Category Archives: Faith

Adoption, Faith, Life
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Today is Orphan Sunday!  This is a video Spencer made of all the families at our church who have adopted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Xm9vd4aFs

If you want to hear more of my thoughts on adoption, read this, this, this, this, and this.

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“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

-James 1:27

Adoption is God’s command to His church.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I have never seen anything that can be so ugly, but it can be so beautiful–so beautiful.

But real beauty always goes hand-‘n-hand with ugliness in this world.

Adoption can be sad.  It can be convicting.  It can be humbling.  Because every one of us needs to be adopted.  Every one of us needs to be redeemed.

We love, because we are loved.

We give, because we have received.

We care for orphans, because we were orphans.

We adopt, because we were adopted.

Faith, Life, Literature

October Sunshine

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It’s mid-October and Halloween decorations are popping up everywhere–and it’s driving me crazy.  I’ll just be honest, I don’t like Halloween, and we don’t celebrate it.  Costumes are all up my alley, but I don’t have any desire for ghosts–partly a moral issue, and partly because I’m more susceptible to creeps than most people. 🙂

And this year I decided that I was just tired of darkness and ugliness, and I was going to fight them in the easiest way: celebrating sunshine and beauty.

And what better way to celebrate on a story-packed blog than with quotes?  And what is the cheeriest, sunshiniest book on our shelves?  The answer was obvious for me: The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne.

So, on all the rest of the Thursdays in October I’m going to post a Winnie the Pooh quote, starting now:

“Oo, Tigger,” he said excitedly, “are we at the top?”  “No,” said Tigger.  “Are we going to the top?”  “No,” said Tigger.  “Oh,” said Roo rather sadly.  And then he went on hopefully: “That was a lovely bit just now, when you pretended we were going to fall-bump-to-the-bottom, and we didn’t.  Will you do that bit again?”  “NO,” said Tigger.  Roo was silent for a little while, and then he said, “Shall we eat our sandwiches, Tigger?”  And Tigger said, “Yes, where are they?”  And Roo said, “At the bottom of the tree.”  And Tigger said, “I don’t think we’d better eat them just yet.”  So they didn’t. (229)

–The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

Faith, Life

Who I am

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My journal, September 2nd, 2015.  Things have gotten better since then, but I thought I would post it still.  It’s the best way I’ve been able to express myself.

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If you had asked me two months ago what my least favorite thing in the world was, I would have said getting the stomach flu or nosebleeds.  Now, one of the things I hate most is the orthodontist.  There has so far been one appointment that I didn’t cry about; before we went, or after we left–or, more likely, both.

The latest thing they put in my mouth is the palate widener, which restricts talking, chewing, and swallowing.  I can’t eat popcorn, eating anything else takes forever, my voice is different, swallowing is hard.  I don’t feel like myself–at all!  I feel like my mouth is worthless.

I wish I didn’t have to finish eating last.  I wish this lisp would go away.  I wish people could understand me.  I wish I could talk without feeling like a three-year-old.  I wish I could sing.  I wish I could eat popcorn and apples, and pasta.  I wish I could eat Mom’s spicy Chinese noodles.  I wish I could sit through a prayer with my head bowed without tipping it back to swallow.  I wish I could blow the pencil shavings off my drawing paper without being afraid I’ll accidentally spit.

I wish I felt like myself.  I wish I didn’t feel like this hunk of metal demolished my identity.

Not being able to sing without hating how it sounds has made me think differently about playing the piano and just listening to music.  One of my new favorite albums is “Loved” by J.J. Heller.  I love all ten songs on it, but “Better Things” is the only one that I felt applied to me personally.

There are far, far better things ahead,
Than what I leave behind.
Will you help me find my way?

There are ‘far, far better things’ in the future.  I don’t feel like it right now, but I believe it.  There is  a promise land beyond this desert, if I can only learn to stop looking back to Egypt.

I’m on a journey,
I’m losing who I used to be.
I am learning how to die,
It’s changing every part of me.

There are far, far, better things ahead,
Than what I leave behind.
Will you help me find my way?

Maybe I think too much about ‘myself’.  Who I am.  Because I am “losing who I used to be. . .”

One of the worship songs we sing at church has the chorus:

You’re a good, good Father.
It’s who You are, it’s who You are.
And I’m loved by You,
It’s who I am, it’s who I am.

I am loved.  It’s who I am.  I am the daughter of a good, good Father.  That’s all the identity I need.  And no hunk of metal can ever, ever change that.

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” -Philippians 4:13

Faith, Literature

Grace

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Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.  For the LORD is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him!  O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.  How gracious He will be when you cry for help!  As soon as He hears, He will answer you.  Although the LORD gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.  Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

-Isaiah 30:18-21

Faith

Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee

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Come, Thou Found of ev’ry blessing,

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Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

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Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

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Call for songs of loudest praise.

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Teach me some melodious sonnet,

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Sung by flaming tongues above;

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Praise the mount–I’m fixed upon it–

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Mount of Thy redeeming love.

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Here I raise mine Ebenezer,

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Hither by Thy help I’m come;

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And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

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Safely to arrive at home.

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Jesus sought me when a stranger,

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Wand’ring from the fold of God;

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He to rescue me from danger,

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Interposed His precious blood.

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O to grace how great a debtor

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Daily I’m constrained to be!

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Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

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Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee:

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Prone to wander–Lord, I feel it,

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Prone to leave the God I love;

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Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

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Seal it for Thy courts above.

“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” words by Robert Robinson

Adoption, Faith, Family, Life

Blessed

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We’ve planted dill and parsley in our garden for a long time, to attract Swallowtail butterflies.  We kept Swallowtail caterpillars inside in an aquarium when Becca, Spencer, and I were little; and we did again this summer with Michael and Lucy.

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Jane the butterfly came out of her chrysalis today and was released today!

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She came just in time for Lucy’s Dedication Day!

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Lu was dedicated at our new church building this morning.  Our building was a bowling alley before we bought it, so it. . . needed some help.

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We’ve held meetings there three Sundays now.  Back in February we had a worship night there, in the midst of the construction.  There are all kinds of things I could say about that, but let’s stay focused (for now).

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To tell the truth, I wasn’t really planning on worshiping.  I mean, really worshiping.  To give you some context, I’m usually an “all-out worshiper”.  A hand-lifter.

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But I wasn’t really planning on it that night.  It just hadn’t been one of “those days”.  And the feeling deepened when we got there, and I found that there was dust everywhere that made your nose feel weird, and I was burdened down with a winter coat and purse, since I had nowhere to set them because of aforementioned dust.

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We were there to worship Jesus, and I was letting a ‘mood’ and some dust get in my way.  Anyways, to make a long story short: I got there not expecting to be passionate, and the music started, and Lucy started singing–and dancing.  If she can worship tonight, shouldn’t I be able to?

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Yes!  Of course!  I should anyway!

Lucy has an incredible interest in Jesus, but of course she doesn’t understand everything yet.  But she reminded me to worship that night.

Adoption isn’t easy, but I can’t imagine life without it.  It is such a blessing!  And I’m not trying to say that we should adopt children because they will bless us–far from it.  I’m just saying that they will.

I was helping Michael with something at the grocery store once (I think I was pushing him in the stroller or something while Mom shopped), and a lady stopped and said to me, “He’s lucky to have you, you know that?”  I’m probably the worst in the world at thinking on my feet, and I just smiled and said something pathetic and uninspiring, like “Yeah.”  It was hours, or maybe days later that I realized that the only real answer to that question was:

“I’m just lucky to have him.”
Faith, Literature

The Wise

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Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

-1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (Emphasis mine.)

Faith

On America’s Birthday–Because We Fought For This

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There’s a handful of guys who stand on a street-corner we drive by sometimes, with signs that say: “Honk for peace!” and the like.

I always thought it was ironic that they were trying to get people to be loud and obnoxious about peace–but that’s beside the point.  I think they were the ones that really got me thinking about peace.  What it means.

World peace.  Imagine.  Probably none of us have–thankfully–really experienced war.  Probably none of us know so much that we truly understand what it means.  But we know enough.  Enough to know that it’s horrific.

Peace.  Imagine it.  It would be wonderful.

I am all for world peace–but expecting it this side of Heaven is a step beyond wishful thinking.

Because we’re human.  Because we’re sinful.  Because–

It needs but one foe to breed a war, not two. . . And those who have not swords can still die upon them. (937)

–The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

I think almost everyone, way deep down inside, wants peace.  But down deeper there’s something they want more, and that’s why we have wars.

**

This is probably surprising to some of you, coming from me.  And I’m sure it’s controversial.  But I know what I believe, and I’m not ashamed of it.  I don’t believe fighting is good, but I believe it’s better than tyranny.  Well, what do you know about it? you may be thinking.  Not much.  But I know enough.

I don’t mean I don’t ever have doubts or questions, everyone does; but I know what I believe, and it’s worth standing for.  Worth dying for.

Worth fighting for.

Faith, Life
4 Comments
Happy Memorial Day!  A bit of a sobering holiday, isn’t it, remembering those who sacrificed to give us what we so often take for granted?  I’ve been praying for these  people today–that they would come to know Jesus, that He would bless them, that He would protect them, and just thanking Him that they’re there. . .  and apologizing for the times I forget them–asking Him not to let me forget again.
Faith, Literature

The New Jerusalem

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And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  He who was seated on the throne said said, “I am making everything new!”  Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  He said to me: “It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.  He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

-Revelation 21:3-7