Finding Time to Drink ... and write about it

Life brims to edges of my capacity, then overflows, spilling over the top; I yearn to capture every drop.  Daughter one will fly to her future soon, taking off to Bangkok, Thailand.  Daughter two just received her acceptance letter to Lee University this weekend, and she will likely be headed off to Tennessee in the Fall.  So I'm grasping at every opportunity to connect, at the heart level.  I'm grabbing at every hug, hanging on every word.

Simultaneously my three younger a daughters are budding, oh so early, into breathtaking beauty.  And yet (from my previous experience with age 13-14) I know that they hover on the brink of the abyss of hormones and snarkiness.  So, I pull them into my arms and hold them close.  Trying to maintain undivided interest, I listen to their tales of which friend said what and did what and how funny it was when so and so fell out of his chair.

I am blessed with a husband who loves me and all my girls, and yet he needs much attention, too.

My heart cry is for more time to drink ... not of the fruit of the vines of this world, but of the River of Delights of deep times with Jesus.  His Word, beautiful worship, prayer ... there is never quite enough time to linger there and enjoy.  One hundred prayer requests seem to knock insistently, and yet when I show up to pray, I simply want to rest in Him.

Where do I find this place of rest?

Mornings - Before the day carries me away like a stallion, I sit here in the relative quiet (applying headphones when necessary) or I brave the cold long enough to drive to the track and walk (with headphones), listening to worship music (Misty Edwards, Cory Asbury, Deb Wells) and enter into the glorious presence of my Savior.  I pray, "Lord, bind my mind to your mind; bind my heart to your heart.  May I walk in your ways, talk with your words.  May my path always be the path you have destined for me."

And I know from experience that if I will just do this each (and every) morning, then the challenges of the day - the challenges of raising five girls and working part-time and homeschooling and more - will not shake me to the point of breaking.  Instead, I will know the steadiness of heart, the focus of love, that comes from this time in His presence, binding myself to him in the very center of my being.

It is not my personal secret.  Generations have known this ... all the way back to Old Testament scriptures. "They that wait upon the Lord will ... rise up on wings like eagles."  And "The Lord will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed (fixed) on Him."

So, today I will feast on the abundance of God's provision and drink from his river of delights.  Psalm 36:8.   I will "taste and see that the Lord is good!"  Ps. 119:103.

And at least today I am finding time to write about it!  I hope that I will be able to do this more!

Encountering Jesus

I have journaled some of our encounter times -- times that we spend in focused worship asking Holy Spirit to open our spiritual ears and eyes to hear and see what he wants to reveal to us, and allow us to spend time with Jesus, experiencing his love in whatever way he wants to share with us -- but I haven't blogged much, because I typically write things down in shorthand, not in ways that others would understand.  But I have been challenged lately to write more, so here's one from a week and half ago .....  I hope they inspire someone who reads them.

Yesterday’s encounter time:  I stood in a giant circle of people with Jesus at the center.  Most people held small instruments, but some had large ones (eg, there was a cello).   Others were simply vocalists, their voice their only instrument.  As Jesus pointed to each one, he or she would begin to play a simple rhythm or simple melody, sometimes just a single note, too.  The vocalists would sing a single beautiful note.   But as each individual joined their song, one after the other around the circle, the music blended into an amazing symphony.  At times Jesus would direct a person to rest in silence, before picking up another note or rhythm.   Some were worried that their notes were insignificant, but there was no denying that as we each were faithful to simply obey the director’s instruction, the symphony was extraordinary!

Mayana has been having significant encounter times in which she is going with Jesus to serve the poor, giving them food and clothes, and sharing God’s love and truth with them.  Today she saw an area where there were few houses but lots of people, and she and Jesus were ministering to the people, giving them food, clothes, and love.  Sometimes in her pictures sees us there as a family, too.  Often the pictures involve going from here to another place that is far away.  Her experiences are filled with joy!

If you are inspired to encounter the Lord with your children, I encourage you to go back to the beginning of this blog and read the early posts.  I also encourage you to purchase some prophetic worship music - preferably instrumental - for your soaking time.  We like John Belt's CDs, among others.

Be blessed today in Jesus' sweet loving presence through the Holy Spirit!

“Lord, I want to be… planted by your waters,

Lord, I want to be .. drinking from your stream,

Give me joy as I drink, from the river of your delights.

Let me abide so deep, as I set my eyes on you.

All my fountains are in You,

 I am only satisfied in You.”

We have this treasure …

 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.   2 Cor 4:7  

So, I find this old jar and it is loaded with gold coins and jewels and I can’t get my mind off the jar, this container.  How did it get to be so broken and dirty?  And how can I fix it?  Surely, if it holds such treasure I must somehow clean it up and get it fit to hold the treasure, right?  So, I worry and fret over this old jar of clay, and I get together with other jar-owners, so that we can learn all about restoring these old jars, making them presentable, if not beautiful.  And we read book after book about jar restoration, attend conferences and seminars, and sermons, and still, somehow, after being patched and cleaned and painted,  they are still just jars of clay in need of repair and restoration.

Then one day someone limps into one of our jar-restoring meeting and cries, “I could really use some help here.  I heard you all might have some treasure.  Where’s the treasure?”

“The what?”

“The treasure!  The all-surpassing power that you found in some old jars!  Where is it?  I could really use some help!”

“What do you mean?”

“The power that’s supposed to be inside those jars.  You know, the things you all keep fretting over.  Inside is where the treasure is!  Aren’t you going to start using the treasure inside?  ‘Cuz I could really use some help here!”

“Well, yes.  Of course, we will use the treasure inside.  But can’t you see.  Until we get these jars cleaned up, we won’t be able to present the treasure to anyone.  We can’t really expect people to see the beauty of the treasure until we get our acts together and present it with a presentable vessel.”

With a sigh, the visitor limps away, shaking his head. 

Treasure!?  All surpassing power!?  Why in the world have I been walking around all these years thinking that this jars of clay verse was all about the stinking jar?

Why give another day to trying to fancy up this old jar?  Why worry another minute about what people think of me?  If I were walking around with the all surpassing power of God’s love flowing out of me, I don’t think they’d be all that concerned about my clothes, my language, or whether or not I had a tattoo of a cross on my shoulder.   Nor would they really care whether I was well educated or could recite the books of the Bible in order. 

And if I had the all surpassing power of God’s love flowing through me, would I really still be carrying around anger about what my parents did 20 years ago, what my neighbor did last week, or what the press said about my church?  Wouldn’t I be quick to forgive just as I have been forgiven?

And if I had the all surpassing power of God’s love flowing through me, would I really spend time fretting about the worship style errors of the church down the street and the way my friend interprets Genesis 1?  Wouldn’t I simply love and accept others just as Christ accepted me?

And more importantly, if I really had the all surpassing power of God’s love flowing through me, wouldn’t I be longing to give it freely to others, obeying the law of Love as written in Word?  How can I claim to love God, if I refuse to love my own family and neighbors?  Freely I received this all surpassing power - this treasure.  Freely must I give. 

Lord, help me to take my eyes off me, and keep my eyes off me, so that I may fix my eyes on Jesus, the one who has given this treasure, and indeed the one who is this Treasure!  Help me to share this Treasure - this all-surpassing power of love, hope, healing, and redemption -  with the  people all around me!!

I need not make it complicated or well organized.  May I just keep it simple - this treasure-sharing need have nothing to do with me, just a willingness to let HIS LOVE and POWER pour out of me.   Lord, let it be.

New Beginnings: Our Family House of Prayer - small but mighty

I must take a deep breath and dive in.  It's fall already, and time to embrace the new school year, to again dig deep into my heart, my mind, (and, yes, my wallet, too) and bring forth creative ideas and stimulating curriculum for my girls.  But the one thing that inspires me most: starting again our family house of prayer.  This year we are down to just three of us - me and my two youngest.  The rest are now in various other locations at 8:30 am.  But we three dive into worship, encountering Christ, and praying for others.

My next to youngest daughter shared this encounter yesterday:  "Jesus led me into a garden, and he showed me weeds and old dead plants that needed to be taken out.  We pulled up all the weeds and old stuff.  Then we got the garden ready and planted new, beautiful plants in my garden."

We hadn't talked about this analogy before.  Jesus chose to personally show her the renewal he planned for her "garden" - her heart.  And he chose to reveal this to her just days before she is to be baptized!  No coincidence of course.  Simply another kiss from heaven!

And this morning the Lord graced me with a revelation beyond words, so that I hesitate to try to tell it here.  But as I told my girls"  "Jesus led me through an open door, and on the other side was the heavenly kingdom, beautiful beyond description, with sparkling diamonds and gems and indescribable gardens, flowers, delicacies, delights.  And everywhere in this Kingdom everyone was immersed in the presence of God, so real, so amazing.  It wasn't as if we were all clambering toward a throne, trying to experience the nearness of Christ.  Rather we were all somehow "in Him" in a way that was closer than close -- impossible to explain.  Wherever I went, I was in Him, so that his very presence surrounded me, surrounded each of us.  The joy, peace, love - so tangible!   After sometime I saw the edge of this huge kingdom, which was surrounded by a tall stone-looking wall.  On the outside were those who had chosen not to enter - those who had chosen what at the time seemed like the more logical choice - immediate gratification, or the way of the world.  And I realized that they had to be experiencing the ultimate in regret: to have missed out on the undeniably awesome Kingdom, glistening with glory and beauty beyond description.  There was no way for them now to enter.  And I said that this made me even more determined to pray more consistently for those we know who are not heaven-bound - who are choosing the ways of this world over the Kingdom of God."

We have chosen Christ, and this is our destiny: eternal communion with our Creator/King/Bridegroom, enraptured in beauty and love and joy beyond all we can ask our imagine!

And, so, this is only the beginning.  We are already jumping in, learning to pray like never before, learning to experience God in the simplicity of our living room.  Our small but mighty family house of prayer.

--
A note for those who may not know: for 11 years I homeschooled my five girls; now I still homeschool the younger two (ages 12, and nearly 11).  My older girls, having been raised in and around the Cincinnati House of Prayer and having been mightily touched each year at events at IHOP-KC, are on fire for Jesus and pursuing His presence. The oldest is choosing a life of ministry and missions - first step YWAM.   I can't wait to see all that God has for them
!

 

This is Reality

Over the past few weeks I have been inspired by awesome worship and teaching from the International House of Prayer.  One song proclaims, "This is reality.  Jesus will reign on the earth.  And the increase of his government will never end."    As this song echoed in my mind, I wrote these words...

This is reality:  Jesus will reign on the earth, we will reign and rule with him, and the increase of His government will know no end.

This is reality:   How I live my life now has a direct impact on the quality of my eternal life. 

This is reality:  I must choose this day, and every day, whom I will serve.  Will I serve myself or The Lord?  How I serve Him is the most important decision.

This is reality:  The choices that I make today and every day will produce results – eternal rewards that I cannot even imagine right now.

This is reality:  Jesus is cheering me on and is excited for me to acquire more treasure and more eternal reward.  Part of my great reward will be a place closer to Him in eternity.  Picture a job in heaven where occasionally I am face to face with Jesus, and I am thrilled to have the privilege to encounter him in this way. 

This is reality:  I can do nothing on my own. Today I embrace my poverty of spirit. I am fully dependent on God for anything, everything.  My confidence is in His strength.

This is reality:  I must go low and be humble, fully realizing my weakness and utter dependence, my unworthiness, and at the same time I must embrace the truth that He has called me worthy to be with Him where He is.

This is reality:  Today is the day of treasure.  Today I must be with Him, must seek His face to find His will, and must be wholly available to do his will rather than my own.  Today I love in deeds, not just words.  Today I draw near to His presence and say “yes” all over again.  Today I let his love and joy and peace slosh over onto others. 

This is reality – Jesus is meek and merciful, and I must embrace this mercy and meekness to be great in His Kingdom.  I will have great opposition, and I must do so as Jesus would, with humility and acceptance, with love.   

Lord, help us to embrace this reality every single day until the end which is the greatest beginning imaginable.

For inspiration, visit http://www.ihopkc.org/watch/onething/   25,000 teens and my two teen daughters attended over New Years this year.  Amazing!

Remembering Those Fighting for Christian Liberty in China

Sometimes I hear people say, "I know that Christians used to have a lot of persecution in China, but all that is over now."  Tell that to the men and women featured in the following story.   Persecution of Christian leaders is a problem right now in China!   The only reason these individuals' stories are being told is that they have loved ones who have made it to the US to tell their stories.  Getting out of China isn't easy.  So, imagine how many others are suffering extreme persecution across China because they are brave enough to stand up for what they believe?

Who are the real Daniels of the Year?
@WORLD Magazine... Remembering those in the Den...

Add these families to your prayers!

Add to your reading list:  Brother Yun's  Heavenly Man.

Another very common misconception is that China no longer has many children available to adopt.  This is a major fallacy.  There are Chinese girls and Chinese boys of all ages eligible for adoption right now - literally thousands!  While the wait to adopt healthy, young babies has dramatically increased (mostly because Chinese citizens may now adopt), the time frame for adopting children who have an identified medical need is short.  Those with an identified need and those who are waiting because they are older can be adopted with one of shortest international adoption time frames -  10-18 months.  Many of these needs are ones that are readily medically handled in the USA or needs that most people would readily accept in their birth children without blinking an eye.  An adopted boy from China whom we know is missing one arm, but he is one of the brightest, most adorable young man I've ever met, and his family feels enormously blessed!

If you are considering adoption, consider China!   And be blessed!!!

For Dad's

When people meet my husband and learn that he is the dad of five daughters, ages 10 to 18, their eyes widen.  "How do you do it?!" they exclaim.

He shrugs and smiles.  "They're great girls and we have a lot of fun.  But there's a lot of drama."  He sometimes elaborates about all the other things there are lots of, too, much to his daughters' chagrin.

Despite the drama, he loves being Daddy to our five.  But how do dads manage to bring up girls in such a way that they bring more joy than worry?   How do dads raise daughters who are ready to follow their Heavenly Father in whatever he calls them to do?

Dr. Dobson has some basic advice in the above linked video.   The three T's.  Talk, Touch, and Time.

Dr. Dobson - Dad's Relating to Their Daughters, short video

I hope this spurs some dads forward in understanding how to relate to their girls.  I would add a few more, which may appear in the remainder of Dr. Dobson's book, Bringing up Girls, which I hope to read some day before mine are completely raised....

More T's ....  in honor of the dad who is raising my girls and the dad who raised me.  These are ordered randomly.....

Tickle --  Most girls like to be tickled.  The trick is to make sure you gear the level of tickling to the individual tolerance and delight of each child.  For the rough and tumble ones, include tackle with the tickle.

Tease --  Include lighthearted and good-natured teasing in your relationship with your daughter from an early age.  Make sure that this teasing is not about her or about boys, though.   The teasing can be super simple -- just sneak her fork when she's not looking and then put it back while she's up getting a new one from the drawer.  Make sure you are BOTH having fun.

Train -- find something she wants (or needs) to learn how to do and work with her on it.  Build together, garden together, learn a sport together, or even change the oil together.  If you know how to play guitar, teach them to play, too.

Try something new --  if you are stuck, try something completely different.  And keep trying new fun things until something clicks.  With five girls it is rare that the same thing works with all of them.   Things that have worked with our girls have ranged from Tickle Spider to "get-by" where girls have to crawl from one end of the room to the other without getting tackled by Daddy.  The more difficult the child, the more important it is to get creative and spend time in playful interaction!

Tell stories --  make up funny stories with big adventure.  Don't worry about how great they are, but include cliffhangers when possible to keep the stories going.

Take them on dates.  Or just take them with you when you go places.

Tell them about boys.  (You may want to run ideas past your wife first on this one.)

Tell them they are beautiful.  They can't hear it enough!!

Track with them.  Girls emotions get more complicated as they mature.  Be super sensitive and track with them.  If they are in tears, it is time to hug not lecture.

Tolerate their quirkiness ... and try to learn to appreciate it.

Tell them they are smart and wonderful.  Tell them you love them to the sun and back.  Tell them they are making good choices.  Tell them they are so important to you.  Tell them how proud you are of them.  Tell them over and over what they mean to you.  And try to make all of this telling a priority over telling them to do their chores and their homework.

Track them down --  sometimes they just need to be pursued.  If you've had a fight, don't let them cry alone in their rooms.   Go to them and find out what's wrong, and if you are to blame, apologize.  This is probably the most difficult part -- pursuing them and taking the time to make things right, but it is one huge thing that will keep your relationship strong between 13 and 18.

Ok, I didn't know there were so many T's.    Hope this helps someone reading!