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The Distraction Diet

May 23, 2013

A friend of mine had a baby recently. When I visited the couple’s home, I had to admire their elaborate nursery.

They really did it up right! Big Bird nested in the corner, Snuffleupagus perched on the cribside table, and an assortment of wobbling Weebles, Smurfs, and My Little Ponies encircled the interior of the crib. Not to mention five teddy bears. And a busy box gizmo with umpteen handles, knobs, and twirly things. And two musical mobiles. And who knows how many rattles. This baby was decked out. There was no way this kid was going to get bored or cranky, right?

Well, not exactly. True, the child will be able to amuse himself, what with so many gaudy toys and wild, wonderful distractions. He should find himself positively absorbed at times by the ministrations of the musical mobiles.

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Living with unction

May 22, 2013

Show me, O Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.
You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man’s life is but a breath. (niv)

I chewed on that. Ever breathed on a window during a cold winter’s day? Did you notice how it fogged up, and then the fog instantly disappeared? That is what the psalmist David is saying the life of man is like. Here for a brief moment, then gone. Why would David ask God to show him the shortness of his life? David knew that when a man grasps how short his life is, he begins to live with a new sense of what’s truly important.

Excerpted from The [ … ]

Giving

May 21, 2013

Joy toddled across the room and stood at the edge of my laptop-centered view. I was in task mode, typing away while sitting in the living-room recliner. With Shirley Temple curls bouncing around her face, my eighteen-month-old daughter looked up at me. I looked at her. Then she handed me a Plastic Donut from her kitchen play set.

I looked at the Donut and back at my daughter. She stood waiting for a response. So I put the Donut up to my mouth and said with great animation, “Yummm, yummm… Thank you, Autumn! This is soooo goood.”

Then something beautiful happened. Her big brown eyes widened, and her lips pushed a giant smile against her puffy cheeks. She stood up on her toes, shrugged her shoulders up to her ears, and let out a highpitched squeal…

I didn’t see it [ … ]

Soaking Prayer

May 20, 2013

Is your mind always whirling with thoughts? Not sure how to be still and lean against His chest? Try soaking! First, set aside a chunk of time. Find a comfortable, peaceful environment, preferably where you can lie down. Pull on your boots and crunch around in the autumn leaves. Crawl under your covers and get cozy. Or perhaps take a literal soak in a bubble bath! Once you’re nice and comfy, hit up your iTunes worship playlist or create one on Pandora and simply let His words wash over you. You might feel something, you might feel nothing. You might smile, you might cry, you might even fall asleep!

Regardless of what happens on the outside, the Spirit will be at work on your heart. There’s no wrong way to soak. Just enjoy being with Him!

Excerpted from Get Lost [ … ]

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

May 17, 2013

“The Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). What does God really mean by “all things”? Most likely He means all things—the good, the bad, and the ugly. I believe that in every dark circumstance of life, there is a nugget of gold or a hidden treasure just waiting to be discovered. However, for that to happen, we must look beyond the dirt, push it aside, and search beneath the surface.

Is it easy? No. Is it messy? Usually. Is it worth it? Always.”

Excerpted from Trusting God by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith, and Mary Southerland

Daily Reflection: Even through the rough waters and hard times, God is working for us. What hidden treasure has [ … ]

The Focus of Your Life

May 16, 2013

When Jesus walked this earth, he worked to get the focus off “good” people doing what appeared to be “good things” and to get their focus back on God. Many people in first-century Israel were pointing to the rules; Jesus pointed to a God who wanted a relationship with his people. Religious professionals focused on the law; Jesus focused on the Lawgiver who knew our hearts and offered us grace in the midst of our failures.

A healthy, growing faith is always focused on the person of God himself, not on cheap substitutes. A healthy faith begins and ends in God, not in rules or regulations or sheer, raw duty. Jesus, not religion, is at the core of a robust Christian faith.

Today Jesus offers you and me the same opportunity he gave to those people in the early church. [ … ]

Our Director in the Journey

May 15, 2013

“Here is one of the most amazing privileges about growing intimately in our relationship with God, as well as in our marriage: We never “arrive.” There are always more journeys ahead, more opportunities, more challenges. This challenge is before you now. We’re here to help and guide and provide plenty of suggestions. Most of all, God is readily available to direct—and bless—your journey.”
 
Excerpted from Faith Tango by Carolyn and Craig Williford

Daily Reflection: How can you take another step in growing more intimate in your relationship with God?

Battle-times

May 10, 2013

Battle-times are painful times. But they also are defining moments, providing opportunities to identify more clearly what we stand for…and what we do not. When we’re challenged, truly challenged, to fight for the things we deem most important—faith, family, friendship, life itself—we recognize that everything else is transitory, temporal. And we also recognize our dependence on God as our ally, our strength, our shield (Psalm 28:7).

As parents, we’re tempted to shield our children from every strife. The bully. The bad teacher. The pain of false accusations and unfair decisions and attacks on their faith. We
want to protect them when we really should be teaching them how to protect themselves—to truly utilize the weapons of God’s Word, prayer, truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation. Are we helping them commit Scripture to heart? If so, God can bring those [ … ]

Finding the Mother Inside

May 9, 2013

I’m a step-parent so Mother’s Day always holds some bittersweet moments for me. I’ve learned through 36 years how to step back, step-aside, step-away and even step-up to support my husband and to honor the mother of his children as well. Mothering didn’t appear the way I had always imagined it would — as a Hallmark Card.  It’s been more like the cards that make you laugh or even tear up with the honesty of sentiment. My step-children have always remembered me on mother’s day often giving me the greatest gift which is to share their father with me through the years.

Dorothea Dix, a social reformer of the 19th Century was never a mother nor was she a step-mother. Her own mother may well have been mentally ill. At least she was "unavailable."  Dorothea tried desperately to adopt a [ … ]

Failing

May 8, 2013

As parents, we don’t like to see our kids fail—even if failure might provide just the reality check they need. I’m no scientist, but I think we’re biologically programmed to try to protect our children from the hurt and pain that failure brings, even if it means pushing them to persevere in something that lies outside their strengths and long-term interests. We make the tone-deaf kid practice piano. We book time at the batting cages for a child who’s better suited to the library than the ball field. We insist on the advanced-placement class, thinking it will aid on college applications, even though the pressure makes the child (and therefore the whole family) miserable all year.

Factor in the reality that we somehow think a child’s failure is a reflection on us—What will people think of me if my child [ … ]