When Right Keep Going Wrong - MOVE!

Craig and I have been feeling like we're living under a dark cloud, and haven't been able to shake the gloominess, for whatever reason. This week, I've been reading through Job, which has really put our life into perspective.

This song has helped me to get a right attitude on every morning and look to the Hope He promises.

This is for all of my friends who are going through hard times; I am praying for you:

you who have lost loved ones -
     a spouse
        a child,
           a niece,
              a nephew,
                 a father,
                    a mother,
                       a grandparent;

you who have lost your health,
     been given a devastating diagnosis;

you who have suffered shattered marriages,
     broken relationships,
          severed friendships;

you who have lost a job,
     a home,
          dreams...



Whatever trial you are facing, don't lose hope...look forward to brighter days!

'"My tears have been my food

day and night,

while they say to me all the day long,

“Where is your God?”...

...Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation  and my God.' Psalm 42:3, 5

Empty Nest - Bitter Sweet

Having an empty nest is bitter sweet...

It is so sweet to see the eaglets soaring on their own, climbing to new heights with new opportunities and challenges. It's tough being the mama eagle who nudged them out of her nest. All I can do is watch, pray and be there to swoop in, if needed. Sometimes I want to swoop in before I'm really needed - just a little turbulence, they make a slight adjustment and are flying steady in no time.

The bitter part is that their soaring often takes them far from the nest, with return flights waning in frequency. They need me less and less. I need retraining for a new job description. Can I negotiate this?

Both of my "kids" were home for a brief time this summer. God has done an amazing work - without me - imagine that! They have matured in so many ways and were a huge help to me. Some things cannot be captured by a camera, but here is a glimpse of the blessings they poured out...

Chad decided that our deck railing needed replacing and a paint job was in order. (I have to admit - it was rotted.) He purchased the materials, tore down the old and replaced it with brand new - with a little help from Dad. :)

Cristin decided it was time to clean and organize the basement. I wish I had "before" and "after" pictures; Extreme Home Makeover, for sure! It's amazing how quickly you can find things when everything is in its place! 

I'm so proud you have found your wings ...


and am continuing to pray for you, as you dare to do great things, following God as He leads. <3 U!

Love God, Love People - Which People?

"Love God, Love People" is a slogan that is popular in evangelical circles these days, and we usually immediately think of Jesus's Parable about the Good Samaritan in Luke Chapter 10. From this parable, we are taught that if we truly love God we will also love people who are very different than us, even our enemies. Samaritans were outcast of the Jews, and the Jews would avoid a Samaritan at all cost. Jesus commanded us to cross cultural barriers, socio-economic barriers, ethnic barriers to take the Gospel - the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ to everyone - the whole world.

But is that all?

We  in the "church" get fired up and excited during special outreach events, local charities, and short term mission trips about "loving" people that we have never met. We feel good about all the "good" we are doing to help the hurting people in our world in a tangible way so that we can have an opportunity to tell them about Jesus. It is one way God opens opportunities for His people to share the Good News of Jesus.

But what about...

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35

Jesus commands us to love "the brothers and sisters" of the faith. As we love one another, the world is drawn to us and wants what we have. It gives us another opportunity to share the gospel while living it before men on a daily basis.

This is the hard kind of love - loving people even after you REALLY get to know them, "warts" and all! As we study together, share our lives, pray for one another, make poor choices, hurt and fail one another it becomes more difficult to "love" and "be loved". In our culture, when people don't live up to our expectations it is easier to just walk away...from marriages, friendships, family, church, jobs...and plug into a new one.

I recently had a conversation with someone who no longer attends church. She has a lot of brokenness in her life that was out of her control, and her comment was something like this: "Every time I go to a church, people get mad at something, they leave and the church splits. I have enough brokenness in my life. It hurts too much to invest in people, when there's a high probability they will walk away." (my paraphrase) I appreciate her honesty; it made me sad.

As people who have been washed in His love by forgiveness, mercy, and grace, we too should be freely extending forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:10

I know there are times that God definitely moves people in their relationships. He has in my own life. It still hurts. Yet, we need to keep our arms extended with a willingness and readiness to forgive, extend mercy and grace.

I was humbled by the outpouring of love, care and concern from some of my brothers and sisters of former churches who recently reached out in my time of need when Craig was hospitalized. I was reminded that "Friends are friends forever, if the Lord is the Lord of them..."

Read Friends Are Friends Forever lyrics here.

Blessings to my friends who have stuck with me through the good and bad, who love me when I am unlovable, who challenge me, who have left the door open...

Do Everything

Questions I've been wrestling with...
Complaining I've been doing...
Self evaluations I've been making...
Guilt I've been fighting...
Searching and researching...
And all the pleading I've done over the past year and a half...

in the daily conversations

with My Lord 

He repeatedly confirms, 

and I am confident...

I'm right where He wants me,

doing the work He has prepared  

- in advance - for ME

with the gifts and talents He created ME to have 

along with the knowledge and experience He's given ME

as I have walked in obedience 

and the lessons I've learned when I strayed, stumbled, and fell;

The work He's prepared for me is NOT the work He has  for you.

Whether 

a stay-at-home wife & mother or automotive engineer

setting a table or setting up meetings

pushing a grocery cart or pulling a briefcase

running ministries or running tests

in t-shirt and shorts or business casual

serving on a church committee or serving on a corporate board

living on a limited budget or earning overflow to bless others 

wherever, whatever, whenever, to whomever

I want to

"do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus.

giving thanks to God the Father through him."

What I Did On My Summer Vacation - Golf

"What I Did On My Summer Vacation" - Week 1, Day 1


It all started Friday afternoon at Mystic Creek Golf Club at Camp Dearborn in Milford, MI. The Powertrain Material Labs from Milford, Pontiac, and Warren meet for an afternoon of "team building" and fun with lunch and a golf scramble. Craig and I were the anchor to our team (like a dead weight)!

My clubs were hand-me-down when I started golfing 26 years ago. The guys laugh so hard when they see them - and if I was easily embarrassed, taking these clubs to a fancy Golf Club might be a problem. My irons, a 5 and 9, are so rusted it's hard to read the number on them. I have a 1 wood and 3 wood along with an assortment of 5 putters to choose from. LOL!

Eric was our coach and cheerleader, always ready with some positive comments and encouragement. ... and when needed, he gave firm direction like harrassing Craig into using his 1 wood instead of the 3 iron when we needed his drive on the last hole. PERFECT!!!! - best shot Craig had all day! :)

Fred was our easy going, positive, fun, always smiling, have a good time teammate. So good to have his laid back attitude set the tone for our day!

Eric asked this question at every putt: "Who wants to put it in?" and since everyone else is being so "gentlemanly", I step up...and actually make a few good putts!

We ended in first place at 2 under. GO TEAM BERYLLIUM!!!  :)

It was a perfect day and a perfect start to Week 1 of Summer Vacation!

The House of the GREAT Divide

For the past week, I have been living in a home of “The GREAT Divide”. Craig and I are on polar opposites of an issue and have engaged in numerous “passionate discussions” about this issue. Honestly, there has been many times that I have not “felt the love”…

BUT

I am thankful, yes THANKFUL for this trial we are going through within our relationship and within our church body. Craig and I both AGREE that God is testing us. We believe He wants us to learn some things about ourselves, our family, our church, and ultimately about Him. I love to learn, I just don’t want to be stretched so much that I am uncomfortable. I especially dislike pain, which is what we are feeling in this trial – the pain of stretched relationships.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to understand what’s going on in our Elder Board, Pastoral Search Committee, and Church body through a microcosm of the controversy in our home.

In working through this at home, Craig and I have some advantages:

1. Craig is an elder responsible for leading the congregation and affecting the body by his decisions. I, as part of the search team, have sought God’s will for our body through countless hours of prayer, time and energy in this process. I am acutely aware of everything that has been done to get us to the point of where we are today.

2. I know Craig’s heart better than anyone (besides God, of course). He earnestly desires to please God and do what is right in His eyes for the body of LFC. Craig knows me better than anyone on this earth and that my heart and passion is to obey the Lord and His Word above anything else.

3. We know we can be real and completely honest with one another, and even if we never come to an agreement, we know we still love and respect each other, and will continue to live our lives for God. We leave it up to Him to correct our understanding in His time. Neither of us will be walking away from the other at the end of this discussion.

In working through this, I’ve come to the conclusion (again) that there are two sides to every issue and we rarely have all the information; there’s usually more than meets the eye (or ears).

Those who hold to the constitution have been called “Pharisees”, holding to the letter of the law (minimum 90%). From their perspective it’s a matter of faith and trusting God’s sovereign power. He could have moved people in a way to achieve the minimum. Nothing is impossible for God. He is in control of all things, including this vote. He (as well as everyone involved) knew we needed 90%, and was not surprised by the shortfall. He has a plan in it, and he works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose. We need to just trust and wait on Him.

Those who hold to the position that we should have rounded up, contend that the spirit of the law (constitution) was fulfilled by 89.665%. Jesus was always challenging the law and breaking it when it was in the best interest of people. They contend, to round up would have been what Jesus would have done, choosing to love people over abiding by the law. These people have been judged as trying to manipulate the outcome their way. They have been accused of playing “god” because they didn’t agree with the decision. Their faith has been questioned and they have been judged as “less spiritual” than those who say that God sovereignly allowed the vote to fall short as his will to not call the candidate.

These are godly men and women on both sides of this issue whom I have discussed this with – at length. Many of them feel passionately about their position. I respect and love them all. I can see their perspective. There is Biblical support for both sides; I can accept both.

My heart aches. Something that was instituted to ensure unity of the body behind a new leader has become something to divide the body. This should not be! I pray the devil doesn’t win, because surely, he would love to see us fight among ourselves and tear this body apart.

I am thankful for the trials because through them, we are being built up into the people God needs us to be. (James 1 and 1 Peter 1 – read them!) He is doing a work – will we let Him complete it?

I am thankful we have leadership who passionately desire to do God’s will above their own.

I am thankful for leadership willing to admit their weakness and failures, publicly.

I am thankful for leadership willing to evaluate their action and seek to correct a wrong, if so determined.

I am thankful for leadership willing to humble themselves before God and the body they serve to seek forgiveness and restoration.

I am thankful that leadership is responsible and will answer to God for the decisions they make. Their decisions both good and bad will have consequences that affect me and the rest of the body, but God’s Word tells me to submit to the leaders He has placed over me. (Hebrews 13:17) I will accept their decision and serve together with them with JOY to advance His kingdom!

Praying for our Elders, praying for the Search Team, praying for our body…Loving God and Loving People!

1Thessalonians 5:12-28

Obedience Would Be Easy...

...if only God would speak to me like He did in Bible times."

I had plans for Saturday. I was very excited about our Mission Conference. It was going to be all about using the internet to share Christ with people.

...God had other plans...

When I got up Saturday morning, I asked how I could help Craig. He said he could use my help at Dad's, fixing the plumbing and getting the place ready to sell.

But, but, but...I thought we were going to the Mission Conference...:-(

My first response was, 

"I'll go, but I'll drive separately so I can make it to the conference if you don't get done by 12:30."

 "See you up there," he said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

My heart was pricked immediately and my thoughts flipped back to that little pink book (A Woman After God's Own Heart) and all that I learned:

God is my first priority, 

then my husband, 

then my children, 

THEN ministry. 

I am my husband's helper (Genesis 2:18) and God has commanded me to submit to my own husband (Ephesians 5, Colossians 3 and 1 Peter 3) in everything (as long as it's not immoral or illegal) and clearly, helping with plumbing and cleaning is neither.

I ran after him, and jumped in the truck beside him. *sigh* We worked until 4:30, missed the conference, and were physically and emotionally exhausted, but...on the drive home I got a rare and precious gift: "Thank you for all your help today. I really appreciated it  - it meant a lot to me."

God DOES speak to us today.We can only hear as we read, study and apply His Word...

I am basking in blessings of obedience in the midst of life that honestly, is not a lot of fun right now. Sometimes, you just have to "CHOOSE JOY!"  :)