The Lord is faithful in all He says; He is gracious in all He does. NLT Psa.145:8-13.
To operate in God's Kingdom, we first need to see God for who He really is. We can do that by looking at His son. Jesus was moved by compassion. He ate with sinners. Jesus healed those who were not worthy to be healed. He desired to see everyone set free. He was moved by the faith of a single individual in the midst of an unbelieving crowd. He wept for those who despite all evidence, still did not “get it” regarding the available Kingdom. He taught that the goodness of God leads to repentance and that if believers were not exactly like us doing it our way, it was OK. Mark 9:38-41. Jesus rebuked isolationism and honored unity.
Some read the "Sermon on the Mount", known as the Greatest Sermon, as a future declaration. Blessed are those who are poor in spirit, for yours will be the Kingdom of Heaven... Blessed are the meek, for you shall inherit the earth... etc. However, a quick reference to Matthew 4 and we see Jesus overcoming temptations, teaching repentance, and demonstrating healing and deliverance. Matthew 4:24 says "And whatever their illness and pain, or if they were possessed... He healed them all! And so in Matthew 5 Jesus simply took time to teach about what he previously demonstrated. He was expounding on the details of the Kingdom. Contrary to what the religious people of the day thought it was not a Kingdom in which we crush and conquer the heathen. On the contrary, Matthew 5:44 says “Love your enemies and pray for those who despitefully use you”. The Kingdom of God should portray a heart of compassion and a desire to see the lost set free. It is a supernatural Kingdom with superior results. The Kingdom of God transforms the way we would naturally think of things. It causes us to walk in the God kind of love, it transforms our attitude.
According to author Bill Johnson in "When Heaven invades Earth", the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 are actually the "lenses" that the Kingdom is seen through.
Read Matthew 5 again. Examine the promised result of each new attitude - receiving the Kingdom, being comforted, obtaining mercy, seeing God, etc. Why is this important to recognize? Because many approach the teachings of Jesus as just another form of the Law. To most He just brought a new set of rules. Grace is different from the Law in that the favor comes before the obedience. Under Grace the commandments of the Lord come fully equipped with the ability to perform them . . . to those who hear from the heart. Grace enables what it commands.*
It is possible for human people to walk in the divine and Jesus came to show us the way.
Let’s talk together about the glory of His Kingdom and celebrate examples of its power!
pw
*When Heaven Invades Earth pg. 41
To operate in God's Kingdom, we first need to see God for who He really is. We can do that by looking at His son. Jesus was moved by compassion. He ate with sinners. Jesus healed those who were not worthy to be healed. He desired to see everyone set free. He was moved by the faith of a single individual in the midst of an unbelieving crowd. He wept for those who despite all evidence, still did not “get it” regarding the available Kingdom. He taught that the goodness of God leads to repentance and that if believers were not exactly like us doing it our way, it was OK. Mark 9:38-41. Jesus rebuked isolationism and honored unity.
Some read the "Sermon on the Mount", known as the Greatest Sermon, as a future declaration. Blessed are those who are poor in spirit, for yours will be the Kingdom of Heaven... Blessed are the meek, for you shall inherit the earth... etc. However, a quick reference to Matthew 4 and we see Jesus overcoming temptations, teaching repentance, and demonstrating healing and deliverance. Matthew 4:24 says "And whatever their illness and pain, or if they were possessed... He healed them all! And so in Matthew 5 Jesus simply took time to teach about what he previously demonstrated. He was expounding on the details of the Kingdom. Contrary to what the religious people of the day thought it was not a Kingdom in which we crush and conquer the heathen. On the contrary, Matthew 5:44 says “Love your enemies and pray for those who despitefully use you”. The Kingdom of God should portray a heart of compassion and a desire to see the lost set free. It is a supernatural Kingdom with superior results. The Kingdom of God transforms the way we would naturally think of things. It causes us to walk in the God kind of love, it transforms our attitude.
According to author Bill Johnson in "When Heaven invades Earth", the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 are actually the "lenses" that the Kingdom is seen through.
Read Matthew 5 again. Examine the promised result of each new attitude - receiving the Kingdom, being comforted, obtaining mercy, seeing God, etc. Why is this important to recognize? Because many approach the teachings of Jesus as just another form of the Law. To most He just brought a new set of rules. Grace is different from the Law in that the favor comes before the obedience. Under Grace the commandments of the Lord come fully equipped with the ability to perform them . . . to those who hear from the heart. Grace enables what it commands.*
It is possible for human people to walk in the divine and Jesus came to show us the way.
Let’s talk together about the glory of His Kingdom and celebrate examples of its power!
pw
*When Heaven Invades Earth pg. 41
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