faith – Page 6 – Starlight Writer

Thank God for Dirty Laundry?

November 23, 2013 Diana B.1 Comment

And so this is the post in which I air some of our family’s dirty laundry. That is, if posting pictures of dirty laundry counts as airing it.

Everybody has dirty laundry, but some of us do have bigger, stinkier piles than others. Just imagine the big, stinky pile of laundry the Pilgrim women faced on their first “wash day” once the Mayflower finally reached land. After several months at sea, and with so much sickness on board, the foul smell must have been unbearable.

I remember my own wash days being especially loathsome when my daughters were very young and nearly every day was wash day. And nearly everything I washed was small, pink and heavily stained in multiple places. Or it was large and wet and demanding my attention in the middle of the night.

Somewhere along the way, these two little girls started helping me sort and fold more and more clothes, and slowly I began to dread the piles less and less. And then somewhere along the way, God gave me the wildest encouragement in regard to dirty laundry.

Be thankful for your dirty laundry.

Thankful? For dirty laundry? Clean laundry, yes. But the message was to be thankful for the dirty laundry. Really?

Yes, really.

This load of wild encouragement was washed brighter with the perspective that not having dirty laundry would mean we have no clothes. Some families we know in Ethiopia are hardly able to clothe their children. It is only by the grace of God that my children, my husband and I have any clothes to wear. It is only by the grace of God we have this pile of dirty clothes that fit our bodies and keep us warm.

Be thankful for your dirty laundry.

This wild encouragement to thank God for dirty laundry was also rinsed in the perspective that all the moms we know in Nicaragua wash their family’s clothes in a nearby river. It is only by the grace of God that my family has clean, hot water, scented detergent, a washing machine, a dryer and baskets to contain the pile. It is only by the grace of God that I have hands and arms and legs capable of hauling those baskets to and fro, switching those loads in and out, and folding those endless piles of clothes.

Be thankful for your dirty laundry.

Tumbling around with this wild encouragement was also the thought that half of this laundry keeps getting regularly exchanged for the next size up. Those little arms and legs and feet who wear it are growing. Someday those legs and feet will walk right out the door and move into apartments near laundry mats or even homes of their own, with washers and dryers of their own. The responsibility of scrubbing grass stains out of size 6x Levi’s was only available to me for a limited time, a time that I should treasure. Someday the baskets won’t be nearly so full.

Be thankful for your dirty laundry.

So yes, as wild and backward as it seems, I’m really thankful for our dirty laundry. And somehow, being grateful for stinky mismatched socks and stained hand towels fraying around the edges makes the mundane task a little more meaningful. The next cycle, then, is to determine what to do with such gratitude for dirty laundry.

Do I neatly fold up my gratitude and try to somehow save it for the next season?

Do I carefully hang up my gratitude for a special occasion?

Author Ann Voskamp asks,

“How are you changing the world because you are so grateful? What if gratitude always meant a question mark — asking how will you let your gratitude to Christ mark the world for Christ?”

How can I change the world today because I am so grateful?

Maybe I can gather up clothing items for this — The Big Bundle Up — to benefit our neighbors in Wisconsin? Or gather coats for the local coat drive? Or maybe I could make a donation to Forgotten Children, a ministry that collects, packs and ships used children’s clothing overseas to help orphans truly in need of these basic necessities.

How can I wear my gratitude today for the glory of God?

How will you wear your gratitude today?

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” -Colossians 3:12-17

For All His Goodness

November 13, 2013 Diana B.Leave a comment

Here are 40 more reasons I’ve found to praise God and thank Him for His goodness:

1. the amaryllis bulb the three sweet neighbor boys brought to us yesterday

2. golden sunshine lighting up the trees

3. steaming hot soup

4. Rachel Jankovic’s book, Fit to Burst

5. a cozy room filled with half a dozen homeschool mamas

6. candles on the dinner table

7. graceful exercises at the ballet barre

8. the howling wind that wakes me in the middle of the night

9. a down comforter to snuggle beneath

10. how lovely she plays “Drifting Leaves” from memory

11. nearly half a dozen kids discussing Wendy Lawton’s book Almost Home and sharing what they are most thankful for

12. juncos, chickadees and cardinals at the backyard feeder

13. the scent of banana bread lingering in the kitchen

14. piles and piles of leaves to rake

15. a fun road trip with friends

16. the Hearts at Home Conference

17. how he does dishes and holds down the fort while I sneak away

18. the kind friend who offers me a ride to the evening meeting

19. scotcharoos

20. Philippians 2:1-11

21. the dear friend’s birthday celebration

22. homemade coffee cake on the first snowy morning of the season

23. snow in the tree tops

24. woodpeckers re-appearing in the trees

25. comfy boots, sweaters, and scarves

26. Ephesians 5:16-20

27. the toaster malfunction that didn’t burn down the house and the prompt arrival of a replacement toaster

28. the internet service that’s finally restored

29. how the 10-year-old adores the Adventures in the Northwoods series

30. how the 8-year-old adores the Milly-Molly-Mandy books

31. the orthodontic retainer that still fits her sweet little mouth

32. squirrels leaping from tree to tree

33. mugs of hot chocolate and a plateful of German puff pancake

34. Hebrews 12:28

35. the soothing aloe vera plant that reminds me of my Grandma Lee

36. construction paper pizzas

37. how missionary stories encourage and inspire them

38. the ability to somehow parallel park that Ford F-150 in downtown on the first attempt

39. leftover chimichangas

40. balloon games

The Burning Maple

November 5, 2013November 4, 2013 Diana B.1 Comment

The maple tree in our front yard is on fire.

This is the first autumn in our new house, and we are simply captivated by the vivid colors just outside the front door.

We all keep marveling at this strange, magnificent sight.

Day by day the leaves grow more vibrant, more radiant in the sunshine.

It was not a tree aflame with autumn colors that Moses saw. No, it was a burning bush he saw in the wilderness.

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.'” -Exodus 3:2-3

The God that spoke to Moses through that burning bush is the same God who speaks to us through His Word.

The God who heard the cries of His people in Egypt and was concerned about their suffering is the same God who hears our cries and is concerned about our suffering.

The God who said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He still is.

“This is My name forever, the name you shall call Me from generation to generation.” –Exodus 3:15

He is “I AM.”

His invisible qualities are clearly seen in this maple all ablaze, this maple created by “I AM.” And we are without excuse. We just need to take our sandals off long enough to hear Him speak.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” –Romans 1:20

Oh, How He Loves Us

November 4, 2013 Diana B.3 Comments

Because He loves us, I’m thanking and praising God today for these gifts:

1. His eternal power

2. His divine nature

3. His holy word

4. vibrant colors in the maple tree and hollow oak tree

5. safe travels home from afar

6. the friend who helps with a late-night run to the airport

7. new rakes and big piles of leaves

8. little fingers dancing across the keys on Sunday night

9. Legos, Legos and more Legos

10. homemade tortilla soup

11. hot cinnamon sunset tea

12. David Crowder’s song, “How He Loves Us”

13. His name, “I AM”

14. Sunday afternoon naps

15. the book we just finished reading about the Mayflower’s Mary Chilton: Almost Home by Wendy Lawton

16. treasures found at a used book sale

17. new slippers and soft warm hats from Hanna

18. Hershey’s miniatures

19. warm grey socks

20. kind new faces at Sunday School

21. BBQ leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch

22. new mugs and soup bowls

23. the roar of the wind

24. the steady rustling of the leaves

25. a full tank of gas

26. an extra hour of sleep

27. homemade strawberry crepes

28. their tie-dye shirts

29. the first three chapters of A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman

30. hot cocoa

7,670 Days Later

October 27, 2013October 28, 2013 Diana B.7 Comments

Dear Mama,

Oh, how I miss you. It’s been 21 years today since we said goodbye. Exactly 7,670 days. A small part of me feels like that tragic day was a hundred years ago and happened to someone else entirely, and another small part of me feels like that tragic day was not long ago at all, and I am still a grief-struck teenager wondering how I’ll ever carry on without you to guide me.

I remember a bedtime story you used to tell about a lost traveler. Actually, I don’t remember any details about the main character. Maybe it was a donkey? But I remember the moral of the story was to always know who you are and where you are going.

Becoming a motherless daughter as a teen made me question who I was and wonder where I was going. God, in His faithfulness, drew me in close to Him and taught me that life’s really more about knowing Who you belong to and where you are going. I am so thankful that I belong to Him and am on my way to heaven. What peace, joy and hope I have in knowing this truth.

Yet the grief of mother-loss still comes in waves. Usually they are small, gentle waves, but even now sometimes the waves of grief can be surprisingly overwhelming. I long ago realized the grief won’t end this side of heaven. But by the grace of God, I am carrying on. Or actually, He is carrying me as I trust in Him to guide my steps.

Being the mother of two little girls requires lots of guidance and wisdom, and so often I hear the lie that being a motherless daughter somehow makes me unqualified to be a mother. My new verse for fighting that lie is 2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

I already have all I need to do this job! And being a wife and mothering these girls is a lot of work. It’s good work, but work indeed. I cannot imagine anyone else I’d rather spend my days with.

And I am thankful that you met and loved Michael, even if you didn’t know back then that he would become my husband. He still re-tells the blonde jokes and OSU jokes you told him, and he laughingly recounts the time you told him sailboats only move by continental drift. He’s a wonderful husband and a great daddy.

One of my deepest longings is for you to come to our house and meet our sweet little girls. These two lovely granddaughters of yours, each is her own dear and special person.

But oh, how they both remind me so very much of you with their piano-playing, book-consuming, chocolate-loving passions.

The oldest daughter is almost 11. I remember you always said that was the perfect age, and now I understand why. She’s so helpful and sweet. She has your big, dancing-blue eyes, beautiful, mile-long smile and slender little legs. She looks so much like the pictures we have of you as a little girl, and she fills our house with the snip-snip of scissors and the low steady hum of the sewing machine. I remember those sounds filling up your bedroom when you were sewing me a new dress or teaching me how to make a pillow. How I wish you could spend a day sewing doll clothes with this daughter. For the longest time it was too painful for me to sew with her because that was something you and I did together and I just didn’t feel confident without you. But this girl, she is a fearless seamstress with such nimble little fingers. Just a few weeks ago, she encouraged me to help her make her little sister a doll for her birthday.

What fun we had picking fabric, stitching things together and being sneaky about the entire project so her sister wouldn’t find out.

The youngest daughter just turned 8 and she has your big, dancing-blue eyes, too. Her hair is the same beautiful caramel-strawberry blonde as yours, and you’d be delighted to know that hers is naturally curly, as you always so desperately wished yours was. Like you, this girl is quick with numbers – and she especially likes double-checking her math worksheets on her new adding machine. Give her a little more time with that thing, and I can just imagine the rolls of adding machine paper cascading like a waterfall across our schoolroom table, just like the rolls of paper flooded the floor of your office on busy days. This daughter’s sense of humor reminds me of yours; she loves telling jokes and has a quick wit that catches me and her daddy off guard sometimes. At church the other day, when our pastor was talking about us becoming more like Jesus spiritually but not physically, she grinned and quipped, “That means we don’t have to grow beards.”

I guess that’s the sum of what all these 21 years of motherless days adds up to – your own little girl growing up to be a wife and mother and, by the grace of God, becoming confident that He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I love you, Mama, and I can’t wait to see you on that glorious day.

Hugs and kisses,

Diana

A Little Encouragement for the Homeschool Crowd

August 18, 2013 Diana B.Leave a comment

Just in time for back to school, here’s a bit of encouraging and enlightening news on homeschooling.

http://www.topmastersineducation.com/homeschooled/

Happy reading!

Letting Your Light Shine

March 1, 2013 Diana B.1 Comment

When my daughters were about 3 and 6, “light” was a big topic we closely studied in our home school. We studied the sun, moon, stars and outer space; they even built a rocket ship.

We sang “This little light of mine,” and I read aloud Matthew 5:16 to them. In that verse Jesus says: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Our Kindergarten-level discussion quickly led to the question: “What are good works, Mommy?” I don’t recall exactly how I answered that — probably something vague like “actions that show love for others.”

A few days later, our family was driving about a mile from home when we came upon a car with a flat tire. My husband pulled over to help, and as soon as he left the van, our youngest started the endless interrogation for which most 3 and 4 year-olds are famous.

“What are we doing? Why are we here? Why are we stopped? Who is that? What is Daddy doing? Do we know that lady?”

After I explained that he was helping the lady replace the flat tire, something clicked and she excitedly exclaimed, “Oh! Daddy’s letting his light shine!”

Since then, anything that might be considered good works in our family has been known as “letting your light shine.”

As followers of Jesus, we are called to let our lights shine, to be doers of good works. Of course doing good doesn’t save us; we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. But without good works, our faith is dead. James 2:14-17 explains how inseparable faith and works are.

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

I love the word picture Rich Mullins painted on this truth: “Faith without works is like a song you can’t sing; it’s about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.”

The Bible is full of characters known for their faith and good works. The “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 offers a nice overview of many. One lesser known doer with great faith, though, is Gaius. Some of his story is found in the book of 3 John, and I find it inspiring.

The Apostle John, in this letter, calls Gaius “beloved” four times. And we don’t have to read past verse 2 to know that — in John’s assessment — Gaius was in good spiritual shape. That’s a pretty powerful compliment coming from the one who refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23)

In his commentary on this passage, John MacArthur describes Gaius as loving and gentle, readily showing hospitality. He treated people as God would treat them, which is exactly how hospitality should be practiced, MacArthur says.

In short, Gaius knew the truth and faithfully practiced it. His faith had works. He was a doer. He let his light shine.

And in 3 John, Gaius is encouraged to keep on doing good works, even and especially when others questioned whether certain works of hospitality ought to be done.

Martin Luther concurs: “Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever. He stumbles around and looks for faith and good works, even though he does not know what faith or good works are.”

That’s a powerful statement — genuine believers cannot help being busy doing good works constantly — long before anyone comes along and asks if they should be done.

What’s more, James 1:25 says doers will be blessed in their doing. Clearly Gaius was blessed in his good works. He was blessed with the love, kind words and prayers of the Apostle John. He was blessed by the kind words and good report of those strangers he welcomed faithfully. And he was blessed to be a child of God walking in the truth.

How about you — how are you blessed in the doing of good works?

Discovering cRaZy jOY: Oct. 29-31

November 1, 2012 Diana B.Leave a comment

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” -Psalm 100:4

This is the last post of my month-long series Discovering Crazy Joy. I plan to continue counting gifts, and won’t you consider it, too? For further guidance on the hows and whys of keeping a gratitude journal, please read this post at A Holy Experience and then be sure to download the November Joy Calendar for helpful prompts for every day this month.

Monday’s theme: three gifts on time

1. the miraculous collapse of the walls of Jericho (a re-enactment)

2. the monthly meeting of our homeschool moms’ group

3. this helpful post about Halloween at Our Family for His Glory

Tuesday: three gifts overjoyed

1. the girls trying to guess the title of the secret movie

2. the girls picking out polish and extra special treats

3. the three of us, polishing pumpkins and hot-gluing embellishments

Wednesday: three gifts hallowed

1. lifting up the names of God in prayer

2. the faith stories of Martin Luther and Katherine von Bora

3. God’s Word, translated for us common folks who don’t read Latin

Discovering cRaZy jOY: Oct. 26-28

October 29, 2012 Diana B.Leave a comment

“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” John 1:16

Still counting gifts, from the fullness of His grace…

Friday: three gifts extravagant

1. the great love our Father has lavished upon us (1 John 3:1)

2. a steamy cup full of hot chocolate and Creme de Menthe topped with whipped cream

3. a house full of dear friends smiling and encouraging each other’s efforts in Scripture memory

Saturday: a gift humbling, honoring, happy

1. humbling: the full cup of chicken parmesan soup emptied onto the lap of my youngest daughter

2. honoring: a vase full of flowers honoring the memory of my mama, who died 20 years ago

3. happy: the husband happily laboring over a slow cooker full of chili

Sunday: three gifts in Christ – in Whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell (Colossians 1:19)

1. peace with God (Romans 5:1-5)

2. every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places and adoption as God’s children (Ephesians 1:3-6)

3. redemption through His blood, forgiveness of our trespasses — according to the riches of His lavish grace — and a truly divine inheritance (Ephesians 1:7-14)

Each day’s theme is plucked from the Joy Dare calendar at A Holy Experience.

Discovering cRaZy jOY: Oct. 23-25

October 25, 2012 Diana B.2 Comments

Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” And that’s just the aim of this month-long endeavour of discovering crazy joy by counting gifts, thanking and praising God, and by encouraging you to thank and praise Him, too.

Tuesday’s theme: three gifts begun

1. her newest composition on the piano

2. first plans and practices for the church’s Christmas program

3. laundry loads and house cleaning for another round of showings

Wednesday’s theme: three gifts accomplished

1. laundry loads and house cleaning for another round of showings

2. the day’s schoolwork with 1st grader and 4th grader tucked into a mostly quiet room at the public library

3. the 7-year-old’s stellar swimming feats that move her up two class levels

Today’s theme: three gifts enjoying

1. listening to her play “Swiss Music Box” in the highest G position

2. the season’s first snow falling, steaming hot cinnamon plum tea in my cup, a new grey flannel shirt and the lovely new multi-colored scarf my 9-year-old crocheted just for me

3. Bible study on spiritual maturity in Deepening Your Roots in God’s Family

In case you haven’t heard already, the theme for each day’s gifts comes from the Joy Dare calendar at Ann Voskamp’s blog: A Holy Experience. Don’t miss this post, which includes the trailer for Ann’s newest release: One Thousand Gifts Small Group DVD Study. It was filmed at her family farm in Canada!

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