Brokenness

On Sunday evenings at our church we have discipleship classes.  Most of them are a book study, some focus on financces or marriage.  This quarter I signed up to take part in the Brokenness class.  For the class we are using the book Brokenness by Nancy DeMoss.  To be quite honest, I only signed up for the class because I didn’t want to take any of the others.  Well, I did want to take one but with my husband previously helping with the youth group on Sunday nights and now taking on the Children’s ministry duties I felt that it was not beneficial to take the marriage class.  I personally feel that a husband and wife should take it together if at all possible (unless one spouse is a non-believer or unchurched). And as my husband has not had any full-time or steady employment in the past year and a half, I figured it was needless to take the Crown Financial class.  Not much you can do with your finances when the bank account is typically below $100!

So here I am, in a class on brokenness.  Not saying that I don’t need it; just saying that I am not sure I want it.  We have already had 3 weeks of classes and there are a few things I really want to share.  But not sure yet (this also speaks to something that I have already learned/relearned from the class, but more on that later).  So for now I want to leave you with this:

Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
they glory in my valley.
~from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

It spoke to me.  How many times have I been in sorrow but not seen the joy of Christ? Or been in a valley and not seen God’s glory?  And how much more do I need to die to myself so that Christ may give me His life?

This has been my prayer for the past 2 weeks:

Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass my by.

Is that your prayer? I hope that you will make it yours. More to come!

Silent Solidarity

Today is the 6th Annual Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity

Since January 22, 1973 over 50,000,000 babies have had their voices silenced through surgical abortion in this nation alone.

Over 4,000 children have their lives taken each day in the name of choice.

Over 4,000 women are emotionally damaged every day.

On October 20th, people from all over this nation will give up their voices for a day in solidarity for these children. Red arm bands and duct tape will identify them as taking part in the Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity. They will carry fliers explaining why they are silent and educate others about the plight of the innocent children we are losing every day.

While I can’t take part in the day, I will be praying for these students/young people and for those that they will be in contact with.  I will be praying for the lives that they can and will change because of their stand!

Today, 4000 of my generation will be silenced.

Today, 4000 of my brothers and sisters lives will be ended simply because of their age.

Today, I will stand up and share my dream, my idea, and my vision with the world.

Will you stand with me?

I Want This

I wanted to share something out of my Brokenness study that has really hit me.  I so want to be able to say that this is 100% true of me and right now I can’t.  Pray for me as I strive for this in my life.

“I’m not going to tell you that I have it all together. I will tell you that I have needs and struggles.  But I’m learning to acknowledge my need to God and others, and to be open, honest, and transparent. My attitude used to be “I don’t need you, but you very much need me.” I was willing to help, but I was not willing to unmask and be helped. Now I know that when I humble and unmask myself, then, and only then, can I truly experience God’s grace and be victorious and free.”
~Brokenness, Nancy DeMoss, page 35

Pink Week

This week over at I ♥ Faces it is Pink Week in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Here is my picture for the week:

Ok, so this is not a great picture at all, obviously I have not retouched it or done anything to it. But it is still special to me.  This is my mom. In 2008 she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and began months of chemotherapy.  She lost a lot of weight and there were times she was extremely sick!  Two weeks before this picture was taken she was declared to be cancer free and  given a clean bill of health! I love all the pink in it from her bandana to the cotton candy; and her pose is priceless! She is enjoying herself and life! Plus being at the fair with 3 of her grandkids probably isn’t hurting any either, especially since she is just a big kid herself!

Children’s Ministry

I have always thought that Children’s Ministry is a pretty high calling.  While my husband has been a Youth Pastor for over 15 years and I have worked along side of him with the teens, my first love has been children.  I even went to school to be an Early Childhood/Elementary Ed major; I wanted to  either run my own day care or teach K-3 grade.  But then I had my own children and I am content to stay home with them.

I really never gave more than a passing thought to my husband doing anything other than Youth Ministry.  So when about 8 months ago, he came to me and said that he felt that God was urging him to start looking at Senior Pastor positions, I was a little taken back but told him I would pray to that end.  And over the next month’s God really spoke to me and eased my heart and mind with this new calling.  I am actually looking forward to being a Senior Pastor’s wife! I can’t wait to have a congregation to love on and lead! (Those that know me, know that only God would be able to put this attitude and acceptance into my heart!)

However, since we are still searching imagine my even greater surprise when my husband came home from prayer meeting one morning and told me that our Senior Pastor had approached him about taking on the position of Interim Children’s Pastor!  I think I was a little speechless.  Not because I don’t think my husband can do it or that he wouldn’t be good at it; but because this is a direction that neither of us had thought of taking in the past.  We both spent a lot of time in prayer and discussion.  And in the end, Josh accepted the offer.  This past week marked his first week as the Interim Children’s Pastor at our church!  He has a lot of work ahead of him; hard work but I know he can do it and will do it well!  Of course, it is only temporary but who knows how temporary.  It depends upon the church finding the man that God is wanting them to hire or God leading Josh and I to the church He wants us to Pastor.  But in the meantime, I know that my husband is doing what God wants him to and enjoying going into the office.  Although I am sure the already long hours he has put in are not too fun!

Please continue to pray for:

• Josh as he gets the Children’s Ministry on track
• the Children’s Ministry volunteers
• FBC as they search for the man God has for them
• for Josh and I as we continue to wait for the church God has for us

Biting the Bullet

Well, I have decided that we are going to start potty training sometime in the next monthish!  I know that Micah is ready as he has been telling me “yuck” and “dipe” when he needs a diaper changed for about 4-5 months now.  Plus he now says pee and now that is what we do in the bathroom.  Today I set him on the big potty and he didn’t get scared so I think that is a good sign.  And he kept saying pee pee when he was sitting on it.  Not sure if mom is really ready as I know it will be some work!

Of course it has been about 9 years since I did any potty training and never have I potty trained a boy! So any advice or tips that anyone wants to share would be greatly appreciated!