BUSY. Yep, that's us, busy. Like, morning to night, running on a hamster wheel, busy. The day starts at 4am when the baby wakes to eat (or it starts at 12:00am- when she also eats- depends on your point of view.) I like to think my day ends when I go to sleep, but really it's not a linear path I live on, characterized by ends and beginnings. It's more like a circle with one day bleeding into the next. Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, 4am. I feed her and she goes back to sleep (sometimes). I fight sleep as I think about the many things on my plate for that day. 6am comes around quickly and we're up; we are ALL up. There's a flurry of diapering, getting two little people dressed, making breakfast, which comes only after we move dirty dishes around so we can open our toaster oven...I know what your thinking: "Wow, they leave their dirty dishes from the night before piled up on the counter? Doesn't Danielle stay home all day? Don't you have a dishwasher? She must sitting around eating Bon bons or taking naps." Trust me, by the time I get to the end of the day you'll understand why doing the dishes is last on the priority list and sleep is número uno. Throw a couple tantrums from the 2 year old in that mix and you've got our morning! The rest of the day is a frantic blur of getting to the YMCA, getting back with just enough time to give the little one a nap, get lunch, fight the big one on nap and then trying to squeeze a billion "to-do's" into a small hour and half time frame and do it as quietly as possible. Shhh...
If you're a parent of littles or have been there you know how this feels and what the rest of the day looks like. By 8pm when both are asleep for the night, you say 'heck with the dishes!' And crawl into bed yourself, because you needed to be asleep an hour ago. So yeah, busy. I'm sure some this is just our season of life, but something tells me that many people (kids or no kids) feel this way.
So where is the time to pray? To sit down and honestly talk to God and listen too? I grew up with many telling me about the necessity for a 'devotion' time (reading the Bible, and praying mainly) and lots of those told me it should be in the morning, first thing! Otherwise how else would your day go well if you didn't commit it to the Lord with a 'devotion'? This model always felt a little rigid, but as a teen or a college student, or even a young married person I bought into it because it seemed feasible if I could just 'get my act together'. But as a parent, I was crushed by this expectation.
I. Am. Not. A. Morning. Person. I can barely breathe at 4am, let alone have a 'devotion'. And the rest of the day is so wrapped up in making sure my kids (and myself) do not have complete meltdowns that prayer time is difficult to come by and yet, it's in these times that I feel I need to be on my knees to God the most!
I have been learning a different way about prayer though. There is this itty-bitty verse in 1 Thessalonians where the authors of this letter encourage the people to "pray continuously" or "pray without ceasing." For some odd reason praying ALL the time, as opposed to a set time of prayer resounds with me. Probably because it works. I have been finding that 'keeping the line warm' with God allows me to keep the conversation going with him. Like a text message conversation (I know, using this as an example just confirms what a millenial I am), I can pick up with the conversation at any point in the day and in the same way, I keep my ears (or more like my heart/spirit) open to his replies of encouragement, guidance, and conviction. I do this now with my day to day struggles: when there's a lot on my plate (which is always) or when my girls are being particularly moody, or I am particularly moody (which is almost never ;-)), I talk to God about those things, asking for grace in the midst of stress. I do it with prayer requests from others, sticking those requests on a white board and when I pass by it, I just pray as I go. If I find myself in a moment of quiet (rare but happens on occasion) in the shower, at naptime, or lying awake at night, I talk to God about those in need or thank God or ask for forgiveness. It's just continuous. Now, I am not trying to sound über holy here, so let me serve myself some humble (apple) pie. This has only been by God's grace that I have been remembering to 'keep the line warm'. But it is my responsibility to choose to be obedient to this leading for those things to happen. I will be the first to tell you that I am not obedient all the time.
"The prayers of a righteous man are
powerful and effective."
What's the pay off? Freedom for one. There is not this crushing pressure to fulfill an expectation of a lengthy time of prayer. Not that a long period of prayer is bad or that you shouldn't ever do it. Maybe that's something for me to work on. I can watch an episode of television, I suppose I could try to use that time for prayer instead once in a while. But you shouldn't give up prayer because you can't reach the perfection of one particular model.
The other reason is that prayer is effective. The book of James mentions that the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective (Thank you to the gym I used to box at for naming your facility the James 5:16 Center- I'll always remember that one.) Let's not forget that when we keep the line warm we are connecting with The Source of power- God Almighty. We are not just calling our girlfriend up on the phone to commiserate with in our daily struggles, but we are giving our lives over to someone who can do something about our worries, our stresses, our friend's need.
When we first started planning our trip to Haiti, we sent letters asking for prayer and financial support. I often wonder if people are praying for us and hope that they are because I know that prayer is effective. As you pray for our team, our trip, the missionaries, Lex and Renee Edme, and Haiti, remember that you are doing something powerful and effective. Would you 'keep the line warm' for us and for Haiti?
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Adventures In Pie Baking
This past weekend, our Haiti team completed their first fundraiser, selling homemade apple pies. We took orders for 30 pies! Shout out to our church family, Atlantic Evangelical Free Church, for their support of missions. Their hearts are soft for those who seek to proclaim the hope of Jesus, probably because they seek to do the same. What a blessing they are!
But back to these pies! I'll tell you what, I feel like an expert in baking apple pies after the 31 we baked on Saturday. (We ended up making an extra; 32 if you count my tester, whose crust melted away like a Dalì clock.) Friday afternoon I went shopping for supplies. Now, mind you, we did not roll out dough for 32 pies. Rolling out any kind of dough is one of my least favorite cooking tasks, right alongside peeling potatoes. One time in Haiti, my team was commissioned to prepare 80 pounds of potatoes for a New Years Eve event feeding roughly 900 people. After finishing with a hand sore and rubbed raw and bleeding (go ahead and say it, "poor baby";-)) I swore I would never again complain about peeling potatoes. Ah, but alas, here I am. How quickly we forget our light and momentary troubles.
I wasn't rolling out 32 pie crusts though. I purchased the pre-made, pre-rolled, take it out and crimp the edges kind. And I cleared Hyvee out of pie crusts! 32 doesn't sound like much until you've got them stacked on the bottom rack of your cart, and your taking you turns ever so carefully and then, oh no!!! 20 of them hit the floor and you're quietly and quickly re-stacking them, hoping no one is paying attention, because, let's be honest, you're the person who's got pie crusts stacked to the ceiling and you feel a little sheepish about it. Even going through the check-out is a little awkward, "You've got how many?" In all seriousness, our local grocer was very gracious about me buying out their stock. One girl even ran to the back to get me more (there were only 27 on the shelf.)
So 32 crusts, 28 pounds of sugar, and a bottle of cinnamon later, I was on my way. We formed an assembly line. Tiffany unrolled the crusts and pressed them into the pans. Ron mixed the ingredients and filled the pies. Chad put the tops on and sealed the crust...uh, oh. Turns out Chad's baking skills are not as honed as his technological prowess. Switch Tiffany (who sculpts for fun) and Chad. Turner sprinkles sugar and cuts air vents. We were a well oiled machine and before you know it, there were 31, including a gluten free one I made from scratch in the time it took to make most of the other pies (it was my first ever. Maybe that's what God meant by the 'equipping of the saints'...)
Baking with this team was a pleasure because what I began to see form is a group of people learning to work together, which, I think, is important for our trip. Working in a unified manner requires understanding each of our strengths. I really liked how Chad realized his daughter, Tiffany, would be more successful at forming the top crusts because of her talent in sculpting. And kudos to him for says, "nope, not my gift!" and allowing someone else to move in to complete the task. In organizing this fundraiser, I was also impressed with how Ron stepped right up to take orders for the pies, sitting at the table after church, making order forms...I didn't even have to fill out the deposit form for the payments ('Cause Chad is the treasurer anyway.) Turner jumped right in there lending a hand whenever and whatever I asked- he truly has a servant's heart. And Kyle? Well, he was at home juggling a baby, a toddler and apple pies baking in our oven. Not a complaint from anyone! Adventures never happen alone and it's good to see that this one will be with people who are humble and like-minded in their desire to serve God with the gifts they've been given. Reminds me of a verse!
But back to these pies! I'll tell you what, I feel like an expert in baking apple pies after the 31 we baked on Saturday. (We ended up making an extra; 32 if you count my tester, whose crust melted away like a Dalì clock.) Friday afternoon I went shopping for supplies. Now, mind you, we did not roll out dough for 32 pies. Rolling out any kind of dough is one of my least favorite cooking tasks, right alongside peeling potatoes. One time in Haiti, my team was commissioned to prepare 80 pounds of potatoes for a New Years Eve event feeding roughly 900 people. After finishing with a hand sore and rubbed raw and bleeding (go ahead and say it, "poor baby";-)) I swore I would never again complain about peeling potatoes. Ah, but alas, here I am. How quickly we forget our light and momentary troubles.
I wasn't rolling out 32 pie crusts though. I purchased the pre-made, pre-rolled, take it out and crimp the edges kind. And I cleared Hyvee out of pie crusts! 32 doesn't sound like much until you've got them stacked on the bottom rack of your cart, and your taking you turns ever so carefully and then, oh no!!! 20 of them hit the floor and you're quietly and quickly re-stacking them, hoping no one is paying attention, because, let's be honest, you're the person who's got pie crusts stacked to the ceiling and you feel a little sheepish about it. Even going through the check-out is a little awkward, "You've got how many?" In all seriousness, our local grocer was very gracious about me buying out their stock. One girl even ran to the back to get me more (there were only 27 on the shelf.)
So 32 crusts, 28 pounds of sugar, and a bottle of cinnamon later, I was on my way. We formed an assembly line. Tiffany unrolled the crusts and pressed them into the pans. Ron mixed the ingredients and filled the pies. Chad put the tops on and sealed the crust...uh, oh. Turns out Chad's baking skills are not as honed as his technological prowess. Switch Tiffany (who sculpts for fun) and Chad. Turner sprinkles sugar and cuts air vents. We were a well oiled machine and before you know it, there were 31, including a gluten free one I made from scratch in the time it took to make most of the other pies (it was my first ever. Maybe that's what God meant by the 'equipping of the saints'...)
Adventures never happen alone and it's good to see that this one will be with people who are humble and like-minded in their desire to serve God with the gifts they've been given.
Baking with this team was a pleasure because what I began to see form is a group of people learning to work together, which, I think, is important for our trip. Working in a unified manner requires understanding each of our strengths. I really liked how Chad realized his daughter, Tiffany, would be more successful at forming the top crusts because of her talent in sculpting. And kudos to him for says, "nope, not my gift!" and allowing someone else to move in to complete the task. In organizing this fundraiser, I was also impressed with how Ron stepped right up to take orders for the pies, sitting at the table after church, making order forms...I didn't even have to fill out the deposit form for the payments ('Cause Chad is the treasurer anyway.) Turner jumped right in there lending a hand whenever and whatever I asked- he truly has a servant's heart. And Kyle? Well, he was at home juggling a baby, a toddler and apple pies baking in our oven. Not a complaint from anyone! Adventures never happen alone and it's good to see that this one will be with people who are humble and like-minded in their desire to serve God with the gifts they've been given. Reminds me of a verse!
Just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4,5
Sunday, July 13, 2014
God's Adventure
While talking to a friend of ours who is a full time missionary, he said, "life with God is an adventure." What comes to your mind when you think of an "adventurous" life? Maybe you think of throwing yourself from a helicopter, and in the middle of your freefall pulling that life saving tab that dispels a canopy, bringing you safely to the ground. Maybe you imagine the life a secret government gun and badge wielding agent, off on a secret mission. Or maybe you conjure up a life of travel, exploring mysterious lands, diving deep into oceans filled with sharks and coral, and eating exotic foods (wait, maybe that one is just us- minus the sharks and the diving ~oceans scare Danielle~ so just the food then!) Whatever your idea of adventure, is it the same as what our missionary friend described as a "life with God?"
Mercy's name is a little more straightforward in its meaning. Mercy is obviously a virtue and it is defined as compassion. We so, so much desire that our daughters seek God's kingdom above anything else and that means loving Him and loving others. It means being compassionate or "having concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others." Mercy is the attitude that moves a person to action, specifically the action of justice. You can certainly see someone's hurt, feel concern and never do anything about it. Justice is taking care of their hurt, offering a kind word at minimum. But you have to begin with compassion, with mercy.
Micah 6:8 declares, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?" This is a life with God. Seems pretty simple, but when you start to act out these things the church goes from tame to tumultuous. I have met some people that I have felt compassion for- their lives aren't usually in the best shape. But they are needy, messy and downright complicated. They require a lot of attention and time and patience. On a large scale, I think of human trafficking victims. Holy crow! Where do you even begin? If I acted justly, caring for the hurt in the lives of the 70 million trafficking victims there are, I am definitely not going to have time to clean the living room. Even if I tried, what is the proper method? What is the reason it's happening? Talk about needy, messy and complicated. On a smaller scale, what about the man or woman who comes to church glassy eyed and sporting a coke nail? Or the pretty girl in the back row, who wears her skirt a little too short because she never got the right kind of attention at home? Or the clean cut husband and dad of two who struggles with pride and arrogance? Have you ever tried to love, to invest in some body like this? There's uncertainty of the outcome, the risk of it not going well, and the rush of adrenaline when their lives and yours are changed forever because of taking the risk to love them. Having moments when all you can do is pray for deliverance. Could you say that of skydiving? Of swimming with sharks? Of a secret mission? Heck yeah! How many times have you seen someone cross themselves or straight out pray "Lord help me!" before jumping out of a plane? I've watched enough reality television to know that it happens pretty often! When you live life according to God's requirements: acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with Him you live a life of adventure that is similar to the likes of a free fall.
For us, obedience to these commands includes a trip to Haiti in the next year. Don't get us wrong we love to travel, and if it were just us two and we were rolling in the dough you would never see us because we would be getting our passports stamped. But as our daughters have arrived and we've gotten older and busier, travelling to Haiti for a mission trip, we are learning, is beginning to require more sacrifice. When we were teens, a mission trip in the summer meant selling candy bars and hoagies, and maybe a difficult conversation with the bosses of our temporary summer jobs. Now it means using vacation time, arranging for our kids while we're gone, finding people to watch our home, and just finding time in the craziness of raising a toddler and 2 month old to prepare. Not to mention the ache of leaving our kids for 10 days. So, why bother with all that? Obedience. We desire to act justly, and love mercy, and as we walk humbly with God, praying for his direction, we see trips like this fall into our hearts and paths. And though there are uncertainties in this obedience (see above about the sacrifice--how on earth will we make all this happen?!), and the risk of it not going well, we know from past experiences in Haiti that there is also the rush of changed lives for the kingdom of God. That is adventure!
"The term righteousness means living in a right relationship with God, and justice is living in a right relationship with others"We named our daughters, Adelaide Justice and Mercy Renee, after what we believe is a life with God. Adelaide's middle name, Justice, is word in scripture that is often interchangeable with the word righteousness. The term righteousness means living in a right relationship with God, and justice is living in a right relationship with others. In a criminal case we say that the good guy got justice when the bad guy goes to jail. Acting justly means giving others what they deserve. From outside the judicial world this looks like: taking care of the needy, the voiceless, the helpless. Put simply, it means loving others.Where justice and righteousness become intertwined is that you truly cannot be in right relationship with others (justice) until you are in right relationship with God (righteousness). How can you love others well without knowing God's love yourself? Scripture tells us that "God is love" (1 John 4). It is my belief that, without God, love on this earth would not exist. We want our daughters to value a relationship with a loving God and therefore live justly by loving others.
Mercy's name is a little more straightforward in its meaning. Mercy is obviously a virtue and it is defined as compassion. We so, so much desire that our daughters seek God's kingdom above anything else and that means loving Him and loving others. It means being compassionate or "having concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others." Mercy is the attitude that moves a person to action, specifically the action of justice. You can certainly see someone's hurt, feel concern and never do anything about it. Justice is taking care of their hurt, offering a kind word at minimum. But you have to begin with compassion, with mercy.
Micah 6:8 declares, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?" This is a life with God. Seems pretty simple, but when you start to act out these things the church goes from tame to tumultuous. I have met some people that I have felt compassion for- their lives aren't usually in the best shape. But they are needy, messy and downright complicated. They require a lot of attention and time and patience. On a large scale, I think of human trafficking victims. Holy crow! Where do you even begin? If I acted justly, caring for the hurt in the lives of the 70 million trafficking victims there are, I am definitely not going to have time to clean the living room. Even if I tried, what is the proper method? What is the reason it's happening? Talk about needy, messy and complicated. On a smaller scale, what about the man or woman who comes to church glassy eyed and sporting a coke nail? Or the pretty girl in the back row, who wears her skirt a little too short because she never got the right kind of attention at home? Or the clean cut husband and dad of two who struggles with pride and arrogance? Have you ever tried to love, to invest in some body like this? There's uncertainty of the outcome, the risk of it not going well, and the rush of adrenaline when their lives and yours are changed forever because of taking the risk to love them. Having moments when all you can do is pray for deliverance. Could you say that of skydiving? Of swimming with sharks? Of a secret mission? Heck yeah! How many times have you seen someone cross themselves or straight out pray "Lord help me!" before jumping out of a plane? I've watched enough reality television to know that it happens pretty often! When you live life according to God's requirements: acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with Him you live a life of adventure that is similar to the likes of a free fall.
"(Any idea what we might name a future child?)"One could argue that seeking a life of adventure is not a good reason to live a life with God, and its not. In Matthew 23, Jesus is pretty peeved with the super religious people of the day and he gives it to them good. And in verse 23 he tells them that they do a great job following all the religious rules of the day (insert sarcasm here), but they stink at the more important things quoted as, "justice, and mercy and faithfulness." He says they shouldn't have been neglecting those while doing all the churchy stuff. Obedience is why we are to live a life with God. The adventure is just a by-product. Jesus is requiring obedience of those religious fellows and that obedience includes acting justly, loving mercy and walking faithfully with God. (Any idea what we might name a future child?)
For us, obedience to these commands includes a trip to Haiti in the next year. Don't get us wrong we love to travel, and if it were just us two and we were rolling in the dough you would never see us because we would be getting our passports stamped. But as our daughters have arrived and we've gotten older and busier, travelling to Haiti for a mission trip, we are learning, is beginning to require more sacrifice. When we were teens, a mission trip in the summer meant selling candy bars and hoagies, and maybe a difficult conversation with the bosses of our temporary summer jobs. Now it means using vacation time, arranging for our kids while we're gone, finding people to watch our home, and just finding time in the craziness of raising a toddler and 2 month old to prepare. Not to mention the ache of leaving our kids for 10 days. So, why bother with all that? Obedience. We desire to act justly, and love mercy, and as we walk humbly with God, praying for his direction, we see trips like this fall into our hearts and paths. And though there are uncertainties in this obedience (see above about the sacrifice--how on earth will we make all this happen?!), and the risk of it not going well, we know from past experiences in Haiti that there is also the rush of changed lives for the kingdom of God. That is adventure!
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