Big Changes !

The past few months have brought about some pretty big changes in our home and in our family life. Months of prayer went into the changes we have made. I think i should start at the "beginning" if there is one :)

We have 4 children. This is no surprise. Our oldest is twelve, and is getting ready to move-up in the church youth system. This caused us to start to really examine youth groups, as we know them. Some pretty interesting things started popping up for us. 

For my husband, it started last summer at some point. He was convicted about not having a time of family worship. A time set aside daily, where we as a family could gather around God's Word and learn. He began doing this with our children in the summer, and I joined in later. He was inspired by the Drapper family in England. Theirs is a pretty neat story. 

It all started for me on October 31st. I listened to Family Life Today, which i rarely do! I was driving to my kids' school to drop something off, when the program came on. You can find it HERE. It is titled "Why Our Kids are Leaving the Faith". This got my attention. The numbers they shared were staggering to me. This prompted me to do more research, and it became clear that the percentage of kids leaving the church during the college years were astonishing... up to 80%! And they are saying now that these kids have "checked-out" as early as the junior high years in the church youth group. 

I believe it was around February that we watched a documentary called  Divided: The Movie. Find the link HERE...you simply have to sign up for a newsletter (which i have not received one yet) to watch it for free. Watching this gave us much to think about. Much. We talked about it and prayed about it. We searched the Scriptures. Finally, we came to a similar conclusion: we could find no basis in the Bible for dividing out the ages as much as we do in the church. Yes, this is how it has been done since early in the 20th century, but why?  With the stakes so high (our own children hitting these ages), we knew we had to do something. 

Growing in both my husband and i was a sense of wanting our children with us in worship service. We desired to worship with ALL the generations together, and not be so separated out. A verse that God has spoken to us clearly is this:

Thus says the Lord:

“Stand in the ways and see,

And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,

And walk in it;

Then you will find rest for your souls.

Jeremiah 6:16a

 Also, we began sensing that a smaller church might be a better fit for us as a family. This was not about style, etc. This was about a desire that God placed in our hearts to worship corporately with all ages and stages of life, via the singing of praises to our great God and the preaching of His most excellent, sufficient Word. 

In March, we began acting on what God had placed in our hearts...We began looking for a new local church to join ourselves to. We deeply desired to belong to a family-integrated church....and God blessed us. We believe that God has called us to join in His work at Grace Community Bible Church. It is a family-integrated church. This church stands firm, preaching the Word expositionally. Our children are enjoying it, and are jazzed to go each Sunday morning and Thursday evening. 

We are thankful for the years that God gave us at our former church. When we first walked through the doors there, we were needing to rest. It was a beautiful place to heal, connect, grow, and serve. We are grateful. 

We are also very excited for this next part of our journey. Grace Community is a newer church, just 3 years old. It is an exciting time to be a part of the story God is weaving together there. 

For His Great Name and Glory,

Jeanette

A Donkey & A Horse

Last night i was at a local church, and the Elder-in-training gave a short message on Jesus riding in on a donkey to Jerusalem. I was aware of some of the things that he stated, but one thing was interesting. Jesus used a donkey (colt of a donkey) to show he came in civil peace. That is what a King rode in on when he came in peace for civil affairs. Jesus came in peace, to purchase our peace with God.

But...

He is coming again. And this time, on a WAR HORSE, and not for civil peace! Revelation 19. He comes to make war with the nations. Kings would ride on horses in military victory. Think Alexander the Great and his trusty steed. Christ IS returning, on his WAR HORSE, with the armies of heaven behind Him. Amazing. He will wage war, and then bring peace at the consummation of the Ages.

If we are in Christ, we can trust that, indeed.....

"For He Himself is our peace..."

Ephesians 2:14a

If you would like to know the hope we have in Christ, here is a sermon that lays it all out....by Paul Washer. 

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?m=t&s=4181185011

M2C Monday & More

Dear Friends,

Today is supposed to be my Made to Crave Monday. I just don't have it in me to write much about it. So many other things are going on, that it is difficult to have a post about "my" progress. seems so shallow, compared to everything else.

I have continued to seek the Lord, instead of food, which is very important right now (although i CAN admit i ate a few too many mashed potatoes on Sunday). Had i been turning to food or shopping for comfort these past weeks, i would have missed precious times with my Lord. I would have missed the clarity that He has brought. i would have missed the comfort that only He can give. i would have missed diving deep in to the Word of God, which reveals His will for us.

God has been faithful. So much more faithful to me than food or shopping ever have been.

As the next days unfold, i am certain what is going on internally will make its way here, to the cyberworld. Right now, though, i cannot.

One verse He has been speaking to us, as a couple is Jeremiah 6:16:

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see,

and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, 

and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. (KJV)

~or~

Thus says the LORD:

Stand in the ways and see,

And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, 

and walk in it;

Then you will find rest for your souls." (NKJV)

M2C Monday

It has been a busy 2 weeks here. Not just with things to do, but with things to think about. I am sure over the next month, what has been going on upstairs (in my brain) will make its way out here. Just not yet. Things are still too fresh, and are still a little tender.

All that to say that i have NOT been working through the Made To Crave book the way that i want to, though I am applying the truths from it, and it has made such a difference. I haven't weighed myself since my last weigh-in (which you can now follow on the sidebar). My clothes are feeling looser (tops especially!) and my body feels healthier. Making better food choices, and eating until satisfied has made a big difference for me.

Evaluating my relationship with food has caused me to realize so many things about my own eating patterns. I saw that i eat often when i am bored...UH-OH! and when i am stressed. Now, i find something to clean, or go read a book with one of the kids. We have been playing some more games too.

The changes i have been making regarding food have not been easy, but they are SO worth it!