Making the Most of Every Opportunity

“ For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,   for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.   The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. "-  Luke 6:43-45 Jesus was teaching that whatever we see on the outside of people (good or bad) reflects their hearts.  We've been teaching Jimmy that his actions show where his heart already is. And God is teaching us that our words and bad attitude flow right out of our hearts of evil too! I'm so thankful to learn this truth. My bitterness towards someone or anger at Jimmy and Caleb for disobeying isn't because of them! If I'm really grounded in Christ, then my desire will be to lay down my life for them. But since I think of myself and how they "wrong" me,

MY friend Susy ROCKS! She is amazing in many ways and a huge blessing to my life. She was the first Christian I ever knew, taught me songs from Bible camp, and has poured into me differently in each season of my life. She is also one of the most creative people I know. And she is just so humble. Today, I'm encouraging you to learn from her as she engages her boys in praying. One way she prays with her kids is by collecting rocks. Read her full post here and here's a fun picture of her rocks: I've had awesome conversations with Jimmy as we hunt out rocks every so often to add to our bowl. My friend Allison gave us a tip to paint the rocks different colors to help non-readers. This way we know as we grab the blue rock that it's Daddy or the orange is for Gigi, etc...

Here’s my last post in this series on the cost of following Christ…  You can read my previous posts here: DLB 1 - my call to move away was hard DLB 2 - how giving up good things/enduring through hard things grows me (as I see Christ as the true treasure) DLB 3 - how giving up good/enduring hard shows the gospel to others Please let it be clear that I do not think hardship/suffering is easy for the sufferer. And I am not saying that this “mini suffering” of moving is equal to other horrors . I believe that it’s beneficial to share this suffering because most of us will only really know these “mini sufferings”. They are very real and we can grow deeper into Christ through them . Some of us will face more. Some are being prepared through the small so that when great tragedy falls, our strength is rooted and firm in Christ. Others already have experienced or are facing incredibly heartbreaking loss and pain. Those dear brothers and sisters can teach much more than I ever can and I am

Great tips from a Dad for parents of girls... and for my friends who want to be modest: “Four Guidelines for Modesty”: If you have trouble getting into it or out of it, it is probably not modest. If you have to be careful when you sit down or bend over, it is probably not modest. If people look at any part of your body before looking at your face, it is probably not modest. If you can see your most private body parts or an outline of those parts under the fabric, it is probably not modest. you can read Michael Hyatt (CEO of thomas nelson publishing) full post here  where he shares his thoughts of watching the MTV VMA awards.

I’ve been sharing in Post 1 and Post 2 how hard I’ve found the call to follow Christ to be at times and yet that I see purpose in this tearing away and even joy in it… God is reminding me that HE is the true treasure my heart seeks and living here is a chance to see Him as that treasure both in how I receive/reject “good” things and embrace hard times . But I also get an opportunity in each to show His worth to others. Lesson 2: “ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.   Indeed , I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him” -Philippians 3:7-9a Both the good and hard things are not just for my growth, but an opportunity to show His great value to others. God gives everyone good and hard things, not just those that are His. I believe that He does this so that His own can reject

GREAT post on CJ Mahaney's Cheap Seats blog by David Powlison on small talk. He shares that every word we say matters and even our small talk is a way to honor God in relationships. " In God's view there is never an inconsequential word that anybody ever says. Every word counts. We are not always aware of that. Jesus says you will be judged for every careless word you utter ( Matthew 12:36 ). That means that when you climb into anything a person ever says you find profound things revealed about what they are about: what they are after, what their intentions are, what their worldview is. Even in small talk there is a revelation of the heart that God is searching out, and he weighs the intentionality of small talk. Small talk: it is either a way for me to say, “I don't want to know you and I don't want you to know you and so I am going to keep it light and make it as quick as possible and see you later.” Or small talk is a way to say, “I care about you. I would

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,   I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 3:12-14 I shared in the last post how following God comes at cost and it is hard. Following Christ’s call for us to do full time ministry has been good in so many ways, but also hard for me. In it, I believe God is teaching me a beautiful truth: We can leave “home” joyfully, appreciating that beautiful season and gift of living there, and knowing that HE is my real treasure, refuge, and rest. Oh how I battle to rest in Him fully and give up this  hold onto the past. Yet I am seeing so much more how very real and near and wonderful Jesus is through my struggle. It’s true that in His presence is the fullne

Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”   Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”- Luke 9:61-62 I’ve been chewing on this Luke 9 passage. I remember hearing how this passage is like marriage vows and it’s a joyful commitment to God. If I’m honest, as I read them now, years later, I’m not sure I agree. In fact, Jesus was teaching that following Him was going to be hard and people who didn’t want it to be hard should just leave and go back to what they were doing. He said by following Him you may not even have housing and you will have to leave people and places you love. He’s preparing them that going in His name will not be easy and they will not be loved by all. I’m struck most by the call to not even say goodbye to anyone but go forward in the work He calls. Though we were blessed to have a wonderful “goodbye party” before we left NJ, I see now my tendency to loo

I shared in the last post how God has sustained me daily to open His Word and seek His face in prayer each morning before my family rises. It was NOT easy to start and only by His grace that I continue. But be encouraged if you want to grow through this with me that fruit has come! FRUIT IN OUR LIVES We cannot have sustaining fruit apart from Christ (John 15:5) and Christ himself said to abide/remain in His Word (that’s continual). But He also promises that we will grow more and more like Him as we are in His Word, because we are sanctified through His Word! What an incredible promise. FRUIT IN OUR MARRIAGE "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.   And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up " Galatians 6:7-9  If we want to be wiv

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like:   he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” - Luke 6:46-49 Trials will come and do come. Where I’m planted is how I’m prepped for them. The foundation of the house is built before the house. Before marriage and kids, Jesus planted and rooted Himself in me, but now how can I apply that?  I believe it’s to start my day BEFORE they are awake, planting my self in the Word and prayer so that by the time anyone else is awake, I’m firmly rooted in Christ’s love for me, establi

" it is my eager expectation and hope   that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full   courage now as always Christ   will be honored in my body,   whether by life or by death.   For to me   to live is Christ, and to die is gain." -  Philippians 1:20-21 I battle sometimes wondering if I'm missing it. I love Jesus and yet I enjoy comfort and security. I rest in them. In full honesty, I usually rest there instead of in God Himself, my true rest and refuge. We encounter the persecuted church a lot through our job (from afar) and I feel a thrill to serve them in any way and yet a sadness at the reminder of how my daily life doesn't always show Christ as my Supreme treasure. I believe God has shown me this to encourage me, not discourage me. In His grace, I think He is lovingly and gently reminding me that all the earth and everything in it is His. The gifts I daily receive are great gifts from a loving Father, but THE gift is always Him. And in my plenty, it

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” - Romans 12:1-2  Here Paul says we can know God’s will and know what is good and perfect (only Christ) only by being renewed (a consistant habit) through the Word.  “the non conformity to the world does not primarily mean the external avoidance of worldly behaviors. That’s included. But you can avoid all kinds of worldly behaviors and not be transformed”- John Piper Paul says it’s not just a “don’t conform”, but an action of being transformed. “Oh, how crucial this is! If you long to break loose from conformity to the world, if you long to be transformed and new from the inside out, if you long to be free from mere duty-driven Christianity and do what you love to do because what you love to do is what you ought to do, if you long to offer up your body as a living sacrifice so that your whole life beco

My heart is so burdened for so many I know who are experiencing painful trials and asking hard questions. Today, I found myself weeping and sobbing for a woman I've never met. God brought me to her blog through a mutual friend. I'm praying for Tricia and her sons Tuck and Tyler who just lost their husband/father Dec. 23rd. Please pray with me for this woman and her children. I've wept and wept and also praised God over and over as I reread this gut wrenching post she wrote of losing her husband tragically a few weeks ago that is filled with faith in God in the midst of great sorrow... I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side.  The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

"this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit  and trembles at my word " -Isaiah 66:2 Oh how I want to be the one He looks upon!!! 1) To be humble-  I'm terrible at this. Even when I clean the toilet, I refuse to use it until Andy comes home, just to be sure he'll notice how clean the room smells and looks and be impressed by how great a homemaker I am. Seriously? I even have a pride battle in how well clean my bathroom? That's awful. I LONG to joyfully see my absolute need for Jesus (real humility) and rejoice in him fully because of that. Only humility allows the right and good picture of Him. 2) To be fully repentant and disgusted by my sin (contrite in spirit). Not just "guilty feelings" because that is really just a pretty term we put on our sinful desire to stay in our sin and not repent and turn away. 3) and to tremble  at His Word . His Word is key. With a word, God created out of nothing (Gen. 1). With a w

Praying for a Wycliffe Bible translator who was kidnapped in Nigeria... link here AND praying for over 70 Christians who were arrested in Iran over Christmas... Will you pray with me? "In the early morning hours after Christmas day, the Iranian government arrested 25 Christians in Tehran and other locations. They also planned to detain sixteen others, but were unable to locate them. There are also unconfirmed reports that the authorities have arrested over 50 other Christians. According to BBC Persian, the Governor of Tehran has vowed to arrest more evangelical Christians. One of those detained was able to make a call to friends from an unknown location on the morning of the arrests, leaving this message - "Unfortunately early this morning the authorities came to our homes. They arrested us and many other believers. I want to ask you to pray for us. We are sure God will never leave us or forsake us. God bless you. Sorry for giving you bad news over Christmas, but I

I've had a rough re-adjustment home. I'm not sure if it's just exhaustion from traveling with 2 kids in a car all over the country for a month or more than that, but it's been a season of clinging to the cross and trusting that the small act of "sowing" will be multiplied by the Holy Spirit into fruit that explodes out and lasts. One encouragement for me in this has been to look back on what God's taught me in my journals. As I've looked back and prayed and just rested in Him, I'm seeing the height from which I've fallen... I am right back to looking at me, desiring my comfort and ease,  and missing Him. But OH WOW...to look at Him again all new is amazing! He is sooooo good.  Here's a journal entry from August as I went through Hebrews that brought Him flooding back central in me. Yes, JESUS! : "Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outsid

praying through this... and realizing I've made heaven something it is not and have missed the true treasure: Jesus. "The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there? " - God is the Gospe l, John Piper