Gospel As Explained by a Four-Year-Old With a Little Loaves and Fishes Thrown In

Jesus died on the cross. So, He died on a cross for our sins. The sun was dead. Jesus died on a cross. And then Jesus wanted to have some candy but He couldn't make the candy. He couldn't make anything because He was gone on the cross. Don't worry. He's gonna get alive, mommy. And then He got alive and He can make the candy and corn and the weeds. He maked everything for us. He wanted to die on the cross. No wonder He wanted to die on the cross. We are his children. He is bigger than us. No wonder we call him 'Jesus who died on a cross!' He is so big! He can reach the Bible study and He can reach everything. The only thing that He couldn't reach was the sun because the sun was hiding in the clouds. And then Jesus saw the sun and He knew where the sun was. But there was storms and rain and He carried the cross but He was alive. But He didn't have a middle name. What's His middle name mommy? And off He goed to his journey but first He said to all his children and He said "Come, I will save you. I died on a cross." And He got home to His journey home and then they saw that He was alive. Children and people were happy. But they needed food. A little boy passed by. "Hi, I am Joseph. I come. I am a little small boy. Do you want fish and bread." Jesus said, "I have lots of people here. How can I do that with not lots of food and lots of fish and lots of bread." The little boy said, "Well, you can break it in half of course." "Oh ,yes, I will break it in half," said Jesus.

Some of Our Favorite Holiday Traditions

I thought this might be a good time to post some of our favorite holiday traditions for all to enjoy. So, here goes...

We always have the grammies and our auntie come over for homemade pizza on Friday after Thanksgiving to put up our tree. After dinner, we put up the tree, watch White Christmas (singing loudly on "Sisters"), and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.

We love to have the children choose a new ornament each year. We usually go out for lunch or dinner and then head to a local Hallmark store. We love these ornaments, because there is a good selection, they are collectible, and they are well-packaged for use from year to year. I say that I will send them off to their own homes with this collection of ornaments, but how will I part with them?! ;)

Okay, this isn't a tradition, as we just started it this year, but we have been working on a beautiful advent puzzle as a family this year. This was the perfect year to begin with hubby being home-bound due to injury and the children being older.

I always make gingerbread playdough for the children to play with and pretend to bake gingerbread men/women complete with button eyes and rickrack icing. The smell is so yummy, so I have to remind the children not to taste it!

We have a huge collection of Christmas books that we get out each year. I don't pressure myself to read them all every single year, but we do try to get to each of the favorites and a few new ones. Some faves include "The Best Christmas Pagent Ever", "Who's Coming to Our House?", "The First Christmas" (Pop-Up), "The Gingerbread Baby", and "The Legend of the Poinsetta".

We do "Jesus stockings" where the children choose an item from the World Vision or Samaritan's Purse catalog and then do chores to earn the money to keep in their stocking until Christmas. They take the money they have earned to purchase the gift to "do to the least of these" as our Christmas offering to Him.

We have a sweet advent calendar that I purchased one year from CBD. It was pricey, but I love it and so do the children. This year, our aunt also bought us the chocolate filled calendars and the children have really been enjoying these.

Hubby and I light the fireplace, turn off all but the Christmas lights, and watch "It's a Wonderful Life" at least once during December.

Hubby takes a Christmas shopping night with some of his buddies from his former job. They always make short work of the shopping and long work of the steak dinner they reward themselves with at the end!

A red velvet cake has always been a tradition in my extended family on Christmas day. When I was younger, it was for my uncle, who has a Christmas Eve birthday. But now, in our immediate family, we call it the Jesus Birthday Cake and remind ourselves of the blood He shed to cleanse us from our sin.

I have lots of child-friendly nativity sets - the playmobil one, the fisher-price one, and another one that I got from the Hallmark store years ago. I also have a fabric one that I opted not to get out this year. My children love playing with these and they are considered so special because they only come out once a year, that they are the most popular items to play with in December around here. My favorite nativity set though, is one that my mom got me a few years ago - made by Jim Shore. LOVE it! No children allowed to play with that one, though!

These are some of the things that have brought special meaning to our family in December. Maybe next I should write the post about the traditions that I never started, but wanted to, or the traditions that we have scrapped! Can you say gingerbread house?

Hubby's Serious Injury = No Blogging

Hubby was injured very seriously on September 29. He broke his leg severely under his knee cap. There were two breaks -- one on each side of the tibia -- and lots of crushed bone directly under the knee. This ordeal has involved surgery to implant 2 large plates into the knee with 13! screws, a life-threatening blood clot, and 9 days in the hospital. It's also taken lots of recovery time at home and he has been ordered to be non-weight bearing until the end of December. All this has meant lots and lots of prayer for me and many extra responsibilities that my terrific husband, who is my true partner in every way, normally takes care of. As you might know or remember, hubby is also job-searching. So, this time has been a serious trust-building one for our family. God is teaching us so much about His absolute sufficiency in all circumstances. He is also reminding us that each day with loved ones is a blessing. Please pray for our family to keep looking up to Him as we continue in this trial. And, hopefully, I can begin to blog more regularly soon.

Reckless Faith

"As I read the inspirational words (of an old sermon), there came to me a sudden glimpse of the privilege and the glory of being called to walk in paths so dark, that only an utter recklessness of trust would be possible! 'You have not passed this way heretofore' it may be; but today it is your happy privilege to prove, as never before, your loyal confidence in Jesus, by starting out with Him on a life and walk of faith, lived, moment by moment in absolute childlike trust in Him." -- Hannah Whitall Smith

New DL Article

Our new DiVine Lines women's newsletter is up from our church. Read below for my latest column. Oh, and be sure to check out these links for other wonderful articles.

"Hide and Seek"

Children love to play hide and seek. There’s something about the thrill of hiding and wondering whether or not you will be found. There’s something about being the
seeker and hoping to find the treasure behind the next door. I love to watch my own children play hide and seek. As toddlers, they used to hide and then immediately
call out, “Here I am!” because they really wanted to be found. When they got a bit bigger, they would hide in the most conspicuous places, thinking of course that they were really well hidden, and finding to their great disappointment that they were not. Lately, my son has invented a game called “Hide and Sneak” where it’s encouraged to sneak around and find different places to hide even as you are being sought.

I thought about the simple game of hide and seek recently as I was studying what the
Bible says about seeking God. Psalm 9:10 tells us that, “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Jeremiah 29:13 promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Isn’t that amazing? While our human tendency is to hide from God just like Adam and Eve, God’s holy desire is to be found.

But who are those who find the Lord? Those who know God’s name and seek Him with all their hearts. What? Doesn’t God have one name… namely, well…God? Well, yes and no. The One True God revealed His character through many different “names” in the Old Testament. Names like El Shaddai (God Almighty), Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is There), and El Roi (The God Who Sees) are a few examples of ways in which God revealed Himself to people in certain circumstances to show who He was in their specific situation or trial. Through understanding more about God’s names, we can know more about his character and begin to understand what it means to truly seek Him.

Those who “find” God are also, according to scripture, those who seek Him with all their hearts. Recently, while reading Isaiah 31:1, I was struck by the ways in which human nature has not changed since the beginning of time. Isaiah writes, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.” As I read those verses, I was impressed
with deep conviction in my own heart. How often do I trust in my flesh even though I am enslaved by it (go down to Egypt for help), find a way of escape to sooth my flesh (rely on horses- a way of escape), trust in power, prestige, or material goods (trust in chariots – the symbol of military prestige and power at that time), and finally, rely on people to solve my problems or dispense advice (trust in the strength of horsemen – who are mere people)? It seems that those to whom Isaiah was writing at the time are no different than me. Human nature is not to seek God, but first to seek other things. That is why so many of the Psalmists remind themselves and the Israelites to seek God. It’s not what humans naturally want to do! But it is the only way to true life and peace.

Throughout the next few months in this column,I’d like to explore with you some of these “names” of God and how knowing them can help us to seek Him diligently and trust Him more. My prayer is that we would all become women who seek God with all of our hearts and not trust in anything or anyone else! Knowing God in this way will increase our trust and will remind us that in Him we will never be forsaken. Won’t you join me for a little game of “Find and Seek”?

Praying for Piglet

The three-year-old was wailing from her bed this evening. I went up to inquire about the circumstances since she had just been down to visit me where I had prayed with her about her fear of "scawee bad dweams". I went up to give her a talking to, truth be told. But when I got there, she held up her stuffed cuddle, Piglet. "I prayed for you, remember? You will be fine. You need to go to sleep now." To which she sadly replied, "Yeah, mommy, but Pigwet's still scaaad. You need to pray for him too." Or maybe, sort of like Piglet says of Pooh, my little baby just wanted to be sure of me.

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh," he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, "I just wanted to be sure of you."

Do you think God's answers prayers for stuffed Piglets? Let's hope so. For the sake of three-year-olds.

A Three Book Weekend

Three books I am reading this weekend, with one quote from each:

"I don't know when the suspicion began for me, but for a while I've had a growing fear that my own life is small, when I crave bigness. I would like to make a grand contribution to the world to justify my existence and help define me. I don't want to be small. I want to be incredibly, unbelievably signifigant. (And yet could anyone accuse Jane of being insignificant?) I know that part of that is good and spiritual - this desire for a life not to be wasted - and yet it seems a great stroke of pride. I hope that somehow this proximity to Jane's life will help me understand my own"
From "A Walk With Jane Austen" by Lori Smith

"The essence of meditation is to think your way into the very mind of the inspired writers who were granted by inspiration to think the thoughts of God. Think and mull and ponder and chew until you see God (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:21) the way they see God - namely, as precious and valuable and beautiful and desirable. This is how the Word serves joy."
From "When I Don't Desire God" by John Piper

"For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore, be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."
From "The Bible" Hebrews 4:10-11

Masterpiece

Today, while my daughter was drawing me a picture, she and her little sister started arguing. I had requested a picture of hearts and flowers and trees and rainbows, some of her best subjects. ;) She was doing an earnest job, adding lots of colors and taking her time. Often, because she is an artistic little person, she sees and does things differently. And her little sister decided to point out to her that what she was drawing didn't look like hearts at all. Of course, in typical little girl fashion, she started trying to convince her sister that indeed they were hearts. She tried explaining the shape of things, attempting to convince her of validity of hearts drawn in this fashion. Little sister, being the literal little 3 year old that she is, insisted that no, they were not hearts. After this disagreement, the older-sister-heart-artist wailed loudly to me that her baby sister was saying that "These are not hearts and they are, Mommy! See?!"

As I answered, I found myself not thinking much about what I was saying. Sometimes the mothering thing just takes over and the little axioms, etc. just fly out of one's mouth. But after I said what I had said to console her, I was prompted to stop and think about it. You see, my daughter sounded so very much like...me. What I told her was this, "Why are you worrying about what she thinks? You are drawing this masterpiece for me." Yes. Yes. Yes. How much time do I spend wondering what others think of my ideas, motives, character, instead of remembering that God is the recipient of...me? I want to be content with pleasing Him. When I am tempted to explain my behavior, or convince others of what God has spoken into my heart, or hope that my relationship with Him appears valid and real to those around me, that is faulty and unfruitful thinking. It's not necessarily bad, it just so misses the mark. He is the reason I live. He is the reason I create...and do...and am.

This reminds me of one of my favorite Beth Moore teachings about the Greek word poiema, which means masterpiece and is used in Ephesians 2:10 which states, "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we could walk in them." In the teaching Beth says that the word translated into English as workmanship is poiema in Greek, and thus can mean masterpiece. I suppose it's hard to believe that He's creating me into a masterpiece, but indeed, He is an artist and it's true!

Nicole Nordeman penned a song a few years called Anyway. I'll end this little musing with the lyrics. It seems that they are quite appropriate when it comes to masterpieces.

Bless the days this restoration is complete
dirty, dusty, something must be underneath
So I scrape and I scuff
though it's never quite enough
I am starting to see me finally

A gallery of paintings new and paintings old
Guess its no suprise that I'm no michaelangelo
every layer of mine
hides a lovely design
Itit might take a little patience
it might take a little time

but you called me beautiful
when you saw my shame
and you palced me on the wall
anyway

you who have begun this work will someday see
A portrait of the holiness you meant for me
so I polish and shine till its easier to find
even an outline of mine

but you called me beautiful
when you saw my shame
and you palced me on the wall
anyway

It seems that even with all my imperfections, He is willing to call me beautiful, place me on a wall, and create me in His image to be a masterpiece. Sweet Jesus, may that ever and always be enough for me.

Good Quote for the Homeschooling Mom

When I feel I should be doing "more", I need to remember that...

"More time with less people equals greater impact for the Kingdom."

--Dawson Trotman, founder of Navigators

Shots

I took two of my kiddos to the doctor's office today for their yearly check-ups, the first they have had since we returned home from London. Their sister, who had her check-up about a month ago, had gotten 3 vaccinations at her appointment. Needless to say, that was the main question they had about going to the doctor themselves, "Will we have to get shots too?" I looked at both of their vaccination records and assured them that no, they should not be getting shots today at their appointment. But, guess what? I was wrong. Both needed one shot to get them up to date with healthiness! I felt really bad, as if I had purposely deceived them, when in reality, I hadn't. But they still looked at me as if I had while the nurse stuck their little legs!

I was thinking more about this today as I reflected on what I tell them everytime they get shots. When they ask, "But why do we have to get shots if they hurt so much and we're not sick?" I always tell them that the shots, even though they hurt for a few moments, can prevent them from getting very sick at some later date. Of course, being children, they are much more interested in the here and now. They don't want the shot. But, really, aren't grown-ups just kids with big bodies? Because sometimes I want to ask God the same things, mainly, "Why am I going through this?" And His answer is much like mine, "Because I have more information than you. I know what is best for you." I can also relate to my children's ideas: "But it hurts and all seems okay right now!"

Sometimes what I am going through at the time feels much bigger than the temporary pin-prick of a shot, but I am reminded of Paul's words, that our current experiences are "light and momentary troubles". And, maybe the Father, like me, knows that the "shot" will innoculate me in the end. I need these trials, these innoculations, against passivity and hard-heartedness. In the end, they increase my faith and remind me that growth in Christ is not painless. But pain is necessary for growth. Do you think God hands out stickers in heaven for those who endured their shots?

Thankfulness in All Circumstances

Be Still


“Is a man ever made to drink the cup of affliction when no drop of mercy is
intermingled? Is he ever visited with calamity which does not in some way
contemplate his own temporal or eternal good? Could we see all, we should see
that we are never placed in circumstances in which there is not much for which we
should thank God. And when, in His dealings, a cloud seems to cover His face,
let us remember the good things without number which we have received, and
especially remember that we are in the world of redeeming love, and we shall find
enough for which to be thankful.”

--Albert Barnes

Little Steps of Faith

"If we would have great faith we must begin to use the little faith we already have. Put it to work by reverent and faithful praying, and it will grow and become stronger day by day. Dare today to trust God for something small and ordinary and next week or next year you may be able to trust Him for answers bordering on the miraculous." -A.W. Tozer

Since becoming a parent nearly 7 years ago now, I had to learn to trust God in new and more meaningful ways. I will never forget holding my newly firstborn and thinking how very underprepared I was to be his parent --and this after reading every book and magazine on new parenting that was out at the time! Then after my second child, who was born only 15 months after the first was born, there was a new level of faith required. This time, I needed to trust God that He would supply all I needed as I endured sleepless nights with a newborn and the demands of a toddler.

About 9 months after my middle child was born, she and her Daddy took a nasty tumble down the stairs that caused a traumatic brain injury and could very nearly have cost her life. In those moments, I remember crying out to God that I simply did not have enough faith to give her back to Him. But in the end, I came to the determination that I had no choice. And in His grace, He spared not only her life, but her health in its entirety. You would never know now that she had suffered such an injury.

When my older two were merely 3 and 2 years old, our youngest was born. The faith required this time was for my own personal sanity, as I suffered with post-partum depression as I never had before, enduring torturous thoughts from the enemy about the health and safety of all of my children. I had to take very small steps of faith then, as miniscule steps were all I could muster. I had to believe that God had good plans for me and my children, plans to prosper and not to harm. I stood frequently in that promise.

This past year and a half required a new level and type of faith --the faith that is required to move away completely from all you know and into another culture with my family. The faith that is needed when one is lonely and isolated and alien. I grasped onto faith then with the very tips of my fingernails as if I were gripping onto the edge of a tall cliff. I learned in a very real sense that "Jesus Loves Me This I Know" at a point in my life when I have never felt more alone, unloveable, and bumbling.

Now, I am at another crossroads of faith, one that involves as I've written about previously, the provision of a job for our family. This new kind of faith - faith for our very sustenance - has proven difficult for me. In the end, I wrestle with my erroneous theology and find that I do not believe that I should expect anything more from God than my salvation. Hasn't that been gift enough? But He does promise to provide for his children, does He not? The perfectionist in me gets frustrated with my imperfect self in this new test of faith.

But this quote by Tozer (above) reminds me that the steps of faith that I have been taking all along have not been in vain. All of the faith steps above and others that I have not written about but have definitely lived out in the years since I invited Jesus into my heart all those many years ago --all of those little steps of faith--are the very foundation for which I will trust Him for the next big thing. And in the end, may there be something very miraculous indeed. Not the job that God provides, no, but the faith. The faith that believes He can do anything. The faith that becomes sight. And the legacy for our family when we tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.

Sometimes Their Prayers Put Me to Shame

During our circle time today, we were praying for some church friends who are in Guatamala for the summer and we got to our "thanksgiving" portion of the prayer time. My two oldest blew me away by what they shared. One said, "Thank you God for our home and our family and for music and for books." The other said, "Thank you God for your Bible and your words that Jesus brought to us." I was astounded that the once simple prayers of thanks for home and family (which are very valid in their own right) had turned into thanksgiving for his good gifts of books and music and His wonderful Word. I am humbled to be praying with my little people. Through these simple every day experiences, sometimes God gives me a glimpse into the Kingdom people that He is growing them to be and I think about them in the future and I am excited and blown away and scared all at the same time. I am so thankful that as a mom I get to see these little pieces of their hearts during our prayer time.

Starting With Myself

We've been suffering some bad attitudes around here of late. Lots of me-first arguments, raised voices, and harsh tones. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed by 9 (AM!). It's funny...I think I often am frustrated by my own expectations of what I think I deserve. Sinful thoughts such as these creep into my mind often: I got up and had my quiet time, so I deserve not to have a bad attitude myself. I pour and pour and pour into my children only to have them be unappreciative. I find it curious that some of the attitudes of ingratitude that I see in them are also found in me.

Today, as I sat down for a moment to pray after a difficult morning with one child in particular, I was asking God what to do. And so loudly, so clearly in my mind, I heard "Start with you." Ouch. But how true it is! How can I expect my little people to cultivate attitudes of gratitude if they hear mommy complaining? How can I expect them to go about their chores in a cheerful manner when I do not?

I have been reading some posts lately at a new (to me) blog called Metro Moms. They have encouraged me to cultivate redemptive speech. Among other things in this particular entry, I read a quote from Jerry Bridges which reminded me that “We tend to exhibit many sins most freely in the context of our own families.” Yep. So, let me start this day anew with fresh resolve to confront those sins in my own life and heart before expecting my children to have mastered them. Let me start with myself.

Praying for the Job Search

My brother recently sent me a package with two books in it. One was titled, "Worry: Pursuing a Better Path to Peace" and the other "Running Scared". Do you think he's trying to send me a message? I had recently spoken to the sweet man about our family's uncertainty regarding hubby's job. The plant where hubby has worked since getting out of college fifteen years ago is closing in June. We are uncertain as to where God is taking us next. We are waiting expectantly for God to provide a new job for this family.

Throughout this season of uncertainty and waiting I have wrestled with many questions and seen my faith for what it is...and isn't. I now realize that one of the faulty beliefs I've held is that God is always waiting to "teach me a lesson". I have been surprised to learn how very little I trust in God's goodness. Could God actually gift this family with the desires of our heart? That has been tough for me to think, say, even to type here. The key scripture that God keeps taking me back to to confront that faulty thinking is from Matthew 7, "What man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf would give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him." Now, that is not to say that the "good gift" that I desire is or is not the will of God in this particular situation, but it is life-giving to know that my Father will provide good gifts for his children, which includes our family. I find it very hard --presumptuous even -- to say and believe that, but I choose to believe based on the truth in this Scripture.

Right now, we are living to enjoy each simple moment in our wonderful life. And, we are simply praying that the God of the Heavens, the Giver of every good and perfect gift, the God who is our Provider will align our will to His. And in that, I know that He will answer our prayer.

Happy Easter

"We need to immerse ourselves over and over again for long periods of time and very quietly into the living, speaking, acting, suffering and dying of Jesus; so that we may recognize what God promises and what He fulfills." --Deitrich Bonhoffer

Preaching the Gospel to His Little Self

He runs upstairs, something triggering a thought and an excitement to share something good, something very good.

He comes down with this.

He proceeds to read us all a Psalm. We are all encouraged.

He tells us how the Psalms are ministering to his little boy heart. "At night, when I am scared, I read a happy one and it makes me feel better."

Father God, thank you...thank you...thank you. Continue to remind me that it is YOU who is the heart-wooer. I trust you with my boy. Never let go of him. Pierce his heart with your love each day until You consume his very life.

Quote for Sunday

"The church or individual that is Bible taught without being Spirit taught (and there are many of them) has simply failed to see that truth lies deeper than the theological statement of it." --A.W. Tozer

Don't Miss...

Shannon, Boomama and Shaun Grove's Uganda posts today. Click the Compassion International button in the sidebar where it says "read". Sorry, I'm having trouble linking them here. But, really, read them. Be changed.

Can't Stop Thinking About...

***Updated to add...Check out the new Compassion Uganda button on my sidebar to track these bloggers on this important journey. And don't forget to pray!***

Today as I was cleaning out my freezer and throwing away old, forgotten meat, etc.

Last night as I was looking at those new valentine's day placemats from Target that I just "had to have".

When I was wrapping the many things that I had gotten my baby girl for her birthday this weekend.

As I was making a list of the new books that I "needed".

I was thinking about, remembering, and being convincted by the truth of these words.

Forgive me, Jesus. Forgive me.

I have so far to go to give up my stuff-ism. I hope this post and the truth shared in it will never, ever, ever leave my mind. Or yours.

Please pray for the blogging team on the trip with Compassion International. And please pray for us rich Americans to release all that we think we need to embrace real life.