February 16, 2011

hope

I really wanted to pen a new blog entry before February 16th rolled over to February 17th. But as I sit here on my bed and my fingers dance across the keyboard, my heart is heavy, my mind swollen with sadness...mingled with hope. A short time ago I received word that a dear pastor passed away this evening.


Stunned silence. Grief. Broken heart for his precious wife, children, and grandchildren. Thoughts flooding my mind for the saints whom he shepherded for so many years.


This wasn't my blog topic for tonight, but I can't seem to shake it all from my mind. God interrupted me.


Life is a vapor. My God is eternal. Life is uncertain. My God is a sure foundation.


What is it about interruptions such as these that stop us so abruptly and completely? Those clothes can wait to be hung. Those dishes can be washed in the morning. That new book can be enjoyed another day. For now I am slowed to a place of quiet reflection and pondering.


I reflect and ponder because my attempts at understanding or explaining are finite and futile at best. But this reassuring, resounding truth overwhelms the questions, fears, and grief like a blanket wrapped around the nakedness of my soul: I AM.


He is hope, rest, peace, comfort, joy, a man well-aquainted with grief. He is.


If you know my pastor (who happens to be my boss), then it's no wonder I have been reading a book by Vance Havner. My eyes and my heart rest on these words tonight:
For there is injustice and senseless misery in this world and oceans of bitterness that no smooth proverbs can mitigate and no logic solve. There are hateful situations and wretched circumstances that we cannot make head nor tail of; the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer; fine lives snuff out early and devils live on and on; war and crime and poverty and pain drive men to wonder whether God is deaf or dead. One cannot face such a world with a string of phrases nor unravel its evil with the yardstick of reason. Most of our comforters are pitifully inadequte.
We are not primarily to figure out trouble nor even to bear it--we are to use it and, rightly used, some very fine things can be made of it. . . . The greater our trouble the greater in character we are if we master it. It may be a bitter struggle that drains us of every bit of moral energy at the time. But if we come out sturdier in our hearts, then we have converted it into a blessing and transmuted gall into glory. (In Tune With Heaven, pp. 196-197)
I told a friend tonight that in moments like these, I am even more grateful for hope. Hope that does not disappoint. Hope that moves our tunnel vision beyond the temporal and spreads before our eyes the grand banquet of the eternal. Hope that can tune the heaviest heart to sing a beautiful melody, though its chords may be disonant and its tune frail in places.


And now that my mind has been pondering and grasping for words for well over thirty minutes, you know what is most amazing to me? That my heart longs to burst forth in praise to my gracious God. As if springs of worship find their way through the complexities of my thoughts and burst through to the surface and spill out over my soul. And their cool, soothing streams flow with a refreshing theme: hope.


"Let Your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in You."
Psalm 33:22

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
Hebrews 10:23

"But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more." 
Psalm 71:14

February 13, 2011

four months old

Thompson, there are days when we wish we could make time stand still. You have been such a joy over these past four months. In fact, one of your teachers in the nursery today said that you have spoiled us...and you have! You're such a wonderful, good-natured baby, and we are delighted to be your parents.



We'll find out this week how much you weigh and how long you are now. Everyone comments on how big you are! Your hair is most often the topic of conversation. It sticks straight up, and nothing we've tried will make it stay down. You have the most amazing, expressive eyes, and your smile lights up a room. You love to smile and laugh, and you coo and talk to us all the time. We love waking you up in the mornings because you're always so happy and excited to see us. And now you're scooting around in your crib, so we're never quite sure how we'll find you...this morning you had turned almost completely around! You've also rolled over from your tummy to your back, and you're very close to rolling from back to tummy.


You are liking bathtime more, but you refuse to put your feet and legs in the water. When we push them under the water, you immediately draw them up and rest your heels on the surface. It's the funniest thing! You have loved music since you were born. Daddy and I sing you to sleep each night, and you get so excited when you hear Daddy start to play the guitar. When we were at the beach last summer, Daddy picked out a stuffed lion for you. We named him Wrigley, and now you sleep with him each night. We catch you hugging him closely and smiling at him in your crib.


Your class at church is bursting at the seams with new babies, so you got promoted today. Typically they don't promote up until you are sitting up or six months old, but they moved you up early. (Daddy says you're an overachiever like me.) We've gotten used to you being the center of attention, especially at church. When we walk through the Atrium, everyone stops to see you and talk to you...and sometimes they remember to nod in our direction.




We are so grateful for you, Thompson, and we often sit and stare at you, imagining all that God has planned for your life. Even now, we pray that you will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, that you will be fulling pleasing to Him, that you will bear fruit that remains, and that you will increase in the knowledge of the Lord (see Colossians 1:9, 10). We love you, T-Rice!

February 12, 2011

a valentine project

Thompson and I made Valentines tonight for his wee care workers and Sunday School teachers. I'm so grateful for the men and women who love on our son and take such wonderful care of him each Sunday. So during this special time of year, we want them to know how special they are to us!




I traced Thompson's hand on cardstock for an inexpensive, yet thoughtful Valentine greeting. Coupled with a giant Hersey bar (on sale at Walgreen's 2/$3), we've got sweet Valentines!




(And please disregard the scissors. They were out of Thompson's reach. Besides, we won't let him use the good scissors until his first birthday.)



"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 4:11 


February 11, 2011

prompts for prayer

One of my favorite things about Christmastime happens around 11:30 each December morning when our mail is delivered. Because I was home on maternity leave during this time, I would anxiously rush out to the mailbox with all the wonder and anticipation of a child on Christmas morning. Hand-addressed envelopes would always catch my eye first, some in hues of crimson or green. I would sort out the letters I suspected of holding the rich gems and rip them open with no concern for their paper overcoats.


Most often I would try to ignore the sender's address to maintain the surprise as long as possible. And there they were...Christmas cards! I particularly love photo cards, the faces of our precious friends and family on display in brilliant colors. Children with grins painted ear-to-ear, a bride and her groom with all the wonder and joy of newly married bliss, and more. Each picture tells a story. Each image captures my heart. I love these cards because I love these people.


Each card finds a special place in a fine china bowl, its creamy white and brown with gold gilded edges provides the perfect home for these delights. I find myself stopping there often, sometimes more than once a day, to thumb through the images and reflect on these sweet ones we love dearly.



As December passes, and Christmas decor is once again packed away, I can't bear to discard these treasures. They sat in the beloved bowl for weeks before I finally came up with an idea. In years past, we've used our cards as prompts to pray for the people pictured. This year, I decided to take that one step further.


I emailed each family who sent us a card and told them we would be praying for them throughout the year. I asked them to reply with some specific requests that we could take before the throne of grace on their behalf. As the replies came in, I wrote the requests on the back of each card. We will select one card each week or so and pray for that family as the Lord brings them to mind throughout the week, especially during mealtimes.


Prayer has a supernatural way of not only tying our hearts to the will and heart of God, but also to the hearts of other people. When I see these precious faces at church or on Facebook or even in the grocery store, I am reminded of their prayer concerns. They are more than that cute family who made a friendly gesture by dropping a Christmas card in our mailbox. Behind the paper smiles are real needs...a son whose mother may lose her job, a wife who longs for her husband to return to church, a parent seeking wisdom in raising her son.


I guess mailing cards at Christmas can be ordinary or predictable. But that's where most of us live...in the ordinary, predictable, routine, day-to-day of life. What ordinary event or gesture or tradition could the Holy Spirit use in your life to prompt you to engage in the supernatural? What mundane task or everyday object could remind you to stop and put the needs of others ahead of your own?


"There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him."
- William Law

February 8, 2011

thirty

I turned 30 a couple of weeks ago. Surprisingly to me, it wasn't the earth-shattering, end-of-life-as-I-know-it event that some people had made it out to be. Honestly, it was just another day.


My husband certainly made it a memorable one, pulling off a fabulous surprise dinner with my close friends and family three days after my milestone so I wasn't suspect in the least! But prior to my secret celebration, he arranged for a sitter and took me to Thomasville for dinner at our favorite spot, Jonah's.




I love car rides with my hubby because we never lack for conversation. In true 30 fashion, our chit-chat revolved around that rather unintimidating number. He listed 30 things he loves about me, and we bantered back and forth about the 30 most memorable events throughout our relationship. It was one of those times I wished I had a video camera to record every utterance, every laugh, and every glance because the detailed memory fades too quickly.


The ride home was more of the same. But I pulled out paper and pen when we began discussing 30 things we'd like to instill in our son. This certainly isn't an exhaustive list, though some of you may think it's exhausting! I don't think I can even grasp how valuable this list is or will be to us in the future.





So, to our precious son, full of innocence and potential and wonder, here are 30 things we hope to teach you or instill in you as we shepherd your heart and steward your life. (They occur in no particular order...)
  1. Your purpose is to glorify God, and your goal is to live a life worthy of Christ.
  2. You are to treat women with dignity and respect.
  3. A deep admiration, loyalty, and love for family.
  4. You are no more deserving of the love and grace of God than someone else.
  5. An understanding of mature, biblical manhood and womanhood.
  6. The joy and necessity of Scripture memory.
  7. A deep, abiding love and insatiable hunger for the Word of God.
  8. The value of close friends.
  9. A humble compassion for "the least of these".
  10. An understanding of the pricelessness of purity.
  11. A comprehension of the vastness of the lost world, coupled with an understanding of the magnitude of the power of the gospel to change lives.
  12. The power and freedom of forgiveness.
  13. A strong work ethic and an appreciation for doing things with excellence.
  14. The value of laughter and fun.
  15. Always have God at the bottom of your joy.
  16. Circumstances do not hinder the power of Christ.
  17. Honor those who've journeyed further than you and spend more time listening to them than talking to them.
  18. The importance and timelessness of a thank-you note.
  19. The reality that we do not battle against flesh and blood.
  20. The ability to dance...and make up an impromptu rap. :)
  21. Life and death are in the power of the tounge.
  22. The wise see danger and seek refuge, but fools keep going and suffer for it (Proverbs 27:12).
  23. God never wastes experiences.
  24. Salvation is an act of God from start to finish.
  25. The courage to stand for what is right regardless of the sacrifice.
  26. Never underestimate the power or consequence of one simple act of obedience or disobedience.
  27. How to manage God's time discerningly as priceless gems and how to be a wise financial steward.
  28. Dream BIG!
  29. The importance of honesty and integrity.
  30. You will be shaped by the places you go, the books you read, and the people you meet.
It's a tall order, but we don't want to go wandering through parenthood aimlessly. Maybe in 30 years, when you're pondering 30 things, you can quiz us on our list. By God's grace, we'll instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.


30 has come and gone. But I'm grateful for a milestone turned into a priceless memory.