Posts filed under 'praise'
Our God
I heard this song for the first time this weekend while visiting my brother’s church. It has been on a loop in my mind ever since, which is a very good thing. I’ve had a really rough day, a rough weekend … the entire past week has tested my faith. I need a mantra like this, one that persistently reminds me of truth.
Lord God, eradicate my unbelief and strengthen my faith!
I place my trust in YOU alone.
2 comments June 1, 2010
Answered Prayers (aka: What would you do for a little pampering?)
Our daughter was born with a heart defect. Those two words — heart defect — can terrify the most stable parent, yet in our case it has always been a non-issue. This week, however, I claimed my maternal right to freak out.
Ellie was diagnosed with a “murmur” at three months. Then around five months her doctors gave the murmur a very official and kinda scary-sounding name: coronary artery fissure (or fistula, depending on which cardiologist spoke). They explained it as an extra loop in her heart, then assured us it was no cause for alarm; it was just something we should keep tabs on with regular visits. It might even heal itself before her fifth birthday.
So, every six months for three years I’d take her to get an EKG and a sonogram of her heart. Around her third birthday, they changed our appointment schedule to once a year. At every visit they told us it was nothing to worry about — keep watching, let us know if anything changes.
Nothing ever changed. Including the defect. It didn’t show any signs of “healing”, but it also didn’t cause any problems. Ellie kept growing at exponential rates; she was supremely healthy in pretty much every way. I pushed those two scary words to the back of my mind, basically forgetting they ever applied to our family.
Then Monday reminded me. Ellie came home from school and complained of “splinters” inside her heart. She pointed to just the right spot, and my mind started spinning. (more…)
7 comments February 10, 2010
Can you hear angels rejoicing?
Zach accepted Christ this weekend. Well, I think he did. Only God knows his heart, and you know my reluctance to trust child conversions. But it seems that way and, in spite of myself, I’m excited. After all, angels may be celebrating, and I’m not one to miss out on a good party!
During an ice cream stop at the mall, Zach confessed that he didn’t want to die. Ellie, being the evangelist that she is, paused from her crusade of telling every passerby how much Jesus loves them to tell Zach that he should just believe in Jesus. I explained that when we put our trust in Jesus, we never die. Instead we just move from Earth to Heaven to live with God forever. Zach decided Heaven must be better than ice cream. He also assured me that Heaven is better than coffee. (The yet-to-be-glorified part of me wonders.) Then my little man prayed a simple prayer:
“God, I believe in you and I believe in Jesus. So does Ellie and Mommy and Daddy. And we all want to go to Heaven with You. Thank You for loving us and making Heaven better than ice cream. Amen.”
Such simple words, and yet such a huge step. Maybe he doesn’t understand justification or the total propitiation of sins. He’s probably clueless (as many of us are) about the depths of grace or the extent of Jesus’ sacrifice. But it’s a start. And it’s a big one.
~~~~~~~
“Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.
“Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’ Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.”
– Luke 15:4–10 (The Message)
4 comments January 12, 2010
Mama Loves: Answered Prayers
I am, oh, so tempted to write about how Mama loves the times she is not interrupted every 30 seconds, but this exercise is supposed to encourage positive thinking, not ranting. So, for the moment (or however long it takes me to get through this post), I’m going to try to forget that I started this blog entry three hours ago. I’m going to remember that I love my children more than anything and, while I do want to teach them patience and courtesy, it really is more important that I am available to them than that I — well, now I don’t even remember what I was trying to do. On with the show.
If you’re new to In the Dailies or Mama Loves, you can get all the details HERE. In short, it’s an exercise in gratitude and positive thinking with the purpose of glorifying God. Philippians 4:8-9 serve as the foundation. Feel free to join in! Just sign in with Mr. Linky and be sure to include a link from your post to mine. Thanks!
Mama loves answered prayer.
Our son has had eight double ear infections in his rather short life. He’s also had some single ear infections, but I’ve lost count of all those. He’s never had pink eye. Our daughter, being consistent with their polarized natures, has never had an ear infection, but has had pink eye at least once a year since birth.
Two days ago she started rubbing her eyes, saying they were itchy. At first I thought “allergies”, but then I remembered we still have snow; it’s thirty degrees outside. I watched and waited. By last night the symptoms were obvious. Her iris was slightly raised and outlined by pink. The whites of her eye was grainy and the yellow gunk formed in the corners. Ugh. I told her we would pray about it. “We know God can heal your eye and take this away if He wants to. But if He chooses not to take it away while you’re sleeping, we’ll have to go to the doctor and trust God to use the doctor to make you better.” She wasn’t happy about it, but prayed any way. This morning her eye was completely clear.
God doesn’t usually answer prayers like that. At least not for me. I usually have long painful waiting periods of lessons in trust and patience before we get answers so obvious.
Lynn Mosher wrote recently about ebenezers, memorials of God’s goodness. It’s so easy to forget how often and how perfectly He answers our prayers, how He provides for us. I think of the Israelites. God parted the Red Sea, saved them from plagues, caused Jericho to collapse and yet it seemed they continually forgot these amazing things. He miraculously fed them in the desert, brought water forth from rocks and blessed beyond all other nations, yet they forgot. They whined and complained. I don’t want to be like that.
My favorite answered prayers (of course):
My favorite answered prayers from 2008:
There is so much!! So much. I’ve only just started the list; my heart overflows with the goodness of our God. What’s on your list of favorite answered prayers?
2 comments January 6, 2009
Update on Mom
Thank you for your prayers! I still hate being so far away, but I know God is taking care of her and He’s FAR more capable than I am.
The surgery went well. They were able to complete it laparoscopically, which is the less invasive way. Hopefully this means a shorter, smoother recovery. They did keep her overnight because of her age, but everything seems to be fine. She’s going home this morning and, so far, has little to no pain. Praise God!
Thanks, again, for your prayers, love and support! Stuff like this reduces me to a noodle. And a homesick little girl.
4 comments October 25, 2008
Coincidence?
It has been said: “Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.” Lately I’ve been thinking (and writing) a lot about the God who sees, how He knows everything about us and loves us thoroughly, how he sees our heartaches and our triumphs, our strengths and our weaknesses. As “coincidence” would have it, two friends recently posted about something similar. To quote Kellie: “God lavishly loves us by knowing the desires of our heart. He knows and understands the longings we don’t want to admit we have.”
Check it out. Two posts about generous answers to unspoken prayers and the unceasing, unfathomable love our Creator pours out on us.
1 comment October 2, 2008
Courtin’ Candle
Look what my adorable husband brought home for me last night.
It’s not our anniversary or my birthday; we haven’t had a fight recently. It’s just one of those no reason gifts. Aren’t they beautiful? He actually handed them to me with an apology: “I’m sorry I haven’t gotten you flowers in a while.” You have to understand, when he says “a while” he means a month or two. Yup, I’ve got a keeper.
Here’s a picture of us almost eleven years ago.
This was back when I was embarrassed to be pictured as a “couple.” We were practically engaged, and I was madly in love, but still felt awkward making it so official. Especially when rude people like my roommate would take pictures without warning.
Ah, and here we are when someone actually told us a picture was being taken.
It’s nice not having me look like a hyena or Rick looking like he’s terrified of his future.
See the candle? Let me tell you about it. I grew up in a very rural area of Indiana, not too far from a rather large Amish community. My mother loved learning about their culture and enjoying their food and crafts. (The rehearsal dinner for our wedding was actually held on an Amish farm.) This was way before Beverly Lewis made it popular. Yeah, Mom liked Amish before Amish were cool. *grin* Anyway, Mom found this “courtin’ candle” and quickly made it a tradition in our family.
Now, don’t quote me on this because we may have heard the story wrong, but, as I understand it, a father would set out this candle when boys came to court his daughter. The base of the candle is a spiral with a wooden center that can be twisted up or down to raise and lower the candle resting inside. The young suitor could stay until the candle burned down to the top of the spiral. So, if the father liked the boy, he would raise the candle to give this fella a nice long visit. If he didn’t, the candle was lowered to make the date short and the father’s feelings obvious.
The first picture was taken the first time my mother met Rick. Unfortunately, the candle kept falling out of the holder when she cranked it up. We did the best we could.
Almost eleven years later we’re still together and still crazy in love. He still buys me flowers for no reason.
I am often hesitant to broadcast the success of our marriage. I don’t want to be prideful or arrogant; I don’t want to brag. I know so many people who are hurting, friends whose marriages are falling apart or held together by a string and single friends who long to have a husband or wife. I always feel mentioning how happy I am may seem like rubbing it in their faces. That’s not my intention at all! And I really hope no one takes it that way. Sometimes I just need to shout how great marriage can be!
I’ve had many people ask me what our secret is. I never know quite how to answer because I don’t believe there is just one secret. Communication, unwavering commitment, encouragement and trust all play a part. Sharing the same faith and same sense of humor are also huge factors. Accepting and forgiving one another even when you know the worst parts of each other. In other words, it takes work! There is a lot of advice I could give couples, but my advice is actually for parents: pray for your kids and their future spouses.
My mother prayed for Rick before she knew his name, even before I was interested in boys. She prayed my whole childhood for the man I would one day marry and she continues to pray for our marriage every single day. The same is true of my mother-in-law. She prayed for me for years before we met and she still prays for us now.
“The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.”
James 1:16-17 (The Message)
Pray for your spouses. Pray for your kids. Pray for your kids’ future spouses. There is no limit to what God can do! By praying you can be part of it.
For more trips down Memory Lane visit We Are That Family for the ‘Fro Me to You Carnival.
13 comments August 28, 2008
Temporal Intimacy
The past two weeks have been amazing! I’m glad to be back, but am now faced with the thick reality of how temporal the experiences were.
A week ago Saturday I drove home from Philadelphia. It was early morning. I spent my first fifteen minutes on the road watching a fly on my windshield. When that thrilling entertainment came to an end, I turned on a worship CD.
I love driving by myself. As I let my mind wander and my heart sing, unbidden tears streamed down my face. I didn’t even bother to wipe them away. I felt they were washing me clean as God revealed Himself to me. All the wonders I’ve taken for granted, the blessings I’ve felt entitled to, the miraculous journey He’s enabled me to take. I was overcome by humility, honor, and gratitude. Why would the Creator of the universe take an interest in me? Why would He care what happens to me? I belted out praises to Him. I confessed and prayed and then sang some more.
Now, we’re back to normal life. Vacation is over. My mountain-top conference experience is past. School starts in a matter of days, my calendar is already filled for the next few weeks, and where has my praise gone? It’s been shelved, as always happens when I get back to “normal” life. I hate it. I love those moments of intimacy with God! Why is it so difficult to maintain that closeness? Why, when I get in my routine, do I prioritize sleep over quiet times? Why do deadlines and schedules make my faith robotic? Do I really believe five minutes in the bathroom is enough to feel close to God?
Making time to be still is difficult, but it’s so worth it. What helps you find that time? How do you keep your relationship with God fresh? What do you do with “broken appointments” with Him?
6 comments August 18, 2008
Praise!!
During the lifetimes of my son (almost three years) and this blog (a smidgen more than two years) two prayer requests have been constant: Zach’s sleep habits and his food allergies. If you’re new to the blog and have never endured a church potluck with our family, you may know nothing about them.
Here’s a quick recap.
Zach does not sleep through the night. We have tried everything, and I mean E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Why doesn’t he sleep? Well …
He has had severe eczema, to the point of scratching himself bloody every time he sleeps, since about two months old. Eczema is typically accompanied by, though not directly related to, food allergies. So are ear infections. The poor kid had seven double ear infections before he was eighteen months old. We discovered the food allergies when I innocently handed him a teether biscuit, and hives swallowed him instantly from the chest up. He was between five and six months old. The best allergist in the area confirmed: Zach was allergic to ALL components of dairy (whey, casein, diary proteins, etc.), egg whites, peanuts and possibly dog hair.
This launched our family on a new adventure: learning a new way to shop, eat and store our foods at home and, while in public, protecting our adorable son from well-meaning food sharers of all sizes, ready to pounce from every crevasse of the known universe. I bought new cookbooks (Have you ever tried to make a birthday cake without eggs or dairy?) and relished vegan alternatives. (Long live Whole Foods!) I even learned how to make dairy-free, egg-free French toast. Impressive, eh?
Fast forward a couple years. Within the past six months Zach has been sneaking food. I didn’t fully realize how much until one day at Barnes & Noble. I had ordered a sandwich for myself and Ellie to split. I also got her a brownie. I had stuff from home for Zach. Well, while I was arranging Ellie’s plate and taking care of her drink, Zach stole my entire sandwich. Seriously. He ate the whole thing while my back was turned. It was in no way allergen-free. From the Swiss cheese to the mayo and processed meats, all piled high on artisan bread, it was a disaster for my highly allergic child! Or so I expected. I stared at him for a full ten minutes while internally mapping the quickest route to the hospital. Not a single hive. No reaction whatsoever!
Since then we’ve tested him on small amounts of different taboo foods. We had him re-tested with allergist. His levels were still detectable but a fraction of what they were two and a half years ago. Can I hear a “PRAISE GOD!!”
I’m not light on praise. My college suite-mate and I had a glory dance we did whenever God answered prayers, which, of course, He does all the time. If our conservative school knew how frequently we boogie in our basement dorm … Being one heavy on praise, I want to itemized all of God’s goodness in this area. He has answered our prayers mightily and my son has eaten all of the following foods with pleasure and no ill-effects.
- bread containing EGGS and DAIRY
- cakes containing BUTTER and EGGS
- sandwiches with MAYONNAISE (made from eggs)
- PEANUT BUTTER and jelly sandwiches
- CHEESE and crackers
- cereal with COW’S MILK (as opposed to soy milk)
- PEANUT BUTTER granola bars
- macaroni and CHEESE
- cinnamon rolls
- ICE CREAM
- fish breaded with EGGS
- salad with CREAMY dressing
- chocolate chip cookies with MILK chocolate chips
- sugar cookies (containing both BUTTER and EGGS)
- M&Ms
- CHEESE puffs
- PIZZA (two years ago the crust and the cheese both would have sent us to the ER!)
YEAH!!!!! He’s still not sleeping through the night, but his eczema is better and he hasn’t had any ear infections for a while, so I’m thrilled. And I’m hopeful that the sleep will soon come.
REJOICE WITH ME! 
“Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
or withdraw his unfailing love from me.”
- Psalm 66:20 (NLT)
11 comments July 22, 2008
Paparazzi (‘Fro Me to You)
This is my family. Well, a small part of it: Nathan (my sister’s husband), me, my brother Tim and my mom. This was taken around Christmas 2001. At the time there was only one grandchild, only one nephew: Jacob. We all thought he was best thing in the world. Well, he was! And still is one of the best, only now he’s not the only one. Anywho, we were worse than paparazzi in the backyard that day. Rick and Tracy (my sister) were pulling Jacob around in a wagon tacked onto the back of a riding lawnmower. Three cameras and two camcorders. It was a fun day. I don’t have any good pictures of Jacob, but I’ve got this one. And I love it.
You ever think God gets this excited about His children? Do you think He watches with elated anticipation to capture the next delightful thing we may do?
Last night Rick and I watched Evan Almighty. (I was quite reluctant about it, because I HATED Bruce Almighty. I found it offensive and sacrilegious. But this one was very different. I won’t go into the details of the movie. I’ll just say if you haven’t seen it, you might want to check it out.) My favorite part of the movie was the very last scene. Evan, who has struggled throughout the entire movie’s journey to trust and obey God, stands in a large meadow under a single tree with God. There he acknowledges God’s infinite wisdom and His loving plan, the fact that He saw the future before it happened and gently orchestrated the events to happen in the best possible way. And then they “do the dance.” It’s not a get down and boogie type of dance; it’s a silly little victory dance most people do only when they think no one is looking. My college suitemate and I had one of these dances; just a little happy dance we did together whenever God answered prayers or tickled us in an undeniable way. We danced it a lot!
In the movie Morgan Freeman, who plays God, laughs during the dance. It’s a wonderful sound. My spine tingles at the thought of God laughing and dancing with me! Realizing that He loves me so much to delight in me when I delight in Him. It’s pretty awesome.
This post is sponsored by Sincerely ‘Fro Me to You over at We are THAT Family. Check out the carnival over there to see who else is sharing blasts from the past through pictures.
7 comments May 29, 2008
