Category: Uncategorized

Seeing the Sunshine

Carolyn

I was excited tonight to sit down and watch the Olympic men’s ice skating competition. I watched an American named Jeremy, then thought I would just close my eyes during the commercials. The next time I opened my eyes, they were giving out the medals. So much for a nice evening watching the competition! I guess I needed the rest!

Before the day ends, I just wanted to thank the Lord for the sunshine today. Even yesterday, I was realizing what a long winter it is where we live and wondering how long it has been since we’ve seen the sun for longer than just a few moments. I’ve been in a little bit of a rut with just the monotony of a long winter, feeling like I am on the go constantly, racing from one thing to the next, and just weary, then frustrated that I should be discouraged for really no reason, save perhaps my own lack of discipline. It’s my own fault for not better planning my day, taking time to sit and read or be still, spending more time with my children that is focused, meeting the family’s needs for things like… say, dinner! So after just feeling out of sorts yesterday, it was a real blessing to have a warmer day and see the sun all day! I am thankful.

My friend said today what we really need and should pray for is to be like Paul who says in Philippians 4 that he had learned the secret of being content in all things. That hit home for me. I don’t want my joy to be dependent on my circumstances. And Paul ends that passage by saying he can do all things through Christ who gives him the strength to do it! That was an encouragement both to hear and ponder.

Merry Christmas!

Carolyn

Merry Christmas! It’s been a busy month of preparations which reached its conclusion today with a great day with our extended families. We’ve had a lot of fun and had the true “white Christmas” with beautiful snow everywhere! The children and their cousins presented us with the Christmas story, and we’ve all had fun opening presents. But we know…

“It’s not in the snow that may or may not fall,
and it’s not in the gifts beneath the tree.
It’s in the love heaven gave,
the night our Savior came,
and that same love can still be found wherever you are.
’cause Christmas is all in the heart,
and the joy can still be found,
wherever you are,
’cause Christmas is all, it’s all in the heart.”
(Steven Curtis Chapman)

I pray your heart knows the Love of the Savior today, wherever you are. And I praise our Savior that He is Immanuel, God with Us (Matthew 1:23), right wherever we are.

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

Merry Christmas!

My Blogging Husband

Carolyn

Our dear friend Melissa Moore asked my husband to be a guest blogger today at her blog. What a thrill to have my husband enter a world I enjoy — the blogging world — and be part of my day! Thanks to Melissa for enlisting him, and click here if you’d like to check out Melissa’s amazing blog (the Living Proof Ministries blog which I routinely follow) and her and my husband’s thoughts on the Trinity today.

My Daughter’s Blog

Carolyn

My daughter started her own blog to share her poetry. She is quite funny and clever for 8 years old!

I had high hopes of keeping up better with my blog this month, but I have been remiss once again.

We had a fun family trip this week to Utica, Illinois. We spent the night at a resort with an indoor water park, an amusement park, and a miniature golf course. We had a good time being away as a family, and the children especially enjoyed themselves and bringing home souvenirs. Starved Rock State Park is also there with a neat little lodge where we had a country meal, buffet style. There are some great walking trails there, so it will be fun to go again in the future. It’s amazing how just 24 hours away can refresh you from the daily demands of life.

We had dinner with 4 other couples last night. I was thinking today about different conversations I had with those friends and others this week and a common thread that has been running through them — things that keep people awake at night. It might be politics, the economy, irritation with a friend or neighbor, jealousy, a health issue, or a work problem.

As I recounted each of my friends’ situations, and thought about the things that can keep me awake at night, there was another common thread — these thoughts that stir in our minds and control our emotions don’t seem to necessarily be based on truth, but are rather things that could almost be categorized as a person’s besetting sin. The things that keep me awake are not the things that keep other people awake; we all have our different issue that threatens to steal our joy and rob us of peace. I have been wrestling with mine for some time and so want to get to the point of just letting it go and not letting it matter to me.

What is the answer for them and for me? I think somehow, it must have to do with fixing our eyes on Jesus and speaking truth to the situation and not allowing ourselves to be controlled by anything other than His Spirit. Perhaps it means believing God that He can truly set us free from anxious thoughts and create in us a peace and confidence in Him.

I have a friend who is very sick with cancer. Her faith has amazed me. Her husband continually points to our extraordinary God who is helping her, noting that she is merely an ordinary woman. God has made her extraordinary though. She has sought Him for years, so that now, she is able to stand and believe in a time of such deep pain. She is ministering to so many through this. I have thought of her every day this week. When I am challenged by my besetting sin, I have remembered her example of faith and let it go.

This is truly a rambling post; perhaps I shouldn’t publish it. Just some random thoughts this week. I do praise the Lord for His sovereignty, His purposes for His people that are good even when we can’t understand. And I praise Him that we don’t have to fear things because we have hope in Him. And I praise Him that He can set us free from things that cause us to stumble and fall and that He is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before His throne.

To Him be all glory both now and forever!

New Creation

Carolyn

II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

This has shown up 5 times since Thursday, in random places from our school’s newsletter, to a friend’s blog (thanks, Fran!), to 2 different daily Bible readings this week, and I can’t even remember the 5th place!

It always seems like when I start to see something over and over, it’s something I’m supposed to pay attention to, but I’m not sure why right now. It could be I simply need this reminder that I should be living as the new creation I am, not in my flesh or in my sinful ways.

Or maybe it’s a verse that I’m supposed to share with someone. I’ll pray and ponder some more over this and update if I learn anything new about this!

It is a good way to praise Him today: Through Christ, I have become a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come. Praise You, Lord, that Christ, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God! What a glorious, merciful, and undeserved exchange! Thank you, Jesus.