I love how the Bible can so perfectly apply to a certain situation. I woke up this morning, cupped tea in my hand and dug into the Word to find this…
“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed by you.” Galatians 4:19-20
Staring at the three combative faces before me, disgruntled and caught up in a frenzy of anticipating school anxiety, this verse sprung to life. In the aftermath of the bout of whining and an abrupt lashing out between siblings, sometimes that is the exact word I feel, perplexed.
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Our family has been a “high maintainance” prayer family the last few years. I have shared with you the story of my husband’s illness and heart surgery, and today I would like to tell you about our grandson. JJ is an eighteen month old bundle of energy and mischief, which in itself is a miracle. You see he was born in February of 2008 at only 24 1/2 weeks gestation. He entered the world at a whopping 1 lb. 9 oz.
It had only been five months since his grandpa’s rare and dangerous surgery, and five weeks since the death of his great-grandma, my mom.
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What Has God promised you? Is there something specific He has whispered to your heart He would do? Do you feel like His promise is so big and wonderful it couldn’t possibly be for you? What is holding you back? Why aren’t you taking Him at His word?
Why haven’t you finished what you started for Him?
I have been feeling the sweet nudgings of my Lord to finish the book He put on my heart to begin last year. I have written eight chapters of a twenty chapter book, sent off book proposals and I’m far from finished. My friend Celia has offered to let me write in her home in the woods not too far from where I live.
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We have a saying in our house: “Heikkas don’t quit.” In fact, we have it written on our Heikka Family Creed, a document we’ve put together that lists our family values and things that are important to us. We’ve had our creed taped to the kids’ bedroom doors since they were about four and six, and both of them have it memorized.
A constant reminder about not quitting has been helpful when our kids have gotten discouraged with homework, sports, or any challenge they’ve faced. It’s been great to be able to talk to them about the fact that all good things are worth the hard work, and that just because something is difficult doesn’t mean you should give up.
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Awhile back I was really frustrated with my husband. We were outside in the yard and I honestly cannot remember what I was mad at him about (I’m sure it was huge at the time, but probably petty in the big scheme of things) but I said, “You know you are a lot like God.” He looked at me and I could tell he was kind of puffed up at the thought of being like God. I said, “Yeah, you are a lot like God because you never change!” We laugh at this moment now, but at that point I was not laughing.
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Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
I often find myself in the whirl of days wishing time would pass more quickly. When summer comes, the weather will be nicer and it will be easier to get outside and exercise. When fall comes, we’ll get on a better schedule and I’ll get more done. When the kids get older, I can spend more time in ministry. When the week is over and it is the weekend, I’ll feel more rested. Before I know it, I’m wishing my time away.
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As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9 NIV
“You have got to be kidding me,” my husband vented his frustration with the car in front of us doing a snail’s pace. We pulled up to the stoplight, and I read the tag GRAMMY*. “Well, it’s a grandma,” I explained to him. “Yeah, well she needs to at least go the speed limit,” he responded.
I sat back listening to the music, just happy we weren’t late for church, but I could feel my husband getting more and more frustrated with poor ole’ Grams.
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Yesterday my husband took our youngest daughter on a special trip to the park. She shook her little body in excitement as she moved closer to the swings. My husband gave me the play by play of events since I’d been on a walk with our two older girls. He told me how he hoisted our toddler up and into the bucket swing and commenced with a strong push. She flailed her arms in the air yelling for him to stop.
“Daddy, I don’t have a hold. Too high. Too high.”
My husband immediately stopped the swing in order to comfort her and help her set her hands just right, clasping them to the two chains.
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