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Showing posts from 2009

Thank you Lord

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"Standing here on the threshold of a new year, thank you Lord for all that has been in the year that is ending. Thank you for the trials that made me come to you as I would not have without them. Thank you that I come to the end of this year still here because of your constant gift of breath and life. Thank you for the opportunities you've provided and the experiences that now fill my hard drive with memories. Thank you for the Internet and the friends with whom I've been able to reconnect and even moreso Father thank you for the conversations with friends, albeit now typed and not spoken, as we are geographically far apart but still connected by heart. Thank you Lord for my near friends with whom I share coffee, news, and the gambit from sorrow and frivolity; I am so blessed by their physical presence in my life. Thank you for the abundance of good things that has caused me to resolve again to "lose weight" and "clear the clutter", and for the health a

Are you a Packer or a Lingerer?

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I'm amazed at how many Facebook posts I'd already seen as early as the day after Christmas that said " Christmas is all packed up and put away. Back to life as usual!" That's so NOT me because I am a lingerer. My tree and lights will be up and lite through New Year's and sometimes even through "Three Kings Day". There's something about the lights against the dark early winter nights that I'm reticent to extinguish. I wonder what happened in Bethlehem the day after the birth of Jesus. Was there finally room in the Inn? Did Mary and Joseph pack up baby Jesus and move indoors or did they have to hang out a little longer with the animals? We do know that eight days later they'd traveled the two miles to Jerusalem to present the child in the temple and then, after the visit of the Magi, they fled to Egypt. Talk about packing things up and returning to "real life". First they deal with a scandalous pregnancy and questions about their

Because I love you

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Around my house just before Christmas a "No Questions" zone is imposed. There can be no asking of "Where are you going?", "What's in that box?", "Was that the UPS truck I just saw?" or "How could you possibly need that much tape?" All the questions (that you can't ask!) are answered Christmas morning in the somewhat oddly shaped and interestingly wrapped packages under the tree. And actually there is only one answer - "Because I love you". That's why someone was out, had boxes to hide, or used up all the tape; because I was getting something to give to you because I love you. Why were a girl's wedding plans interrupted by an angel? Why did a fiancee embrace a scandalous pregnancy? Why did angelic night visitors surprise snoozing shepherds? Why did the appearance of a star prompt a road trip? Because God was giving us a gift. Why? Because He loves us. We're no prize, not worthy of such affection from the Alm

A little perspective

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It's a crazy time of year. Between the stuff going on and the people we need to shop for, and the meals to be prepared it's just all much too much and it takes a conscious effort to hang on to the joy of the season, typically... But let me share some perspective I've found this year. I'd read two novellas by Robin Jones Gunn Finding Father Christmas and Engaging Father Christmas. In them the main character, Miranda, is the only child of a single mother who died when Miranda was 11. She was then cared for by a friend of her mother's until that woman also died a few years later. Now an adult Miranda's only involvement in Christmas is the office gift exchange every year. There is no decorating, no list of people to buy for, just this one obligatory gift exchange. And the whole thing opened my eyes to how many people, even in my personal world, that don't do Christmas as I do. They're without children or family or a home to worry about decorating. There&#

Expectations

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"'Tis the season of making lists - fa la la la la, la la la la I want that and get me this..." I'm fairly certain that you didn't make a list for Santa this year; there are no toy catalogs filled with things circled in marker, no letters to the North Pole, or things whispered to a man in the mall in a red suit. But that's not to say that we don't come into the season, as do the children, without expectations, we're just not as overt in sharing them. Practically every magazine on the checkout racks this time of year has at least one article on "Tips and Gifts for the Perfect Christmas". Slick covers show homes that probably took a professional team of decorators to transform into these Norman Rockwell worthy showplaces. Spoken or not we have desires for gifts, or for those around us to know us well enough to get us something that complements who we are or who we see ourselves as being. The turkey should be moist, the children well behaved, th

Surprise!

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"It's the most shopping lines time of the year. Where the holiday shoppers with coats, bags, and squalors are standing too near..." I've been out shopping...enough said! Anyone out in any store at this time of year knows what it's like. Even in the middle of a weekday afternoon there are long lines snaking down the aisles. It is Christmas which means everyone is out doing more shopping then they ever do because it's time to get gifts and for my kids this year that is a problem. My teenage son wants a computer (which is not going to happen) and that's all he wants so then what do you get the kid who has everything? It's bad enough when you know what you want to get and are trying to find it but it's even trickier when you don't even know what you are out there looking for! So I've been running through ideas in my mind, along the lines of something similar to what he already has: books, clothes, video games, computer software, Nerf and Lego

Joy

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I wrote the word "Joy" today and realized something... The song is wrong. Do you remember that song, "Jesus and Others and You, what a wonderful way to spell JOY"? Joy does not come from putting Jesus first, than others, and then yourself because that makes my joy depended on what I do. When did my actions become the source of joy in my life? "I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices... You have made known to me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy ; at your right hand there are pleasures forever." Psalms 16:7-11 Joy comes from God. From being in His presence. From listening to His counsel and trusting in His care. Look at these verses, they tell us the source of joy. Look at the word, even it illustrates the principle. Joy comes into us as we spend time in God&#

With us...

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Emmanuel - God with us. We're hearing this word a lot. In songs, on cards, and in scripture and sermons and what an amazing concept it is. God has come to us. My question is, how closely has God come to us? Where is God in this season? In a nativity set on the front lawn or mantle? Perhaps the motif on the Christmas cards being sent? Or maybe in our words as we sing along with the radio or join in the great carols in a poinsettia strewn sanctuary? How closely is God with you this season? Recently I realized, as having left the church I've attended the past 18 years, that there would be no place for me to sing this Christmas; no choir, no programs, no chance to voice the amazing truths in the songs reserved for this season, which is something I have been thrilled to do for years. "It is what it is" though, "no need to cry over spilt milk" and all those sayings came to mind. This was merely an effect of a decision I felt God lead me to make and that was that..

Do You Need a Snowsuit?

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It is three little degrees outside, three and this is shocking! Now it's not that surprising that the temperatures have fallen as the news has been predicting it for days - but it is shocking, especially when you first step outside! So with this shocking, yet not surprising, turn of events came the hunt for the snowsuits. Were they behind the winter coats? Or packed up with the boots? Or perhaps in the downstairs winter equipment closet? Unfortunately this hunt began exactly eleven minutes before it was time to leave for school... as somehow it almost always does; hmmm ...although my husband and son are scouts somehow I missed out on that whole "Be Prepared" training! There is no reason that the snowsuit hunt should have taken place this morning. I knew what was coming and I could have been prepared. In life however we don't have always have that luxury, of knowing what is ahead and preparing for it. Quite often we're suddenly faced with a shocking turn of even

Perfectly Packaged Gifts of Christmas Encouragment

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In the past few days several perfectly packed gifts of Christmas encouragement have come to my Inbox and I'd now like to "regift" them to you! Merry Christmas! She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 There's a lot of pressure to have a "perfect" Christmas with great gifts, caroling, and family. Often that makes our actual Christmas a let-down. We forget the first Christmas was far from perfect - Mary had to give birth in a stable! What blessings from God can you find in your disappointments of the season? - BibleLeague.org "Those who obey His commands live in him, and He in them" I John 3:24 Christ lived in Mary until He had to come out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions, in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Bethlehem, and every day you live will be a Christmas. You, like Mary, will deliver Christ into the

Let the Insanity Begin!!

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It's Thanksgiving week, which means it's the first week of Christmas!! "Christmas" is too big to be merely contained merely in December 24 and 25th. As a matter of fact by the time those dates roll around the majority of the "Christmas" celebrations will have already been completed! It starts now with the ads and the music (well actually those seemed to have started several weeks ago already, the day after Halloween I think). Every other commercial will show something you NEED to buy this season with the happily surprised beautiful people opening this perfect gift you've given. (Funny how they never show the long snaking lines at return counters or that " very special gift" up on the shelf in the closet...) Then there are all the activities; the plays, the rehearsals, the concerts, the costumes, the cookie exchanges and the Secret Santas (for which of course you need a specially crafted spreadsheet on your computer to make sure you're in t

To know God

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" I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may grow in your knowledge of God." Ephesians 1: 17 My name is Becky. I am 5' 7" and wear a size 10 1/2 shoe. I have a husband and two children (although some days it feels like I have three children...) and live in a red brick house in Chicago. I have a younger sister. I have a degree in Elementary Education from a university in South Carolina. I enjoy reading and various crafts. There you go; you have the pertinent facts, my bio, some relevant info., so now you know me (lucky you!) And you also know that is not true because it takes a lot more than just facts to really know someone - we are so much more than the one dimensional photo and info. tab on a Facebook page. I love a friend who knows how I take my coffee because we've had coffee together so often that it's something they've just picked up on. Or one

Kangaroo Care

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You know that feeling; the one where you're all cuddled up with someone and relaxed, mid way between awake and asleep and your entire world consists only of this profound sense of peace? I've just heard of the concept of "Kangaroo Care" in which a baby, most often a preemie, is cuddled skin to skin on the mother's chest with its ear to her heart. The mother's body temperature will change rapidly to regulate the baby's temperature; warming as the infant needs to warm or cooling if they are too warm. The infant sleeps more soundly, less oxygen is needed, and everything gets a little more regulated than before their time together. The infants gain weight more quickly, their crying decreases, and they experience greater periods of alertness. In was in the late 1970's in Bogota Columbia where, because of lack of incubators etc., this technique was implemented and consequently the infant mortality rate went from 70% to 30%! Impressive isn't it; these h

When relationships get unconnected...

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I'd recently made a "new" friend. We've actually known each other casually for years but in the past couple of years we discovered a greater connection and more commonalities as we've been spending time together. Yet the last times we've had coffee I didn't feel as connected, like we'd popped back to the shallowness of surface stuff, no longer exploring deeper waters. I don't know why. And since I don't know why, I don't know what to do about it. Everything seemed exactly as it'd been the many times we've met before. Always the same place, always the same order, and always, when it's available, the same booth. So what changed? Sadly I find myself feeling the same way with the most intense, long-term, and important relationship in my life; with that of my God. I'm not sure what happened. At some point the continual conversation we engage in has fallen silent. I've realized that He's barely crossed my mind in recent da

Celebrate Today!

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My girlfriend sent me an "Treat Yourself Cupcake Kit". In it is everything I need - cute fluted ramekins, special individual cupcake mixes, frosting, sprinkles and even candles! I am never more that 30 seconds away from a fresh baked cupcake! Hooray! We've been talking about the need to celebrate every day or if not to celebrate the entire day to at least find something in the day worth celebrating. As a planner I am always aware of what is coming up next but in looking ahead I tend to lose the present. This is it. This is life. I need to stop waiting for it to start and realize that I'm in the middle of it right now! How I spend my hours today will add up to how my life is spent for life is made up of what I do with my hours. We of course do not know how many hours we have left, whether it be hundreds or thousands or merely dozens. We have all experienced either with ourselves or those we love the sudden heart attack, accident or injury that in an instant changed the

not thirsty

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" They were not thirsty when He led them through the desert . He divided the rock, and water gushed out for them to drink." Isaiah 48:12 They should have been thirsty. They were going through a desert! But they were not thirsty because God was leading them through this desolate place. Where God leads He provides. When He leads through desolate places, He satisfies our needs. The provision for our needs may come from unexpected places - in this case He split open a rock and water gushed out for his children but the bottom line is that they were not thirsty; their needs were met. I find amazing comfort in this simple sentence. I know that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) and He's promised to meet my needs (Phil. 4:13) therefore whatever desolate place I am in, He can satisfy my thirst there. If He has lead me to a dry and barren place He will provide for me and I, also, will be not thirsty. The Lord will guide you continually, watering your lif

Rest

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I have a cold and have decided they are the paper cuts of illnesses; they're bothersome, annoying and get no respect whatsoever! The most wonderful part about my cold though is rediscovering the power of a nap. When I finally decide I have no energy to do any more, I surrender to sleep. My heavy eyelids close and everything else spins away and I fall deeply into a warm cocooned place. Sometimes it doesn't even have to be that long and twenty minutes later I'll wake up amazed at how much better I feel. Ah, the restorative powers of sleep! Psalms 37:7 encourages us to take advantage of a time of stillness pertaining to our hearts as well as it says "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." The word rest here means to be still, silent, to be quiet and at peace. Our lives are filled with the things that wear us down and make us miserable and these things to others might be like a paper cut or a cold; not that big of a deal but they are exhausting us. Is there a

Maturity

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I don't think I would have seen it had it not been for the Boy Scout scrapbook I'd started last year for Robbie. On the cover I put the picture of him at the house. The picture by the lake is from this year and he hardly looks like the same kid...!!! In just one year he's lost that little boy look and is beginning to l ook like the teen he almost is. How did that happen and what did they do w ith my little boy?!? He loves the fact that he's a mere 1/2 inch shorter than I am and I still can't believe the fact that I can talk to him eye to eye now without having to bend over. I knew this would happen, of course it's sooner than I'd thought, but he's maturing. Are we? What does it look like for us? Is it connected to wrinkles and stray facial hair? What do mature souls look like? Consider this quote: Continue to be soft and pliable in the Lord’s hands and out of that relationship will come the things that define you at the deepest level of your heart—revea

Blooming Tea

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I've just discovered something beautiful and amazing and it's commonly known as "Blooming Tea". These are made of tea leaves that are hand-sewn into bundles. They're small and tight and not very attractive and there's no indication of what is hidden inside... But...when these are placed in a teapot and boiling water is poured over them they blossom right before your eyes. (You can watch it here and I suggest you do!) Wow, what a surprise! It's incredible how hundreds of individual tea leaves carefully joined together can, under the right conditions produce something beautiful and good for you. It reminds one of Romans 8:28 doesn't it? If a tea crafter can select individual, unrelated tea leaves and bind them together into one tea ball that reveals a whole greater than the individual parts, then why do we doubt that God can not and is not doing the same thing with all that happens in our lives? No, really, I'm asking that. How is it that we have a

The Scent of God's Goodness

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It hit me as soon as I opened the box of fall decor, this scent of mulled cider, and it made me remember... The October I turned forty I was able to take the beginning of a weekend and head up to Lake Geneva Wisconsin by myself. Turning the "Big 4-0" was a BIG deal to me - I mean this was"40" halfway to 80 - I'd already lived half my life, I was not only an adult now but had been an adult for twenty years - it was time to start feeling "all grown up" - when my parents were this age they were OLD! And then of course what about all that stuff you hear how your body goes downhill after forty, and your endurance is less, and you need bifocals or (if you're in denial about that) longer arms...for many reasons the future was looking less promising than the past. (I must add a note here - if you are not yet forty you may be able to identify with what I'm saying. If you're past forty you're probably not remembering having such angst yourself no

Year Round School?

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That is the question and the main reason seems to be, "Kids forget everything they've learned over the summer!" Now I've never agreed with that statement - until (sigh) this morning... I was helping my daughter with her socks in an attempt to hurry her up and said "Don't forget this part goes on your heel" to which she quipped, "Hey don't blame me. I haven't worn socks all summer!" I guess they really do forget...!

What? There are no coffee filters?!!

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(Some of you already know what's coming given my addiction to love of coffee!) Let me set the scene. We'd gotten home at 10:30 pm Labor Day night after being gone for six weeks. The car was unloaded and everything put into piles on any and all available floor space. Six am wake up as it is the first day of school. Everyone actually manages to get out the door on time, having eaten breakfast, finding their bike helmets and carrying all their new school supplies in their backpacks. I, after taking the first day of school pictures, (standing on the sidewalk in my pajamas of course!) go back inside and survey the chaos. Six weeks of dust and cobwebs, plus the "throw a van load of stuff in the house" plus the mayhem of a typical school morning equals I need a plan and COFFEE!!! I fill the carafe with water, select my flavor for the day (hazelnut) and pick up the coffee filter box only to find that it is EMPTY! NOOOOOO!!!!! For several years I'd been ordering coff

Fearless

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Fearless people scare me as I sit on the couch watching their exploits on television...who is crazy enough to climb a mountain, sail around the world, or be involved in the X Games? But the problem is that you don't have to do something extreme to experience fear as it is all around and within us. Max Lucado has written a new book entitled Fearless and in it he addresses, not the fear of bungee jumping in the Grand Canyon, but the fears that plague us deep in our hearts. The fears of Overwhelming challenges Global Calamity Not Mattering Violence Not being able to protect my kids That God is not real Of life's final moments Of what is next I find myself at this moment most strongly identifying with the fear of what is next as I seek to reenter the world of the employed. What if no one wants to hire me? What if I've forgotten how to handle a classroom full of children? What if I can't keep up with all the rest of my life and a job too? Yep, I'm one fear filled woma

Depressive to manic?

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You have turned for me my mourning into dancing - Psalms 30:11 That's quite a statement isn't it? It sounds a bit manic to me - mourning into dancing - great depths to great happiness - from lacking strength to get through the day to having so much joy one can not stand still - I think if those words were coming from my friend, I would be concerned about their mental health... The Psalm begins "I will praise you Lord, for you have rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to you for help and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death." So either David was a bit of a "drama queen" or he was in some serious trouble - and if you read in 1 and 2 Samuel, you'll see it was that latter. The man was like a lightening rod to trouble! But here he's talking about how he's been rescued from this trouble, from enemies and death, and he's

Fog

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The top of my mattress meets the bottom of my bedroom window so in other words all I have to do in the morning is open my eyes and I have a good idea of what the day is going to be like. Most mornings still snuggled in blankets I see the sun rising spreading it's orange and yellow banners across the window's width cheerfully bringing in the new day and reminding me of the verse, "Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will." Isaiah 50:4. The day is clear and bright. There are other mornings that opening my eyes is not even necessary as I can already hear the rain pounding on the pane and know what's in store... This morning I woke up to a vague greyness. Fog. I could feel it's cold dampness just from the sight of it. How this day would unfold is not readily apparent. I can't see into the distance as everything is shrouded and obscure. It seemed all too appropriate for it to be foggy this morning as it was the beginning of Labo

What about your history?

I'd come to the end of the day and the end of my resources. It'd been a long weekend and I had nothing left to give or the ability to cope with anything else. All I wanted to do was crawl into a warm bed and sleep. But I couldn't yet so grabbing my MP3 player, my Bible and journal I sat on my bed, plugged in the player and wrote about my weekend and how drained I felt. The album I'd chosen was A Millennium of Sacred Music , a compilation of hymns done masterfully on piano by an old friend. And with the music in the background, I started recording how worn out I felt but then found that these songs were pouring back into me peace and hope. These were my songs - the songs that had been a source of strength and comfort time and time again - Be Still my Soul, God will Take Care of You, Abide with Me, Nearer Still Nearer, He Hideth My Soul, No One Understands Like Jesus, How Great Thou Art. I unconsciously hummed the familiar lyrics along with the piano - "When othe

The Magic Tablecloth

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Life is messy, but I have a magic tablecloth! So when spills occur (notice I said "when" and not "if"), they are much easier to take care of. For years I've had vinyl tablecloths covering my dining room table because invariably when I'd succumb to the temptation to put on a nicer fabric cloth, I'd be taking it off to throw in the wash after the very next meal (sigh). Maybe someday ... But hope springs eternal, and one day I put a new fabric cloth on the table and when the milk was spilt it immediately became a little ball that looked like a pearl! And if you lifted the tablecloth, the ball rolled around! A few more intentionally flicked drops of milk, to our delight, had the same effect. It was a magic tablecloth! The spills would sit on top of the fabric long enough to be cleaned up. No longer were they immediately absorbed into the weave. Life is messy. Things happen to us that have the potential to permanently stain. Acute disappointment, betra

The Gift Card

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It all started with a customary check of my e-mail and a message from Starbucks. They informed me that their site was new and improved, and I could register my gift card and check my balance. I had a card, time, and curiosity, so why not? A search through my wallet revealed three gift cards … hmm, that was surprising. I entered the numbers and found that the first had a balance of $15, the second $0, and the third $25! Wow! I didn’t even know I had three cards, and now I have a $40 balance. Can you imagine, $40 all to be spent on coffee and its accessories? What a gift! Call me and we’ll do coffee! Suddenly I’m a rich woman in coffee currency. To know that I have the ability to pull into a Starbucks and get one of those Venti blended, sugary, whipped cream topped coffee drinks for free – iced or hot – makes me feel like I possess a great resource. The next time it’s mid-afternoon and crazy hot, I can pull right up and get a beverage to take care of that. Or if I’m out shopping and it’