"The Zapper"

You know that feeling you have when you just know that God is trying to speak to you, but you have no clue what it is He is trying to say?? Well, that's been me the past week or so. But at 3:30 this morning, He spoke to me. I'm not sure why He chose to lay this on my heart that early in the morning, because He knows I need my sleep! Anyway, I was awake for an hour with this thought. And I'm sure He's not done speaking to me yet.

I don't have an official name for these, but think about the "bug zappers" for a minute...you know, the ones that zap mosquitoes and possibly other creatures? I may not see when they get zapped, but I can sure hear it and it doesn't sound pleasant. Those "bug zappers" literally suck the life right out of those things! So in thinking about this from 3:30-4:30 this morning, I realized that this is how I have been feeling lately. Not just lately, but for a long time now. I feel "zapped"...like my joy and my passion has literally been sucked right out of me! You ever feel like that?

I can tell you why I feel this way and it's not going to sound very nice at all, (especially coming from the wife of a preacher) but I'm just being honest. Here it is: PEOPLE. Yes, you read that right...people literally suck the life, the joy, the passion right out of me at times. Now I'm not talking about just anybody, I'm only referring to those that call themselves Christians, but based on their actions, don't show that they truly are Christ-followers. Let me explain...

The past 2 years of my life have been very difficult...for many reasons, but I'm not going to go into all of that. WITH GOD'S HELP, I've been able to overcome a lot of it because I know He is right beside me through it all, and He has been my faithful God! But one thing that I am having difficulty "getting over" is the constant criticism, slander and gossip that these "Christians" are spending their time with. It has zapped me with (almost) everything that I have. It makes me feel like I need to defend myself...but then I'm reminded that there's no need for that because God is my Defender. He handles things and people way better than I ever could! I'm going to say it, though I'm sure I will have some disagree with me...can you truly call yourself a Christian if this is what you are doing?

I have been frustrated with myself for allowing my thoughts to be consumed by these people. It's really a waste of my time. I know why I allow those thoughts or people's opinions (though wrong ones) to affect me though. The following is from a book called "Abba's Child" written by Brennan Manning.

"This fear of ridicule paralyzes more effectively than would a head-on attack or an outspoken harsh criticism. How much good is left undone because of our fear of the opinion of others! We are immobilized by the thought: what will others say? The irony of all this is that the opinions we fear most are not those of people we really respect, yet these same persons influence our lives more than we want to admit. This enervating fear of our peers can create an appalling mediocrity."

The above is so true. I think I do better with a harsh word spoken to my face versus the behind-your-back slander. And by the way, what a cowardly way of doing things! I know in my own life, there's things that God wants me to do right now that would do so much good, but because of fear and the passion being zapped right out of me, I hold back. I have to get past that! Why in the world do we spend so much time on thinking about what others think of us? Especially the ones whose opinions don't matter? Let's face it...they are not trying to bring out the good in you, only harm. That's not the ways of God. And in the end, it will only hurt themselves. As long as God is proud of me, nothing else matters. Instead of focusing my energy on the negative that people say about me, I try and remember all the good that God has given me and the many friends and family I have that are so encouraging to me! (Thank you if you are one of those!)

I also was reminded this morning after finally asking God, "What is it you want to tell me? God, take this mess and do something with it."...that "the joy of the Lord is my strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). It's true. I will get my strength from having joy in God. And that it's my choice to allow other people to zap or drain my joy and my passion that I have for God, people and ministry. My choice, not theirs. I forget that sometimes. And I need reminded from time to time that happiness is not the same as joy. I can still have joy even in the midst of turmoil around me. And I have joy because I know I am in God's will, doing what I know is right, even...no especially, when I'm being zapped. Satan uses people to do this...and he's pretty good at it sometimes, but my God is bigger, and my God's "zapper" is stronger than his!

I shared a little about what "zaps" me...what about you? Remember that in your days of feeling like this, where you are not sure you will ever get past it or feel whole again, God will restore you back to new life!

"...the joy of the Lord is your strength."
Nehemiah 8:10

"Built (Ford) Tough"

Not a lot of people know this about my husband, but he is a pretty good craftsman. I guess you could say it's a hobby of his. There are quite a few pieces of furniture in our house that he has built himself. Not only are they nice and "built tough", it saves us a lot of money doing it that way. The above piece of furniture is one that he just finished last week. I think it turned out very nice and I am impressed that he can do these things. Often times, Matt will be working out in our garage (he really would like a shed to work in...maybe he should BUILD one) and our neighbor Shawn will come over and ask, "What are you building now?"

Good question...what ARE you building?? Well, for me, I don't have the same talent as my husband does. I can't build those things...well, maybe I could "help" with it (I did do a little sanding...not much though), but to take something from scratch, to have an idea in my head of what I want to build and then actually build it...nope, not me. Matt can though, and he does a very good job.

There is something that we ALL can "build" though...and that is our faith. I don't know about you, but when hard times come, it's those times that I feel like my faith is built on sand. It's not, but I sure "feel" like that. You all remember the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus preached about the wise and foolish builders. You can find this in Matthew 7:24-27. As you read it, I can almost hear some of you singing and doing the motions, "The wise man built his house upon the rock..." I also like it as it's told in The Message.

"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit-but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."

So let me ask you...what are YOU building your life on? I know that if a threatening storm came right now and destroyed my house, that this cabinet that Matt just built would most likely be destroyed along with it. It's nice, but it's not built THAT tough to be able to withstand just anything that comes its way. With God on our side though, our faith, our complete trust in Him, CAN withstand ANYTHING that comes our way. If you haven't learned that yet, well then be ready for it. God teaches many lessons in the storms of life. If we hang on to Him, He promises to never leave us. He is built tough...He is our foundation and without Him, we will become weaker and become discouraged at anything and everything that can knock us down. We have to be "built tough".

What are you "building" your life on? What are the things that need to be "built tougher" in your own life? Or what have you learned in one of your storms of life that has come your way? (Or if you just want to put your order in for a piece of furniture! :) Leave me a comment...I'd love for you to share.

By the way, we don't own a Ford...

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

Merry Christmas to you all! Speaking of Christmas, here's a funny story for you...
the other day, Rachel came home and told me that "Officer Kellerman ate lunch with us today and he sat by me." (Not to alarm you, but he is a police officer in town that is very involved at our kids' school and eats lunch with them occasionally.) Anyway, I said, "He did...what did you guys talk about?" Rach said, "Officer Kellerman told us that he heard that Christmas was going to be cancelled." I asked her what she said back to him. Ready for this one??? Rachel responded with, "I told him that JESUS is the only one who can cancel Christmas!"

Aren't you thankful that God's plan was NOT to cancel the birth of our Savior Jesus? What a day that was. Thank you God, for that very special day and Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Merry CHRISTmas family and friends...we love you!
The Bycrofts

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11

Rachel's solo

Out of the whole first grade class, our youngest daughter Rachel was chosen to sing "Silent Night" at this year's school program. She is our "shy" child, so we weren't sure if she was actually going to be able to do it. But she did, and she did it very well! It was one of those proud moments for Matt and me. For those of you that know her well, it might just bring a tear to your eye...

By the way, the whole class "hums" the song first, so hang on...she will get to her solo part!

How much do you love?

Every now and then, I write a little note to the girls and secretly pack it in their lunches. I don't do it every day, simply because I want to surprise them. I always have fun doing it, and the girls usually comment on them when they get home.

There's this one note, though, that has special meaning for me. One day last year when Rachel was in kindergarten, I put a note in her lunch that said, "I Love You". Simple, but it has so much meaning. Later when I was cleaning out her lunchbox, I found the note that I had given to her earlier that day. As I took the note out, it brought tears to my eyes. Well here, let me just show you...



















In case you can't see this clearly, I also had written on the back of the card, "Have a great day, Rachel! I love you! Mommy". Sometime during Rachel's day at school, she had written on the card back to me, "I Love You More". Ok...I'm crying again just even typing this!

How much do you love? I know I love my husband and girls with ALL of my heart. It's humbling to think that when Rachel saw those words, that she would respond back to me with, "I Love You More". But that's how much she loves. She's unashamed about it and when Rachel loves, she loves deeply. Again, I ask you, "How much do you love?" If you were face to face with Jesus right now and he said to you, "I Love You"...would your response be, "I Love You More"?? This has really made me stop and think, because my lips may say it, but my actions don't always show it. I know how much love Jesus has for me. After all, I am His child. And we all know how much we love our children...that's a lot of love. But He loves us more, don't you think? Our love fails at times, but His never does. Here's my prayer..."Jesus, thank you for just how much you love me, and I do love you...but help me to love you MORE!"

"...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ..."
Ephesians 3:18

"What Have I Done?"

I'm sure you've heard of the Christian artist Jeremy Camp. I didn't realize until the other day that his wife, Adie, also sings. She sings the song, "What Have I Done?" I had heard it before, but didn't know she is one who sings it until just this last week. Here's the opening verses of the song...

"What have I done Lord Jesus to deserve your endless love,
What have I done Lord Jesus to be worthy of your grace,
What have I done Lord Jesus to be standing here with you,
What have I done Lord Jesus to be worthy of you..."

As I was driving home one day, this song came on and not that I've never entertained this thought before, but I suddenly realized that I have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to deserve the endless love and grace that only Jesus offers. It's amazing, isn't it? To think that the God of this universe sent the only child he had...for me, and for you. Wow, if that doesn't drive you to tears, then I don't know what will.

Sometimes, it's easy to want to throw ourselves a party...as my husband calls it, it's called a big "Pity Party". Well, last week, on this particular day, I really wanted to host my own pity party...of course, I would've been the guest of honor. This song came on and it was as if God was saying to me, "C'mon Jenn, snap out of it! Yes, times are tough for you right now, but really, it will all be okay because I am here for YOU. No, you didn't do anything to deserve my love, but I am giving it to you simply because I want to. You are my child and I care for you."

Well, that was like a big spankin' for me! Maybe I deserved it. A little discipline now and then is good, right? I sure haven't done anything to deserve Jesus' endless love and grace, and I definitely have done everything to not deserve it! He provides it anyway. And I am thankful...

Macayla Dawn

Well tonight at 6:29 p.m., our oldest daughter Macayla, will officially be 9 years old. I remember the day so well. She was born in Olney, Illinois. A long day of laboring, only to learn that she had to be born cesarean. To this new mom, that was totally unexpected! She weighed 8 lbs., 12 oz. and was 20" long with a full...and I mean FULL head of coal black hair! She was beautiful and that is an understatement! She slept all the time and was the best little baby, always smiling at people. She walked at 10 months and was talking in complete sentences way earlier than she should've been! As I reflect back to that day 9 years ago, I think of the saying that is so true..."Where has the time gone?"

I can't believe that she's 9 today...especially when I think that in 9 more years, she will be graduating from high school. YIKES! Before I had kids, I used to hear wise people say that the first five years of a child's life is so important, and to teach them all you can while they are young. I agree with that. However, I have learned that every single day is just as important, not just the days before age five. As a mom, I try to make the most of every day for my girls. I wish I could say I am successful at that each day...I'm not. I do try, though.

Each year, when my girls celebrate a birthday, I can tell that they've grown up a little...getting taller, more or less teeth, using bigger words, different interests, learning new things, the list can go on. I get most excited though, when I see my kids grow spiritually. Yes, part of that comes with age, but a huge part of that comes from us, as parents. We can't just hope that they "catch on"...we have to teach them "on purpose" the things that Jesus wants them to know. My girls will mature and grow and learn spiritually because of the job that Matt and I have in teaching them...every single day.

Happy 9th Birthday, Macayla! We love you and are proud of you! And by the way, you are still beautiful...
Mommy and Daddy

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