Psalm 5: 11

" But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

let them ever sing for joy,

and spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may exult in you.

This past Sunday I was witness to the power of God, and I am amazed. Simply amazed. After preaching on Matthew 25: 31-46, our pastor stepped aside and invited 40 men, women, and children, to give their "cardboard testimonies" of how God had intervened in their life, how their simple-yet-often-difficult act of placing their faith in Him had changed their life. A "cardboard testimony" is a simple phrase written on one side of a piece of cardboard, explaining what you were like before. On the other side you write what you are now like, as a result of God's intervention in you life, after having placed your faith in Him alone.

It was an amazing testimony to the power of God, to His real-ness, to His transforming power. God's power changes complacent teens, drug addicts, troubled marriages, and adopted children whose testimony showed their change from "abandoned" to "being a part of a loving family". Wow... God is amazing!!!

May we take refuge in God, may we rejoice, and may we exult in the Lord!!

Wow... how easily I stray and "take refuge" in other things... in seeing my plans fulfilled, my children doing what I want... etc. I pray that I will take refuge in God.

I love the promise that we will rejoice and that we will be protected!!!

Exult in the Lord today!!! Be the one who takes refuge in God and who loves His name!!

Psalm 4:8

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep,

for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

I have always loved this passage for the security and peace it represents. I think of a sleeping child, how they appear so angelic and pure.

Now I see that I am safe, safe from worries and fears, because God is gracious (v. 1), he hears me when i call (v. 3), he is trustworthy (v. 5), and he is the joy-giver (v. 7).

I remember praying this for my children, and I meditate on this when I struggle to sleep.

Be encouraged today, God makes you dwell in safety!!

Psalm 3:3

"But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,

my glory, and the lifter of my head."

Beautiful!! The Lord is my shield, I place my security and trust in Him. Not a clean house, obedient children, or stable emotions.

When I depend on circumstances or people for my security and sense of well being, I am frustrated and disappointed. God, please help me to remember that You are my shield, you are my glory, you are the lifter of my head!!!

I encourage you, if you have not already, to memorize this verse today. Write it on a sticky note and place it in an obvious place. Meditate on this verse today.

Psalm 2:10-11

"Now therefore, O kings, be wise;

be warned, O rulers of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling."

This is a good reminder to pray for the "rulers of the earth". Have you prayed for your rulers today??

Psalm 1: 2-3

for yesterday...

"but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers."

I love this image of delighting in the law of the Lord. I am so thankful that I have seen such a change in my own delight of God's law. Praise God!!

I love the image of a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit. Lord, help me to yield fruit!!!

Jeremiah 17:8.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

and whose trust is the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by water,

that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

for it does not cease to bear fruit."

Are your leaves green??? =)

Psalm 150:6

"Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

What could be better than that?? What an amazing ending to the Psalms!!

Praise God for creating us with the ability and desire to enjoy the sweet gift of friendship!! We spent Sunday with friends.... what a blessing! Friends at church, and we hung out with friends at the beach. What could be greater than that?? =)

Psalm 149:4

"For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;

he adorns the humble with salvation."

I want to meditate on this truth... that the humble are adorned with salvation. As many of you know, I have been studying Romans this year. That is one big lesson that I have learned... to better understand the amazing gift of salvation by faith that God has given us. It is too easy in our culture... growing up in the church, to take this gift for granted. I am constantly challenged to teach our children to stand in awe of the precious gift of salvation.

God takes pleasure in us!

Be amazed to day.

Psalm 148: 5-6, 14

"Let them praise the name of the Lord!

For he commanded and they were created.

And he established them forever and ever,

he gave a decree, and it shall not pas away."

Everything we have is created, everything that we are is created. Contemplating this, really understanding this truth, will result in praise to God. The created praises its Creator!!

Even the difficult trials work in our hearts and lives to make us more like him.

So, in all things,

Praise the Lord!!!

"He has raised up a horn for his people,

praise for all his saints,

for the people of Israel who are near to him.

praise the Lord!"

The horn represents power and strength, a power and strength that saves, and ultimately Jesus as our Savior. This is why we ultimately praise the Lord!!

Read this psalm with your family today!!

Psalm 147: 5, 8

I will do this!!!! I won't give up!!! =)

"Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

his understanding is beyond measure."

The Psalms are amazing!!! I am so glad that God is abundant in power, so thankful for this reminder when life is chaotic and terrible things happen.

"He covers the heavens with clouds;

he prepares rain for the earth;

he makes grass grow on the hills."

This is where we went this weekend... what an appropriate passage for this weekend!! It rained Friday night, so we decided not to go hiking in the mud. There was still a chance of rain... or so they said... so we chose to drive to the beach instead. Wow!!! What amazing clouds, what beautiful hills, and the ocean!!! We missed hiking, but the alternative was equally amazing.

Enjoy your Monday!!!

Tell your children, your friends, your family, everyone you meet. God is amazing!!!

Psalm 146:5

Yikes!!! It is a good thing that I am an optimist, otherwise I would never do anything!!

"Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God."

I am so thankful that my hope is in the Lord, and not in circumstances, people, or a clean house and obedient children!!

What a great reminder... I needed this today.

Psalm 145: 14-16

"The Lord upholds all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food in due season.

You open your hand;

you satisfy the desire of every living thing."

Did you catch that? "...in due season." God has his timing. He will give us what we need, our food, in due season. I love that reminder.

And also... he will satisfy my desires. Wow. I can't say anything else but Wow.

Psalm 145: 11-12, day 1, for Wednesday

"They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom

and tell of your power,

to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom."

I love this Psalm, I will spend a few days in it. I am reminded of the need to tell my children God's mighty deeds and to talk about the glorious splendor of His kingdom. I get so busy with daily life that I forget to stop and talk... I forget to "enjoy the story"... to enjoy His Story!!

Talk to your children about God's mighty deeds, today!!

Psalm 144:1-2

If at first you don't succeed... try and try again!!

So... forgive the hiatus, and allow me to begin again!!!

"Blessed be the Lord, my rock,

who trains my hands for war,

and my fingers for battle;

he is my steadfast love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoples under me."

This is a Psalm of war, a prayer for deliverance, equipping for battle, and strength. War is what David was trained for. I need training for strength in my daily routine of homework, reading, piano practice, math facts practice... etc. All this while getting a yummy, or at least edible, meal on the table!!!

So today I want to recognize that I see my prayers for training for this battle are beginning to be answered. While some days are better than others, overall I think my percentage of good days is much higher than last year. Praise God for continuing to train me to be more like Him!!!

Psalm 143: 8

(ok... now I am caught up to today!! =) Hopefully this will go back to being a daily blog again!!!)

I love David's boldness in calling on the Lord to answer him, in stating truth in his prayer. This inspires me to share in David's boldness in my own prayers.

"Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul."

I pray that this will be my continual prayer every morning. What a way to start my day!!! Join with me in beginning your day with this prayer. Write it on a sticky note and place it by your clock, toothbrush or kitchen sink. Commit to daily praying this prayer.

February 4th, J-J's day

Speaking of yesterday....

February 4th is my brother's birthday. The day passed uneventfully... which is always strange to me, that the day seems so ordinary. Every year I wonder how we can celebrate and remember my precious brother's life. My sister baked a cake and prayed for his friends. I like her idea, and plan on starting this tradition. I think we will do that tonight, in his honor.

How do you remember your loved ones who are no longer with you???

Psalm 142: 7b for yesterday...

"The righteous will surround me,

for you will deal bountifully with me."

Wow!! I am so thankful that this is true in my life. God has surrounded me with the righteous, righteous men and women who love God and who mentor me. I love how God uses His imperfect people to make us more like Him!!

Praise the Lord!!!

Psalm 141:3

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

keep watch over the door of my lips!"

This was an obvious choice. Anyone who knows me, knows that this is a prayer I must pray on a regular basis to maintain peace in my family. Wow... the consequence of unguarded words... it is a sobering thought. Yet, I continue to realize that guarded words come from right thinking, and unguarded words from sinful thinking. I must "be transformed by the renewing of my mind..." that is how the Lord guards my mouth. That, combined with simply listening to His still, small voice... that sometimes isn't so still or small... saying... "be quiet!", or, "BE QUIET!! JUST DON'T SPEAK."

Psalm 140: 12... for Tuesday

"I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

and will execute justice for the needy."

...the question is... will we?

Too often we as a Christian community are too quick to tell others that they are wrong, and too slow to exhibit Christ-like actions.

So... this verse gives me hope, and brings conviction.

Psalm 139:24

What a privilege and blessing to read this psalm today!!! What love the Father has for us!!

I love that this final verse comes in the context of God's love, of David's proclamation of his faith and trust in God's love for Him. What an encouragement for us today!!

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

and see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!"

Lead me in the way everlasting...

Psalm 138:8

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

do not forsake the work of your hands."

I love the thought that God has a purpose for me, and that He will fulfill it. What love!!

May we be sensitive to God's leading, to the purpose he has for us, and may we submit to that purpose. May we wait patiently as God reveals this purpose to us, and may we always remember that His love endures forever. Amen!

Psalm 137:4... for yesterday

"How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?"

This psalm is a little strange, and ends on a really terrible note, but I was really struck by this verse. We are in a foreign land, and it does seem impossible to "sing the Lord's song". I am often struck by the differences between my beliefs and the world's... they are so different than me, they have such different standards. Also, Christianity, belief in God, is so often portrayed in such a negative light. This seems impossible... impossible seems to be the answer to this question.

I want to spend more time, effort, and prayer considering this very question... because there is an answer. There is a way to sing the Lord's song in this foreign land. God is an all-powerful God and will answer this question... He will one day sing his song, and all the world will know that He is Lord!!!

Psalm 136:26

for today...

"Give thanks to the God of Heaven,

for His steadfast love endures forever."

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Read this Psalm out loud, and give thanks.

Insert your own history of God's love for you, shown in your triumphs and tragedies.

God is a good God and all that he does is out of love for His people. This is the rock we can rely on and the hope that motivates us to pray and worship and live.

Psalm 135:5

For yesterday...

"For I know that the Lord is great,

and that our Lord is above all gods"

The Psalmist talks about God's great power, what He has done, and the weakness of gods made by men.

I want to be aware of any gods that have crept into my life, things that I am tempted to rely on or worship. I want to only rely on and worship our great Lord!!!

Psalm 134:1-3

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,

who stand by night in the house of the Lord!

Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!

May the Lord bless you from Zion,

he who made heaven and earth!

Psalm 133:1

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!"

I trust that all of us have experienced the joy of being together as a family. Whether it is your biological family or family of friends... the sweet fellowship of loved ones is truly good and pleasant. I am so thankful that God is a relational God who cares about... and blesses us with... family.

Thank God for your family, or "family", today.

Psalm 132:11

"The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back"

I am so thankful that we serve a promise keeping God. God's word is true and his promises never fail. This is what my hope is in.

Psalm 131:2

"But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me."

This verse paints a beautiful, tangible picture. This is how God wants me to live, how he wants me to hope in him.

Calm and quiet your soul today.

Psalm 130:5

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in his word I hope"

I love that we can hope in God's word, that it is true. Our hope is based on truth. That is what I love about studying God's word. As my understanding of His word increases, so does my awe and amazement and confidence in God's Sovereignty and in His plan. He truly is working out His plan for His glory and for my.. for our... good.

This verse also reminds me of the value in waiting. There is growth and much to be learned by waiting for the Lord.

Speaking of Psalms...

Here is Jennifer Knapp's take on Psalm 27. It is truly beautiful... I highly recommend purchasing this song!!!!

He is my Light and my Salvation
whom have i to fear
in His secret place i'll hide and pray
that i might hear a simple word

oh, how I would have despaired
if You had not come found me there
i can lean against Your throne and find my peace
find my peace

and when my enemies draw near
i pray that they will find
that i'm protected and secure
all tempests He will bind with a mighty word

oh, how I would have despaired
if You had not come found me there
i can lean against Your throne and find my peace
find my peace

He is my Light and my Salvation whom have i to fear?

Psalm 129: 2b

"...yet they have not prevailed against me."

What a comfort that, though our enemies rise up against us, they will not prevail. We know the End, with a capital "E".

I am studying Romans 11 right now, and I was meditating on how Paul talks about the beginning, middle, and end of God's plan for Israel. The entire Bible points to the "End"... yes, there are applications for temporary "ends" along the way... but the final ultimate "End" is what counts. No matter how terrible and hard life seems... there is always an end... and ultimately... an End. They... all the wickedness and evil that we see... will one day END with Our Great and Sovereign Lord's Victory!!! What hope that gives me!!!

I can't resist adding a few verses from Romans...

Romans 5:3-5 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance... character... hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 8:18, 24a For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us... For in the hope we were saved.

Romans 11:33, 36 Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!... For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Amen!!

Psalm 128:1-2

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!

this is what God wants for us... to experience the blessing that comes from walking in His ways...

You shall eat of the fruit of the labor of your hands;

Life is hard work... and God wants me to enjoy the fruit of that hard work. So often I finish one task and am on to the next, without enjoying the "fruit"...

you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

I am so glad that I serve a God that desires me to live a life that is blessed. This blessing is a result of work and labor... this hope encourages me as I struggle to walk in the spirit and refuse to listen to the temptations of losing my temper, being lazy, or getting discouraged when I see so much left undone.

I pray that I will turn my gaze on the Lord, receive his blessing, labor, fear Him, and walk in His ways.

The Plan: A Pslam a Day until 20 Jan 2011

I have been inspired by the movie Julia and Julie... or is it Julie and Julia?? I can't remember. What I do remember is the inspiration to commit to a daily task, for an entire year. I am great at starting things... not so great at finishing. So, this is the plan. To read a Psalm a day, to meditate on this psalm, and to share with you how God used that psalm to encourage me this day.

Perhaps, I will also include photographs and stories of my story... but I can't commit to that right now. That is just a teaser to encourage you to continue reading.

so... I have been reading the occasional psalm... and I am actually on Psalm 127, so that is where I begin today, this 20th day of January, in the year 2010. May you also be blessed by my little "experiment" in the effect of instituting a little discipline and accountability into my life. Who knows where I will be in 2011!!!

Psalm 127: wow!! what a great Psalm to start off with!!! I could list the entire psalm, but I will write what verse pierced me to the heart... God's Spirit lovingly convicting me and speaking truth in the place I most needed to hear it... God's timing is amazing!!

verse 2: "It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep."

Lord, may I accept and appreciate and use your precious gift of sleep!!!

Dealing with the end of the to-do list and clutter...

So I took the day off. I have committed to help out in A & D's classrooms on Fridays. Today it was too much for me to handle. The clutter in my house and my never-ending to-do list has caught up with me and I am a bit of a stressed-out-not-very-patient mom. So, I took the day off.

I am happy to say that the house is now cleaner, and I finally finished a project I had begun in Decmber 2007... yes, 2007... that is not a typo!!! That project was sadly clinging to the end of my list... along with at least 10 other things... and I am working toward completing these things. Yet they are not crucial, and thus are moved to the "leave until tomorrow list".

As I turn my "wanting to finish things" energy to tackling the clutter in my home, I am struck with the thought... what about the clutter in my soul? Those things that I haven't wanted to think about, to deal with... that I have put off until I have time and space to think about. Maybe that is also what is really causing my lack of patience and my short fuse? I am convicted by the need to declutter my soul, to journal, to pray through different areas of my life, to once again surrender my will to the will of My Father. Maybe that will help restore peace, peace in me and peace in my home.

Take time with me today to create space, to declutter your soul. And if you see me, ask me if I did it. Ask me if I de-cluttered my soul.

Happy Halloween??

I guess now is as good a time as any to restart my poor neglected blog!! I really don't like Halloween, at least I don't like all the scary decorations, the glorification of evil, the trying to make dead things seems funny and entertaining. I do like the excuse for a party, to be creative in making costumes, and the dressing up part. So, here are the highlights!!

Anna wanted to be a fruit bat, thus the brown bat costume. Fitting for my girl who loves animals and loves fruit!!

Dillon's wish to have a chargers uniform was granted, so he was a charger. He was so excited, it was worth the over-priced costume... I guess all professional sports is always overpriced!! =) Dillon and Daddy get to go to a game in a few weeks, so we felt this was appropriate and will be worn more than once!! =) Happy Birthday Daddy!! Merry Christmas Dillon!!

We also enjoyed pumpkin carving, from two pumpkins grown in our own backyard!! =) Isn't that fun??? We are such good parents!!! =)



Of course, Dillon was a bit feverish and had to stay home. Anna was a good big sister and shared her loot with her brother. I am confident that my introvert son was not too disappointed to stay home while his sister did all the work!!

I am also thankful that his fever is not too serious... it has made him a bit grumpy at times... but he seems to be ok. He would have been fine... but we didn't want to contribute to the spread of germs!! =)

Well, I think of you all often, and hope that this will not be my only post in November!!!

Susan Boyle: Confidence and Joy

Have you listened to Susan Boyle sing? I guess I live under a rock, because I only heard about this remarkable woman on Tuesday night. The next morning I watched her video, and was mesmerized!! I watched several more videos (youtube is addicting!!) and read a few articles. As I got back to work my thoughts were continually drawn back to this woman, this frumpy British spinster, with the amazing voice, this woman who had captured the attention and imagination of millions.

What is so captivating about Susan Boyle? It has to be more than her voice… what is it? I am sure there are many answers, but what captured my attention was her confidence and joy. Watch her video again. See how she giggles right before she is going to sing?? She knows… this woman knows that she can sing, and that this judgmental audience of regular people and talented artists will be amazed. She may not have expected their reaction, but she confidently knew that their laughter would be silenced by her song. That giggle showed such confidence in the beautiful gift she was giving to the world, her beautiful song.

This confidence brought her joy. She wasn’t angry by their laughter, by their preconceived ideas. She was joyful in the expectation of what she knew they would hear, and of her secret that they would soon know; that her frumpy exterior concealed a beautiful voice she knew she possessed.

And so, almost defiantly and without apology, she shared her dream, as ridiculous as she knew it would seem to that audience, and sang. She silenced their jeering laughter.

In watching the amazed reaction of the crowd, of the judges, and of her response to theirs, I began to think about the beautiful gift I too often conceal, and I wonder at my own lack of confidence and joy.

The gospel, what Paul calls “of first importance”, is beautiful. The beauty of its message is often concealed by our own weakness and silenced by the preconceived ideas of others. Too often we let our fears of their opinion and judgment silence our song, to silence our joy.

Today, will you sing? Will you sing of the beauty of the Lord, of his desire to know us, and to build his kingdom through us? Will you defy the preconceived judgment of others and speak the truth, joyfully and confidently sharing your precious gift with the world?

1 Corinthians 15: 3-4,10a
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Sin is Like a Balloon

“Mommy, can I show you what I learned?”
Busy and distracted with preparing to leave, I don’t even glance up at her.
“What, Anna?”
“See, sin is like this balloon.”
“And God is these scissors.”
What? I look up, suddenly tuning in to what she is saying.
She has a deflated balloon stretched over her fist, and is waving the scissors in the air.
“He finds this crevice, and cuts off our sin.”
I look at her hand, she has poked the scissors in the space where the balloon is stretched over her palm, and cuts off the balloon.
“So now we are free!!”
She triumphantly waves her hand in the air, the crumpled, deflated balloon lies on the floor.
She smiles and laughs as I give her a big hug, she knows she has said something special; she has made her mommy proud.

As I write this, I realize how insightful she really is. Sin is like a balloon, it first appears fun and exciting, but the next day, it lies deflated on the floor. If you cut off the pretty ribbon, it may float a little in the air, but by that afternoon, it is dead. It has lost all its appeal.

Sin is like a balloon stretched over her fist, it is confining, it restricts movement.

God does free us; He sets us free from the bondage of sin. It is only in Him that we are truly free.

21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:21-23

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1-3

What Every Dad Should Listen to!! =)

House of Memories
Ten Shekel Shirt

You're my hero little girl
You always save the day with your smile
You know I'm in love
With the one behind those pretty eyes

chorus
I will build for all time
A house of memories
Just for you and I
There you'll find
Rooms inside
Filled with laughter, joy
And your daddy's pride
Around the table
And down the hall
We'll chase each other
Till the laughter makes us fall
In the evening
We'll lay our heads down
And thank God for these memories

You're my angel
Sending messages of love
You're my future
A part of me that carries on

Hear the Birds Sing

I am choosing to hear the birds sing

Living in this not-quite-city/not-quite-suburb is a challenge for an outdoors girl like me.

I long to hear the sounds of nature; to hear the birds’ songs framed against the background of the roar of the ocean or the stillness of the mountains. Instead, I find myself straining to hear any sound other than the city noise of the cars and trucks and sirens that fill my world. Birds still sing, seemingly unaware of life rushing around them, but I can barely hear them, their music hides in the background of this noisy city/suburban life. Yet when I focus on their song, I hear the beauty of nature, and the noise of man-made life fades away into the background. Their beautiful music is what I choose to hear.

Life is like this too. Too often I let the noise of “doing” life drown out the joy of “living” life. I want to live my life “choosing to hear the birds sing”. Yes, “doing” life is important, the dishes must be washed and the laundry done. I can even find joy in “doing” life. Yet I want to “listen to the birds sing”, to take a moment to have a chat with my children, play a game with the family, go for a family bike ride, or read one more story at bedtime. Life must not only be done, but lived, joyfully aware of the beauty amongst the noise.

Choose to listen to the birds sing. The dishes can wait.

Running Uphill to Run Downhill

I like the challenge of running uphill, it feels good, to accomplish this hard thing of getting to the top. The reward is so worth it. I love the feeling of running downhill, the feeling of settling into the run, and being able to run fast with less effort.

My life is like that too. I try to get the majority of my housework done on Friday, to “Run uphill”, so I can relax and “run downhill” over the weekend. I feel free to simply enjoy life when my house is clean.

I get a sense of “running uphill to run downhill” in David’s words.

Psalm 63

1O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

5My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

9But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be a portion for jackals.
11But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

There is a sense of working hard to get to a place of finding refuge in God, of getting to that place where we are singing for joy in the shadow of God’s “wings”.

So I think of other times in my life where I have had to “run uphill”.

Wednesday would have been my brother’s 30^th birthday. 30… I think of all the missed milestones, the nieces and nephews he never saw, the wedding and children he never had. Missed memories…

My own memories, while precious and treasured, often bring pain. His excitement of finding out that I was pregnant, that he would be an uncle, his joy in loving and caring for his friends. His smile as he said goodbye after we celebrated my 27^th birthday, our precious conversation on Christmas day as we drove back to our house from my aunt’s house, where we spent such a special few days together as a family, Christmas of 2000.

Grieving is “running uphill”. Yet it is good to check in, to see how I am doing, and to do that hard work. It is worth it, to be reminded of the joy.

The “downhill part”, in a way, is thinking of where he is, and where we will be. That brings me joy, it brings new meaning to my life here on earth.

2 Corinthians 4: 17-18

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Revelation 21:1-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new… "

#14 These last two weeks have been great because...

...Anna and Dillon timed their illnesses so I could go to work (the end of the semester is a bad time of year to cancel class) and so we could go to their wonderful Christmas performance!!

Friday, their school held their annual Christmas performance. It was so great to listen to children singing with joyful hearts about Christmas!!! What a way to start the new year!!

Saturday was great, because we finally have gotten around to starting to finish the project in our "red room". Crown molding is a bit tricky to put up!! hopefully we will finish this weekend... or maybe next week...

Sunday, I went back to reading Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas. Here are some lovely quotes for you to consider. Maybe they will inspire you to read his book!!

"See, that's the thing with fear: It makes us worry about the evil that might happen, and, when we're focused on that, we grow blind to the great good that can result. It's not just shortsightedness, it's pessimistic-shortsightedness--vision obscured by worry, blurred by fear. While Scripture honestly admits the real threats we face in life, it remains equally forceful about not being driven by fear of them."
"Instead of listening to your fears, talk to yourself! A pastor recommended the following exercise to me, which has helped greatly. Instead of listening to yourself, talk to yourself. Emotions can prey on us unless we mentally take charge and fight back. We don't have to let ourselves 'tune in' to doubts and fears. We can talk back to ourselves; we can build our spirits with Scripture."

We are meditating on grace this week for our Sunday School class at church. Yikes!! I am not doing so great, and I was the one who wrote this week's activities!!! I think I am improving, it is God's grace that we are meditating on and practicing grace this week!!!

And finally, no matter what happens, this month is great because we celebrate the birth of our Savior!!!!

"I Celebrate The Day"
by Reliant K
And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life

#13 Monday was a good day because...

...it is finally December!!! I love December, my birthday month, the month that we celebrate Jesus' birthday, the month we always have vacation and get to spend time with family, the month when everyone is just a bit nicer and more joyful. I have always loved December.

Of course, our December began with sickness and grumpy kids. Monday was supposed to be my day of solitude, a day to relax, reflect on our year, and begin our Christmas letter. Well, Anna had an ear ache, fever and "digestive issues", and Dillon.... well.... let's just say he needed one more day of vacation and an understanding mom. It was hard to let go of my Monday, my first day of December, and seek to be a servant to my children. God eventually brought me to this place of surrender, and I began to see what I could be thankful for.

Now I am glad that they are on the road to recovery, praying that Todd will get better too, and hoping to stay in this place of having a servant's heart for my family.

I also changed a few plans so I could have a day of solitude today... yippee!!! I am learning to say no to good things.... for the good of my family and for my sanity!! This is a hard lesson to learn, I enjoy social events, but I want to be a nice mom and wife too... which is way more important!!!

I am so thankful for God's patience and grace as He teaches me more like Him. I love this verse and have been praying it for myself and my daughter. May you too be pleasing in His sight, for His glory!!!

"Now, may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Hebrews 13:20-21

#11 Yesterday was a good day because...

...we had a nice time watching a movie with other families from our school!! The PTA put on a family movie night... what fun!! We were going to watch the movie "out under the stars", but the rain forced us to make a change to the cafeteria. It was still a nice time. I am so glad that we are getting to know the families in our neighborhood. It is so nice to be at a school that values family time!!!

Today, we are enjoying a lazy, rainy day. Anna and Dillon have already played outside in the rain and got soaking wet. Now is is really pouring. Oh how I love the rain!! We still need to make a trip to the store... we will have to time it so we don't get caught in the downpour!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

#10 Monday was a good day because...

...we had a nice, uneventful day...well... almost. The three of us made it through Costco successfully, Anna and and Dillon were great helpers. It seemed like everyone was in a good mood, maybe because of the cheery thought of a nice Thanksgiving break?? We had no homework, which was a nice break, and had a nice family time playing Sorry.

Everything was great until I went into Anna's room to say goodnight. Yikes!! Stuff hidden under the blankets, stuffed in the closet... oh my... we have our work cut out for us... teaching her to clean up after herself and be responisible with the things in her bedroom. Note to self... never try to convince a tired 7 year old to do a better job cleaning her room after 8pm... it won't go over very well and the end result will be frustration and grumpiness galore!!!

#9 Sunday was a good day because...

...we turned in our Christmas Child boxes. I love the service our church has. We watch their precious video with pictures of children around the world receiving their boxes. Then we hear from someone who has visited and witnessed first-hand children opening their boxes. I pray that Anna and Dillon will share our love for people around the world and that they will realize what is truly important... that all will hear the gospel. The gift of life that God offers in His Son, the redemption He offers to the world... these are far more precious than any physical gift.

We were challenged by our Pastor yesterday with the following questions, consider them with me today.
Are you a disciple of a slave king?
If you are His disciple, do you look like Him?
Am I being vigilant to guard against all forms of pride?
Do I live serving others?

"the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

#8 Saturday was a good day because...

Anna's team won first place in soccer!! The girls worked so hard, the game was so exciting, and Anna ran after the ball and blocked a few shots!! What fun!! Their second game... can you believe it? They had to play two games!!! ...their second game was tied, they had to play overtime, and then won with penalty kicks!! Such pressure!! But they had fun, and were so excited to get their 1st place medals. We are so proud of our soccer girl!!

#7 The last few days have been good because...

...I have had a chance to speak words of peace and truth. My PTA is suffering. We are under "new management" and the transition has not gone well. I have many heartfelt conversations with the women involved, and I hope that I have been salt and light in this difficult time. I feel tired and drained, and there are a few more conversations that I want to have. I am thankful to be here at this time to help.

On a happier note... we are looking forward to three days off from school!!! They are giving us Wednesday off too! I don't know if we will go somewhere, or just relax at home... but it will be nice for the three of us to get to hang out a bit, and then our family will get to be together for four days!! We are going to a friend's house for Thanksgiving... thanks friends!!! I am constantly reminded of how God has provided "family" for us down here. We miss our family up north and out east... but we are thankful for the community of friends God has richly blessed us with here.

Thanks God!!!!

The promised pictures!!!

September...

Our "first day of school" shots. Aren't they cute??? =)


From our last trip to CA Adventure... once again, thanks Grandma and Grandpa Rosencrans!!!
Here are my pictures from camping... I hope to get more... let me talk to my friends who actually remember to grab their cameras... unlike me!!! =)



October...

We had a nice time at Todd's sister's wedding. (I know, I have no pictures of the bride and groom... those are not yet in my possession...)We only went up for the weekend, but managed to squeeze in a trip to the coast... my absolute favorite spot on this side of the world!!!


November...

New haircuts and styles!! Look now because I haven't yet learned to style their hair quite like this!!!

#6 Yesterday was a good day because...

...Dillon got to go to his friend's house for his very own "playdate". Just him!! He loved the time with his friend, and I loved the time with just Anna... except I wasn't feeling that well... but still. I am recovered now. I have decided that I want to arrange more of these playdates. It is so good for them to spend time with their friends too!! I get too intense about homework and all, and forget to include playtime!!! With soccer almost over, we have a bit more time to spend. I am thankful for this reminder... hopefully I will now do something about it!!!

I am also so thankful for my neighbor. She has such an amazing outlook on life. Nothing seems to ever rattle her. She reminds me of truth, that my children are God's children, that I am doing a good job, and that I must trust Him for their actions, their lives, everything. I can come to her, heavy with the weight of what I think are my problems, and she helps me to lighten up, to trust God, come up with a plan, and then do it. She is so practical, and makes me laugh at myself. She is such an answer to prayer!!!! I hope you all have a friend like this. I am so glad that God has made us relational people, and that in relationships we can better understand His Character. Spend some time today thanking God for those special people in your life!!!

#5 Yesterday was a good day because...

...I learned I was wrong!! I was wrong about the book The Five Love Languages. I was interested in reading it, but I put it in the category of "pop psychology", like "Ten Ways to Improve Your Marriage". (My favorite book on marriage is Gary Thomas's Sacred Marriage... the complete opposite of most marriage books) I finally started reading Love Languages a few days ago, and I have to say, I was wrong! This book includes some very simple yet profound insights into what communicates love!! He gives great suggestions for determining your spouse' love language and how to then speak that language. Yes, some of the book is a bit over-simplified, and I have only read about half so I cannot speak to the latter half, but, I was wrong to dismiss it entirely. I will include some of my favorite quotes with tomorrow's post, or maybe this evening.

On a different note, I just want to publically thank my wonderful husband!! He came home to a pretty grouchy wife, listened to my frustrations... even though I know it is bad to "dump" on your husband first thing... and calmed me down. He was tired from work and not feeling that great, and still worked pretty hard at calming me down in a loving way. He is amazing!!!!

The reason for my grouchiness was my children's reluctance to do their homwork. Any suggestions?? I try to make it fun, we even played "sight-word" hide and seek. Maybe we should have started with that.... I feel so inept in this department... which is why I chose to teach high school and now college, and not elementary!!! I do not know what I am doing!!! Today is a new day... I have a few ideas... hopefully it will go over better this time...

Enjoy your day!!!

#4 Yesterday was a good day because...

...I was so encouraged to hear the way God has been at work in the lives of the women who teach our Bible studies. We met for our last meeting of the year... no outline due this time, just a chance to share how God is at work in the lives of the women we teach and in our own lives as well. It is so amazing to have the privilege to study God's word and to teach with these women. I have been so encouraged by these women who pray for me and give me words of wisdom when I share my struggles. We are strengthened as we each share a similar love for God's Word and struggle to teach His Truth. God is at work and we are a part of it. What a beautiful and humbling truth!!!

#3 Today was a good day because....

...because Dillon scored two goals in soccer!!! He just took that ball and drove it up the sideline and scored!!! This was our first year with two in soccer. It has been a bit crazy at times, and occasionally frustrating, but overall we enjoyed our experience. It was nice to get to know other families in our community and to start to teach Anna and Dillon how to work together on a team.

After the soccer games, pizza party, and a hour of much needed "quiet time", we enjoyed the evening just hanging out as a family. After the craziness of the day, it is nice to relax, play a game of Sorry, and hang out before bedtime. Soccer is fun... but it will be nice to have our Saturdays back!!!

#2 Today was a good day because....

...because I finally was able to clean my house!!! It feels so good to have it back to normal. How quickly it falls to pieces when I fail to be diligent to clean up a little each day!! Now I am just tired, and hoping that Dillon won't wake up crying in the middle of the night tonight... are growing pains normal for five year olds??

So, what caused the collapse of my house? The children were off school on Monday... doctor's appointments with Todd... taking way to long to grade this last batch of tests.... life!! Todd had/still has kidney stones!! We were in and out of doctor's offices, the hospital, urgent care, and the ER all day last Wednesday.... thankfully they diagnosed him Wednesday evening. What a relief to know what was causing all his pain!! A normal diagnosis brings such relief and calms the wonderings about weird diseases no one knows about.

We were so thankful for our kind neighbor and friends who watched Anna and Dillon on that crazy day. God has richly blessed us with extra family down here!!!

I know I keep promising pictures... they will come. Keep faithfully checking back and you will be rewarded!!!!

Love to you all!!!

#1 Today was a good day because....

...I got to chat with my sister!!! I love being able to see her and her precious boy!! Even though she is half-way around the world... she is still dealing with the same issues I deal with, and we can chat together and encourage each other. I love my sister!!

Anna and I also made a gingerbread house together at church. We enjoyed a special time together, and Anna really enjoyed being in charge, for once. I forget to appreciate her love of art and her creative side. I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with just her. I will post a picture tomorrow!!

Enjoy your day!!

My new plan...

...is to end my day writing about what I enjoy. I can get too analytical and forget to be grateful for the good moments in each day. Yes, life does not always work out like I had planned. I still have many, many special moments in each day... moments that I do not want to take for granted, moments I want to treasure. Join me in sharing your special moments too!!

We are going camping!!

We are off to go camping this weekend... with 40 of our friends!! I have such great memories of my parents taking us camping with their Sunday School class from church, now we are taking our children camping too!!! I am so excited!! I will post lots of pictures and stories from our weekend... I know we will have so much fun!! =)

Our Super Fun Summer!!!

We were truly blessed to get to spend time with lots of family and friends this summer. My sister and family came to this side of the world for the summer, and we spent two weeks of fun filled days hanging out at the park, at my parents house, or spending the night in the home they were staying in. Such precious times of living life together as wives and moms!!! I didn't get many pictures because I still haven't figured out how to take pictures while still enjoying the moment!! I usually think... oh, I should have taken more pictures... know that many good memories were made!!
Our "sleep-over"

Fun times at the parkDillon got his wish: "to see a real dam", but we had to explain that the fishies didn't really swim over this dam, just around it.

And the famous "first time on the flight" picture... please excuse my children's antics... oh for just one "normal" picture!! =)
Besides the fun times with my sister... we made a memorable trip to my favorite spot... the Oregon coast. After spending a very enjoyable day with a friend at Centralia, the half-way point between my parents' home and hers, we decided to "swing-by" Seaside on the way home. Yeah... I know it took us 2 extra hours and almost doubled our gas money... but it was worth it!! We had a yummy meal and enjoyed the sand and the sea air and the beautiful coast before hoping back into the car, making it home by 10pm. I had very tired children, but beautiful memories of this special place where Todd and I fell in love!! =) We were sad he couldn't join us... but hopeful that one day we will make it back there as a family!!

After two weeks in Oregon, we spent a week camping with nine other families in Northern California!! Why? to lead a VBS for a small church up there. We had such a blast, and were richly blessed to serve as a family and as part of our church. God's truth was proclaimed and lived out through our VBS, through our time spent with the children and through our time together as a team. Cottonwood is definately a highlight of our year!!

We finished out our whirlwind tour of the west coast with a week camping with our famliy and extended family. Thankfully Todd made it to this adventure!! As Todd puts it... we had a relaxing and fun time doing "nothing" in the middle of nowhere. What a great description!! We played games, talked, swam in the pool, and played mini-golf. We did venture out to see the aquarium one day... the rest of the time was realxing and slow-paced. I love camping!!

My husband got a kick out of taking pictures of family members taking pictures... it was kind of funny. However, I haven't gotten any of their pictures, so I decided to post these in all their glory, and maybe someday I will be able to post theirs as well!! =)



We thought we were waiting to get photographed... =)
Dillon really enjoyed Uncle Troy's guitar. It was so precious watching Troy helping Dillon "play".
I know, you want to say "move your arm"!! But I had to include this beautiful moment!!!
I will always treasure the "photos" stored in my mind, photos like this one, of little Jo delightedly watching Anna and Dillon play. They had such fun with him... such precious "cousin" time made infinitely more valuable knowing their time together is so short. Their cousin time will take place over continents, oceans and many miles. My prayer is that the distance will not be a barrier to their friendship and these precious fun times will be a strong foundation they will build upon as they grow up "together"!!!

I love my amazing and precious sister!!!
And, of course, a beautiful picture of God's amazing creatures. It's so much easier to photograph slow-moving objects!!! =)
We came home a bit earlier than I had planned... I was tired and wanted to be at home with my husband together as a family!! It was nice to have a slow tranisition back to our normal school year with Biola and school and homework and soccer... and soccer... and soccer. The jury is still out whether I will be a soccer mom... Anna and Dillon haven't quite decided if they like soccer. If not, we will try something else!!!

I hope you enjoyed our stories!! Feel free to share some of your own!!! Thanks for faithfully checking back.... maybe someday I will figure out how to fit blogging into my regular routine!! =)

The Dutch Method

So... we are using the Dutch Method. Apparently, there are several methods for teaching soccer to children, our soccer coordinator says, and the Dutch method is what he prefers. You see, in the Dutch method, everything is a game. There are no drills, there are only games.

So I have invented a few games.

Five-Finger Jobs: Morning Routine

1. go potty and brush your teeth.
2. clean your room
3. give mommy a kiss and a hug
4. get dressed
5. eat breakfast.

Five-Finger Jobs: Evening Routine:

1. Jammies
2. Potty and brush teeth
3. give mommy a kiss and a hug
4. Bible story
   
5. Pray and sing songs

My current favorite: Five-Finger Job: Getting out the door

1. Do a good job cleaning up after yourself (thumb)
2. You, put on your shoes! (pointer finger)
3. get your stuff
4. go potty
5. Electricity check

Having games for these things seems to help. Too often, and especially when I am in a rush, I can be a bit demanding. These games remind me to be a bit more light-hearted in training my children... and sometimes myself.

The other game we have been using reveals our current pastime (addiction??)...Super Mario Galaxy. I thought of this one day... and Anna and Dillon really went for it!! =) Enjoy!!

In case you are not familiar with Mario's world, he is required to accomplish certain tasks to earn a star. Anna and Dillon now get stars for cleaning their rooms. My creative children decided to put a twist on this... and pretend that there are comets. The Purple comet, where Mario has to collect all the purple coins, requires one to look carefully and search every hidden spot for "things" to be collected. This is what my careful and observant son likes. He hates the timer... which Anna likes. She likes trying to beat the timer. So, she decided to do a "speedy comet". In the speedy comet, Mario has to complete his mission in a certain amount of time. This requires focus... Mario cannot be distracted by star bits, coins, or extra lives. He must stay focused and only do what is necessary to get the job done in order to beat the timer. Anna needs to work on this and... sometimes... the timer helps her stay focused... especially the kind that you can hear ticking. So I found some star sticky notes, and have a new way to inspire my children to clean their rooms!!! Happy cleaning!!

What are games you play??

Calling in sick

I called in sick today. I am not that sick, but sick enough that if I walk around a lot or talk a lot, my head starts to ache and my throat is all scratchy and I start to cough. So, my usual Wednesday of walking with the girls and helping out in Anna's and Dillon's classrooms had to be canceled. I am sad about that part... but there is something nice about just laying in bed, catching up on email and my blog, and working on my Bible study!! Maybe I just needed a sick day. I have good memories of taking a sick day when i was teaching full time. It was a lot of work to prepare for a sub, but it was also a relief, knowing I had a day with nothing planned, perhaps if I was not too sick I could finally get to those items on the bottom of my list that I never seem to get to.

So, here's to making good use of my sick day!! Enjoy these posts that have been rattling around my brain for the past few months!! =)