Is This Your Son?

Please read and pray for this young boy...just 13. He literally has 10 days left before he ages out of the system and can no longer be adopted. For those of you with children, what if it was your child? For those of you with no children, what if it was you? Take yourself back to age 13. What were you doing? Would you have chosen to go through life without a family?

Pray. Praise God. Pray. Praise God. Pray. Praise. Pray. Praise. Pray. Praise. Pray...

God you are faithful. You are love. We pray for a family for "Kevin". Your word says you set the lonely in families. We trust in you Lord. Your will, not ours be done. May your grace be put on display in "Kevin's" life and may you receive all the glory. In the name of Jesus, we pray.

Sometimes you have control of the hair...

and sometimes it's controlling you.

What a difference a year makes...

One year ago, the older kiddos were eagerly anticipating the arrival of their brother and sister...look at them now. Merry Christmas.

The Sanctifying Work of God

The words roll in my mind as if on a ferris wheel, going round and round, each having their separate seat, yet they are intertwined like children on a Twister mat. How do they fit together, Lord?

The Words~Sanctification, Purify, Refine, Holy...

How do they work in the life of a believer? Who is the worker? Who is the receiver?

I prayed to you Lord, that for my whole life, you will take me more deeply into the gospel. You are faithful.

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Sanctification-such a large word, one I've not heard often over the last decade, even in christian circles. What are the intricacies of it?

Sanctification: to cleanse or set apart for sacred use; to declare or make holy
(def. from NIV bible)

Sanctify them by the truth, Lord. Your word is truth. -John 17:17
So, I am sanctified by your truth, your word.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. -Hebrews 4:12
Is this why you want me to love your word, to soak in your word, to pray your word, to speak your word, to write your word, to teach your word to my children?

Jesus, you said to Paul, "I will rescue you from your own people and from the gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness into light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. -Acts 26:17-18
I am sanctified by my faith in you, Jesus-that is, my complete trust that you are who you say you are, you have done what you say you have done, and will do what you say you will do.

You say, Lord, in 1 Cor. 7 that an "unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

What about two believing spouses? Are we sanctified through each other? Do we need to be sanctified through each other? Are we a stronger unit because we each believe you are who you say your are and will do what you say you will do?

Can circumstances sanctify? I don't know that they can without the working of the Holy Spirit, the reading and hearing of the word of Truth, faith in you, the marriage covenant of a husband and wife.

Ahh, so many questions I have for you, Lord. And so it is, that today you've stopped my mind on the ferris wheel seat of sanctification and allowed me to peer more deeply into who you are and in this seeing more clearly who I am in you. Teach me, Lord. Search my heart and correct my thinking. Take me deeper into your gospel. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

And even now, Lord, as I ponder a title for this piece of ponderings, I understand more clearly that sanctification is solely from You. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for your amazing grace.

Words Pour Forth

I think I might have the words bottled up inside. Deep down-longing to pour forth into the lives of others. I guard them, though. I will not allow them to pour without the strong discipline of my over-analytical, self-critical mind. I keep them at an arm's length because if they start coming, they may not stop. I'm caught between my heart beckoning me forward and my mind and fear causing me to stop.

How do writers connect the two, Lord?

Is it a fool who would put her heart into the world to be stepped upon, broken, criticized?

Or, is it a fool who will not?

I've learned that being a follower means I will disregard "followers".

I've learned that You, Lord, are my audience. Those reading are special spectators, yearning to know more of who you are. Draw them in, Lord. Draw them to you. Give them ears to hear and eyes to see.

So, tonight I drink from the everlasting well, and pour forth the words from the well of my heart. I understand that my heart is deceitful, so I rely on the One who is ever faithful.

Only you Lord, are faithful and true.

May your Truth pour forth and my words be quenched. Your will, Father, not mine, be done.

Correctly Handling the Word of Truth

2 Timothy 2:15-17a Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid Godless chatter because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaueus and Philetus, who have wandered away the truth.

These words have me trembling these last few days. I'm learning how each word I say, each word I write, matters. And to add to this, each action I take or don't take, matters. God has entrusted me with such an awesome responsibility in calling me to be a wife and mother and allowing me to have others in a circle of influence around me. Each of us have this influence-for good or for evil. I know that I work from a place of grace, a gift given that I can never repay. (Eph. 2:5) A gift given through Jesus Christ, dying on the cross for me, and becoming the ransom for my sin. (Col. 2:13-15) I am so thankful God is sovereign, that is, in complete control. Yet, I do have a responsibility to handle God's Word correctly, and I will answer for the things I do and don't do, say and don't say. (Proverbs 24:12)

Dear God~Make us careful studiers of your word, lovers of your word, Lord. Help us to see where we reject your word. Thank you for your Word. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for us. It's in your name I ask all these things. Amen.