Category: faith

In God We Trust and Rejoice

Diana B.Leave a comment

Under the dark cloud of hard times, inauguration day is coming up, and much of the nation seems to be putting all hope in our president-elect.

For example, Associated Press writer Errin Haines writes, “And while the ceremony itself will only last a few hours, the entire day offers a chance to reflect and rejoice in the moment.”

Obviously putting the first black president into office is an historic moment; I’ll give her that. But I personally just can’t see the need to rejoice in it.

Instead of reflecting on black history or rejoicing in the “inauguration moment” or putting our hope in one man, shouldn’t we instead rejoice in the Lord and reflect on all that He has done? Shouldn’t we put our hope in Him?

According to Revelation 22:13, God is the Author and Finisher of history. God is the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and the End.

The Foundation for American Christian Education put together this list of Scriptures, which is an especially timely reminder of Whom we trust and why.

It is better to trust in the Lord, than to have confidence in man. Psalm 118:8

Romans 13:1: God establishes all government and authority.

Proverbs 21:1: God directs kings and rulers.

Daniel 2:21: God both places and disposes of all rulers and controls the times.

Acts 17:26: God determines national borders and the times set for nations.

Psalm 147:8, 15-18: God controls the weather.

Isaiah 45:7: God creates disaster and prosperity.

Proverbs 21:31: God determines the outcomes of wars.

Visual Reminder: A Prayer Calendar

Diana B.2 Comments

So earlier I posted that one of my resolutions for 2009 is to pray more intentionally for my two daughters. As a visual way to keep reminding myself of this, I created a prayer “calendar” page for all 12 months of 2009. Each month features a specific prayer and verse along with a favorite photo I’ve taken of Laurel, Linnea or both girls. I’ll keep one in my prayer journal and one on the bulletin board in our school room. Just thought I’d share the images here for anyone who wants to modify the idea for their kids. Of course, you are welcome to pray for Linnea and Laurel, too! (By the way, click the thumbnail for a larger view.)

Resolution: To Pray Better for My Kids

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One of my all-time favorite verses is Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

I memorized this verse when I was expecting my firstborn, and reciting it brought great peace through some big challenges I faced right before my bundle of joy arrived. Six years later, I can’t count the times this verse has brought peace in all sorts of situations as a mother.

 

Whether our children are still in the womb, asleep upstairs or all grown up and living half-way around the world, we moms and dads are frequently tempted to be anxious about our children. But then what an opportunity we have to meditate on biblical truths as we pray God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit, to fight for our children!

 

If we want to experience the joy of watching our children walk in the truth, we must pray for them, says Pastor John Piper of Desiring God Ministries (www.desiringGod.org). Watching your children walk away from the truth, he adds, is crushing.

 

“To lay hold on this joy and to prevent this pain, we must pray daily (sometimes hourly) and earnestly for our children,” Piper says.

 

Desiring God offers this list of seven things to pray for your children. My goal is to pray through these each week for both of my daughters.

 

1. Pray that Jesus will call them and no one will hinder them from coming. “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.” (Matthew 19:13-15)

 

2. Pray that they will respond in faith to Jesus’ faithful, persistent call. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

 

3. Pray that they will experience sanctification through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and will increasingly desire to fulfill the greatest commandments. “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” (Matthew 22:37-39)

 

4. Pray that they will not be unequally yoked in intimate relationships, especially marriage. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)

 

5. Pray that their thoughts will be pure. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8 ) 

 

6. Pray that their hearts will be stirred to give generously to the Lord’s work. “All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.” (Exodus 35:29)

 

7. Pray that when the time is right, they will go! “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ ” (Matthew 28:18-20)

 

Also, not too long ago one of my best friends forwarded this list of 12 petitions to pray for children; specific verses accompany each petition. The instructions suggested praying for one petition each month so that, after a year, you’ll have thoroughly prayed for each petition. If you memorize the verses as you pray, you’ll also have a great stash of biblical truth to draw on in times of trouble or need.

 

Below is the list of petitions to pray for your children and references for the corresponding verses. I looked up each of the verses and wrote them down in a handy spiral-bound book of index cards to review as I pray.

 

Here are 12 more ways to pray for your children:

 

1. Pray that they will know Christ as Savior early in life. (Psalm 63:1 and 2 Timothy 3 :15)

 

2. Pray that they will have a hatred for sin. (Psalm 97:10)

 

3. Pray that they will be caught when guilty. (Psalm 119:71)

 

4. Pray that they will be protected from evil in each area of their lives: spiritual, emotional, physical. (John 17:15)

 

5. Pray that they will have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships. (Daniel 6:3)

 

6. Pray that they will respect those in authority over them. (Romans 13:1)

 

7. Pray that they will desire the right kinds of friends and be protected from the wrong friends. (Proverbs 1:10-14)

 

8. Pray that they will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one.  (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)

 

9. Pray that they, as well as those they marry, will be kept pure until marriage. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

 

10. Pray that they will learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all circumstances. (James 4:7)

 

11. Pray that they will be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1-2)

 

12. Pray that they will be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them. (Hosea 2:6)

 

New Friends: Linnea and Lila

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About six months ago we learned that Linnea’s close friend Sam would be moving far, far away to Montana. She was devastated. A week or so later, our good friends Bob and Kate received their adoption referral for two girls who are now ages 1 and 6. Linnea was elated that God was giving her a new friend, a very special little girl from Ethiopia who is exactly her age.

Kate gave us a picture of Lila Selam (and baby sister Ella Furtuna). We looked at it often as we prayed for the girls. Months passed, and Bob and Kate weathered many heartbreaking delays in the adoption process. Finally, just after Thanksgiving, they headed off to Ethiopia to get their girls!

This weekend Linnea and Lila finally had their first official playdate: sledding and later warming up with hot chocolate and more playing at the Hutchinsons’ home. The sledding conditions weren’t great since a little warm spell on Friday left everything coated in glaze ice. It was nearly impossible to get back up the hill, and the dads had quite a hard time dragging the kids to the top. Even so, the girls had a lot of fun together. Communication issues didn’t seem to be a barrier for their play time. Lila, who speaks a little English, kept saying, “I love you, Linnea.” What a sweet beginning to their friendship!

Linnea and Lila
Linnea and Lila

Armed and Dangerous

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(Please note: This is a piece I wrote last month for our church newsletter. I had intended to post it here several weeks ago, but I somehow got distracted.)

Lately God keeps reminding me to hide His living, active Word in my heart and to speak His Word in prayer. And it seems no matter where I go, this is the message I hear over and over.

 

The first reminder came as I was preparing to teach our Sunday School class of preschoolers and Kindergarteners. We were learning about Jesus in the desert being tempted by the devil, and there it was: Jesus victoriously using God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit, to fight the enemy and his lies. The devil had to flee, remember?

 

Oh, I wish you could have seen the surprised faces when I drew my plastic sword to hook the kids’ attention! As a mother of two girls, I never imagined those little boys would have so much to say about swords. They were ready to fight!

 

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

 

The next reminder came in my Thursday night women’s Bible study Believing God, as author and speaker Beth Moore told us to be “armed and dangerous.” That is, armed with God’s Word and dangerous to the devil. Beth recounted a time when she was walking her dogs with her husband at his deer lease. A rattle snake reared its ugly head, ready to strike. In one very swift movement with his shotgun, Beth’s husband Keith immediately blew off the snake’s head. My apologies to any snake lovers that may be reading this, but what a vivid illustration of how God’s Word can crush the devil!

 

Finally, at our annual fall luncheon for women, another reminder came from keynote speaker Phyliss Masters, a retired missionary. Just 18 months before her husband was martyred, Phyliss had resolved to memorize God’s Word. She memorized one verse of Scripture a day, rehearsing and reviewing each verse for 49 days so that she would hide it in her heart for life. Phyliss had hundreds of Bible verses memorized at the time of her husband’s death, and she says God’s Word proved itself quick and powerful over and over again.

 

God not only licenses us to conceal and carry His Word as a weapon, but He also empowers us to use it, as 2 Timothy 3:16 says, for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. May we always be quick on the draw!

Our Trip to the Pacific Northwest

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Our family just returned from a week-long, pre-Thanksgiving trip to Washington State to spend time enjoying God’s creation, as well as visiting relatives in the Port Angeles-Sequim area. Getting there involves almost every mode of transportation imaginable: airplane, subway train, rental car and ferry boat (and sometimes a shuttle bus, but not this time, thankfully). The girls did amazingly well despite the rigorous travel day and the two-hour difference in time.

One special highlight was re-visiting Sol Duc Falls, where Michael and I got engaged in 1995. Although we’ve made more than half a dozen trips to Washington since then, this was our first trip back to that exact spot, and it was all the more sweeter to have the girls there with us. They loved searching for fairy homes in the rainforest as we hiked 0.8 miles to the falls.

Here are some photos from the journey. Praise be to God for His glorious creation!

 

Sol Duc Falls
Sol Duc Falls
us at Sol Duc
us at Sol Duc
hiking near Sol Duc
hiking near Sol Duc
Linnea at Ediz Hook
Linnea at Ediz Hook
Laurel splashing in the ocean
Laurel splashing in the ocean
The Olympic Mountains greet the Pacific Ocean.
The Olympic Mountains greet the Pacific Ocean.
the girls with cousin Cheyenne on Hurricane Ridge
the girls with cousin Cheyenne on Hurricane Ridge
Fresh snow fell on Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mts.
Fresh snow fell on Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mts.

Nicaragua Story Published in BGC World

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This month’s issue of The BGC World, a magazine published by the Baptist General Convention, features a shortened version of my story about the mission trip to Nicaragua as well as a photo of the team (which included my husband!) Here’s a link to the PDF of the page:  

 http://216.177.136.28/images/stories/PDFs/Magazine/April_08/Page0203April_08.pdf

Whiter than Snow

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snowbunnies1.gif

Except for a few small patches, nearly all of the snow that had been covering our lawn since Dec. 1, 2007, melted earlier this week. We all rejoiced to be finally rid of that old snow; it had turned ugly and gray over the last three months. 

On Wednesday Linnea was able to ride her bicycle and play outside all afternoon. Laurel blew bubbles and scooted around on her trike. Neighbors we hadn’t seen in months came up the street to chat. The hope of spring that had sustained us through this long, bitter winter was finally becoming a reality!

But today it’s a different story. It’s Good Friday and the first full day of spring according to the calendar. But just like Jesus’ disciples felt on Good Friday, we’re feeling confused and discouraged. It’s snowing. Actually, it’s blizzarding. We must have nearly six inches of fluffy white stuff out there right now, and it’s still piling up! We’ve lost a little hope. 

So what does snow have to do with Good Friday? After David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, the prophet Nathan came to him and encouraged him to repent of his sins. David wrote Psalm 51, and in verse 7 he says to God, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

Likewise, Isaiah 1:18 says “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

All week I’ve been reminding Linnea and Laurel that Easter isn’t about brightly colored eggs or tasty chocolate bunnies. It’s about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. It’s about Jesus paying the blood sacrifice so that we, like David, can be made whiter than snow.

So even in the midst of a March blizzard, we still have hope. We have hope that spring will arrive and the rain will wash away our snow. The grass will reappear and turn green. The birds will return. The trees will bud and the flowers will bloom.

Though our hope for spring may come and go, our hope in Jesus will continue. He cleanses us and gives us a fresh new beginning. He will not disappoint us. He is risen indeed!

Sunday School Dreams

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I’ve wanted to teach Sunday School ever since I was a little girl. When I was still young enough to play with dolls, I would line them up on the floor in my bedroom and teach them whatever Bible lesson I had just learned the previous Sunday. The dolls behaved well in class, but they sure didn’t say much! Fast forward a few years to high school. That’s when, in the “dreams and goals” section of my senior memories book, I predicted that in 10 years I’d drive a green Ford Explorer, own a gift shop, be a published writer, and teach Sunday School.

Of course life doesn’t usually go as we predict. I never got the Explorer and I haven’t opened the gift shop. But nearly 15 years later, I am a wife, a mother and a published writer who is finally teaching a Sunday School class of real live 5th and 6th graders!

Well, co-teaching is more accurate. My friend Darla and I alternate teaching the lessons every other month. Darla is my hero, and we have a great class – seven boys and seven girls all together.

Sometimes the girls remind me of those dolls in my original class; they quietly stare back at me with a frozen smile when I ask them a hard question. As we teach them about the more than 700 names for God, I am certain we are learning more than they are.

But when these kids come to life, they are fascinating people! Some of them look up Bible verses with lightning speed. Others impress me with their diligence to keep searching until they find that elusive verse. Some of them brought us presents at Christmas, and one of them bubbled over with joy when I showed up at her piano recital. Each student is truly a blessing to get to know, and you quickly grow to love them.

Teaching this 5th and 6th grade class isn’t easy, but few things worth doing are easy. I spent hours and hours preparing the first time it was my turn to teach, and then my two-year-old got so upset about being left in the nursery she got sick! I was so disappointed when I had to ask Darla to cover for me. Looking back, I think that was a test to see how dedicated I was to the role.

It’s a joy and a blessing to volunteer in “The Oaks,” our nickname for the children’s ministry at church. It’s also a regular reminder to align my desires with God’s desires. I want Jeremiah 17:7-8 for these kids, and my own daughters, and my friends’ children. I want The Oaks to become hardy trees, rooted and established in the love of Christ so they don’t get blown over by a storm or wither in a drought. I want these kids to bear acorns of spiritual fruit for the glory of God. And when they reach the autumn of life, I want their branches to be ablaze with vibrantly colorful hues for the display of God’s splendor.

By the way, the curriculum we are using is from Children Desiring God (www.childrendesiringGod.org), and I think it’s excellent! We study God’s character, and there’s no sugar-coating it or watering it down. Over and over we’ve seen that God loves His name and will not allow it or His reputation to be dishonored. As my friend Carla says, “God is not a big fuzzy teddy bear; the last thing our kids need is another teddy bear!” Indeed! God is so much more: Strong Creator, Unchanging One, Almighty, Master, Provider, Healer, the God Who Sees, the Lord of Hosts, the Lord My Banner, the Lord Our Peace, the Lord My Shepherd, the Lord is There, the Lord God of Truth, the Lord My Defense, the Light, the Most High, Abba Father, the Word, Lamb of God, Savior, Messiah, High Priest, Cornerstone, Overcomer, Coming King, Judge, Counselor, and Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End.