On 9th grade Sunday school and the seeds planted therein

From the Lisa writes... archives, circa September, 2007...

We attended a large church in my youth-group years. These were the days of departments, comprised of a department leader and six to eight Sunday school classes and corresponding teachers. We would have assembly, aka large group time, then split into our assigned classes (I guess today the proper terminology would be "small groups"). To get an idea of the size of my church's youth group, each grade was its own department, and some years seventh and eighth each had two departments apiece.

When we gathered for assembly, the boys sat on one side of the room, girls on the other (it wouldn't be until eleventh grade before we dared intermingle). I cannot remember his name, but our department head for the ninth grade Sunday school would always introduce that week's lesson with a real life story that happened to him that very week that just so happened to perfectly illustrate the point of the lesson that week. We would often marvel at his ability to tie in some everyday circumstance of his everyday life to the lesson. In truth, we were just a little cynical that the perfect event would happen every single week. We would even wonder just how he would segue into the key points, sometimes making it a joke between us.

My ninth grade Sunday school teacher was a big former University of Texas football player named Malcom. He spouted Scripture effortlessly, one of his favorite being "what a man sows, so shall he reap." As I think on it, especially now as the mom of an up and coming ninth grader, it was an excellent word for young high schoolers like ourselves.

Malcom wanted to teach us to hide God's Word in our hearts through the discipline of Scripture memory.  He assigned us a verse to memorize each week, and each Sunday as we gathered in our small classroom, we would copy the verse from memory into individual notebooks. Whoever memorized the most verses by the end of the year was promised a nice dinner in a nice restaurant with a chosen "other." Not to brag or anything, but eventually I was the only one doing any memorizing (yes, a brown noser even then). The Scripture memory challenge soon fizzled and no dinner awarded.

But I will never forget the lesson Malcom taught me; yes with the verses he had us memorize, and certainly with the warning that we will reap what we sow, but most importantly through his love of the Word of God and his desire to encourage that same love in the hearts of silly, immature teenagers.

I have no idea where Malcom is now, nor our department head. I do know this: their legacy lives on today, in me. I may have laughed then at the perfectly coincidental parallel between the events of a week and the key points of a specific Sunday school lesson, but today I know that God's Word is alive and active and speaks to my everyday life if I will only listen and heed. I may have memorized a list of verses then in order to gain my teacher's approval or receive a nice dinner, but today I know Malcom's passion for God's Word within me, and his desire for others to know that same passion is mine as well.

Oh, the faithfulness of our God! He planted seeds even when I was too young and foolish to know it. He has watered; He has reaped; He is worthy of praise! And when this life is no more, when we are gathered before the Throne in the Presence of the One worthy of all glory and honor and praise, I hope for opportunity to express my gratitude to two men who served the Lord Jesus in what was no doubt a thankless and sometimes frustrating place of service. I am thankful they did not grow weary and give up, but trusted the Lord of the Harvest, seeking only His glory and His alone...

Book Review: As Silver Refined

In her book As Silver Refined: Answers to Life's Disappointments, Kay Arthur writes, "The single most powerful, liberating, peace-giving truth I've ever learned in God's Word is the fact that He is sovereign." Me too, Kay, me too. The Lord God rules and He reigns. He is in control and He works all things according to the counsel of His will. Yes and amen. The knowledge of this truth has transformed me. I find hope and freedom in the fact that God is sovereign. What comfort knowing I can rest in His gracious provision, no matter what comes!

I expected As Silver Refined to be about God's sovereignty and it is. Kay Arthur first addresses what she has labeled the "deadly D's", which obviously escalate in their effect:

The downward spiral begins...with disappointment. Disappointment comes when our expectations aren't met. Consequently we're not happy about it--we're disturbed.

When this happens and we don't conquer that disappointment in God's way, then we spin downward into discouragement. We're without courage. We want to give up. We want to quit because we're disheartened. We're ready to run rather than deal with the situation...

And what follows discouragement? Depression in its varying degrees.

The first "degree" of depression is dejection--a lowness of spirit, a feeling of spiritual and emotional fatigue.

If not reversed this dejection takes us down even further, plunging us into despair and finally into utter demoralization. At this stage of descent, hope is entirely abandoned and is replaced by apathy and numbness. Fear becomes overwhelming and paralyzing and can degenerate further into disorder and reckless action that is heedless of consequences.

It's war, Kay asserts, and we must be wise to our enemy's strategy in employing these "deadly D's" to keep us from the joyous obedience and confident victory that is rightly ours. Beginning with disappointment, Kay speaks to our common experiences of failures, regrets and stress, developing a contrast with the Biblical call to meekness. It is in the discussion of meekness that Kay begins to build on the theme of a sovereign God who grants peace to those who choose to trust Him. We can know that He is the Refiner and He uses trials and disappointments as His fire to refine believers as silver (1 Pet. 1:7).

From disappointment, Kay moves through the remaining "deadly D's," warning the reader of the spiraling nature of defeat that will accompany each and offering hope and grace to those struggling with that issue. In every point and every prescription Kay is careful to direct the reader to the Word of God and to Jesus.

Furthering the war metaphor, Kay encourages those struggling with any one of the "D's" to submit in faith to their good and gracious King, to stay in constant communication through His Word, to pray without ceasing and to obey fully His commands. His promises are our security and His Word our weapon to defeat the lies of the enemy. Included with the book is a thirteen week companion Bible study offering further exploration of these truths.

Interspersed throughout the book are stories from Kay's life and others as well as letters from readers and participants in Kay's studies who affirm the Lord's sovereignty and testify of the power of God's living Word to bring hope in very desperate circumstances.

In fact, if I have any real quibble with the book, it is that it is more conversational than instructive. Don't get me wrong; there is plenty of teaching here and good teaching too. It seemed to me, however, to be the sort of instruction one might receive over coffee with an older, wiser friend. Rather than bullet points and sub-points and main points, it meanders a little, sometimes tediously relating all sorts of good things and good stories in the midst of telling you the main thing, if that makes sense. As I said, it's not a critique so much as it is an observation.

There is hope for the hopeless, glory to God, and As Silver Refined offers both hope and grace for those caught in the desperate cycle of disappointment and defeat. I may have thought it was a little long and perhaps lacked clarity of presentation but on the whole I was greatly encouraged by this book.

Note: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher; my review reflects my honest opinion.

Friday's Fave Five

Time once again to enumerate five favorite things from the past week...

1. A clean house. My house is rarely even close to being completely clean all at one time (Hello? There are six of us, and not an OCD-prone one among us). It seems there is always a rogue room here or there that I either couldn’t get around to or just wasn’t worth the effort on a given day. This past Tuesday afternoon, however, my entire house, or at least an unusually large percentage of it, was all clean all at the same time. I like it. Not enough to kill myself every week like I killed myself Monday and Tuesday in the pursuit of said whole house cleanliness but enough to enjoy it and label it a favorite.

2. And the reason for my atypically clean home? Old friends from way back when coming in for a short visit. Fun. Would have been fun-ner if the whole family of long time friends could have made the trip too but still fun just the same. We’ll take what visits from friends we can get!

3. My mom’s Mandarin Orange Green salad that I made for supper for the aforementioned friend visit. It’s yummy. Here’s the recipe so maybe it can be a favorite of yours in coming weeks...

1/4 to 1/2 head romaine lettuce
1/4 to 1/2 head iceberg lettuce (I just used the "Just Lettuce" bagged blend)
1 c. celery, chopped
2 green onions with tops, diced
11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 T. plus 1 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. sliced almonds

Dressing:
1/2 tsp salt
2 T. vinegar
1/4 c. oil
2 T sugar
Dash red pepper sauce
1 T. parsley

Mix dressing ingredients. Shake well. Refrigerate.
Heat almonds and sugar in a heavy saucepan until sugar is melted and almonds slightly toasted. Cool on foil and break part. Just before serving, mix other ingredients, add almonds and oranges. Toss and pour on dressing.

4. I also made this casserole, tweaking just a bit, but also yummy and therefore also a favorite.

5. Bleak House. I finished watching the BBC miniseries last night and loved it. Since I've never gotten past the first few pages of the novel myself, I'm wondering if this is one of those rare instances where the movie is indeed better than the book? I'm thinking yes. Any book purists out there have an opinion? If I loved the miniseries (and I did), will I enjoy the book (all 900 or so pages)?

Check out other favorites at Living to Tell the Story!

Beach Reads

One of my favorite things about a trip to the beach is planning my reading list. You think I kid, but I get excited, yes, about the sand and the waves, but even more so about the (supposedly) uninterrupted hours of good reading beachside. It's like Christmas or something!

The hunt for that really, really good beach read becomes part of the fun. When there is sun and sand, wind and waves, who wants just a mediocre book? So, after much deliberation (not to mention reading other blogger's book recommendations and stalking the amazon reviews), here's what I'm packing for our upcoming trip:

The God Who Is There
Rebecca recommended this one and I've had it for awhile now so I'm looking forward to being encouraged by this overview of the big story of the Bible.

March
This was Melissa's recommendation when I issued a plea on Facebook for a really, really good read. I have always loved Little Women so I am very excited about reading this, Mr. March's story and its account of the Civil War.

A Mountain of Crumbs: A Memoir
I was intrigued by this review at Dwell in Possibility. I love reading memoirs and this authors' experience of life in the former Soviet Union looks interesting.

Entwined
Carrie's enthusiastic recommendation (via Facebook post) convinced me.

George Whitefield: God's Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century
My friend recently read (and thoroughly enjoyed) Dallimore's expansive two volume biography of the 18th century preacher; I'm hoping this shorter, slightly more accessible version will be just as interesting and inspiring.

Five books is more than ambitious, even for an enthusiastic and eager reader like myself. I do not think that I will read them all, nor do I necessarily plan to. I just like having options! As I said, I am looking forward to the pleasures of vacation found in the pages of a really good book, but even more so I am eagerly anticipating my time with my husband and boys amid the beauty of the Lord's creation. It's fun to enjoy vacation with book in hand, but the far greater joy is having my family by my side.

An unfinished post

I spent some time the other day poking around behind the scenes here at the blog, discovering in the process that I have a rather large number of un-posted posts languishing in the draft queue. Some were obviously victims of a some sort of compelling distraction, only a few words long and then in incomplete sentences. Some of the drafts were just that: unedited, unfinished posts needing only a fitting conclusion or a little fleshing out here and there. Some I remember writing; most I do not. Some I can figure out what my point was; some I have no idea what it was I wanted to say.

For the curious, like myself, here's one of those draft posts, this one hearkening back to over three years ago, when we were all writing six word summations of our lives and tagging others to do the same. It is just as I wrote it then, with a few minor edits here and there (what can I say, I just can't help myself; the compulsive self-editor will never die). It ends, as you will see, rather abruptly. What was I going to say next? Who can know?

********

Another fitting six word memoir depicting my life as it is and not necessarily as it should be:

She rarely finishes what she starts.

I've considered giving you a laundry list of the things begun yet unfinished still. There is, however, a limit to my self revelation and, honestly, I fear risking your judgment. Suffice it to say, the list is long and varied.

In Sunday school yesterday we studied Ephesians 5:15-17, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Our teacher quoted John MacArthur as saying the most spiritually foolish thing a believer can do outside of willful disobedience to God's Word is to squander time and opportunity by frittering away his life in trivia and half hearted service to the Lord.

I've heard it said that we are to live like we're dying. We do not know how long God has allotted for our life here on earth and the argument goes that we ought live this day as if it were our last. Should I do so, I would no doubt have a sense of urgency and would certainly seize every opportunity to proclaim the glories of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I would not, however, worry about the dirty dishes in the sink. Were this to really be my last day on earth I would leave them there in the sink, not to mention the dirty laundry in the hamper and the dog hair on the floor; indeed I would leave it all behind with scarcely a thought as I prepared to leave this world for the next, yes I would.

But, isn't washing the dirty dishes in the sink also part of my calling? Certainly there is something of a flaw in the live-today-like-you're-dying approach.

Yeah, I'm thinking and too much. As I've already shared with you, I feel a sense of conviction--or is it guilt?--over squandering my time. As I told a friend in an email this morning, I feel as if I am chasing after my life, haphazardly and hurriedly, always behind and never accomplishing.

She rarely finishes anything she starts.

Or for another six word summation:

She lets life happen, accomplishing nothing.

Take Monday for instance. I spent nearly all day, besides fretting over my contrary child's karate attendance, on Bible study. A good thing. But I had to spend all day in preparation because I hadn't done much preparation in the week prior. A bad thing. So because I spent the day with my nose in the Word and various commentaries, I did not do the dishes or clean house or fill in the blank with some necessary domestic duty. Another bad thing. So now my already crazy week (hello? it's May) is even crazier as I try to catch up. Another bad thing. So I put off Bible study this week as well...

Squandering my time on trivia and half hearted service, this I fear.

I feel as if I accomplish no more than getting my kids to school fed, bathed and on time. Is that enough? Have I redeemed the time?

********

Friday's Fave Five

I meant to post a Friday's favorites yesterday, it being Friday and all, but after I posted those quotes from the Desiring God blog, I got distracted with all manner of things like cleaning out the pantry and the fridge, running errands, buying groceries, washing and folding clothes, cooking and taking supper to a friend, among other things. Hence a Friday's Favorites on a Saturday.

Certainly this week had several notable favorites, a twenty year anniversary foremost among them all. However, I thought I'd take a different approach this week and expand on something I mentioned in my status report a couple of weeks ago. It being July, smack dab in the middle of summer, and me being weary of summer and that weariness making me cranky, I thought I'd once again remind myself of things that are good about summertime, favorite things, things worth listing and expressing gratitude for...

So, five favorite things about summer:

1. Teva flip flops. I love Teva flip flops and have three pair. So comfortable! I like the Olowahu the best; I have them in red and gray and wear them all the time. I also have the Mush Adapto in Black. So, yes, wearing flip flops in general, Teva most particularly, is something to like about summer.

2. While I'm talking fashion (a rarity, to be sure), I also like white jeans. I like wearing jeans year 'round but since I can only wear white jeans in the summer, they must be a favorite thing about summer. Please note, the restriction of wearing certain types of garments in the summer, such as white jeans and flip flops, does not necessarily render them a favorite (i.e. shorts and swim suits are not favorite things about summer).

3. Homemade ice cream. Enough said. Except I will say that my husband got a new maker for Father's Day and it makes some really, really good cream. Yum.

4. Not having to get out the door first thing in the morning. I still get up fairly early, depending on your standards, between 6 and 7 am, but I enjoy piddling around the house in the morning and having the flexibility to choose to get out at a time of my choosing.

5. Anticipating fall. I love fall (and yes, winter too) the best, and the dog days of summer make me love them all the more. Though summer seems interminable, especially here in the South, I know that cooler days are on their way. So, weird as it may be, knowing that it will surely end is another favorite thing about summer!

What about you? Do you love summer...or merely endure as I do?

Check out other Friday Favorites, on a Friday or a Saturday as the case may be, over at Susanne's.

Motherhood is a calling

I once read an interview in which a prominent author defended her ministry outside the home by asserting that as a young mom “I felt neglected. And I hated my life. I mean, hated it. Okay? And then I started hating my husband. I felt like I was doing everything for everybody and getting nothing in return.” She went to the doctor who gave her the advice to “go out and get a job, to do something to satisfy me.” At this point in her life, she testifies: “I began to find me.” While I hesitate to judge her heart and motivations, I will say: this makes me sad. In contrast, I find this post at the Desiring God blog to be refreshing in it's call to the cross and to death, to live out gospel truth by sacrificing on behalf of others, on behalf of my children, declaring to the world the worth of the gospel and the value the Lord places on the least of these. In Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank), Rachel Jankovic offers the following encouragement to moms:

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Contrasting the prevailing cultural mindset with the way of the believer, Jankovic writes...

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

"Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross," she concludes. Oh, yes, may I have the grace to do so, to shout to a watching world that I am nothing, Christ is everything, and what I get in return isn't nothing but everything, Christ Himself and the joy of the gospel! I don't want to find me; I want to find Him...

Read the rest of Jankovic's encouraging post here.

Twenty

Happy Anniversary to us! Today we celebrate twenty years!

As we were then...

And as we are now...

My husband is a good man, a godly man, a man who loves the Lord Jesus. He works hard to take care of us and spoils me rotten. I am so thankful to the Lord for my husband, for our marriage, for how well my husband loves me, and for twenty years of life together. He knows me like no one else and yet remains my biggest fan! I love Jesus more and I see His grace better because of the undeserved and unmerited favor granted to me through the love lavished on me by my husband. If you'd asked me twenty years ago I wouldn't have thought it possible that I could love him more than I did that day but I do! I am blessed. I am grateful. I love him so.

To God be the glory; great things He has done!

The evolution of a blogger

One of my friends is contemplating beginning a blog and she and I talked at great length the other night about the ins and outs of blogging, the merits of Blogger versus Wordpress, the convenience of Google reader, all the strange and mysterious information collected by Stat Counter, among many, many other things, some blog related, some not.

Since our conversation I've been thinking and as I reflect over my nearly five years of blogging (yes, five! Can you believe it?), I realize there are both lessons learned and blessings received, most of each being of the unexpected kind. In short I am not the blogger I was nor am I the blogger I thought I would be and for both I am glad. Here are some of the things I have learned and some of the things I have gained through this strange hobby...

1. I have realized my ordinariness in light of so many very talented bloggers. Some of you reading these words have the sort of gift with the keyboard that takes my breath away. True, I have sometimes been envious of those who write so beautifully and with such profound insight yet, ultimately, I am glad to know of my own mundanity. As I've said here in this space before, my mediocrity reminds me that it does not fall to me to be the smartest, funniest, most fashionable, craftiest nor the most theologically profound blogger on the block, and I am grateful. It is my privilege to be the ordinary wife, the ordinary mom and the ordinary blogger making much of an extraordinary God.

2. I have gained friendships with fellow bloggers literally around the globe. I have discovered a community of like-minded women serious about their faith and passionate about serving the Lord. For the first couple of years as a blogger, I was embarassed to refer to "my internet friend so and so" yet now it seems more natural because friends we most definitely are! I am so thankful for the wise and witty women the Lord has brought into my life through this strange hobby of blogging. How I wish we could all meet; wouldn't that be fun?

3. Some things are good to write about, some things are not. I must be judicious about what sorts of topics I address here in this forum. In my early blog years, when I was even more anonymous, I probably wasn't as careful. Just because I want to write about them doesn't give me freedom to do so.

4. Blogging can turn commercial and be just as competitive as nearly any other enterprise. Developing a brand and building a readership take a great deal of initiative, not to mention a fair amount of luck (or that's my opinion). There was a time when I agonized over my visitor statistics and longed for a larger portion of the reader pool. No longer. I have learned contentment in my little corner of the blog world and strive instead for excellence in my meager offering (when I do have something to offer). 

5. Blogging is a hobby. Sometimes, and this is probably weird, I feel guilty over not posting regularly, like there's some big law out there that blogger must and ought to post three times a week, minimum. I love the interaction of blogging, I like striving to find words to express my faith and my journey, and, yeah, I like knowing there's one or two of you out there who read. But in the end it's a hobby. Sometimes real life intrudes and that's okay. My family, my home, my church, teaching Bible study--these are primary privileges and I blog best when I first fulfil these greater callings. Blogging is a hobby, an outlet, something to pick up and lay down as the whim strikes. 

6. I have a great fear of my blogging exposing me as a hypocrite. I've confessed this to you before in a post I wrote in response to that very charge. This may surprise you but I completely and humbly agreed with my critic. I am the hypocrite. Though it is true that blogging represents only a small of part of me and of my life, it is sobering to consider the dichotomy that sometimes exists between the thoughts and confessions I express here and the real life conversation you and I may enjoy at, say, a soccer match. Please know: I don't presume to be anything other than what I am. I hope that what you see here is a very ordinary woman who sometimes speaks of her faith and sometimes doesn't and that fact fills her with shame. I will unequivocally assert: I need the Lord. I am not what I should be. I am a pauper to His grace.

I am glad my husband encouraged me to begin my own blog nearly five years (and some 860 posts) ago! I am the better for it. I'm glad too for you the reader; that you would spend a few moments here at this site reading these humble thoughts encourages and humbles me. Thank you for your visits and your comments! While you're here, I'm curious: for those of you who also blog, what sorts of things have you learned? How have you been encouraged or challenged through blogging? What words of wisdom would you share with a newbie blogger? 

My best mothering advice (or the lack thereof)

I have a good friend who gave birth to her first baby just a few days ago. She and I had lunch a week or so ago during which we chatted about all sorts of topics, including, as you might guess, the incredible and daunting task (and privilege) of motherhood. As we walked to our vehicles, sated with both chicken salad and conversation, she challenged me to write a post sharing all the wisdom and sage advice I've gained over my seventeen plus years as a mom.

I must admit I laughed a little at her request, not because I thought it inappropriate or humorous, but because, really, I have so little to share. After that conversation in the parking lot, and after reading another friend's blog post that wondered why it seems that seasoned moms are so reluctant to dispense advice, I've decided that my hesitancy has the following motivations:

1. I'm still not done here. The jury is still out, so to speak. Sure, my kids can now bathe and dress themselves (yes and amen) and have all reached a certain age and level of (sometimes disputable) maturity. All in all, they are great kids but if seventeen years have taught me anything it's that there are no guarantees and assumptions can be misleading. I'm still in the trenches; the fight so to speak is as intense now as ever.

2. My memory is bad. Those days when my kids were babies and toddlers and preschoolers (and all at the same time) passed by in a blur, a virtual whirlwind, and I honestly can't remember what worked or what didn't; I just know I survived, and then only barely! :) Interestingly enough, I think I probably would have been more apt to dispense all sorts of advice THEN than I would NOW. Oh, yes, then I was full of all sorts of convictions and judgments about good parenting and bad parenting what constituted each. Now, not so much.

3. I messed up, bad. I failed, many times over. In fact, the older I get, and the older my kids get, the more I realize how many mistakes I made and how many things I did wrong, sometimes out of ignorance, most times because I am a sinner, plain and simple. I know that I should have messed my kids up royally and it is that knowledge that tempers my dispensing of advice.

However, just because I am hesitant to speak as one who has emerged victorious in the mommy experience doesn't mean I have nothing to say. So, for my friend: what I have to offer isn't advice so much as it is lessons learned. Here's a few things, among many, that motherhood has taught me...

The biggest thing I've learned: I need grace. I am desperate for it. Truly, nothing has taught me of my own inadequacy and desperation like being a mom. I can't do this, a fact that has had me crying myself to sleep at night more times than I care to admit. I mess up, as I've already confessed, and I keep messing up. No matter what standard you choose to define a good mother by, I can't meet it. I need the Lord. I need the gospel. I need grace.

Also, there are no guarantees in parenting. My kids are sinners, rebellious, depraved; only the Lord can affect transformation. Yes, we the parents are the primary influencers in our child's life but their salvation does not depend on me. It is the work of the Lord. This is hard. It took me having more than one child (more than two, more than three...) to realize that I could not follow a recipe in order to gain the sort of child of my choosing. So many believe they can--perhaps they would not assert such in so many words but the subtle implication is there, whether you're discussing home versus public school, athletic ability, or salvation.

Oh, but the Lord is faithful. He sustains, He provides, He protects, He blesses, He teaches, He convicts, He answers, He saves. I am unspeakably grateful and humbled by the outpouring of His mercy on me, a needy, desperate mom. I well remember those weeks after my fourth baby was born, one of those blurry segments of memory I mentioned earlier, those days in which my fatigue was so overwhelming, my struggle with the baby blues teetering toward a dark, cavernous depression. I would fall into bed in the wee hours of the morning begging the Lord to find me because I had no idea where or how to find Him. His Word promises that He will surely be found by those who seek Him, and, glory to God, He was. He is.

Surely I've learned many other truths, truths like my kids are far more resilient than I deserve and that the stomach virus will invariably wreck its havoc in the middle of the night. However, as a mom who, like I confessed earlier, has messed up far more than she cares to admit and who's still in the trenches pleading with the Lord for the sake of her children, I am more than comforted by the fact that there is grace and the Lord is faithful.

So, here's my words of wisdom for new moms like my friend, older, more seasoned moms like myself, wives, sisters, daughters, friends, fellow believers and sisters in the journey: Remember the gospel. Preach to yourself the truth that Jesus saves sinners. Persevere. Stand firm. Seek mercy. Trust His faithfulness. Rest in His gracious provision. He is enough and He is everything, and He will show Himself strong on behalf of desperate women humble enough to seek Him. Run to Him, sister, and find in Him all that you require. Glory to His name!

Friday's Fave Five

Here's a few of my favorites from this past week:

1. Our church picnic. I know that you know this, but I love my church family. Despite the sweltering temps, we had a great time just hanging out, eating ice cream and other good food, and enjoying the fellowship the Lord has so graciously granted to us.

2. Independence Day. My grandmother was a true patriot and it seemed I would rarely see her without her small flag pin which she wore proudly from the time her husband shipped out to serve his country in WWII. Her pin is her legacy to me; my mother gifted it to me a few years ago and I wore it to church Sunday with pride and remembrance. Someone asked me not too long ago how I reconcile the seeming dichotomy between my theology and the American Revolution. I didn't tell her, but I actually have never considered it. It is what it is, perhaps that's the simple-minded woman's response, but no matter: I love my country and I am thankful for my freedom and for those like my grandfather and grandmother who served and sacrificed.

3. Our family pastor and his wife welcomed the arrival of their first baby, a girl, last night. How exciting! I am now nostalgic as I consider our birth stories, four times over, and the life altering, heart filling, overwhelming love and gratitude that accompanied each.

4. I'm not one to blog on makeup and the like, but I have to tell you how much I really like the Cover Girl NatureLuxe lip gloss. I have Clove (I think) and I wear it with almost everything, when I'm wearing makeup that is. :)

5. Did you know my husband and I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage next week? Yes, indeed. He is a good man and so good to me, working hard to provide for me and the boys as well as spoiling me rotten. Nearly 20 years with him is a favorite to be sure, no matter the week, as is his care and love for me and his pleasure in giving me good things, gifts undeserved for certain!

See other favorites of the week at Susanne's!

Ambition and Aspiration

From the Lisa writes... archive, circa March, 2007

Things I once wanted to be when I grew up:

• Waitress. I well remember breaking the news to my family at Red Lobster, our go-to place for birthday celebrations. Our waitress, young, beautiful, and confident, had inspired me, but my dad quietly informed me that perhaps I needed to set my sights elsewhere.

• Nurse. I loved reading the Cherry Ames and Sue Barton series as a girl, and thus my ambition to the nursing profession was born. It was, however, quickly extinguished the day my mom asked me to salt and pepper some raw chicken pieces and I nearly lost my lunch, so to speak.

• Teacher. In our playroom my dad painted a whole wall with chalkboard paint. Somewhere my mom acquired some old text books, teacher's editions, with the tests and the answers in them. I spent many an hour laboriously copying out test questions on the chalkboard wall and lecturing my imaginary students.

• Astronaut. I grew up in north Alabama where field trips to the Space and Rocket Center were a yearly event. Some of my fondest memories include my dad waking us up very early in the morning to watch a rocket launch on tv.

• Actress. My mom occasionally took us to the children's theater which I absolutely loved. Even then I was a great fan of a great story and seeing Aladdin or Jack and the Beanstalk come alive on the stage was breathtaking. Even better was waiting after the show to get autographs of the cast members.

• Author. As I said, I have always loved a good story well told and this love would propel me to the scribbling of my own stories. A dream I never really outgrew. Yesterday the spiral notebook crammed under the bed; today the computer and blogging.

• Professor. Two semesters of graduate school cured this one.

The funny thing is, I do not remember ever specifically aspiring to my current occupation: motherhood. I guess maybe I always assumed I would be a mom and never really thought about balancing motherhood with whatever my current career aspiration happened to be at the time.

Yesterday as I chatted with another mom at a school field trip, she asked me the inevitable question, "What do you plan to do..." I finished the question for her, because I've heard it a thousand times, "...with yourself now that all the kids are in school?"

As indignant as I am sometimes when asked the question, it hasn't always been an easy one for me to answer. For nearly a decade I had a baby either in my belly or on my hip. The transition from diaper bag to backpack and lunch box really caught me off guard. I'm a smart girl, I knew with each birthday my boys were getting older; it was my transition that surprised me.

I once knew what I did: I changed diapers and filled juice cups and pushed strollers. For years. One baby boy after another. And now?

That transition plunged me into what has been at times an almost frantic search for purpose and validation. I bought the lie of our culture that we must accomplish to be significant. I knew God called me to be home, even now with the boys in school, but I couldn't shake the feeling I was supposed to be doing something, some accomplishment, some more worthwhile endeavor, something I could tell people I "did with myself all day now that the kids are in school." Somehow, laundry wasn't enough!

And yet, our faithful God has taught me the value of an ordinary life lived for His purposes and His glory. The privilege of serving Him in the simple tasks of laundry and grocery shopping and shuttling kids all over town. The holy responsibility of raising a generation of godly young men. The call to say Yes wherever He leads, whatever He asks. The freedom of living in the today of my journey, and knowing He holds the tomorrow.

The mom I was chatting with yesterday is also a stay at home mom, yet unlike me, she has a clearly defined direction she plans to pursue. For more than just a moment, I was somewhat envious and felt that same old panic over purpose. But after a moment's reflection I was able to answer her with complete confidence: "This is where God wants me for today. And for today that is enough."

Status Report, July

Sitting...at my dining room table. I was out on the porch earlier this morning and it was bearable then. Now, it's just plain hot. And humid. And hot. And therefore miserable.

Ready...for fall, a fact I think I may have already mentioned to you a time or two. I know, I know, it's only July and the heat and humidity of August and September have yet to be endured. Ugh.

Choosing...to remember the good things about July, like celebrating Independence Day and my husband and sons' enjoyment of the Tour (de France, that is) and...

Looking forward...to a few days at the beach later this month. It's been a few years since we've seen the ocean so it will be a fun family getaway.

Anticipating...the release of the final Harry Potter movie! Y'all know of my love for Harry and I am so excited about seeing the conclusion of his story on the big screen.

Re-reading...the last two books of the Harry Potter series. Yeah, I'm a nerd. I own it. No shame.

Seeking...recommendations for beach reads. Read anything good (like, really really good) lately?

Making...my grocery list and coming up empty in terms of supper ideas for the week. A total blank. Any suggestions?  Quick and easy is my mantra when it comes to summertime cooking (actually when it comes to cooking any time!)

Learned...a new card game while enjoying supper with some friends over the weekend. As a rule, I'm not a big game player but this was fun (translation: little skill or strategy necessary=my kind of game). Of course, an evening spent with friends is always a pleasure.

Enjoyed...a few hours rummaging in a couple of antique stores with a good friend last Friday. I bought some vintage Pyrex, a couple of books (you know it), and an old stool/stepstool. Fun!

Reflecting...on my pastor's words Sunday as our church took communion together. He spoke of the bond we share as believers and how the Lord in His providence brought us together in love, as a family, remembering as he did so of the various ways we all met each other. I too marvel over the grace and goodness of the Lord as I think of the different paths we've taken, only to come together as friends, family, and fellow sojourners. What grace! It's all because of Jesus! He has drawn us himself, we who were far away, and he has drawn us together. I love my church!

Thinking...about grace and how much I need it. I am the poor, destitute pauper, a beggar, undeserving of the goodness and mercy extended to me by a loving Father. I am ashamed at how often I forget my desperate poverty. Out on the porch this morning, as I read my Bible and prayed with casual and cursory ardor, I grew ashamed of my nonchalance. Who am I? Weak and lost, dead and doomed apart from the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is so good; I am so unworthy. Grace, grace...

Happy July, friends! May you too enjoy a fresh vision of the grace and goodness of the Lord today! And if you have any recipe or book suggestions, by all means send them on! :)

Posting your own status report? Link up in the comments and let us know; it's always fun to see a slice of life as other friends know it...

True Confessions

• I've been sleeping in these summer mornings until SEVEN AM--quite out of character for me.
• We have little or no structure or routine in the summertime, other than what is imposed upon us (like VBS last week).
• I've nearly fallen off the wagon in regard to memorizing Philippians, maybe because we have so little routine? Certainly not because I lack discipline...
• Ok, yeah, I lack discipline.
• My son had his wisdom teeth removed this morning and I've already asked one brother if he would be willing to change out the gauze packing when it gets bloody and grody.
• I do not do well with blood related grody-ness.
• I've never been accused of being a particularly sympathetic, nurturing sort of nurse when my kids have been sick or indisposed.
• However, I may have scored some mother-of-the-year points when I made chocolate chip cookies the other night for the first time in FOREVER.
• I had also bought the boys some sodas to drink and chicken fingers for supper from the deli of the local grocery store, prompting one of the children to proclaim it "a special day"!
• I think I should have chilled the cookie dough because the cookies turned out very flat. But good.
• I may or may not have eaten more than one or two cookies while making them.
• Indeed, who can resist a chocolate chip cookie warm from the oven?
• Apparently I cannot.
• I may or may not have eaten an additional cookie (or two) later in that same evening after the kids were in the bed.
• I think I may have already confessed to you that I lack discipline.
• In other news, I am so ready for fall.
• Summer is my least favorite season.
• There are some things I do like about summer, but I have a hard time remembering what they are.
• Hydrangeas, Teva flip flops, white jeans, no lunch boxes to pack, and homemade ice cream--these are some of the things I like about summer. The heat, the humidity, shorts, and swimsuits, not so much.
• I am looking forward to next summer, at least next June when I will hopefully be here; anyone else?
• I am not looking forward to next summer and the corresponding push to get everything ready to ship my oldest son off to school.
• I've decided I'm not going to think that far ahead. Not today, anyway.
• It is time for my son's gauze to be changed; how bad can it be? I will also fix him a bowl of pudding.
• Sometimes I can be sympathetic and nurturing after all. But only some times.