Never Lose Sight

For Christmas, I received the newest Chris Tomlin CD called, "Never Lose Sight".  It's already one of my favorites, but then again, I love all of the songs Tomlin has ever put together.  They are great reflective songs for my life.

There's this song on the album called, "God of Calvary".  He sings,

"And if I never, never lose sight of this place,
I will never, never lose sight of your grace,
Your cross is all, all I need to see,
Oh, praise the God of Calvary."

It's so true, isn't it?  The cross is really all that I need to see.  The cross, and all that Jesus did for me...and you...that's enough.  He made it enough then, and it is still enough.  Why is it so easy for us (me) to lose sight of that then?  Sadly, I lose sight of it all of the time.

My favorite vacation spot is the mountains of Colorado.  I absolutely love it there!  Everything about it is just so peaceful.  We love taking our girls out there and always have a great time.  I spend weeks getting ready for our trip out there, and the excitement just builds each day until the time comes for us to finally head out for a week.  I always want time to slow down while we are there, not just because I really enjoy my time with my family away from all the daily responsibilities and activities we have going on, but because I love the view of the mountains.  That's the first thing I look at when I wake up and the last thing I look at before the sun goes down.  They are beautiful!  For those of you that have seen the Colorado mountains, you know that pictures don't do them justice.  But I always take hundreds of pictures anyway so I can remember our time there.  One of the saddest parts of the trip is leaving.  Not because I don't want to come home...it's always good to get back home...but because I can't see the mountains from where I live.  Every time we leave, Matt and I are either turning around staring at the last view of the mountains or looking in the rearview mirror to catch that last glimpse of God's beauty.  I stare at them until I can't see them anymore.  I never want to lose sight of them. 

It got me thinking of some other things I don't want to lose sight of: 

Never lose sight of who you are, rather WHOSE you are. 
I struggle with this one.  Yes, I know who I am, but I struggle because I look at what and who others say that I am sometimes more than who God says that I am.  Am I good enough?  Am I a good enough wife?  Am I a good enough mom?  Do I invest in others enough?  Am I encouraging anyone?  Am I a good friend?  Am I doing my jobs like I should be?  What are people saying about me?  Our enemy wants to get inside of our minds so that we focus more on the negatives and the lies, versus the TRUTH of who God says I am.  I don't want to lose sight of who I used to be...but I want to see who I am becoming.
Never lose sight of His grace.
I don't deserve God's grace one bit.  I know that.  But I am so thankful for it!  I don't want to lose sight of His goodness and grace, because it's at the moment that I do, that I forget to extend it to someone else. 
Never lose sight of the cross.
Remember, the cross is all we need to see.  When we look at the cross, we see what's been done for us.  I admit though, the cross is not a daily thing I think about.  Yes, I thank God for all He has done and continues to do for me.  But He made a way already.  When I take my focus off of the cross, I tend to forget that there is a God and I'm not it.  I start to think of ways I can "fix" problems, control people, make others around me change.  That's not up to me.  The cross.  Don't lose sight of what was done there.
Never lose sight of the plank.

I have many planks.  But I tend to look at the specks in everyone else.  It goes back to grace that we talked about earlier.  I might get arrogant and think that I deserve the grace, but when others disappoint me, let me down, or hurt me or those I love and care about, I start to lose sight of my own planks in my life.  That's never a good place to be because growth doesn't happen while looking around at others and their sin.

Never lose sight of our weaknesses.
It's no fun to dwell on the things we struggle with most.  I don't think we are meant to truly dwell on them because that can be very discouraging.  But there comes a point when we have to know what our weaknesses are so that we can see how we have grown through them.  I know what I'm gifted at, but I also know the things that are weak spots in my life.  Never lose sight of those, because God's strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.  He can help you.
Never lose sight of those hurting people around you.
We have all been through things that have cut deep and truly brought emotional or physical pain into our lives.  Thank the Lord for good people rallying around us who offer some encouragement!  Never lose sight of those hurting around you.  Take the focus off of yourself for a minute and see who you can encourage and strengthen today.  I never want to miss someone truly hurting because I was too busy thinking about my own struggles.
Never lose sight of your strengths.
God has gifted us and given us certain strengths for a reason.  Don't lose sight of those because if you do, you will waste an opportunity that He could use you.  I have strengths and I have weaknesses.  God can use both.  Be willing to be a helper.  YOU are the only you!  Don't lose sight of that.
Never lose sight of right now.
Any worriers out there?  I go through times where it seems that I struggle more with this and losing sight of the here and now.  But I'm better than I used to be!  There's only so much I can truly control anyway, so why think too far ahead and borrow trouble?  There's enough of that as it is.  I need to do what's in front of me right now.  What is God asking you to do today?  Do it.  He'll guide you in your tomorrow's.
Never lose sight of your pain and hardships.
It's pretty easy to come up with a list of all the emotional or physical pain you've endured and the people that have ever hurt you.  This is not what I mean about never losing sight of that.  It's not healthy and isn't productive when we think on those things.  I've had my times of dwelling on these and reliving those painful times, but the place I am now in life is being able to see those as a time in my life where God used those things to make me the person I am today.  I'm far from perfect.  I never will be.  But I'm a different Jenn than I once was because of the lessons I've learned and all that He taught me through that pain and hardship.
Never lose sight of your victories.
We shouldn't get a big head over our victories or successes, but we need to thank God that He helped us through different situations.  Not everything is easy to get through.  I don't know about you, but I've had several things in my life that I wish I could "get past" and it always seems like a constant battle.  It can be very frustrating. So those times where I can see some growth through those times and because of them is when I don't ever want to lose sight of the victories. 
Never lose sight of God's love for you.
I am so thankful He loves me!  He truly loves me for who I am.  That's crazy to think about.  And He loves my daughters even more than I do!  Also crazy to think about that kind of love!  I'm thankful that God steps in and repairs damages that I've done to show those closest to me His love for them.  He can be trusted that He knows what He's doing in our life and the lives of our family that we love so much.  That's a relief!  I don't have to worry about being everything to everyone because God is enough for all of us.  His love is great.  Don't forget that.

I don't know who needs to hear this today.  I really wrote down these thoughts for myself so that I wouldn't forget.  All I want to do during my time here on earth is make a positive difference in the lives of those around me.  I'm so thankful for all of the people...past, current, and future...that has and will continue to make a difference in my life.  They didn't lose sight that I am also loved by God and am valued.  So are you!  Never lose sight.  The cross truly is all you need to see.

What's Your Story?

The following is from my oldest daughter, Macayla.  I asked her to be a guest writer this time.  Hope it challenges you and makes you smile.  :)




     I am going to be singing 'Write Your Story', by Francesca Battistelli, in my school's upcoming Talent Show. I really like this song. I'm not so much into the older, slower songs that my parents were into when they were little. For instance, I also really like Toby Mac. In one of Toby Mac's songs, "Forgiveness", Lecrae raps. I memorized it excitedly because it was the first Christian rap I had really ever heard. I especially love to dance and sing to upbeat songs. I feel so passionate when I listen to songs like those. That's why Francesca's song was so special to me.


     The song is about how God is the King of Everything, and how He has a plan for all of us, individually. Though we may cross paths with other believers and nonbelievers, the outcome of our lives won't be exactly the same. Jeremiah 29:11 says, 'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.' Through troubling times and the ones that make us want to LOL, God always has something in mind for what's happening right now.


     Have any of you ever doubted your Faith? Whether or not God is real? I'll be honest and say that I have. It used to be a bit more frequently, but not so much now. Anyway, I love how Francesca introduces the song. The first verses start, 'They say...' As in, other people are saying these things and she doesn't know whether or not to believe them, because so many people have so many opinions and beliefs. Later in the song she says, 'I wanna tell you now that I believe it...'
    
     To me, these words are so powerful. How many of you have heard the words, "God can do anything?" I'm not saying that's a bad thing, because this statement is true. Saying this is like saying the sky is blue. The song has many different proofs to this statement. She says, 'You can give the blind their sight, You can bring the dead to life.' In another verse, she also says, 'You can make me new.' This song, in fact, may give us even more insight and meaning to the expression...wait for it...GOD CAN DO ANYTHING! 


     The last part of the song goes like this, 'I want my history to be a legacy. Go ahead and show the world what you've done in me.' I'm pretty sure that this means that she wants to be an example for God, in everything she does. That when people think of her, she wants them to think, 'Hey, that Francesca Battistelli girl, isn't she a Christian? That's cool how she follows God in every day living.' I want to be like that too. I want people to say, 'Macayla is such a strong Christian. I love how she believes that God is all powerful, and she is such an example to other people. I want to be like her and make a difference for God.'


     If you haven't heard this song, you should look it up. It's so inspiring! So let me ask you this to finish off... Are you showing others that you believe in God? Do YOU believe that God can do anything? Whether you answered yes or no to either of these questions, I want to send you off on a mission. I want you to pray to God and accept his plan for your life. Tell him that you'll stop trying to make your own plan, that you'll stop doing your own thing. Ask God to write his story on your heart, and while you're at that, go and make disciples. Write your story on other peoples' lives. Make a difference.

This blog may be a bit foggy...

FOG:



1)  A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere or near the earth's surface that obscures or restricts visibility.
2)  Something that obscures and confuses a situation or someone's thought processes.
3)  Bewilder or puzzle (someone)
4)  Make (an idea or situation) difficult to understand.


Driving when the conditions outside are foggy can be a stressful thing.  I really don't enjoy it.  But I had something to do out of town that particular day, so I didn't have much choice. 


Have you ever been in a state of "fog"?  Ya know what I'm talking about...confusion, lost, and things just seem so unclear.  It would seem that because of this, that clarity just isn't going to come.  Wrong.  God has spoken to me in that fog...in that uncertainty of times.  Though I could hardly see anything in front of me, God couldn't have been more clear. 


Since we have a 3 year old in the house, my "quiet times" are not always that quiet.  My life is loud at times, sometimes so loud that the voice of God is drowned out to where I can't hear at all.  My foggy drive the other day consisted of 3 hours of windshield time...all by myself.  The only music I absolutely love listening to is Christian radio.  God speaks through music...He spoke to me through the words that I sang.  The fog had not lifted at all on my drive home.  It was getting darker too, so this made driving more difficult.


I've had some pretty serious discussions with God recently.  Things that I just don't understand, but "His ways are not our ways..."  As I was praying, talking, and trying to listen to what God is trying to say to me, it was in that fog that I finally got it!  I'm 41 years old, and I'm finally seeing some things that He's probably tried to teach me for years.  But it's easier when we can see the path ahead of us, right?!??


Here's the deal.  There I was driving in the thick consistent fog, and the only thing I could do was pray for safety...both for me and for the other drivers around...and also to just keep my car between the lines.  I stayed away from the middle yellow lines, just in case an oncoming car did not.  And though it was very difficult to see anything in front of me much of my drive, I trusted God to get me where I needed to go.  Of course I had to pay close attention.  That's a given and a must while driving on the road.  But in our everyday walk with Jesus, we have to pay close attention and not be careless.  Things that can hurt or cause us to detour on our road to God can come out of nowhere, but as long as we keep our "eyes on the road" (to Jesus), He will take care of all of that.


As I was praying that day while staying close to the line I could see, I had God's peace, even in the things I could not see.  Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for.  It is being certain of what we do not see."  Certain...think about what that means.  I had more peace not being able to see what was in front of me, more than I have during those times where I've had complete visibility. 


What about you?  Are you having a difficult time trusting God in the fog?  Listen, He sees the big picture.  It's completely clear for Him.  It doesn't need to be clear for you just yet.  He knows.  He sees.  Trust Him...He will direct you.  Just stay close to what little you can see and trust Him with the rest.  Pay close attention.  Don't fear.  Be obedient.


I will always remember that foggy day where God was as clear as can be to me in the areas where I need to trust more.  "God is not a God of confusion" (I Corin. 14:33).  So just remember the next time you have confused thoughts, or you are lost in the fog, just choose to trust Him...even if He chooses not to turn that fogginess to clarity just yet. 

40 reasons for my heart to find...

February 21st...this day is finally here.  I've waited 10 months for him to be 40 like me.  Of course in two short months, I'll be turning 40-once.  41, that is.  We've been joking with our girls about this lately.  My guy doesn't want a big party, no huge attention on his 40th birthday.  He respected my wishes on that last year for me, so I'll do the same.  I couldn't, however, let this day go by without honoring him in some way.  I thought it would be fun to list off 40, (though there are a lot more), reasons for my heart to find to bless the Lord for Matt Bycroft.  Sorry, playin' off Matt Redman's "10,000 reasons" song.  ;)  Is he perfect?  No.  Neither am I.  Only Jesus is.  But I've got a good man.  So glad God gave him to me.

This is not in any particular order....well, except the first few, of which are by far the most important to me. 

Matt...

1)  Not just loves the Lord, but knows Him, follows Him, and obeys Him.
2)  Chose me as his life partner.....(I am the lucky one).
3)  Loves and leads our girls.
4)  Is patient.
5)  Has a very easygoing personality...what ya see is what ya get.  No pretending.
6)  Buys me Diet Dr. Pepper and Ghirardelli Chocolate with Caramel (in fact, enjoying that now as I type :).
7)  Committed to family vacations every summer.  Love that this is so important to him! 
8)  Though he's special and "extra"-ordinary to me, he's a simple man.  Not confusing.  Makes sense.
9)  Has not missed or withheld a tithe in all the days I have known him, either in our dating years or 15 years of marriage.  No matter how tight the month's finances can get, God receives it first. 
10)  Is UNselfish.  He doesn't think of himself first.  Always willing to help someone else out....while never expecting anything in return.
11)  Doesn't give up.  He's steadfast and perseveres.  Seriously, I could write a book.  With as much as he's gone through, he continues to be faithful.  Committed to his calling, and doesn't let others hinder that.  Thankful to be married to a man that's not a quitter and who has confidence in himself and also in God!  He developed type 2 diabetes a few years ago...he has never felt sorry for himself with this.  He doesn't complain, doesn't give up in taking care of himself, and if you've seen him lately, you will know just how great he looks!  Just got another awesome report from the Dr. too.  Proud of him.
12)  Gives me the best backrubs, no matter how much I ask. 
13)  Never misses our daughters' activities, plays, sports, musicals, parent teacher conferences, birthday parties, awards' at their schools, etc. 
14)  Hugs me, kisses me, prays with me, holds my hand, laughs with me, watches silly movies with me, listens to me (that's a biggie, I know!), takes me on drives out in the country, still dates me (even if sometimes it's just to Sonic for a quick drink), texts me "I love you" throughout my day...basically he THINKS of me.  And I don't take that for granted.
15)  Prays FOR me.  Those prayers are between him and me.  But I love that he desires for me to continue to grow as a Christian, and cheers me on.  He has full confidence in me.  I take comfort in knowing he doesn't doubt me in anything I do or set out to try to do.  
16)  Is handsome.  Favorite feature?  His eyes, and his kind smile.  Even better lookin' now than the day we got married.
17)  Is trustworthy.  I know there's so many marriages out there that cannot say that about each other.  My man can be trusted.  He is my best friend.
18)  Supports me as a coach.  He and our girls go to as many tennis matches as they possibly can.  I've been coaching for 7 years, and he continues to be there for me in that too, while holding down the "girl fort" while I'm gone.
19)  Prays with the girls every morning before school.  He also memorizes scripture with them as well.  And right now, we are reading through the Bible together as a family.  So thankful to have that spiritual leader in our home.
20)  Would rather be with me than anyone else in the whole world. 
21)  Will watch Indiana Basketball with me.  Yep, this deserves it's own number!  :)
22)  Is a man of integrity.  He is the same no matter what...in front of people, with our girls, with me, by himself, with his friends, coaching soccer, at Walmart...doesn't matter.  He has character...and it's GOOD!
23)  Is not afraid to change dirty diapers.  From our firstborn to now our 3rd daughter, he has been an active part in all the parenting duties as I have.  Very thankful for that!  We share the "load"...pun intended.  ;)
24)  Had enough faith and courage and trust in God to start a church, from scratch.  We started out with 3 people.  He continues to trust God, and the Lord is amazing that He has brought us this far!
25)  Preaches GOD'S words!  I never have to question what is going to come out of his mouth as he preaches a sermon, or witnesses to people.  I know it will be straight from the Word of God.  Ministry life isn't always easy, but I'm thankful to have him by my side in trying our best to minister to others.
26)  Loves my family.  And they love him.  We have a good time together.
27)  Can do anything.  I've said this so many times, but he really knows a little bit about pretty much anything and everything.  Love that he is the go-to guy for math, can change a tire and the oil...along with fixing other things that may go wrong with vehicles, has built several pieces of furniture for our house...he's not afraid to get his hands dirty.  He takes good care of our things.  Being a servant of others is truly a spiritual gift of his.
28)  Takes our daughters on "daddy-daughter dates".  Each of our 3 girls have their turn.  I love the time he invests in them and their heart.
29)  His eyes are for me.  Only.  His thoughts are for me.  Only.  His body is for me.  Only.  His heart is for me.  Only.  I know he is committed to me.  And to me only.  It is such a blessing in knowing this.  Thankful for my faithful-committed to each other and to God marriage! 
30)  Sacrifices a lot for our family.  For example, he drives a beat up truck with no heat, or AC.  It basically gets him where he needs to be, around here anyway.  He's not materialistic, and is a good steward.  He jokes that the AC is real nice now, and the heater works great in August.  ;) 
31)  His speech is Christ-like.  He doesn't let any unwholesome talk come out of his mouth.  He doesn't slander.  When others have put him down or falsely spoke of him, he didn't retaliate.  He returns good for evil.  I love him because he does the right thing.  He speaks truth.  I can only imagine the crown God has waiting for my good man.
32)  Is not obnoxious.  He is not a show-off.  He doesn't talk about himself or try to promote himself.  He is humble.  If he wrote a book, or had some huge speaking engagement, he wouldn't be the one posting that everywhere.  The guy just doesn't have to have that attention.  Says a lot about his character and who he is like.  I'm proud of him for that.
33)  Love how "giddy" he gets when it snows.  I think he may just get that on this special day of his!
34)  Works hard to support our family of 5.  All the way back from our dating years, we both talked about our desire for me to be a stay at home mom.  I've been blessed along the way to be able to work in the schools and as mentioned above, am able to coach high school girls' tennis.  But my main job, the most important one, is that I have been able to be at home with my kids since the day they were born.  Don't regret it, and wouldn't trade those days for anything.  It's hard work somedays, but no amount of money compares to the joy I have in being home teaching my own kids and caring for them. Thankful to have a husband that supports the importance of this too.
35)  Tells me he loves me every single day.  More than once. 
36)  Takes me along on road trips when he needs to pick up things for the church.  Glad he picks me for his company.
37)  Shows respect and honor to his parents.  He is a good son.
38)  Shows compassion.  I've witnessed him do both weddings and funerals.  Has visited lots of people in the hospital and in their homes over the years.  He is kind.
39)  Will take on jobs or ministries, even when it may be out of his comfort zone.  If it needs done, he'll do it.
40)  Is a loyal friend.  Even if sometimes that loyalty isn't there on the other side.  Matt is that friend, and would give you the shirt off his back.  If you call him and he can't get to it right then, he won't put you off.  He'll call you back.  Need to talk?  He'll make time.  Ask him for prayer?  He doesn't just tell you he'll pray, he actually will.

Intermission.  Go get a snack Matt.  The rest of these are from your girls...oldest to youngest.  Maybe grab a tissue too.  Wait, real men don't use tissues.  Your sleeve will work.  Just consider these "and some to grow on"...  ;)

From Macayla:  (What she loves about you)
*I like the way he is caring.
*I love the way he teaches me about God (mom included).
*I like how he's a preacher.  I'm proud of that.
*I love the way he protects me and my sisters.
*I like the way he smiles.
*I love his personality, and how he is always kind to everyone.
I'M SO PROUD TO BE HIS DAUGHTER!  :)

From Rachel:  (What she loves about you)
*When we fish!
*When we build together.
*When we camped outside.
*When he baptized me, and taught me God, and reads the Bible to me.

From Brecken:  (What she loves about you)
*When daddy is home.

(Yep, a direct quote from your 2 year old.  Speaks volumes tho'.  Thanks for working, but thanks for being a dad that loves being home with your family, and spending time with your girls.  So many kids don't have that.  WE are thankful that we do!)

Well Matt, HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY today!  I hope we can make your day extra special.  I love the way we dream together, and can't wait to see what our future holds.  Look forward to celebrating more birthdays with you.  We all love you and are proud of you.  We thank God for you and are blessed that He made all of us FAMILY!

XOXOXOXO,

Me

Big Bold Prayers and Candyland

My husband Matt asked a very interesting and thought provoking question in his sermon this past Sunday.  Here it is:  "If God answers 'yes' to everything that you prayed for last week, what would be different in the world today?"

The second he asked us this, I started to think about that.  And I haven't stopped thinking about it.  As Christians, we do a lot of prayin'.....at least I hope we all do.  I have gotten caught up in the boring prayers, the usual ones, the ones that don't push or challenge God at all.  You know the ones......"thank you for this day"..."thanks for this food"..."please keep us safe today"......and the list goes on.  Please don't misunderstand me.  These things are GOOD to pray about!  It's good that we are thankful for the day because life is so short and God created it anyway!  And yes, I am very thankful for food to eat....especially chocolate.  :)  And with our 2 oldest daughters in school and other activities now, a prayer for safety is something I think about a lot.  So pray about those things.  God loves hearing from you.  But I was reminded to challenge Him a bit in my prayer life. 

The biggest "requests" that came to my mind that I prayed about just this past week are:
1)  Please bring peace and comfort to Uncle Dick and Aunt Flora in the loss of their daughter Bethany,
2)  Please heal Jenna of her brain tumor, and,
3)  Please let her (2 girls I was specifically praying for) know how much she is loved and valued by you...right now.

So in thinking about all this, and trying to answer Matt's question for us, this is what I came up with. 

1)  Matt's cousin passed away unexpectedly a little over a week ago.  What if that peace and comfort just came to them so easily?  I know they are hurting, as I would be...no doubt about it, but I do KNOW and BELIEVE that peace and comfort will come.  Maybe not full understanding, but peace.  And maybe we won't "feel" that peace and comfort every single moment we are away from those we love that are taken so suddenly from us, but I know that the kind of peace and comfort we long for will happen one of these days for us faithful believers and doers in Jesus....and that's Heaven.  Can't wait for THAT kind of peace.  THAT kind of comfort.  But in the meantime, what do we do?  We pray those big bold prayers that we can BE peace and SHOW peace and TELL of the God of comfort to a world that doesn't have it.  Wouldn't that help change the here and now?  Wouldn't that provide hope to those that have never had any?

2)  Some friends of ours that we went to OCC with have a daughter named Jenna.  She was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  I won't tell the whole story, but Jenna is only 15 years old.  My family, along with so many others all over the world, have been praying for her, as well as her parents Jeff and Johanna and their other kids.  The positive news is that this tumor is treatable, and Jenna has already been showing others the testimony of God's goodness and grace.  Thankful for that.  I hate cancer.  Even more, I hate cancer in kids.  It just breaks my heart knowing what those families have to endure and suffer through.  So what if TODAY, the doctors told Jenna....."no more cancer"!  How exciting would that be?  After all, I'm sure everyone praying has included this in praying for her.  How would this change the world?  What would be different?  I think A LOT would be different.  Those doctors and nurses, and other patients and their families that she has impacted because she is a Christ-follower, would hopefully start believing in our great big God too.  The ways this could change the world would be amazing!  What would be awesome if there was just no more cancer ever......but what would be even better is that the WHOLE WORLD WOULD HEAR that our God....OUR GOD...is STILL a God of MIRACLES!  

3)  I can't go into details or give names, but this past week I was praying for a couple of teen girls.  Prayers for encouragement, peace about something specific, for them to truly know how much they are loved, valued, and the importance they have in this world, no matter if others don't see it sometimes.  People are pretty good at "faking it", letting us know sometimes that "I'm doin' ok" when asked.  We all are guilty of that.  So I'm not sure how this will turn out, but I'm still workin' on them.  As some of you know, I coach a high school girls' tennis team.  Besides teaching my players what needs to be taught "on the court", I also try and take the opportunities "off the court" as well to teach them about life in general.  We've all had those coaches or teachers that have inspired us, taught us, challenged us to be better people. 
Last night, we had a JV match out of town.  I was sitting on the bleachers with a couple of my players watching a doubles match.  I won't give the whole story here because it's too lengthy, but the girls were asking me some good questions and somehow we got around to the following conversation. 
Player to me:  "So you're sayin' that God has a path for our life, that we should follow it, and stay off the wrong path?" 
Me:  "Yes, that's what I'm sayin'."
Player:  "It's kinda like Candyland....don't take the wrong path."
Me:  (Chuckle)........"Sure".  :)
(and by the way, I had permission from this girl to share that :)

Having 3 daughters myself, it is my heart's desire and my husband's also, that each of our girls know how much they are loved, not just by us, but by the ONE that loves them even more than we possibly could.  He gave them life......how incredible is that kind of love?  And having girls, and coaching girls, God has brought to me this huge passion in life to show them just how much they are valued.  The world tells differently.  The world de-values us, makes us feel like we are no-body's, and doesn't care what we have to offer.  I was thrilled that this girl "got it" last night.  Not sure what kind of a seed that planted, but I know that God can make it grow inside of her.  Every life is beautiful....even tho' some don't "feel" very beautiful on the outside.  Thank God that He looks on the inside! 
I wish you could've seen her face.  It's like that was the first time she'd ever heard that before.  That is both sad and exciting to me.  Sad because someone should've already told her.  But excited because now she knows.  So if God lets these girls, these kids (boys included), know their true worth and value in life, that He loves them so much, how would this change the world?  Oh wow, the possibilities!  Those kids that didn't know it before but that now do, can go out and tell others how much their God loves and values and cares about them!  It would be a true ripple effect.  Kids that can grab a hold of this would become adults that would then raise their kids to grab a hold of the same thing.  And not just grab a hold of their true worth and value, but how we deal with trials, our hurts, relationships, etc. would all be different because hopefully it would be according to what God wants us to do.  A society full of Jesus followers!!! 

So here's my challenge to you, just like Matt challenged me.  Pray.  Pray about anything and everything you want to talk to God about.  But don't forget the big bold prayers too.  Ones that can change the world.  I don't know about you, but I'll never look at the game Candyland the same way ever again.   :)

"Wow...I'm full!"

How many times have you said those words, "Wow...I'm full!!!" Anytime I have overeaten, I have said that. I love being able to go out to a nice restaurant and enjoy their good food with so many options. But I stuff myself....full. Then I sometimes feel miserable, and at that point am very thankful for the little bit of stretchy waistband in my jeans! I should've known better and quit before I got that full. Now there's no room for anything else...especially when the waitress/waiter comes back to your table and asks, "Are you saving room for dessert?" CHECK PLEASE!

What other things do we get "full" of? Maybe you've had your fill of other people's griping, complaining and whining around about their life. It seems with people like this that nothing at all can ever go right and it's always "someone else's fault". I get my fill of that with people sometimes when they come to me and ask for advice and are wanting help figuring things out, but they don't ever make any changes to their life. I then say, "I've had my fill of that" and you wipe your hands clean of it all. It's not that I don't care....but eventually those people have to take some ownership in their life.

Or maybe your kids are drivin' ya up the wall! They're tired, grouchy, & fightin' with their siblings and all of a sudden we say, "I've had it....I've had my fill of this!"

Pet peeve: People that go on and on and on about themselves. Bragging constantly. It's all about them all the time. Annoying, isn't it? You've met 'em. Everyone has. It's those kind of people that hardly ever ask about your day and always talk about what's goin' on with them. I have learned to "tune out" of these one way conversations. And I've started to realize that these people that have to inflate themselves all the time is because of their false sense of humility, but also their lack of self-esteem. Of course, they probably wouldn't say that tho'.

Told ya....it's always "someone else's fault" that I get full.

But.....what about me? And what about you?

Jesus says in James 4:10 to "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." And in I Peter 5:5b..."All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Also read Philippians 2:3-11.

We are told not to boast (about ourselves), to put others first, to not be FULL of ourselves. That's tough to do sometimes, isn't it? We receive compliments from others and we think to ourselves, "I must be pretty special!" Or we look around and think we are better than someone else or we can do a better job than them. Our head is now gettin' bigger and we are full. Have you ever been around those kind of people that make you feel "less" than them? It's not fun for sure. Let's make sure we don't treat others like this so that they don't say of us, "I've had my "fill" of her!" And please don't misunderstand me. There are appropriate times to let others know what's going on and most definitely praise your kids, for example. In fact, as parents, we DO need to encourage them! But sometimes, enough is enough already. I mean after all...there IS a God and we're not it!

What then should we be full of? Let me suggest one to you: the Holy Spirit. Memorizing and actually working on "doing" the 9 fruits of the spirit that are listed in Galatians 5:22-23 would be a good start of becoming full of something besides ourselves. I wonder if all of those were in check, how much less of us and more of Him would actually take place?

Ask yourself this question: "How can there be any more room for God if I'm so full of myself?" So move over (insert your own name)....and become full of GOD!


Acts 11:24: "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord." How would you like that to be said of you by Jesus Himself someday? Sounds good to me...

Be Still...and go fishin' for your kids' hearts, souls, and minds!

My family recently enjoyed a trip out to our favorite vacation spot....Colorado! We absolutely love it out there....the temps were awesome and the view is unbeatable. Our girls love exploring anything and everything. We all had a great time and didn't want to come back!

Vacations mean a lot of things....a break from your normal everyday routine, some relaxation and rest, to get away from the t.v., computer, cell phone, etc., and just spend some uninterrupted time with your own family. Vacations DON'T mean, however, to take a break from God. For our week in Colorado, Matt and I chose to assign each of us (obviously minus Brecken) to one devotion on whichever day we wanted and wherever we wanted to talk about it. We told Macayla and Rachel about our idea a few weeks before we left, and they immediately started working on their devo. They were so excited about it! We each could choose whatever we wanted to teach about, so the devos I will tell you about was all their idea.

I wanted to do my devo at Garden of the gods in Colorado Springs. That was our 1st stop before heading to the lake, so I went first. I wrote everyone in my family a letter...even Brecken...which I will save for her to read someday. We had a little time to explore all the rock formations and take in all of God's beauty before we all picked a spot to sit down for a few minutes. Before I handed them their letter to read silently, I asked everyone their favorite part of Garden of the gods. We talked about God's creations, even bringing up one of the most recent...their baby sister. They were able to see the sonogram pictures and go to a doctor's visit when we found out what we were having. God's creations are beautiful, not just how He miraculously creates life, but in so many things around us! In my letter to each one in my family, I told them what I uniquely loved about them in how God created them. I want them to know (and always remember) that God created each of my girls exactly how He wanted them to be! Each of my 3 are different in many ways, and that's completely ok. There are many things I love about them, but I also included one big reason at the end of their letter...something that really stands out to me. As they read their letter, the lightening and thunder were rollin' in so I had to cut it a little short. I bought each of the girls a stone that has a word enscribed on it that best describes them in the last thing I wrote to them about, and the reason why...but I'll keep that between me and the girls. I wanted to give them something to always remember.

Readin' their letters...

"I can't read anyway...I might as well sleep!" :)

"Courage"

"Love"

"Joy"

Rachel wanted to do hers first when we got to Rainbow Lake. So the day after we arrived, she chose to do her devo in the big meeting room at the lake...the reason she chose that spot is because it overlooks the lake and is very quiet and peaceful up there. The view was awesome! Rachel is our "shyer" kid, so wasn't sure if she'd even want to do one on her own. I was wrong...she loved preparing for her devo! She had her notebook all ready, even with some visual aids. She talked and showed us pictures she had drawn of a little girl that is always talking, never quiet. And how if we are always talking, that we won't be able to "be still" and hear God. Rach asked us what keeps us from spending more time with God? We had several answers.....t.v., ipod, facebook, sleep, phone, Brecken (we all laughed at this answer.....not sayin' this is a bad reason, just an honest answer and it's the stage that's she in :). We can all think of a reason to be distracted from spending time with God. Rachel read us the verse, "Be still, and know that I am God." She even had bookmarks with that verse on it to give to us as a reminder. Her challenge to us is to spend 10 minutes everyday alone with God. When's the last time your 9 year old challenged you to do that? Convicting for sure. She did a great job, and Matt and I are so proud of her.

Rach had her notebook all ready!

Visual aid! :)

Brecken was her 'lil helper and passed out our bookmarks.

Our beautiful view!!

Next up...Macayla. She spent a lot of time in preparing her devo before we even left. She loves to write and draw, so she used her artistic talent to write and draw out a story about a girl goin' fishin'. She wanted to teach us by the lake. She talked of the girl prayin' and tryin' to be patient as she waited on that fish to hook on. It's hard bein' patient, and if you've ever prayed for that...well, then you know God will put you in situations that will teach you patience! The girl in her story had to have a lot of faith in God that He would come through, that she could do it. Who do you trust in? What person do you put all of your faith in? When she was done with her story, she asked us what our favorite part of fishin' was. We all had different answers. We also talked about fishin' for "men"...the most important kind of fishin'. Macayla's devotion was centered around Philippians 4:13 which says, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." You all know it...but just a good reminder. She had her dad cut out blocks of wood for her before we left so she could print this verse on it for each of us. Now everytime I look at that, I'm reminded of the things Macayla was tryin' to teach us. We are also very proud of her and the excitement she showed in what she had for us that day.

Macayla readin' us her story...

She made these for everyone as a reminder. :)

Matt got the tail end of our vacation in his turn. We drove up to Cottonwood Pass, just a few miles away from Rainbow Lake. We waited until close to evening time. If you've never been, you've got to go...it's beautiful! The snow capped mountains (even in July) and the cooler temps up on the mountain always amaze me. We snapped a few pics, then all hiked down a bit to find a spot to sit...and to listen. Matt read us the verses out of Psalms 19:1-2..."The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge." Perfect to reflect on exactly where we were sitting. It's easy to get distracted out there takin' in all of God's wonderfully, beautifully, perfectly detailed work of His hands. Matt asked each of us what it makes us think of when we look around at the scenery. I mentioned God's detail in it all. It amazes me! Rachel looked further down the mountain and noticed the ice on the lake...so she mentioned ice skating. Macayla said "winter", because of all the snow. Matt mentioned feeling "small" compared to how big everything else was, but also knows just how much God cares about him.

Our family at Cottonwood Pass

Hikin' down to find a good spot

I have no idea what she was laughin' at, but this pic cracks me up! :)

Our favorite preacher...

I will always remember this week with lots of special memories. But one of my all-time favorite parts of the week were our family devotion times. I think the girls will always remember it too.

If you don't already take part in some quiet times with God as a family, then start now. Today. Make that investment in your kids' lives. Be still, take that time, and go fishin' after your kids' hearts, souls, and minds. I promise it will be worth it.