A Much Needed Pep Talk

There are very few things that get to me , if I had to pick the one thing that can set me off, it would be displays of ungratefulness in moments that I feel exhausted. I'm a giver and enjoy doing things for others. However, there are times that I want to see gratefulness. But how often am I ungrateful? This is the question I have to ask myself constantly. And a little pep talk to myself didn't hurt either:

God has gifted me with two precious children and it's amazing how precious they are to me. I'm are always there for them. I do so very much for them, while showering them with love and affection. My days are filled giving them attention and working to take care of them. I am both mom and dad and to my amazement at times, no matter how much I'm doing for them or with them, there are moments when they will be anything but grateful, displaying a total lack of appreciation as they demand even more from me when I've given so much or maybe they even display what seems like a very real dislike for me as they selfishly put themselves above me and all others. I find them living only in the moment they're in and so apt to focus only on their own circumstances. I wrestle sometimes with wanting to be their "friend" (because of course every parent loves see their children happy and give their children good things) when instead they need a firm parent that is not shaken or manipulated by expressions of unfairness or self pity. They must not learn that we owe them, but that they are blessed !! In fact, I read that it has been observed that one of the chief characteristics of a juvenile delinquent is the attitude that society owes them a living.

But how often do I now have the VERY SAME ungodly attitudes that I see in my children at times and without acknowledging that my attitude is towards my Heavenly Father, who has not only given me so much, but has done and continually does so much for me and there I am thinking of me, myself, and I ! Just like my children are with me at times (despite all I've done and do for them) - it doesn't matter how much God has done and does for me. It doesn't matter that there has been No Greater Love - To my amazement there are many times I still manage to pout and display a lack of gratefulness over something or other ! I realize it is nothing but total depravity going on. That's EXACTLY what it is ! We are so totally depraved...and so to be shocked by my behavior or my childrens would only be pride. I should not be shocked by my sin, I should be ashamed by my sin - having it bring me to my knees.

So, here's the thing. I shouldn't be looking for those words of affirmation in my children or anyone else. Instead, I should always be thinking of the overwhelming and thrilling fact that God has chosen and adopted me as His child and the amazing privilege that is .... thinking on the benefits that I receive from it with having the price for my sin paid in full and the awesome privilege of being able to approach the throne of God in prayer at any time - and then on top of all that always having on the backdrop of my mind the PRECIOUS gifts God's given me in my children, family, and friends and how I don't deserve not one of them ..... Yes, if that was always on the backdrop of my mind along with the fact that I don't deserve to even live another day : NOTHING at all could shake me up so much that I'd get angry about simple circumstances because that information is just TOO GRAND !!!! It's off the scale! Against the back drop of those thoughts everything is so so so soooooooo little.

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you." - Thessalonians 5:18

May I be both diligent to repent and deal with my own sin of ungratefulness.

New Links

I have just added a new "Friends" link. The two new links are to our dear friends, Tim & Krisy Bridges & Lori Brooks' blog. Tim served as our Pastor for three years. They are now living in Scotland, where Tim is pursuing a Ph.D. Since moving to Scotland they have created a blog "The Bridges". This is a wonderful way of staying in touch and being able to see how God is at work in their lives. Lori Brooks is our Youth Pastor's wife. Her blog, "Mommy Thoughts" is always a source of encouragement to me and I hope it will be to you as well.

Technology

What will they think of next? HP has a new digital camera that has a built in slimming effect. This was not something I found on my own, however Carolyn McCulley at Solo Femininity had it on her blog. Anyone out there wondering what to get me for my birthday. . . this would be just the perfect gift. I wonder if they have one that is beauty enhancing as well? Or one that makes your eyes appear to be open (I'm forever closing my eyes in pictures)?

Marriage is Now a Minority

Yesterday morning while reading the newspaper I came across an article that read "U.S. Marriage a Minority". According to the new census figures married couples now make up less than half (49.7 percent) of the 111.1 million American households. The article went on to say,

The numbers by no means suggests marriage is dead or necessarily that a tipping point has been reached. The total number of married couples is higher than ever, and most Americans eventually marry. But marriage has been facing more competition. A growing number of adults are spending more of their lives single or living unmarried with partners, and the potential social and economic implications are profound.

This was a sad statistic to read. As a child I remember my life's ambition was to get married and raise a family. It was alarming to read that the "fairy tale" dream that my girlfriends and I shared is rare among the girls of today.

UM Game

On Saturday a very dear friend of ours, Tom Giguere, took us to the University of Miami football game at the Orange Bowl. This was the first college game David or Angela had ever attended. Miami was playing FIU and would be the first game they have won all season. GO NOLES!!!! In the 3rd Quarter a fight broke out between the two teams. Of course after the fight everyone in the stadium was rowdy, but fortunately where we were sitting it was pretty calm. We had a wonderful time at the game and the chance to spend time with our friend.

Facing the Giants

Facing the Giants is the latest football story to hit movie theatres. It was three years ago that a group of church members from Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia believed that God wanted them to make a movie. They prayed about it and now Facing the Giants is playing at more than 400 movie theatres around the world. The movie is about a high school football coach that encounters an unexpected challenge and this challenge helps him find a purpose bigger than the victories. The coach and the team discover how faith plays out on the field.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but the trailer has sparked an interest to see it soon. It's not often that movies come out that are family friendly. I've read reviews and some of the reviews haven't been encouraging. For example, Christianity Today says: "There are good lessons here about honoring God in everything that we do, the importance of respect and leadership, and the power of prayer. Those are all things viewers could benefit from hearing. Whether they ever will hear them, though, is another matter—when a film is as unintentionally corny as this one, it's anyone's guess as to how many viewers can stomach all the schmaltz for the positive message at the end." Regardless of what the critics are saying, it's a movie our family will go see.

Actually, Facing the Giants is not the only Christian-themed movie releasing this fall. Others include One Night with the King, the story of Esther, The Nativity Story , and Amazing Grace.

Lost in the Middle - Book Review

It has taken me several months, but I have finally finished reading Paul Tripp's latest book Lost in the Middle. Tripp does a marveolous job of explaining what it feels like to enter this phase of life. He understands that “the struggles of midlife are a window to deeper, more fundamental struggles”. He identifies common themes that mark the road through midlife such as an awareness of mortality, the increasing tally of regrets and the loss of dreams once held dear. Instead of simply identifying these markers, he leads the reader through a biblically informed interpretation of these challenging situations. The real life stories that are woven into each chapter make this book so engaging and makes the advice dispensed in the book more memorable and applicable. I think “Lost in the Middle” has valuable lessons for readers of all ages. Many of the examples may be more applicable for those in midlife but the insightful interpretation of these life experiences and the biblically informed advice are lessons for a lifetime. I love how Tripp defines midlife near the end of the book. . .

Midlife is a crescendo. The music of redemption has been playing in your life for a long time, and even though you didn't know it, it was moving toward this passage. Perhaps you have been lulled to sleep a bit by its familiar themes, unaware that the music was beginning to build. Now you are in the middle of God's redemptive symphony, and the drums are
beginning to roll, the cymbals are starting to crash, and the
instruments are beginning to blare. This crescendo of redemption needs everything that has gone before it in order to build to this moment. You are in redemption's front row and you are experiencing its music at its most powerful. You are hearing the rolling timpani of God's love, the crashing cymbals of his grace, and the blaring trumpets of his rescue.
The music isn't a dirge; it is alive and celebratory. You are in the middle of a crescendo of redemption, and all that has come before has been necessary to get you to this powerful moment of divine grace.

Don't shut your ears to the music. Stop and hear. Your life is not over. You are not imprisoned in your past. This moment of pain is actually a moment of redemptive crescendo, and it is meant to make you hunger for the final crescendo that will roll on for all of eternity. Let the music of redemption get your attention more than the sounds of your regret. Let the song of God's grace command your ears more than your cries of disappointment. Let the crescendo of God's love overwhelm the sad music of your fear. Stop and hear redemption's symphony as it comes to a powerful crescendo right in the middle of your own story.

No one captures this crescendo of God's grace better than
Paul does in his letter to the Ephesians: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and
established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:14-20) - pgs. 345-347

Pizza, Cake and Cranium

On Saturday night we joined the Brooks (Jonathan, our youth pastor, his wife, Lori and their daughter Hannah) for dinner at the Hamrick's. Brian, our new pastor and his wife-Katherine and their son Nathan have already captured our hearts since moving here in mid-September. We all enjoyed getting together as a staff with our families in a relaxed atmosphere. Hannah's 2nd birthday is Tuesday, October 10 so we had Dora Cake to celebrate her birthday. After the Brooks family departed for home, Brian put Nathan to bed while Katherine set up the game "Cranium". We played on teams (boys vs. girls) with the boys winning the game. We hope to get together again soon.