Today I had an opportunity to attend an amazing prayer meeting at our church. Nearly 100 people gathered over their lunch hour to spend time praying for our nation and the upcoming election. It was made clear at the beginning that we were not there to push our own political views on each other, but simply to ask for God's guidance and discernment for our country.
We started out by thanking God for the many blessings He has poured out upon the United States of America, and on our lives individually. We are fortunate to live in a nation where we have the ability to worship freely and without fear. The early church faced persecution, imprisonment, or even death for proclaiming that Jesus was the Savior. Many people in other countries face that same oppression today. Unfortunately, I think we often take our freedoms for granted. It was good to have that reminder to begin our prayer time together.
We went on to pray that God would give each one of us discernment as we head to the polls on Tuesday. I have to admit, this is the first time I have truly prayed for God to guide my decisions as I vote. I tend to be a single-issue voter, voting only for those candidates who support life. To me, that is a fundamental issue that I believe is in line with God's teaching. But that doesn't mean I don't need to pray about my choices anymore. In the midst of phony campaign promises and candidates bashing each other, how am I to know who is speaking with integrity? I need God's guidance, and I should be earnestly seeking it.
That led to prayers for each person who will be elected to a political office on Tuesday, from the President down to the local offices that we don't even hear much about. As I prayed, I realized that God already knows who will be preparing to move into the White House and who will be filling each seat in Congress after the election is over. The bottom line is, each one of those men and women need God, the same as you and I do. I don't know who has made a personal decision to accept Christ as Savior. John McCain, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, Joe Biden - whoever fills the Oval Office will be under tremendous pressure and will need God's help! We need to be praying for godly leaders who seek His will and are willing to step out in faith to implement that.
A few members of the Trinity staff also got up to pray about specific issues facing our nation today. We prayed for our current financial crisis, that God would meet the needs of people who are struggling, out of work, hungry, or even homeless. We prayed that God would strengthen our families, that spouses would be faithful to each other, and that children would be brought up in the fear of the Lord. We prayed for our soldiers fighting in Iraq, that God would protect them and return them safely to their families, and that resolution might be reached. And we prayed that God would strengthen the church in our country and help us to have a powerful impact on the world around us.
Finally, we prayed for integrity in the election. No miscounts, no questionable ballots, but a clear decision that no one questions. We prayed that the negativity we have seen in the campaigns this year would be minimized in the next week.
I was grateful that I was able to be part of the prayer meeting for three reasons. First, it was both powerful and moving to be in a room with fellow Christ-followers, all lifting our voices in prayer and beseeching our Father on behalf of our nation. Second, it reminded me of several important issues at hand that I need to be on my knees for concerning our nation - the nation my children will grow up in - and my grandchildren and great-grandchildren after them, God willing.
Most importantly, I was reminded that God invites us to boldly approach the throne of grace. In the book of Philippians Paul tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and 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." I am grateful that I don't have to worry about the future. Today, we presented our requests to God with prayer and thanksgiving. I know He heard. And I know He will answer.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Leave it to Beaver
When I was a kid, I loved watching old reruns of Leave it to Beaver. There was something charming about the Cleaver family and the way they interacted with each other. If you watch the sitcoms that are on these days, you don't get the same picture of family life. In most cases, you see a wife who doesn't show a great deal of respect for her husband and often gets a laugh at his expense. Two shows in particular come to my mind. I'm sure you can think of examples, too.
What I am about to say would not make me popular with leaders of the women's rights movements. Frankly, I don't really care. I want to be June Cleaver. I would love nothing more than to spend my days at home baking and cooking, cleaning, helping my children solve their problems, and making sure our house was a happy place for my husband to come home to at the end of the day. I could even get used to the dress and high heels, I think!
I am saddened by the fact that we have redefined women in our society, and that young girls are growing up with this philosophy. Now those of us who would aspire to be like June Cleaver are looked down upon. The perception is that we lack ambition or have settled for less than our potential. We watch Leave it to Beaver reruns and laugh at how unbelievable it is. How did this happen?
Over the past 50 years, women have fought hard to gain equality with men. I, for one, do not want to be compared or held to the same standards as a man. I believe God created us to be different from one another, and we should embrace and celebrate our differences!
All too often we overlook the passage in Genesis that tells us God created Eve because no suitable helper could be found for Adam. Woman was not created to be Man's equal. She was created to be his helper. Wives, God has uniquely crafted us to be a companion and helper for our husbands. No one else is capable of that important task. God has designed us to possess those qualities and abilities that perfectly complement our husbands'. We are meant to be a team; our husbands need us and we need them. What a precious gift!
I long for the days when a wife and mother was expected to be just that - a wife and mother. Fathers held the jobs outside the home that provided for the family. Moms were involved in their kids' daily activities and made sure they were staying out of trouble. Neighbors knew and cared about each other. Wives respected their husbands, and husbands loved their wives. Certainly a television show presents the idealistic side of it, but to hear my grandma tell stories I don't think Leave it to Beaver was too far off.
The problem is, most of our families can't pay all the bills on a single income. So we work. And if we're not careful, we suffer, our children suffer, and our marriages suffer as a result. We can't do it all, and unfortunately sometimes the most important things fall by the wayside. Wouldn't it be great if there was a revolution in our culture and women went back to... well, being at home?
What I am about to say would not make me popular with leaders of the women's rights movements. Frankly, I don't really care. I want to be June Cleaver. I would love nothing more than to spend my days at home baking and cooking, cleaning, helping my children solve their problems, and making sure our house was a happy place for my husband to come home to at the end of the day. I could even get used to the dress and high heels, I think!
I am saddened by the fact that we have redefined women in our society, and that young girls are growing up with this philosophy. Now those of us who would aspire to be like June Cleaver are looked down upon. The perception is that we lack ambition or have settled for less than our potential. We watch Leave it to Beaver reruns and laugh at how unbelievable it is. How did this happen?
Over the past 50 years, women have fought hard to gain equality with men. I, for one, do not want to be compared or held to the same standards as a man. I believe God created us to be different from one another, and we should embrace and celebrate our differences!
All too often we overlook the passage in Genesis that tells us God created Eve because no suitable helper could be found for Adam. Woman was not created to be Man's equal. She was created to be his helper. Wives, God has uniquely crafted us to be a companion and helper for our husbands. No one else is capable of that important task. God has designed us to possess those qualities and abilities that perfectly complement our husbands'. We are meant to be a team; our husbands need us and we need them. What a precious gift!
I long for the days when a wife and mother was expected to be just that - a wife and mother. Fathers held the jobs outside the home that provided for the family. Moms were involved in their kids' daily activities and made sure they were staying out of trouble. Neighbors knew and cared about each other. Wives respected their husbands, and husbands loved their wives. Certainly a television show presents the idealistic side of it, but to hear my grandma tell stories I don't think Leave it to Beaver was too far off.
The problem is, most of our families can't pay all the bills on a single income. So we work. And if we're not careful, we suffer, our children suffer, and our marriages suffer as a result. We can't do it all, and unfortunately sometimes the most important things fall by the wayside. Wouldn't it be great if there was a revolution in our culture and women went back to... well, being at home?
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Life Lessons from a Farm and a Zoo
This fall I have had the privilege of going along on two field trips with my kids. First was a field trip to the farm, where we learned all about the different crops grown and how they use those crops to make the products we use every day. Then was a trip to Potter Park Zoo, where a docent gave us all kinds of interesting facts about the animals we saw. Here are a few of the things I learned:
More importantly though, I was reminded of how amazing our God truly is.
First of all, God filled the earth with all kinds of crops and vegetation to provide for His children. He has given us good food to eat: wheat, corn, and soybeans - as well as a variety of other fruits, vegetables and grains that are grown at other farms across the country. Not just one thing to eat constantly, but all different tastes so that we not only get sustenance from our food, but flavor, too. He loves us enough to provide for our needs and give us the added blessing of enjoyment.
Second, He has designed each of us to be uniquely equipped to fulfill His purpose for our lives. The most incredible example of this to me was the camel. He placed the camel in the desert, so He gave it everything it needs to flourish in the desert environment. It stores fat in its humps so there is a reserve that its body can use when food is not readily available. As it burns fat, a byproduct of that is water, which keeps it from becoming dehydrated. It is also able to drink large amounts of water and store that water in its body for a long period of time, so that when water is available it can drink, and that water can be stored for times when water is not available.
I simply cannot fathom the mind of God that knows each one of his creations so intimately, has a plan and purpose for each one, and has given each one the unique characteristics it needs. That goes for us, too. He knows everything about us, because He created us. He knows our needs before we even ask Him. And He has chosen the environment in which He has placed us for a plan and a purpose. I've been where it feels like the farm, and food and water are plentiful. But I've also felt like I was in the desert, dry and thirsty. The truth is, no matter where I am, I can trust Him to give me all that I need to sustain me.
If I have any encouragement for you, it would be this: if you are experiencing a time of plenty, where you feel well provided for and blessed with enjoyment, celebrate that and take the opportunity to grow and nourish your faith. The desert may lie ahead. If you already are in the desert, parched and weary, know that God will carry you through. He is all you need.
- You can make popcorn from the smaller ears of Indian corn.
- They make fabric out of corn.
- Tractors can run on fuel made from soybeans. (A possible solution to our gasoline problems?)
- There is a difference between sweet corn and field corn. The kernels on field corn are very hard and are ground into meal before being used.
- Owls can't really turn their heads all the way around. They can turn them 120 degrees, which is about 3/4 of the way around. This is because they have limited peripheral vision and can't move their eyes from side to side.
- Camels can drink up to 30 gallons of water in 15 minutes.
- A group of ostriches all lay their eggs in one nest and take turns tending to the eggs until they hatch.
More importantly though, I was reminded of how amazing our God truly is.
First of all, God filled the earth with all kinds of crops and vegetation to provide for His children. He has given us good food to eat: wheat, corn, and soybeans - as well as a variety of other fruits, vegetables and grains that are grown at other farms across the country. Not just one thing to eat constantly, but all different tastes so that we not only get sustenance from our food, but flavor, too. He loves us enough to provide for our needs and give us the added blessing of enjoyment.
Second, He has designed each of us to be uniquely equipped to fulfill His purpose for our lives. The most incredible example of this to me was the camel. He placed the camel in the desert, so He gave it everything it needs to flourish in the desert environment. It stores fat in its humps so there is a reserve that its body can use when food is not readily available. As it burns fat, a byproduct of that is water, which keeps it from becoming dehydrated. It is also able to drink large amounts of water and store that water in its body for a long period of time, so that when water is available it can drink, and that water can be stored for times when water is not available.
I simply cannot fathom the mind of God that knows each one of his creations so intimately, has a plan and purpose for each one, and has given each one the unique characteristics it needs. That goes for us, too. He knows everything about us, because He created us. He knows our needs before we even ask Him. And He has chosen the environment in which He has placed us for a plan and a purpose. I've been where it feels like the farm, and food and water are plentiful. But I've also felt like I was in the desert, dry and thirsty. The truth is, no matter where I am, I can trust Him to give me all that I need to sustain me.
If I have any encouragement for you, it would be this: if you are experiencing a time of plenty, where you feel well provided for and blessed with enjoyment, celebrate that and take the opportunity to grow and nourish your faith. The desert may lie ahead. If you already are in the desert, parched and weary, know that God will carry you through. He is all you need.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Weekend
What a weekend! It started for me at noon on Friday, when I arrived at the school to chaperone a first grade field trip. We went to Cook's Farm in Okemos, where we learned about the different crops they grow there and what products are made from those crops. Then we took a hayride out into the pumpkin patch and each child got to choose a pumpkin to take home. It's always fun for me to be with my kids, but I actually learned a lot on this field trip, too!The bus arrived back at the school at 2:15 and Lukas got to hang out with me until the bell rang at 3:00 and we could pick Stefan up. Then we were on to the fall festival at the school. They had every inflatable you can imagine, Laser Tag and a climbing wall. I was exhausted by the time we left. The boys were not.
Saturday was the Fall Open House at Youth Haven, and it was a gorgeous day! The boys climbed on an ambulance, talked to firefighters, met Safety Pup, got their faces painted (as you can see here), took a hayride, and carried around a little snake they found. I got to chase them around and make sure they weren't trying to run the show. Stefan enjoys telling people his dad is the director.
Sunday morning we got up and headed to church for the 9:15 service. They had a first grade Bible presentation, where they gave each first grader a Bible and a little devotional book to go with it. Our lead pastor spoke to the parents about the importance of encouraging the children to read their Bibles, as well as modeling that in our lives. Then the kids sang "Open the Eyes of My Heart" for us. I am grateful for a church that invests so much into the lives of our children.
And then I was reminded of the Youth Haven children who sang for the people at the Fall Open House on Saturday. These are kids who do not necessarily come from homes where they are provided for or even loved. Most of them have never stepped inside a church and have learned everything they know about Jesus at Youth Haven. Here they were, singing, "I'm trading my sorrows, I'm trading my shame, I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord."
I can't fathom the depths of sorrow and shame some of these children have faced in their lives. What a privilege it is for me to be part of a ministry that shows them the love of Christ and helps them take hold of the joy of the Lord!
I have been blessed. My children are blessed. I am grateful for the things I learned in church when I was growing up, and I am grateful for what I see my children learning as they attend our church and a Christian school. I am also grateful that God has called my family to serve at Youth Haven and share the love of Christ with kids who don't have that privilege. If, someday, He does call one or both of my children to "run the show," I pray they will answer that call wholeheartedly.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
God is Great, God is Good
I am amazed at how God answers the prayers of His children. This week in particular, I have seen two incredible answers to my prayers.
Lars and I have prayed about our decision to enroll the boys in school and firmly believe Lansing Christian is part of God's plan for their lives. But there are a lot of financial obligations that go along with that, and we have had to make some sacrifices. So last week, as I was thinking about all of the school expenses we have already encountered this year, I asked God to provide.
Over the weekend we received an amazing gift of clothes for our boys. Not even hand-me-downs, but brand new clothes that were extra inventory at a clothing store owned by a friend of my mother-in-law's. Their dressers and closets are now nicely stocked with clothes for the school year: the first answer to prayer.
I have also been praying for my dad. He is doing fairly well, and his foot has been healing better than the doctors anticipated it would. He still has physical struggles with the dialysis, though, and I had sensed in him some discouragement. He always loved preaching, and retirement has been emotionally tough for him. He doesn't want to feel like his life is worthless now. My prayer for him became not only that God would physically strengthen him, but also that God would give him a sense of purpose at Youth Haven.
Sunday afternoon when I spoke with him on the phone, he told me how grateful he is to be here. He feels better now that he can rest when he needs to, without the pressures that go hand-in-hand with full-time ministry. He is looking forward to being able to speak to the Youth Haven children in chapel times and lead some of our staff devotions. This is the second answer to prayer.
As I was thinking about these answered prayers, another prayer came to my mind. It is a simple prayer that we used to say as a family before mealtimes: "God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen."
Lars and I have not adopted this practice with our boys because we wanted them to learn to pray from their hearts, not to simply recite words they had memorized. Still, as I think of those words, I can see a great deal of truth packed into each line.
God is great. His creation is an awe-inspiring display of His power and greatness. The fact that I breathe in and out without thinking about it, the leaves I see changing into bright reds, yellows, and oranges, the stars and planets that shine in the night sky - all of these speak of the fact that God is, indeed, great.
God is good. In Psalm 8, the psalmist writes, "When I consider the heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?" In light of His greatness, it is amazing to me that He loves and cares about me. In fact, He loves me so much He sent His Son to die for me. Yes, God is good.
Let us thank Him... I don't think I'm the only mother who has invested all her efforts into pleasing her kids, only to have them cry and become upset over the one thing she didn't do.
I have caught myself saying, "Instead of crying about that, you should be saying thank you for all I have done for you." Imagine how many times God's heart is broken because I only focus on the one thing I didn't get, rather than thanking Him for the countless things He has done for me!
I haven't done a theological study on prayer and I'm certainly not an expert. But I have seen the answers to my own prayers. And I know enough to believe that "God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food" can be a whole lot more than just reciting words.
Lars and I have prayed about our decision to enroll the boys in school and firmly believe Lansing Christian is part of God's plan for their lives. But there are a lot of financial obligations that go along with that, and we have had to make some sacrifices. So last week, as I was thinking about all of the school expenses we have already encountered this year, I asked God to provide.
Over the weekend we received an amazing gift of clothes for our boys. Not even hand-me-downs, but brand new clothes that were extra inventory at a clothing store owned by a friend of my mother-in-law's. Their dressers and closets are now nicely stocked with clothes for the school year: the first answer to prayer.
I have also been praying for my dad. He is doing fairly well, and his foot has been healing better than the doctors anticipated it would. He still has physical struggles with the dialysis, though, and I had sensed in him some discouragement. He always loved preaching, and retirement has been emotionally tough for him. He doesn't want to feel like his life is worthless now. My prayer for him became not only that God would physically strengthen him, but also that God would give him a sense of purpose at Youth Haven.
Sunday afternoon when I spoke with him on the phone, he told me how grateful he is to be here. He feels better now that he can rest when he needs to, without the pressures that go hand-in-hand with full-time ministry. He is looking forward to being able to speak to the Youth Haven children in chapel times and lead some of our staff devotions. This is the second answer to prayer.
As I was thinking about these answered prayers, another prayer came to my mind. It is a simple prayer that we used to say as a family before mealtimes: "God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen."
Lars and I have not adopted this practice with our boys because we wanted them to learn to pray from their hearts, not to simply recite words they had memorized. Still, as I think of those words, I can see a great deal of truth packed into each line.
God is great. His creation is an awe-inspiring display of His power and greatness. The fact that I breathe in and out without thinking about it, the leaves I see changing into bright reds, yellows, and oranges, the stars and planets that shine in the night sky - all of these speak of the fact that God is, indeed, great.
God is good. In Psalm 8, the psalmist writes, "When I consider the heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?" In light of His greatness, it is amazing to me that He loves and cares about me. In fact, He loves me so much He sent His Son to die for me. Yes, God is good.
Let us thank Him... I don't think I'm the only mother who has invested all her efforts into pleasing her kids, only to have them cry and become upset over the one thing she didn't do.
I have caught myself saying, "Instead of crying about that, you should be saying thank you for all I have done for you." Imagine how many times God's heart is broken because I only focus on the one thing I didn't get, rather than thanking Him for the countless things He has done for me!
I haven't done a theological study on prayer and I'm certainly not an expert. But I have seen the answers to my own prayers. And I know enough to believe that "God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food" can be a whole lot more than just reciting words.
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