Author: nataliebone

Today just could not end without me typing out a few words celebrating my husbands birthday. If you know him, you know he is kind and calm. He is a man that doesn’t strive to be noticed or get recognition, but does the job placed before him to the best of his ability. He tries new things and constantly amazes me with the things he figures out. He isn’t a big talker, which helps because I tend to be. He is loved and respected by me and our children and takes opportunities often to show love and respect back to us all.

I have to tell you that when I was in college, and really wanting to be married since the time I was like three, I sat down and wrote out a list in the back of my Student Bible of the things I wanted in my long awaited husband. The list was extensive with love and follow Jesus at the top. At the bottom of the page, I drew a box and entitled it bonus box. In this box I wrote sings and plays the guitar.  So, imagine my delight when I walked into the Sunday morning worship service at Young Life camp and there stood Damon holding a guitar and singing! Inside my head I’m pretty sure I screamed “bonus box”!!

Years later, the back of my Bible does not contain enough space or bonus boxes to write out all this man has become. He has far exceeded my list with being more than I thought I wanted or needed. He does this because he loves God first. It is the Lord that  directs his steps and who he turns to in order to lead our family. With putting God in his rightful place, he is able to lead, love and serve beyond anything he could do on his own. Our family is blessed because of this man and we look forward to celebrating!

Happy Birthday!!!!

Recently I was listening to a teaching that referenced 1 Samuel 10:22. The teaching was more focused on David and Goliath, but the concept mentioned kept coming back to me. Previously, the scriptures tell us that the people of Israel had rejected God as their King and were requesting an earthly one. The people took their request to an important man named Samuel. He was prayed for earnestly by his mother, Hannah, and grew up in the Lord’s house. Also, the Lord audibly called Samuel by name when he was just a boy. Samuel answered the Lord by saying, “Speak, for you servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10).  I pray we hear and do the same when he calls our name.

The Bible says, “Samuel grew and the Lord was with him, and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied. All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a confirmed prophet of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 3:19-20). A prophet is described in Deuteronomy 18:18 as one who God says, “I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.”  So, God had given Samuel words to speak to the people of Israel, but they did not always listen. “No!, they said, We must have a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations; our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles. Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the Lord. “Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” (1 Samuel 8:19-22). This sounds so much like us. We desire to be like others and have the world direct us as “king” instead of letting God be the King who judges us, goes before us and fights our battles. The Bible is so relevant even thousands of years later.

But back to our story. Samuel was told by God who the king would be and his name was Saul. He was described as, “an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.” (1 Samuel 9:2). Wow! Sounds like Saul really stood out! Samuel and Saul met up because Saul’s father had him go look for a lost donkey. Saul and a servant went on the search and the servant shares the most fascinating information. “Look, the servant said, there’s a man of God in this city who is highly respected; everything he says is sure to come true. Let’s go there now. Maybe he will tell us which way we should go.” (1 Samuel 9:6). Indeed, Samuel would tell Saul more than which way to go to look for the donkey, but the direction the Lord would have his life go.

I have to insert this part. “Come on, let us go.” “So they went to the city where the man of God was. As they were climbing the hill to the city, they found some young women coming out to draw water and asked, “Is the seer here?”  (the prophet of the day was formerly called a seer – vs. 9). The women answered, ‘Yes, he is ahead of you.” (1 Samuel 9:9-12). I just had to put this piece of the story in to ask a question of us. Are there people on our path of life who point us to where we can hear from God? Having people pointing us to him is so important. Also, be that person in others lives.

Now, “Saul and his servant were entering the city when they saw Samuel coming toward them on his was to the high place. Now the day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had informed Samuel, “At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel. He will save them from the Philistines because I have seen the affliction of my people, for their cry has come to me.” (1 Samuel 9:14-16). Samuel invited Saul to eat with him and gave him a place to stay for the night. I love this next part. “When I send you off in the morning, I’ll tell you everything that’s in your heart. As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago, don’t worry about them because they have been found. And who does all of Israel desire but you and all your father’s family?” (1 Samuel 9:19-20). What Saul had been asked to find has been found and so much more.

Saul immediately rattles off how insignificant his family is and wonders why the prophet would say such things. Samuel invites him to dinner and they talk a bit on the rooftop, but it is what happens the next day that set Saul’s future in motion. The future that God had planned for him before time began. He has yours planned too, you know.  As for Saul, the next day Samuel anointed Saul’s head with oil and said, “Hasn’t the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?” (1 Samuel 10:1). Saul leaves Samuel with some instructions for his journey home. He also says, “The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully on you, you will prophesy with them, you will be transformed.” (1 Samuel 10:6). Samuel sends him off and “When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed his heart…” (1 Samuel 10:9). “Then the Spirt of the Lord came powerfully on him…”. (1 Samuel 10:10). Not only was Saul the most impressive man among the Israelites, stood a head taller than anyone, he is now anointed, had his heart changed and the Spirit of the living God is on him! Amazing!

Then the most interesting thing happens that does not make any sense to me after reading how Saul truly seemed to have it all. Samuel gathers the people and says, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms oppressing you. But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, ‘You must set a king over us’, Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.” (1 Samuel 10:17-19). The tribes and clans present themselves, but Saul cannot be found. “So they inquired again of the Lord, ‘Is there a man still to come?’ and the Lord said, ‘Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.’ Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulder upwards.” (1 Samuel 10:22-23).

This tall, anointed, spirit-filled man is hiding in the baggage. Again, are we any different all these years later? I am the opposite of tall, but I have been anointed (2 Corinthians 1:21, 1 John 2:20) and the Holy Spirit lives inside of me (Acts 19:2, 2 Timothy 1:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:8). On top of that, I know where I will spend eternity. However, with all of this going for me I still tend to hide in my baggage. I hide in my fear, pride, uncertainty, lack of hope at times, anger -sin actually. Why? When our identity has been made clear, why do we not take our rightly place as a child of God? “For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirt of adoption, by whom we cry out ‘Abba, Father’! The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are Gods’ children, and if children, also heirs – heirs of God and coheirs of Christ – if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:14-17).

What more could we want? I think it is time for each of us to come out from hiding in our baggage and step into all that God has for us. You with me?

 

This morning our oldest boarded a plane with lots of friends and is flying to another country. I love this and struggle with it all at the same time. She has worked for years to learn another language and now is her chance to put all her hard work into practice. However, the best part is she will be telling others about Jesus. The verse that comes to mind is, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (1 John 1:4). She is walking in the truth of who God says she is because she knows him as her Savior. She serves others because of this and desires that they know the truth too.

This verse is written by John, “to my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.” (3  John 1:1). John is praying for his friend and then says, “For I was very glad when fellow believers came and testified to your fidelity to the truth – how you are walking in truth.” (3 John 1:3). I know a little about what John must have been feeling. When someone comes and shares with me something about my children that I did not see, but brings God glory, I am overjoyed! What we pour into them at home is reflected outside these walls.

John goes on to say, “Dear friend, you are acting faithfully in whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, especially when they are strangers.” (3 John 1:5). I pray as Maggie walks on foreign soil, she acts faithfully in all she does, especially to the strangers she meets. I pray she offers them hope only be found in Christ. I pray she will be able to say after this trip, “You answer us in righteousness, with awe-inspiring works, God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth.” (Psalms 65:5). I pray she will continually “Sing about the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, ‘How awe-inspiring are your works!” (Psalms 66:2). She taught herself how to play the ukulele and has been practicing songs of praise to play on this trip. Hearing the song “Reckless Love” spilling out of this 16 year olds room causes me joy. Can you tell I love this child?!

She will be going into a public school on this trip, moving from class to class, sharing the good news truth in her testimony. For this adventure, I pray she will be able to say, “Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.” (Psalms 66:16). This requires courage and trust in the One who sent her and is with her. When she went last year, this was one of her favorite days. She has even more to share of what he has done for her this year and for that I am thankful.

For those of you who bought a t-shirt or cookies, sent money, are praying, spent time encouraging and working with her on her Spanish (thank you Robin), you are helping make the very name of Jesus famous! I think we are doing as the scripture says, “Therefore, we ought to support such people so that we can be coworkers with the truth.” (3 John 1:8). We might not be on the trip, but we are coworkers in spreading the truth! That is so exciting and as her mom, I am thankful for your kindness.

And Maggie, if you get a chance to read this before your sweet head hits the pillow tonight, know this is my prayer for you, everyone on your trip and us coworkers here in the United States, “May God be gracious to us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us so that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among the nations. (Psalms 67:1-2).

Vaya con Dios!

In the past 4 days, I have been continually hit by peace and unity.  These words have shown up as the topic of Sundays sermon, Bible study, different scriptures and other teachings I listen to. With all that is going on in our world, this does not surprise me. I do not have any desire to go down a political road and honestly, the pure hate I see in disagreeing parties is heartbreaking.  So many times I want to cover my eyes and ears to block it all out. I am by no means in the dark, but am fully convinced that all this hate has us playing right into the hand of satan. What are we to do?

As a mom during this time, I am convicted that I have a responsibility to the children entrusted to me that our home will be a place of peace and unity, as far as it depends on me. There is little I can do politically,  but there is much to do at home. Sometimes I think the other would be easier, especially the hour before dinner. So, how do we bring peace and unity into our home? It is a choice we have to make in my opinion.

My mom and dad made us a sign for Christmas one year. It has Joshua 24:15 painted on it in my moms beautiful script. I’ll back up to the verse before it first where Joshua is speaking before the Israelites. “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshipped beyond the Euphrates River and Egypt, and worship the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14). The Israelites needed a reminder of who they were to worship and so do we. The verse my mom painted says, “But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship – the gods of your fathers worshipped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). Who will you worship? Our family has chosen to worship the Lord!

To the world this choice is unpopular and might look like we are very concerned about what we can and can not do. However, I have never been more free. I very much relate to the verses that follow. “The people replied, “We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods! For the Lord our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. The Lord drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in this land. We too will worship the Lord, because he is our God.” (Joshua 24:16-18)

Just imagining this scene between Joshua and the children of Israel is incredible to me.    To give you a better picture, look at the beginning of the chapter. Joshua says to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says…” (Joshua 24:2) and gives words of remembrance. When he gets to the part about their time in the wilderness, it is only one sentence. Forty years of wilderness wandering because of their disobedience and all the Lord says is, “After that, you lived in the wilderness a long time.” (Joshua 24:7). Now that is grace my friend. When God says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12), I think he means it. No matter how long you have served and worshipped other gods, you can today leave the wilderness and step into the land, so to speak, he has planned for you. The other choice is to keep serving yourself, idols and all the other gods that lead to slavery. Your home will not be a place of peace and my guess is that you will be very lonely.

After the Israelites declare that God is their God and it is him they will worship, Joshua says the most interesting thing. “But Joshua told the people, ‘You will not be able to worship the Lord, because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God, he will not forgive your transgressions and sins. If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy you, after he has been good to you.” (Joshua 24:19-20). What? This doesn’t sound a bit loving. However, God had told them, just as he tells us, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.” (Exodus 20:4-5a). God is the only one we are to worship. When we decide to follow other gods and disobey, there are consequences and the loss of peace is one of many.

Watch how the people responded and I pray this is our response as well.  “No! The people answered Joshua. ‘We will worship the Lord.’ Joshua then told the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord.’ ‘We are witnesses,’ they said. ‘Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.’ So the people said to Joshua, ‘We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.” (Joshua 24:21-24).

“On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them. Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God; he also took a large stone and set it up there under the oak at the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘You see this stone – it will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the Lord said to us, and it will be a witness against you, so that you will not deny your God. Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance. ” (Joshua 24:25-28). Do you wonder what the conversations were like as the people headed back to their homes? I wonder if they are discussing what they would need to get rid of materially and spiritually speaking? I know in the past fews days,  I’ve had to repent of somethings that I needed to get rid of. A judgmental attitude for one and the areas where I have not been loving, just to name a few.

I also love the stone of remembrance Joshua sets up. The sign my parents made, acts as a stone for us. I pray that each one of us choose this day whom we will serve. For our family, we say along with the people of Israel, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.” (Joshua 24:24).

 

Yesterday was  Independence Day and our family had a great day. We celebrated with friends and laughed a lot! When it finally got dark, our neighbor texted that they were setting up fireworks. We all hurried out and sat in our driveway to enjoy the show. All the kids were with us and I wasn’t really paying attention to the costume our youngest had put on. She does this often and I think it is great! In a few short years, running outside in a princess dress will be outgrown. She looked beautiful and was excited to see the fireworks. We enjoyed the sights and headed back inside. It wasn’t until early this morning that I woke up in a panic. The costume she had on was made from cheap, highly flammable fabric. The wind kept kicking up and we were pretty close to the sparks. At one point, she was very close to lit roman candles. What could have happened is what woke me up and I was so thankful nothing had.

This moment of panic got me thinking. Are we sending our children out into the world unprotected and unequipped to face all that fires at them? Are we giving them a foundation of truth to build on? Do we place more importance on the things fire can destroy or eternal treasures? Are we buying into the cheap, worldly views of parenting or the precious words of God, who actually created our children?

This was a lot to think about during the early morning, but I needed to answer these questions. The years are quickly approaching when we send out our oldest. She talks about different colleges and lots of things she is interested in pursuing. We will start visiting these colleges this coming school year and look forward to what lies ahead. However, I am not under the mindset that our job of parenting is over when our children leave home or turn a certain age. I see my role changing, but not ending. When they leave, not necessarily for college, but truly on their own, I see this like pulling back on the bow and letting the arrow fly.

I recently read out of New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp, a remarkable statement in regards to arrows. He is actually talking about true love. He says, “true here means, “straight”,  like the kind of arrow a marksman make sure to pull out of his quiver. He wants a completely straight arrow so that when it leaves the bow, it won’t veer off in the wrong direction. True here means consistent, reliable, and not apt to go in some unloving direction.” It is the time that these arrows are in the “quiver” of our home that is so important to me. It is my conviction that this is not a time to be taken lightly.

So, I need to add to my original questions. In order to send the straight arrows out, how do we equip them to not veer off in the wrong direction? First, we need to know that God is in control. “For everything was created by him, in heaven on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things and by him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17). This is the foundation I have built my life on. This is what we are teaching to our children. It is the truth, the only truth. The world will send fires of lies, pretty and fleeting as 4th of July fireworks, that will say the contrary, but that is satan’s oldest trick. Glance back at Genesis 3:1. “He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say,…”. He’s been trying to deceive us ever since. Trying to cause doubt in what God has said in his Word. The way they can know the truth for themselves is to be taught, guided, watch it lived out and encouraged to spend time in the Bible themselves. We take them to church, where truth is affirmed.

The other important role of arrow raising is prayer.  “… we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him, we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:9-14).  This is what I pray for my children now and the years to come.

Also, I do not desire for any of my children to ever think that it all depends on them. Do their choices have consequences? Yes. However, if they are being filled from the time they are born with “the knowledge of God”,  they know where their strength comes from to make sound decisions. My kids are well aware of the “domain of darkness” and the choice to accept this rescue offered. Many of them have and are now called redeemed. This is what makes an eternal difference.

Perhaps you were not raised like this and when you flew out of the bow, you were far from hitting any kind of good mark. And if you have been off target ever since and now have kids, what do you do now? Well, if you are still breathing and I am assuming you are, the same prayer I am praying for my kids, I pray for you. Recognize your need of rescue and being taken from darkness to light. The first verse I ever memorized growing up was, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). Respond to this love. Then, place yourself back in the quiver of our Heavenly Father and let him do a work that only he can do. And when he places you in the bow and sends you soaring, I have a feeling that you will hit the mark.

Our 12 year old daughter is away at camp. She boarded the bus very early in the morning on Wednesday and I barely got a chance to say “have a great time”. I stuffed notes and little gifts in her suitcase, prayers written out for everyday. It is a way for us to be connected, even being states apart. She was half excited and half nervous having never been away from home for so long or being so far away. I felt the same way too. Letting a piece of your heart leave is not easy.

This child was our first redhead, which comes with a unique personality. While the color is rare and can not be duplicated, it makes her stand out. Some girls would like this, but not Anna Kate. She would rather remain in the shadows with her quiet ways and genius mind. Drama doesn’t suit her and it surprised us all when she announced she was trying out for a part in the school play. She got three small roles and shine she did on stage. Every now and again, as her mom, I like to have my kids noticed by others. It feels a bit like sharing a gift that I get to see all the time.

Sending the gift of her off, feels a bit like sharing too. I also know that she will grow during this time. She will hear teachings from God’s word, spend more daily time with Him and have fun. By the way, being a Christian is extremely fun! I don’t understand the mindset of unbelievers that think they have to give up fun if they accept salvation. It is quite the opposite. Freedom and accepting love is incredibly fun! She will experience this at camp and I pray she comes home desiring to continue to grow deep roots of being loved by God.

One thing I’ve noticed about this little redhead is her compassionate heart. You will often find her sitting with the precious special needs kids at school. She gets invited to their birthday parties and loves walking alongside these friends daily. It spills over to how she treats her brothers and sisters too. The younger ones look to her for help and direction. She takes them all under her little wing and spends so much time with them. It isn’t in a bossy way, just sweet and caring. I love this about her. They respond well to being loved like this. We all do.

When I watch her,  I see a bit of the “good samaritan” story recorded in the Bible. The book of Luke tells this parable and is believed to be written by none other than Luke himself. He was a doctor and follower of Christ. In chapter 10, Jesus is answering the question asked of him by “an expert of the law”. This man “stood up to test him, saying, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers with a question. “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” The expert answers, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:25-27). This expert had the head knowledge, but it sounds to me that Jesus was after his heart.

Jesus responds and you think that will be the end of the discussion. “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live”. (Luke 10:28). However, the man shows his real motive in the very next exchange. “But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). I love this part. Jesus begins to tell a story that hopefully sinks into this experts heart and to all of those listening. He tells of a man going on a trip and being at the wrong place at the wrong time. This traveler gets beaten up, stripped, robbed and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest, a supposed very religious person of that day, literally moves to the other side of the road to pass by. A Levite happens by and does the same thing. “But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denari, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.” (Luke 10:33-35).

“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? “The one that showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” (Luke 10:36-37). I wrote last time about a Samaritan woman who meets Jesus face to face. This Samaritan being spoken of here acts like Jesus in how he treats the hurting, broken man. Do we do the same or are we like the “move to the other side of the road” type? I can say that Anna Kate lives out mercy. It is a heart response, but I not quite sure she recognizes it yet. A prayer I have for her is that she will be secure in how God has uniquely crafted her. Mercy is part of how He has made her.

Anna Kate, may you continue to pour out mercy at home and school. Keep seeing the broken and the ones not always included. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and do what He did. Keep moving to side of the road, where the hurting lay or the cafeteria table that isn’t always popular, and make yourself at home. Keep being you. We can hardly wait for you to get home!!

I am a pretty routine person because I have found I function best this way. So, it is no surprise that my morning time with the Lord has a pattern. However, I never expect it to be boring. The Old Testament has become a place I spend a lot of time and I love to see how it ties to the New Testament.

Recently I read, “For my people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves – cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.” Jeremiah 2:13. I immediately thought of the story of the woman at the well that meets Jesus in the New Testament! It also hit me that the Lord calls this rebellion a double evil. Who wants to be found guilty of this? Sometimes I know that I minimize my sin and excuse it away. Calling it evil sounds a bit harsh, but that is exactly what it is.

Fast forward to the book of John, chapter 4. The page tells of Jesus and his disciples traveling through the town of Samaria. “Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water.” (John 4:6-7). The timing of all of this just makes me smile. He knew before time began that this moment would happen. He also knew the exact moment we would meet him too. Such an ordinary activity of that time turned extraordinary. Jesus asks her for a drink and she argues. “Jesus answered, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink’, you would ask him and he would give you living water.” (John 4:10). She argues again. “Sir, said the woman, you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this living water?” (John 4:11).  She makes the assumption that this living water can be contained.

There isn’t mention of Jesus ever getting to his feet, just sitting at the well, staying close to the source. The conversation continues. “Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” (John 4:13-14). Takes me back to the verse in Jeremiah about the “empty cisterns that cannot hold water”. You have to keep going back for more to avoid emptiness, to try and satisfy your thirst. Oh, how I have been there. You too?

So what do we do? We who are so much like the people in both the Old and New Testament. Let’s see what this woman did. “Sir, the woman said to him, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.” (John 4:15). There is more to her response I suspect. “Go call your husband, he told her, and come back here. ‘I don’t have a husband’, she answered. You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’ Jesus said. For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (John 4:16-18). Sounds like what she has been trying to fill her cistern with is men and it is not working. She is still empty.

The conversation continues between the two. “The woman said to him, I know the Messiah is coming (who is called the Christ). When he comes, he will explain everything to us. Jesus told her, I, the one speaking to you, am he.” (John 4:25-26) She doesn’t have a chance to respond because the disciples, who had gone into town to get food, arrive back at the well. I love this next part! “Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah? They left the town and made their way to him.” (John 4:28-29). I don’t know about you, but to be faced with my sin, all I’ve ever done, is not something that would cause me to run and tell everyone. The overwhelming weight of shame would have/has had me doubled over. But not this woman. She leaves more than just her water jar it seems at the well. Coming face to face with the Messiah tends to do that to a person. That is the part that causes us to run to town.

“Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. Many more believed because of what he said. And they told the woman, ‘We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for themselves and know that this is really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:39-42).

Many were changed because the testimony of one woman who had tried to fill her life with what does not satisfy. She met the one offering living water. I also like how this woman, so much like us, who have lived a life full of empty sin, was used to introduce a town to the Savior of the world. If he can use her, can he not use us? I want more than anything to tell others about what I have found! I do not live an empty life anymore. I have left my emptiness at the feet of the Savior of the world,  acknowledged that I am a sinner and surrendered to being filled with living water. It is a full way to live. Overflowing actually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you ever find it easy to celebrate someone? They take what the Lord gives them and pour all they have into it. Making one day all about them, just doesn’t seem enough. However, we do it anyway and call it Father’s Day. Cards are selected and gifts collected. I always like to see what the kids come up with on their own. They make or find something and then wrap it up themselves. They wait expectantly to see their dads reaction as he opens up their gift. He gets equally excited when he is given a toy they picked out of the prize drawer at the doctors office and something new from a real store. All are precious because of the one giving them.

Rewinding just a bit, I’ve watched each time as Damon has been handed the gift of our kids soon after they were born. The love and overwhelming joy is almost indescribable. I’ve never worried if he would love the kids more than me or been jealous over the time and attention he gives them. In fact, I encourage it and am so thankful. To have a dad that is engaged and fully committed to his family is getting rare. One that puts God first, then his wife and then kids, isn’t always easy to find these days. Lies have been believed and the downward spiral of the family continues. Selfishness is the biggest lie ever and one satan uses time and time again. “You deserve” sometimes becomes the excuse to propel the lie. Guess what? It isn’t working.

Have you watched a child grow up knowing they are loved by their earthly father? I wonder if counseling offices would be less full if more dads made their families more of a priority? Maybe its that they don’t know how. What can be done now? Can this tide be turned or is it too late? I majored in sociology, so I am by no means an expert. However, I believe there is hope for families. Lots of ideas come to mind and I’m not quite sure how they are going to come tumbling out, but I’m talking to the Lord about it and letting Him lead. I do know that the Bible is full of wisdom. A dad who spends time reading God’s word and actually applying what He says in it, will better know how to love his family well. Selfish seems to become less in light of God’s word. I know this because I live with a man who lives this truth out. He gets up early, reads scripture and prays. His days are full and his love for us is evident.

Dads, you’ve been given a gift in the form of a child. Love them well and know to whom they are from. You have been entrusted with much. Do not take this lightly. Your child, and all the generations that come after them, are counting on you. Let God lead you, He is your Heavenly Father and has this whole thing figured out. It was His idea. “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of your law.” (Psalm 94:12). Also, talk to your kids and see what they need from you and how they see you. Be open and let your defenses down. Humility looks way better on a man than a suit of pride.

So, days after Father’s Day, I’m praying for dads. I pray you know that you aren’t these kids dad by accident. Your work at home matters and the impact you have is immeasurable. Don’t give up, no matter the age of your kids. Mistakes are made, but forgiveness is available from God and hopefully your family. “Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord; let us lift our hearts and hands to the God of heaven.”( Lamentations 3:40-41). It will all be worth it!

 

 

Dear Maggie,

You have just arrived at Sharp Top Cove, an amazing Young Life camp in Georgia. They say “it’s the best week of your life” and in a lot of ways it is! You will have fun pretty much starting at the moment the bus pulls into camp. The week ahead will be full of adventures, late nights and words of truth. A camp speaker will do their best to communicate how much God loves every single person there and His desire for a relationship. Everyone will hear about sin, the cross and Christ being made alive again. You know and have accepted all of this, but maybe the girl next to you doesn’t. The guy behind you may be worn out from striving to be something he isn’t and this week is a great escape. The girl who stands in front of you in the line to the snack shop, might have made so many mistakes that she has no idea how the God she is hearing about could possibly ever forgive her. That boy who is loud and tries to get attention at every turn, he might hear for the first time that God loves him, sees him and there is no need to fight for His attention.

Maggie, your commitment to Christ is astonishing! You love Him and are very secure in His love for you. When you have this, you live differently and make different decisions.  I watch as you have become more confident in who He is shaping you to be and following the plans He puts in front of you. Since you already know Him, pray for the kids that don’t. Their eternity could be changed forever this week. I pray your eyes and ears are attentive to those around you and your heart breaks for those who don’t yet know Him. I pray you come home with an even greater boldness to share Him with others. Bring all of the excitement home from camp and keep stepping into His adventures.

I know I’ve told you lots of times, but I am so proud of you! There is no way to go back in time and undo my teenage years, but I wish I would have been just like you, especially with your curly hair. You see, there is a bit of me in the lost kids you encounter this week. I once was that high schooler experiencing camp for the first time. What a difference it made in my life! I will forever be thankful for the summer of 1992 and my week at Frontier Ranch. When they give you 20 minutes to go outside and be alone with God, look up at the stars and worship the One who created them. Those stars are the ones I looked up at all these years ago and told God I belonged to Him. I told Him that I was finished living for myself and it really wasn’t working anyways. I wanted to return back to Him.

You see, when we moved to North Carolina from Mississippi the summer before my 8th grade year, a huge part of me stopped pursuing God. Oh, there isn’t any doubt that I was still a Christian, but I quit living like one. Our church and friends had been an enormous part of my life and all that was now gone. I tried to keep learning on my own. I would sit beside my bed and read my Bible, but nothing was making sense. School was not fun and friends were few. Church was even worse. It took a year of trying to keep it all up, but I remember telling the Lord that I was putting Him on a shelf and would pick Him back up when I was older. You can never put the God of the universe on a shelf. However, I tried and set being popular at school and church as my goal.

Popularity came and so did the inner struggle of conviction. When Young Life arrived at my high school, a rescue plan was soon to unfold. It took time, but my Young Life leaders pursued me and were always happy to see me. My friends and I looked forward to attending the weekly “club” meetings. When the opportunity came for me to go to camp, I was excited! Little did I know the impact that week would have on my life. I heard stories about Jesus, sang fun songs and just played. We hiked, shopped and  let our guards down. One leader in particular, was so open about her relationship with Jesus that I had to experience what she had for myself. I wanted God not to be on that shelf anymore.

The night that I sat under the stars, outside of the store no doubt, was powerful. I knew the Lord had forgiven me and our relationship would be restored. “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” (2 Samuel 22:17,20). That pretty much sums it up.

Fast forward and I am at another Young Life camp, working as the office intern the  summer of 1998. In walks a boy from Texas, who was on assignment there for the month working as the “outdoor crew boss”. He asked me to make a transparency (I’ll explain what that is when you get home) of the worship songs he would be leading later that morning. We ended up dating and he told me about a job with Young Life in Fort Worth, Texas. I somehow got that job and my parents moved me all the way from North Carolina to Texas. My boss just happened to be the speaker from camp when I was that high schooler.

Years later and lots of life lived, I am still walking with the Lord and falling more in love with Him everyday. And that Texas boy is now my husband of 18 years and you are the oldest of our 7 children. So, Young Life played a huge part of my story and yours too, Maggie. I cannot wait to see the part it plays in yours!

I love you,

Mom

I’ve recently been listening to a teaching series to help me get better at writing. A person that loves Jesus and doesn’t tell you just what she thinks, but what God’s word says on the matter, is my kind of teacher. At the end of the teaching series, she spoke a blessing and words that caused me to weep. She spoke of approval and how we had hers. This might not be a big deal to many, but it is to me. It was something I use to long for, but never felt like I got. And then one day, it clicked – I have God’s approval and that is what matters. People change, sin causes hearts to harden, insecurity and brokenness have deep roots. I can’t dress my outside up enough, put on my best smile, say and do all the right things or have my kids behave perfectly to gain mans approval. It is not possible. In fact, it is down right exhausting.

One day, maybe 10 or so years ago, this striving for approval came to an all time high. You see when I am working so hard to get everything to appear just perfect, I put an enormous burden on my family. I didn’t see it at the time, but my husband did. It had been a typical Sunday and everyone looked just perfect filing into church. We left unruffled and behaved appropriately all during lunch. Then we got home. I don’t remember what happened, but I do remember the exact spot I was standing in when my husband spoke life changing, eye opening words. He said, “Natalie, you expect perfection and we can not live up to it.” That was it. His voice wasn’t raised and his love for me didn’t waver, but these words struck my heart in the very best way. Now, it took time to unravel a lifetime of living like this, but I know mans approval is not what I now seek.

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10). Pretty much sums it up. Our approval could not have been made anymore clear than when God sent Jesus to die on the cross. “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2). Want to hear more? “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). Does it get any better?

I desire to live worthy of my Heavenly Father’s approval. This takes discipline, time and a heart bent towards repentance. It is worth it! Do I get discouraged, sad, heartbroken, disappointed, afraid, angry, nervous or frustrated? Sure do. But you know what I am reminded of today? “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life was hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:2-4).

So, we press on having hope in what is to come. The life we have known is not all there is. The best and I mean the very best is yet to come! “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).