Mamma, I NEED My Pants!

The Cafe is thrilled to welcome Guest Barista, Theresa Horton Miller today!

It doesn’t matter how many times I offer my two-year-old daughter a solution, she has to try to figure it out all by her self before coming to the conclusion she needs help!

With a little patience on my part, it’s just a matter of time before she asks for the help I am so eager to give her. It’s that innate will to assert her independence. Fortunately, she will grow out of this stage as we all do…or do we?


Often, I see my own independent reflection in my two-year-old daughter, Alexa.


Alexa, at one point this morning, took off her pants because they "got sticky" and then remained in only a diaper, a shirt, and socks. When it was time to pick her older brother, Robby, up from school I told her we needed to put her pants back on.


She replied, "I don't need my pants." I proceeded to try and convince her.


"Let's put your pants on first, then we'll put your pretty shoes on." "Oh! My shoes!!" she replied enthusiastically as she darted up the stairs to retrieve her "pretty shoes.”


She bounced back down and proceeded to wiggle her little toes into the opening of her first shoe. I, once again, encouraged her to let me put her pants on first, then her shoes.


"I don't need my pants," she declared as she pressed her heal down into the shoe. She successfully weaseled both feet into her shoes. They were on the right feet and they matched her shirt beautifully, just no pants.



Now I'm a believer in natural consequences so, I decided this was not a battle I was going to pick.


"Okay, Alexa, let's put your coat on then."


"I don't need my pants or my coat."


"Okay, let's go." We proceeded out the door.


In a high-pitched shrill, Alexa cried, "It's windy."


"Do you need your pants?"


"I need my coat."


We put the coat on. "How about your pants?"


"I don't need my pants."


We proceeded outside again. She made it all the way to the car, stopped and cried in her high-pitched shrill, "It's windy!"


"Do you need your pants?"


"I need my hat."


I went and fetched her hat and put it on her. “How about your pants?"


"I don't need my pants."


She was happy.


Imagine my daughter in 26 degree weather (with the wind-chill) in a coat, hat, socks,
shoes, and a diaper.


Half-way down the road I hear from behind me, in that high-pitched, drama-girl, shrill…

"Maaaamaa...I need my pants!"

Oh, the lessons I learn from my two-year-old daughter! Like Alexa I, too, can be as stubborn with my Heavenly Father as to say, “No thanks, Lord, I have what I need.” I persist determined to try to figure it out all by myself.

Then when a circumstance overwhelms me I, too, cry out in a panic, “Looooord…I need you!” Or maybe just some pants…at any rate, I realize that what I need so desperately in a moments time is something that, just maybe, he’s been offering me all along. Oh, the love and patience of my Heavenly Father when I realize—my way has, once again, fallen short of my needs.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NIV

When was the last time you panicked due to trying to figure it out all by yourself?

At what point did you surrender to the solution God was offering?

Have you ever been disappointed by God’s provision in any given circumstance?

Will you trust Him today for the outcome of a circumstance you feel passionate about?

Prayer:
Father, we thank you for your provision for our lives. We pray for the woman reading this devotion, that she would release control to you in the given situation that has kept her determined to do things one way only. We pray that you would transform her heart so that the one and only way she relies on is your way. Amen.

In Him,

Theresa

Theresa can be found at her blogspot, heavenlyglimpses~

Theresa Horton Miller lives in Sheridan, Wyoming with her husband, Rob, and three children; Robby (5), Alexa (3) and Drew (10 mo.). She attends the Sheridan Classic MOPS Group and is in the process of starting up a local evening MOPS Group. Theresa has written articles for her local MOPS and church newsletters.

The Stinkin' I in Pride!

Please welcome our Guest Barista, Alisa Hope today!

A while back I was reading a book about God's grace, and I had to be honest with God. I didn't quite understand the whole concept of grace. I knew it was important because I've read so much about it, but it was obvious I was missing something. I prayed and asked God to help me gain a better understanding, and I had faith that He would.

God kicked-off my lesson in grace a few days later while I was in the shower. (It seems like God always talks to me in the shower). I was complaining to God about how I always make mistakes and that it feels like no matter what I do, what I read, what I learn; I always say, do or think something wrong. I always fail. I always fall. I always sin.

I was acting like the victim in this thing called life, and I pointed my finger at God and demanded, "Why is life so difficult"? "Why do I always stumble?" "Why do I always do something stupid?"

On my spiritual journey, I have an idea of where I want to be, and no matter how I grow, it feels like I always fall short. The person I want to be doesn't put her foot in her mouth. The person I want to be doesn't have insecurities. The person I want to be doesn't have problems with eating, lusting, lying, gossiping, pride, laziness, blah, blah, blah.

The person I want to be is PERFECT!!!



Oh! And that's when God pulled a fast one on me. He uncovered my "I'm-the-victim-attitude" and exposed it for what it really was: pride. I wasn't where I thought I should be and I was upset: pride. I couldn't except the fact that I was flawed and I made mistakes: pride. I didn't want others know my struggles and watch me stumble: pride. My little pity-party was boiling over the flame called pride.

And after God nicely humbled me there in the shower, He gave me a smile (in my mind's eye) and said gently, "That's why you need my grace."

What I realized is that I didn't want to accept God's grace because my pride was telling me that I should be something that I was not.

But I am a woman that says things to friends that I later regret. I am a woman who just ate about 15 Peppermint York Patties without stopping to exert some semblance of self-control.

I am a woman who has to fight with feelings of insecurity and inferiority. I am a woman who has to stop herself from judging the actions and decisions of others.

I am a woman who's stuck in the middle of a battle between her own will and the will of the Holy Spirit.

I am not perfect, and I will never be. I will fall on a daily basis and those around me will see it. I can't put on a show for others or for me. Accepting God's grace frees me from being hard on myself. I am not loved because I try to be the best Christian girl possible. I am loved because God created me and He chooses to love me. There is nothing that I can do to make Him love me more or less. I will make mistakes, and I should not care who sees them because I have grace. And I won't use those mistakes to justify playing the victim role again.

God is showing me that women are naturally very hard on themselves. What can we do in our day to day lives to cut ourselves some slack and to offer grace to others?

"But he 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
weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me." – 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

“Thank You, God, for Your grace. Help us to see the beauty in holes of our weakness, for that is where Your glory shines through.”


In Him,

Alisa Hope



Alisa Hope Wagner has a MA degree in English - Applied Linguistics. She taught high school English before becoming a full time mom. Alisa married her high school sweetheart, and they have two sons and a daughter. Alisa homeschools her kids and enjoys writing and reading in her spare time. Alisa loves writing about what the Holy Spirit is teaching her, and her goal is to show women how much Jesus Christ adores them.

Alisa can be found at her personal site, faithimagined

The End of Winter

I love it because it signifies the end of winter.The little flower bed in my front yard is usually full of flowers. I live in South Texas and the weather lends itself to annual blooms.

Usually.

Our winter was colder this year and my little flower bed has been barren for several months. This small patch of earth, my piece of land, that normally blossoms with color has been dull and drab and dead for so long. I long for color, for life.To my surprise, when I opened my front door a couple of weeks ago, this is what greeted me:

Tiny green heads poking their way through the tough soil. I was delighted because I knew the end of winter was near. But I was amazed because it had been a couple of years since I'd planted the bulbs that were now emerging from the ground.

I hadn't expected to see them again.

I felt a burst of color in my spirit when I pulled the tiny weeds away from the baby bulbs and cleaned away the drab of winter. I planted the seeds, tended the ground, watered the soiled. I worked.And then I waited, much longer than I planned.But I didn't make the plants grow. I had no idea if they would grow or bloom or come to fruition.

I planted the seeds, but God brought the harvest.

And it's the same way in our spiritual lives. We believe God, the seed (His Word) is planted in our hearts.

We ask.

We wait.

We trust.

We water.

We tend.

We weed.

But GOD, just when we least expect it, He brings the harvest!

Galations 6:9-10

So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

So, if you find yourself waiting, watching, seeking, do not give up.

Do not quit.

Tend the seed.

Have faith.

And winter will end.

Prayer:

Thank you God for winter. I know that it's during these times that you teach me and reveal yourself to me. Help me to trust you, to believe that the good seeds I have planted, will come to harvest. You have begun a good work and I know you will be faithful to complete it.

Amen.

join Kristen daily at We are THAT family where she serves up a dose of humor daily!

Breathing Patience

Ever try to teach a child the concept of "wait"?

From the sounds of laughter and heads hitting the keyboard, I gather the answer must be "yes!"

The New Living Translation had this interpretation of Proverbs 16:32:

"Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city."

Would anyone out there agree with me to make this into sticky notes, tattoos, whatever it takes to remind us when we go out shopping that an extra five minutes really isn't an eternity? Come to think of it...this might make a great memory verse?

It never fails that this time of year, before I even have a chance to decide what type of dressing I want with my choice of five different types of cooked turkeys, time seems to just speed up rather than slow down.

October was barely over and already the stores were stocked with Christmas decorations.

The store's music loudly proclaimed the desire for snow and, as parents, we begin to hear the words that children are instinctively born with:

"I want that!"

"Can I have that?"

"I need that!"

"Really.....I NNNNNEEEEED THATTTTT,Moooooommmmmmm!" The child rolls around the ground, rolling their eyes while watching us out of the corner of one eye hoping that we would say, "Alright, lets go to the store and buy it now"!

It's sometimes hard to teach children the concept of time. For them, there is only one "right now" and each minute is a lesson in patience and why that fruit tree in the back yard really does not bear money like grandpa keeps claiming.

As difficult it is to teach our children, sometimes we tend to become like children ourselves.

That's when our Heavenly Father steps in and tries to gently guide us back into perspective, not only what the holiday season is really about but what all of our lives are really about:

Taking time and being patient.

Easier said then done.

When we are faced with a mountain of paperwork that the boss HAS to have now, or the kids are worried that if they wait five minutes it will result in instant dehydration or we're fumbling in our purses or pockets trying to figure out where those house keys could have gone, panic mode sets in.

We look up.

They were just right there when we unlocked the door and, oh, never mind, they are hanging in the door knob, it feels like we have NO time in the world.

Life does comes pretty fast, but when we are living in our Heavenly Father's time, it shouldn't.

Something I've learned to do with the kids when they are positive, is teach them that if I don't simultaneously pour juice for both of them at the same time, while stopping the dogs from stealing their lunch, and dehydration sets in, is to take a deep breath.

Just Breathe.

They soon learn that in the time it takes to take a deep breath and let it out, mommy will have time to hide.

Oh wait, different story.

Forget I said that, I mean, they soon learn that, the problem can be resolved, we get done what needs to be done and then mommy can hide.

Same with any situation, except we can't really hide.

Patience is a virtue that doesn't just happen, it's encouraged, it's developed and it needs to be nurtured.

As busy and overwhelming as life may feel, having patience with ourselves, with others and with our walk, is a fruit of the spirit that we can actively choose to participate or reject.

"Though it tarry, wait for it." Habakkuk 2:3

Oswald Chambers wrote in "My Upmost for His Highest,"

"Patience is not indifference; patience conveys the idea of an immensely strong rock withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral inspiration.

Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he had a vision of God. He "endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible." A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself.

You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it; things come with largeness and tonic to the life because everything is energized by God. If God gives you a time spiritually, as He gave His Son actually, of temptation in the wilderness, with no word from Himself at all, endure, and the power to endure is there because you see God."

No one can make us have "patience". We can only make that choice, for ourselves. We have to encourage it and develop it and as this holiday season comes upon us let's strive to teach not only our little ones, but ourselves.

It's okay to just breathe and take that little extra time with ourselves, with others and in our journey with our Heavenly Father.

There maybe times we may not feel like it. For instance, while looking for a parking space, or trying to explain to the kids why they can't get the "Mega-Jumbo-Super-High Flying-Louder than an F16 flying across a chalkboard with long fingernails" noisemaker today or in the next thousand years, but a little patience goes a very long way not only for ourselves and our journey with God, but in our testament to others about Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, as the holiday season comes upon us, I pray in Your name that You use this time, more than ever to help us remember above the holiday rush, the shopping, the gifts and yes, even in the family gatherings, to give to You, ourselves so in us and through us, Your love and patience can and will shine through to others.

Heavenly Father, I pray that my life will bear testament to and for You and that I remember not only now, but everyday to just learn to have a little patience and things can't be accomplish in one day, though we would like to.

Lord, forgive us for times when we are un-necessarily short with others or with ourselves and help us remember of the unlimited patience You have and do show to us, each and every day. You show patience to us as sinners and You show patience to us as Your children and I pray that You will continue to refine us and help us grow in Your love and light.

Thank You Heavenly Father for all You do and I pray that I will learn to grow patiently and learn to wait and to heed when I should and not just rush headlong like a child. For the days I do, Lord, I pray that You give me discernment and wisdom to learn, to be rebuked and to grow and not continue to make mistakes that can easily be corrected.

• With the holidays coming upon us, it's a difficult time for many and patience does become a virtue. Think about ways our Heavenly Father has been patient with us now and in the His Word and how we can use those lessons to learn and to grow.
• There are many translations of Proverbs 16:32; When you have the time, take a look at the different translations and journal, how Probverbs 16:32 speaks to you and how it can be applied in light of the rest of the year.
• What ways can you develop a little patience or maybe do you have tips to develop patience?
• As a parent, how do you teach your little ones the importance of patience, particularly during the holiday season? *Disclaimer* Earplugs don't count or work.
  

God bless you, Gentle Readers and I look forward to hearing from you.

If you have the time, drop by Sunflower Faith, to read more of "Twinkle Mom's" life reflections and journey in her walk with our Heavenly Father.

Ok I'll listen...but hurry, I have something to say!

James 1:19
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry

I have to confess, this scripture gets me sometime. I have struggled with the speed at which I listen.

Quick to listen, slow to speak…

I get the quick part.
I’m quick.
Quick to form and opinion.
Quick to spout off what I’m thinking.
Quick with a sassy come back.
Quick to finish someone’s sentence before they can get the words out of their mouth…oh, just hesitate a second and I’ll take care of it for you.

But, quick to listen, and slow to speak… surely that is someone else's calling.
(low pitch-loud-annoying buzzing sound) Wrong answer!

James even said in v. 19, “take note of this.”
Ok, I understand taking notes, I carry a notebook with me at all times because when I get an idea or remember something, I have to write it down or it’s gone.

James knew that about me, so he said- take note.
Write it down girlfriend because you WILL forget this one.

The Amplified version says that we should be “a ready listener.”

A ready listener, I like that. It puts me in an active stance instead of feeling that I am just a passive listener.

People have stories to tell and I have realized lately that when I take the time
to listen, I am deeply touched. It may be something that I need to hear or it
may be that the Lord wants to use my experiences to help them through a
struggle.

The point is, if I don’t take the time to listen, I’ll never know.

I have a feeling that I’m not the only one who might deal with this. So, let’s commit together to work on this. Yes, we have a lot to say…but so do others.

If we take the time to listen, we might find that the Lord has something quite important to say to us.

Here are a couple more thoughts from God’s Word about listening:
Prov 19:20
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
and in the end you will be wise.
NIV

Prov 22:17
17 Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise
NIV

And of course, the most important One that we should take the time to listen to
is our Lord.
John 10:27
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and
they follow Me.
NKJV
The more time we spend in His Word and prayer, the
more we will recognize His voice, and the closer we will follow.

Father,
Help us to place value on others by taking the time to listen to them. Don’t let us fall into a selfish trap of thinking that our words are more important than anyone elses.
And most of all Lord, help us to know Your voice and follow none other.
Give us a hunger to know You more deeply and spend time in Your Word and prayer.
Thank you for Your faithfulness in our lives, may our listening heart be a beautiful reflection of You Lord.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

The Waiting Room

I’ve been reading the Bible for a long time now. My particular version of choice has typically been the New International Version (NIV). And in reading this version for most of my adult life, I’ve never come across the word longsuffering. Oh, it’s all over the King James Version (KJV), but not the NIV. Why? My guess is that it just doesn’t sound good. I mean it’s basically saying that you are going to suffer and that your suffering is going to last a long time. Who wants to hear that? Not me.

In order to understand the Bible more clearly, I often search for the original text meanings. Even though our Bibles are translated in English, they were not written it in originally (Old Testament in Hebrew; New Testament in Greek). So, I went to my trusty website to find what the word longsuffering meant. I found the following definition:

1) patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs

After being married about 18 months, my husband and I decided that we wanted to have a child. Once we no longer prevented a baby’s conception, we figured that we’d be pregnant in no time. That was in 1994.

Our first son was not born until 1999.

Talk about longsuffering. Those years of waiting, negative pregnancy tests, watching my girlfriends having their 1st, 2nd and 3rd children when I could not even get pregnant with one child were excruciating. It was a great desire in my heart to be a mom. Why did God make me wait so long? Better yet, why don’t some women ever get to become a mom?

During those arduous years, I didn’t know why I had to wait. However, since his arrival nearly 9 years ago, God has revealed to me over and over again that He is sovereign and I am not. Nuff said.

I believe that God developed some character traits in me during that season of life that otherwise might not have been developed. My intimacy with God is deeper than ever because He truly became everything to me. He knew every thought and feeling I had during this painful time. I wasn’t afraid to be real with Him and cast all of the hurts I had onto him. After all, the Bible says in 1 Peter 5 to “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I did just that. You can, too.

Exercising patience is not a lot of fun. I am fairly certain that I have never heard anyone say, “Man, I am so excited about what God is going to show me and how I’m going to change during this time of waiting. Woo hoo!” No, not so much. But, as I’ve talked with countless people over the years after their seasons of waiting, every single person has said that he/she wouldn’t trade the life lessons learned for the comfortable life they had before. You see, it’s in those days, months and years of waiting where we start to look a lot more like Christ.

A good friend of mine wrote one time “His lessons always contain a lasting sweetness when they are properly learned.”

King David wrote in Psalm 139, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” It’s quite a bold prayer to take before God. But trust me when I say that He will deliver. He will perform the most successful heart surgery, or even a transplant, that’s ever been accomplished. Trust His steady hand.

Are you in a waiting room?

What is it that God wants to teach you?

Are there areas of your life that God wants to make new?

In Him,



Join Cindy daily at her website CindyBeall.com

Who Am I?

A few months ago I was flying from New York to California and was stuck in an airport for what felt like days. By the time I found myself standing within the confines of yet another line during my lay over in Chicago, my patience was wearing thin. We're talking Hollywood thin!

Directly behind me in line was a young mother with her two-year-old son. He was quite a sight. An adorable, busy little boy who wanted to know about anything and everything that moved. He and his Mom had a game they played to pass the time: "What Sound Does It Make?"

You are familiar with the game.
"What sound does the train make, Jeffrey?"
"Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, choo-choo!!"

They played this game for an hour and a half straight. You'd think they would've covered every single known sound in the universe at that point, but little Jeffrey only knew three sounds: The truck, the car, the train. Thus we endured through countless, "Honk-Honk"s, "Beep-Beep"s and "Choo-Choo"s.

You can imagine what this did to my already thin patience. Had the flight attendant not called my place to board, I would've no doubt "honk-honked" my way into solitary confinement after my lack of patience got the best of me. I was terribly tempted to say, "What do the travelers say, Jeffrey?" To which I dreamt he would reply in a whispered, rushed tone, "Hush up! Hush up!" And then follow suit.

Clearly if my identity in Christ was determined by my present performance, I'd be in some serious trouble. If my actions determined my heavenly nametag, we can rest in confidence, mine would read: Snappy Sister Who Robs Little Children of Fundamental Games that Exercise Cognitive Growth and Development.

Sounds like you need a Master's degree to major in that one. I guess you could say I had mastered impatience. Or rather, I allowed it to master me.

“For sin shall not be master over you,
for you are not under law but under grace.”
Romans 6:14

Impatience and I go way back. I know impatience so well it knows my Starbucks drink order by heart.

I have a tendency to think, “Well, I’m just an impatient person.” Scripture seems to think otherwise. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, for goodness sake! Clearly I cannot just toss it up to “that’s just who I am”.

I do this more often than I’d like to admit. I determine who I am based on what my actions tell me instead of on what Christ tells me.

And Christ tells me two major things as I read Romans 6:

Sin no longer has say over you.
You are not synonymous with your sin.

I wonder what would happen if we started living lives that believed these truths?

What would happen if I stopped hiding behind my Impatient Nametag and started living out what the Word of God tells me?

The reality is that because of Christ Jesus and His Spirit taking up residence within us, this Hope of Glory, we are no longer under the rule of sinful whims.

I’m not saying we don’t truly struggle with them because we do!

I’m saying we have the authority in Christ to say to our impatience, “Not today.” We have the access in Christ to say to our Father God, “Help me overcome this thing.” We have the intimacy in Christ to say to the Holy Spirit, “Convict me when I step out line. Get my attention and lead me in the way everlasting.”

We also have a new identity. We are not what we did all those years ago, a few months ago or even yesterday. We are more than our screw-ups. What was is no longer what is!

We are able to grow and move toward deeper restoration. The Blood of the Lamb has covered us in redemption. What a terrible heartbreak it would be to believe everything else but that.

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God,

the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

Romans 6:22

To read more from Kristen check out her blog Exemplify.

Fear and Impatience

The Cafe is thrilled to welcome Carmen Schroeder of Women of the Word
Be sure to check out the Bible Study that Carmen is going to be doing beginning August 4th!
The Way of Cain, based on the life of Cain and Ezekiel 16:49

Today Carmen shares with us this devotional;

Bid the older women similarly to be reverent and devout in their deportment as becomes those engaged in sacred service, not slanderers or slaves to drink. They are to give good counsel and be teachers of what is right and noble, So that they will wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (temperate, disciplined) and to love their husbands and their children, To be self-controlled, chaste, homemakers, good-natured (kindhearted), adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited). ~ Titus 2:3-5 AMP

FEAR and IMPATIENCE are the two main inhibitors that keep us from a fulfilled life. FEAR holds us down while IMPATIENCE kicks us forward...FEAR causes the Believer to fall far behind while IMPATIENCE causes the same Believer to run ahead and out of the position and favor of God. These two are the antithesis of DISCIPLINE and DEVOTION in our lives. Does that bring back memories of 2 Timothy 1:7?

Both words hail from the combined root word sozo - ‘to heal, deliver and make whole’ and phren - ‘the mind, feelings and understanding’.

2 Timothy 1:7 declares that our LORD has not given us a spirit of fear, but rather the Spirit of Power and Love which ‘MAKES a sound and whole mind’! Powerful wisdom for living!

Now, with that, comes the great responsibility and privilege of TEACHING and TRAINING the younger women of the church ‘making them of a sound mind’ through teaching them to love. Did you notice that the Teacher is a ‘teacher of good things’ both in word and deed? That is where we really learn, isn’t it - through both a woman’s LIPS as well as her LIVING? Here are FIVE beautiful ways to G.R.A.C.E. one another so that the Word of God is not blasphemed, our lives are fruitful, we are completely satisfied, and a lost and perishing world can’t help but notice the difference!

G - GROW in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus Christ - 2 Peter 3:18

R - REMOVE THE OLD - Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 4:20-23;Colossians 3:8-9

A - ACCEPT THE NEW - Galatians 5:22-23

C- CONTINUE IN STEADFAST PRAYER for one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17; Philippians 1:18b-19; Acts 2:42

E - ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER to persevere and grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD - Hebrews 10:24

Father God, You are the One Who is able to bring ORDER and LIGHT from the chaos and darkness in our lives. I thank You that You are faithful to do so and even now, Your Spirit is regenerating our lives
from the inside out. Baruch HaShem ADONAI!

What are You Waiting For?

What are You Waiting For?

My year in the UK has taught me quite a few things. I can make a convincing apple & rhubarb crumble. I understand how to navigate a roundabout… I think? And after a few slightly awkward conversations, I’ve learned the difference between ‘trousers’ and ‘pants’.

Something else I’ve learned about is waiting. England has provided me with plenty of opportunities to begin to figure this one out. For example, on any given day, I wait for the sun to make an appearance – which, in this land of rain and gloom, is rare. Given the current exchange rate, I’m waiting to buy make up – I haven’t bought so much as an eyeliner pencil in over 8 months. In my job as a youth worker, I’m constantly waiting for the kids in my youth groups to quiet down so we can move on to the next activity. Before I landed in the UK, I waited as 2 tense weeks passed for my visa to be approved by the British Consulate. With all this practice, you’d think I’d at least be a little better at waiting than I am. Funnily enough, I’m not.

I’m currently in the process of trying to figure out what I’m doing next – once I step off the plane in Memphis International, that’s pretty much where my plan ends and the improvisation begins. Just like in every great Disney film, I’ve arrived at this climax: our heroes are safe thus far, but wait! They’re still not out of harm’s way. Danger lurks just a step behind.

One character will turn to the leader and ask, his voice dripping with panic, “What do we do now?!” The leader, slightly stunned by their sudden arrival at safety, will turn and reply simply, “Well… I don’t really know. I didn’t count on making it this far.”

This scenario fairly accurately describes where I am at the moment. This year has been my grand adventure… while also serving as my own clever way of putting my future on hold. Whilst gaining life experience and exploring another culture, I’ve been spending my spare time praying for direction. I desperately want to know what’s going to happen next.

Sometimes, when I pray, I can get so frustrated – I pray, wait for an answer, and it seems as though nothing happens.

“Are you there, God? It’s me, Aimee Cait. Remember me? I packed up and moved far away from my family to this strange land where it’s always rainy and they eat yucky food and… I want my mom, Lord! Where are you? And why won’t you answer me?”
This year, I realize that God doesn’t just dole out ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers. Sometimes, He asks us to wait.

Wait for the Lord; Be strong and take heart And wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 40:1

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
Isaiah 30:18

Am I blessed because I’m waiting?

Why wait?

Why can't God just tell me whatever it is He's trying to teach me?

Why do I have to learn this way?

This year, I've learned that my father God does hear me. He knows I’m aching for answers. He feels my pain more fully than I understand. He wants me to know the answer, as well… but in His time, not mine. My timing isn’t perfect… but His is.

So while my future is up in the air, I don’t know exactly where I’ll end up next year, I don’t know what I’m going to do or who I’m going to be… I do know this: that waiting for God brings about blessing, and even though it might feel like I’ve put my life on hold, God knows what He’s doing. He’s got access to the big picture, and He finds joy in revealing it to me, piece by piece.

Sweet Inner Peace..

"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest, for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; by which the Dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1:76-79

Our Savior has promises each who loves Him, His peace according to the verses found in John 14:27. This peace is the kind of peace allows for our quietly sleeping even through life's fierce storms.

"Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.' And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master , we are perishing!' Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, 'Where is your faith?' And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, 'Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!'"

Without His peace, our daily lives as women would be like riding in a sinking boat in the midst of a raging tempest? We would be like those disciples - feeling helpless and afraid. But, with His sweet inner peace, we experience unexplainable calmness in the midst of life's storms and turmoil.

To have access to that sweet inner peace, we must know Him as Lord and Savior. When we receive His forgiveness according to His instructions found in Romans 5:10, we obtain peace with Him. By being "born again" by His Spirit, we become members of His family!

"But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation." Romans 5:9-11

I remember during the events of "9-11", I observed many of Miami's local residents screaming, running to get their children out of class, panicking and totally lacking peace. Why? Because they had fears of death - believing it was the end of the world as they knew it. As followers of Jesus Christ, we ourselves, pass from death to life in Him. This is our peace. Without His salvation, the glorious and amazing truth that becomes our eternal hope, quickly fades and is replaced by fear.

God's sovereignty is another reason we possess a tranquil and peaceful heart. How important this becomes when we remember that the world in which we live is a very troubled and wicked place. This world we live in is a troubled world.

Knowing God is sovereign, even in my dealings with abused children in ministry, remains a critical part of His peace. This one subject tugs at my heart daily because of what I see, hear, and read about the plight of abused children in general and my own "adopted" children's life stories specifically. Dealings with the ramifications of abuse suffered at the hands of wicked people in the lives of our "adopted" children compels me to remember that God's sovereignty says He is and always has been in control of every situation. Knowing and believing these things protects my mind and spirit from the anxieties constantly birthed by this wicked world. He grants me His peace. This becomes the truth I pass along to my own loved family members.

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

We must understand that God knows our needs and has promised to fulfill each need according to His glory and good pleasure. He delights in doing so for He is our Father! We may not receive all we want, but He'll give us everything that's necessary to fulfill His purpose for us. The result? His peace that surpasses all earthly understanding.

“In the Waiting” ~ FFH (Far From Home)

I’ve seen the Red Sea part, I’ve seen the mountains move,

But now it seems so dark I can’t even feel you.

If you choose to be silent, then I’ll be silent too.

I will worship in the waiting quiet before you

‘Til your vice like manna from the sky falls.

I will worship in the waiting; I will walk this sand beneath my feet.

Though the winter wind is blowing, the ground is not frozen underneath.

And I will worship and not grow bitter ‘cuz I know you see the end of it all.

With the spring will come the rain, and I’ll see what was gained in the waiting.

I’ve seen the blooms of spring, their life in everything.

But now it seems so grey, bright colors fade away.

The winter seems much longer and colder than before,

But I will worship in the waiting, expecting something more

Until the sun shines warm upon my face again.

CHORUS

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me.

*His faithful follower I would be

**For by His hand He leadeth me.

*I will worship in the waiting

**I will worship in the waiting

"My dear Heavenly Father may we know that you give us that peace that surpasses all understanding. May we trust you always knowing that you are in control in our every day situations. We love you my dear sweet Savior!"

In Him,

Elaine Bateman

When my oldest was three, we went through this phase where the "book choice of the night" was Dr. Suess', Oh, the Places You'll Go! We read it over and over and o~v~e~r! This week as I was praying, this came back to me.

things are going along just as YOU planned, when suddenly you find yourself in the "waiting place."

"you can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.....
the waiting place...
for people just waiting.
waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a yes or a no.....everyone is just waiting....
NO! that's not for YOU!"

(I was tempted to post this in rhyme, but I refrained)

Have you ever felt as if you are in the "waiting place?" Waiting for an answer from God?
The nonsense of Dr. Suess' words have a deeper meaning for us. Oh yes, we will as Christians have to wait, just like the rest of the world, but we can have peace in the "waiting place." Our waiting is NEVER in vain, if it is GOD who had brought us there. We can have the peace that GOD is in control, He's checked us into the room and ALWAYS for good reason.

"Blessed are those who wait for Him." Isaiah 30:18

Waiting....at first glance it seems so passive, but if we truly look inward and to our God, our time in the "waiting place" can be a time of tremendous activity. It can be a time for us to grow in faith and trust. Our time in the waiting place CAN, if we choose, bring us to a NEW place in Christ. It's been in that God anointed "waiting place" that my greatest life lessons have emerged. Waiting WITH the Lord often is an experience of a lifetime. I have to admit that I have gone into the "waiting place" kicking and screaming, only to emerge humbled and healed. I still occasionally kick and scream when I'm in the "waiting place," but I'm learning.

I read recently a quote by Frances de Sales, that just resonates in my soul.

"Sometimes the Lord desires that our souls be nourished by a firm and unfailing resolution to persevere in serving Him in the spiritual life amid hardships, dryness..... This is YOUR will; how ardently I desire it!"

His will, how ardently I desire it!
Now that is a real, 'bring it on God, I'm trusting YOU and ONLY YOU statement!'
It wasn't easy for the people of Israel to wait, 40 years is a L~O~N~G time....they had their moments, as do we, where we want desperately to move from waiting....into answers. We often don't understand why we need to wait, and that is not always for us to know. If we are truly His, then we must have faith that He has His reasons, and that it is ALWAYS for our good. Trusting is not always easy, however, if we want to TRULY be at peace and in God's will, it's what we HAVE to do while we find ourselves in that "waiting place." It was in waiting that the Israelites discovered who they were. We will too, you see...
God hasn't changed, and that is a beautiful thing!

We are all waiting, for eternity...and the God who loves us more than we could EVER comprehend sometimes has to take us by the hand and gently lead us to the
'waiting place.' It's for our own good....He brings us there so that we can turn to Him and trust, we can cry out, we can be healed. Trusting, turning, clinging; definitely not passive, and sometimes the waiting place is exactly where He needs us to be.

As life finds me in the "waiting place" I'll cling to the disciples words,

"I am the vine and you are my branches, you abide in me my word abides in you; you shall bear much fruit, without me you can do nothing." John 15:5

and I'll willingly and faithfully, wait....in peace, with a heart full of trust.


Father,
Thank you for always knowing when I need to wait....
Sometimes I feel like the Israelites in the desert, waiting for answers. Help me Father to have the faith of Moses, knowing that my time spent waiting is ordained by You. Help me to grow in my waiting, trusting you each and everyday. Knowing that one day, the waiting will be over and I will see your face. Help me to find patient trust in you, as I wait for your answers in my life.
You know my heart, and you know far better than me what I need. It's only with your grace that I can grow in my waiting.
In Jesus' name,
amen.

In Him,

I can usually be found over here at my personal blog spot,
I'd love for you to stop by.

breath of heaven

It was almost 13 years to the day...
I was 9 months pregnant and due on January 8th, or so I thought.
I went to the doctor that morning and he calmly told me that I would be having a baby......................TODAY.

I remember that he would not let me go home. I had to go to the hospital, go directly to the hospital, DO NOT PASS GO.... :) and I remember what happened next...it is so clear to me.

I went to my car ~ a baby blue Ford Escort...it was a frigid day in Chicago, ice and snow covered the ground. That little car needed time to warm up, so I sat for a moment and waited ~
trying to compose myself...
I WAS GOING TO HAVE A BABY!
Wow, I had prayed for years, endured fertility treatments that still make me shake my head in wonder...and FINALLY the day had come...not at all how I imagined it would be...

Scott was in downtown ~ had to get him here...
(he had a habit of missing those trains from downtown:))
Mom was not arriving until after Christmas and now she'd miss this...
I still had shopping to do....
I could not even PACK my own bag....

As I sat there in the car, a song came on the radio...
it wasn' t the first time I'd heard it, but the first time I HEARD it...


" I am waiting in a silent prayer. I am frightened by the load I bear. In a world as cold as stone, Must I walk this path alone? Be with me now ~
Breath of Heaven, hold me together, be forever near me...breath of heaven... Breath of Heaven, light in my darkness, pour over me your holiness, for you are Holy..."

In my hormonal state I sat there and CRIED...not sad tears, but for the first time in my life, I imagined Mary ~ and I imagined her hearing the plans for her and submitting out of faith. I am certain that when the angel told her she was going to carry GOD'S child, it was not what she had imagined for herself, nor was the donkey ride to Bethlehem or the stable in which HIS life would begin...she was faithful to the plans that were never hers in the first place....

nor were mine...

It was MY moment.... I have no idea how long I sat there, I eventually drove myself to the hospital ~ and had my beautiful miracle baby. I learned so much that day.....

THOSE words stayed with me...
and 5 years later, in another miracle from GOD, I found myself pregnant again at Christmas...(there was another birth in between, but she was a summer babe, guess God did not think that I could handle 3 at Christmas:) )

With 2 in tow to the Dr. late in the month...I was again in a car...actually a van, going to the doctor...
I was IMPATIENT! Both of my others had been early and surely this one would too...
I was anxious,
and fitful,
I had a plan, I was ready!
mom had been with us for WEEKS now, we had planned this ALL out
and
again HE placed in my life THAT SONG...and again, I cried.

This time, it brought me back to Mary and her patience. Patience with God's plan, not her plan...

and not my plan, but HIS plan...

I THOUGHT I had learned what I needed to 5 years earlier...
apparently not...
another timely message, from the same words.

So, as I prepare my heart this Christmas, I find myself dwelling on Mary...her obedience, her faithfulness and her patience. The lessons from a girl who faithfully said,

"I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say." (Luke 1:38) lessons of a lifetime for me.

I still fall to pieces when I hear that song, especially if I happen to be in the car alone and can actually HEAR the words.
The messages were powerful to a Mary wanna be...
like me~

I love when HE does that! and twice! (that blows me away!!)

peace and blessings to you and yours this Christmas. The lessons found at the manger are so powerful, peek inside, linger awhile, it's the visit of a lifetime.

In HIM,

I'm always over here...
learning the lessons of life
come on over, you're always welcome.