Be Still

©kokanary

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

In January, I started a plan to read the Bible through in a year. I was familiar with many Bible stories as a child, you know, through flannel boards at church and such. So I thought this would be a nice review. Ha! Apparently only “G-rated” stories were selected for Sunday school. Forget trash TV when you’ve got adventure, suspense, scandal and betrayal on every page of the Old Testament. Each day, I find myself anxious to find out what happens next, as each story unfolds.

But it’s not just an episode of “The Real Housewives” that I’m reading in the Bible. It is beyond anything that most people in our society today could fathom. It is a story of redemption. It is a story that carries a strong current of hope and a promise. Over and over again, God promises to deliver His people. All they have to do is listen to His instruction.

In the book of Exodus, God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, just as He promised. That was a big deal. It was a huge answer to prayer for the Israelites after years of bondage under Pharoah’s control. However, they had only begun their journey to freedom, when they began complaining of being hungry, thirsty, and tired. They became frantic and terrified that they might die in the desert. As a reader, I can’t help but yell back into history, “Are you crazy?? You have the nerve to question the God of the entire world? The One who just helped you escape Pharoah’s control? The One who literally just parted the seas so you could walk among the whales and other sea creatures and escape from Pharoah’s army? What? You think he brought you all the way out of Egypt just to let you starve to death?”

I thought they were crazy. I became really frustrated reading some of those passages. And in a moment of clarity, or rather, in a moment of intervention by the Holy Spirit, I realized that the Israelites are me. I am the one who has a hard time trusting in God sometimes, even when He continues to reveal Himself to me over and over again. I am not unlike the people in the story that I criticize.

And my favorite part of the story comes when the Israelites said to God, “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” I love how they were confident that their plan was better than the one God created for them. It’s humbling to know I am not the only one who ridiculously thinks I can make a better plan for myself than God can. And I love God’s response. He said, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

No matter our life stage or the circumstances in which we find ourselves, we need to remember one thing. We need to remember God’s hope and promise. He will fight for us. We do not need to create a plan, try to figure out what’s next, or waste time and energy on solving our problems. We need only to be still.

- Rebekah H.

Easter Tree Project

Click here to visit Ann's post

It all started with a big branch in a vase...at least ours did.  In November we created a "Thankful Tree." My husband brought a huge branch home from a run with the kids (bless him - he ran in public with a large branch sticking out of our jogging stroller, gathering many a strange and curious look along the way).  I placed the branch upright in a large glass vase and anchored it by filling the vase with glass "pebbles."  We wrote things we were thankful for on foam leaves, tied strings to them, and hung them on the tree.  

I thought that set-up transitioned well into Advent and the Advent Tree family devotional from Ann Voskamp (a great Advent tradition if you are interested).  We filled our tree with the beautifully illustrated ornaments from Ann's devotional (printed, mounted on card stock, laminated, strung with ribbon).  We missed a day here and there, but either caught ourselves up or just added the ornament.

Since I believe in minimalist (lazy) decorating and our Christmas decorations lingered embarrassingly long, our tree wasn't bare long before we decided to recreate the "Thankful Tree" with hearts instead of leaves in honor of Valentine's Day.  The kids loved it and I loved not having to take it down - I have grown rather attached to our tree!

Imagine my delight when I realized (after doing some research upon hearing about Lenten Trees, a traditionally Catholic tradition) that the lovely Ann Voskamp has created a beautiful Lent/Easter devotional with accompanying ornaments to create an Easter Tree!  

See how Ann's family does it!

The ornaments are stunning - incorporating classic artwork.  

What's that?  Lent has already begun?  Don't worry, the devotional has 17 days of readings, not 40 so you have plenty of time to make your tree and do all 17 readings before Easter.  You really must go visit aholyexperience.com to see the amazing information Ann has and the touching post she wrote to introduce it.

What are you doing to celebrate the time leading to Easter?

How Wisdom Looks on a Wife - Part 1 of 2

Wisdom is mentioned several times in the Bible - 222 times in fact.  Godly wisdom is something we gain over time if we are open to it.  It is something available to us if we just ask.  Join us today as we listen to the first part of a teaching Beth Moore provided as part of her Wise Up, Wherever Life Happens series titled, "How Wisdom Looks on a Wife."  This is a 90 minute teaching so we will be listening to the first 45 minutes today and the rest next Wednesday, Feb. 27th.  There will be time to discuss as a table what you heard at the end of each day.  

Much of this message is based on various parts of Proverbs, a book in the Bible chalk full of all sorts of God-given wisdom on various topics.  Beth zeroes in on the ever infamous Proverbs 31:10-31 which in it's entirety can be very very overwhelming to women.  However, she takes and breaks this down into five characteristics of a priceless wife to help us simplify and grasp the over arching themes of these verses. 

Along the way she genuinely and vulnerably weaves in her real life struggles and victories her and her husband have been through in their marriage.  I think any one of us who are married can admit to how hard marriage is at times but also how rewarding it can be.  In 1 Corinthians 7:28 we are reminded that all who marry will face trials.  Our hope is that this message will inspire you more towards living the life God designed for you to live as a wife clinging to His truths striving for what He knows to be best for you verses settling for good or good enough.

We will focus on the first two characteristics today . . .

#1 - She has a healthy FEAR of the Lord (Prov 31:30)

"It is the Will of God that we stay married but we don't have to be miserable. God doesn't come in to take sides. He comes in to take us both over." ~Beth Moore

This is speaking of a healthy fear of the Lord but what does this really mean as a wife?  The fear of the Lord can keep us from doing things we shouldn't.  We also have to trust that if we are obeying God then God is going to take care of our husbands too and have our back.  Beth jokes that " . . . the art of submission is learning to duck so God can smack our husbands" if needed.  If we obey when it is hard, then God is in a prime position to fight our battles for us. 

Dig into the verses below for further insight and importance of having a fear of the Lord.  I'd encourage you to use Biblical study tools to help bring more light to this topic. Click HERE for some guidance on how to use various Bible study tools. 

• Proverbs 1:1-7
• Proverbs 2:5
• Psalms 111:10
• Ecclesiastes 12:13

#2 - She is a woman of COURAGE (Prov 31:10)

"A wife of noble character who can find?" Prov 31:10

". . . The Lord is with you mighty warrior." Judges 6:12

The word "mighty" when transcribed in Hebrew means the same thing as "noble character."  These words are great words but they mean more - they mean a woman of valor.  A woman who is a warrior. Any hero or celebrated warrior were at one point or another called to use great measures of courage and were also tempted by fear.

God gives victory to a woman of valor who has been courageous for her husband and her home.  "When you fight the good fight and you allow God to bring you through something so hard your entire family gains and benefits from the "plunder"." ~Beth Moore

This passage in Proverbs 31:10-31 is full of warrior-like terminology and she defines it during her talk.

I hope today will be insightful for you even if some of her message is a bit challenging and hard to hear.  I would encourage you to just ask God to help you know what pieces to apply to your life . . .start small, involve God, tell Him where you are confused and ask Him to bring clarity then go forward believing He can turn your good into what is best.

~Tara G.

Jesus and Rest

Fiery Gizzard Trail
South Cumberland State Recreation Area, TN

The word rest seems to be a buzzword in our house these days.  My husband's small group is really diving into the idea of rest in the context of being a disciple and there is such fruit coming from his involvement with that group that I am always excited to hear what they talked about each week, to have him share it with me and see how we can work on those things in our lives.  They are really onto something with this concept of rest.

If you think about human nature, and our culture in particular, work is an important part of who we are.  We can easily become defined by what we do, whether that is working outside the home, pursuing a career, raising our children and managing our households, volunteering, or all of the above.  We are constantly working, striving, doing - to the point that there is no balance or rhythm in our lives.

This drive to work is no accident, God's very first command to mankind once created was to, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Genesis 1:28  No pressure, right?  No wonder we have this need to do, to work, to accomplish something. 

What we forget is that immediately after God gave us our marching orders, He sat back, looked at what He had created, and, "rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done." Genesis 2:2-3  He instituted a rhythm of work and rest from the very beginning.  If He took a moment after the creation of all that we know to rest and made a point to set aside the seventh day for us to recall that He rested, who are we to decide rest is unimportant?

I know, you are thinking...rest, what is that?  It isn't like I go to bed with a completed to-do list, a clean kitchen, laundry complete...the list goes on.  Who has time to rest?  I think God is asking us, who has time NOT to rest.  When we are constantly working harder and harder to juggle all of the balls we have in the air, we are slowly (or quickly) draining ourselves with no real opportunity to recharge, or rest.  There isn't spare time or money in most of our lives to rejuvenate with a massage, a trip to the spa, etc. on a regular basis.  However, if we don't find ways to lessen the draining impact of our work and revitalize our energy in some way, we are fighting a losing battle. 

All of this work makes us productive, right?  But, what if something arguably unproductive is what you need to bear the most fruit in a given situation.  Recently we were on a family trip to Atlanta.  Picture fourteen hours one-way in a minivan with three small children.  Not exactly my idea of restful.  We were on our way home at the end of a week-long trip and I was just ready to power through and get home.  Three hours into our fourteen hour drive my husband suggests we find a place to stop and let the kids stretch their legs.  I just wanted to get home, but after a bit of convincing on his part and no small amount of grumbling on mine, we took an exit that looked like it may have a nature area to stop and get out.  Twenty minutes later, down a 2-lane highway the opposite direction of home, we finally pull into a parking lot with bathrooms and a trailhead.  Again, this is accompanied by no small amount of complaining on my part, but my husband's gung-ho attitude will not be denied so we put Ella (our 2yo) in a backpack carrier, throw together a quick sack lunch for everyone, get our hiking shoes on and take off down a trail.  The next two hours resulted in one of the most amazing memories our family has made and gave us all a bit of rest, without accomplishing a single task (namely getting us 2+ hours closer to Kansas City).  The excursion was not productive, but it continues to bear fruit to this day (I am writing from another family trip and we are intentionally stopping at that same nature area on our way home to do a longer hike and our kids remembered and made sure we included it in our plans).

Fiery Gizzard Trail, TN

If we carve out time and resources to give ourselves rest, we can be more fruitful in our productivity as well because we are sharper, more focused, have had an opportunity to thoughtfully prune unessential things from our lives, and operate from a place of rest rather than perpetuating our frantic state of work.

One way to address this is to come up with a burn and replenish list.  Write down a list of things that burn your energy or wear you out.  These can be things that tax you emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc.  Also write a list of things that replenish you or give you rest, realizing that something doesn't have to be physically restful (like a nap) in order to give you rest or replenish your spirit.  My husband encouraged me to create these lists for myself in an effort to take a step back and see what I/we can do to give me more rest. 

Personally some of the things that burn my energy or spirit are the seemingly endless parade of dirty dishes through my kitchen, several days in a row with my husband traveling for work (leaving me to take on 100% of the parenting, homeschooling, household management, etc.), large group social events (or large groups of people in general), and several others.  Some things that replenish me or give me rest are time alone (whether I am doing anything productive or not), crafting/creating/cooking (for pleasure), nature (specifically mountains, trees, and water), time alone with my husband ("dates," even if that means running errands together, without kids), etc.

We are taking action in our lives based on these lists.  James is making an effort to pitch in on the dishes more often when he is home and he is thinking of ways to make things easier for me when he is out of town (like putting the garbage by the curb a day early so I don't have to remember as I am leaving - usually late - to drop our daughter off on my way to MT).  He surprised me with a rented cello and lessons for Christmas - something I have always wanted to do and feeds my artistic side.  We are setting aside money and vacation time for the family to go to the mountains regularly, whether it be camping or staying in a hotel, hiking or biking - just spending time together as a family in the great outdoors.

I encourage you to join me in this exercise - write out your burn and replenish list.  What burns your energy?  What gives you rest?

The Practice of Lent

Source: (in)courage Blog - http://www.incourage.me/category/easter-2

 ***NOTE:  Please remember that we will not have our regular MT meeting.  Childcare is still available and we encourage each table to use this time to connect over breakfast or coffee at a nearby establishment. Hope you enjoy your morning and this little ditty about Lent!

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lent Season.  I don't know about you but I have often struggled with bringing myself to give up things for Lent and probably have too quickly moved past the meaning and wealth in sacrificing, fasting, suffering a small percentage of what Christ suffered on the cross for me . . . imperfect, ungrateful and selfish-at-times me.  I am guilty of categorizing Lent as just another "nice" thing to do but without any real meaning or impact.  However, we are called to be like Christ and this includes suffering and sacrificing so who am I to think I am above THIS no matter how small or how big my suffering or sacrificing is.  Could our sacrificing result in a resurrection in our life like we have never seen before, making us alive in new ways.  Would you agree there is goodness in decluttering our homes, playrooms, cars, etc  but what about decluttering our souls?  Would God really show up?  Could it turn into a life-style change?

First of all I think it helps if we look at the meaning of Lent and what some other well-known sources have to say about it.  In the next couple weeks we will cover additional Lenten practices that you can use with your families to help prepare all your hearts for the sacredness and celebration of Easter or what I like to call Resurrection Sunday.

Focus on the Family:
"Lent (from an Old English word meaning "spring") is a period of forty days, beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending with Easter Sunday, during which Christians prepare themselves spiritually to celebrate the miracle of Christ's Resurrection. In many church traditions this time of preparation involves participation in spiritual disciplines such as fasting, solitude, quiet reflection, and special times of prayer and Bible study." (Focus on the Family)

Ann VosKamp:
“Okay… Lent. It’s the preparing the heart for Easter. Like going with Jesus into the wilderness for forty days, that we might come face to ugly face with our enemy. Our sacrificing that we might become more like Christ in His sacrifice. . . Lent isn’t about forfeiting as much as it’s about formation. We renounce to be reborn; we let go to become ‘little Christs’. It’s about this: We break away to become. . . It is an irrefutable law: one needs to be dispossessed of the possessions that possess — before one can be possessed of God. Let the things of this world fall away so the soul can fall in love with God. God only comes to fill the empty places and kenosis is necessary — to empty the soul to know the filling of God.  ”  (Click HERE to read entire blog post from "A Holy Experience" Blog by Ann VosKamp)
  
The Bible on suffering and saving:
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
From the NIV Bible, Phillipians 3:7-14

Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving.
From the MSG Bible, Eph. 2:8-9

Lent Resource: 

 

This book by Dean Lambert Smith contains great devotions for kids and for adults.  You can even make ornaments to go with each story and create a Lenten Tree similar to a Jesse Tree that some of you may have made for the Christmas season.  Here are some photos that Liz S. shared with us last year.  

  

~Tara Gaz 

 

"Date" your kids!

© Vallog | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I thought I’d share with you something I started doing with my boys back in 2005. Valentine’s Day in 2005 I was pregnant with our youngest son, whom we knew was going to be born in a few short weeks with Spina Bifida. RJ had been an only child up to this point (5 ½ yrs old) and very much used to lots of 1 on 1 attention.

However, with so many things in our future uncertain, I made sure he and I went on a “date” together before our lives got flipped upside down! This particular occasion, we did do an actual date. My little boy took me out to dinner (McDonald’s) and a movie (something animated). It was so fun!

While Garrett was in the NICU, my dinners and evenings were split equally. While RJ was in school I’d be at the hospital with Garrett and every other day I’d leave to have dinner at home with RJ and get him settled into bed. The next night while I was with Garrett, RJ got to have dinner and spend time with many other loving family members.

As time progressed Garrett continued to demand a majority of my time, but RJ and I had established our date commitment. At this stage we would go roller-skating, eat pizza, drink rainbow slushes, and play arcade games at the rink. As Garrett grew the inequality of attention lessened and it became obvious that Garrett and I actually needed to start going on dates. So much of the time we spent together involved taking care of the necessities that we didn’t get to have much fun with one another. Since Garrett loved trains, we began our dates eating dinner at Fritz’s.

Fast forward a few years, and I presently have weekly dates scheduled with both of my boys. RJ is now 13 ½ and every Thursday we go get a coffee from Starbucks drive thru then park and catch up. For some reason teenagers will talk to you in the car more than anywhere else! At this age he’s so busy with his own life that sometimes I feel clueless as to what is going on, and I can see this only getting worse. Based on the conversations that take place during this time together, connecting with our teenagers on a regular basis appears to be vital!

Garrett will be 8 next month, he currently loves going to the park to play, going for walks, and getting frozen yogurt. Even though Garrett still gets a lot of my time and attention, having a date to go do something fun together has relieved a lot of stress for me. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and frustrated with him and all that we have to do on a daily basis, but our dates give us the opportunity to remember he’s just like any other 8-year-old little boy.

My boys look forward to these special dates so much that for Christmas they asked for gift cards to Starbucks and Peachwave. These “dates” have inspired us to incorporate intentional time to just build our relationships. We even have family dates to the movies, the zoo, or even a simple picnic in the park and playing catch! Our pace can get out of hand quickly if we allow it. Including these dates in our schedule has helped me create and maintain close healthy relationships with my boys. My prayer is for that to continue!

What does your family do? Especially if you have more than one kiddo, you may consider implementing an idea like this. Our children can be so different from on another and connecting with them individually makes them feel important and boosts their confidence about how God created them to be unique.

- Nanette H.

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking

Photo by dorians_s at stock.xchng 

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

A message every adult should read because children 

are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my 

first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately 

wanted to paint another one. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a 

stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind 

to animals. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my

favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little 

things can be the special things in life. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a 

prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always 

talk to, and I learned to trust in Him. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a 

meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I 

learned that we all have to help take care of each other. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care 

of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have 

to take care of what we are given. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you 

handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't 

feel good, and I learned that I would have to be 

responsible when I grow up. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come 

from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things 

hurt, but it's all right to cry. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you 

cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of 

life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and 

productive person when I grow up. 

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and 

wanted to say,’ Thanks for all the things I saw when 

you thought I wasn't looking.' 

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Leave the rest to God.

- Author unknown, shared by Tasha C. 

Serving Covenant Children's Homes

Large group photo from camp last May.

Children's Covenant Homes (CCH) - Providing Family-Style Homes and Education for Children in Crisis

Website - http://cch-india.com/

Vison - In a Covenant Children’s Home, we create an atmosphere of love and belonging, where the children not only have the pastor’s immediate family taking care of them in the day-to-day, but the entire church family nurturing them as they grow up.  This gives them a solid foundation emotionally, physically and spiritually.  As a child in a Covenant Children’s Home, you have gone from orphaned or abandoned to:

• A church home with parents – a local pastor and his family
• A family-style living environment with nine brothers or sisters.
• An English speaking education in order to learn your way out of poverty.
• Daily discipleship and worship, growing in a relationship with God.
• Likelihood that you are the last of biological your family to ever experience poverty.

We currently have 400 children in 40 Covenant Children’s Homes. Our desire is to see many more orphaned or abandoned children have the opportunity to grow up in this kind of environment. 
 
Helpful Videos to further explain the life of these kids and the CCH Vision:

1. "A Day in the Life"
2. "CCH Vision" 

MT Serve Day Efforts 

Two weeks ago you heard about CCH first hand and heard Paige speak via video about her connections to Heartland and how our efforts help bring dignity to these kids.  Today is a Serve Day at Mothers Together and we are focused on serving and caring for the most recent 200 kids that were added to CCH.  In the past year CCH opened up 20 new homes for these kids and now we get the chance to share God's love with them by making them personalized pillow cases that will be handed out at their summer camp in May.  Last year we did this and it was such a hit as you can see by the pictures and video we have included.  Many of these kids have never had pillows let alone one that is all their own with their name added to it . . . so CCH is so excited and grateful for our efforts. 
 

"Thank you so much for making all the pillow cases!  The children are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE them!  And the pillow treasures will be so special!  Your time and effort show your love and these children are going to be so blessed by your work.  May God give back to you double what you have given to CCH!"

Blessings, 

Paige

Kids who received the pillow cases we decorated last year.  So cool to actually see them in their hands!!!

Paige passing out the pillow cases during last year's summer camp.

                                                 Video of Thanks from the Kids

To cover the cost of the materials and shipping for this effort, we are asking each women to consider giving a donation.  Many have already and we are so grateful.  Even if it is a $1 or $30 it all helps and will go a long way.  Any extra money we have will be put towards Pajamas for the kids.  Please contact Kyran W (kyran_stagnito@hotmail.com) with any questions. 


To Give or Donate to CCH for Ongoing Needs - Click HERE to learn how.  Every bit helps there.  A pair of shoes for one kid costs $6.  You can even sponsor a kid to go to camp for $50 or a whole home of 10 kids for $500.  There are always special projects as well where they are trying to raise money for basic necessities like mattresses and pillows.

Enjoy learning about, praying for and caring for these kids in India!!!

Small Steps in Teaching Children Intentional Living

© Calvin4021 | Stock Free Images &Dreamstime Stock Photos

My husband and I have been praying with our children (ages 8 and 5) at bedtime for years. Usually one thing we ask in our prayers is for God to put people into the lives of those less fortunate who would be able to help them.  Then one day it occurred to us, that we should be those people – as this verse illustrates:

 

James 2:15-17 (NLT) Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

 

Although my husband and I were active in some ways (admittedly not as much as we should be), we had not given our children an opportunity to be an active part in helping others and showing them how to put words into action by good deeds. So, we began the process of intentionally involving ourselves and children in organizations and activities to help others. We did not do anything earth-shattering, but would just intentionally remind the kids daily or weekly, which would remind us, that our goal was always to help those less fortunate and find ways to do that. As it turns out, when we started looking, there is almost daily, and at least, weekly, an opportunity for the kids to actively help others (ex. giving, community service, donating, collecting items).

 

Both of the children are in organizations (Lucy’s Kids for Peace and my daughter just started Girl Scouts) that actively seek to do good deeds - and then follow through and do them . Even though organizations are not needed to implement intentional living - I knew that I needed the help because I become forgetful, busy, disorganized, tired, etc., and then have trouble with my follow through – which is the most important part! With others involved, it helps us be accountable and active with the kids in our goal of putting faith into action through good deeds. It’s small steps in teaching our children intentional living, but…“Every journey begins with but a small step and every day is a chance for a new, small step in the right direction. Just follow your Heart song” Mattie J.T. Stepanek  

- Tara Godard

Cookies in the Oven

© Snizhanna | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

Today I was thinking about how perspective changes everything and how wrong we can be depending on how we are looking at a situation. The thought-provoking situation that occurred was this: I had bought two different types of chocolate chip cookies today. My 5-year-old son, Lakelon, picked out plain chocolate chip cookies, his favorite, and I picked out double chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, which he doesn’t like, but I do. When Lakelon came into the kitchen, he saw my double chocolate, chocolate chip cookies out of the package on a cookie sheet all ready to bake, sitting on top of the hot oven. Instantly, he put his hands angrily on his hips and started yelling, “Where are my chocolate chip cookies! You’re only baking yours!” He was very upset, because his thoughts were – “My mom isn’t even thinking about me. She knows I don’t like those, but she’s only thinking of herself and only fixing the cookies she likes for her and not caring about me and what I want. Humph!” (Or something like that). What he didn’t know and couldn’t see is what made his perspective wrong.

The truth is that I love him so much more than myself and care about his needs and happiness so much more than my own – that I had already placed his chocolate chip cookies into the oven so they would be done first. So, of course, the only ones he could see, we’re mine. What appeared to him to be an act of selfishness, a lack of thinking and caring about his needs, and an inexcusable dismissal of his happiness, turned out to be the opposite thinking on my part. He didn’t have much to say about that, except “Oh, can I have one when their done?” I said, “yes, that’s why I made them” and he skipped merrily out of the kitchen, leaving me to wonder when my kids will realize I am ALWAYS thinking about them.

How true is this story in our lives? How many times do we think God does not care about our needs and is working on someone else instead or not working at all…If only we had his perspective, it may change everything.

If our children could only see our hearts and know what is inside, they would find that we are always looking out for their best interest, even though it may not seem like it to them. We are trying so hard to make sure they turn out to be educated, responsible, respectful, hardworking adults who know God so they will know which path to follow in life; instead, sometimes this is what  they see: us making them go to school (mean), forcing them to do un fun homework instead of play (bossy), chores (lazy parents who are making children do the work), church (getting up early for no good reason – it’s not even a school day).

I wonder what we would see if we could know God’s heart and see his divine plans and interventions in our life? What would our suffering mean to us then? Since we can only see a small part of a situation from our own perspective, we often aren’t able to know and understand God’s meaning behind the situation and his reasoning for it. The reason may become clear to us in time – or we may not know until we’re able to ask him some day. Until then, we rely on faith and trust, that our God, who made us, is thinking about us, working in our lives and in our situations, and has our best interests at heart. In other words, maybe our cookies are already in the oven.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
- Tara Godard