Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.

-Martin Luther.

Spring Cleaning

If I were to sum up the last 12 months of my life I would say God is doing some Spring Cleaning. He's dusting off the concepts of faith that I learned when I was young, freshening up my understanding. These fundamentals were intended to be used every day. I had shelved them like goods books on my "Favorite books to read again someday shelf." God's blowing away the cobwebs and opening my eyes to their much more practical uses. It's Spring time in my soul! The cold, dormant, unused faith has been replaced. God's word is bringing the antibacterial light to my soul!

For example:

Shalom.... peace of God... Knew it, but now I'm beginning to understand it.

We have a good God... Knew it, but now I KNOW it.

God is coming again, and we should look forward to His return.

How is he doing this?

Through hard times….

• My in-laws' plane crash
• Handsome genius' long hours at work
• ER visits
• Close calls
• The struggles with my dad's leukemia
• Uncertainty with moving, selling, buying a new house

While I've been waiting for clarity, God's been peeling back the scales and opening my eyes.

I once heard "We should be thankful for our tears for they prepare our eyes for a clearer vision of God."

Please don't misunderstand. What I've found in these "hard times" is that he's designed us to flourish until he comes again. Just as I long for that handsome genius to pull up in our driveway. How much more will I drop it all to run into my Savior's arms when he returns. In the meantime, we have His peace that enables us to flourish.

Just as Spring follows Winter, the liveliest season always follows the coldest darkest one. Each chapter was designed for a purpose by a good God.

Crossroads

We are at a crossroad. We're supposed to move but we aren't sure when or if we really will. The house is on the market, but we don't know if we should sell it. We'd like to live here, if we're gonna live HERE. Current events have put a stop to everything, because of the handsome genius' line of work.

Moments like these make it comforting to know God as a Father.

I cannot imagine walking my three little children out to a busy intersection and saying "Watch out for all the cars, I'll see you on the other side."

Obviously, like every parent. The busier the intersection, the tighter my grip. I have a vested interest in getting them to the other side safely. What kind of mother would I be, to leave my children alone at all, not to mention in the middle of a busy street.

If I, with no halo's on my head, hold my children's hands and help them cross the street. Why would He not do the same... Luke 11.

We will navigate our way across this street with His help.

As for now, we're gonna live here, cause the house hasn't sold, the orders haven't come, and the handsome genius is still at work. That's all I need to know.

Shalom... continued part 2

Strong's Concordance defines Shalom this way: completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Shalom comes from the root verb shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full.

Are our souls sickly and poorly fed or well fed, strong and healthy?

The credit of a shepherd depends on the condition of his flock. . . . The universe is looking to see what the Lord Jesus Christ is able to make of us and what kind of sheep we are. . . . Their verdict concerning Him will largely depend on what they see in us.

--Hannah Whitall Smith

These are the dots God keeps connecting for me. Trials are inevitable, but what God does for his children through these trials is exactly what can bring God glory.

If the chief end of man is to ... Glorify God and enjoy him forever, then this is how we do it:

Like sheep we follow Him wherever He leads: the valley of the shadow of death and the presence of our enemies. That is where He promises His Shalom: right there in the middle of the worst case scenario.

Thanksgiving

I read somewhere that the antidote to despair is thanksgiving. It is so easy to fall into a pattern of complaint, but there is a flipside to every complaint, a silver lining. So my resolution for this Lent is to be thankful I have so much to be thankful for. . . and that is paramount at the cross.

Shalom

I mentioned a few posts ago that God connected a lot of dots for me this Christmas. It can be encapsulated in one word: Shalom.

I've always wrestled with God over the dead end roads and tragic stories?

This shalom means something more than freedom from war and pain. It means freedom in the midst of pain.

And that my friends, is how all the dots began to connect for me. If that is what that means... then that is what he means by saying "my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Dot by dot, promise by promise Bible reading has become a new adventure of discovery and illumination. His words light up and fly off the pages.

Pain is part of the bargain, but so is his peace and all of his promises.

to be continued . . .

Rest upon us . . . Caedmon's Call

This song is on repeat on my ipod. over and over and over. My mantra:

My soul is weary, and my cup is dry, I am so in need of you, though my rightesousness is rags, your mercies are new

So Lord, come down to me, so my heart can see, how encompassing your grace can be

Holy Spirit, rest upon us, Breath of God, touch my soul, Come unfailing love of Jesus, rest upon us, rest upon us,

My mind is heavy and my days are long, I lift my eyes up in the night, my heart it weighs me down, but your burden is light,

So Lord, come walk with me until my heart believes all the bounties that your grace can bringHoly Spirit, rest upon us, Breath of God, touch my soul, Come unfailing love of Jesus, rest upon us, rest upon us,

I will wait for you I will wait for you you rest upon us come rest upon us.

Our God really is that good, and I really need him that much!

"God chooses us less for our strengths than for our weaknesses, for they amplify our need for Him."

Sarah Young
"Jesus Calling"

Our Gentle Shepherd

It says in Isaiah that "He gently leads those who have young." A friend showed me that verse a few years ago. I have forever been changed by it (Thanks, Maggie). I cannot tell you how many times just in this last week I have felt absolutely overwhelmed by the task of parenting. It's a constant bombardment of what it feels like are pop quizzes on how to be a good parent, responding to your children with love and discipline, reflecting the attributes of God in a way they can relate. But I'm learning that God does just what he promises He'll do in His word. No matter the promise, He will fulfill it. In this case, "He gently leads those who have young."

And this is how He did it for me the other day.

Oftentimes, when we are getting ready to go someplace, Tink will exert her will by saying "I don't want to go." I've always tried reverse psychology, ignoring the behavior and acting like I'm leaving with or without her. The other day, we rehearsed the scene again. However, this time as I started to walk away a check in my spirit urged me to try something different.

I turned around went over to her got down at her eye level, and said...
"Tink, you're a Kaiser, I am a Kaiser, we're Kaisers. We are a family. We do fun things together as a family, and I want you to come with me, because we are a team and I want to be with you."

I paused waiting for her response.

Her eyes filled with unspeakable joy and relief. She stood up and threw her arms around me, and her entire demeanor changed.

I had been sending her a subtle message, I would be fine with or without her. She so needed to feel wanted and loved. That episode also was key in revealing that it seems quality time is her language of love. A very helpful insight to have in parenting her.

All of this wrapped up in a precious moment brought to us by the Shepherd who "Gently leads those who have young."

Redemption Part II

You know that friends blog I keep referencing most recently in the Redemption post... Well she did it again. She's always posting stuff I chew on for weeks. I had to share this: the concept of redemption keeps blowing me away, such unbelievably good news. Thanks Jody.

“The big story really is actually being told through our little stories, and by sharing our lives, not just our sermons, we’re telling God’s story in as reverent and divine ways as it has ever been told. God’s story was told in Hebrew and Greek, and I believe that it’s also being told in whispers and paintings and blogs and around dinner tables all over the world.

——

We dilute the beauty of the gospel story when we divorce it from our lives, our worlds, the words and images that God is writing now on our souls.

And let’s stop acting as if religious professionals are the only ones who have a right and a responsibility to tell God’s story. If you are a person of faith, it is your responsibility to tell God’s story, in every way you can, every form, every medium, every moment. Tell the stories of love and redemption and forgiveness every time you experience them. Tell the stories of reconciliation and surprise and new life everywhere you find them.

——

And when we tell the truth about our lives—the broken parts, the secret parts, the beautiful parts—then the gospel comes to life, an actual story about redemption, instead of abstraction and theory and things you learn in Sunday school.”

(s. niequist)

Redemption

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. . . .You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God who has dealt wondrously with you."

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the concept of redemption. It all started when I was reading a friends blog who's walked a really hard road over the past year, and then wrote this entry marveling at God's blessing. It struck me. She walked that road out of obedience. It would have been so easy to toss in the towel and quit, but she kept on placing one foot in front of the other with the darkness surrounding her without one tiny ray of light at the other end, all she had was a promise she held to dearly. She may have doubted it, but she still clung to it: God would see her through. He would redeem this if she walked with him, so she carried on mile after mile, when slowly ever so slowly the clouds began to lift and the sun began to shine and with it a rainbow in full bloom. He redeemed all the pain and made something that looked broken into something even more whole! I don't buy into the prosperity gospel. It's not that God paves the road with gold, but his promises are golden. He will redeem the broken, painful, hard, and ugly. He will use it all and the story will end well. As someone once said "this life is but the title page to eternity." God promises to finish the work he began in us (Phil 1:6). We will never be an abandoned project on his craft room floor. "He will work all things together for good to those who love God and have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28). Our stories are not finished but if we keep putting one foot in front of the other, I do believe we will find the rainbow-- a giant check mark in the sky reminding us of another promise fulfilled! God has never failed to deal wondrously with his people, why would he would do any less now?

The Bottom Line

Dan's long hours are getting ready to get a lot longer at work, and his mom's health continues to hang in the balance.

There is so much I want to say and can't. My heart is full and empty, breaking while healing, hungry but satisfied. I don't really know how to put into words what I feel and so I can't. But I want to try because I want to remember this. I want my kids to remember this, and I want to share it because it's the essence of what I believe.

Dan's mom has been given 4-6 weeks to show some kind of cognitive response, or she will be removed from the hospital and placed into long term care. The family is begging God for a miracle, and we wait. We watch and we wait for life. The story is unfinished.

But I've read the Bible. Our God is a REDEEMER. He is GOOD. I know how HIS stories end. I know they are good.

The day the crash happened I was preparing to go to camp: bills to pay, a yard to mow, and a car to service, but in an instant none of it mattered. For some reason I keep thinking that's what Dan's mom feels right now as she gazes at our Savior's face in that space between life and death.

The fuss and noise of earth are now just a distant hum to her. She knows her Savior is better than anything this life has to offer, and none of it matters in light of Him. She will continue to fight for life in that hospital bed. She's a fighter, and we will fight for and with her. She has so much to live for.

But I also know whom she loves above all. I know that she is watching her Saviour's face and when He gives her the word, she will gladly dash into His arms.

I finally get what it means when the Bible says...
To live is Christ and to die is gain.

One glimpse of eternity with our Blessed Savior and nothing else will seem to matter.

Battles

‘Why does God allow us to spend so much of life in the heat of battle? Because He never meant for us to sip His Spirit like a proper cup of tea. He meant for us to hold our sweating hands over the fountain and lap up His life with unquenchable thirst.’

-B. Moore

Taken from a friend's blog. Who is going through quite a seasoning experience herself.

Frankly,

I am overwhelmed. It has been a rough few weeks, saying goodbye to some of my closest friends, preparing for a lot of tough transitions with a lot of responsibilities on my plate. The pace of Dan's schedule is gonna make life rough in the coming months. It's gonna be a stretching experience, and honestly, I'd love to skip this part and fast forward to the part when it's all over. However, that's not what God has for us. He has so much more for us packed inside the year ahead. I've always dreamed of becoming a rugged Christian who is unafraid and undaunted by trials, seasoned with wisdom from a lifetime of stories of God's unfailing love and faithfulness. There's no way to avoid the storm without sacrificing that person I have spent my life dreaming of becoming. There's no way to skip the weathering process if it's a rugged soul I'm going for. Those stones weathered by the sea are only soft from the friction of the tumbling process.

Now is the time for faith. Now is the time to watch for my Saviour who will deliver me when deliverance is needed, and rescue me when rescuing is needed, and challenge me when challenging is needed. He is my teacher. He will walk me through this syllabus of trials to get me to the other side rugged, time-tested, and seasoned with experiences to tell of His faithfulness. It's all part of the plan.

It Rained Today!

Yes, it did! The forecasters said it was supposed to be hot and dry this week and forecasts for rain have been few and far between, but suddenly this morning it started pouring. I don't mean a few drops trickled, I mean it was like a tropical storm out there. So what did we do? We celebrated! Watering this yard is a tough job in the scorching heat, and my poor garden has been desperate for water. That's why rain from heaven is such a blessing! So we got out our boogie board, put on our rain gear and celebrated right there in the middle of the pouring rain.

With glees of delight, we celebrated this unexpected rainstorm and as we laughed, I was reminded of how inaccurate forecasts can be. The dog days of summer are ahead of us both literally and figuratively. My dad is starting chemo, precious friends are moving, and Dan's job is going to be increasingly demanding in the coming months. There isn't much relief in sight, but I am gonna use this monsoon from out of nowhere as a reminder: God pours out his blessings whenever he chooses whether it's forecasted or not.

Earth's Crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes . . .

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

C.S. Lewis once said...

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations....There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal...it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit-- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

A very convicting quote to read as a mother or even just as a human being in this fallen world. In which direction am I helping people lean today?

Theology of Star Wars

The other night Peter was talking with a friend from Bible study.
He asked: Do you think the guys from Star Wars have Jesus in their heart?
Our friend answered: Uh, I don't know.
Peter: I think they do, and do you know what that means? They go to Heaven when they die. Do you have Jesus in your heart, Captain Thomas?
Captain Thomas: Yes.
Peter: I can't wait to die can you?
Captain Thomas: Well, first we get to live for a while and then we die.
Peter: Do you know what the streets are paved with in heaven... GOLD!!!
All this days before Palm Sunday when he waved his palm in the air and yelled "Hawaii."
Ahh yes, the theology of a four year old, might need some fine tuning, but thank God he's got the gist of it.

Oh, and his new treasure of the week is.... a straw from Subway!

Treasures

Peter is the ultimate collector. It's his favorite pastime. He loves to keep his treasures with him at all times. That's why pants and shirts must have pockets. No clothes rank favorite status in his world unless they do. (except of course if it has anything to do with Star Wars but that's another subject for another time). No, he doesn't remember to bring his coat anywhere but he certainly remembers to bring his treasures everywhere. Today his collection consists of a couple orange nerf bullets, a few wooden spoons, a Chuck E Cheese water gun, a wooden cross necklace and, several chocolate coins (He could care less that the coins are chocolate. What's really important is that they're gold).

I am beginning to think this collecting trait is hereditary. My grandfather collected plastic gallon milk jugs in his basement. I used to think it was because he was raised on a farm during the Great Depression, but just the other day my dear husband was getting after me for all the plastic milk jugs that were blowing around in the backyard (they make great miniature greenhouses). Anyone who knows my mom, knows she's a collector too. Quite truthfully, in anyone else's eyes those things that Peter, my mom, my grandfather, and I so treasure might be considered junk, but in our eyes they're important. Come to think of it, God has a hodgepodge collection as well. We may be used and broken ragamuffins, but to him we're his priceless treasures. Maybe this collecting trait is not so bad after all

Politics

Between a double ear infection, late night news, and a Monday morning, I find myself greeting this day a little more reluctantly. Is it possible to have a political hangover? Could they have voted on this healthcare bill on a Friday? Was it really necessary to vote Sunday night? It sure makes for a depressing Monday. Oh well, just one more reminder that my citizenship is in heaven, and God's in charge. No president, speaker of the house, or momma of this house, can trump His executive decisions.