Moms In Touch

Yesterday I promised to come back today with something that makes a difference to my kids while they are in school.  A big difference.

Let me go back to my teaching days, before I had kids of my own.  On a radio program one day, I heard about an organization that had groups of moms praying for their kids and their schools. Praying for the school's staff and student body.  I thought to myself, "Oh what I wouldn't give to know that there were moms out there praying for me, and for my students. Praying that I would be effective. Praying that I would reach kids that are hard to reach, and challenge kids that need a challenge. Praying that I would keep my cool with kids who challenge me. Praying that God's love would shine through me to my students and colleagues. Praying that God would turn the impossible into a possibility."  I wished for the day that there would be a Moms In Touch group for my school, and dreamed of the day that I would have kids of my own and participate in a Moms In Touch group for their school.

Three years ago, when Ben started kindergarten, my dream came true.  I logged on to the MIT website in the summer, did a search for our school, and voila!  There was already a group.  So I contacted the leader, and got ready to attend my first meeting in one of the members' homes. When I left that day, I was thrilled and disappointed all at once.  I thought, "These are women I would love to be friends with, but it will take forever to get to know them because all they do is pray." And it is true. The very beautiful thing about Moms In Touch is that if the group is run according to the organizational plan, we arrive, we pray, and we go on our way. There is not much time for chit-chat, and there is no time for airing complaints about school or our kids or husbands...we direct it all to the Lord and leave it with Him, because HE can do something about it. And let me tell you, He does. More about that later.

These women are now some of the most precious friends in my life.  It did take some time, but it was worth the wait.  Oh, so worth it.

This year I am taking over the leadership of our group.  I'm thinking of sharing some of our focal verses and thoughts here this year so if you're not in an MIT group you can find out a little more about what it's like.  I'll give it a try next week.  But why wait?  If you have kids in school, why not check now to see if there is a Moms In Touch group for your school?  If there isn't, maybe you should start one. You won't be sorry! And you will be amazed by the difference it makes.

Moms in Touch Monday: Our Provider

Moms In Touch MondaysOur group in meets in my living room on Monday mornings, but you can join us here at The Journey anytime as we pray for our kids and their schools.

Learn more here about Moms in Touch

and how to find a group near you.

Jesus said, 

"Look at the birds of the air; 

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, 

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them."

"Are you not much more valuable than they?"

"See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor 

was dressed like one of these."

"If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, 

which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, 

will he not much more clothe you?"

Matthew 6:26-30

Today at Moms in Touch we gathered in God's presence, focusing on him as our provider.  Throughout our time we reflected  on 1 Timothy 6:17-19:  "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

Adoration:  We praised God for being the provider of everything that we need.  We praised him because he provides richly, and not sparingly.  We praised him because he has an unlimited supply, and no matter how many come to him, he has an abundance available for all that he desires to share.  We praised him because he is never surprised by any need, nor at a loss for how he will manage to meet it.

Confession:  During our silent time of confession, we asked God to show us any area in our lives where we are overwhelmed or worried by not having enough of what we need; things like finances, time, wisdom, help, skill, compassion.  We asked him to help us recognize our worries right away so that we would turn directly to him as our provider.

Thanksgiving:  We spent some sweet time thanking God for his provision for us and our families in recent days, weeks and months.  I need to go back and make a list of needs that he has faithfully met!

Supplication (requests):  We prayed for our kids to be quick to notice their needs and to turn to God as their provider.  We prayed many of the elements of the verses above--that they would have such confidence in his provision that they would feel free to be generous.  We prayed that they would seek their satisfaction in things that will last instead of the empty treasures of this world that promise to make them happy, but ultimately disappoint, that they would take hold of the life that is truly life.  We also prayed that the staff members at their schools would find joy in God's provision.

How about you?  Of what do you find yourself needful today?  Take a moment to share that need with the God who richly provides us everything for our enjoyment.

Moms in Touch Monday: He is before all things

Today is a Moms in Touch Monday.  Every week I start thinking ahead of time about an attribute of God to use as the focus of our time of prayer for our kids.  Sometimes it is obvious to me well in advance, and other times really not until I sit down to put my plan on paper in the day or so beforehand.  I love the fact that many times they sort of "come out of the blue"--because it is then that I realize once again that God is active in my life, speaking to me in many moments and ways if I will just pay attention.

Last week I knew I had the verse for the week when I was trying to help Ben work through the middle school transition of carrying everything--EVERYTHING!--from class to class with him.  There is NO time for them to go back to lockers, so they have to have everything for the day in their binders. If you had seen his desk the last few years, you would know he was not the very best candidate for this task.  Honestly, I can't quite imagine how I would do it myself.  But he is the one who must.

As I looked with concern at his binder, the beast of burden, bulging with its contents, I thought of this verse:

"He (Jesus) is before all things, 

and in him all things hold together." 

 Colossians 1:17

So that is what we praised God for today.

Do you have a lot of things that you are trying to hold together?  Maybe this week's ACTS outline will help you take them to the Lord so he can do the job for you.

Adoration (praising God for who he is)  Key passage:  "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created:  things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  Colossians 1:15-17

Today we praised God for the fact that in this new season of life, he went before our kids, knowing who their teachers would be and what their schedules would be.  He planned all along to take care of them, determining who the authorities in their lives would be.  He holds all of the pieces of our families' lives together--each personality, each relationship, each need.  We praised him for these and other things that came to mind as we thought about his pre-existent nature.

Confession  In light of those verses, we asked him to show us if there are any aspects of our lives where all things didn't seem to be holding together, so that we could take note of places where we might not be putting him before everything else, our where our priorities might not be "in him".  After all, sometimes we are guilty of thinking we can do it all ourselves, of thinking we must be the ones to hold everything together for each of our family members, or of crowding our schedules with things that might be desirable but not necessary or best for us. Or maybe that's just me.  ;-)  This was a time to quietly admit these things, to ask him to give us wisdom in our choices, and to help us trust him to hold things together for us and those we love.

Thanksgiving  We thanked God for the ways he has taken care of our kids in many of the details of their school start, through teachers that are good fits, evidence of their maturation in certain areas, and other things specific to each of us and our families.

Supplication (requests)  Key verses:  "My (Paul talking here) purpose is that they (a group of Christians) may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.  For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is."  Colossians 2:2-5

This section came just a handful of verses after the passage above.  Really, we could have spent all day praying some of the different specifics of this passage for certain ones of our children.  Some of them needed to be encouraged in heart;  some needed to learn to be more orderly;  all of them need a firm faith in Christ, in order to allow him to be before everything else and trust him to hold their lives together.  And so on.  So we prayed for them.

This is how we pray at Moms in Touch.  Do you see anything in these passages that reminds you of something to be praying in praise, or on behalf of yourself or those you love?

Moms in Touch Monday: The God of Hope

Moms In Touch MondaysJoin our group in prayer for our kids and their schools.

Learn more here.

I couldn't help noticing these colorful paint bottles when my daughter and her friend got them out to work on a project yesterday. Are they not just oozing with potential?  I had already known this verse was to be the focus of our Moms in Touch time today, and the brightness of this scene reminded me of it.  What's on the inside of us is exactly what flows out.

Today we praised God for being the God of hope.

Adoration:  We spent some time in 1Peter 1:3-9 as a springboard for our praise this morning.  

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

We praised him because

• he has victory over death
• as our Father he has secured an imperishable and eternal inheritance for us
• he has character and faith-building purposes for all kinds of trials that we endure
• he fills us with joy even in difficulty
• our hope is not only for the future, but also for the here and now

Confession:  Before our prayer time we brainstormed antonyms for hope--despair, cynicism, fatalism, sense of lostness.  We asked God to show us where we are overflowing with any of these instead of hope, peace and joy.  We asked him to show us if we are looking to the world to offer us and our families hope that it can never (without God's intervention) successfully deliver--to government, to our schools, to corporations, material pursuits, other relationships.  We quietly confessed these things to him and asked him to help us allow him to fill us to overflowing with his hope.

Thanksgiving:  We thanked God for providing us with true hope, and for the power of his Spirit within us, filling us from the inside with hope.  We thanked him for answers to prayer and other ways he has cared for our families since we last met.

Supplication (requests):  We prayed Romans 12:12 for our kids, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  We prayed that they would have these types of attitudes, and especially that they would learn that they can have hope and joy in the very midst of affliction.  We prayed that they would see difficulties as an opportunity to go to God for the help they need, and that they would gain the maturity to recognize the value in character-building moments.  We prayed that their teachers, who are preparing for conferences, would overflow with hope for each child, and convey this to parents.  We prayed that God would draw teachers who encounter difficult situations with students who aren't succeeding to turn to him for help and wisdom and perspective in order to teach them effectively.

So what are you overflowing with?  May the God of hope fill YOU with all joy and peace this week as you trust in him, so that YOU may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Moms In Touch Monday: His Kingdom is Established

Moms In Touch MondaysJoin our group in prayer for our kids and their schools.

Learn more here.

"The Lord has established his throne in heaven,

and his kingdom rules over all."

Psalm 103:19

This past week I was thinking about my son, who is brand new in middle school, and knows very few kids in his classes.  He was so well-established among his friends and teachers after six years at the elementary school.  Our whole family is well-established there.  And now he is in a place where he is just like any other kid that nobody knows, with a family nobody knows, starting from scratch to carve a niche for himself.

Then I was thinking about my daughter, who loves her friends, and who struggles with how to, well, "Make new friends, but keep the old...".  She is trying to establish herself as a friend to many, and sometimes finds herself at odds with the fact that not all of them are eager to be one happy family of friends.  She doesn't know how to deal with the dynamics, and sometimes it doesn't go well.

Really, don't we all spend a whole lot of time and mental and emotional energy trying to figure out how to establish ourselves and our family members in one setting or another?  I don't know about you, but the feelings of insecurity can leap to the surface for me at the speed of light when I think about it.

So today our group of Moms in Touch praised God for the fact that he is firmly established, and for the implications that has for us as his children.  I started by doing a keyword search using "establish" in the concordance at biblegateway.com.  The results were staggering to me because of the vast number of references to God's authority being firmly established, and also to so many of the aspects of the relationship he has established with mankind.  It was a very rich study, and I highly recommend a look at the link to see for yourself.

Adoration (praising God for who he is):  We praised God that...

• His throne is established from eternity, and he has firmly established his creation (Psalm 93:1-2)
• He has established his faithfulness to all generations (Psalm 89:1-4)
• He established the Old Covenant with the Hebrew people, to secure his relationship with them forever (Genesis 17:3-8)
• He established the New Covenant for his people, the Church, through Jesus Christ, a superior covenant depending only on HIS faithfulness (Hebrews 8:6, 10)

Confession:  We confessed that we are often busy establishing our own little kingdoms for ourselves and our families, whether in our homes, in our schools, our churches, our neighborhoods, our sports, our work places.  During our silent time, we each asked him to show us where we might be doing this, and whether there is any area that we need to trust him to establish us and our children as HE sees fit.

Thanksgiving:  We thanked God for his answers to prayer, and for the truth that, "if anyone is (established) in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."  2 Corinthians 5:17-19  

Supplication:  We asked God to help our children be rooted and established in love (Ephesians 3:16-19), and be firmly established in their faith, finding hope and security through their identity in Christ (Colossians 1:23).  We also asked him to guide us wisely, and our kids through our example, to be more concerned with establishing his kingdom than our own, through that ministry of reconciliation.

We prayed that the staff members at our kids' schools would welcome God to establish relationships with them personally.  We prayed that they would take the time to establish rapport as well as authority among their students, enabling the students to feel well-established in a safe and caring learning environment.  

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;

establish the work of our hands for us--

yes, establish the work of our hands."

Psalm 90:17

Moms in Touch Monday: God, who is rich in mercy

Moms In Touch MondaysOur group in meets in my living room on Monday mornings, but you can join us here at The Journey anytime as we pray for our kids and their schools.

Learn more here about Moms in Touch

and how to find a group near you.

Most weeks I start thinking of the attribute of God to focus on at our next meeting well in advance.  Or at least the day before.  This was not one of those weeks.  I awoke this morning wondering what it would be today, and immediately I thought of that little snippet of a verse, "But God, who is rich in mercy..."

Thank heaven for concordances!  Mine directed me to Ephesians 2:4-5.  "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved."

Adoration:  We went to a longer passage, Titus 3:1-8, for our focus today.  Verses 4-7 say, "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."  So we praised him for

• His kindness
• His love
• For not waiting until we scored enough righteousness points to build a relationship with us
• For the washing of rebirth and renewal that we so desparately need
• For pouring his Spirit out on us generously through Jesus
• For justifying us and giving us the hope of eternal life

Confession:  As we reflected on the richness of God's mercy, we asked him to show us where we fail to show mercy.  We also asked him to show us if there are ways in which we resist his mercy by trying to be strong and righteous on our own.  We asked him to help us receive his mercy, and extend it to others.

Thanksgiving:  We thanked God for the fact that through his mercy, he comes alongside us in our weakness, and holds us up through his own power.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)  We thanked him for his demonstrations of faithfulness to us and our families as well.

Supplication (requests):  We prayed that our children would also be receptive to God's mercy and extend it to others.  We prayed the verses earlier in the Titus passage for them (Titus 3:1-2):  "Remind the people (our children, and us!) to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men."  Oh, that we would all see every person as someone in the very same need of mercy as we are ourselves, and that we would treat everyone with that same consideration and humility!

Amen, Lord.  Make it so.

Moms In Touch Monday: God is eternal

Moms In Touch MondaysJoin our group in prayer for our kids and their schools.Learn more here.

"The eternal God is your refuge, 
and underneath are the everlasting arms."
Deuteronomy  33:27

This week at Moms In Touch we focused on the eternal nature of God, and the difference it makes as we consider life in relationship with him.

Adoration:

"As a father has compassion on his children, 

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 

For he knows how we are formed, 

he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass, 

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone, 

and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting 

the Lord's love is with those who fear him, 

and his righteousness with their children's children--

with those who keep his covenant 

and remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,

and his kingdom rules over all."

Psalm 103:13-19

We praised God for the fact that he always has been, and always will be, that nothing happens without his full knowledge and nothing takes him by surprise.  We praised him for his constant presence, for his compassion for us in our time-bound nature, his faithfulness to every generation, and his ultimate authority.

Confession:

"Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting a way, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

We spent some silent time asking God to show us any areas where our focus is off--where we might be making too big a deal of things that don't matter so much.  Where we are thinking too much about what bugs us and missing the beauty in life.  We asked him to replace our shortsightedness with his eternal perspective.

Thanksgiving:

We thanked God for his daily renewal, and for the fact that our troubles will actually somehow result in eternal glory.  We also thanked him for recent answers to prayers and his provision and blessings in our families' lives.  We thanked him for the teachers and staff members at their schools who have helped them through the transition into a new school year.

Supplication:

"Teach us to number our days aright, so we may gain a heart of wisdom."  Psalm 90:12

We prayed that God would give our children his perspective on their lives:  that they would know they were created for a purpose, that they were made for eternity.  We prayed that when things don't go right God would remind them it's not the end of the world.  We prayed that when they feel like they don't fit in that God would remind them of his complete acceptance and love. We prayed that they would seek things that bring lasting satisfaction rather than things that bring only momentary pleasure but leave them only wanting more. We also prayed that God would give their teachers wisdom in helping our kids understand what is truly important in life.

This week, may you sense God's eternal presence with you, going ahead of you to prepare the way, and walking each step with you, providing what you need.

Christ in you, the hope of glory

Today is Monday. I love Monday. It's the day I start out my week with Moms in Touch. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should.

Every week we pray for our kids and their school. There is a certain format that all MIT groups are encouraged to follow, the "ACTS" model for prayer. It goes like this:

A is for adoration, when we focus on a certain characteristic of God and meditate on it and praise him for it.

C is for confession, where we reflect on ourselves (silently), often in relation to the attribute of God's character. He serves as a mirror by which we can see ourselves, ask forgiveness for our shortcomings, and ask him to help us be more like him.

T is for thanksgiving, where we thank him for answered prayer, and for the ways he has helped and blessed us.

S is for supplication, where we bring our concerns and requests to him for our kids and their classmates and school staff. We usually take the attribute of God that we focused on, and pray in some way that their lives would reflect that quality either in their character, or in the way they interact with God and others. We also pray for any specific needs we are aware of.

So here's how it went this morning.

Adoration: We praised him for being the God who indwells us.

Colossians 1:27-29 says, "To them (the saints, or believers in Christ) God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I (the apostle Paul) labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me."

In Philippians 2:12-13 Paul writes, "Therefore my dear friends, (...) continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

Confession: As we meditated on the scriptures above, it became obvious that there is a tension in the believer's life. We are to work, and work hard at following Christ and living godly lives, and yet we are utterly in need of his help, which is completely available to us. His very presence is the hope of glory. Without it, we are hopeless to produce anything glorious.

We asked God to show us areas in our lives where we are trying to do it on our own. We confessed that our anxieties and frustrations in doing so affect us and those around us. We wrapped up this time of quiet reflection with these verses from 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "But he (God) said to me (Paul), 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Thanksgiving: We thanked God for inviting us to come to him with our weaknesses, and for the fact that he doesn't ask us to confess our sin so that he can condemn us. He wants to extend his grace and forgiveness to us, to deliver us from our own self-condemnation, and to help us do it right. It's for our good and his glory!

Supplication: In light of what we had already looked at, we prayed through 2 Peter 1:3-4 for our kids. It says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

This passage was a feast for us. We found ourselves praying for our kids not to be frustrated (or even motivated) by the pressure of feeling like they're supposed to be extra good because after all they are Christians and come from Christian families. We prayed that instead they would experience the life of Christ firsthand within them, that they would know him increasingly, and that in knowing him they would desire more than anything the joy of participating in his divine nature. We prayed that WE as parents would not pressure them, but that we would have wisdom to let God do his work in them personally, and that we would come along side them and encourage them with the truth that God forgives and empowers them, and that we see him at work producing fruit in their lives. (And as I write, I find myself asking that God would make us instruments of freedom in our kids' lives, freedom to find God's grace sufficient, as opposed to instruments of bondage to the belief that they can never measure up.)

So there you have it. A mini-Moms in Touch meeting, and an example of how scripture shines a spotlight on God's amazing character, which in turn inspires us to pray, and sets us free. This week, may you know and dwell on the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory!

(And if you don't, please don't hesitate to email me to find out what in the world I'm talking about!)

Confession

Ahh...sweet peace.  The kids have gone back to school, and finally there is space to clear out the cobwebs in my mind.  To be refreshed for their arrival home each day.  I love summer, but oh, fall is good too!

If you have known me long, you know that my back to school routine always includes Moms in Touch. These women have kids that go to the same schools as mine, and we meet each week to pray for them and the staff and other students.  It is a privilege beyond words.

There are four components of our prayer time each week (described at the link), known as the ACTS model of prayer:

Adoration (praising God for some attribute of who he is)

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication (asking)

The greatest challenge for me has always been to get my head around the concept of confession. During our meetings we have a time of silent confession, never spoken.  Honestly, when I started in Moms in Touch, when we came to confession, all I could really ever think about was the times I yelled at my kids during the previous week. I would pray to do better. Of course I STILL pray to do better.  But pretty soon I started thinking, confession has to be more than this.

And then it occurred to me.  Go back to the adoration part.  Look at God for who He is--his divinity, or "Godness"--and use him as a mirror.  

Let's say the attribute of the week is God's wisdom.  We would look at a verse or verses describing the nature of his wisdom.  It wouldn't take much reflection to realize that God's understanding is far--infinitely far--beyond our own.  When we look at the needs we bring with us as prayer concerns for our children, we quickly see that sometimes we are overwhelmed because we think the solution to each of our parenting challenges must come from our own wisdom and resources, and we are left feeling woefully inadequate. When we look at God's wisdom, my confession sounds something like this:

God, my own wisdom falls short when it comes to this issue we have with ________ about ________.  You are her Creator, loving her more than I ever could, and you have the perfect wisdom for helping her through this situation.  I confess that I am in need, and you have an abundant supply.  Forgive me for trusting in my own wisdom, and for worrying when it didn't seem enough.  Only you are enough.  Help me to see YOUR wisdom guiding us through like a light in the dark.  Help me relax and let you lead us.

MAYBE my confession wouldn't have any words at all!  Maybe the image of a light would be enough!  Maybe visualizing his wisdom guiding our way, is an adequate expression of my weakness and dependence on his strength.

You see, confession typically boils down to this:  acknowledging to God that he is God and I am not.  No matter what facet of God's nature provides our focus during the adoration time, it also provides illumination about my nature.  Confession gives perspective.  I am not him, so I need him. His intent isn't to hand out a punishment, or worse, condemnation. (We may actually deserve that, but it's already taken care of.)  It's to help me.  But I have to let him.

Our group has a number of women whose commitments prevent them from attending every week.  I am hoping this year to post our scriptures and a few reflections at least some of the time.  If you are a mom, I hope you will join us and use them as a springboard to pray for your own kids.  If you are a mom who might be able to join a group of others who pray (you don't have to pray out loud, but you can!), I urge you to check the Moms in Touch website to see if there is a group for you.  It is invariably one of the most treasured hours of my week.

Moms In Touch Monday: Wonderful Counselor

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."

Isaiah 9:6-7

At the time this prophecy was delivered by Isaiah, there would still be several hundred years of waiting for its fulfillment on the part of the people of Israel.  Don't you suppose many of them thought they had been forgotten?  Or that they heard it wrong?  I know that my faith is often far too impatient for waiting to see just what God has up his sleeve.  And yet, he acts in the fullness of time.  The waiting is sometimes precisely the tool he uses to accomplish his purposes.  During this Advent season, the season of waiting, our Moms in Touch group is focusing on each aspect of the character of the prophesy of the Messiah.

Adoration:  Today we focused on God as our Wonderful Counselor.  We marveled at the mystery of the Trinity, as God pointed the way to Jesus as the Wonderful Counselor, and then when Jesus appeared, he pointed to the Holy Spirit as the Counselor.  Psalm 16:7-8 (we also read 9-11) was our springboard for praise: 

"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."

We praised God for his wisdom, for his presence with us even when our minds are racing with all of the details we need to address, or the matters facing our families and loved ones.  We praised him for the light of his presence and guidance in the dark of the night or the dark moments of our souls.  We praised him that his plan is that we would see him taking us by the hand, guiding our way, and therefore not be shaken.

Confession:  As we meditated on God as our counselor, we read the very familiar, but very quickly forgotten (well, by me at least!) Proverb 3:5-6:  

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."

Our confession time at Moms In Touch is always silent, but I don't mind telling you that there is a situation I dealt with in the last week using my own understanding.  My desire was to make everyone in the situation feel better and possibly mend some feelings that were hurt unintentionally, and not by me.  But, I really needed to leave it alone and trust God to straighten it out.  Regretably, I did not wait for his counsel.  Thankfully, he forgives, and there is always room yet for him to work.

Today we asked God to show us any areas of our lives where we are leaning on our own understanding, forging ahead to fix things, or check them off our to-do list when waiting is what's needed.

Thanksgiving:  We thanked God for the time with family in recent days and weeks, and for the richness that each of our relationships brings.  We also thanked him for being our Counselor as we navigate our way through each of those relationships and the challenges they can bring.  We thanked him for faithfully answering many of our prayers since we last met.

Supplication (requests):  As we prayed for our children, we asked God to help them know his wise counsel, and to instruct them with wisdom through each choice they make, through their assignments, and through each interaction with others.  We asked him to make his presence clear to them in times of anxiousness, and to help them lean on him rather than acting on their own limited understanding.  We also prayed for teachers as they wrap up a trimester.  We prayed that as they look at their students' progress, God would encourage and energize them with the successes they see, and that he would provide them with wise counsel as they seek ways to make connections with students who are not doing as well as they could or should.  

"Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen."

Romans 11:33-36

Mom's Weekly Warm-Up

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 6-7

So on Friday I told you about our "Weekly Wrap-Up" with our kids. On Monday mornings, I like to start the week with a "Weekly Warm-Up" of my own. I get together with some other moms who have kids in our school, and we pray. We are a part of an organization known as Moms In Touch. (Check out this video to see why we do what we do.)

We pray for our kids, and the staff, other students, and our community. It is amazing how God answers prayer, as we take the concerns of our hearts to the one who loves us AND has the ability to DO something about them.

If you are a mom with kids in school, I highly recommend that you go to the Moms In Touch website right now and see if there is a group that meets to pray for your school. That's what I did. These women, their prayers for my family, and their support as we walk the parenting journey together, are an absolute mainstay in my week.

Forties Top 40, #2

Oh the pressure.  It never occurred to me that it would be hard to pick number two.  I settled on number one weeks ago.  Wrote the post and everything.  But number two.  There is a lot of competition.  Apparently there have been way more than forty wonderful things about being in my forties.  Yes.  Way more.

I'll just tell you the short list:

The diversity in our community.  I was afraid that raising our kids in the suburbs might keep their perspective a little too homogeneous.  I was happily wrong!  I was reminded of this once again when Bright, the sweet Ghanaian cashier, checked me out at Walmart.  He has been there since my kids were babies.  (I have always thought it would be cool if his wife's name was Merry.)  There are people in our neighborhood and schools from all over the world.

Grandparents.  As little as we see our parents, they have endeared themselves so sweetly to our kids.  I love that!  I love THEM.  We are so blessed to still have them in stable health.

Prayer ministries I've been a part of like Moms in Touch, our church prayer chain, and group spiritual direction.  All of that thinking (#7) needs to be processed with much prayer, and I am so grateful to have had opportunities to learn new ways of being in God's presence, both resting and interacting with him.

Vacations.  Different from those I took earlier in life because I now spend so much of my time facilitating and watching the activities of my family members from day to day.  Vacations are the stretches of time when I am a full participant in my family's adventures, and to say that I love it would be an understatement.

But here's the one I'm going with:

#2:  Praise team.

In 2000 our church began a second service, with music led by a praise band instead of the choir. (Both are leading together in this photo for a special service.)  I have been a part of this team from the beginning, and I must say that it is one of the sweetest privileges in ministry I have ever had.  Why?  Well for one, the music and the words pull me quickly into the presence of God.  Our music minister is exceedingly gifted in choosing music with truth that cuts straight to the heart.  And for two, when it does that, you can look at the worshippers in front of you and see on their faces that God is drawing them close and touching them.  For three, there is a truly special bond between the musicians.  Whether we are together to rehearse or to lead the service, our meeting location is always on holy ground.

Do I "feel it" every time I'm up there?  Well, some Sundays I will be the first to say that I arrive exasperated.  Somehow, that is often the time that I see my need the most, and once we have had our rehearsal time, I am most keenly aware God's power strengthening me in my weakness.  Then there are occasional days when I find myself distracted.  But most Sundays, there is nothing I would rather be doing.  I love the music, the words, the instruments, the harmonies--but most of all the God we worship.

Mid-Blog Crisis

WARNING!: This post is a mind-dump. Nothing more. Save it until you need an antidote for your insomnia.

Having said that, you have my condolences for the fact that you are still here. I will try my best to disappoint you if you were counting on something really super boring. Have a pillow ready, just in case.

Somebody recently asked, why do you blog? That is the question of the week for me. The initial purpose of my blog (here) was, and really still is, to serve as a journal of sorts. I journaled for years before I got married, and although it was then in the form of conversations with God, it really helped me process my life, and my "becoming" for lack of a better word. I think the Bible probably calls it "...being transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2) So I suppose I could say I used it to chronicle my transformation. Yeah, that's it. And I guess that's where this one started.

But at this moment, I am going through a little identity crisis and wondering, who is my audience?

I have been reading a lot of mom blogs, which make me laugh hysterically, and remind me how not alone I have been in my parenting endeavors. Now these women get the visitors, I tell you! I am certainly a mom, but this is not a mom blog. I think if I tried, I could make it one. A funny one at that. But alas, the Scrapbook blog is the space for showing off the kids, and that is really for the out of town family and anyone else who wants to check in on them, specifically. It is not so much about me. The Journey has some aspects of my parenting story in plenty of places, but not often enough to keep the moms coming back, except the really really sweet ones who have noticed I don't get too many comments and taken pity on me. Should I throw them a few more bones to keep them coming back?

And then there is the theological side of me that is sort of under construction right now. I am very serious about this transformation thing, and for the first time in many years I have the time to take stock of how it is going. Are my beliefs well-informed, and have they grown up with me? I've so enjoyed revisiting some of them recently, but by the grace of God I have more questions than answers at the moment (definitely a good thing in my book!), and not that much to write about. So I'm a little afraid my really good thinkers are going to fall to the wayside while I pause to reflect. And some of them have quit writing, too, so I can no longer engage them in dialogue on their own turf! (But I'm not bitter.)

And then there is the nostalgic side of me that has been reliving the family history lately, and just reveling in the joy of being a family, and seriously, that could only be for the kids. For later.

I keep wishing my blog could narrow in on an audience. There are a lot of people out here in the blogosphere, and many have touched me. I would like to touch them back. Who could I touch? The moms? The thinkers? The sentimental types? I guess I believe there are others who are being transformed who will pick something up along the way from any of those.

It is, after all, a journey, and there are so many different kinds of stops. Sightseeing stops to look closely at the things that take our breath away, or teach us something we never knew. Recreational stops for something fun and entertaining. Stops to check the map to see if and where we got off course, or whether we are still headed in the right direction. Stops to refresh and refuel.

I like the people part of blogging, I really do. But the question was not, "For whom do you blog?", it was "Why do you blog?" And it's really to help me in my becoming.

You know what makes me really grateful? I have some precious friends on this journey, who are kind enough to tell me (mainly in person) that they read, and laugh, and learn from my blog, random though it is, and yes, even enjoy my mushy love story. So to you who fall into this category, thanks bunches for mentioning it to me now and then. I would probably blog without you. But I love knowing that you are along for the ride.

So Lord, thank you for my journey in its many facets, and for every companion who is along for the duration and those who just stop in for one leg of it. Send anyone this way who could get a blessing here. May all who come here know that YOU are great, and that you provide amazing transformation in the lives of all who draw near to you!

Now grab a coffee or a Mountain Dew, and get on with your day!

Priorities

Just yesterday I told a friend of mine that if there were one month that I could have two of, I would choose September.  One to organize our life, and one to live it. 

I LOVE the weather.  The new routines.  Getting reacquainted with friends from Bible study, Moms in Touch, kids' sports.  Volunteering at school.  Accepting new challenges.

But it is hard to get everything done without missing some details.  This week I forgot to remind Ben to look back over his study guide for his crayfish test (good thing we had studied it once!). He missed four. I bet that will help him remember on his own the next time. Not a bad thing.

This is a time of year when I try to really get my spiritual life back in gear, because the lack of summer structure (and constant presence of kids) is often a deterrent. This is my top priority in the midst of trying to order everything else.  If I neglect to seek God's face in the midst of all the new things, the rest will fall apart.

This past Sunday, the sermon topic was, "In the beginning, God..." We were challenged to ponder the fact that God is the initiator in our lives.  Not only the creator, but the one who is moving in our lives day by day, and new year by new year.  We were posed the question, "What has God been doing in your life?  What has He been saying to you?" Wouldn't you know, the very next day, the same question of "What is God saying to you?" showed up in my Bible study! I've been thinking about this all week, and I am excited to keep track of where I sense Him at work, opening and closing doors, nudging me in new directions.  He has my attention!

"Forget the former things; 

do not dwell on the past.  

See, I am doing a new thing!  

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  

I am making a way in the desert 

and streams in the wasteland."  

Isaiah 43:18-19

How about you?  What is God doing or saying in your life?

Forties Top 40, #32

#32:  Supportive women.

I cannot even imagine the last decade without the supportive women in my life. My sister, my grandmother and other mothers and sisters-in-law, the women in my Bible study, my Moms In Touch group, the other baseball moms and school moms and neighbors, the women on praise team, my former colleagues, older friends, younger friends, just plain tried and true friend friends and even blog friends.  Seriously.  Where would I be without them?  Where would my husband and kids be without them?  Not that there aren't a lot of supportive men in my life, because there are.  But you, supportive woman out there...I would not be HALF the wife and mom and child of God I am, were it not for you.  You 

inspire me

challenge me

surround me with beauty

help me laugh at real life

understand me in ways my husband can't
(and shouldn't have to)

remind me we're in this together

and help me believe that God is stronger in me than I give him credit for being.

I thank God for you.

I am unbelievably blessed.

I'm not thankful (a reality show in three parts)

Part 1.

It's the eve of Thanksgiving, 4:37 P.M, and  I'm not thankful.

I'm not thankful that my house is a wreck less than 24 hours before it should be a beautiful, delicious smelling hub of grateful festivity.

I AM thankful that the mess consists of a game that we all had fun playing yesterday (when I was more motivated to play than work), but that never got put away.  And also a music stand where a flute was practiced by a girl who loves her instrument.

I'm not thankful that there is not one square inch of available counter space to start stuffing a turkey or making a pumpkin roll.

I AM thankful that part of the clutter is a botany experiment of my budding scientist,

and some platters that my Moms in Touch group filled with goodies to let the staffs at our kids' schools know that they are appreciated.

I'm not thankful that I cannot find my dining room table (or floor), much less imagine setting it for a feast on short order.

I AM thankful that much of that stuff came from a friend who needed help preparing for a move, and was stuff we will be able to use. (Yay for free school supplies!)

I am not thankful the friend and her family have moved, at all.  I AM thankful that God brought them into our lives as a blessing, and that we can encourage them as they follow his call on their lives.

I'm not thankful that the top of the stairs is littered with everything the kids had with them when they came in the door today.

I AM thankful that they were happy to get here and eager to enjoy four relaxing days of family time.  I love having them here.

Part 2.

Honestly?  There are some other things in this season of our lives that I am not thankful for.  It's been a season of transition, and it has brought some difficulties with it.  Difficulties we wouldn't have wished for, but that have helped us and our kids grow and learn things that couldn't have been learned any other way.  And for that, I AM thankful.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I am not thankful FOR these things...but I am thankful IN these things.  Life, at its best, is a challenge.  To give thanks in ALL circumstances is not an easy thing to do, but it is a life-giving choice.

God is always up to something, after all.  Something good for us.  Something good IN us.  Easy is not his objective.

Part 3.

5:24 P.M.  That's more like it. The difference an hour can make!

I guess I better get back to work.  It seems a lot more manageable now.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

And may a grateful heart be at the top of your list of blessings.

When you "stay at home" once your kids are in school

Note:  This post is the long awaited answer to "The Question" that I've been pondering for some time now.  It's not in any way meant to elevate my chosen occupation over any other, but rather my attempt to define what it is for me.  Because sometimes, people want to know.

When you stay at home once your kids are in school, you probably actually won't.  Much.  Because you have BEEN HOME and you are ready to get out a little.

September 2007

You will have a list of things you have been meaning to do once the kids go to school, and you will be eager to start getting it all done.

And you will.  Start.  But it will probably keep growing faster than you can get things done.

Because when your kids go to school people will have your number.  On speed dial.  They will be eager to help you figure out what to do with all the time you have on your hands.  And when they call on you to help, or to play, or to go to lunch, you will be happy to say YES!  Oh, it will feel so good to have the freedom to do that.  It will especially feel good to help, because you haven't been able to do as much as you would like while you have been busy taking care of kids 24/7 for who knows how many years.  And help you will.

You will probably help at school.  You will sign up to help at the class parties, because seriously, who doesn't love a party?  And if you are a picture taker, you will sign up for the yearbook.  After a few years, you will wise up and realize that if you are in charge of the craft at the party, you won't get many pictures taken, and you will let the other parents sign up to help while you take pictures.  When you get home and realize that your own kids are in a whole lot of the pictures, it will make you smile, but you will have to figure out how to make sure they are not in all the ones that make it into the yearbook.

You will probably help with book fairs and picnics and special friends day and soup labels.

You might go on field trips.  And if you are really lucky, your kids will have teachers who welcome parent volunteers on a weekly basis or more, and you will love being a fly on the wall to see what your kids act like at school.  They will probably run over and hug you when they see you arrive, and their teacher will not mind at all.  You will correct papers or prepare materials for projects or help kids with math and reading.

The teacher will thank you often, sometimes even with a note or a gift, and you will think that this is the LEAST you could do to help her have more time to teach.

You will be available to help at church with things that happen during the day.  You will make it to those funerals of the elderly members you have been lucky enough to know and love.  You will probably take a casserole or a salad for the meal afterwards.  On a really good day you will make one to take to church and one to leave at home for supper.  Most times you will hope that enough of the church one is leftover to bring home.  Usually it won't be, and since you spent grocery day at a funeral, your family may or may not eat something you found in a box in the freezer for dinner.  You will get to eat lunch with people you know, and you will enjoy remembering.  The family will send you a thank you note, and you will think that you should be sending THEM a thank you note.

When you stay at home once your kids are in school, you will realize you now work the second shift.  You will stop volunteering to be on committees that meet in the evening or on weekends, because that's when your kids are home, and you they will have homework.  And practices and games and church activities.  There will be conversations and fun to have together.  You will think that with all the free time during the day you should get all of your laundry and shopping and cleaning done then, so you can be available to your kids after the bus arrives.  You might slip up and agree to be nominated for church council and accidentally be elected.  It's ok because they usually only meet once a month.  Your family will survive without you.  Dad can do homework too.

Your kids will be gone almost seven hours a day.  SEVEN HOURS!  You will think about meaningful ways to invest those hours in finding your own identity apart from being so and so's mom.  You will join a Bible study or a book club or a Moms in Touch group...there will be plenty of things you could join.  You will consider that an awesome social life, and you will give very little thought to the fact that those things also do some other people some good (especially when you agree to be the leader), because you feel spoiled to be able to do them.

You will sign up to teach Sunday School or organize Vacation Bible school because you have plenty of time to work on such things while the kids are in school, but you will be surprised at how the crunch time happens when they are at home.  Every. Time.

After all, your kids will be home more than you think.  It's not really school five days and home two.  There will be Monday holidays and professional development days and conferences and teacher conventions.  They will no sooner go back to school after Christmas vacation, than you will start filling in your new calendar and realize they will have two full weeks of school out of the next seven.

You will wonder why on earth you seem so busy, and why you haven't had time to retrieve the laundry you did three days ago from the dryer.  You will find yourself thinking that this is an unusually busy week in what is normally a very cushy schedule, and next week will calm down considerably.  You will think this pretty much every week.  You will learn to say no, and you will hate that, and still, too often, you will say yes.

You might also think it would be good if you could earn a little money.  You know, to start saving up for college.  You might even have a hobby that would make a good home business if you did it for people.  It would be perfect because you would have complete flexibility.

You could make a website and some business cards.  But you will hardly ever hand them out because you have no idea how you could actually find time to do the work if you had it.  When people ask you what you do, it would never occur to you to say, "I am a small business owner."  You will say you stay home with your kids.  (But not much.)

When you stay at home once your kids are in school, you will think about the reasons why you get to do this, and thank God that you don't need to earn a paycheck.  You will thank Him for providing for you, and for a husband who doesn't mind working hard, and who appreciates the value of what you are doing for him and your kids every day.  You will be humbled and in awe that you have such an amazing privilege.  You will ask God to help you use this gift of time in a way that is worthy.  And by his grace, that's just what will happen.  Whether you're aware of it at the time or not.

When you stay at home once your kids are in school, Mondays and Septembers will be your paychecks. But the best paycheck of all will be knowing that you will never have to say, "I wish I would have had more time to spend with my kids."