I have been reading through 1 and 2 Kings and it has been very encouraging and often convicting. It is also really neat for me when the Lord shows me a real life example of what He is talking about in His word...
I was reading about Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18 and it says about him "He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses (18:5-6)."
Sometimes I can wonder what it really looks like to "hold fast to the Lord" or "cling to Him" as some translations read. This week- God showed me through Asher what this kind of looks like. About a month ago, Sonny and I left Asher with my parents for a week to take our students to camp. While he did great with them, I do think that it made him a little more nervous about us leaving again- it was a little difficult to get everything back to the way things were before we left.
Last Thursday Sonny went to visit his dad in New Jersey and I went with Asher to stay with my parents for a few days in Richmond. During this visit I saw a very, very clinging baby. Some might say he is going through "separation anxiety" but I also think the Lord wanted to show me about Hezekiah. Asher never wanted to leave my side. He would be content playing in a room- as long as I was there where he could see me. Is this how we are supposed to be with the Lord? Shouldn't we always be in His presence, doing even mundane tasks while recognizing that He is with us? I think we should. I think the Lord was trying to show me that this is what He wants from me and this is what Hezekiah had. Hezekiah did everything while always making sure that the Lord was with Him. He "held fast" to the Lord, as a baby going through "separation anxiety" clings to their parent.
I love how the Lord gives us those pictures of what our faith should look like. I pray that I would learn from little Asher what it means to "hold fast" to Jesus and do everything in His presence.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Asher laughing in bathtub
So, I know I have recently been writing more about what the Lord has been teaching me but something very funny happened tonight and I had to share. After dinner, Sonny usually gives Asher a bath while I clean the kitchen. I usually hear a lot of splashing and giggling but tonight there was such sweet laughter coming from the bathroom that I had to get the flip (video camera). Here is what I saw.... Enjoy!
ps.... sorry the video is sideways part of the time.... I am still getting used to the flip....
ps.... sorry the video is sideways part of the time.... I am still getting used to the flip....
Friday, July 16, 2010
The gift and responsibility of being a wife...
I have felt for a few days like I was supposed to write about what the Lord has been reminding me regarding wifehood, but I just kept putting it off. I think it is time for me to write about it before I forget! I really love when the Lord speaks loud and clear through His Word- even if it is just to remind me of something He has taught me often in the past.
I was reading through 1 Kings and came to the story about Jezebel in chapter 21. I had read this before but one verse really stuck out to me this time and caused me to really think about my job as a wife.
1 Kings 21:25, "But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up."
In that one little phrase there is so much depth. Wives have such a wonderful yet enormous responsibility. To think that Ahab's wife was partly responsible for the wickedness that he partook in is humbling. I see this in so many wives in our country. Wives are often prone to nag their husbands and often we can be a hindrance to them when we are discouraging to an idea that they propose. How many times have we wives given in to fear when our husband tells us about a big idea that he has (whether it is a business endeavor or ministry idea). Not that we should never voice our concerns but how many times have we WAITED to hear from God and in the meantime encouraged our husbands to do the same? For the most part it seems that we are quick to voice our fears and tell our husbands EVERY possible thing that can go wrong instead of really submitting the idea to the Lord in prayer. I feel like I can often be quick to worry or squash an idea of Sonny's when I know that it will not be comfortable or easy. I am learning that this is not God's call for me as a wife. I want to be Sonny's number one fan- his biggest supporter and that means that I am willing to take risks in life with him, trusting that he loves the Lord and is listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Even if he does want to do something and it "fails," those times can be from the Lord too! "Failures" are always opportunities for growth. I have always felt from the Lord that my call as Sonny's wife is to constantly be encouraging him in life but I guess this passage made me think of how much we wives really do influence our husbands- either for good or bad. I want to be a wife that constantly encourages my husband to follow hard after God and seek His gory above all else, regardless of the difficulties that might come from being a family that is willing to take risks for the Kingdom. It is my hope that when God looks at Sonny and I after this life is through, that He can say that Sonny was like David who had a heart after the Lord and that his wife was a continual encouragement to Sonny's obedience to the Lord.
There is one huge example that I think the Lord wants me to share and be so thankful for. The woman that has represented this godly, encouraging wife to me had a huge opportunity to discourage her husband and oh- how things would have been different for me and so many others. Let me explain... Krystal and Paul met and started walking with God in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Their courtship included daily walks on the beach and continual fellowship with a tight knit body of believers. Then, after they were married, Paul mentioned that he wanted to come to Houston to go to bible college at CBS (College of Biblical Studies). I am not sure exactly how this conversation went but can you imagine how hard it would have been to leave the beaches of Florida when you have s great Christian support system? And then to come to hot, humid Houston? If Krystal had been a hindrance to her husband as Jezebel was to hers, maybe Paul would not have come here with her and been our pastor in the small town of Richmond (I do realize in stating this that God is sovereign and was in control the whole time, but I do think this is a valid thing to think about)? Those of you that know Paul and Krystal know that they have given their lives to so many people in Houston- speaking truth and strengthening the body of Christ here. I know that Krystal trusts fully in the Lord and supports Paul in what God was leads them to, even though in the beginning that meant them leaving everything that was beautiful and familiar to them as a young married couple. I cannot say enough how thankful I am for them both being obedient to God's call and especially for Krystal- in being such a great example for me and so many other wives.
Proverbs 18:22 "He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the LORD."
It is sure an incredible blessing and responsibility to be given the call of being a wife! =)
I was reading through 1 Kings and came to the story about Jezebel in chapter 21. I had read this before but one verse really stuck out to me this time and caused me to really think about my job as a wife.
1 Kings 21:25, "But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up."
In that one little phrase there is so much depth. Wives have such a wonderful yet enormous responsibility. To think that Ahab's wife was partly responsible for the wickedness that he partook in is humbling. I see this in so many wives in our country. Wives are often prone to nag their husbands and often we can be a hindrance to them when we are discouraging to an idea that they propose. How many times have we wives given in to fear when our husband tells us about a big idea that he has (whether it is a business endeavor or ministry idea). Not that we should never voice our concerns but how many times have we WAITED to hear from God and in the meantime encouraged our husbands to do the same? For the most part it seems that we are quick to voice our fears and tell our husbands EVERY possible thing that can go wrong instead of really submitting the idea to the Lord in prayer. I feel like I can often be quick to worry or squash an idea of Sonny's when I know that it will not be comfortable or easy. I am learning that this is not God's call for me as a wife. I want to be Sonny's number one fan- his biggest supporter and that means that I am willing to take risks in life with him, trusting that he loves the Lord and is listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Even if he does want to do something and it "fails," those times can be from the Lord too! "Failures" are always opportunities for growth. I have always felt from the Lord that my call as Sonny's wife is to constantly be encouraging him in life but I guess this passage made me think of how much we wives really do influence our husbands- either for good or bad. I want to be a wife that constantly encourages my husband to follow hard after God and seek His gory above all else, regardless of the difficulties that might come from being a family that is willing to take risks for the Kingdom. It is my hope that when God looks at Sonny and I after this life is through, that He can say that Sonny was like David who had a heart after the Lord and that his wife was a continual encouragement to Sonny's obedience to the Lord.
There is one huge example that I think the Lord wants me to share and be so thankful for. The woman that has represented this godly, encouraging wife to me had a huge opportunity to discourage her husband and oh- how things would have been different for me and so many others. Let me explain... Krystal and Paul met and started walking with God in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Their courtship included daily walks on the beach and continual fellowship with a tight knit body of believers. Then, after they were married, Paul mentioned that he wanted to come to Houston to go to bible college at CBS (College of Biblical Studies). I am not sure exactly how this conversation went but can you imagine how hard it would have been to leave the beaches of Florida when you have s great Christian support system? And then to come to hot, humid Houston? If Krystal had been a hindrance to her husband as Jezebel was to hers, maybe Paul would not have come here with her and been our pastor in the small town of Richmond (I do realize in stating this that God is sovereign and was in control the whole time, but I do think this is a valid thing to think about)? Those of you that know Paul and Krystal know that they have given their lives to so many people in Houston- speaking truth and strengthening the body of Christ here. I know that Krystal trusts fully in the Lord and supports Paul in what God was leads them to, even though in the beginning that meant them leaving everything that was beautiful and familiar to them as a young married couple. I cannot say enough how thankful I am for them both being obedient to God's call and especially for Krystal- in being such a great example for me and so many other wives.
Proverbs 18:22 "He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the LORD."
It is sure an incredible blessing and responsibility to be given the call of being a wife! =)
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Camp 2010
"Camp" can sometimes be a very dangerous word in the Christian environment. For some, "camp" represents a "spiritual high" where people professed their undying love to Jesus and come back to the real world with little changed about their lives. I hope that it is not this way with our students. We have always prayed and hoped that for any students that come with us, camp would be a time where they grow in honesty with God and fellow believers and where they learn that walking with God at camp is something that can be done on a daily basis at home.
For Sonny and I, "camp" is often a time of mixed worry and excitement; worry because of all the things that can potentially go wrong and excitement at the thought that the Lord could do something wonderful in the lives of students. This year the Lord again showed us how faithful He is to our prayers.
Usually we start praying diligently for camp a couple months before it happens (it is something that we pray for all year but we start praying daily for it the last few months). For the most part it seems like the Lord has me pray a specific scripture or theme from a book over the camp. This year there were two things that came to my mind almost every time I prayed for camp. I had been reading through Acts and was seeing how clearly the Spirit was leading the disciples. So many times, Peter and Paul would say that they were "led by the Spirit" or "prevented by the Spirit" from going to such-and-such a place. (Acts 11:12, 13:2, 13:4, 16:6-7, 16:10) , I started to pray for that with our camp. I prayed that every detail of camp would be led by the Spirit and that if we were doing something that the Lord did not want, that He would prevent us from moving forward. I prayed so much about how the small groups should be split up. Who should be in who's group? What counselor would really be best for each student? What should we talk about in the small groups. I cannot even begin to share all of the stories that encouraged me with God's faithfulness. I would hear story after story about how girls/guys felt so connected with their counselor. I would hear about connections between the students and their counselors that I was totally unaware of before camp- like how a certain counselor confessed struggling with something and found out that almost all of their students struggled with the same thing! The groups could not have been more perfect. Every night when we would have our counselor meeting, I would leave so refreshed in the Lord and thankful for His answer to our prayers. I truly feel that He led EVERY aspect of camp. Even the things that seemed to go wrong were just opportunities for Him to show His faithfulness.
Another thing that I had been praying was from 1 Kings 8:11. In this chapter, Solomon was praying that the Lord would fill the temple with His glory. Solomon recorded that at one point the temple was so full of God's glory that the priests could not even enter! This was my prayer for camp. I prayed that God's glory would be so overwhelming that no student could leave without having recognized His presence. I really do feel that this prayer was answered. The teaching that the Lord gave to Sonny and all of the counselors was such a demonstration of His glory. I was so encouraged by the worship, fellowship, and teaching of God's Word. I know that the Lord was with us, speaking to us in different ways through His Spirit and Word. It was not a "camp high" but a time where I felt that we all met with the Lord and were given the strength and wisdom to continue walking in His presence once we left and were back in the "real world."
I want to thank everyone for all of the prayers for us. We truly felt covered in prayer. Yes, it was hard for me to leave Asher for a week but we all survived and I am pretty confident that he does remember who we are =). Thank you again. I hope my recount of this trip blesses you and encourages you that the Lord desires so much to be near to His children. He wants us to constantly be praying to Him and watch as He answers those prayers! What a great God we serve!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
More about being a child of God...
Earlier today I wrote about how the Lord had been showing Sonny how intimate He is as a Father. I wanted to write how the Lord has shown me this lately before we leave for camp (we leave on Sat and will be gone until next Thursday) so here we go...
We have to head back in time a few months to get the whole story... in early March of this year I went to the doctor because I was having some weird pains in my arms and back. I am not normally one to go to the doctor often but I had been having these random pains for a while and they were not getting better. Well, there was really nothing that they could find regarding the pain (which has sense gone away) BUT they did tell me something very surprising- I was pregnant!! So much for "planning" our lives. I was excited and nervous all in the same minute...
Well, we are more than 1/2 way to the birth of our second child and it has been a long journey. I feel like I have been pregnant for 2 years not just 5 months!! The pregnancy is getting easier now but in the beginning it was pretty rough.
As some of you may know, when I was pregnant with Asher we had a couple of scares when we had the ultrasound done where we looked at all of his organs. It was VERY scary for me. They told me that he had 2 "soft markers" which meant that he had a higher risk than normal for being a baby with down syndrome. After all of the miscarriages that we had been through, it seemed like we were just prone to having things not go our way. We had decided not to do any further testing while I was pregnant and I really struggled with worrying A LOT as his birth came closer. When he did come out (48 hours into labor) he was a perfectly fine, BIG boy (9lbs 13oz). I was so relieved. This was one HUGE tangible way that God was showing me that He hears my prayers and that He loves me.
This past Tuesday we had the big ultrasound scheduled for this little baby. I was a tad worried that we would again see "soft markers" and that I would have to battle fear for the rest of this pregnancy. That morning in the car, Sonny and I prayed to the Lord about this (as we have many times). We prayed that the baby would be healthy and would have no "soft markers" and I silently prayed that it would be a girl (as I have been doing since I found out we were pregnant). The ultrasound went absolutely PERFECT. Our technician was SO sweet and encouraging. We were in the room for almost 40 minutes because our little baby was being "modest," according to the technician, and we could not see if it was a boy or girl. Finally, the tech told us that we were having a girl!! I was so thrilled!! Though another boy would have been wonderful, I was really hoping for a girl this time. The technician kept telling us that she is beautiful (which is hard for me to understand how a baby in the womb can be beautiful) and that she is perfect. She had no soft markers and all of her organs look great. This was such a blessing- I actually cried a little. The technician told us that she has long legs and big lips (I think she gets both of those from me). I cannot tell you how much I felt the Lord's love in that room. The whole day was one where we tried to commit every detail to the Lord and He was so faithful.
So, if there is anything that Sonny and I have learned lately- it is that the Lord does really love His children. He does want us to pray without ceasing- to pray to Him about EVERYTHING and trust Him with the results. Know that God desires intimacy with His children. He wants you to come to Him with your joys, sorrows, worries and insecurities. We have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. I hope you will continue to do the same. =)
We have to head back in time a few months to get the whole story... in early March of this year I went to the doctor because I was having some weird pains in my arms and back. I am not normally one to go to the doctor often but I had been having these random pains for a while and they were not getting better. Well, there was really nothing that they could find regarding the pain (which has sense gone away) BUT they did tell me something very surprising- I was pregnant!! So much for "planning" our lives. I was excited and nervous all in the same minute...
Well, we are more than 1/2 way to the birth of our second child and it has been a long journey. I feel like I have been pregnant for 2 years not just 5 months!! The pregnancy is getting easier now but in the beginning it was pretty rough.
As some of you may know, when I was pregnant with Asher we had a couple of scares when we had the ultrasound done where we looked at all of his organs. It was VERY scary for me. They told me that he had 2 "soft markers" which meant that he had a higher risk than normal for being a baby with down syndrome. After all of the miscarriages that we had been through, it seemed like we were just prone to having things not go our way. We had decided not to do any further testing while I was pregnant and I really struggled with worrying A LOT as his birth came closer. When he did come out (48 hours into labor) he was a perfectly fine, BIG boy (9lbs 13oz). I was so relieved. This was one HUGE tangible way that God was showing me that He hears my prayers and that He loves me.
This past Tuesday we had the big ultrasound scheduled for this little baby. I was a tad worried that we would again see "soft markers" and that I would have to battle fear for the rest of this pregnancy. That morning in the car, Sonny and I prayed to the Lord about this (as we have many times). We prayed that the baby would be healthy and would have no "soft markers" and I silently prayed that it would be a girl (as I have been doing since I found out we were pregnant). The ultrasound went absolutely PERFECT. Our technician was SO sweet and encouraging. We were in the room for almost 40 minutes because our little baby was being "modest," according to the technician, and we could not see if it was a boy or girl. Finally, the tech told us that we were having a girl!! I was so thrilled!! Though another boy would have been wonderful, I was really hoping for a girl this time. The technician kept telling us that she is beautiful (which is hard for me to understand how a baby in the womb can be beautiful) and that she is perfect. She had no soft markers and all of her organs look great. This was such a blessing- I actually cried a little. The technician told us that she has long legs and big lips (I think she gets both of those from me). I cannot tell you how much I felt the Lord's love in that room. The whole day was one where we tried to commit every detail to the Lord and He was so faithful.
So, if there is anything that Sonny and I have learned lately- it is that the Lord does really love His children. He does want us to pray without ceasing- to pray to Him about EVERYTHING and trust Him with the results. Know that God desires intimacy with His children. He wants you to come to Him with your joys, sorrows, worries and insecurities. We have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. I hope you will continue to do the same. =)
Children of God
So many things have happened since I last wrote. I was not sure a while back if the Lord was wanting me to spend time "blogging" but lately I have felt the urge to share with others the joys and struggles that we have gone through. I also wanted another way to connect with the girls in our student ministry as I know that this next season of life with two babies will pretty much require me to be at home more. Thinking way ahead, I also hope to one day print this into a book for my children in hopes that it will serve as an encouragement to them...
I will write Sonny's version of how the Lord has been speaking to him in and in little while I will write mine. It might seem really weird but every time we are about to go on a retreat or have a big event with our students in student ministry- Sonny and I usually struggle with feelings of inadequacy. We will feel like we are not good enough for this responsibility or that we do not have what it takes to minister effectively to these students. It's weird but it always happens right before something huge.
Well, in addition to feeling inadequate, Sonny has often struggled this year with not feeling God's love for him as a son. We both acknowledge that God loves all of His children in a broad sense, but Sonny was just really wanting to know that God specifically loves him and is proud of him as a son. He has often referred back to the gospels when the Father tells the whole crowd that Jesus is His Son and He is pleased with Him. Sonny and I have been praying often this year that God would show Sonny in a tangible way that God is proud of him as a son. I knew that God would eventually answer this prayer but I was not sure how. The "how" is actually amazing...
On Asher's birthday (June 14th) God told Sonny in two very special ways that He loved him and was proud of him. First, Sonny was meeting with some men that he meets with on a weekly basis and he was able to talk to his mentor/spiritual father about a wedding that Sonny had officiated the day before. I do not know all of the details but Sonny came away so encouraged as he felt God had told him through Paul that Sonny was loved and that God was proud of him. It was so special to see how encouraged he was.
Later that night, Sonny got a call from his dad in New Jersey. His dad was calling to wish Asher a happy birthday but he and Sonny ended up talking for almost two hours. When Sonny got off, he was just glowing. Again, I do not know the exact details of the conversation but Sonny again came away feeling that he was loved as a son and that he had a father that was proud of him. We were both so encouraged that evening and to know that God had it all happen on birthday of Sonny's son- I still cannot get over how special God made that day!
So, if you are ever struggling with feeling like you, specifically, are not loved by the Father- keep praying. I know that God does want to show each of His children in a special, tangible way that He loves us- just like He did to Jesus at His baptism. Know that if you have trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior- He does love you so much, even if you do not feel it right now. For Sonny, it has taken almost a year for God to answer this prayer request so it might not be tomorrow that God answers that prayer for you. One more bit of encouragement: even though it has taken a while for Sonny to see his prayer answered, I feel that the answer was so much sweeter after waiting and praying for it for so long. Hang in there!
I will write Sonny's version of how the Lord has been speaking to him in and in little while I will write mine. It might seem really weird but every time we are about to go on a retreat or have a big event with our students in student ministry- Sonny and I usually struggle with feelings of inadequacy. We will feel like we are not good enough for this responsibility or that we do not have what it takes to minister effectively to these students. It's weird but it always happens right before something huge.
Well, in addition to feeling inadequate, Sonny has often struggled this year with not feeling God's love for him as a son. We both acknowledge that God loves all of His children in a broad sense, but Sonny was just really wanting to know that God specifically loves him and is proud of him as a son. He has often referred back to the gospels when the Father tells the whole crowd that Jesus is His Son and He is pleased with Him. Sonny and I have been praying often this year that God would show Sonny in a tangible way that God is proud of him as a son. I knew that God would eventually answer this prayer but I was not sure how. The "how" is actually amazing...
On Asher's birthday (June 14th) God told Sonny in two very special ways that He loved him and was proud of him. First, Sonny was meeting with some men that he meets with on a weekly basis and he was able to talk to his mentor/spiritual father about a wedding that Sonny had officiated the day before. I do not know all of the details but Sonny came away so encouraged as he felt God had told him through Paul that Sonny was loved and that God was proud of him. It was so special to see how encouraged he was.
Later that night, Sonny got a call from his dad in New Jersey. His dad was calling to wish Asher a happy birthday but he and Sonny ended up talking for almost two hours. When Sonny got off, he was just glowing. Again, I do not know the exact details of the conversation but Sonny again came away feeling that he was loved as a son and that he had a father that was proud of him. We were both so encouraged that evening and to know that God had it all happen on birthday of Sonny's son- I still cannot get over how special God made that day!
So, if you are ever struggling with feeling like you, specifically, are not loved by the Father- keep praying. I know that God does want to show each of His children in a special, tangible way that He loves us- just like He did to Jesus at His baptism. Know that if you have trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior- He does love you so much, even if you do not feel it right now. For Sonny, it has taken almost a year for God to answer this prayer request so it might not be tomorrow that God answers that prayer for you. One more bit of encouragement: even though it has taken a while for Sonny to see his prayer answered, I feel that the answer was so much sweeter after waiting and praying for it for so long. Hang in there!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
More of Asher and our family....
Here is one more pj picture and some of the three of us after church. i purposely had Asher and I match Sonny hoping we could have a minute to take some family photos. Marcy took these at our house after we had lunch with them and I edited them. Marcy and Doug are such a blessing to us!
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