Summer 2011

My posts have been few and far between this summer because we have been busy!  (And on the days we weren't busy, the computer was "busy" with three other people wanting to use it :-)

We started off the summer with Will attending his first major league baseball game.  I think it was a hit!

We tried to make the most of our season passes to King's Dominion.  This particular roller coaster (The Intimidator) has a 305 foot vertical drop--not my favorite--which is why I'm taking the picture instead of riding.  I think Jacob and Audra are in the front row of this one.

Will worked on his back dive at the pool.  (Check out the unknown person going off the high dive!)

We kissed Jacob goodbye and sent him off for an unforgettable week in Rome.

We enjoyed a romantic evening with four kids at the drive-in theater.

We celebrated the 4th of July at the ballpark.  Yes, that is a tarp and a deluge you see.

We enjoyed several outdoor movies on the driveway.

We went fishing.

We relaxed on the beach (when we weren't getting stung by jellyfish).

We pet lemurs...

and rhinos...

but we did not pet the penguins...

even though they asked for it.

We visited friends in Oklahoma.

We visited Anna's grave.

We hung out at Pop's...

and we hung out with Pop.

We attended a family reunion with my mom and three of her brothers and their families.

We survived a hurricane (and an earthquake).

And we cleaned up after the storm.

We opened our own business.

And we rock hopped on the James River.

Well, some of us rock hopped and some of us played our ukelele.

It's been a good summer.  

Compared to

If we are to share (Christ's) glory, we must also share his suffering.  Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. (Romans 8:17-18)


These words were written by the Apostle Paul to the Christians in Rome who were living under the rule of Emperor Nero.  The Roman emperors took pleasure in burning Christians at the stake, tying them to bulls who dragged them to death, and covering them with animal skins to watch wild dogs rip them to pieces.  The people to whom these words were written lived under the constant threat of death.  They grieved the murders of their friends and family members.  They suffered.
If their suffering was nothing compared to their future glory, how much more is my suffering nothing compared to what is to be revealed later?
Notice that Paul did not say that what those Christians suffered was nothing.
Getting cancer is not nothing.
Losing your mother is not nothing.
Having the children you thought you were going to keep forever taken back by their birth mother is not nothing.  
What he said was that their suffering was nothing compared to what would be revealed later.  
The rainstorm we had yesterday in Virginia was big, but it was nothing compared to  the rain we will get tomorrow from the hurricane.
The hole our rabbit dug under the house is big, but it is nothing compared to the Grand Canyon.
Losing someone you love is HUGE, but it is nothing compared to what lies ahead.
Difficult concept to grasp? Yes.  Difficult to see my suffering as nothing?  Yes.  It is only nothing when I am able to compare it to what lies ahead and this comparison is only possible if I am able to trust in what I cannot see.
That's great for the future, but how am I supposed to make it through this day?
Today it hurts.
Today I want to give up.
Today my suffering is all I can see.

God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort... For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.  (2 Corinthians 1:3,5)

If you are suffering today, be encouraged as you compare your suffering with what lies ahead and as you continue to seek the God of all comfort.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Press on!

A letter to my friend...

Sometimes God wraps his gifts in unlikely packages.  Often they come wrapped as tiny, helpless babies.  His greatest gift was born in a stable.  No one could imagine how a tiny baby could change the world.  But that baby grew, and taught, and loved, and healed, and suffered, and died, and rose again.  Along the way, that tiny baby became a man who conquered sin and death and gave us hope for eternity.  He was truly God's greatest gift.


I received a gift from God in the form of a baby girl.  When she was born, I couldn't imagine how that tiny baby would change my life.  She grew, she laughed, she loved, she died.  Along the way, that tiny baby became a little girl who taught me how to trust God, how to love people, how to make the most of every day, how to suffer, how to be brave, and how to keep my focus on eternity.  She was a severe mercy, a blessing, and one of God's greatest gifts to me.


This week you have received a gift from God in the form of a baby boy.  As you look at him, you cannot yet see all the ways he will change your life.  He will grow.  He will laugh.  He will love.  Oh, how he will love!   He will teach you to trust God, to love people, to make the most of every day, to celebrate the little things (which are really the big things) and he will teach you how to be brave.  The world may say that he is not perfect.  God says that he is fearfully and wonderfully made.  You have been given a great gift that will take a lifetime to unwrap.  

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life

Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near?

And what if trials of this life

Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not our home

It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears?

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst

This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise?

(lyrics by Laura Story)

Eucharisteo: to give thanks; to rejoice

Back in April I started my journal of 1,000 gifts.  It's my Eucharisteo journal--giving thanks to God for what he has given me.  I've named 271 so far...

47. People who adopt orphans
51. Sharing an earbud with my son; sharing his world
57. Real mail in the mailbox
68. Wagging dog tails
81. Father/Son camping trips
83. Wild strawberries among the weeds
100. Butterflies
108. Ginormous bowls of popcorn
129. Early morning walks
133. Teenagers who say thank you
143. Bunnies who want to be held
151. Iced tea mixed with lemonade
167. Clean sinks
184. A peaceful home
186. A husband who loves me
212. Strangers who say hello
215. Dinner parties
224. Roller coasters at night
231. A permanent address (only thought of this one after spending a day with the homeless)
236. Good night kisses
245. A child in my lap
267. Looking in libraries
269. Having a hand to hold

I hope my list will encourage you to notice the gifts God has given you.  Perhaps you haven't recognized the things around you as gifts.  Acts 14:16 says that God has not left us without evidence of himself and his goodness.  For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.  God has put things around us that reveal himself and his goodness--things like rain, food, and joyful hearts (and baby ducks, BFF's, and birthdays).  In John 17:7 Jesus says that everything he has is a gift from God.  In order to live life with a grateful heart, you have to recognize the gifts you have.

in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:18)

Had enough?

Once upon time there was a prophet named Elijah.  He was a great man of God.  During his lifetime, he stood up to the king, he was fed by ravens, he prayed for a drought in Samaria for three years,  he raised a boy from the dead, he called down fire from heaven, and he killed all the prophets of Baal.  Did I mention he was a great man of God?  But apparently even great men of God get discouraged.  When Elijah found out that the Queen (a Baal worshipper herself) was planning to kill him, he fled for his life.  "He went alone into the wilderness, traveling all day.   He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. 'I have had enough Lord...Take my life.'" After Elijah cried out to God, he collapsed and slept.  As he was sleeping, an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat!"  He looked around and saw some bread and water.  So he ate and drank and slept again.  Then the angel of the Lord touched him again and said, "Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you."  So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel...(1 Kings 19:4-8)

Application:

Everyone gets worn out/burned out/discouraged/afraid--even great men of God.  How many times have you said, "I've had enough!  I can't take it anymore!"  It's a common feeling--having had enough--wanting to end the pain.  But God promises that he has a purpose for us and that he will fulfill it.  (Psalm 138:8)  Just because you are discouraged does not mean that you are not a Christian.  It may mean that you are alone in the wilderness.  It may mean that you are tired and hungry.  It may mean that you need to hear a word from the Lord--which is what happens to Elijah later in the story.

When you are worn out/burned out/tired of running you need to take care of your physical needs.  You need rest.  You need food.  It sounds simple, but it's the way God made us.  If you are going through a difficult season of life, take care of yourself.  Sleep. Eat.  If you don't, the journey ahead will be too much for you.

When you are depressed, things look worse than they really are.  In verse 14 Elijah tells God that he is the only prophet of God left.  "And now they are trying to kill me too."  God assures him that he has preserved a remnant of 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal.  Elijah needed to see the situation from God's perspective.

So if today you are saying, "I've had enough!"  Stop.  Rest.  Eat.  Look at your situation from God's perspective.  Listen for His voice.  He will strengthen you for the journey ahead.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Why should I?

Once upon a time there was a great and valiant soldier who was highly regarded by the king (2 Kings ch.5).  But although Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.  One day his slave girl said, "If my master would go see the prophet in Samaria, he would heal him of his leprosy."  So Naaman left his home carrying gold, silver, and clothing to offer in exchange for his healing.  He arrived at the prophet Elisha's door with his impressive entourage of horses and chariots and Elisha didn't even bother to come outside.  Instead, he sent a servant to tell the great commander, "Go wash in the Jordan river seven times and your flesh will be restored." Naaman was offended and went off in a rage, "I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!  I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!  Why should I dip in the Jordan river?  Aren't the rivers of Damascus, Abana, and Pharpar better than any of the rivers of Israel?  Why can't I wash in them?"

"I thought ... !"
"I expected ... !"
"Why should I ... ?"
Have you ever said those words to God?  I have.
"I thought things would be different!"
"I expected you to fix this!"
"Why should I have to do this?"

God does not act in ways we "think" or "expect".  He doesn't do things the way we think he "should".

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways", declares the Lord." As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

We can't understand his ways.  We must be like Naaman and obey even when it doesn't make sense to us.  Instead of waiting for God to tell us what we want to hear, we need to act on what he has already said.

Naaman's officers told him, "Sir, if the prophet had asked you to do something very difficult wouldn't you have done it?  So you should certainly obey him when he tells you to do something simple like 'wash and be cured'."  So Naaman humbled himself and did what Elisha had told him to do and he was healed.

We need to stop shaking our fists at God and saying, "I thought...! I expected...! You should...!"  We can't understand, but we can choose to trust and obey.

Abandoned by God?

Once upon a time the city of Samaria was under siege (2 Kings 6-7).  The people inside the city were starving to death while the armies of Aram encamped around them.  One day the King of Samaria was walking around the city wall when a woman cried out to him for help.  He looked at her and said, "If God does not help you, how can I help you?"  He had nothing to offer. He knew that only God could help her.  Before walking away he asked, "What's the matter?"  The woman told a gruesome story of an arrangement she had made with another woman to kill and eat their sons.  Evidently after eating the first woman's son, the other woman had gone back on her word and had hidden her son.  When the king heard her words he was sickened by the disaster that had come upon his people.  He tore his robe and cried out,   "All this misery is from the Lord!  Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?" He felt abandoned by God.  He didn't see any way out of his current situation.  He was hopeless.

Have you ever felt that way?  Have you ever gotten tired of waiting for God to help you?  My neighbor got tired of waiting.  My friend's nephew got tired of waiting.  They thought they were in hopeless, impossible situations.


But God changed everything for the Samaritans in ONE day.  What seemed impossible to them was possible with God.  Unbeknownst to the Samaritans, God had caused the Arameans to hear what sounded like a great army attacking them and they abandoned their camp and ran for their lives.  The enemy was defeated!  God had fought the battle.  He was the victor, but the people inside the city continued to live in bondage--not knowing that their salvation had arrived.

Are you one of the Samaritans in this story?  God has fought the battle for YOU!  He has won the victory over sin and death.  You don't have to live as a victim.  You don't have to live without hope.  You can claim victory in Christ.


That night, four lepers decided to surrender to the Arameans.  They knew if they stayed in the city they would die so they took their chances by going to the enemy camp.  When they got there, they found that it was empty.  They ran into the first tent and ate and drank and gathered gold, silver, and clothes.  After raiding several tents they said, "This is not right.  This is a day of good news and we aren't sharing it with anyone...Come let's go back and tell the people."  At first the guards didn't believe the lepers so they sent out scouts to see if it was true.  When they discovered that the army was truly gone and that they were free, the entire city ran out to plunder the camp.

Are you one of the lepers in this story?  Do you have good news that you need to share or are you just stuffing your face?  Do you go to church and eat the bread of life and never share it with people who are starving?  In the words of the lepers, "This is not right."


Do not give up.  God can change your circumstances in an instant, but even if he does not you can have a hope that is firm and secure.  And if you have good news, share it!


"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)