Some wait and see...

I have come to know and understand that God does much of His sanctifying work in my life when I am having to wait... we have some waiting and seeing in the coming days... job possibilities, medical uncertainty, housing changes... and in all of it, when I am tempted to despair or worry, I remember how the Lord has promised to do good to me and not harm (Jeremiah 29:11)... and that is enough.

It is Well with My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

Our last two sips...

As we continue to enjoy this encouraging cup of COFFEE, we need to be reminded to…

E – Enjoy every moment…

I remembered being annoyed as a young mom at being constantly told to “enjoy every moment, before you know it they’ll be gone”. I would look at my baby and knew I would have to nearly live my whole life over again before she would even leave for college, I had SO MUCH TIME! But in the blink of an eye, my baby is half-grown and only shorter than me by two inches. Dear friend, you know even better than me at how fast the time goes, your first will be graduating from High School this year.

We have talked about experiencing the joy of the Lord through the days and moments of a mother’s life and as we now consider how to enjoy every moment, I want to share with you one of my favorite mommy verses for when I am struggling with the decision between sitting down to play that game of Candyland with the pleading 4 year old or whether to mop the kitchen floor.

Proverbs 14:4 says, “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”

I am not advocating that you neglect the care and cleaning your manger, but even here, a proper perspective will help us maintain the joy of the Lord as we are stretched to sacrifice our plans for the needs of others.  Considering the strength of your many oxen, and remembering that oxen as a whole are not the neatest animals ever created will help you maintain an attitude of praise and thanksgiving even after that jar full of sticky jam spills right in the middle of the newly mopped kitchen floor. And it will also help you remember that your oxen will only be in your manger for a short while, and you will have a lifetime after to clean up the hay.

And so we have come to the end, our cup of coffee is nearly gone, our last sip is,

E – Encouragement in the Word…

I hope you have been encouraged by the Scriptures discussed this morning, our sips of COFFEE as we celebrate your sweet new baby's arrival. If there is one thing I remember clearly about the first days and weeks following the arrival of a new baby, it would be a lack of time in God’s Word. 

The sleeplessness of establishing a routine through the wee hours, the demands of other children still so full of energy and exuberance, the general day-to-day things like laundry and cooking and cleaning, can sometimes overwhelm the three minutes of quiet you find yourself with at 2:17 in the afternoon. 

So, I have a gift for you, inspired by Deuteronomy 6:6,9 which say, “And these words I command you today shall be on your heart. … You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” 

For those days when a quiet moment of solitude escapes you, I have made you a print with each of the main verses I have shared with you today, so you can post them in your most frequented locations, the bathroom, kitchen sink, laundry room, near the chair you will feed your little child in, etc. And in those moments, you will be able to look up and be encouraged by God’s Word.

(I will get the signs posted soon...)

The middle of our cup...

F – Follow Jesus…

Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.’”

Do you ever feel like your cross as a mommy is covered with peanut butter and jelly, rice crispies, play dough and a few other unmentionables? We give so much of our time and energy to this missional task of mothering, that it is essential that we maintain our focus on the perfect example of truly sacrificial living, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes I think about how Jesus dealt with the disciples and how it is not much different than the situations we face with our children. The disciples would bicker about who was better and more deserving of honor, and I don’t know about your house, but my children want to sit in their favorite seat in the car despite the tears and pleading of a sibling, not to mention that last or largest piece of cake!

Jesus would also have to remind the disciples repeatedly of things He had already told them, which is exactly what we do with our children when we have “the talk” before we get out of the car to go into the grocery store and remembering that one time we didn’t have “the talk” and how we regretted it because the children acted like they had never been in public before.

In the garden, Jesus asked his friends to do one thing for Him, stay awake and pray, but they did the opposite, just like our children as they “but I just (insert excuse here)” instead of doing whatever was requested of them. And yet, each time as Jesus corrected the disciples, exhorted them, or redirected them, Jesus did so with love and mercy, with a genuine concern for their souls.

I must admit that this is where I find myself falling short. Every time I forget that James tells me to “count it all joy”, when I stop “giving thanks in all circumstances” and when I take my eyes off of Jesus and lay down my cross, my concern shifts to that of my desires – for order, to be appreciated, or simply to go potty all by myself – my concern is no longer for the heart condition of those around me, but simply my own ease. But when I put my eyes back on Jesus, when I take up the cross He has chosen for me, and I reorient my thoughts to His will, the joy of my salvation returns.   

One thing that has blessed me significantly as I have been mommying these last 10+ years is also our next little sip… 

F – Fellowship with the Church…

Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

What I love about the Church is that God’s people come together to share life and hold each other accountable to the Word of God and righteous living. I am always so thankful when a friend is willing to lovingly come beside me and say, “Hey, friend, I noticed the tone you used with your child earlier, it seemed like you could have been more kind” or when I get that call with what seems like devastating news, I have sisters who will cry with me, but also who will remind me of the truth of God, and of His plans for me. Being together with our church family also provides opportunities for others to pour into the lives of our children and family.

Of course, there are seasons when we are kept from the assembling together in person. The weeks and weeks with children passing a cold, or fever or tummy bug. The exciting time ahead, as your new baby arrives and you spend some time recovering from the delivery. Those are times when you can remember the fellowship in your prayers and look eagerly towards future fellowship.

Our annual Thanksgiving trip...

We just returned from our 3rd annual Thanksgiving camping trip. This year's destination was changed at the very last moment (like the day before), but I am so glad it was! We ended up spending five days and four nights at Choke Canyon State Park. We enjoyed the time together, away from our normal routine. God displayed His masterful handiwork all over the place and we enjoyed observing the works of His hands as we went on bird walks and nature hikes. Here are a few of the over 1,400 photos I took this trip...

The Green Jay, the bird to see at Choke Canyon State Park (and a year round resident). We spent days and days hearing these birds calling to one another, then observing them swoop past over head, only to disappear with no chance at a photo. The only time these birds would stay in view long enough for a photo, I didn't have my camera! This one Faith and I followed around for about twenty minutes as he flew between three trees in a parking lot while the rest of the kids played basketball.

This is a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher. He is a fast little bird who doesn't stay in one place very long... we followed him between three trees for a solid ten minutes before he finally stopped for a break and a photo shoot!

The Great Kiskadee - a new Life List bird for all of us, and an unusual find at Choke Canyon. At first we thought it was another Green Jay (from the bright yellow belly), but when we got it in the binoculars we knew it was something new!

True birders... last thing they wanted to do each day, first thing they wanted to do when they woke up, even skipping breakfast on the last day of the trip for an early morning hike (we ate when we got back).

Kids contemplating...

I helped Noah put together his comic strip earlier today, and he was elated. After I printed it out for him, I heard him discussing with his sister some big plans. Before long they shared their plans with me. They call it "The Tuesday Times". They are starting a newspaper. They are asking for their friends to contribute articles, artwork, stories, jokes, poems. They hope to publish every 1st and 3rd Tuesday (by 10am).

I am excited that they will be productively busy. I think it will be a wonderful exercise in diligence to meet (self-made) deadlines. And I am really excited to see how they pull it all together. (I plan on helping them on the computer end of things.) I think it will be a really fun endeavor that will unite them around a common goal. And I can't wait to see what kind of stories they tell!

I wonder if they will allow any parent submissions...

The adventure begins...

Noah and a couple of friends are building a LEGO adventure story, one brick at a time...

The "O"...

A key to cultivating the kind of joy that James (as well as Paul) encourages us to attain to, the joy that supersedes circumstances, is our attitude, and that is what we will consider now, the “O” in our little cup of COFFEE.

O – Offer thanksgiving and praise…

In 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 we are reminded to, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Cultivating a joyful attitude is directly related to our understanding of how God works in our lives. We must be depending on God’s Sovereignty alone, trusting in His faithfulness and goodness towards us. 

Many of us can quote Romans 8:28 without batting an eye, but it is verse 29 which gives us the proper perspective for what “good” we are to be anticipating. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order than He might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28-29)

What does this look like as a Mom? How does Romans 8:28-29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 shape my attitude in the mundaneness of everyday mommying? Well, let’s consider that mysterious hallway fluid. If I have learned anything in my decade of parenting, it is that the discovery of an odd or unknown substance never occurs during a point in my day that is convenient.

And if I have been dwelling on God’s Word, remembering that I am called to “rejoice always” and “give thanks in all circumstances” and remembering that “all things work together for good” my response looks quite different than when I have been neglecting to meditate on God’s Word.

In fact, when I am not being reminded of the goodness and grace of the Lord, my response will likely be sinful. But when I am content in my circumstances and resting in the joy of the Lord, and spending regular time in Bible study, I will be more gentle with my answer and more tender toward my children. I may even be able to laugh at the situation and consider that this may be a sign that I needed to mop my floor.

The joy of the Lord comes when we learn to look at each situation how God does. We can thank Him in the midst of the storm because we know who God is and we trust His Word when He says He will take care of us. We grow in joy when we allow all situations, whether trivial, like my puddle in the hallway, or more serious, to prompt us to prayer and thanksgiving instead of turning our hearts to grumbling and complaining.