A Parody

I asked on facebook that people come up with a parody to the Cheer's Theme about facebook. One of my friend's, Michelle, and not just a fb friend, came up with this... which i think is GREAT!!

Catching up with friends on facebook takes everything you got.

Taking a break from your real life doesn’t do a lot.

Wouldn’t you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where people know more than just your name

And they don’t all act the sam...e

You want to be where you can see

That people are who they claim.

You want to be where everybody 

Isn’t vain.

~Michelle Buck

Momma

Magdalene has started a silly saying around here: "Don't mess with Momma!" I wonder if this had anything to do with it?

One Fun Dad

With Father's Day coming up, i thought this photo captured the fun our kids have with their Daddy. We were at Fort Snelling for World War II Days, and we had just watched a Swing Dance demo. After a while, we were waiting for the Gun Firing demo, and Gracie wanted to Swing Dance with her Dad. In front of countless people, he did it.

One of the many things i love about my man. He lives in the moment, savoring an opportunity to make a priceless memory with one of his children.

Turning Our Eyes

Thought i would walk through this simple chorus, and what it has meant to me this week.  :-)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Take your eyes off of anything else. Completely turn your eyes. Not just a bit. Not for just a moment. But completely, steadfastly, resolutely, fix your eyes on Jesus.

Look full in His wonderful face
definitions from dictionary.com (except for His) ~ 
Look: To turn one's eyes toward something or in some direction in order to see.
Full: Exactly or directly.
In: Used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, or limits.
His: the great I AM
Wonderful: excellent; great; marvelous.
Face: The front part of the head.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace!
As we turn our eyes toward Jesus Christ, all of the cares and worries here are put in perspective. As we turn our eyes to His excellent Word, we are reminded that this world is truly not our home. As we read and meditate on the Bible, we realize that the hooks of materialism and self-love loosen their grip. We see that it is truly ALL.ABOUT.HIM. all we do. all we say. all we are, to His glory.
When the things of earth, those things that we have set our affections on higher than Christ, grow dim, we can walk in freedom. The freedom given to us in Christ.

We start to see things from His perspective.
We love, because we finally see how He has loved us.
We give, because we finally see how much we have been given.
We forgive, because we know the depths of our own depravity, and how very much we have been forgiven by God in Christ.

We can simply be, because we know that our very breath is given to us by Him.

Idolatry

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in His wonderful face.

And the things of earth,

Will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace."

We sang this little chorus at the end of the service yesterday at Grace Community Bible Church, our new church home. I cannot express how much I needed to hear AND sing the words of this chorus. God knew, though, and there it was.


I think I need to back up. Years ago there were words spoken to me by someone who was a very close friend that have affected me in every relationship I have, creating in me a huge sense of insecurity and fear, even within my marriage. I say this to show you the power of words. Words can build up or tear down. And words last.

I am a blessed woman. I know this. I have wonderful friendships and a wonderful sisterhood around me. Truly, I know how blessed I am. Yet, the enemy of my soul loves to use the fiery dart spoken to me so long ago to cast a shadow over me. And I let him. ugh.


Seemingly out of nowhere, the flaming arrows come and pierce me. My response? To doubt and believe the lies. Why? I guess sometimes it just seems easier to believe the lie. Also, it gets at a place in me that I have struggled with for so long .... wanting to have value to others. I wonder, if we are all honest, don't we all long for that? Possibly it borders on people-pleasing. More likely, I wonder if we have made an idol of finding our value in what other's think of us, or how much we mean to other people? ouch. Oh, Lord, forgive me.

This weekend, the shadow was cast over me, and I reacted. I became emotional, crabby, and short with my kids. Why? Because I questioned my worth and value in a relationship. This really highlighted for me that I still struggle with what was said to me so long ago.

• That the enemy still had that hook in me. 
• That I am inherently a people-pleaser. 
• That I want recognition, adoration, accolades.
• That I want the praise of men. 
• That I want acceptance.

This is awful to write and to see in black-and-white. I am fighting back tears. Oh Lord, You are faithful to reveal the dark areas of our hearts. Forgive me.

In worship on Sunday, we sang beautiful, meaningful hymns and choruses. I was fighting tears numerous times, as we sang about our Saviour and what He accomplished for us, and the hope that we have in Him. I saw my own selfishness and how much i looked to humanity for value. I realized that I needed to shift my eyes to the Lover of my soul, and to get these hooks out of my heart. That I needed to let go of this world, and the affections I seek after here, and find all my needs met in Him alone. Only then, i believe, can i truly love freely, without fear. Only then can all of my relationships be free from the baggage of the past.

After the sermon (which was excellent!), i realized i needed to rest in God's sovereign grace. Then we sang a hymn and then the little chorus i opened with. How simple, and yet so profound..... Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Completely. Have your gaze FIXED on Him alone. This must be our perspective.

The things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of HIS glory and grace. It is through Jesus Christ that we can fully enjoy the blessings here, as we traverse upon this sod.

May we truly rest in Him. May we love without fear. May we bring Him glory and honor in ALL that we do.

Fridays with Frances

Be Not Weary.

Yes! He knows the way is dreary,

Knows the weakness of our frame. 

Knows that hand and heart are weary

He, 'in all points,' felt the same.

He is near to help and bless;

Be not weary, onward press.

Look to Him who once was willing

All His glory to resign,

That, for thee the law fulfilling,

All His merit might be thine.

Strive to follow day by day

Where His footsteps mark the way.

Look to Him, the Lord of Glory,

Tasting death to win thy life;

Gazing on 'that wondrous story,'

Canst thou falter in the strife?

Is it not new life to know

That the Lord hath loved thee so!

Look to Him who ever liveth, 

Interceding for His own:

Seek, yea, claim the grace He giveth

Freely from His priestly throne.

Will He not thy strength renew

With His Spirit's quickening dew?

Look to Him, and faith shall brighten,

Hope shall soar, and love shall burn;

Peace once more thy heart shall lighten;

Rise ! He calleth thee, return !

Be not weary on they way, 

Jesus is thy strength and stay. 

~Frances Ridley Havergal

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!