The Faithful One....

Lately I find myself going to this song on my playlist over and over.  The message resonates in my heart.  In our youth group this week one student politely and mannerly said that he doesn't necessarily believe that Jesus died for his sins. "After all", he says, "I wasn't born then, and had not sinned yet." He was having a hard time grasping the fact that Jesus died for all sins, past, present and future. He believes that people can have their own beliefs and that's ok.

Where is the hope? Where is the faith? He doesn't get it. It's not within his heart, for if it was, then this song and ones like it would speak volumes to him.  I don't judge him. I was like him.  But then, I met the Faithful One. I had no hope within my own soul. I was a desolate piece of humanity. But then, I found the One that when the road is long and dark and full of pitfalls, He was there. And I found the One that when the kids are not doing the right thing, when the marriage is not all lovely, when people don't treat you right, when your financial side is questionable or life is just wrong.....the Faithful One is always there, alongside of me. He is always the One to fill my heart and mend my soul. He has never left me or forsaken me.

No one else is as faithful to me as my God. That's why this song speaks what my heart feels. He's faithful to the end, my true and precious friend. I hope one day soon the teenager will know within his soul what I'm trying to say...that I will one day bow down before my Faithful One and worship Him in His presence for Who He is. Because He is faithful to the end.


FAITHFUL ONE


I find no hope within to call my own For I am frail of heart, my strength is gone But deep within my soul is rising up a song Here in the comfort of the faithful one I walk a narrow road through valleys deep In search of higher ground, on mountains steep And though with feet unsure, I still keep pressing on. For I am guided by the faithful one. Faithful, faithful to the end, My true and precious friend, You have been faithful, Faithful, so faithful to me I see your wounded hands, I touch your side With thorns upon your brow you bled and died But there's an empty tomb, a love for all who come And give their hearts to you, the faithful one. Faithful, faithful to the end, My true and precious friend, You have been faithful, Faithful, so faithful to me And when the day is dawned and when the race is run I will bow down before God's only Son And I will lift my hands in praise for all you've done And I will worship you, my faithful one.

29 and counting.....

Twenty nine years ago and this moment I had checked into the hospital anxiously awaiting the birth of our second child. Jennifer had been safely ensconced with Grandma and we were ready. However, what I didn't realize was that 12 hours later, I would still be in the same situation---laboring. These were the days of NOT knowing what you were having. They were the days of "he-he"blowing and focal points. I have been known to say today that if I were having children now, I would ride into the hospital with a "Say YES to Drugs" t-shirt. And I mean it. 

Making a long, long, story short, Jared Daniel was born at 7:45pm, June 29,1982 and we have loved him ever since. All the pain and suffering that went into the birth of this 10 lb 3 1/2 oz boy was worth it all. He is a "one in a million" man.  God has great things for him and I am, once again, anxiously awaiting to see it all to come be. 

A Long Time Coming.....

No one tells you when your child enters the military of the days and nights of wondering WHERE they are, HOW they are, are they SAFE and countless other questions that can plague a mothers soul. When they hand you the little bundle that you just gave life to, you don't think about the day when all of a sudden you are NOT in control of their life. Now, I know that spiritually we are never in control....but in a parent's heart you really want to know that they are OK--physically and spiritually.

When the little birdies fly the nest with wings that have grown strong and tough, a mother longs for the time when they return for a while to the safe haven of her nest. It's where they started and where they are always loved.

I am waiting to see this one. It's been far too long for a mother not to have laid eyes and arms on this boy. He's been in the desert for quite a while and waiting for his return has been a long time coming.

Soon and Very Soon

In just a very few days we will be seeing a few certain people. These are some of the people I love most in the world. They make me smile. They make me laugh. They make me see the world through their eyes.

I will watch this one practicing football,

and I will play American Girl/Rock Star with this one,

I will probably be tricked by this one,

and surely chasing after this one.

I am so grateful that for now, God has blessed me with these.

A Perfect Day...

There are not too many things that are greater than a day at the Magic Kingdom. And when the sky is shockingly blue and the sun is shining, it turns into the perfect day. Though the day we chose to go was by far the coldest day of the year, it did not dampen our enthusiasm. Now, Jonathan is not what we would call a "Disney enthusiast", but he hunkered down and became happy about it for the day. This was his gift to Jennifer and the kids for Christmas, so he was obligated to enjoy himself. I was very much looking forward to seeing Mickey's house through the eyes of children again, and I was not disappointed! Watching Noah, Ruth, and Isaiah was like watching my children all over again. Everything was new, yet again and I left that day feeling that there is no happier place than a child's imagination. They can "see" what adults cannot. Maybe we need to get down to that level again and see what was meant to be seen....that there is fun in everything...that a pirates gun can become just about anything...that a simple wig can change your whole outlook on life....that riding a roller coaster is a lot like flying, and most of all, when someone holds your hand to walk through life, you can do anything.

It was a great day!

A few reasons why I love my grandchildren:

1. they are the children of my child...flesh of my flesh.

2. they get excited about everything.

3. their eyes have lights in them.

4. they love uncondtionally.

5. when they watch a movie, they act it out

6. they sing---loudly

7. they can run very fast

8. a simple walk on the beach turns into a treasure hunt

9. they can make up a story about anything

10. they are loyal to their friends

11. they have big dreams and ideas

12. they belly-laugh

13. they sleep through the night

14. they LOVE Thunder Mountain

15. they give sweet hugs and kisses

16. they are compassionate

17. they can make a food mess very quickly

18. they have pinchable faces

19. they know how to strike a pose for pictures

20. they are just cute, for crying out loud!

Perspective.....

Today we did something that we haven't done in 3 years. We attended an AWANA Leadership Conference in Ocala. And even though several years ago, we were the ones teaching, today we were simply leaders attending. In the last few years there have been some changes; some for the better and others I am not so sure about. I participated in three workshops that moved me to ponder a few thoughts I have had about raising children. In one class these statistics, prepared by Barna were cited:

1. One out of every two college students who are raised in the church will walk away from it.

2. Sixty one percent of the 20-somethings that had been churched as kids are actually spiritually disengaged.

3. Only between 10-15 percent of young people have Biblical worldviews.

4. Ten to fifteen years ago the average Bible-college freshman scored sixty percent on Bible knowledge tests; today it's only 39 percent.


I am frightend by these numbers and what they mean in our culture. What is happening to the children that are growing up under the teaching of the Gospel in our homes and churches? At what point are we dropping the ball in living out a passionate relationship with Jesus in front of our children?

We must teach our children to respect human relationships, God's standard, and human authority.

We must teach them that wisdom is based on God's Word and to have confidence in relying on God's wisdom.

We must teach them to respond with grace and mercy when they are wronged.

We must somehow transfer a sense of destiny and teach them that their destiny is God's to choose for them.

So I pose three questions we must all ask ourselves about our children:

1. How are our young people turning out?

2. Do we have a target/goal for our children?

3. What do you want people to say about your children when they are in their
20's?

It is up to parents to take responsibility for the spiritual training of their children. God give us wisdom........