Counting my Blessings

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Heart of the Matter

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“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4-5 (NIV)

Thankfulness . . . where do I begin? As I think about my life this week of Thanksgiving, I realize I am blessed beyond measure. I am blessed to have been raised in the freedom and opportunity that is America by devoted Christian parents who trained me in the ways of the Lord. I am thankful for the gift of salvation and eternal life that I received from Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for me, and that I have a personal relationship with Him allowing me to glean encouragement, peace, comfort and wisdom from the God of the universe. I am especially thankful for God’s forgiveness, grace and mercy, in light of the sinner that I am and the mistakes that I have made. And I am ever so grateful for the Bible, God’s Holy Word . . . that I can hold it in my hands, search through its pages, and soak in its wisdom, any time I choose, privately or openly (for now) in the public square.

On a personal level,

I am thankful for my wonderful husband who goes to work every day, to provide for us, week after week, year after year, in loving devotion to his family. I am thankful for my three children, who have grown up to be respectful, caring, and productive, Christ-followers—enriching our lives and bringing us more joy than they will ever know. I am thankful for the longevity of my dear sweet parents. My father lived to be 80 years old before he died of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and my mother is still living and is 89. I am blessed to be able to see or speak to her every day and to assist her during these often difficult senior years of life. I am so thankful for that.

I am thankful for the basic necessities of food, shelter, and clothing that we often take for granted here in bountiful America. We, as a family, have never had to: spend a night without a roof over our heads, go out into the cold without a warm coat around us, walk a rocky road without shoes, or go a day without food. As I have traveled to less wealthy countries around the world, I have come to appreciate these basic gifts and to see them as a special blessing.

God is so good to us and we must remember to thank Him for all of his blessings, large and small, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year, because we know that everything good in our lives comes from Him.

Have a blessed and meaningful Thanksgiving!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (NIV)

“Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1 (NIV)

 

 

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A letter to our daughter-in-law

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Heart of the Matter

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Dear sweet daughter-in-law,

You’re the calm to his crazy—the yellow light to his green.

You’re the planner of his perpetual parade.

You laugh at his jokes and deflect his teasing with giggles and grace.

You are intelligent, athletic, and beautiful—excited and always ready to travel from one end of the world to the other with our globe-trotting son.

You are encouraging, supportive and constant—a true “God’s girl”.

We (and he) couldn’t ask for more…

You, my dear, are an answer to prayer!

Love,

Blessed and grateful us

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In Honor of My Daughter on Her 16th Birthday

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Heart of the Matter

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My daughter always gives me goodnight hugs…goodbye hugs, too. I don’t know what I would do without them. She is a girl who is excited about life, and friends, and school…the joy in her soul bubbles over as an ever-present smile and a girlish, “up-to-something” laugh. She is athletic and smart and funny.

As a little girl she refused bows and ribbons and preferred to chase lizards and collect bugs. She wears bows sometimes now and  can often be seen in pretty, flowing dresses. She is kind to everyone…never excludes people, but makes everyone feel special. She is a fun and creative friend and doesn’t always have to be the boss or the center of attention.

My daughter loves animals, especially dogs and cats…treating  them as furry humans with feelings and personalities and preferences.  She loves children, too, and is so good with them. Hence, she is a very popular babysitter.

At home, she is helpful and pleasant, and makes us laugh. Music is always on her mind and constantly playing in her head…I think she was born that way. And family time is extra special to her…we love that.

Strangely enough, my daughter can often read my thoughts and finish my sentences. I’m glad. That means when she is gone and out in the world, she will hear her Mom’s voice, guiding and instructing.

My daughter knows the Lord and strives to follow his ways. And she doesn’t complain when her mom turns every problem into a “Jesus” lesson.

She is the only girl in the family, with two older brothers, so she is very comfortable among her guy friends. She looks up to her brothers and loves it when they are home.

My daughter is a girl of no pretense…what you see is what you get. She is beautiful inside and out and we are so blessed to be her parents.

Can’t wait to see what God does with this girl’s life and how her circle of influence will expand and grow.

Happy sixteenth birthday to our beautiful, loving, god’s girl!

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)

 

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How to Have Peace in an Uncertain World

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Heart of the Matter

From the beheading of Christians on our TV screens, to the bombing of innocent people from Boston to Paris by terrorist suicide bombers, not a day goes by that we are not confronted with horrific events that lead us to fear for ours and our childrens’ future. We wonder how life will be different for the next generation and can only imagine the worst. After all, there is such evil in the world.

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God is not surprised by the events of recent days, months and years. He has known from the foundations of the earth that mankind’s choices would lead him down a path away from Him. The battle of good vs evil is nothing new. But, God also knows how the story ends… and that when Christ comes again, truth and goodness will win as Satan is defeated and cast into the lake of fire forever. I want to be on the winning team, how about you?

But the question remains…how can we have peace in the uncertain times in which we live?

Well, first of all, in order to have inner peace, one must have a relationship with the “Prince of Peace” himself…Jesus Christ. The Bible speaks of the peace that only He can give. In Isaiah 26:3 it says, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” In order to know peace we must trust in someone higher than ourselves…someone who is all powerful…someone who sustains this physical earth and everything in it by his very breath.

Also in John 16:33, in talking with his disciples, Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” You see, God warned us that life would not be a bed of roses. But that if we believe in the “overcomer”, we will have victory with him in the end.

In Philippians 4:6-7, the apostle Paul reminds us to not be anxious but to take our fears to God. He writes, “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

If you are a believer, no matter what happens to your physical body, at the end of your life, you will see God and reside with him forever.  That should bring us an enormous amount of peace. As much as others may disagree, God is still in control… and He can bring us peace amidst this world’s desperate situations and horrific events.

I know my God lives. I know my God loves me with an everlasting love. I know my God wins in the end…the Bible tells me so. And I know that if I want peace regarding my children’s’ future, then I will introduce them to the king of kings so that they, too, will know the peace and assurance that only He can bring.

“I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.” Isaiah 13:11

 

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Why Church?

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Heart of the Matter

Families today “do church” in a variety of ways. Some attend traditional churches while others meet in small home group settings. Still others worship with just their nuclear families in their own home in what has come to be known as the “home church” movement. These families read and study the Bible and pray together each week in the comfort of their own living rooms for a variety of reasons. Some have been turned off by the traditional setting of church, some see the church as being full of hypocrites and others want to teach their children their own variety of religion, undiluted by the doctrine taught in particular churches. Sometimes this “home church” method works well and other times families eventually fall into skipping their worship time and just using that day for relaxation or recreation. So, is it really important to go through the hassle of packing the kids off to church each week? And if so…why?

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Well, that is a good question. There is certainly a place for Bible reading and family prayer time in our homes…of that there is no doubt. But I believe that local churches enrich our lives in some very important ways and that it is scriptural to be a part of a local body of believers uniting with others in corporate worship and fellowship.

When we become a part of a local church we are:

Educated in the ways of the Lord.

Through the preaching of the Word we can learn about God’s plan for mankind, his purpose for our lives, and how to navigate life with joy and peace. We can learn the story of Jesus Christ from his birth in Bethlehem to his death on the cross and what that means for you and I. And if you are looking for deeper study in a small group setting, most churches offer this, as well.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16 (KJV)

 

Enlisted in the workforce of the kingdom of God.

When we become a part of a church, we can discover our spiritual gifts and how we can use them in the body of Christ (the church) to further the kingdom. This will inevitably  bring  joy, fulfillment and a sense of purpose to our lives. You see, you have a vital role to play in the church and if you are absent, it is as if a part of the body is missing, and therefore can’t function properly or complete it’s work. Maybe you are a person who loves to serve and could help on the “set up” team for Sunday mornings or the kitchen committee, or maybe you are gifted with mercy and would enjoy ministering to the elderly and the sick. Perhaps you are great at organization and are at ease in front of a group. You might want to head up the ladies ministry at the church. There is much to be done and there is a place for you.

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NKJV)

 

Enveloped in the loving arms of fellow believers.

As we walk through the hills and valleys of life, we need people to walk alongside us for support and encouragement. The church is a wonderful place to develop those nurturing and caring relationships. Sometimes our own families are not as supportive as we would like them to be in times of crisis (They can get kind of tired of us!), or they don’t live in close proximity to us. When that happens, your “church” family can stand in the gap, providing practical support and prayerful intervention. Many people find that over the years, their fellow church members become their best friends. That has certainly been the case with our family.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIV)

 

Equipped to share the good news of the gospel with others.

At church you can learn how to best share the gospel with others in your neighborhood and around the world. There are opportunities to go and tell your story of what Jesus has done for you! There are opportunities for short term mission trips to countries around the world where you can serve orphans, the elderly and the impoverished. As believers, we are commanded to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. This important command in the book of Matthew says:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

What do you think? Is it important for you and your family to be a part of a local church? Do you “home church” and think I am totally off base? Let me know your thoughts.

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