Duty or Delight? November 29, 2006

My devotional times with the Lord have not always been consistent, but they have been for the past few years.  I attribute this change in consistency to an unforgettable moment when God changed my perspective on my time with Him.

I was attending a weekly ladies book study – I don’t even remember what book we were reading.  One day this question was asked of, Sandie, our group leader: "What do your quiet times look like?"  She responded by saying that her devotions were her favorite time of the day, and that there is never enough time to have with Him.  She looked forward to her morning devotions with the same passion and love that I looked forward to date nights with my husband.  I was dumbfounded!  I had always looked at my devotions as something that I must do because it was my duty as a Christian, and I knew that it was good for me.  Like taking my daily vitamin, I did it because it was good for my health, but I didn’t enjoy it like I do eating a wonderful dinner.  And if I skipped here and there – it’s okay.

Well, from that day on God arrested my attention and captured my heart.  I could sense Him wooing me to come and sit at His feet and I found that I truly couldn’t wait to be in His presence.  There are days when I don’t hear His voice or discern His direction, but it’s okay; He’s with me and that alone, by God’s Amazing Grace, has become my delight.  Thank you, Sandie, for setting such an excellent example for me to follow.  The seeds you sowed that day have taken root in my heart…and I am enjoying the fruit of your labor.

Posted by Debi 

Holiday Distractions November 27, 2006

Whew.  What a full, fun and tiring weekend we just had! The joy of spending time with family and friends sure requires lots of hard work, doesn’t it?  All the effort we put into preparing for the weekend we did is now over in a whirlwind of delightful activity and fellowship that are gifts from God.  For me, spending this weekend with my children and grandchildren (we missed you so much Jesse, Rebekah, and Sammy!) was more than worth all the effort.  I especially enjoyed our annual day-after-Thankgiving shopping and lunch with my girls…and then spending Saturday decorating the house for the holidays.  But I’m exhuasted.

And now there’s just 28 days till Christmas!

Over the years I have found the busy weeks that include Thanksgiving and Christmas too often crowded out my time with the Savior.  Readying my home and family for two big celebrations in a one-month period exposes my priorities.  Like Martha, the sister of Mary — who Michelle spoke of last week as the sister who found the "one necessary thing" to a deep relationship with Jesus — I choose serving over communion.  Cleaning and cooking over sitting at His feet.  Distracted thoughts of getting through my holiday to-do list over contemplating the incarnation…God coming to earth to pay for MY sins!

Moms, let’s pause for a moment and ask God to help us to keep Jesus at the center of our hearts over these next few busy weeks.  For some of us (me included), this choice can be hard to maintain because we’ve given into holiday self-sufficiency for years.  Sinful habits and misplaced priorities don’t die easily.  But to those who have cultivated a lifestyle of uncompromising spiritual disciplines that aren’t pushed aside by demanding and busy seasons, thank you for your example. 

Jesus, thank you for coming to earth veiled in human flesh to take on the justified wrath of the Father for my sins!  Help me to keep the gospel in view during this fun and busy season.  And to impart to my children by my example that pursuit of the One whose birth we celebrate is non-negotiable in my life. Help me to cultivate the humility that is needed to set aside the many things that will compete for my affections and thoughts over these coming weeks, and to spend some time each day worshipping Immanuel — God WITH us! 

Posted by Sheree

Mother’s Thanksgiving November 23, 2006

Over the weekend, enjoy this reminder of the simple joys of motherhood.  (And those of us who are grandma’s will enjoy this, too!)  We’ll be back next week with more thoughts on pursuing the Savior devotionally.

A Mother’s Thanksgiving

thank you, God, for…
pink cheeks
button noses
tiny fingers and
little toes-es

for…
belly laughter
pacifiers
baby blankets and
sanitizers

for…
crisp sheets
lullabyes
whole night with
no baby cries

for…
first steps
finger food
baby teeth
happy moods

for…
sweet sighs
sucking thumbs
teddy bears
teething gums

for…
eyes that see
ears that hear
heart that knows
Mommy’s near

Yes…
Every day
new wonders see
a gift from God
my baby

Here and Now November 22, 2006

As a mom with three little ones running and crawling around it can be a challenge to find time for devotions.  There have been times that I have been tempted not to have devotions at all because I couldn’t have an full hour or so of uninterrupted quiet time.

What do you do in the seasons (and everyone has them) where "extended" quiet times are rare ? What do you do when you are nursing a newborn, or are up with sick children, or when you do sit down to have your quiet time you are constantly interrupted? Is it really worth it if you only have 5,10,or 15 minutes throughout the day to dive in? Let me encourage you, YES! God’s prescence is not out of reach, even on the days you can’t do an intesive study.  He is so kind to lavish us with his grace ~ to sustain us through this season. 

Here is a song by Paul Baloche & Brenton Brown that I pray encourages you when you become weary or discouraged about your time with the Lord.

Here and now, here in this moment
Here and now, I turn to You
All that my searching heart has longed for can be found
Because You’re in this moment, here and now 
What majesty, what mystery the God of all eternity
Stepped into time and gave His life for me
Your hand is seen in galaxies, yet Your Spirit dwells in me
So vast and yet You’re still within our reach.

My prayer is that we would not grow weary in doing good.  That we would be more aware of God’s presence in the moments of the day. That we would be in awe of a God who created the universe~yet chose to come and give his life for us. A God who can be found in any place and at any moment.

Posted by Taraleigh

One Thing is Necessary November 21, 2006

Having a consistent, fruitful "personal devotional life" while raising small children can prove to be quite challenging at times. Sometimes we can view "devotions" as just another "duty" on our seemingly endless task list.  God’s take on this subject is quite different than ours.  (See Luke 10:38-42 for the contrast between two sisters and their pursuit of the Savior…Mary found "one thing" that was necessary.)

Daily devotions do not magically shorten the "to do" list, they give us a deep and meaningful relationship with the One who can give us the strength to accomplish all that is His will on that list.  A devotional life aids in the process whereby God is conforming us into the image of His Son.  When we consider the benefits of a personal devotional life, it no longer seems like a "burden"  to set aside time for the most important relationship in our lives.

When my children were younger I usually waited until their nap time or until the evening after they were in bed to have my devotions.  As they have gotten older, I’ve been able to enjoy having my devotions in the morning while they have been occupied with various quiet activities.  The time you have devotions is irrelevant….having them is what truly matters.

Three things have characterized my devotions:

1)Priority: time with my Savior is the highlight of my day

2)Plan: I’ve found it helpful to make use of a Bible reading plan

3)Place: the corner of my couch with a hot cup of coffee =)   

There are days when I have failed to make time with Jesus my number one priority, but I’m grateful for the grace God supplies to try again another day. There’s much to be done and I know that I can do no good apart from God.  "His nearness is my good."  I want to be like Mary, the sister who discovered the "One Thing" that was necessary…..time with Jesus.

Communion…in the Car November 20, 2006

As the busy holidays approach, we thought it would be a good time to remind ourselves of the importance of our personal pursuit of the the Lord.  Some of us have structured devotions involving various aspects of the spiritual disciplines.  Others of us are trying to use quiet moments throughout the day to draw near to God.  If you have a quick idea that works for you, please post it under "comments" so we can all learn from your experience, too.

Well, let me start by saying that devotions haven’t been a strength of mine.  I have allowed far too many days pass me by without spending time in God’s Word.  It grieves my heart that that has been the case.  I am endeavoring to grow in that area, through the strength and grace of the Spirit.  I know that the Lord will help me in this area as He is eager for me to grow as well!

I do try to take advantage of moments in my day where I can just commune with the Lord.  I often pray when doing the dishes, or taking a shower.  One of my favorite times of communion with the Lord, though, is when I am in the car-alone.  In those not-so-often times, I will generally have the radio off.  I use the time to pray, sing or just be quiet before the Lord.  QUIET is something I don’t experience often in my house with my boys!  And my tendency is to fill my life with noise, so it takes self control to quiet my heart before the Lord.  But what a reward follows that!  It is amazing to experience the presence of God on the way to the gym or to Publix!  In those times, I am reminded that as I draw near to Him, He will draw near to me.  I am praying that the Lord will keep that ever before me.

Posted by Stephanie

Fabulous Fall…Week Six November 17, 2006

This is the last of our Fabulous Fall Favorites.  Isn’t it amazing how God has given us such a wonderful season to enjoy – even in Florida? 

This week I want to encourage you to make your home (or the home where you will be celebrating Thanksgiving) look and feel fabulous!  Since Fall is my favorite time of year, I am constantly looking for ways to make my home inviting and warm without spending lots of money.  In my research, I discovered a simple way to decorate the family table that I want to share with you:

1. Go to the market or grocery store and buy assorted fall vegetables, fruits and nuts, in various sizes.  My list would include squash, gourds, oranges, mixed nuts in the shells, apples, grapes, and small pumpkins. 
2. Take the kids for a walk around your neighborhood or to a local park collecting pine cones and acorns.
3. Place a solid colored tablecloth on your dining table.  Take wax paper and roll it out on the center of the table.  This will protect your table and tablecloth.
4. Take the squashes, gourds, oranges and pumpkins and lay them out on the center of the table.  You might want to place a couple of candlesticks on either side to add height to your centerpiece.  Or use a pedestal cake plate in the middle to hold the pumpkin.
5. Add the pine cones and nuts around the vegetables.
6. Take four apples and with a sharp knife, cut out the center in a circle, but only go low enough into the apple to fit a tealight candle flush with the top of the apple.  (I wait and do this one a day or two before Thanksgiving, because the apple will decay once it’s cut.) Place them in the four corners of the arrangement.
7. Take the grapes and with floral wire tie them around your candle sticks.  (You can use paper clips fully extended if you don’t have the wire.)
8. For the final touch take one bouquet of fresh fall flowers and cut the blooms off at the top of the stem.  Place them around the fruit and vegetables to add color.  You can also use silk fall leaves for this purpose.  Use a spray bottle of water to mist the arrangement when finished.  This will keep the flowers and fruit fresh until the feast begins.
9. Don’t forget to use the Turkey Pine Cones (from an earlier post) for place card markers – this will make your children’s day – knowing that they helped make the holiday special.   

May your Thanksgiving be full of all your favorites – fun, family, food and most of all, gratefulness to our Heavenly Father from whom all blessings flow! 

BONUS RECIPE #4

Hearty Bean and Barley Soup

Download HeartyBeanandBarleySoup.pdf

Posted by Debi

Enjoying Fall…Together! November 16, 2006

Fall has always been my favorite time of year.  Even though we don’t really experience Autumn here in the Sunshine State, there is still something in me that loves this season.  It probably came from my mother who also loves fall! I am now seeing this come full circle as my boys at 5 and 2 are getting excited about my favorite season! 

Just this morning we were driving down the road and my youngest passionately shouted, “Mom, LOOK!  The leaves are turning yellow!”  (Not sure w hat tree he saw, but apparently it was yellow to him!)

It has been so much fun awaiting this season and getting excited with my children.  The boys couldn’t wait to decorate for fall, to buy pumpkins and to go to the fall festival…but then again, neither could I!  What a joy to be able to share this bond with them and to make such special memories.  Maybe this tradition will be passed down to my grandchildren one day!

I hope this wonderful fall season provides many opportunities for you and your children to create some life-long memories!

Posted by Stephanie

MOM’S MEETING THIS THURSDAY! November 14, 2006

Don’t forget our Mom’s Meeting this Thursday at 9:45.  Sheree will be sharing on developing mentoring relationships as younger and older moms in the church.  Several ladies will participate in a panel discussion of what these kinds of Titus 2 relationships can look like in the lives of busy moms. 

Come with your questions, and remember free childcare and breakfast for the moms are included.

Brothers Who Will Be “Best Friends” November 13, 2006

Our son, Michael, desired greatly to become a big brother.  He was 3 years old when he began praying to God for a baby sister.  Three years later, just before his sixth birthday, God blessed our family with another baby….but Harrison definitely wasn’t a girl.

Michael had BIG expectations of what this "big brother" thing was going to look like, and it didn’t take too long for him to realize his newborn baby brother couldn’t play catch or tag, or ride bikes with him.  He began to wonder why he had wanted to be a "big brother" in the first place.  As his parents, we have the responsibility of envisioning him for what their relationship "could be" one day.

A resource I am currently using to envision him (and Harrison) is a book entitled, "Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends."  The book is filled with many real life situations that siblings face and then provides Biblical solutions with lots of humor to cheer siblings on in their endeavor to become best friends as they deal with sin — what the authors call "unwanted strangers" — in their hearts.

Helping my boys reach this goal of becoming best friends presents many sanctifying opportunities for my life as well.  Sometimes I grow weary in well doing in this battle, and my desire for ease and comfort supersedes my desire to reach the goal.  I can become impatient and harsh and lose sight of what’s really important because I want them to love one another NOW, not just ten years from now .

God is calling me to faithfully impart what the Word of God has to say about their relationship and to help them win this battle that they cannot win on their own.  It’s yet another opportunity to share of their need for a Savior to deal with the "unwanted strangers" in their hearts.

The Lord has been very kind to provide moments that encourage me to not lose heart in this battle.  One such moment happened the other day when I entered the living room to find my two boys snuggling together on the couch while Michael read a book aloud.  I tuck these moments away in my heart for the days when I feel I am losing the battle.  God is calling me to walk by faith and not by sight concerning my boys becoming best friends one day and so off to "battle" I go!

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Posted by Michelle