Extravagant Love

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God!

1 John 3:1

I am admittedly one of the most unthoughtful people on the planet. Remembering birthdays, sending the encouraging card, and picking up the phone just to say 'hey' are just not my strong points. Because I am not a girl who needs these things, I forget that others do. And, just so you know, saying I don't need someone to express love towards me is not giving myself a compliment. It's actually a very enormous independence problem I have that I'll work to overcome until the day I die.

Now my hubby Luke is an entirely different story. Thoughtfulness comes naturally to him and he will go to great lengths to bless me. Luke's latest extravagance involved his scrimping and saving to buy me a laptop for Christmas with a card that said, "Because I know God has huge plans for you..."

I still swoon.

And, no, you may not have him.

So what did I do when he made this grand presentation? Well, obviously I cried like a baby but immediately afterward I went into guilt mode because I didn't have a single, solitary thing to surprise him with. In this unwritten code of mine it is necessary to return in the same measure in which I receive. That can present a huge problem when my thoughtfulness kicks in once its too late to reciprocate. What's a girl to do when she realizes she lacks the resources to match the gift?

This is actually a false dilemma. Luke didn't give me the computer because he thought I would give him a flatscreen television. (Though he would have totally appreciated it, I'm sure.) He wasn't gracious to me so I would return love to him out of indebtedness. He did it because, in his own words, he 'wanted to'. He believes God has a calling on my life and he wanted to be used of Him to provide a tool to make it easier to fulfill. It would have been a slap in the face to Luke for me to put the computer on a shelf and not use it because I couldn't get past the fact I couldn't adequately repay him.

I wonder how many of us, including myself, hold this same attitude towards God? He has given us the gift of an extravagant love that we can not possibly earn or ever repay. I've known people who spend their days trying to accomplish enough good works to one day feel they deserve what they've been given. I know others who feel so guilty because they can't return the gift in full measure that they don't try at all. Instead they place the gift on the shelf until they feel 'good enough' to use it. I'm ashamed to say I've found myself in both places. Have you?

There are some things given we can never adequately repay. Luke's gift helped me to understand even more the proper response to God's favor. I may never be able to say thank you enough, but what I can do is type away on this keyboard to God's glory and Luke's delight. I can choose to love out of gratitude rather than a twisted sense of indebtedness. I can live with an attitude of thanksgiving to The One who scrimped so He could save me. Through this show of extravagant grace, he provided the tool of salvation I needed in order to accomplish my purpose on this earth.

I still swoon.

And, yes, I'll share Him with you.

(But you still can't have Luke. That sweetheart is all mine.....)

Please visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife!

A Sunday Psalm

PSALM 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.

Teach me your way, O Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.

I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

May your Lord's Day be blessed!

The Prodigal Beagle

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety‑nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety‑nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
Luke 15:4-7

I would like to introduce you to Daisy, the most precious beagle this side of the Mason-Dixon.




(Told ya.)

Daisy was a Christmas gift from Luke and me to our kids two years ago. She began her darlin' life sleeping in the laundry room at night and gradually found a permanent home in our fenced-in backyard. Her body may be penned, but her hound dog heart roams somewhere outside the confines of the chainlink fence alongside the strays who like to taunt her with their freedom. Her breed is prone to follow their noses, run with a pack, and get lost easily so we have to keep a careful eye on the gates so she doesn't take off on a wild adventure.

The careful eye wasn't so diligent on New Years' Eve.

We awoke New Year's Day to the wails of our youngest son crying, "The gate is open and Daisy is gooonnnnneeeeee!"


So much for sleeping in.


Luke reluctantly climbed out of bed to go look for our wayward girl. I cooked breakfast and tried to keep everyone hopeful dad would find her, but in my heart I knew she had to have been gone for hours and there was no telling how far she'd gone. Daisy had gotten out a couple of times before and I knew from experience even if he found her, she was prone to run like the wind in the opposite direction to keep from going back to the fence.


After an hour had passed, Luke came back in to report he had seen her once outside a patch of woods but that when she'd seen him, just like I predicted, she had run into the trees. Luke kept calling but she never came. All he knew to do was come back to the house and wait.


As I whispered prayers for her to find her way home I realized her little escapade was not at all unlike our own.


How often are we safe inside God's boundaries when temptation comes sniffing at the gate? "It's so much more fun out here. We are doing anything we want! There are no consequences. No one will ever know if you sneak outside for just a bit. You are all alone in there but if you come with us, you'll always have someone who understands. What do you say?"


And before we know it we've slipped out. Tentatively at first, we may even walk back inside the fence for a bit before we venture a longer stay. There's the ever-deepening relationship with a male co-worker, hidden shopping loot with hidden debt to match, one week that turns to one month of no prayer or time for God's Word, or bitterness turned to hatred over an unforgiven hurt. The list could go on forever but in each of these circumstances the tragedy is that we often don't realize the exact moment when we got so far away we could no longer fiind our way back home.


For both believers and unbelievers, there is always a Father searching, calling, and hoping the wayward one will quit running, cease striving, and accept His mercy. The strays of the world tell us He is only coming to lock us away and hold us back from a self-indulgent, exciting life. And because our nature is to follow our nose, we run.


Back to my prodigal dog. A few hours passed when our doorbell rang. Our neighbor was at the door and said, "Daisy is over at the house. She's laying down and looks worn out."


Excitedly, Luke and the boys grabbed a huge piece of a ham out of the fridge and went to bring her home. She looked like she might bolt again but the food and the sweet voice of her masters were just too much to resist. Daisy wasn't greeted with "Bad, stupid girl! How dare you run? Why did you break our hearts?!", though that is what she most likely deserved. Instead, she was welcomed by the hugs of three boys and a feast. I wonder if her little doggy self had any comprehension that within the bounds came freedom, abundant food and water, and unconditional love the strays would never experience.


Wayward one, are you worn out and ready to accept the fence is for your freedom and not your bondage? Stray one, do you yearn for a place to belong and be loved? Inside the backyard is all that and more.

Won't you please come home?


Father, I pray for my sister who may be thinking of bolting from the fence. I pray for the one who has barely stepped out. I pray for the one who doesn't quite know the way back home. Keep your watchful eye on each one and reveal yourself to her no matter how far she's roamed. Bring her to her senses and welcome her with the feast of your lovingkindness. Amen.

Dig Deeper:

Do you want to know more about the lengths to which

God will go for you?

Read all of Luke Chapter 15.

Visit Lisa at her personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

Happy New Year!

Wow, can you believe it is 2008? I pray your 2007 has been one in which you've seen the Lord move mightily in between the January 1st and December 31st calendar pages. I know He has in mine and I look forward with great anticipation to the year ahead.

I am also excited to tell you about some changes you can look forward to from The Internet Cafe'! I am honored that Darlene Schacht, editor of Christian Women Online magazine, has entrusted the operation of the Internet Cafe' to both myself and Linda Crow of 2nd Cup of Coffee. We will be working as a team to 'kick it up a notch' and hopefully provide you with the most relevant Christian devotional site on the Internet. Our goal is to see Christ magnified and for women to form a holy habit of spending just a portion of their daily computer time focused on our God and Savior.

How are we planning on doing this? Here are just a couple of things you can look forward to in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Top Notch Devotional Writers

We are so thrilled over the team of women God has put together to provide our daily devotions. Using real-life experience blended with scriptural application, each woman brings a unique story that will relate to every situation and walk of life. Click here for the list of authors.

Fantastic GiveAways

We are already in the process of acquiring sponsors for excellent study and devotional materials to supplement your online reading. The New Year is often a time of fresh resolve and we hope to give you the tools to accomplish your spiritual fitness goals.

OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY FOR JANUARY WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW! DON'T FORGET TO CHECK BACK THEN!

Clearly Indexed Devotions

Looking for God to speak to you about a specific issue such as faith, depression, or prayer? Look to the sidebar and click on your topic to see all devotions addressing your need.

Handy Sidebar Tools

All of us can use a visual reminder from time to time. Here is a button that you can install in your sidebar as a prompt to spend some of your computer time focused on a daily word from God.

<a href="http://www.cwoteam.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u80/thepreacherswife/DevotionalButton2.jpg" border="0" /></a>

Copy and paste this code into your sidebar for a personal reminder to visit daily!

Features of Your Favorite Bloggers

There is a reason you love them so much! How does faith shape the writing of your favorite bloggers? We are working on bringing you featured devotions from popular bloggers who will answer this very question.

Writing Contests
Calling all writers! We want to hear from you! We will be giving call outs for topical writings with great prizes offered for the winners. Love to honor God with your writing? We'll be counting on your entering.

These are just a few ideas being tossed around to freshen things up at the Cafe'. Your input remains incredibly important. How are we doing? Is there an area where we can minister more effectively? Feel free to let us know in the comments or by email and we will prayerfully consider every suggestion.

One more thing and I'll leave you to your black-eyed peas and turnip greens. :) Darlene hosts a weekly meme called "Live Well" with an emphasis on physical as well as spiritual health. If you are resolving to live a healthier life style in this new year and would like accountability with God, yourself, and a girlfriend - be sure to visit beginning Wednesday, January 9th. Here is a link to get you started:

I know this is a lengthy post but I want you to know how very much the entire blog team desires to minister to you - our dear sisters in Christ. We pray your 2008 is filled to overflowing with the Lord's grace and favor.

God Bless You! We'll be looking for you daily!

In Him,

Lisa

p.s. Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the announcement of our first giveaway!

Miracle on Hwy 117

Don't ever let anyone tell you a Preacher's Wife is above the law. She may be outrunning it to the tune of 73 mph in a 55 mph zone, but eventually that long arm stretches out and snaps her back.

And it's awfully embarrassing.

Yes, I got pulled over by the state trooper this week while running late to my son's field trip. (Can you hear my husband saying, 'Imagine that?' Oh, he's such a smart aleck! :) It was quite a paradoxical moment - the cop stalking his prey and the prey praying, "Jesus, help me! You know I can't afford a speeding ticket at Christmas!"

My being stopped for bending the speed limit was eventually going to happen. I just really hate it happened in my small town in front of our local attorney whose parents go to our church. I went ahead and waved at him while the cop was following me with the blue lights blazing to get it out of the way. No use acting like he didn't see me or vice versa. Besides that, it was possible I may need his services to get me out of the pokey.

Anyway, here's the cool part.

The policeman eventually stopped me on a side street and approached the car. I was trying to work up a good cry but my aggravation over being late for the field trip far outweighed my self-pity. Besides, I could tell this dude meant business and no amount of snot-slinging was going to get me out of this one. I rolled down the window and he said, in a deep manly voice, "How are you today, ma'am?"

Me: "Umm. Not so great?"

Him: "Well you are better than you think."

Me: "Why's that?"

Him: "I don't exactly know what happened but as soon as I clocked you speeding, my equipment went haywire. Policy says I can't write you a ticket if my equipment is malfunctioning."

Me: "Well, then, praise the Lord! All those 'Help Me, Jesus' prayers I said when I flew past you must have really helped!"

Him (Not appearing amused): "He may have helped you but now I have to spend the rest of the day figuring out what is wrong with my equipment. You can go but SLOW. IT. DOWN."

And you can not imagine the relief that flooded over me. I turned around in a driveway and had to pass the policeman again. He flashed his lights and motioned me to stop. When I rolled down my window he said, "You aren't going to believe this, but my equipment is working perfectly fine now. I don't know what's going on. This has never happened before!"

Me (looking amused): Well, I guess Jesus really does love me then!

Him: Well, He must not love me. He just ruined my stop.

Me: Oh, yeah. He loves you, too.

And when I drove away, I kicked myself for not adding, "And maybe He caused all this just to tell you."

And isn't that what a miracle is? God's way of pulling us over from the rush of our everyday to say, "Wow! Jesus really does love me!" It's the child getting a bag full of toys when he was expecting none. The grieving mom discovering she made it through one more day without her son. The shepherd 2000 years ago receiving the greatest birth announcement ever proclaimed.

And a woman like me receiving much more grace than she deserves.

Yes, Jesus does love me. And He loves you, too. Sometimes, we just need to be reminded His favor rests on us.

And maybe He pulled me over so I would make a point to tell you.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:14

I'd love for you to visit me here:

A Hot Cup of Compromise

You may be surprised to know that Pastors and their Wives do not always find themselves in perfect agreement. It can be very hard for Luke when he realizes he's wrong and I'm right. *snicker* Even worse is when the drama doesn't play out in private but rather as something akin to a freak sideshow.

Just last Wednesday, Luke and I were in the Awana office along with some friends when the subject of winning contests came up. I shared with the women how I'd won a contest at Sue's Praise and Coffee in which I'd received a Christmas CD and Godiva flavored coffee. I was still thrilled because I never win anything. Apparently no one had told Luke that there are some conversations men should just not be a part of - times when they should leave well enough alone.

Things started going downhill when he felt it necessary to correct me on the kind of coffee I had won. He piped up and told everyone, "She won some coffee alright. But it was Gevalia, not Godiva."

"Luke, it wasn't Gevalia. It was Godiva. Honey. " (You can say anything and put 'honey' on the end and still sound like you were trying to be nice.)

"Lisa. Darling. It was Gevalia because I remember thinking about Todd B. when I saw the package." (Todd B. was a college friend who drank Gevalia constantly.)

"Luke. Snookums. It was Godiva because I remember thinking 'chocolate' when I saw the package. Okay? Love ya."

"Lisa. It was Vanilla Gevalia. And I'm willing to bet on it."

"Luke. It was chocolate Godiva and you are stinkin' ON! Bring It, Preacher Man!!"

The girls in the office watched this spectacle with the zeal of being court side at Wimbledon. I'm certain nothing made them prouder of us as a ministry couple than when Luke wrote down both of our coffee guesses so we could have proof of who won the bet. Thankfully, he quit gambling long enough to go teach Bible Study while I got on the office computer to look up Sue's blog to settle the wager. (No, I didn't skip church. I work in the Awana office on Wednesday nights. :)

And there in a beautiful golden package was a picture of GODIVA coffee but, unfortunately, the flavor wasn't clear on the packaging. So at worst I was half right.

The minute Bible Study was over Luke barged into the office and said, "Well!? What kind was it?" After gloating because I was winning, we grabbed the kids and raced each other home to settle the score once and for all.

Because we are so mature like that. Definitely an inspiration to all in our church and community.

We got home, found the package and read the label together:

"Godiva Chocolatier: French Vanilla"

Shoot. Both of us only half right. We called a truce, hugged, and secretly enjoyed the fact we both had won.

Which leads me to the point of this tale: In relationships, it really is okay to only be a little correct. To accept black instead of white. To refrain from imposing night on another's day. There is nothing that would have been more fun than to wag my fingers in my ears and sing, "Na Na Na Boo Boo" if I had been completely right about the coffee but I can honestly say it was much more rewarding - not to mention age-appropriate - to be able to say, "We were both right."

The Apostle Paul agreed when he wrote in Philippians 2:3-4:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

So what is to gain by yielding? I believe we can find an answer in Luke 14:10 - 11:

"But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

And here is the divine paradox - the lower we go the higher we get. However, the exaltation we seek is not one that lords us over one another but instead seats us at the right hand of our Lord. This is also the spirit that will prevent our saying, "I told you so" even when we are in the right.

So I thank you, Sue. I'm certain you had no idea your contest would contribute to my spiritual life. I also have to thank the Apostle Paul. Who knew his inspired words would be used to settle a coffee dispute and to humble two servants who'd gotten way too big for their britches?

Please visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

About His Business

While on earth, Jesus performed many miracles to prove His divinity. He walked on water. Turned water to wine. Multiplied loaves and fish. These things were obviously supernatural and left the crowds in awe every time.

The more I grow in my faith, the more I recognize Jesus' divinity in actions that don't seem as dazzling. One in particular is His response in this passage:

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for You! Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else–to the nearby villages–so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Mark 1:35-38

In my estimation, it took some miraculous restraint to react graciously when all Jesus wanted was a few early morning moments alone with the Father. There was no "can't you see I'm praying here?" or "would you please give me just one minute alone?" Instead, His response was, "Let's go be about My Father's business".

Most of us can relate to these interruptions. Have you ever made a conscious effort to wake early for devotion only to have your children wake up earlier than ever? Ever wanted a quiet afternoon with a book only to have unexpected company? How do you react? I'll be honest with you and say I've snapped at the kids, answered the phone less than cheerily, and begrudged the intrusion into 'my time'.

Jealousy for our moments with the Father is admirable and I am in no way saying we shouldn't attempt to guard it at all costs. However, what we should not do is esteem our own comforts over those of the ones whom we exist to serve. I read something recently that shifted my thinking in accepting distraction especially when I am being taken from doing something that is only gratifying myself. For those of you who know me well, you won't be surprised to know it came from C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. In this book, Screwtape is giving his young nephew, Wormwood, instructions on derailing a Christian in his faith. Here is what he says:

"Now you will have noticed that nothing throws him into a passion more easily as to find a tract of time which he reckoned on having at his own disposal unexpectedly taken from him. It is the unexpected visitor (when he looked forward to a quiet evening), or the friend's talkative wife (turning up when he looked forward to a tete-a'-tete with the friend), that throw him out of gear..... They anger him because he regards his time as his own and feels that it is being stolen. You must therefore zealously guard in his mind the curious assumption 'My time is my own'. Let him have the feeling that he starts his day as the lawful possessor of twenty-four hours."

Jesus understood His time was not His own even though it was created by Him and for Him. I can't count the number of times I have started a new day with a list of 'to do's' as long as my arm assuming each hour was to be spent at my discretion rather than God's. And then if something unexpected came up? Not pretty. When I begin viewing divine appointments for ministry as a cog in the machine, I know it's time for an attitude adjustment.

There is only one reason any of us draws breath and that is for our Father's Business. Anything else that robs our zeal for His Kingdom and His House is a diversion straight from the pit with the sole purpose of taking or eyes off the prize. Distractions will come - our job is determine whether they are Divine or Demonic. I have been challenged to evaluate the amount of time I spend in non-Kingdom activities. The simple idea that not one second in a 24-hour day belongs to me has truly allowed me to become more open to use my time to serve others instead of myself.

During this holiday season as the days become increasingly more frenzied, let's commit to laying our plans before God and allowing Him to show us how we can be about furthering His Kingdom. Ask Him to reveal opportunities for sharing the gift of His birth with someone who doesn't yet know Him.

I can't think of anything He'd love more for His birthday.

I would love for you to come visit me at my personal blog,

The Preacher's Wife.

Glory to the King

"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"

~David Livingstone

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. "

Matthew 16:24

When we consider honor versus sacrifice only one fundamental question need be answered - For whose glory comes the commission? For to be honored by a king brings glory to the one who is exalted. But sacrifice for a King brings glory to that King.

Sacrifice demands we lose ourself in the identity of the One for whom we are seeking fame. For many this would mean we become lost in ourselves - our own desires, plans, ambitions, indulgences. But for the woman who is seeking to bring fame to Her Heavenly Father, we become lost in His beauty, His righteousness, His forgiveness, His sacrifice. When Jesus began His earthly ministry, John the Baptist proclaimed, "I must become less, He must become more." However, when sacrifice has been experienced by both parties, both are honored.

I am reminded of my favorite scene in conclusion of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. As the rightful King Aragorn is being coronated, everyone in the Kingdom bows before him. He approaches the four hobbits whose sacrifice has brought about his return to the throne. He raises them to their feet and says, "My friends, you bow for no one". Aragorn recognized the great personal sacrifice that resulted in his being honored so he returned this glory upon his friends. It is a wonderful picture of God seating us in the heavenlies when we give our lives for the sake of His Son's.

Today as we consider this passage, remember whose glory we are seeking. For Matthew 16:27 says, "For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."

May we be found faithful.



Note: This devotion was adapted from an earlier writing on my personal blog. This week has been one of intense sadness as friends have lost a 6-month old baby to SIDS. Another dear friend's father has passed. My grandmother has also suffered a fall and her care is a great source of stress for our family right now. I ask you to please pray for the comfort only the King of Kings can bring. May our worship in difficult times bring Him the honor He is due.

Satan Unmasked

'I (Satan) will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High'."

But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home? All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit." Isaiah 14:15-19

The imagery in this passage of Satan's demise has always captured my thoughts. Certainly he knows these verses by heart - letter by letter, line by humiliating line. However, pride keeps him from accepting his fate. He knows his destruction, yet he also knows the longsuffering of God. Satan can not steal God's authority but He can break His heart through stealing away His creation. He works feverishly with every moment remaining to continue the deception that began in the Garden, "God does not want what is best for you. He does not love you. He enjoys lording over you. Would you like to be equal with Him, wiser than Him, or better yet, ascend above Him...?" And many, perhaps with a whisper at first, reply with a chilling 'Yes'.

And so begins the descent into the abyss. Satan knows he is going, but he is determined to not go alone. I love the KJV rendering of verse 16, "They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee". It is the stunned look of bewilderment, the face of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when the wizard is revealed to be a weak man masquerading with magnified voice, smoke, and mirrors. Such is Satan and on the day of his revealing, many will weep and wail and gnash their teeth because in some way, for whatever comfort can be found in hell, their minds may have been eased in knowing he was more powerful than they. That they had no choice. That no one on whom his eye had settled could resist. However, there will be no peace when the curtain is thrown back to betray his true being - pathetic and powerless with maggots for a bed and worms for a blanket.

Where our Savior Jesus Christ is the Branch of the Lord in Isaiah and the Righteous Branch in Jeremiah, Satan will find himself the Rejected Branch even by the grave which opens wide to receive him. There will be no pomp for the return of this king. Satan is forever trying to convince mankind the second death belongs to us and I have often wondered, does he somehow believe he can exchange his end with ours? Did he believe Jesus' death would, in a somewhat different way, save him too on that dark day at Golgotha? Who can fathom the madness of one bent on stealing, killing, and destroying?

Praise God in Heaven, we know the wages of sin and the end thereof is destruction. But for those who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the end is peace, love and light. Satan was cast in shame from the tomb but our Savior stood and triumphantly walked away. No one took His life - He laid it down, He picked it up, He lives it in us by His Spirit today. All because of a Cross and Death which held no power over him.

Evil did its best, indeed, but its best was not enough. There is but One who IS enough, the ever-present, ever-living I AM. Raise your hands and voices to Him this Lord's Day!

Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

In Him,

Lisa

Please visit me at my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

p.s. (Since I am happily on vacation this week, this writing was adapted from an earlier posting from my personal blog. :)

When God Says 'No'

Do you ever have those times when God sends you a particular verse that will not let you go? That resonates so deeply you think of it every single day? He gave me one of those a few weeks back and I knew I had to share it with you:

"God's strong hand is on you; He'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 The Message

As I read your blogs, so many of them are filled with hopes and dreams for life and ministry. So many are filled with praises for healed loved ones, opportunities the Lord has presented to bring Him Fame, anticipation of a new job, thanksgiving for a redeemed soul. And then there are the others. Chronicles of loss, heartache, and confusion as to why God said 'no' to the requests of your hearts.

I find myself in a similar season. Nothing so devastating as what many of you are experiencing, but a time of waiting and wondering nonetheless. God has orchestrated a potentially exciting opportunity for ministry; however, I have no concrete answers about whether it will come to pass or the details of what my life will look like if it does. Don't you despise waiting for the 'yes' or the 'no', no matter what the circumstance may be?

As I've prayed this thing through, God gave me this most assured word I just quoted to you from 1 Peter and it has comforted me in such a deep place. God is most careful with me. My soul sighs at the thought. The God of the Universe is so very careful about the 'yes' and 'no' He allows into my life. He knows the effect of both and whether they will serve for my good and His Glory. He comprehends if I can handle new pressures, if what I think I desire will actually be to my families' detriment, and if the end would not be the good thing He promised. He grieves when the 'no' results in great pain - when the healing doesn't come (except ultimately of course), when dreams are unrealized, when the child just doesn't get it. But in all of it, He is most careful, gentle, and wise in which path He sets our feet upon.

My prayer for you today is that you would accept this care. That you would cease striving and allow God to exercise His own due diligence on your behalf. Whatever the answer is you are seeking, it will be the best one. Even if the answer isn't what you wanted, you can live carefree knowing God's strong hand is on you - guiding, comforting, and lifting you up in due time.

All of this because He loves you so very much.

Please visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

I Fought the Soup and the Soup Won

Hello. My name is Lisa and I am Cooking-Challenged.

This realization is one that has actually been simmering - pardon the pun - since the first months of my married life. The Quiche Incident is one that will forever be remembered in McKay Family Lore. Let's just say it involved some very underdone eggs in a graham cracker crust. In my defense, when a recipe says 'pie crust', it should specify the particular flavor or lack thereof required to make the finished result edible. I'm just saying.

Clarity, recipe people. It is essential.

Now that you have a bit of back story I can now proceed with telling you about my Harry and David's Chicken Enchilada Soup Fiesta Fiasco.
Harry and David's has this signature Pepper and Onion Relish that makes the most wonderful cream cheese dip appetizer so anytime I am near the store, I generally buy a jar or seven. However, this time there was an extra treat on top of the jar - a recipe for Chicken Enchilada Soup. I read over the recipe and it sounded somewhat simple so, seeing as how I am already guilt-ridden over the lack of home cooking here lately, I decided I would WOW my family with a batch.

Here's where the trouble began. The recipe said I needed 'cream'. No other explanation, just cream. When I think cream, I think dairy so I went to the Dairy Dept. and bought cream - Heavy Whipping Cream.

I got home, started making the soup and hubs came in. I should have known disaster was brewing when the first thing he said when he hit the door was, "What smells like a skunk?" Retaining my Preacher Wife composure, I lovingly explained it was the garlic in the soup. He came in to the kitchen, saw my cream, and said, "That's not the kind of cream you use for cooking is it?" I not so lovingly told him to get out of the kitchen and that obviously he knew nothing about cooking. I then snuck to call his sister who confirmed I indeed had the wrong thing. Rats.

I was not about to let this little set back keep me from this great soup so, deciding I could get the right cream the next day, I put the beginnings in the fridge and took the kids to the burger joint for supper. The next day, I went to the store and bought Pet Milk like my SIL instructed. Note here: Nowhere on the can does it say 'cream'. How's a girl to know? Really, how??

To make a long story endless, I went home, pulled out the soup, and added the cream. My thought was, "Wow, this looks awfully milky. I read the recipe again and realized, oh the horror, I had misread the amount and instead of 1/2 a cup, I had added 1 1/2 cups times two for the doubled recipe. The result? 3 TIMES the amount of cream I needed. The only way to fix it at this point was to triple all the other ingredients which would require returning to the store and also using my last jar of relish which I knew I could get no more of for a few months. So I did what I had vowed I would never do - I quit.

Have you ever tried so incredibly hard to accomplish something, to resist temptation, to make amends and find no matter what you did, it still turned out badly? I'm reminded of Peter who experienced this very thing. Peter with the foot-shaped mouth. Peter who removed people from their ears. Peter who denied Christ when he swore that would never happen.

We can learn an important lesson from Peter's retreat to fish after Jesus' death - sometimes the best thing we can do after failure is back off and regroup before we try again. The benefits are a fresh perspective, fresh information, and fresh faith. Peter returned to pen 1st and 2nd Peter which in my estimation are some of the richest books of the New Testament. What a come back!

So back to my soup - petty compared to what some of you are experiencing but it is a great visual for me as to the importance of trying again! Next time, I'll remember what I've learned from my mistakes and work out all the kinks beforehand.

And hopefully my hubby will be none the wiser.





Please come visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

Cease Striving

For those of you with multiple young children, you can probably relate with me on how difficult it is to bring the kids a treat of any kind without them coveting what the other received. What I find much easier is buying three of the exact same thing so as to prevent any kind of argument (I'm talking M&M's here, not Playstations). I always know when the bank teller gives me four green suckers that she understands this phenomena and is doing her best to keep peace in my Suburban. Oh, how I love my bank lady.

This week was the Book Fair at our kids' elementary school. You know the drill - your kids beg and plead to pay quadruple for a dollar store toy or book just so they can say they got something from the Book Fair. I could set my foot down and say no but then I'd have to deal with my own issues of looking like a horrible mom for not letting them get something like all the other kids. So, I caved, okay? Each boy was given a certain dollar amount and after school came hauling in their loot.

Even though each boy got to pick out what he wanted, the green-eyed monster got ahold of my Youngest when he saw his Eldest brother had gotten a calculator that looked like a flip cell phone. Let me first say this kid cares nothing about Math, but he loves to get attention so undoubtedly he believed this little prize would boost his cool factor.

The wheeling and dealing began. "Come on, brother! I'll trade you whatever you want! I'll give you a baseball card. I'll even clean your room!" Nothing was working until he said, "I'll give you FIVE DOLLARS for that calculator!"

Big brother perked up a bit. "Five dollars? I only paid two dollars for it...You are on!"

Here's where the trouble started. Youngest didn't have five dollars. He never does his chores and has no prospect of EVER having five dollars especially considering he is always willing to pay dearly today for what will be worthless to him tomorrow. He is already shaping up to be Citibank's best customer.

Or their worst.

What was his solution? He snuck in his dad's wallet and got five dollars and gave it to his older brother. The Eldest completed the transaction with a smile not knowing where the money had come from. All he saw were $$$$. When he told Dad about the profit he'd just made, warning bells went off in his head because he knew Youngest didn't have any money.

Long story short, Youngest 'fessed up to having taken the money. He immediately began crying his eyes out. Dad took pity on him and used it as a teachable moment to explain how bad sin made us feel but that God was gracious when we asked for forgiveness. He then tried to gather our son up to comfort him. However, instead of curling up in his dad's arms, he pouted up and refused to be hugged. It made no sense whatsoever! He'd done wrong, gotten busted, been shown way more mercy than he deserved, and yet he was angry!

How many times have I done that very thing?! Getting called out when we've made a mistake is painful, but what keeps us from accepting mercy when it is offered? Pride from having to admit we were wrong? Shame for having been so gullible? Fear for what others will think of our weakness? The Jewish nation responded to Jesus in this exact way prompting Him to lament,

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Luke 13:34

It took a while, but my son finally let me hold him as he cried and said he was sorry. It was a heartwrenching few moments for him, but wow, what a burden was lifted for both of us when it was all over. This scene with my own son made me understand just a bit more the love the Father wishes to pour out on us if we will simply cease striving and allow Him to gather us to Him in mercy. It will take humility and perhaps many tears, but O the comfort that awaits those who will allow themselves to be wrapped in His embrace!




Please visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

Friday Night Lights

Friday nights in Alabama during this time of the year are good for only one thing - High School Football. Though I personally do not understand a thing about the sport, I love wrapping up in a warm blanket on a cool night and yacking it up with all my football widow friends whose husbands find it necessary to hang on the fence and discuss each play as it's being made.

Our boys have not had the best record in the last couple of years. You could say we are a small school with very few players so it is difficult to go head-to-head with teams double in size. Even though the crowds continued to come to the games, there was bad mojo. People were more ready to boo than cheer, more ready to criticize than praise. If I sensed that being a new member of the community, I know the players and coaches did.

This year, for lack of a better explanation, I believe God means to do a work among the kids in our High School and I perceive He is beginning with the football team. We have coaches who are not only concerned about winning ballgames but are determined to build character in this group of young men. We have fathers who are working themselves to death to create a top-notch field and club house. We have moms who tirelessly serve nachos and barbecue at every single home game. We have a community who is coming together to say, 'no more bad mojo - you kids are more important than the scoreboard'.

This past Friday night, something happened that can only be explained as a subtle paradigm shift. There was a lighter atmosphere in the stands, a different buzz among the crowd, a fresh spirit among the players. It was one of those times where everything was the same, but everything was different. And our boys? They played their hearts out! I've never seen them so pumped or the crowd so energized. Football is the most confusing sport to me and yet and I found myself biting my jaws to keep back the tears when our boys scored or got excited over a great play. All I can say to you is that there was a great coming together that night that has set a different tone for this season.

Which is why we were so devastated when we were beaten in the last seconds of the game - over a technicality which made no sense to me whatsoever. But, in a scene worthy of any great movie, our teary-eyed boys raised their helmets to the alma mater and stood proud as the music played. What I pray they know is that the town stood and cried with them.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25:

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

These guys may have been behind on the scoreboard but what is being built in them will last forever. Boys, you give Friday Night Lights a whole new meaning....You shine brightly and my family is looking so forward to God revealing exactly what He is up to in your midst. Coaches, the investment you are making into these young lives is imperishable. I pray you sense what I do - that something is happening - and it is beginning with you.



I would love to see you at my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

"Until He Was Strong...."

"For he (Uzziah) was marvellously helped, till he was strong."

2 Chronicles 26:15

I will never forget the days when my husband and I were away at college. These were the years when God began giving us ministry 'mileage'. In a movie about Blues Music, this was a term used to describe the tough life experiences that translated into an authentic blues song. You can't sing about being broke and hungry unless you have been broke and hungry!

When we were in college, we were broke but thankfully never quite hungry. After my oldest son was born, we felt led by God for me to become a stay-at-home mom. This was a huge faith step since Luke only made $400 per month. Yes, girls, per month. After our bills were paid, gas was put in the car, and groceries were bought, we typically had around $4 to last until the next payday.

Can I tell you I wouldn't trade those days for $1 million dollars? Why? Because just like in the life of Uzziah, we were always marvellously helped. I distinctly remember a time when our car was broken down and in the mechanic's shop. We needed $150 to fix it with no prospects of getting the money in sight. We told no one but instead called upon the promises of God to provide our needs. The day we were to pick up the car, a plain white envelope was in our campus mailbox with exactly $150 inside. There were many other instances of this same kind of miraculous provision that can only be explained by a wondrous work of the Lord on our behalf.

Though our income is a bit more than $400 a month now, realistically, we are still a family of six surviving on one income in a two-income society. Living in the materialistic age we do, if I am honest I will tell you sometimes Satan dangles the world in front of my eyes and I long for it - especially if it involves a big house, a new car that doesn't reek of chicken nuggets, and yes, a great pair of shoes.

But then I think, "If I had all the world could offer, would God have the opportunity to marvellously help?" If His own people are not content to dwell in circumstances that reveal His wonders, how will His fame spread? Somebody will be famous alright - it will either be us or Him. And because God will not share His glory with another, the name we make for ourself may be one we'd prefer not have.

Paul said it best in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

"But He [God] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

No matter the source of your hardship, God still seeks to work wonders through it! Only our weakness provides the proper contrast for God's strength. If His people cease to be marvelled by His works, how will anyone else be? I am so grateful for the life I have been given that continuously has me looking forward to a God Show. When is the last time He 'marvellously helped' you?

Dear Father - I will never get over bragging on Your goodness to my family! Oh how I praise you for provision, completeness, and strength. If I weren't weak, why would You need to be strong? Less of me - More of You. Amen.

I would love for you to visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

She Likes Being Nothing ....

"Are your ears awake? Listen, Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I'll give the sacred manna to every conqueror; I'll also give a clear, smooth stone inscribed with your new name, your secret new name." Revelation 2:17

This week, my daughter was playing with a new stuffed bear her brother won in a Claw Machine. Exactly what is a Claw Machine? That would be one of those annoying contraptions where you put in $37 worth of quarters to win a $2 prize. Thanks to Claw Machines across the South, we are quarter poor and stuffed animal rich.

Luke asked Sydney the new bear's name. We expected an answer such as Cinderella, Frou Frou, or Sally, but instead she said, "Her name is Nothing. She likes being Nothing." And at that, my heart was immediately broken. Not for the bear, but for the many women I know who enjoy being named, "Nothing". I will bet you know at least one, too.

Oh, she may not introduce herself in this way, but her actions let you know this is the identity she has embraced. She flounders in her faith believing she is unworthy of God's best. She lingers on the outskirts of the sisterhood assuming her friendship is unwanted. She hides her pain for fear it will bring rejection. In some strange way, she finds comfort in her anonymity because with it also comes the lack of accountability. And Satan laughs because this is exactly where he wants her.

God has reserved a new name for those who overcome. The implications of this promise are huge! When a person is named, the one assigning the name is in effect establishing authority over them. It is the same concept as Adam naming the animals in the Garden. In this world where Satan is temporarily prince, he calls us Nancy the Nothing, Wanda the Worthless, Debbie the Defeated. (Disclaimer: I didn't use anyone's name on purpose!) However, Jesus Christ calls us Redeemed. He will give a new, secret name Satan will never be able to defile. I can not wait to know mine. Lisa has been called Loser one time too many.

We don't have to wait until Heaven to embrace a new identity. Paul did it. So did Abraham and Sarah. We can lay aside the symbols of our defeat and embrace the authority of Jesus Christ over our lives. He is holding out the stone, but He can't make us take it. If you haven't yet received this gift from Him, will you?

Because to Him, you aren't 'Nothing'.

You are Everything.




Please visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

Everything in Common

"Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrach, and Saul." Acts 13:1

The women in this photo and I seemingly have nothing in common. We are from different races, different economic situations, different lifestyles. The same was true for the church at Antioch. In the words of Toby Mac, this first Gentile church was a Diverse City. There were Jews and Greeks. Rich and poor. Culturally elite and social outcasts. There was only one common denominator: Jesus Christ.

Before Friday, I believed I had very little in common with these women and yet through the extravagant, lavish grace of our Lord, a woman and teenage girl became my spiritual sisters this week during a missions effort by our church into their housing community in Montgomery, Alabama. Enticed by a new clothing giveaway, these ladies agreed to join me for some "Girl Talk" during a Backyard Bible Club. I had no idea what to expect going in so I was prepared with a Gospel presentation, my trusty Sword, and lots of praying girlfriends.

Often when I have shared the Gospel in this type of setting, I can literally see the womens' eyes glaze over. In the same spirit in which one would attend a 90-minute condominium presentation for a free vacation, you can almost hear the women say, "Get on with it. I'm not buying. I am only here for the free stuff!" And yet on this day, it was as if the sky opened up and God shot a beam of Holy Spirit fire right into our tent because here are some of the questions which came pouring out of their mouths:

"Why don't we have to offer sacrifices anymore? In the olden days, didn't people have to kill animals all the time? Why don't we do that?"

"Why does God allow terrible things to happen? Why did He let a man in Montgomery murder his three children just to get back at his wife?"

"How can I find the strength to stop doing drugs?"

"Why is it I always do what I don't want to, and I don't do what I do want to?" (Did this one scream Romans 6 or what?)

"I feel like I am sinning against my children for not giving them a better life. I want them to know there is more than this. How do I show them how to make something of themselves when I have failed?"

To say my jaw was on the ground does not even begin to do the matter justice. Here I was expecting dead silence when I began to talk about salvation and instead we went through scripture after scripture for an hour and a half. Shame on me for thinking so little of my God or the powerful prayers of our church and my blog friends! How dare I cease expecting His Wonders!

To hear these women sobbing and asking God to forgive their sin and restore their broken lives was about more than I could take in. The sincere prayer of faith is a sound I will never get tired of hearing as long as I live. What is better? Having one of them come to me today and tell me she had already read the entire books of John and Romans I had suggested and asking where to go next. You can't see, but I am still having a Jesus fit over it.

The blessing of getting to know these women showed me we have much more in common than first meets the eye. We want to mother well. We want the best for our children. We want to live a life of significance. We desire stability. However, God impressed a huge truth upon me this week: Anyone can have common dreams but only through Jesus Christ can we have common hope.

Lord Jesus, with uplifted hands I join the angel chorus who is even now singing praise to Your Holy Name for the redemption of these souls. I am full of joyful expectation of the good things you have in store for those who love Your appearing. Father, You know the dire needs and I ask you to build the faith of these women in Mighty Wonders only You can orchestrate. Amen!

p.s. These women were among twenty plus who were born again during our time in Montgomery this week. I'll be adding more redemption stories at my blog, The Preacher's Wife, over the next few days. Please come visit!

Just As I Am

"So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? Don't we believe that we are saved because the master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as He did those from beyond our nation?"

Acts 15:10-11 (The Message)

If you have ever read my biography, you know the very first advice I was given after my husband was called to ministry was to "learn to play the piano! Churches will be more likely to ask Luke to be their pastor if you can play the piano!"

That well-meaning man had no idea he was ordering up a Ruth Graham to be incarnated from a Roseanne Barr. I didn't play an instrument! I couldn't sing! I was a rough-around-the-edges, one-year-old babe in Christ who barely knew how to pray and yet this man was telling me my husband didn't have a chance unless I could become what I then considered to be a 'typical' pastor's wife.

I never learned to play the piano, but I did do my very best to mold myself into the Perfect Preacher's Wife in every other way. I tried to keep my loud mouth closed and become more reserved - demure even. (That is SO laughable to me now!) I said goodbye to my large, funky earrings and default black clothing. I was the only twenty-two year old I knew who was shopping in the Misses Department for elastic-waisted pants and birdhouse embroidered sweaters. I made sure to take casseroles to every church meal and volunteered for any available position. You can thank me now for sparing you the rest of this never-ending list.

I did all this because I desperately wanted to be an asset to Luke and a jewel in God's crown. In those early days, my understanding of being worthy had everything to do with meeting other's expectations. Externally, I suppose I was shaping up nicely but on the inside, I was miserable. The challenge to live up to an unwritten code of Preacher Wife conduct was exhilirating as I checked off another issue on my "To Re-Do" list. However, what began as a thrill quickly became a yoke and it wasn't long until I realized I was making everyone happy except me.

I imagine the feelings were similar for the early Gentile Christians who were overjoyed over receiving the salvation offered by Israel's Jehovah - The One True God of all heaven and earth. It wasn't long until the Judaizers came along and laid the burden of the Law upon their new found freedom. Undoubtedly, some of the Gentiles attempted to live up to this standard because they believed in order to please God, they must please His Chosen People. The Jewish Christians, though they believed salvation had been extended to the Gentiles, still thought the Greeks must become proselytes or what I call, 'little Jews', in order to inherit the Kingdom. Paul's ministry was revolutionary in proving Gentiles did not have to become Jewish in order to receive God's gift of grace. Salvation had been given directly to the Gentiles, free from any obligation to the Jewish way of life.

The Gentiles had to be so relieved to know by the blood of Jesus Christ, God accepted them as they were - with their own culture, their own customs, their own personalities. They did not have to look like someone else or adhere to the Mosaic Law in order to be loved and greatly used by God in the Kingdom. The Jews in turn had a hard pill to swallow - God had turned his affections to a foreign people in order to cause His chosen ones to be jealous again for their special relationship to the Father.

I have a few questions for you to consider. Have you embraced your life as a worthy one which God can use? Do you believe the only requirement in being useful to God is believing on the spilled blood of Jesus? Are you trying to live up to another's expectations and find yourself falling short? Has this resulted in a sense of inferiority which causes you to shrink back from opportunities to serve Christ through His church body?

If any of these are true for you, please know one thing: All God expects from you is your 'yes'. Your unwavering obedience. Your desire to know Him and His Word. He doesn't need you to waste time craving another woman's ministry - He desires for you to embrace your own. This truth was one I needed to hear, loudly and often. When I began asking God to make me want His will, He was very faithful in lining up my desires with His. He helped me to understand my personality and interests were given to me by Him. Most importanly, He made it clear He had never asked me to lay aside my uniqueness to become more like someone else. He wanted me, just as I am.

If you have no idea where to begin in finding your place in the body, ask yourself, "What do I like?" Love scrapbooking? Work on church bulletin boards. Like writing? Start a women's ministry newsletter. Hungry for God's word? Teach a kid's discipleship class. Children are so forgiving and God will not be mad if, with a sincere heart, you accidentally tell them Noah's ark was oak instead of gopher wood!

I recently heard a wise pastor say, "It's much easier to steer a moving car." God's word to you today?? Get going! You can adjust your ministry, but you won't know in which direction until you put it in 'Drive'. And whatever service He asks of you, I can promise on experience it will be as unique as the woman He created to do it.

He wants you, girls! Just like you are.

Please visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

A Joyful Noise

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture." Psalm 100:1-2

There are many things about my life as a Preacher's wife I consider atypical, however my Sunday morning seat on the 2nd pew, piano-side is about as predictable as it gets. What is unusual, however, is the motley crew of fellow worshipers who surround me. Along with my own children, my area has attracted many other young'uns - mostly boys. This past Sunday, there were thirteen of them. Yes, you read correctly. Thirteen boys on the front two pews. Thank the Lord for Children's Church!


There is one boy I particularly enjoy sitting with because of his love for worship. When the song director announces the page number in the hymnal, he immediately hands me a book to find the correct song for him. No one sitting near this fifteen-year-old during the song service can help but feel they are in the presence of angels.

The reason? Michael is deaf and mute.

Now obviously Michael is unable to form the words to the worship songs, but what he vocalizes instead is a, 'Woo, Woo, Woo' to the vibrations he feels from the speakers. This past Sunday, the congregational hymn was, 'The Star Spangled Banner'. As we neared the end, I thought to myself, "This is the part where we should all jump out of our seats and cheer. After all, we throw our hands in the air at a ballgame..Why not the Baptist Church?"

Michael must have sensed what I was thinking because at the end of that song he YELLED, 'Woo, Woo, WOOOOOOO!" That's all it took. I cried. Then I patted him on the back which is my way of letting him know he is special and I love him dearly. He just grinned and said, "Memen". His word for 'Amen'.

Amen, praise the Lord, Hallelujah, indeed!

As I thought about Michael's joyful noise, Psalm 100 immediately came to mind. I looked up the phrase 'a joyful noise' in my trusty Lexicon and discovered these meanings: "to split the ears with sound, to sound a trumpet, to shout with joy or for joy."

And then Michael's worship made more sense than ever. A joyful noise is not a word but a shout! There are times when no words can fully express the joy in our spirit, the depth of our grief, the praise of our graciously redeemed souls. There are occasions when the song of our heart is comprised of only one prolonged syllable, exhaled to the Only One who can translate. Just as the Spirit knows how to pray for us when we can not voice His will, I believe He sings the song to the Father we can not. And what a beautiful song it is.

Until that child can say the name Jesus, I believe 'woo hoo' will do.




Please visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

A New Word ...

This week I was preparing a Bible study lesson and meant to type the word, 'righteousness'. I noticed my spell-checker protesting bright red so I scanned to see what I had mis-typed. The mistake I found was one which stirred courage in my heart therefore I fell in love with it instantly. The word? 'Fighteousness'. Don't you love it?

I immediately thought of this verse:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.' 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Girls, we do not achieve righteousness without fighteousness. I can not tell you the name of one individual sanctified by a passive practice of Christianity. No crowns have been earned by any human save through overcoming trial and tribulation. Paul knew this full well. Stonings, beatings, humiliation, rejection were all his earthly sentence for an exemplary faith yet he pressed on for the verdict and reward of a Righteous Judge.

My faith has not been an easy one. I have experienced many heartaches, weathered devastating storms, and revisited debilitating old wounds. I can honestly say Christ has blanketed every hurt of my heart with His Word and continues to fill every needy place. There are still many periods of time when the voice of Satan says, 'you can't take one more day of this. It will destroy you to be obedient. Why is He so strict with you and not her? He wants way too much from you. Just lay it down.' That voice can be so winsome, the way it coos and beckons. That evil, slumber-inducing lullably can only be silenced with a Holy Spirit smack of the cheeks which calls, "Wake Up! Fight! You are stronger than this...Not in your power, but Mine."

I am reminded once again of another verse that has spoken so freshly to me these past two weeks,

"I have written to you , fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one." 1 John 2:14

Where the Word of God abides, there stands an Overcomer. There is a wife who will not grow weary in well-doing. There is a mother who will persevere. There is a daughter who loves nothing more than His Appearing.

There is a woman with some Fighteousness.

I would love for you to visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife.

As Waters Gone By...

"Yet if you devote your heart to Him, and stretch out your hands to Him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear. You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by." Job 11:13-16

When I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter, I went on a rafting trip with our church group. It was a relatively calm river with no perceived dangers so I didn't have any hesitation about going. Needless to say, because of my delicate condition, my boat was the place to be for all the other wives who didn't want to be continuously capsized by our horse-playing husbands during the entire 3-hour journey.

The Sissy Raft was barely 20 minutes into the trip when it was caught by a rock and I was thrown overboard, heels over head. I was then trapped under the boat as it began to move again when a man in another raft noticed what was happening, dove into the water, and helped get me back into my own boat. Where was my husband you ask? Several boats ahead, UNAWARE that both his unborn child and I were about to drown. I'm not bitter about it. Really.

I can think of that day now and laugh, but there were several moments of panic while I was under that boat. I was naive to think there was no risk. Thankfully, that day only resulted in a few cuts and bruises for me, but without that hand to pull me out of the water, I hate to think what could have been. Less bizarre things have happened than a person tragically drowning during a day which began as fun.

Sometimes, we make a game of floating on our waters, our sins, our troubles, until suddenly we find ourselves in over our heads in panic mode. When we first jump in that icy water, the shock is enough to take your breath but the longer you remain, the more numb to it you become. After a while, those waters can actually feel pretty good. A relationship with a coworker of the opposite sex gets too close and you can't get out. Concern about a sister in Christ turns to gossip and she finds out. You are feeling over-aged and under-appreciated so you decide to start letting it all hang out. Bitterness over a betrayal borders dangerously near hatred and you don't want out.

God's Word to you? GET OUT!

There is a Hand extended that says, 'Come to me and I will give you rest'. (Matthew 11:28) God desires to pull us from those dangerous waters to steady ground where we can be objective about the situations Satan will use to devour our testimony. Obviously we will never be perfect, but we can live a life of clear conscience. Conscience is a great word that means, 'to see completely'. I want to know when I lay my head down at night that I am fully confessed and that there is nothing I am holding on to, no waters I am floating in, that will hinder God being able to use me to the point of full effectiveness or cause great pain to myself and others.

Job 11 continues by saying:

"Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor."

God desires nothing but your good and His glory. Satan is working towards your destruction and his glory. You can float in those waters, or watch them pass by. Which will you choose?

Here is a lesson best learned from the creek bank - Get out before it finds you out.

Come visit my personal blog, The Preacher's Wife. :)