Tribute to Mrs. Coni

            Our West Monroe "Mom"-- we miss you!


            It's hard to believe our "West Monroe Mom" ( by the children "Cookie") is gone. Our hearts are sad, we miss her already. She gave us a whole bunch of reasons to miss her.  :) Mrs. Coni opened her home to Brandon when he was in college and needed a pediatric rotation. She was there for me for the first 7 years of our marriage when my Mom was so far away. One semester of college, she found out I had night classes on Mondays, so she cooked for us on Mondays. Oh, how I looked forward to her yummy recipes coming our way! :) 

But I marvel most at how I saw God work in her. 
She would be the first to tell you that God was so good and merciful. Near the end, it was so hard. There was so much pain and constant trouble. But her testimony was so precious. She thanked God for His goodness and His love, His mercy over and over, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HARD TIME. One particular time when I knew Mrs. Coni had been having a tough time, and we found a box on our porch, I just had to cry. (packages to us meant "Cookie" had sent us surprises) She apologized that it was "late," and all I could think was, "Mrs. Coni is so sick. She is hurting. And she is thinking others. She is doing for others." My heart was challenged by this kindness. 

     I woke up thinking about her yesterday and the verse that says "NOW we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face." During her trials and troubles here, I am sure it was hard at times, to SEE what God was up to. Like Job, sometimes we even look for Him on the right, and on the left, ahead and behind, and cannot see Him. At times we can hear God, and see the effects He is having in our lives and on the world around us, but there is a cloudy window, a barrier, of sorts, between us. Because we are on earth.

        I imagine Mrs. Coni's face tearfully looking at that window these last few years. Her face filled with questions, pain, fears, and one more thing..................... hope. The hope she had found in Christ Jesus.

      And now, I am looking through that cloudy window. And I have to look hard, but I am just sure I see Mrs. Coni in the arms of JESUS. She sees Him face to face!!! In the background, there seems to be a mansion built just for her, with a lemon tree, and pretty red tulips lining the walk way. 

We praise God for answered prayers.

The Easter Walk

                  The Easter Walk

        This time of year, our hearts are rejoicing in the love and power and mercy God demonstrated so clearly to us on Easter. We also are enjoying more time outdoors, in our blooming (and green- Yay!) yard.

       We have taken our family on an "Easter Walk" before, and it just made us all stop and really THINK about JESUS, and all of a sudden the story came to life, and His promise at the end rang true in our hearts. We are planning to take time out to participate in this tomorrow. I hope maybe some of you will take a little "walk" and let this HOPE resonate in your hearts, too. :) 


       For us, our walk began near some cypress trees at the side of our yard. Brandon carried the loppers, and cut off a small branch for each of the children to wave while he recounted how the crowds took off their coats and waved branches saying "Hosanna! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the LORD." We talked about how after this triumphal entry, Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Oh, how He loves us! Oh, how He wants us!!

        Next, we began to talk about the passover, and its meaning. The "passover lamb" had to be a male, without defect, and was chosen 5 days before he was sacrificed.  (Remember Moses and the death angel that "passed over" the homes that had the lamb's blood on the doorposts) So, we talked about the special meal they had, and we went into our "upper room" and sat on the floor, where we had set up a blanket and some bread in a bowl. Then Brandon talked about how Jesus served the disciples, and tried to prepare them for the things to come. Next B put a towel around his waist and washed the childrens' feet, talking to them the whole time about the account in the Bible. It was so precious to watch their solemn faces as they were beginning to understand this story so much better!

       Then we walked back outside, to an area where we have some fruit trees, and talked about the garden and how, again, Jesus proved how very much He loved us all. Near the "garden" we had some 4x4 pieces of lumber. We had the boys try carrying them on their backs while we talked about Jesus carrying the cross for us. We sat down and imagined the crucifixion, and the anguish of it.

      Then we talked about the tomb, the resurrection, the amazing power Jesus holds over EVERYTHING!!! Even the grave. And if He has power over death and the grave, there is absolutely nothing we can face that is too big for Him!! We used a roll of toilet paper to wrap one of the boys up (as in grave clothes), and then we laid him down, and then let him "BREAK" the power that bound him! (It was fun, but got the point across! ) We sang a song of victory!!- I am having trouble remembering which...

      Lastly, we told the children about Jesus' ascension into Heaven, and how as He was talking to some of the disciples, he began to rise, and he promised He would come again. And the disciples stood and watched Him ascend into the clouds. For this special moment, we let the children each release a helium balloon, and we watched them float away until they were no longer visible. (This was my favorite part, I think) :) Just to know the great LOVE Jesus Christ has for us, and He said He was coming back to receive us unto himself, to be ever with the LORD!! amen and amen.

A week of learning the BEATITUDES...

             Love the Beatitudes! 
 The Beatitudes, taken from Matthew 5:3-9, are filled with God's thoughts about our attitudes and actions. We are in the middle of a 2 week study for these little nuggets of truth. 

On the first night to begin our study, we talked about the word "blessed." In these texts, the word blessed has three definitions.
       1. how happy
       2. how well off
       3. supremely blessed 


"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
      We sang/ played the song "Lord, I need thee" and talked about being poor in spirit. Then B told the story of Naaman, with emphasis on his attitude.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

      We reviewed the definition of "blessed" and talked about what it means to mourn. Then we thought of people we know who may be mourning. It happened to be the week before Valentine's Day, so we made a Valentine for each of these people. Then we each took a valentine in our hand and took turns praying aloud for the name of the person whose Valentine we held. We asked God to be their Comfort and bless them through this difficult time. 

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

    

 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."

        Brandon gave each child one piece of paper money from a game. He read the scriptures in Isaiah chapter 55.

 "1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."

 Then he explained the "game" to them. Each child could only spend his/her money on one thing. The money had to be exchanged at the time of purchase. He proceeded to show them some pictures out of a cooking magazine of delicious looking meals and foods. Then he told them that there was one more option....he had some real dark chocolate and fruit treats they could buy instead. Something they could literally sink their teeth into. :) While they munched on their treats, Brandon explained that what the world and satan has to offer looks really good sometimes, but it is of no value, and can not sustain us. In contrast, the good things that God has for us are real, they are nourishing, and they are good for us. Yes, it will take us giving our all, but it will be worth it.

Ps. 34:8 "O, Taste and see that the LORD is good Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."

Disclaimer: The devotions/lessons recorded on this blog are an attempt to make "hiding God's word in our hearts" a fun and inspiring time in our home. Most of the posts are recorded by Amber, and are from her point of view, often referring to "B" or "Brandon," who is her hubby. :)

 

A Week of "Running the Race"

                   "Running the Race"

Hebrews 12:1-2  

          1."Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. 2. Looking unto JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of GOD."



                We talked about Paul, and the Olympian races that were so popular in the times of this writing. Then we made a Venn diagram on our chalkboard, comparing and contrasting Olympian races with the Christian race. The Olympian races included a foot race. There was only one prize. Only a certain group of people (trained athletes) could compete in Olympian races. On the other hand, in the race to Heaven, everyone is invited to be saved and "run." Everyone who finishes gets the reward (and the reward is eternal!! )
          

                Another evening, after talking about verse 1, we timed each child in a crab walk race, with the rest of us cheering on the sidelines. We timed them running with weight, and then they got to race without the weight. What a difference it makes!
  *compassed- surrounded........
  *beset-attacked from every side ......... (fun to demonstrate)
         

               Another night, Brandon got the children up on the treadmill. He set it on the very lowest pace, which is equivalent to a very slow turtle, and let one child walk while he talked to them about what "run with patience" means. The definition of patience in the Greek is cheerful endurance.  (This denotation is challenging to me- endurance is hard enough---but cheerful!!?) As the next child walked on the treadmill, B changed the speed and incline frequently, talking to them about how we must keep "running" whether life is moving quickly or slowly, whether it is hard or easy. Patience means never giving up!

                 I think the last night was the one where we all wrote a short story on a piece of paper. Once we had completed our story, we copied our first sentence on a second piece of paper. Next, we passed our unfinished story to the person on our right, and he/she added a sentence. Then on and on until each one of us had written a part of everyone else's story.  The stories written by the "group" were crazy!  They were funny and soooo different than what we had penned originally. Then B related the "Author and Finisher" part of the verse. God is the Author, He has a plan for the beginning, the middle and the end of our life's story. It is important to not just allow God to start our story, but to allow Him to finish it, or it will not look like He intended. 


                   I am always amazed. My hubby is so good at bringing the Bible "down home." I love watching our children begin to grasp the deep and magnificent things of God. And, I just try to keep up. :) There is so much to learn about God's truth.  Hope you can use some of these ideas, too!


   CHALLENGE: Lord, Please be the Author and Finisher of our faith, and help us endure, to the end, with cheerfulness. We are "looking unto" You, Jesus. Amen.

Disclaimer: The devotions/lessons recorded on this blog are an attempt to make "hiding God's word in our hearts" a fun and inspiring time in our home. Most of the posts are recorded by Amber, and are from her point of view, often referring to "B" or "Brandon," who is her hubby. :)

My Red Sea and Me

                            My Red Sea and Me

A portion of our first adoption story, and the goodness of God.

                     So, I've been thinking about the Red Sea. I think about him a lot. I look into his eyes daily, and I am so thankful for the good choices and the pliable heart I see in him as he is growing. His smile and laughter are contagious, and none of us know what we would do without him.

                        In our first adoption journey, we felt God saying "Go Forward" to our hearts. But surely adoption was impossible for us. God knew our limitations. God knew our ages and our inexperience. God knew our salary. We talked to a couple who had adopted twice. They told us the cost, in dollars and cents. Surely not. That would be impossible. So, we called the agency. They quoted even more. Surely not. Surely God wouldn't ask us to give practically a years' wages. That would be impossible! Still, we heard God's "Go forward."

                       

                      We went ahead and completed our homestudy open-ended, so we could have international and domestic options. And we waited and prayed. And we committed, waited and prayed. This was going to be huge for us. Could we swing it? Were we ready for whatever child God brought to us? During this time we kept a journal of the scriptures, songs, encouragement, etc. that God sent us, right when we needed it. After about 6 months, things began to change. our journal says: 

                                                                                                                   November 16   

                 "The LORD has laid on our hearts a new urgency for our adopted child. Brandon   mentioned that maybe we should fast and pray on Saturday, Nov. 19th for direction from God. We feel that our baby has already been chosen for us by God, and we want to be ready and waiting to go, to wait, to do whatever His will is. Right after deciding to fast, we knelt and asked God to please show us his way. He gave me these verses.  

Isaiah 30:21 "And thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee, saying this is the way, walk ye in it."

Isaiah 30:29-30 "Ye shall have a song as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, and the Lord shall cause His glorious voice to be heard."  "

                       By the end of this prayer-filled weekend, we were both confident in our hearts that we knew where we were supposed to go. God had given us the next step. Our hearts were filled with gladness, knowing that God's plan for us was good. We heard him still say, "Go forward."

                       About two months later, it was time for us to "be matched" with a child. We covered this time with prayer, and physically trembled when we got the paperwork. Our new baby boy's birthdate was November 18th. On our baby's first day on earth, we were countries away, fasting and praying for him. We were seeking God's perfect will, and committing to doing WHATEVER He might ask of us. "Go forward," he quietly whispered to our hearts. 

                        It was another 7 months before we flew out of country and got to bring our baby home. Every day was not easy, but God was so faithful to give us what we needed, the strength to take that next step. He made a path for us, gave us so many reasons to trust Him. The rich uncle idea was never found, nor an oil well in the backyard, but God supplied our needs. Every. Single. One. 

     On August 18th, our journal reads:

                        "I feel like I am experiencing the verse in II Corinthians 6 :10 that says "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." I am full of sorrow about the time, every day of your little life that I am missing. I'm sorry that I haven't been your only 'primary care giver' I am sorry that you will have to learn to trust me and your surroundings (when you come home) BUT: I am rejoicing. Even when I feel discouraged, even when my heart aches for you, my son. I am so glad, yes, happy, even, that God has a perfect plan, that God hears my every prayer, that no matter when you finally arrive, God is giving us You. I am so eager to share my heart and my home, and my love, and my life with you. Praise God for what He is doing for you, and for me, because of you!!! How can I stop rejoicing?!?! God is sooo good. "

                       In the Bible, the Red Sea was a place of impossibility. There was no way out. The Red Sea was a .... sea. No wonder the Israelites were "sore afraid ...and cried out to the Lord." (Ex.14:10) So, the sea was still there, and God said: "Go Forward." (Ex. 14:15) And then He made a way.

And they should've never doubted Him again.

And neither should I. 

                     I can choose to remember my Red Sea. I can meditate on the goodness of God, on the lessons I've learned, on the blessings He's given. Goodness, I can even hold my little Red Sea in my arms, and kiss him goodnight. :)  But I pray that I 'call to remembrance my songs in the night', that I "teach diligently to my children the good plans of God, that I talk of them when I am sitting in my house, when I walk in the way, when I lie down, and rise up." (Duet. 6:7) 

                    And you know what? God is able. You can trust Him. 

                                                                           ...  He knows all about your Red Sea.

                     

Perspective

           PERSPECTIVE

 

What does the word perspective mean? What is affected by our perspective? What kind of perspective will help us on our journey to Heaven?

 

We began by talking about the word perspective and what it means. Then we took a sheet of paper, and the children took turns drawing as I prompted. "We are looking at the tallest building in the world. We are as high as a jet can fly, and we are trying to spot it out our window. Oh, wait, I think I see it!...." The  drawing should look like a small dot or square. Then the next child took the pencil and paper, and drew as I verbally prompted. "Again, we are looking at the tallest building in the world. But this time, we are rats, pilfering in trash cans, and skittering away from daylight... "  The drawing should look huge, and maybe too big for the page. We talked about the perspective. The building did not change, only the view point of the onlookers. 



Naturally, we are probably more like the rats. We see the here and now, and can not imagine the bigger picture. But having the right perspective makes life so much happier and easier. Our attitudes are affected by the way we look at hings. For example, it is really hard to be grouchy and whiny when you are counting your blessings and giving thanks. I beleive God is pleased when we take the time to step back, look at the bigger picture, and ask Him to change our perspective, to give us the mind of Christ. Then, miraculously, we can find the good in the rain, the opportunity in the difficulty, and the growth in the process. 



Read Numbers chapters 13-14

       This is the story of the twelve spies who went to view the land of Canaan. There are two different perspectives in the report they give Moses and the Isrealites. God was pleased with the report from Joshua and Caleb, but was angered by the perspective from the other ten spies. But remember, all twelve spies saw the SAME land.

CHALLENGE: "Lord Jesus, We need YOU. We need you to be our vision. Let our perspective be full of faith and hope, and love. Please give us the mind of Christ."