Unseen Earthquake

"Children expand the family but do not complete it. God joined Adam and Eve together. Marriage is God-ordained! In fact, it is well said that the strength of all other relationships in the family is dependent on the husband/wife relationship." James R. Wilkes, Family By Design

"Therefore what God has joined together, let man (or chidren) not separate." Matthew 19:6

It's the temptation every mother faces
The pedestal has a new silhouette
It used to be the outline of a man
The promise of everlasting romance
The shape of a life-long love
The shadow of a best friend turned hero,
The hope of an eternal wedding veil.
Yet somehow, unintentionally,
By the unseen earthquake of baby born,
He topples, usurped, dethrowned, cast off,
He regains his balance,
Only to find himself on the floor.
Replaced by a tiny form
Balancing delicately on a tall tower
Of wipe warmers, breast pumps,
Diapers, burp clothes, pacifiers,
Soft fleece blankets and sleepless nights.
She doesn't mean to,
But a lot of people don't mean to sin.
Forgive me, Lord, and help me
Restore Your true vision of family.
Break my heart, heal his wounds,
Take Your rightful place,
And bring us all back together.

Thanksgiving

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

Thank You, Lord,
For a family divided coming together
Four generations at a table for six
For turkey stuffing and stuffing turkey
For mashed potatoes and rising rolls
For the gentle clinking of silverware
For the sound of multiple conversations
For passing the plates counterclockwise
For belts taken out a notch
For clocks that seem to slow down
For time to really look at eachother
For spoiling grandparents and
For parents who get to be kids again
For frosted windows and warm wool socks
For the long-awaited tree in the corner
For the calm before the storm of shopping
For reminding us of the reason for these holidays
For a pregnant woman on a donkey,
And the gift of hope for all of us,
Yes, even for great grandpa who forgot his hearing aid and accuses us all of mumbling.
Thank you for this Thanksgiving.

First Snow

"(gasp) I'm so excited mommy, It's just like Christmas!" ~ Lauren Baker

"And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven'." Matthew 18:3

I love re-living every moment with the added insight of a two year old. If she would not have been by my side this morning, I would have rolled my eyes at the coming weeks of slow-driving, windshield scraping, grey-slushed-puddle-splashing, and the monotonous countdown to the holidays. But again, Lauren brings me back to the truth of God's blessings, the joy of life, and the promise of adventure around every corner. Thank you, lord, for my walking , skipping, pony-tailed, giggling, 24 hour bible study application--yes, even when the playdoh is ground into the carpet and the car has cheerios in places I didn't even know existed. Thank you, Lord, for the gentle spirit of my little girl.

Horizon-Chasing

2 Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way! Jude 1: 2

The open field yawns into the line of the horizon
I could run as fast as I could, sprinting to exhaustion,
Reaching, chasing, and collapsing in the end
From the rock growing in my chest.
I know. I've tried.
But I'd never possess it, I could never hold it in my hands.
So I stand, enjoying the breeze, savoring the vista,
Though the storm clouds hover and the bares trees loom,
The sun caresses the horizon with Your promises,
Like when I push Lauren's hair from her eyes as she sleeps,
Full of wishes, love, and a whisper
the whisper of hope.

Focal Point

"Faith . . . is simply an expression of confidence in the person and character of God . . . Pursuing a God-ordained vision is an act of worship. It is a declaration of our confidence in God. It is a proclamation of how important we believe his agenda to be. And God is honored . . . God-ordained visions ultimately lead back to God. Regardless of our role, we are never the focal point of a genuine God-ordained vision. He is." Andy Stanley, Visioneering

"And the king granted them to me because the good hand of God was on me." Nehemiah 2:8

One quick word today:

Well, three-

I trust YOU.

Dream-giver

"Success is remaining faithful to the process God has laid out for you . . . not the raise, promotion, recognition, Christian home, or wonderful children. These are simply enjoyable mile markers along the way. Success is staying faithful to the process that contributed to those things becoming a reality." Andy Stanley, Visioneering

"Men judge us by the success of our efforts. God looks at the efforts themselves."-- Charlotte Bronte (1816-55), English novelist, poet, "Jane Eyre"

As I watched my two year old princess point her toes and dip them in an imaginary stream, she sings
"What I like most about rivers is, you can't step in the same river twice. The water's always flowing, always changing."
She has painted her surroundings with her eyes, and our living room is now an ancient forest. I smiled and throw a soft pillow at her tummy. She giggles, topples, recovers and continues
"Just around the riverbend!"
The rest of the room takes on slight blurr and she seems framed in a soft light. And I know this is one of those moments-- those unexpected, odd, tiny, minute moments where You show up, Lord.
"Can I ignore that sound of distant drumming?"
You are calling me to something. I can feel it. We've been talking about this for months, years. But the vision is getting closer, more concrete, more focused. As I yearn for the success of the vision, help me to appreciate the process, the journey, the path.
"Should I choose the smoothest course, steady as a beating drum?"
I can see I have a ways to go; it doesn't look easy, God. I could never do it alone.
"Or do you still wait for me dream-giver, just around the river bend?"
I smile again, hug my little girl, and kiss her cheek. She smells like cotton candy and fresh linen. Poor Pocahontas, she just didn't know her dream-giver was with her the whole time.


2 Timothy 2
"So . . . throw yourself into this work for Christ. When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. It's the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain." 2 timothy 2: 1,3,6-7

Shout Out to Nehemiah

"Nehemiah knew what so many of us have hard time remembering: What could be and should be can't be until God is ready for it to be. So he waited."
Andy Stanley, Visioneering

Lord, help me to learn from Nehemiah
Filled with passion, a vision, and the tools,
Dealing with his burden day and night,
Yet waiting on your timing.
Chistmas eve for four months!
Praying without ceasing,
Seeking You before acting,
Patience, a constant companion.
And when the time came,
He knew what to say, do, and complete.
Lord, in these restless nights,
The uncomfortable moments in the land of in-between,
help me to learn from Nehemiah
And enjoy Christmas eve.

"When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night." Nehemiah 1:4-6a

"The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." Nehemiah 2: 4-5