Monthly Archives: July 2011

Warning, Pain Ahead


Recently, one of my children was told very specifically not to do something because they would get hurt if they did it. About an hour later I hear a wail coming from their direction. Sure enough they did exactly what I told them not to do and they got hurt.

I am not exactly a prophet like Isaiah was, but he told the people of Judah that God’s judgment was near if they did not stop what they were doing. He even predicted that the people of Judah would blame God for the problems that they were facing. Wouldn’t it be absolutely ridiculous if my child who was hurt after I told them to be careful were to blame me for their pain after they were careless?

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What’s that Smell?

The smell was so bad he was embarrassed to take friends to lunch.

My husband drove a burgundy Saturn in the early days of our marriage. And it stunk. For a male, a little stink in a car is like a trophy. What guy wants his wheels to smell of strawberries and roses?

But over time, the smell was more than he could bear. He tried scented pine trees fresheners. When that didn’t work, he put oil of wintergreen on cotton balls under the seats.

No matter how he tried to mask the terrible odor, it remained. When co-workers suggested lunch outings, Alan cringed at the thought of shuttling friends in the stink-mobile, and rolled down the windows to blow the stench away.

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The answer to parenting…

I tiptoe into my daughter’s room to check if she’s asleep. It’s been a long week and she’s had a lot on her plate. Twelve years old can be a tough age, I’m learning. There are new experiences, new decisions, new situations.

Quietly, I stand next to her bed and look at her–my little girl, asleep, her head resting sideways on her pillow.

My little girl who is not so little anymore.

I sigh, thinking about the high expectations she has of herself and how she tends to worry. I know I was the same way growing up–I still am sometimes.

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A Brother’s Gift

Sometimes gifts come in the most unexpected packages.

Sometimes they are the very thing you didn’t even know you needed.

I sat in the airport terminal a couple of weeks ago, my heart literally torn, struggling to be in two places at once. We were about to board a plane for a long anticipated trip when I received word that my best friend’s brother had just passed away.

The past few days had been spent with Cheryl and—though I knew the prognosis was grave—I had somehow hoped I’d be back and able to be at her side when the end came.

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Done With Diligence

While reading a blog post on teaching diligence to children, I experienced guilt and determination to do better.

I felt guilty because I had failed to heed the blogger’s wise words. I haven’t taught my children diligence by insisting on first-time obedience from birth. Oh, I’ve tried doing that many times. But fatigue gets the best of me and I quickly slip back into the “Don’t-make-me-tell-you-again-or-else” routine.

I also felt guilty because in opposition to the blogger’s admonition, I haven’t been the best example of diligence myself. Although I have the best intentions of working hard on a project to completion or establishing good habits, I often find myself doing something that seems more fun (like blogging!).

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time to be still

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you;

As a mother of seven there are rarely moments of quiet in my home. It’s a busy day from the crack of dawn till the hours past the setting sun. And, honestly, I wouldn’t trade the noise, or the laughter, or even the constant movement for anything. Yet, still there are times where I need stillness. Not just quiet, but the stillness found by sitting at the feet of our Father and resting.

In surrender.

And that takes being intentional. When I notice that my emotions are at their end that is a signal to me that perhaps I haven’t spent enough time in prayer with my Lord and that instead I’m carrying my loads, my burdens, myself.

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Light in the Darkness

You are the light of the world. A city on the hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

I collect bruises. Not intentionally, of course, but they seem to especially crop up in the wee hours of the morning while I’m searching for the bathroom. The end of the bed, which I know is four steps in front of me in the light, magically turns into 4 1/2 steps while shrouded in darkness.

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The Importance of Sharing our Stories

Sometimes we wonder if anyone is really paying any attention to our words; if there’s any value in getting them down. There are times Solomon’s words echo through my head, “Of the making of many books, there is no end.” And I wonder if it is a worthy effort to add my own volumes–whether bound with pages or online–to the multitudes still and coming into existence.

God had Moses write down his words to the Israelites. Jesus used stories to communicate God’s truth to his disciples and to the masses who followed Him. And when all was said and done, God gave us a book to remember what He’d done and to reveal Himself to we who live thousands of years later.

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